Teachers College Columbia University

[iluvbooks]

I am currently a high school English teacher looking to further my education. Teachers College at Columbia seems to have a very good reputation and a wide variety of programs to choose from. My ultimate goal would be to earn an EdD, but I would not be opposed to entering a Master's program first with the hope of being accepted into an EdD program upon completion of the Master's degree. My hope would be to enter into a course of study in either the Fall of 2012 or 2013. I would really appreciate it if someone could advise me on the type of experience (or further education) I should plan to augment my resume with to make me a more competitive candidate.

Here's my educational background (I didn't attend very prestigious universities):

University of Connecticut - Double Major in English and History - Bachelor of Arts degree - GPA 3.1

Sacred Heart University - Master of Arts in Teaching - Major: Secondary Education - GPA - 3.9

I know my undergrad gpa is unimpressive, but I am hoping the fact that I worked nearly full time during my Bachelor's and Master's degree would count for something.

Professional Experience:

Year long Internship at the High School level

2 years of Full Time teaching English Literature at the high school level

1 year of serving as an ESL Resource Teacher to several high schools in a large urban district

My next step - I am hoping to gain some international experience by teaching English abroad (possibly Japan). If that doesn't work out, I'll probably add a couple of more years of teaching experience to my resume.

Realistically what are my chances? What do I need to do to better my chances? Should I just resign myself to going to a state university for my EdD?

[FingersCrossedX]

Teacher's College is a fantastic program. I know some people who have gone there and they both taught 2-3 years.

That being said I don't really have much knowledge as to what the admissions committee there is looking for. I don't think I could gauge your chances that well, but I'll still throw in my two cents. I think you should go for it, and I think you should apply for the EdD.

The prestige of your universities shouldn't make or break you because you aren't applying with only educational experience. You've been in the classroom and that brings knowledge that you can't get at any university no matter the prestige. You have a story and you want the EdD for a thought out and good reason. Admissions is a strange game and reading these boards will show you just how often people think they have no chance and get in or have all the "right" credentials and get a rejection.

You have gotten to this place in your life by working. You have experience and maturity that many other candidates won't have. In my experience the numbers and facts get you thought the first round of cuts, but the meat of who you are and why your applying decide if you get a rejection letter or acceptance packet.

Apply to TC, but apply a few other places too. You might find that you don't like the program as much as you thought and the state school you would be a better fit for you. So my advice, apply and don't let yourself be intimidated by other people's credentials. You have some impressive ones of your own.

[iluvbooks]

Thank you for the advice and the vote of confidence )

Teacher's College is a fantastic program. I know some people who have gone there and they both taught 2-3 years.

That being said I don't really have much knowledge as to what the admissions committee there is looking for. I don't think I could gauge your chances that well, but I'll still throw in my two cents. I think you should go for it, and I think you should apply for the EdD.

The prestige of your universities shouldn't make or break you because you aren't applying with only educational experience. You've been in the classroom and that brings knowledge that you can't get at any university no matter the prestige. You have a story and you want the EdD for a thought out and good reason. Admissions is a strange game and reading these boards will show you just how often people think they have no chance and get in or have all the "right" credentials and get a rejection.

You have gotten to this place in your life by working. You have experience and maturity that many other candidates won't have. In my experience the numbers and facts get you thought the first round of cuts, but the meat of who you are and why your applying decide if you get a rejection letter or acceptance packet.

Apply to TC, but apply a few other places too. You might find that you don't like the program as much as you thought and the state school you would be a better fit for you. So my advice, apply and don't let yourself be intimidated by other people's credentials. You have some impressive ones of your own.

[ZeChocMoose]

Should I just resign myself to going to a state university for my EdD?

There are a lot of great colleges/schools of education at state universities. In fact, some of the top programs are at public universities so I won't rule them out.

What specific program are you interested in? I think that would help us determine whether your background is a good fit or not especially since Teachers College has a lot of programs.

I have also heard that Teachers College doesn't do a great job at funding their graduate students. If that is a concern for you, I would research the financial situation before I applied. Taking out loans for 5+ years for a doctoral program can be rough and many people (including myself) would advise you not to do it.

Good luck!

Edited February 20, 2011 by ZeChocMoose

[iluvbooks]

Funding is an issue and I have considered that. You are absolutely correct about not taking out any more student loans. I would need to work probably full time during the time I was getting my EdD. As far as which program I would apply to, I have done some research on the programs available, but I am not sure which one would be the best fit for me. I am interested in ultimately going into either curriculum design, or community education/action. Education reform has gotten so much media attention over the last few years with the controversy over No Child Left Behind, and I see a real crisis brewing with the recent lack of funding to education. In the large urban district that I currently work in, 42 teachers were given lay off notices last week and more lay offs are coming in July. I think that teachers need to be actively involved in the process of education reform and I believe a more rigorous and dynamic curriculum and more community/parental involvement (and accountability) are neccessary in order to actually fix the problem. I want my voice heard.

You are also correct about State Universities offering excellent programs. I went to UCONN and I believe I received a very good education there. I know UCONN has a highly rated school of education and have several friends who graduated from it. My main reason for prefering Teacher's College over UCONN would be (I am embarassed to admit it) the prestigious name and the Ivy League connection. Most teachers have a Master's degree in this state due to the very high standards, many have their EdD because of the large pay increase that comes with it. Most went to UCONN or one of the other state Universities here, but very few of them went to Columbia. I could be absolutely wrong in assuming this, but I feel like Teacher's College would give me the competitive edge. I was laid off last year after my teaching position was eliminated due to major budget cuts. I applied to many jobs but was repeatedly told that someone with more experience was hired. I obviously need to get some experience that will make these districts take notice. The teacher job market is looking bleaker than last year and teaching positions have been very difficult to land, yet the 5-6 good teaching programs in the state are still churning out new teachers every year. It's obviously not going to get easier any time soon! The area in which I live is home to Yale University and I see how much is attached to the Yale name. I think that the kind of professional connections and door opening experiences I could get at Teacher's College would be worth all the hard work. What do you think?

[FingersCrossedX]

The teaching profession is going through major changes right now, and getting ahead of the curve is a good move. It sounds like you want to move out of the classroom and into a curriculum or possibly administrative (not to say principal or school leader) role in the school. Do you know where you want to be? I found myself in a similar situation. I didn't want to be in the classroom. I'm much more driven by education reform and effective interventions in schools. I also thought I might want to be a school psychologist, but ultimately decided that I want to do research. Once I knew where I wanted to be all my questions were easier to answer.

The area in which I live is home to Yale University and I see how much is attached to the Yale name. I think that the kind of professional connections and door opening experiences I could get at Teacher's College would be worth all the hard work. What do you think?

I'm sure you'll make great connections at Columbia, but I think you will also make great connections at UCONN, or another state school. The connections from Columbia will be NY connections. I know there is little distance, but it is a different state with different things happening in education there. Do you want to stay in CT? Its something you might take into consideration.

Edited February 20, 2011 by FingersCrossedX

[iluvbooks]

I am really trying to figure out the "where I want to be" right now. Although there are many things I enjoy about being in the classroom and all the rewards that come along with it, I am very frustrated at the "worker bee" level. It seems like many of these districts are in need of good advice and they aren't neccessarily asking the teachers. I think that ultimately my interest lies in school reform also and that I will make the most impact outside of the classroom. It's funny that you mention going into school psychology. I've thought about going into a counseling program also! I think it would be very rewarding work, but having observed the guidance counselors it seems like they are worker bees as well, just doing a different job. As a teacher, I feel like that we are basing quite a bit on the results of the CMT/CAPT tests, but I am not seeing a lot of research that suggests all of this testing is having the proposed pay offs. I want to know what's going on and what the research suggests we do next - involved in the process- rather than just enacting the proposals handed down to me.

Geographic location is somewhat important, but I would be willing to move. My family is pretty spread out across the eastern U.S. and I am not worried about having to make new friends or anything. I have a comfortable living situation now, but I have a list of probably 5 areas that I would move to without a second thought. The deciding factor for me would really be the working environment - good people matter.

What types of positions do you think would allow me to achieve my goal? Would I most likely find these positions at the State Department of Education or at the district level? Which degree do you think would most prepare me for this kind of work?

The teaching profession is going through major changes right now, and getting ahead of the curve is a good move. It sounds like you want to move out of the classroom and into a curriculum or possibly administrative (not to say principal or school leader) role in the school. Do you know where you want to be? I found myself in a similar situation. I didn't want to be in the classroom. I'm much more driven by education reform and effective interventions in schools. I also thought I might want to be a school psychologist, but ultimately decided that I want to do research. Once I knew where I wanted to be all my questions were easier to answer.

I'm sure you'll make great connections at Columbia, but I think you will also make great connections at UCONN, or another state school. The connections from Columbia will be NY connections. I know there is little distance, but it is a different state with different things happening in education there. Do you want to stay in CT? Its something you might take into consideration.

[ZeChocMoose]

What types of positions do you think would allow me to achieve my goal? Would I most likely find these positions at the State Department of Education or at the district level? Which degree do you think would most prepare me for this kind of work?

My expertise is in higher education, not K - 12 so I don't think I would be the best person to address what types of positions would allow you to achieve your goal. From my limited knowledge, I would agree that looking for employment opportunities at the state or district level would be a good place to start. Another suggestion I have is perhaps working at an education policy org that is focused on K - 12 issues.

My main reason for prefering Teacher's College over UCONN would be (I am embarassed to admit it) the prestigious name and the Ivy League connection. Most teachers have a Master's degree in this state due to the very high standards, many have their EdD because of the large pay increase that comes with it. Most went to UCONN or one of the other state Universities here, but very few of them went to Columbia. I could be absolutely wrong in assuming this, but I feel like Teacher's College would give me the competitive edge. I was laid off last year after my teaching position was eliminated due to major budget cuts. I applied to many jobs but was repeatedly told that someone with more experience was hired. I obviously need to get some experience that will make these districts take notice.

I think there will always be a mystique of attending an ivy league institution. There will be people who consider that a more valuable degree and be impressed. The flip side of that is there is going to be people who will think that you will be "too good for" xyz position and not offer you the job even though you are interested in it. *shrugs* I don't know-- I would look to see who is currently doing the things that you wish to do and see where they received their degrees.

If you want to go to an ivy league institution because you think it will give you a competitive edge, I suggest looking into institutions that fully fund their graduate students. From what I know of Harvard, they fully fund their EdD students (although the guaranteed 12K stipend might be tricky to live on in Boston). I would also look into UPenn to see what the funding situation is for their EdD students. (I think it is better than Columbia's, but I don't know that for sure.)

If you are in Connecticut, I would also suggest exploring whether UConn would be a good possibility and the other public institutions around the New England/Mid Atlantic region. There are also a lot of reputable state schools of education in the Midwest region and California, but that might be further than you wish to move.

One thing that we haven't talked about which is more important than where you go, is who you are going to study under. I would look for faculty who are conducting research on teacher and school reform. I would read several of their articles. If those articles really interest you, then I would apply to those places regardless of the prestige of the institution. Graduate school is going to be a miserable experience if the faculty are researching and writing on items that are of little to no interest to you. Also since these programs are competitive (accepting less than 15% of applicants in some cases), you can imagine that there will be a highly competitive pool of applicants. The people who get accepted (generally) are those that are great "fits" for that program by having overlapping research interests with that faculty.

Edited February 22, 2011 by ZeChocMoose

[gradschoolplease]

i just got a response back. i've been wait-listed. this is actually a miracle for me. i really thought i would get completely rejected, but i'm still very hopeful!

[AppPsycholinX]

did you email adcom about the application status?

i just got a response back. i've been wait-listed. this is actually a miracle for me. i really thought i would get completely rejected, but i'm still very hopeful!

[mrniceguy]

hey guys, did anyone else get an email regarding fasfa and scholarship deadlines today?

thanks

btw @ gradschool do u mind sharing your stats? nothing too personal just GPA. I also feel as if i may be waitlisted.

Edited February 24, 2011 by mrniceguy

[gradschoolplease]

did you email adcom about the application status?

they emailed me saying that my decision was up so i should go check my app status and that's where i found out. they're letting people know in batches, so you may find out later.

hey guys, did anyone else get an email regarding fasfa and scholarship deadlines today?

thanks

btw @ gradschool do u mind sharing your stats? nothing too personal just GPA. I also feel as if i may be waitlisted.

i got an email about all the fafsa stuff too and then a couple of hours later i received the decision email. AND i actually applied for the MA applied linguistics program, not the education program. so what they want may be different from what you applied for (since this is an education thread). i actually don't know why i posted this here and in the linguistics thread LOL. but my gpa is only a 3.2. really low, i know. and that's why it's such a miracle that i've been waitlisted.

[mrniceguy]

they emailed me saying that my decision was up so i should go check my app status and that's where i found out. they're letting people know in batches, so you may find out later.

i got an email about all the fafsa stuff too and then a couple of hours later i received the decision email. AND i actually applied for the MA applied linguistics program, not the education program. so what they want may be different from what you applied for (since this is an education thread). i actually don't know why i posted this here and in the linguistics thread LOL. but my gpa is only a 3.2. really low, i know. and that's why it's such a miracle that i've been waitlisted.

Oh ok thank you! Yeah i applied to Social Studies Ed. My GPA is above a 3.5 so hopefully all goes well. Thanks for sharing your GPA and good luck im sure you will get in!

[courtf1]

Hey, I applied to the MA program in English Ed with initial certification. I had a 3.76 GPA and no prior teaching experience (although I am in a bunch of clubs). I got in. I have heard of people getting in with much less. They don't really give many scholarships though and, as far as I know, ED Doctorates are NOT fully funded. I didn't get any scholarships, which is depressing. I don't know if I will attend yet. Good luck if you guys haven't head back yet!!!!!