International Education Policy @ HGSE 2012-2013

[Graham North]

Anyone planning on enrolling in the International Education Policy program at HGSE in the fall? Is there any interest in starting up a Facebook group to share thoughts, ideas, questions, etc?

Edited March 12, 2012 by Graham North

[yumpeh12]

I am considering it. I will be at the open house.

[vivekabh]

Hey I know this is not the forum for this but I am incredibly keen to apply to the Masters in International Education Policy at HGSE for admission in 2013. I will be graduating from Wellesley College this May, and cannot claim to have a stellar GPA....it will be at most a 3.2 as my senior fall was incredibly rough due to a course overload and extenuating family circumstances and my refusal to head my Deans advice to drop one of the 5 classes I was taking but she has opted to write an letter explaining why this was an anomaly semester in which I did badly......It has been a long road to discovering my interest in Education Policy, and I very keen to apply. I have the following work experience and research experience:

Volunteered at the National Association for the Blind (age 14-16)

Save the Children Leader at the United World College of the Atlantic (16-18)

Taught in a village in India for two months during the summer of 2008

Have spent the past two summers working with an educational scheme in Cambodia, and presented on the NGO at the annual Tanner conference at Wellesley College.

Research Assistant at JPal (MIT)

On graduation will be working with the Harpswell Foundation in Cambodia for the year (this is an initiative run by Professor Alan Lightman (MIT) which seeks to empower women through technology)

I am extremely keen to study and research the implementation and viability to certain educational policies to facilitate development in Southeast Asian countries specifically Cambodia as given this country's violent and economically destructive past, education is a key component in its path to development.

I simply wanted to ask that given that I have research experience, work experience, will finish my senior spring strong, will have strong LORs and will try my best to write a strong SOP, and study extremely hard for my GREs, could I still apply to HGSE. Yes I messed up my senior fall with my first two Cs since a lone C in my freshman spring but it was completely due to a complete overload, family issues and my refusal to heed the advice of my Dean

[doer1104]

I'm considering, too. The Facebook idea is awesome!

BTW, have anyone heard from HGSE regarding financial aid?

[Graham North]

No word yet from HGSE on financial aid - I'm told that packages should be coming out late March or early April.

Also, the Facebook group is now open to anyone who's considering attending:

HGSE International Education Policy (IEP) - Class of 2013

The group is public for now to make it easier for people to find, then we can make it private once everyone's joined in.

[yumpeh12]

No word yet from HGSE on financial aid - I'm told that packages should be coming out late March or early April.

Also, the Facebook group is now open to anyone who's considering attending:

HGSE International Education Policy (IEP) - Class of 2013

The group is public for now to make it easier for people to find, then we can make it private once everyone's joined in.

Couldnt find the group

[Graham North]

try this on for size: http://www.facebook.com/groups/319936694736167/

[yumpeh12]

try this on for size: http://www.facebook....19936694736167/

great! i just requested to join! thank you!

[n2011]

anyone else bothered by that there's no thesis? Also, I'm a little confused about this M.Ed. business..I'm guessing an M.Ed. doesn't involve a thesis whereas an M.A. does? Supposing I might want to apply for a PhD later, wouldn't not having done a thesis disadvantage me?

I'm trying to chose between an MA and MEd and am a little bothered about the lack of a thesis..

[n2011]

I was really leaning towards HGSE till someone pointed this out to me today, sort of made it sound like the M.Ed degree was worth less than an M.A. (this person is totally neutral - a family member - and my MA offer is from an equally competitive school)

[mustangintokyo]

Usually, the MA requires fewer credits than the M.Ed. For example, at TC, they don't allow you to pursue an MEd without an MA first (MA is like 32 credits, MEd is 60). Maybe to 'make up' for the fewer credits part, the MA requires a thesis. Just my thoughts though...

[kismetcapitan]

Vanderbilt requires a thesis, and it is a yearlong project to write that paper during the second year. International education at Vanderbilt is more like a two-year M.P.P. - it's all policy.

re: applying, it's less of a numbers game than you think. Experience matters, a lot. With a lot of international experience, you'll probably not have any problems getting in pretty much everywhere.

[vivekabh]

To kismetcaptian is that really true because I am incredibly keen to pursue a MA in International Education Policy at HGSE and when people talk about Harvard they emphasize GPA all the time. I mean I am more than happy if international experience is looked upon favorably as I am terrified that my GPA will hold me back!

[PhDreams]

HGSE is a good mix of people with perfect numbers and people with good numbers with fantastic experience. But let it be said that even the people with very impressive stats usually have a fair amount of experience as well. It is very true that HGSE looks at your application holistically. So, if you plan to apply, please make sure to invest a good amount of time developing your statement of purpose so that it really reflects who you are and makes a case for why you are a good fit for that program. Best of luck to you!

[vivekabh]

thank you for your advice...one final question will the fact that I want to make Cambodia my research model within the context of Education Policy go against me as there are not many programs which look at education in Southeast Asia?

[kismetcapitan]

it depends on the school: some schools are more flexible than others in what regions students can do research in, some schools require more original research than others. Do a quick search for a literature review on Cambodia; a lack of it may not bode well for M.Ed studies - that'd be Ph.D territory.

[vivekabh]

final question....i have just been given the option of spending an extra semester at Wellesley as when I transferred in a lost a few credits but APs balanced this loss out.....I am veering towards accepting this extra semester as I could take academic classes in education between Wellesley and MIT....also the Harpswell Foundation has agreed to let me join them in December....would grad schools look unfavorably on this semester? I transferred and spent a semester abroad and my Dean seems to see no harm in accepting this semester.