HGSE 2021

[LJ13]

4 hours ago, xyzxyz123 said:

Guys, in addition to my previous post and comments, just curious that do you believe that the Ed.M programs at HGSE really have an average acceptance rate of 50%+? It seems pretty odd to me, but a lot of people including several HGSE alums that I know, people online, as well as Peterson all mentioned that HGSE Ed.M has an average acceptance rate of 50%+. However, even if it is true, I understand it is going to be varied depending on different specific programs. Thanks for your clarification!

Curious about this too, it seems pretty high compared to other universities.

[foxfire123]

51 minutes ago, LJ13 said:

Curious about this too, it seems pretty high compared to other universities.

Well, master's programs tend to have pretty high acceptance rates. Not that this downplays any of your qualifications or accomplishments, but it's because they don't require too much commitment on the school's behalf to fund the candidates. Most people are willing to take out loans for a master's degree -- especially at a school like Harvard with high name value -- because they see it as an investment to advance in their careers. 

The US News data (so take it with a grain of salt) says that the master's acceptance rate for HGSE is 53.6%. They have Penn GSE at 64.3%, and Stanford at around 29%, so it does tend to be much higher than the PhD acceptance rates at these schools. 

[HiEdHopeful]

On 1/26/2021 at 11:15 PM, foxfire123 said:

Well, master's programs tend to have pretty high acceptance rates. Not that this downplays any of your qualifications or accomplishments, but it's because they don't require too much commitment on the school's behalf to fund the candidates. Most people are willing to take out loans for a master's degree -- especially at a school like Harvard with high name value -- because they see it as an investment to advance in their careers. 

The US News data (so take it with a grain of salt) says that the master's acceptance rate for HGSE is 53.6%. They have Penn GSE at 64.3%, and Stanford at around 29%, so it does tend to be much higher than the PhD acceptance rates at these schools. 

Was curious about the original data....thank you for clarifying this, @foxfire123!

[AnnieRUok]

On 1/26/2021 at 11:15 PM, foxfire123 said:

Well, master's programs tend to have pretty high acceptance rates. Not that this downplays any of your qualifications or accomplishments, but it's because they don't require too much commitment on the school's behalf to fund the candidates. Most people are willing to take out loans for a master's degree -- especially at a school like Harvard with high name value -- because they see it as an investment to advance in their careers. 

The US News data (so take it with a grain of salt) says that the master's acceptance rate for HGSE is 53.6%. They have Penn GSE at 64.3%, and Stanford at around 29%, so it does tend to be much higher than the PhD acceptance rates at these schools. 

? Thank you for finding this and sharing it with us all! The acceptance rate you shared is higher than I thought it was.

[chai time]

Alright, finally decided to post my stats since I have found them so useful (or at least fun to obsess over) during this very painful period of time.

Concentration/Program: MEd in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship (concentration in Global, International, and Comparative Education)
GRE: not submitted/did not waste money on take
Work experience: Five years of voluntary mentorship of youth exchange students, three summers working abroad (once as an au pair, and two at an education nonprofit), a few months of tour guiding for exchange students (cut short by COVID), Fulbright ETA Finalist before COVID also messed that up, and one year Americorps at a youth-focused mentoring nonprofit
Undergrad: BA in International Studies from a regional state school. Not a remarkable school by any means but it is a Carnegie Tier 1 research school
Undergrad GPA: 3.78/4.00
Research: Senior Honors Thesis on the Peace Corps perpetuation of white saviorism; received a travel grant to conduct archival research for that project. I also mentioned a few papers I had written (none published) that were relevant to the field of int'l ed., one of which was nominated for an award 
LORs: One from the professor who advised my thesis (very strong), one from a professor I had a really close connection with and took two classes from (strong) and one from a my former volunteer supervisor for the youth exchange organization (very strong) 
SOP: It took me 3 months to write the body of it so it better be good. It really is the story of how I came to the field of international education and I think it captures the passion I have for disrupting the current status quo in the high school youth exchange world. My interests are pretty niche but also pretty unexplored which I drive home in my SOP. I am also interested in pursuing a PhD so I mention this as well.
Other schools: The George Washington University (accepted on 1/19), TC Columbia, NYU Steinhardt

I applied super last minute because I didn't realize they had waived the GRE req until probably two weeks away from the application deadline. Needless to say, this is probably the roughest SOP I put together, but I am still really eager about the program.

[LJ13]

On 10/13/2020 at 12:33 PM, Ivan5 said:

Hello everyone, 

I am a graduate of the EPM program class of 2016. I have recently started a YouTube channel where I discuss my experience with the graduate school admissions process at HGSE. I have produced videos of my application stats, general application advice, and have shared my statement of purpose alongside a statement of purpose from one of my colleagues in the human development and psychology program. Feel free to subscribe to channel as I plan to produce more HGSE-related videos title: How to fund an HGSE education, Is an HGSE education worth the price tag, and more! Feel free to also ask me questions via the comments on the videos I produce. I look forward to helping you with the admissions process! 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChRIK6A0Ix4BPCf-kzraH3g/

Thank you Ivan for your Youtube channel. It was extremely helpful. I want to ask if you have any idea how HGSE review military veteran applications? Does Veteran with professional experience in education(  School manager) stands a good chance? Thank you for your insight. 

[mjsmith]

Hey all!

Just wanted to remind everyone that the priority deadline for submitting forms for financial aid for HGSE is coming up fast (Feb 12th). Just finished doing both the HGSE form and FAFSA here and it didn't take too long to do them. Just don't want any of us to miss out on whatever aid HGSE may be able to give us.

Good luck to everyone! Fingers crossed for myself and everyone else on this forum!

[Beezkneez08]

7 hours ago, mjsmith said:

Hey all!

Just wanted to remind everyone that the priority deadline for submitting forms for financial aid for HGSE is coming up fast (Feb 12th). Just finished doing both the HGSE form and FAFSA here and it didn't take too long to do them. Just don't want any of us to miss out on whatever aid HGSE may be able to give us.

Good luck to everyone! Fingers crossed for myself and everyone else on this forum!

Thanks for the reminder! I submitted the HGSE form pretty much on the day they emailed about it.... I was probably hoping that if I submitted as soon as possible, I would somehow hear  something ~anything~ back as well.

I hate this waiting game!!! Not long now though ??

[mangoachar]

On 10/18/2020 at 3:14 AM, HiEdHopeful said:

Hi all!

Planning to apply to HGSE this cycle, and SUPER excited (and nervous) about it. The new set-up for the master's program has me re-examining which specific program to apply for....I was gonna apply to the Higher Ed program, but now that is a concentration rather than a degree program. Anyone else in the same boat?

Yep. I was going to apply to the International Education Policy program but now it's a concentration. I ended up applying to HDE because of my specific interest in language, but not too confident about the fit. How about you?

[McPerson]

On 10/28/2020 at 2:28 AM, HTG7728 said:

Hi! Planning to apply to ELOE program this year. Does anyone know if the change in curriculum affects the acceptance rate? I see there are only around 4 programs now, but different concentrations. I wonder how this will impact admissions.

I'm also applying to ELOE (concentration in higher education).There's usually more grad school applicants in general during a recession which makes most grad school programs (not just HGSE) more competitive. However! The pandemic may change things this time around?

I think the best way to think about acceptance rate is to look at it based on program + concentration + individual interests. Example: someone applying to ELOE with a concentration in higher education and with an interest in college administration has a different profile than someone applying to the same program with an interest in starting an EdTech venture geared towards adults. The more popular track will be more competitive and acceptance rate for that spot will go down.

Basically, it'll depend on how many people are vying for a spot with the same specializations, so some Ed.M spots will inherently be more competitive than others. There's no real way of knowing who applied to what right now (outside of the small, self-selected group posting here), especially because there's no historical data to draw from.

All this being said, I really like the data @foxfire123 shared, and that's definitely the acceptance rate I'm focusing on ?

Whatever happens, everyone here seems super qualified and competitive. I wish you all the best of luck!! 

Edited February 5, 2021 by McPerson

[HiEdHopeful]

On 2/4/2021 at 11:33 AM, mangoachar said:

Yep. I was going to apply to the International Education Policy program but now it's a concentration. I ended up applying to HDE because of my specific interest in language, but not too confident about the fit. How about you?

I faced the same struggle with which program now was the best "fit" for me with the loss of the higher ed degree. I looked at ELOE, EPA, and HDE as I could see them all fitting with parts of my goals....in the end I went with HDE, and talked about hoping to at least take an elective class in both the ELOE and EPA areas while still doing the higher ed concentration. Hope it is possible with the new set-up.

[chai time]

On 2/5/2021 at 4:26 PM, HiEdHopeful said:

I faced the same struggle with which program now was the best "fit" for me with the loss of the higher ed degree. I looked at ELOE, EPA, and HDE as I could see them all fitting with parts of my goals....in the end I went with HDE, and talked about hoping to at least take an elective class in both the ELOE and EPA areas while still doing the higher ed concentration. Hope it is possible with the new set-up.

I feel like I really lucked out with the new set-up. I am really interested in international education (currently developing a nonprofit in the field) but my interests (high school study abroad) was not really covered in the IEP program. ELOE is far more aligned with my interests, and sprinkling in IEP will be icing on the cake.

[mjsmith]

3 hours ago, chai time said:

I feel like I really lucked out with the new set-up. I am really interested in international education (currently developing a nonprofit in the field) but my interests (high school study abroad) was not really covered in the IEP program. ELOE is far more aligned with my interests, and sprinkling in IEP will be icing on the cake.

I feel the same way, @chai time! I applied last year to SSP (because I didn't really feel like my goals fit well in any one of the other programs), but my interest are at the edge of several of the old programs. Being able to apply to the HDE program AND the HE concentration lets me (hopefully) focus my time at HGSE effectively.

Edited February 8, 2021 by mjsmith

[chai time]

Was just rereading my HGSE SOP and found a *~tYpoOoOo~* so count me out guys, I'm not getting in, good luck to you all.

[SummoningSquare]

1 hour ago, chai time said:

Was just rereading my HGSE SOP and found a *~tYpoOoOo~* so count me out guys, I'm not getting in, good luck to you all.

I also made a typo (I wrote "instruction" where I meant "instructional"). It hasn't prevented me from getting into other programs, but if that's that for Harvard then I suppose I deserve it ?

[chai time]

13 minutes ago, SummoningSquare said:

I also made a typo (I wrote "instruction" where I meant "instructional"). It hasn't prevented me from getting into other programs, but if that's that for Harvard then I suppose I deserve it ?

Mine was "fell" where I meant "feel"... truly so embarrassing. But hopefully they FEEL the sentiment. 

[mjsmith]

1 hour ago, chai time said:

Was just rereading my HGSE SOP and found a *~tYpoOoOo~* so count me out guys, I'm not getting in, good luck to you all.

 

9 minutes ago, SummoningSquare said:

I also made a typo (I wrote "instruction" where I meant "instructional"). It hasn't prevented me from getting into other programs, but if that's that for Harvard then I suppose I deserve it ?

I can't see HGSE doing this over a typo. Keep the faith! ?

[McPerson]

29 minutes ago, chai time said:

Mine was "fell" where I meant "feel"... truly so embarrassing. But hopefully they FEEL the sentiment. 

 

I reread everything after I submitted my HGSE application and noticed a few weird grammar things and one typo. The writing sample for the other program I'm applying to has like... a period, then a footnote, then another period because I had two minutes left before the deadline, was still editing because some surprise life/work commitments popped up that took me away from applications for over a week, and I had quickly turned it into a PDF and submitted it hoping I completed all my sentences (I did thank god). 

I curled up into a ball and cried not gonna lie. Seriously sobbed.

I had a meeting with my mentor (also department head at the university I'm doing research at) and told her everything. Her response: "there's a scientifically proven typo/judgement ratio. You can have two to three typos per page before people start judging you". She then proceeded to tell me a story about a successful researcher she knew whose second language was English and who proofread to a certain point before deciding the potential typo/judgement ratio had been achieved, and would then move on. She then told me grad schools are there to teach writing so applications don't need to be perfect. Was she telling me urban legends to stop my breakdown? 50-50. Did it work? Yes. 

[chai time]

23 minutes ago, McPerson said:

I had a meeting with my mentor (also department head at the university I'm doing research at) and told her everything. Her response: "there's a scientifically proven typo/judgement ratio. You can have two to three typos per page before people start judging you". She then proceeded to tell me a story about a successful researcher she knew whose second language was English and who proofread to a certain point before deciding the potential typo/judgement ratio had been achieved, and would then move on. She then told me grad schools are there to teach writing so applications don't need to be perfect. Was she telling me urban legends to stop my breakdown? 50-50. Did it work? Yes. 

I can totally relate to the feeling! My stomach sunk. I'm hoping that your mentor isn't wrong though-- that they'll let it pass. I did read someone's SOP (who had been admitted to TC at Columbia) who repeatedly used quotations improperly by putting the period outside. It is such a tiny nuance but it really bothered me. I guess the admissions folks didn't mind though.

Still can't stop thinking about it though. It was in a sentence that was supposed to be really powerful too. I have no idea how I missed it!

[caxiatec]

On 2/9/2021 at 9:43 PM, chai time said:

I can totally relate to the feeling! My stomach sunk. I'm hoping that your mentor isn't wrong though-- that they'll let it pass. I did read someone's SOP (who had been admitted to TC at Columbia) who repeatedly used quotations improperly by putting the period outside. It is such a tiny nuance but it really bothered me. I guess the admissions folks didn't mind though.

Still can't stop thinking about it though. It was in a sentence that was supposed to be really powerful too. I have no idea how I missed it!

Woow! I made some typos too. Not in my SOP though. I thought I was the only one. I wrote "implementation focus" instead of "implementation focused". Anyway, still keeping hope alive. Did anyone apply to the LDIT program? @foxfire123, do you have information about how many people they typically admit in this program. I am just nervous and hoping that the calendar days can be skipped. I don't find my qualifications and experiences strong enough though. @mjsmith, thanks for the reminder, I appreciate.

[chai time]

4 hours ago, caxiatec said:

 I am just nervous and hoping that the calendar days can be skipped. I don't find my qualifications and experiences strong enough though.

Funny how February has become the longest month of the year, huh?

Also I'm not Foxfire and I don't have specific numbers but I enjoy Peterson's for looking up (alleged) stats.

[mjsmith]

4 hours ago, caxiatec said:

Woow! I made some typos too. Not in my SOP though. I thought I was the only one. I wrote "implementation focus" instead of "implementation focused". Anyway, still keeping hope alive. Did anyone apply to the LDIT program? @foxfire123, do you have information about how many people they typically admit in this program. I am just nervous and hoping that the calendar days can be skipped. I don't find my qualifications and experiences strong enough though. @mjsmith, thanks for the reminder, I appreciate.

 

10 minutes ago, chai time said:

Funny how February has become the longest month of the year, huh?

Also I'm not Foxfire and I don't have specific numbers but I enjoy Peterson's for looking up (alleged) stats.

It is so true that February feels like it is incredibly long! But (hopefully) we will be finding out the news in less than a month!

@chai time, Thanks for sending that Peterson's information! Fingers crossed we are all on the positive end of those odds!

[caxiatec]

30 minutes ago, chai time said:

Funny how February has become the longest month of the year, huh?

Also I'm not Foxfire and I don't have specific numbers but I enjoy Peterson's for looking up (alleged) stats.

Thank you so much!

[Beezkneez08]

15 hours ago, caxiatec said:

Woow! I made some typos too. Not in my SOP though. I thought I was the only one. I wrote "implementation focus" instead of "implementation focused". Anyway, still keeping hope alive. Did anyone apply to the LDIT program? @foxfire123, do you have information about how many people they typically admit in this program. I am just nervous and hoping that the calendar days can be skipped. I don't find my qualifications and experiences strong enough though. @mjsmith, thanks for the reminder, I appreciate.

I applied to LDIT!

[mjsmith]

42 minutes ago, Beezkneez08 said:

I applied to LDIT!

@Beezkneez08 Did you apply for a concentration too?