Gvh Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) Why would you give up a fully funded offer? What does HGSE offer that the other schools do not? Is that worth $50,000 (or whatever)? I think the choice between a fully-funded offer at say "Crappy University in dingy location" as opposed to 30,000 at Harvard is a very personal one that both have their benefits and downfalls. In the first option, you may have no debt but going to Harvard gives you a brand name on your resume; and no matter how much you try to negate it, that always looks good when applying for jobs or PhD programs in the future. Just my $0.02. Edited March 18, 2012 by Gvh mjsmith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhDreams Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I guess HGSE is just the emotional choice. When I went to visit it "felt" right... Like "wow, I'm supposed to be here. This is it." I just connected to it for some reason. The class structure was amazing, the faculty was truly remarkable and everyone in the cohort had something really valuable to add(I went to visit an actual class). I found that the students at my fully funded offer didn't really "dig deep" in class; this concerns me. I found myself thinking, "can I really sit in these classes for a year with students that aren't truly passionate about education"? I found that the students at HGSE had a different level of commitment to the field. This, of course, is just a very broad generalization. My fully funded offer comes with the perfect advisor and a potential research site match (not for sure yet). I'm just thinking that I might get slightly frustrated in a program with students who (their words not mine) "just needed something to do after undergrad." I really am torn. I was dead set on HGSE, but now I feel like I might be silly to reject a fully funded offer. They just emailed me a couple of days ago the fellowship info. They went into how rare it was for a masters candidate to get it, etc. now I'm just not sure it it's guilt or something similar that's driving me to consider it... That being said, how much is the experience all worth? I would definitely have the faculty support and research opportunities at the fully funded offer or I would get " the experience " at HGSE... The experience would be - students and faculty that push me to become better in my field, "name brand" recognition, access to projects that I've admired for a looong time like Project Zero, etc. I'm worried that I'll make the "wrong" decision. Do I sit in my classroom and read about people in the field that I've admired for a long time like Howard Gardner, etc or do I go to the place where they are - HGSE? Still no funding info from HGSE so I don't have all the info. Guess I just needed to vent because I was so overwhelmed today with my visit and getting the "hard sell." I'm not a person who does well with praise and it was all overwhelming... I was so glad it was over and I got to run back to relax at my hotel. Thanks for listening GC. mjsmith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revo Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I guess HGSE is just the emotional choice. When I went to visit it "felt" right... Like "wow, I'm supposed to be here. This is it." I just connected to it for some reason. The class structure was amazing, the faculty was truly remarkable and everyone in the cohort had something really valuable to add(I went to visit an actual class). I found that the students at my fully funded offer didn't really "dig deep" in class; this concerns me. I found myself thinking, "can I really sit in these classes for a year with students that aren't truly passionate about education"? I found that the students at HGSE had a different level of commitment to the field. This, of course, is just a very broad generalization. My fully funded offer comes with the perfect advisor and a potential research site match (not for sure yet). I'm just thinking that I might get slightly frustrated in a program with students who (their words not mine) "just needed something to do after undergrad." I really am torn. I was dead set on HGSE, but now I feel like I might be silly to reject a fully funded offer. They just emailed me a couple of days ago the fellowship info. They went into how rare it was for a masters candidate to get it, etc. now I'm just not sure it it's guilt or something similar that's driving me to consider it... That being said, how much is the experience all worth? I would definitely have the faculty support and research opportunities at the fully funded offer or I would get " the experience " at HGSE... The experience would be - students and faculty that push me to become better in my field, "name brand" recognition, access to projects that I've admired for a looong time like Project Zero, etc. I'm worried that I'll make the "wrong" decision. Do I sit in my classroom and read about people in the field that I've admired for a long time like Howard Gardner, etc or do I go to the place where they are - HGSE? Still no funding info from HGSE so I don't have all the info. Guess I just needed to vent because I was so overwhelmed today with my visit and getting the "hard sell." I'm not a person who does well with praise and it was all overwhelming... I was so glad it was over and I got to run back to relax at my hotel. Thanks for listening GC. Having known and talked with some Master's students at the Curry School at the University of Virginia, all of them have told me they would have taken Harvard or Stanford over UVA if they had an opportunity, They were a mix of k-12 (future) teachers and other education programs ... and the ones that had substantial or full-ride scholarship money still said they thought Harvard or Stanford would be a good choice. The non k-12 teachers at Curry are having a very difficult time securing jobs, local area or otherwise (the teachers are doing fine job-wise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreedomInEducation Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I guess HGSE is just the emotional choice. When I went to visit it "felt" right... Like "wow, I'm supposed to be here. This is it." I just connected to it for some reason. The class structure was amazing, the faculty was truly remarkable and everyone in the cohort had something really valuable to add(I went to visit an actual class). I found that the students at my fully funded offer didn't really "dig deep" in class; this concerns me. I found myself thinking, "can I really sit in these classes for a year with students that aren't truly passionate about education"? I found that the students at HGSE had a different level of commitment to the field. This, of course, is just a very broad generalization. My fully funded offer comes with the perfect advisor and a potential research site match (not for sure yet). I'm just thinking that I might get slightly frustrated in a program with students who (their words not mine) "just needed something to do after undergrad." I really am torn. I was dead set on HGSE, but now I feel like I might be silly to reject a fully funded offer. They just emailed me a couple of days ago the fellowship info. They went into how rare it was for a masters candidate to get it, etc. now I'm just not sure it it's guilt or something similar that's driving me to consider it... That being said, how much is the experience all worth? I would definitely have the faculty support and research opportunities at the fully funded offer or I would get " the experience " at HGSE... The experience would be - students and faculty that push me to become better in my field, "name brand" recognition, access to projects that I've admired for a looong time like Project Zero, etc. I'm worried that I'll make the "wrong" decision. Do I sit in my classroom and read about people in the field that I've admired for a long time like Howard Gardner, etc or do I go to the place where they are - HGSE? Still no funding info from HGSE so I don't have all the info. Guess I just needed to vent because I was so overwhelmed today with my visit and getting the "hard sell." I'm not a person who does well with praise and it was all overwhelming... I was so glad it was over and I got to run back to relax at my hotel. Thanks for listening GC. If this were business school or law school I'd understand your dilemma. But this is ed school. I can't possibly fathom paying $30-50,000 more for any school - and this is coming from a person who would only attend one of three schools. mjsmith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlindukkie Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Hi FutureED12 - I do understand your predicament, especially in that I consider myself pragmatic, and yet pursuing a career in education is not that. I think that you should spend some time crunching the numbers and preparing yourself for what HGSE's offer is likely - and unlikely - to contain. It would be wonderful to be offered one of their few fellowships, but the chances are likely that I will at best receive only a need-based grant. I think you should consider whether you're OK borrowing the amount that you would absolutely HAVE to borrow. If I end up at HGSE, I plan to waive health insurance and get an apartment that's close to a subway line with apartment-mates, and leave my car in my parent's garage. When I do the math, there is only a small budget gap between what I can borrow through federally funded loan programs and my projected expenses. I really don't eat that much and based on craigslist apartment listings, there's no reason I need to accept that I should budget $14,900 for 9 months. I plan to really hunker down on my spending between now and August to save enough to cover that budget gap and avoid taking any private loans. This still means borrowing a substantial amount of money, but I'm fairly comfortable with the amounts. It might also help to add up your total cost of attendance at your other option. Does fully funded just mean your tuition will be covered? If so, you still need to budget your actual cost of attendance there. My fully-funded is a 2-year program in LA, so when I add in transportation (parking, gas, insurance) and 2yrs of living expenses, the difference isn't quite so big. Educate yourself as much as possible about what your cost of attendance would be because 60k is not a hard and fast number. And, besides, having a few apartment-mates in and around Boston is potentially an adventure all its own HiEdHopeful, mjsmith and Gvh 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildviolet Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 FutureEdStudent12, That's a tough situation to be in. I think, if I were you, I would go with HGSE and try to find a way to make it work financially. FWIW, I got through my two-year part-time Master's program because my classmates were so awesome and passionate about education. Good luck making your final decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhDreams Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Thank you to everyone who has shared some wonderful advice. My fully funded offer is very much " fully funded"... Full tuition, health insurance and living stipend. It's hard to pass up... But HGSE is HGSE and I'm not sure I can really pass that up either. At the moment, I'm really leaning towards HGSE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ottertown Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Any other TIE people also considering an offer for Stanford's LDT program? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ottertown Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 btw airwick can you make the facebook group private? apparently facebook posted my post in the group page to all my friends' newsfeed which has inadvertently exposed my plans to attend harvard... which is now causing unrest amongst bay area family and friends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airwick Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 (edited) btw airwick can you make the facebook group private? apparently facebook posted my post in the group page to all my friends' newsfeed which has inadvertently exposed my plans to attend harvard... which is now causing unrest amongst bay area family and friends Of course! I will sneak on Facebook at work and change the settings. *edit Changed it from my iPhone. We're now "secret" haha So exclusive! Edited March 19, 2012 by Airwick mjsmith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revo Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Visited the Admissions office today, and they said finaid decisions should be made by the end of next week, and that a finaid award letter will probably go out then or the first week of April. PhDreams 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanMcD Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Sweet, thanks for the update! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhDreams Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Who else is going crazy waiting for fin aid info?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gvh Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Who else is going crazy waiting for fin aid info?? Me :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhDreams Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 Me :/ I got an email from my program saying info should go out next week!!! Gvh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw456 Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I'm so glad Harvard rejected me. I went to Penn and loved it and now I don't have to worry about making a decision. mjsmith, jbriar and Gvh 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n2011 Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Anyone else considering giving up a fully funded offer for HGSE? I need some perspective on things... I am - I feel kinda stupid doing it (everyone around me also feels the same) but I don't like the program at my other (funded) choice, it's extremely focused and I want a broad perspective Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gvh Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 I got an email from my program saying info should go out next week!!! Good to know! Thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerusalemTeacher Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Does anyone know how many merit scholarships (leadership in education, urban scholar, pforzeimer, etc.) are awarded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhDreams Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I am - I feel kinda stupid doing it (everyone around me also feels the same) but I don't like the program at my other (funded) choice, it's extremely focused and I want a broad perspective Ehhh... Don't feel stupid. I felt like that for like a week, but now I am very happy with my decision. HGSE has the program I want and money can't change that. You can live the life you want or settle and live the life that you can deal with... I pick choice A. Everything else falls into place once you commit to living your life as if it counts. jbriar, FreedomInEducation and mjsmith 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreedomInEducation Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Ehhh... Don't feel stupid. I felt like that for like a week, but now I am very happy with my decision. HGSE has the program I want and money can't change that. You can live the life you want or settle and live the life that you can deal with... I pick choice A. Everything else falls into place once you commit to living your life as if it counts. Money can change that. There's an indifference point somewhere, beyond which you wouldn't attend. A lot of people who expect things to fall into place go bankrupt. HiEdHopeful, PhD2Be2020, mjsmith and 1 other 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhDreams Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Money can change that. There's an indifference point somewhere, beyond which you wouldn't attend. A lot of people who expect things to fall into place go bankrupt. I guess some people live by the motto- "you have to play to win" and others by "it's better safe than sorry." You just have to decide what's best for you personally. Both strategies have their drawbacks... I would never encourage irresponsible behavior. If you can make both situations work, I would definitely go with the one that will make you the happiest even if it requires considerably more sacrifice. mjsmith, FreedomInEducation, jbriar and 1 other 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlindukkie Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I am SO excited to visit HGSE next week!!! I am attempting to pack for Boston and am already realizing that "California attire" doesn't exactly translate into Massachusetts weather. Hmmm.... Really looking forward to meeting fellow Higher Ed Cohort admits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhDreams Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I am SO excited to visit HGSE next week!!! I am attempting to pack for Boston and am already realizing that "California attire" doesn't exactly translate into Massachusetts weather. Hmmm.... Really looking forward to meeting fellow Higher Ed Cohort admits! I'm excited too! Even though I'm not higher Ed, I cant wait to meet you too! Lol I feel like it's going to be an amazing year!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanMcD Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I am SO excited to visit HGSE next week!!! I am attempting to pack for Boston and am already realizing that "California attire" doesn't exactly translate into Massachusetts weather. Hmmm.... Really looking forward to meeting fellow Higher Ed Cohort admits! See you there! Haha. Should be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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