Teachers College

[SCGH]

I'd like to know a little bit more why as well since I will be attending TC this fall. SoCalGuy - what did the grads you spoke with say? Thank you in advance

Seems like their main issues were related to lack of an intimate/personal connection - the words "factory" and "diploma mill" were used. That said, they did tell me that if you were motivated and persistent, you can have a great experience at TC. My main reason for applying was 1. It's in a big city like NYC, 2. It's huge with great dedicated facilities and a big faculty with lots of different projects going on and 3. Great history etc. When I applied, I hadn't spoken to any TCers but in the last few weeks I have. I am looking forward to speaking to current students and profs soon however.

My main gripes with Harvard are 1. Not a huge fan of Boston, 2. Their facilities look dated (all built in 1960s!). All the folks I've spoken with have nothing but great things to say about HGSE though. So I'm reserving final decision until I visit and speak with students at both.

[sweetsolemnity]

I second SoCalGuy when it comes to TC. The people who have graduated from there were not able to get the 1-on-1 attention that they desired, and that they were not able to gain the experience with their cohort. I wasn't sure if it was because I was already in NYC, but diploma mill is heard very often. However, determined/dedicated students do very, very well there. You will have access to so many resources and will be at the center of the education/teaching reform happening in NYC, which is exciting for teachers and analysts a like! I always thought that given the choice, I would go to Teachers College, but my interests have changed and it's a very good match for me, but I'm not sure if it's the best. When I was in college years ago, I did NIMH-funded research in the Child Psych department at another school at Columbia and a lot of the people running the study were TC-affiliated. They were some of the best people I had ever met, and you could tell they were making the best of their experience! TC is obviously a very good school, but at every good school, you need to take some initiative to make it work for you.

 

I went to a liberal arts college in MA in the past, and I am not a fan of Boston at all, but I do love the history. So many people have so many great things to say about the institution (HGSE), and, well, the program seems to match my interests a little bit more...but haven't made the final decision yet.

[WordlTraveler]

Just got my admissions decision, admitted to International Educational Development, but I am going either to Harvard or Stanford. 

[guest8604]

Decision was available for me online today, on the Apply Yourself portal. Not on the TC Next Step though. No word on funding. Do you know if this means that there is no funding for me, or do these decisions come later/separately?

[delight]

I agree that TC feels a bit like a factory / diploma mill. There's just so many students, which can be disheartening. But a few advantages of TC include:

- If you have multiple different interests, TC is a great way to explore, learn from, and piece together your own body of work utilizing different theoretical and historical traditions. There's a huge number of qualified faculty members doing very different work. I also benefitted from getting a good dose of both theory and practice.

- It's New York. This is important both in terms of reputation, building connections, and using as a research site. There's several faculty members in my dept who came from UCLA / USC / U of Wisconsin primarily for this reason.

- Possibility of being part of research teams... I'm currently a masters student and I was fortunate enough to be invited into different research projects that are currently paying my tuition. While this won't be the case for everyone, it was mostly a matter of going to office hours, talking about my background and interests, and trying to find some sort of common ground. Each professor has their inner circle of students they cultivate. Just need to be proactive and reach out.

- I think each professor has scholarships they're in control of. I pretty much harassed a professor into giving me one upon admission (I also had what I perceived as leverage, since I was accepted to both UPenn and Harvard).

I have mixed feelings about TC. And it probably isn't for everyone...just have to figure out in which settings you strive.

[SophLove]

I got into IED master's but no word about funding! Since Stanford offered a scholarship, has a smaller, more intimate program, and I'm not a fan of living in NYC, I'm leaning there. However, my partner lives in NYC, the city has a lot of opportunity, and, as luck would have it, I have a much larger network here than the bay area.

 

I'm currently in the city for work and am hoping to have a conversation with the rep for the program, outlining these concerns and hearing what they say.

 

Thanks for everyone on this thread who input their honest opinions about TC. 

[SophLove]

I'm a doctoral student, so my experience is probably a little different than what you have had/will have at Teachers College. My impression of master's students at TC is that they are a rather unhappy lot, and I think the above posters have pointed out just a few of the common complaints. Most distressingly, the "diploma mill" is funded by master's students. They are admitted the first year, perhaps with funding, then in many cases are stiffed the second year. In my department, some students are pursuing initial teaching certification, and it seems silly to go $20,000 into debt (assuming the first year is funded) to earn a master's just to go into public schools as a teacher.

 

You might argue that the experience, the connections, the education, etc make it worthwhile. Perhaps you're right--I don't know if I've studied here long enough to render a meaningful judgment. 

 

Thanks, again, for in the info wjdavis. I've heard good things about TC but, considering the high-cost and lack of funding, I'm not sure it outweighs other unis just because of its location. 

[Socthinker]

Hi, I got accepted into the M.A. in Sociology and Education at Teachers College. I have not received any info regarding funding, is any one on here going to the same program? Any funding offers yet?

[iTeachReading]

Does anyone know if the planned outage on campus today and this weekend will affect decision notification?  I'm on pins and needles watiting to hear about the Literacy Specialist program!

Edited March 14, 2014 by iTeachReading

[Georgia2012]

Hi, I got accepted into the M.A. in Sociology and Education at Teachers College. I have not received any info regarding funding, is any one on here going to the same program? Any funding offers yet?

I haven't heard about funding yet either! But, they say that emails will start rolling out on March 17th about funding/scholarships. 

[LetsHope]

Iteachreading: I would assume so (that is, dont expect to hear anything until Monday). I feel your pain...on the results page someone posted that they received an acceptance to the applied linguistics program, which is the same department as TESOL. I got all excited only for another day of no updates . And now that I know its just around the corner, the wait is so much worse! Hang in there, we'll be hearing back soon enough.

[babycakes]

Just got my decision today via apply yourself (Admitted!) I was just about to give up, no word on funding though (probably not happening because it's the MA + Cert program).

[omnomnam]

@LetsHope

I got my official decision today for TESOL/MA+Cert. through Apply Yourself (not through Next Step). Log in to your app through the link where you filled out your application. Also received funding.

[LetsHope]

Thanks for the heads up. Didn't get in . Guess I'll be waiting to hear back from Duke.

[LetsHope]

Just wanted to come back and say today I received an acceptance from Duke. What a rollercoaster of a day! Congrats to everyone who has received acceptances!

[babycakes]

I'm a doctoral student, so my experience is probably a little different than what you have had/will have at Teachers College. My impression of master's students at TC is that they are a rather unhappy lot, and I think the above posters have pointed out just a few of the common complaints. Most distressingly, the "diploma mill" is funded by master's students. They are admitted the first year, perhaps with funding, then in many cases are stiffed the second year. In my department, some students are pursuing initial teaching certification, and it seems silly to go $20,000 into debt (assuming the first year is funded) to earn a master's just to go into public schools as a teacher.

 

You might argue that the experience, the connections, the education, etc make it worthwhile. Perhaps you're right--I don't know if I've studied here long enough to render a meaningful judgment. 

This point is the main deterrent for me attending TC. I don't want to get stiffed because I am "just" a masters student  with an intent to teach. If I'm dropping $50k in a single year (not including room and board) for my education, I want to be able to have a good relationship with my advisor and potentially get involved in research to get a leg up into a PhD program. 

 

The school I'm gearing towards had me interview with my advisor and discuss their program, research opportunities, and even funding opportunities via fellowships and a program through the county I already intend to work in. My main reasoning behind applying to TC was mingling and getting to know potential doctorate advisors and I'm not getting that feeling as of right now. If all I wanted to do was get a teaching certificate and masters and no interaction, I'd go to the bottom barrel state school's online program for $5k, not $50k. 

[Intellectual_Lensings]

I won't list schools I've applied to to prevent (perhaps unfair) comparisons, but I haven't had any special experiences during application processes to other schools besides Teachers College. Most so far have told me financial aid, as advisors of the program, isn't their responsibility; I'd need to contact the financial aid office for aid. That attitude was common and off-putting, so if all the programs cost generally the same (besides in-state schools), then I'd prefer to take out loans for Columbia. If I decide five or ten years later after teaching that I want to obtain a PhD in education or something else, I think Columbia would help with such ventures. While the difference between a 5k$ vs. 50k$ tuition is substantial, I feel like Teachers College is worth it. Perhaps I'm misinformed, but that's the impression I have. 

 

On that note, I was happily accepted to Columbia today Where can I ask about housing and student life? Need to figure out where I'm going to live and how much it'll cost asap.

[kerfin]

Hi, I got accepted into the M.A. in Sociology and Education at Teachers College. I have not received any info regarding funding, is any one on here going to the same program? Any funding offers yet?

 

 

Still no word from CIE PhD for me. Opted for the Sociology/Education MEd if unaccepted.

[dain56]

I won't list schools I've applied to to prevent (perhaps unfair) comparisons, but I haven't had any special experiences during application processes to other schools besides Teachers College. Most so far have told me financial aid, as advisors of the program, isn't their responsibility; I'd need to contact the financial aid office for aid. That attitude was common and off-putting, so if all the programs cost generally the same (besides in-state schools), then I'd prefer to take out loans for Columbia. If I decide five or ten years later after teaching that I want to obtain a PhD in education or something else, I think Columbia would help with such ventures. While the difference between a 5k$ vs. 50k$ tuition is substantial, I feel like Teachers College is worth it. Perhaps I'm misinformed, but that's the impression I have. 

 

On that note, I was happily accepted to Columbia today Where can I ask about housing and student life? Need to figure out where I'm going to live and how much it'll cost asap.

 

how did you find out??? congrats!

[Intellectual_Lensings]

Oddly, I never received an update by email that I should check my application status. I saw on the results search that others had heard news, so I checked, and ta-da! it was there. I'm kinda concerned I never heard anything by email, but oh well

Edited March 15, 2014 by Intellectual_Lensings

[Alilla3]

I applied to the Curriculum and Teaching EdD program at TC. Still haven't heard any news yet. I called admissions this morning, and they said I'll hear sometime between now and the end of the month.

I am very much over this waiting game  . Anyone else encountering similar challenges? Or does anyone have any words of wisdom?

Edited March 17, 2014 by Alilla3

[Georgia2012]

@LetsHope

I got my official decision today for TESOL/MA+Cert. through Apply Yourself (not through Next Step). Log in to your app through the link where you filled out your application. Also received funding.

 

Was the funding information embedded in the letter of admission? Or elsewhere? 

 

Thanks ahead  

[omnomnam]

It was in the letter itself.

[schpsy92]

I just got my financial aid in a separate email from TC Financial Aid office. Laughing at how horrible it is. Will be turning down the offer tomorrow

[td21230]

I received an offer with $16K in TC scholarships for my 1 yr program. Any idea how that stacks up in a relative sense?