Oxford University & Teach for America & Beyond

[ostmar25]

So, I wondering if anyone could provide advice. I have recently been admitted into Oxford for graduate school, but I have not yet received their offer letter with information on costs and financial aid. If I don't get any grants or assistantships, I don't think I will be willing to drown in debt. I have also been accepted to Teach for America but their deadline to accept is April 25th. If I don't hear back from Oxford before that date, I truly don't know what to do. I can decline TFA and wait for the best, and/or similarly defer TFA for the duration of Oxford's 2-year program. Or accept TFA and then re-apply to Oxford and other programs in a year. I also am waiting on a fellowship to work in the Senate or House in D.C. for a year and I'm waiting on that deliberation as well. Decisions, decisions. Thanks for any advice you may have.

[oxforddphil]

Email your department and tell them that you have a time-sensitive job offer. Ask whether they can provide you with an answer re: funding by date X. They will do their best to accommodate you. If the decision has already been made, they will certainly let you know in advance. If the decision won't be made until a committee meeting after date X, you might be out of luck, although it's possible they might be able to make a decision about you on an accelerated timetable. At any rate, there's no harm in asking.

[felicidad]

Can you explain your choice to apply to both graduate school and jobs? That might help us give you advice.

Are you quite sure about what you want to study, or even that you do want to study? What kind of program have you been accepted to?

[ostmar25]

Thanks for the advice, oxforddphil. I have already sent the department an e-mail along those lines, but haven't hear back yet.

Felicidad, there are plenty of reasons why I applied to both. Both job prospects are in the public service sector and that is the path I want to follow. These jobs are programs that last only a certain amount of time. TFA is a two-year commitment and the D.C. fellowship is a one-year commitment. I want to further my education because it is important to become a better professional, I think. The Oxford program is in the social policy realm.

[Eclectic4]

I will weigh in as a Teach for America 2008 corps member.

Teach for America was an amazing experience and most people who do it and survive the two years grow exponentially. They give a lot of leadership and professional training (in fact, its required).

However, what are your goals and interests? Are you devoted to education long-term? If so, an experience like TFA is indespensible. It is very difficult to really formulate quality education policies without having a good amount of grassroots experience.

If you are not looking to work in education long-term, including policy work or some form of leadership, then I would probably go with Oxford or the legislative thing.

That is my two cents. You are more than welcome to message me with any questions about TFA.

[felicidad]

I will weigh in as a Teach for America 2008 corps member.

Teach for America was an amazing experience and most people who do it and survive the two years grow exponentially. They give a lot of leadership and professional training (in fact, its required).

However, what are your goals and interests? Are you devoted to education long-term? If so, an experience like TFA is indespensible. It is very difficult to really formulate quality education policies without having a good amount of grassroots experience.

If you are not looking to work in education long-term, including policy work or some form of leadership, then I would probably go with Oxford or the legislative thing.

That is my two cents. You are more than welcome to message me with any questions about TFA.

As a TFA alumna, I concur. My friends who have pursued graduate study after TFA or a career in the field of education have found their TFA experience helpful in terms of opening doors. Many universities like TFA alums. Whether that is because of the program itself or because of the two (or more) years of teaching experience, I can't say.

However, I have not observed TFA providing a powerful network for career opportunities outside of education. Some of that may be region dependent. I wonder if, for example, New York alums might have had a different experience. In any case, I would not choose TFA as a springboard for a non-education career path.

I cannot speak about how Oxford will help propel you in your career. It is a great university and I consulted a friend of mine who is a Cambridge graduate (albeit in math) who said that their public policy program is very good. In some careers, though, one might benefit more from going to a domestic university because of networking. I do not know if that is the case with public policy. That is a question best put to a veteran of the field.

If it is the case that you could be better served by a similarly powerful program in the US, and you do get the fellowship in DC, I would lean towards the internship and applying to a greater variety of programs in a year. If Oxford is equal to your best academic option, I do not think you can go wrong with either school or the internship, and you should do whichever one sounds like the most pleasant way to spend the next year or two.

[AKEgy]

Thanks for the advice, oxforddphil. I have already sent the department an e-mail along those lines, but haven't hear back yet.

Felicidad, there are plenty of reasons why I applied to both. Both job prospects are in the public service sector and that is the path I want to follow. These jobs are programs that last only a certain amount of time. TFA is a two-year commitment and the D.C. fellowship is a one-year commitment. I want to further my education because it is important to become a better professional, I think. The Oxford program is in the social policy realm.

Hey,

I may be intruding but since i am also waiting for scholarship decisions from Oxford, just wanted to check if your department was of any help in providing you info regarding your funding status.