Decision Help from Current Students?

[GoodMoon]

This is a request to all participants CURRENTLY (or previously) enrolled in Ed. programs, particularly at schools that seem to be very popular on this forum (Harvard, TC, UPenn, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Brown, UCLA, Berkeley, etc.): Could you please post and give us some insight into how you made your decision? It seems many of us have tough decisions to make in the coming weeks, and it would be great to hear from folks who have been through this process before. I am particularly interested in what you see as major differences between the programs and their "philosophies" in your field(s) and, if you are a master's student, if you feel the school values your work and presence (or if they really only care about PhD students). I open this up to people from all schools and concentrations. Please help!

[t_ruth]

In the end for me it was between two programs (three others fell to the wayside for less than doable financial offers). School one had an incredible financial package, but I clicked more with my advisor at school 2, and school 2 was in a location better for my spouse's work. In the end I chose school 2--most of all because it just felt right when I visited

[Sally2000]

I went to TC for my masters in English Education and loved it. I felt very supported and am still in touch with professors and friends in my cohort. It was the only school I applied to because I assumed their focus was on urban ed - and that aspect was a bit of a disappointment - but the program opened many doors for me.