Teachers College

[Fleet23]

mine too

[ctcpx084]

Huh. I guess financial aid info is supposed to start being sent out Friday evening. $1268/credit is going to hurt!

[C_Chattra]

wjdavis, how did you find out the financial aid info will be released starting Friday?

[ctcpx084]

I emailed last night. I received an automated message right away, then a guy from FA emailed five minutes later. He wrote the following:

 

 

We started downloading 13-14 FAFSA records about 2 weeks ago. There are thousands of them to download in our queue, and we download them every few days in an effort to make our packaging process more manageable for our counselors. We will be downloading more 13-14 FAFSA records today. Since you submitted your FAFSA to Teachers College (not Columbia), we will receive it soon and the requirement will update to Satisfied status. We appreciate your patience in this respect.

 

Regarding award letters, our first round of letters will go out on the evening of March 15. Please refer to this page to learn more.

[dnanthro]

I was accepted into TC on Monday for the Educational Anthropology phd. This is my top choice and I am really excited.  They gave me a small scholarship, so I am hoping to find more funding or an assistantship to make going to school there happen. Congrats to everyone else on their acceptances!

 

I emailed them about financial aid as well. They will start sending packages on Friday, and assistantships can be applied to over the summer.

[ctcpx084]

Hey, congrats dnanthro, and thanks for the info regarding financial aid! I really wish we could start applying for assistantships now; there's one in particular that I am very, very interested in. 

[dnanthro]

I am worried about the assistantships though. Tuition and cost of living in NYC is very expensive, and I was reading on the website that an assistantship can only cover 3 credits a semester. That saves some, but not a lot, of money for a full time student. They don't seem to come with tuition remission, unless I am misunderstanding them?

[ctcpx084]

Believe me, I share your concerns, and I too will be weighing this over the next few weeks. From what I've read, full tuition remission isn't offered there. Some assistantships include tuition remission/points and a stipend, though I can't imagine that stipend being very much if it is offered with the position. It's a difficult balance to strike, as you have to pay the bills and everything, but you don't want to work to the point where you don't have time to study and to do what you need to do to be successful in your program. I could try and strike up a full-time teaching job in the area, and the moment I do that my available time is pretty much crapped on. Gotta pay the bills, though!

Edited March 14, 2013 by wjdavis

[dnanthro]

There is an assistantship type that offers full remission plus stipend, but it seems very selective and rare. I saw it on the assistantship page.  Though, the idea of an assistantship without remission seems very daunting, especially since that seems to be a common feature of one. With a month to decide, I am hoping for something more in the financial packages they are going to send out starting Friday. I find it difficult to comprehend how they expect full time students to pay the tuition and fees and pay the bills in NYC. I don't think you can be a full time student and work full time, it sounds like way too much and something will give (not just your brain lol).

[ctcpx084]

Yea, I totally agree, but that seems to be the situation. I exchanged an email or two with a professor in Curriculum and Teaching prior to applying, and he mentioned funding a little bit. In his note, he lamented the fact that they offered so little in aid, and mentioned they offered some scholarships and very few assistantships.

 

It's really really really 非常非常非常 hard to imagine that they'd make you pony up for a significant percentage of the tuition, and then all your living expenses, when they are charging people nearly $1,300/credit. You have to believe that they have LOADS of money laying around somewhere. I guess the reality is that it's a business first and foremost. 

 

I told my girlfriend straight up: I'm not going $100,000+ into debt to do this. If they can help a little, I'd like to do it. If it comes to me footing the entire bill, I just can't do it. I'm a school teacher, after all.  

[dnanthro]

Yeah, I agree! If they can help more, I would definitely be more inclined to go. It's my top choice program, so I am already pretty inclined. Though, my other option is t stay for a phd where I did my undergrad, which is waaayyy more affordable than TC in both tuition and cost of living, but I don't want to miss out on the opportunity for new experiences and perspectives etc.

[Tanglewood]

I was getting stressed because I owed a decision to another college soon, so I broke down and emailed Teachers College about my application status. They sent me the email to check the website an hour later, and I was accepted! I will be accepting! I am really excited about their Reading Specialist Program (Summer Admit). Good luck everyone!

[ctcpx084]

Same to you, Tanglewood! I'm glad you got word--this does seem to be the week where things FINALLY shook loose at TC for a great many people.

[ctcpx084]

Anyone receive an award letter this evening...?

[ctcpx084]

Actually, I just got one after I posted here--loans, loans, loans, and nothing else. I don't get it.  

[Lindsey19432]

Congrats to everyone who got into TC! Finally received the acceptance letter this morning for the Instructional Technology and Media program.

I used to have a hard delimma choice between TC and UPenn GSE. However, after taking a careful look on the planned program of study, the course offerings and some other information, I think TC seems to be more suitable for me! Good luck to everyone!

[ay761]

I got a $6,048 scholarship per semester, bringing the tuition to about $5,000 more than what I would be paying at Vanderbilt (for 2 years).  The difference is at Vanderbilt I'd have the opportunity to gain work experience (while paying my full tuition), complete a masters thesis and also a summer practicum.  

 

I just can't decide of the name & location make Columbia worth all the extra cash.. also knowing I'd be graduating without any additional relevant work experience or completed thesis.

 

But maybe also the quality of the classes would be better at Columbia?! I really have no idea... arggh, this decision is driving me insane.

 

wjdavis - I can't believe they didn't offer you any aid...!?  Didn't you apply for a PhD program?  

[Lindsey19432]

恭喜, Lindsey!

 

谢谢，wjdavis!

It's really surprising to see Chinese in this forum!

[ctcpx084]

谢谢，wjdavis!

It's really surprising to see Chinese in this forum!

不用谢。：）

[ay761]

 これから日本語で話そう。。。笑

 

Thanks for the info wjdavis! 

 

Seems like you actually can complete a masters thesis at Columbia, just that it is completed off campus after your studies... I'm a little confused about how that works, guess I'll have to email someone. 

 

I'm curious as to what kind of financial aid packages other people are getting at Columbia (for MA) so please post if you feel so inclined ! 

[Lbessmer]

I got a little over 16k. In the end, I felt like the fit wasn't right though. I haven't chosen which program I will attend, but I am trying to eliminate schools from the running as fast as I can in the hopes that I can make the process easier for the schools and for prospective students.

[ASzofer]

ay761: I was planning on emailing one of my grad school professors and asking that same question. I know several years ago this same professor told me that a degree from a top tier university would enable you to work at that level, and any level below; on the other hand, a degree from a lesser university might limit opportunities moving up to bigger and more prestigious universities, which seems to make sense. However, if "top tier" means you have to spend $90,000, I don't know if that's necessarily worth it given the other, cheaper/MUCH better funded options.

 

I did apply for an EdD in Curriculum and Teaching. Although I wouldn't describe myself as John Dewey or anything, I was admitted and thought that might be worth something, even if it was a token gesture.

 

 

Yes... But Vanderbilt is also a top tier university... It's actually ranked number 1 in the nation for education.  I would say you should talked to some of the professors at each school and decide which will be the better path for your specific goals.  I generally assume schools like TC know what they are doing when they have one year programs, but there are also definite advantages of the two year approach at Vanderbilt.  Also maybe think about where you want to end up and which school has what connections. 

[ay761]

ASzofer - your advice is very good.  I think my problem is.... and I'm embarrassed to say this, but I don't know what my specific goals are.   I mean, I put together a nice statement of purpose, but when I read the websites of these programs, I feel that I could go so many different directions.  From policy making, to academic research and going on to pursue a PhD.... and then when I think about geographic area of focus alone, I get confused.  I have 4 years of teaching experience in Japan, but there isn't much job demand for anything Japan related in the professional / educational world (and I'm pretty sure that regardless of what I do I want to be based in the US in the future).  Should I just forget about Japan then, and focus on policy studies in the US?

 

Given my lack of focus, I actually think the Vanderbilt program is the best option for me academically, as I feel the slower pace / 2 years would allow me to experiment more without having any specific goal in mind, and develop my interests.  On the other hand... I am terrified of being confined to the south / midwest (because I grew up there, and have every intention of living on one of the coasts in the future).  I somehow feel that getting my masters degree from Vanderbilt would hold me back from competing with Columbia / Harvard graduates on the coasts... is that all just in my head?  And all my friends live in New York (I went to college there), so I find the prospect of returning there to be very comforting after spending 4 years on an isolated Japanese island.  

 

Sorry for the quarter-life crisis break down rant! 

[ASzofer]

I definitely am with you on your concerns.  Are you Ed Policy?  That's what I am and was between the same schools.  I could have gone to Vanderbilt for free between the assistantship I was offered and the scholarship and TC gave me some money... yet I went with Harvard where I'm not likely to get any money.  For my personal logic, I also don't know exactly what my specific goals are either.  I know I want to be working toward reform in the education system, but I don't know if that means I want to go into a specific city and work for reform there through a program or whether I'd rather be at a government level.  I think my real goal would be to travel the country visiting schools, analyzing data and writing books about what is working and what is not.  Because this is a nonspecific goal, I feel like Harvard is the best place for me because of the connections everywhere in the United States.  I, too, was hesitant on Vanderbilt because I thought it might limit me to the South/Midwest.  That being said, they did have a lot of amazing connections based on what I saw when I went there for Visitation Day.  

 

Harvard was a clear choice for me because basically my gut just insisted.  I cried when I saw the acceptance and was shaking for hours and I don't think I've ever been more excited about anything in my life.  That may be just because of the name, but since I didn't feel that way about the other schools, I knew that I could not pass on the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of going to Harvard.  I like that it is a one year program because that will put me out in the research world a year earlier where I can start putting together what will eventually be my resume for my PhD.  From what I've seen, most people at schools like TC and Harvard have much more experience than me in doctorate programs so the sooner I can get started on that, the better.   

 

I think whatever you end up doing will be a great decision. You have incredibly strong options so I don't think you can go wrong.  Whichever you choose will definitely affect your life and the people you meet and where you go, but I wouldn't imagine that any of the paths are going to be negative.  You'll graduate and get a great job and pay off your loans whatever you end up doing.  Which program are you just most in love with?

[SMF711]

I received a scholarship of just over $16,000 and $6000 for FWS for the Fall and Spring semesters. The rest were loans.