TexanLex Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Hey everyone! So I know that a lot of people have heard from all or the majority of their schools, so I figured that it was time for a thread to discuss our decision stresses! Program: Higher Education Accepted: Vanderbilt, Michigan, UPenn Rejected: Stanford, Harvard Top Choices: Michigan and UPenn Almost exactly what I predicted to the T, with the exception of Penn, which was a pleasant surprise!! Glad I don't have to choose from too many, but it's still hard trying to make a decision! What about everyone else?
Revo Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Accepted: Harvard, Michigan, Stanford, Vanderbilt MIA: Columbia A lot of it's going to come down to financial aid for me. I would like to give Michigan kudos for not requiring completion of any institutional aid form, and for already putting together the work-study/loans part of my financial aid package.
emma1frost Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Program: Secondary Education, English Accepted: Columbia TC, Boston College Lynch School, Brown MAT Still Waiting on: NYU Steinhardt The wait for getting financial aid information begins! As if waiting for the initial decision wasn't stressful enough. I really think the money will affect my decision making process. Some programs are 2 years in really expensive cities and some are just 1 intensive year in a smaller city. Choices, choices... My top choices at this point are most likely Brown and BC Lynch, but I need to do a deep dive and compare them. Anyone have any insight into these 2 programs? Theory vs. Practical application? Which program does a better job in equipping you with survival skills in the classroom? Thanks! And Congrats to all!! Round 2 begins now.
patientpatient Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Harvard just made my decision easy: rejected. But I am not too upset. I actually had a bad experience waiting for a slice of pizza at a baseball game right before I found out, and I felt that was more emotionally taxing than the rejection! Haha. Because even despite name recognition, Penn and Harvard were neck and neck for me. So, regardless of what happens with the two remaining schools I am waiting on (Chicago Harris for an Masters in Public Policy with an Education concentration) and Vandy (MPP Ed Policy), I am super excited for Penn! Accepted: PennGSE (Masters Ed Policy), GWU (Masters Ed Policy) Rejected: HGSE Attending: PennGSE! By the way, Texan Lex, I saw you in the Penn GSE Accepted Students Group. It seems like a great bunch of people. Makes me super excited for Penn.
hello3angel Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 I agree with you all... in that financial aid is going to affect my decision greatly. Programs: A mix of counseling and teaching programs Accepted: Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt, WashU Without financial issues factored in, my top choice is HGSE... because of the program specificity, the school's reputation and resources, the location, my proximity to family and friends, etc. But I can see myself being happy at any of these schools, ultimately. It's going to be a rough decision-making process. But promise to hit me over the head if I ever start complaining about it... because Lord knows I have no right to complain about anything!
TexanLex Posted March 7, 2012 Author Posted March 7, 2012 Harvard just made my decision easy: rejected. But I am not too upset. I actually had a bad experience waiting for a slice of pizza at a baseball game right before I found out, and I felt that was more emotionally taxing than the rejection! Haha. Because even despite name recognition, Penn and Harvard were neck and neck for me. So, regardless of what happens with the two remaining schools I am waiting on (Chicago Harris for an Masters in Public Policy with an Education concentration) and Vandy (MPP Ed Policy), I am super excited for Penn! Accepted: PennGSE (Masters Ed Policy), GWU (Masters Ed Policy) Rejected: HGSE Attending: PennGSE! By the way, Texan Lex, I saw you in the Penn GSE Accepted Students Group. It seems like a great bunch of people. Makes me super excited for Penn. Well hey there! Haha I'm still creepily browsing through the group to get a feel for the people and for more info. I'm still trying to get excited about Penn because I honestly was not sure if I would get in, so it's still taking some time to get used to!
echolikebells Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Hey everyone! Program: Secondary Education, English Admitted: Vanderbilt, Brown, Ohio State, Indiana Bloomington, Dayton Rejected: None! Top Choices: Vanderbilt (1), Ohio State (2) Like many of you, it's going to come down to funding for me. OSU is cheaper, plus I'm an in-state student, but they didn't offer me any merit-based aid. Vanderbilt offered me 1/3 tuition, but that's it, and I'm going to have to take out a ton of loans to attend. Brown included the ambiguous statement that I'd been awarded "financial support," but I don't get to find out the amount til later this week! If funding didn't factor in, my choice would definitely be Vanderbilt. I didn't expect the decision to be so hard. I never thought I'd get in everywhere I applied and I didn't think I'd end up having to decide whether to go where I really, really want to go or where I am going to pay less money. Edited March 7, 2012 by echolikebells
echolikebells Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 My top choices at this point are most likely Brown and BC Lynch, but I need to do a deep dive and compare them. Anyone have any insight into these 2 programs? Theory vs. Practical application? Which program does a better job in equipping you with survival skills in the classroom? Thanks! And Congrats to all!! Round 2 begins now. Another person that is heavily considering Brown! Hey! Also, if you get any insight through this forum about Brown's program, mind sharing? I have found alarmingly little online.
emma1frost Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 hahaa, Yes, echolikebells! I felt that way too. I have been trolling the boards trying to find other people who were asking about Brown's MAT program, but it was a bit too quiet. And I have also seen very, very little online about the program itself. I did get a sense from the director of the program when I interviewed with her and a bit from the videos up on YouTube about it, but it did all come from a biased source, lol... And yet still very vague. I wish there was more. I am going to try to visit this next week and talk to more people on campus. I will report back if I have any new info! But the main draw for me is the small program. The group is probably only 10-18 people and it has demonstrated the most hands-on practice even though it is so intense and only 1 year long. My husband went to HGSE for his teacher training and he really did not like it. He felt the instructors were very out of touch with practicing active teachers, had way too much weight with theory, and ignored any concerns the students had in class about the way things were pushed beyond ethical norms. It's a research and academia heavy school and I really, really wanted to avoid that as much as it is possible with education programs. BC's program also says that they are small and supportive, but I am also going to go visit and see if I can't find out more from students who are already there. Whew! hahaha, hope that helps. What about you? What have you found?
emma1frost Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Oh, and I should add that I am not going to for a concentration in urban education. I know there is a need for it, but I have been there, been burnt by that. Which is another reason why I did not go for HGSE.
patientpatient Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Well hey there! Haha I'm still creepily browsing through the group to get a feel for the people and for more info. I'm still trying to get excited about Penn because I honestly was not sure if I would get in, so it's still taking some time to get used to! Hi to you, too, fellow creeper. I don't want to give my name here for obvious reasons, but feel free to say "hi" on FB... if you can find me. Haha. My profile pics match. And good luck to everyone in making your decisions! I guess what I forgot to mention is that the reason why I am not really considering Vandy or Chicago (assuming I get in) is for financial reasons. Those programs are two years and, while I'd love to get all that extra learning in, two years versus one year means two times the cost (I'm a mathematical genius, as you can tell, which Harvard must have overlooked). That and I haven't left Miami for more than two weeks at a time in my life. Plus, Penn's program in Ed Policy seems (on the surface... have to do some more research) to be great. Penn GSE is great. Penn as a University is great. And Philly's great (but one winter there will be enough, thank you very much). Edited March 7, 2012 by patientpatient
mustangintokyo Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Is anyone still waiting for a Vandy IEPM decision? I was accepted for Comparative IE at TC and IED at UPenn, waitlisted for Harvard EPM but still waiting on Vanderbilt...and I know some people have heard back but they're Americans and I'm international (not sure if that really makes a difference...) If anyone has any idea about a timeline for Vandy, let me know!
patientpatient Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Is anyone still waiting for a Vandy IEPM decision? I was accepted for Comparative IE at TC and IED at UPenn, waitlisted for Harvard EPM but still waiting on Vanderbilt...and I know some people have heard back but they're Americans and I'm international (not sure if that really makes a difference...) If anyone has any idea about a timeline for Vandy, let me know! Still waiting, too, and I am American. I hear results come out in "waves" -- I just don't know how many waves there are and if being in a later wave means less likelihood for acceptance. Looks like last year some people were notified in late March (but they were PhD) and even mid-late April! But the three April decisions (that were posted here anyway) were all acceptances. It would be really nice if Vandy kept us better updated, huh? Well, good luck! Edited March 7, 2012 by patientpatient
DanMcD Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Program: Higher Ed Applied/Accepted: Harvard and UMass. All about the funding, but hoping to make Harvard happen.
yumpeh12 Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 Still waiting, too, and I am American. I hear results come out in "waves" -- I just don't know how many waves there are and if being in a later wave means less likelihood for acceptance. Looks like last year some people were notified in late March (but they were PhD) and even mid-late April! But the three April decisions (that were posted here anyway) were all acceptances. It would be really nice if Vandy kept us better updated, huh? Well, good luck! It could be because of the small cohort size- since they only accept 10 Americans and 10 International- perhaps they are waiting for those of us that have been notificed to either accept or deny the offer. I suppose they could just send out a "waitlist" but who knows. I found out in early/mid January as well as others I know too for the IEPM program. I bet now that the HGSE notifications have come out applicants will start making decisions and they can then notify you. Just a guess though! Good luck and hang in there!!
jdrop Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 So, I'm looking for a little advice... I got in to HGSE, TC, and Lewis and Clark GSE (in Portland, OR) for secondary education teaching of English/LA. The thing is, I want to teach on the west coast in either Portland or Seattle, or Western Montana/Wyoming -- ideally, rurally. Anyone have any thoughts on if HGSE or TC is worth it if that's my plan? Will getting a degree focused on Urban Education slow me down or not be relevant to what I'm shooting for? And do those name-brand schools have relationships with districts/employers out here? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks
wildviolet Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 If you want to get Master's degree in Education to become a K-12 classroom teacher, then local universities are your best bet. They have connections to local school districts. I would not pay for a name brand Master's degree just to teach K-12. School districts don't care where you got your degree from. gigglingone 1
michigan girl Posted March 7, 2012 Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) Some people may disagree with me, but here's my opinion: If your interests are K-12 teaching in rural schools, I recommend Lewis and Clark. Rural areas have stronger networking connections with local universities for a variety of reasons. Local candidates can obtain their student teaching in rural settings and prepare for state teacher certification. Local school districts are not enamored by the prestige of the degree; it's whether you can connect with the students or environment. Name brand schools like Harvard and Columbia have specialties in urban education. Whether your degree is from L&C or HGSE, you will still receive the same salary. Please keep this mind. This advice also applies to public K-12 districts in other metropolitan areas: these districts will naturally prefer teaching graduates from local universities. Edited March 7, 2012 by michigan girl gigglingone 1
sententias Posted March 8, 2012 Posted March 8, 2012 Hi Folks! Thanks for this thread, super helpful. I'm really stuck about what comes next and worried about the financial part. Also, anyone have any ideas about deferral options? Is this likely to be approved? Applied: Brown, TC, SUSE, HGSE, and Peabody Accepted: HGSE, TC, Brown Waitlisted: SUSE Pending: Peabody
laura13 Posted March 8, 2012 Posted March 8, 2012 Hi..also looking for some advice here Applied: TC,HGSE,NYU,USC,PennGSE Accepted: HGSE,NYU,USC,PennGSE Rejected: TC PennGSE: TESOL 10,000 USC/NYU: TESOL HGSE: Ed.M Learning and Teaching I'm a bit undecided here...Anyone know more about the HGSE program of Learning and Teaching? THX!
PhD2000s Posted March 8, 2012 Posted March 8, 2012 Hi..also looking for some advice here Applied: TC,HGSE,NYU,USC,PennGSE Accepted: HGSE,NYU,USC,PennGSE Rejected: TC PennGSE: TESOL 10,000 USC/NYU: TESOL HGSE: Ed.M Learning and Teaching I'm a bit undecided here...Anyone know more about the HGSE program of Learning and Teaching? THX! Yes. It is great! It is very flexible, terrific classes and professors, and you have all of the Harvard resources at your doorstep (HBS, HKS, libraries, research initiatives, etc.). It is also a really nice community (the Ed School at least)-- tons of activities and chances to bond with your cohort.
Airwick Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 (edited) Applied: Stanford (LDT), NYU (DMDL), HGSE (TIE) Accepted: Stanford (LDT), Harvard (TIE) Decision: Harvard (TIE) I've been in love with the TIE program for a few years now... Off to Cambridge Edited March 9, 2012 by Airwick mjsmith 1
PhDreams Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 Applied: Stanford (LDT), NYU (DMDL), HGSE (TIE) Accepted: Stanford (LDT), Harvard (TIE) Decision: Harvard (TIE) I've been in love with the TIE program for a few years now... Off to Cambridge So happy for you! I just knew you were getting in. This has been one heck of a ride. Thanks for being so supportive. See you in the fall!!!!! litjust 1
Airwick Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 So happy for you! I just knew you were getting in. This has been one heck of a ride. Thanks for being so supportive. See you in the fall!!!!! Oh I knew you were getting in too! Seriously, I think your private message was the only reason I was able to sleep on Monday night haha Thanks for your support I look forward to seeing you and my fellow Gradcafers this Fall !! mjsmith 1
PhDreams Posted March 9, 2012 Posted March 9, 2012 Oh I knew you were getting in too! Seriously, I think your private message was the only reason I was able to sleep on Monday night haha Thanks for your support I look forward to seeing you and my fellow Gradcafers this Fall !! Awwww... glad I could help in any way. Meant every word.
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