Fall 2016 Applicants

[EMJTeacher]

First post on this board...

Joining the ranks of those applying for PhD. in Education for the first time.  Twice upon a time I applied for a PhD. in Political Science, but the best I did was a wait listing at one school.  So, I set aside the PoliSci M.A. and switched fields to pursue Education.  Now, trying my hand at it one more time, going for broke. PhD. or bust.  All in...

To answer your question, applicant012015, I don't know WUSTL's scores. However, this blog:

http://magoosh.com/gre/2013/gre-scores-for-education-programs/

posts aggregate data that they obtained from US News and World Report.

 

[P1906]

On 12/18/2015 at 4:10 PM, P1906 said:

Submitted: U Conn, U Texas/Austin, Florida State, U Illinois/Chicago, U Oregon, Indiana/Bloomington, U Florida, U Minnesota, U Wisconsin, U California/Irvine, Purdue, U Southern California, U Illinois/Urbana, Michigan State U, Penn State, U Colorado and Texas AnM

Interview:  Florida State, U Conn, U Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Michigan State U, U Florida

Accepted: Florida State, Penn State, MSU, Iowa State, Purdue

Rejected:   U Texas, U Minnesota, U Southern California, U Illinois- Urbana Champaign, Texas A and M

 

[EdNeuroGrl]

Anyone have any new updates? I am still waiting to hear SOMETHING from Vanderbilt and Western Ontario.

The interview at Georgetown went great and I am feeling pretty good about my prospects.

I've been told that since I applied to a new-ish program at Vanderbilt, there isn't any established time line other than they have to get approval from 3 departments before anything can happen... so... yeah

For Western, it looks like invites went out to the clinical psych group but nothing to the developmental group *shrug* I don't know what is happening there and I don't know anyone else here that applied to the program so I don't have any good way to get a feel for what is happening.

 

How is everyone else doing out there?

[Fleet23]

The waiting is torture.....

[mbfox125]

Well I was rejected from Stanford but accepted to UCLA (Urban Schooling) waiting to hear from Berkeley and UCSD but honestly for education policy specifically aimed at students in urban areas, I don't think there is a better fit then UCLA, but I can't bring myself to accept until after I hear from everyone. 

[PersonPeople]

Just to follow up on my previous post. I got into my top choice program at Columbia TC with 19K funding for the first year. Very pleased and the answer is yes: it is possible to get into a competitive grad. program with only narrative grades.

[dancedementia]

Hey friends! Made a huge career decision switch and am now pursuing a dual masters in Higher Education and Counseling (was previously aiming for PhD in Counseling Psychology... decided that focusing on research was really not my thing). Due to the dual-masters status, I've only got a few applications in progress:

Submittted: University of Houston, Texas Tech University

Anxiously awaiting hearing back from either of them!

[olympichopeful]

6 hours ago, dancedementia said:

Anxiously awaiting hearing back from either of them!

Good luck!!

[ryan785]

Applied to programs in Educational Leadership (Ed.D) at 5 CSUs, got accepted to my top program at Fresno State!

Weird journey to here, always saw my self as a wannabe professor, but now that I am a staff and faculty member at the same school that I graduate from, I'm glad my deviation into the staff world worked out for me 

[Apogeee]

I have just gotten an acceptance from School A with limited funding (about 40% of the cost of living), who wants to hear my reply within 3 weeks. Meanwhile, School B accepted me long ago, but with no word yet on funding. I was expecting to have until April 15 to decide. Has anyone else gotten requests for early response to acceptances?

[marature]

14 hours ago, Agrippina said:

I have just gotten an acceptance from School A with limited funding (about 40% of the cost of living), who wants to hear my reply within 3 weeks. Meanwhile, School B accepted me long ago, but with no word yet on funding. I was expecting to have until April 15 to decide. Has anyone else gotten requests for early response to acceptances?

I have had one school which said something to the effect of "though you have the right to wait until April 15 to decide, please let us know as soon as possible so if you decide not to enroll, we can offer the award to another student." Around two weeks after the award letter, I got an email asking in a nice and low-key way if I had any questions they could answer and how i was leaning. So it was not REQUIRED that I respond before April 15, but they were encouraging an early response.

I was ok with that, in the sense that I totally understand it would be nice for all those students on the wait list to get the award letter if I'm going to decline...   (after all, from these forums, we see how people are really waiting with bated breath!) I'd be happy to make someone else happy Also I appreciated that they didn't really express it in a pressuring way, but more like "What can we do to help you make a decision?" and have been very responsive in answering questions, sending information, connecting with current students, etc.

[Vulpix]

2 hours ago, marature said:

I have had one school which said something to the effect of "though you have the right to wait until April 15 to decide, please let us know as soon as possible so if you decide not to enroll, we can offer the award to another student." Around two weeks after the award letter, I got an email asking in a nice and low-key way if I had any questions they could answer and how i was leaning. So it was not REQUIRED that I respond before April 15, but they were encouraging an early response.

I was ok with that, in the sense that I totally understand it would be nice for all those students on the wait list to get the award letter if I'm going to decline...   (after all, from these forums, we see how people are really waiting with bated breath!) I'd be happy to make someone else happy Also I appreciated that they didn't really express it in a pressuring way, but more like "What can we do to help you make a decision?" and have been very responsive in answering questions, sending information, connecting with current students, etc.

Have you officially declined something already, then?

I could decline TC and NYU right now, but I haven't.  In NYU's case, because I literally can't figure out their website

[Apogeee]

1 hour ago, Heather1011 said:

Have you officially declined something already, then?

I could decline TC and NYU right now, but I haven't.  In NYU's case, because I literally can't figure out their website

You could probably write to NYU to decline and tell them you can't figure out the site, so that someone else could have an offer with time to consider it. I don't know why so many schools make the websites and the PhD application process so confusing: it's almost like a test of your ability to jump through hoops.

[marature]

1 hour ago, Heather1011 said:

Have you officially declined something already, then?

I could decline TC and NYU right now, but I haven't.  In NYU's case, because I literally can't figure out their website

Not yet, though I might do a couple pretty soon.

[dancedementia]

The wait is killing me!

What are some of you guys doing in the summer between now and (hopefully) starting a program? Continuing to work? Volunteering? Vacation?

[Fleet23]

I will be continuing to work. Hopefully I'll get a few days off in between.

[dancedementia]

In at Texas Tech, whoo  

[gyrlonfilm]

I applied to Virginia Tech as a whim in their College of Education program: Curriculum and Instruction- Instructional Design and Technology. I am looking to transfer and I just finished my third class in the program I am in now online with Capella. Capella's program is way too long credit hour wise compared to other IDT programs at other colleges and universities. I have a Master of Education previously and almost 10 years of teaching in K-12.

I have been wanting to leave teaching K-12 for 5 years and after completing my first Masters, I realized that I wanted to look into moving into higher education. It is very competitive in higher education, or at least it is where I live.

I am waiting to hear from Virginia Tech. If I do get in, I'll be picking up and moving cross-country for the second time.

[gyrlonfilm]

On 3/19/2015 at 9:11 AM, EdNeuroGrl said:

I would agree to an  extent and also add that the reason why some people go for their Master's is to try to advance in their job or make a bit more money. This was true for me getting my first Masters in Education while teaching K-12, hoping that I can make a bit more money. Unfortunately in the districts I taught in here in AZ, my salary only went up $1,000. Not good considering owing thousands in student loans. :(. This is why I left teaching in K-12.

 

 

"It all just boils down to the fact that I am on a silly, idealistic mission to fix the world."

Isn't this a unifying characteristic we all share? I mean we are all in education after all

 

Welcome outgoingintrovert!

 

"I guess my biggest worry is that I won't be accepted into a PhD program without a Masters degree first. Any thoughts on this? Some of the programs I'm looking into specifically state that a Masters degree is not necessary to be admitted to the PhD. I'm mostly looking into schools on the west coast FYI."

 

I hear you on that concern. I had a big problem with this (hence my being mid masters) and I have some thoughts for sure... First you are waaaay more competitive than I was and as long as you prep well for your GRES and have a solid SOP you'll likely be gold. Second, I am usually competing against psychology and neuroscience students rather than just education students so the get noticed bar is much higher.

 

In education it seems to me those who go for a master's fall in a handful of general situations. The big one is that they are trying for a certification of some sort so they can teach. Another is that they want to go into educational research but their interests are still very broad and require focusing down. Some have spent a long time away from academia and need to get used to the saddle again first. In education I have met very few other master's students who want to do PhD but need a Masters in order to be a competitive applicant.

 

A big thing that will help you if you're aiming at a research career is to get in on a few more research presentations.

 

[gyrlonfilm]

On 3/16/2016 at 10:32 PM, dancedementia said:

The wait is killing me!

What are some of you guys doing in the summer between now and (hopefully) starting a program? Continuing to work? Volunteering? Vacation?

Yes, the waiting is killing me too. I just got a temp job with Vanguard that is contract to hire. Good enough for me to save a bit to make the great move cross-country if I am accepted to Virginia Tech. I am also taking just one more class in my current Master's program so that I can transfer those credits over if I am accepted.

[dancedementia]

4 hours ago, gyrlonfilm said:

Yes, the waiting is killing me too. I just got a temp job with Vanguard that is contract to hire. Good enough for me to save a bit to make the great move cross-country if I am accepted to Virginia Tech. I am also taking just one more class in my current Master's program so that I can transfer those credits over if I am accepted.

I'm also working a temp job to save up some money for a move. Thankfully my job is somewhat peripherally related to my masters program (I'm working in higher ed research administration... as an admin assistant, haha).

As an update, got in at University of Houston too! Now time to make the decision...