HGSE 2016

[Kompetent]

I got 20k loans, 5k Work Study. They said a student's budget would be 72k - 18k (my expected contribution) = 54k. Even their stated remaining need for me after my contribution is 28k (3k short of the aid package) and I think that "need" only accounts for tuition and insurance, not housing and, you know, food.

I'm confused about how this all works out. I was expecting to find a small side job, perhaps with the Princeton Review or Kaplan, but my savings are not that large (15-20k hopefully after diligent saving and a summer job) and I'm not sure how I'd even pay the second semester of tuition...  Any insights? guess I better look at last year's thread...

It's also disheartening that Penn gave me 13.5k and the chance to apply for an invite only scholarship for 10k. Together, those would make Penn (which is like 63k) a little cheaper than Harvard, especially taking into account housing.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Kompetent

[Levon3]

It's my understanding that you can take out more in loans than the "package" they offer; you just have to request more. Of course, only if you can take on that much debt...

Edited March 25, 2016 by Levon3

[GAPeachyKeen]

27 minutes ago, Levon3 said:

It's my understanding that you can take out more in loans than the "package" they offer; you just have to request more. Of course, only if you can take on that much debt...

I'm hoping so. I received 15K in grants + 5K in work study. I definitely wasn't prepared to see this aid package. I don't know how to feel. Guess it's time to hit the old external fellowships/scholarships trail. 

Edited March 25, 2016 by GAPeachyKeen

[marature]

wow, i actually got more than i expected, 16k grant + 7k Impact Award, which makes it about half tuition. I was expecting only the grant. hmm...

[Levon3]

1 minute ago, marature said:

wow, i actually got more than i expected, 16k grant + 7k Impact Award, which makes it about half tuition. I was expecting only the grant. hmm...

Congratulations! 

[MISSYU]

I received $20,000 in loans... Woohoo!

[Vulpix]

2 hours ago, Levon3 said:

How much did you get from Penn? (If you don't mind my asking)

I got a $10k merit award from Penn. they don't offer need based so. But I also applied for a GA and a FLAS scholarship that would be $33k. 

This HGSE loan package really bummed me out, but I'm still excited to visit and see  

 

[NOTObsessiveForumChecker]

Hey y'all. 

So I also got 20k loan and nothin else. 

Does anyone know if at this stage they tell you if you qualified for work study? Or is that a different channel? Thank you and I hope to see you on the 4th!

[GAPeachyKeen]

13 minutes ago, NOTObsessiveForumChecker said:

Hey y'all. 

So I also got 20k loan and nothin else. 

Does anyone know if at this stage they tell you if you qualified for work study? Or is that a different channel? Thank you and I hope to see you on the 4th!

Yes, work study was included for those who qualified. 

[betweenthepages]

Has anyone who was admitted also not gotten their aid packages yet? Mine's not yet up, all it says is that all documents were received... even if that meant no aid it should say so right?

[deciding_2016]

Also only got a loan... Have to say I'm really disappointed. I got an email earlier this month that I was an "alternate" for the Leadership in Education Award. Guess it is a long alternate list if after that I didn't end up with even a few $K?

[Vulpix]

1 hour ago, betweenthepages said:

Has anyone who was admitted also not gotten their aid packages yet? Mine's not yet up, all it says is that all documents were received... even if that meant no aid it should say so right?

Did you submit your FAFSA and everything on time?

I guess it might not all go out in one day like with admissions.

I'm comforted a little to know that I'm not the only one with just loans.  It seemed like from last year's thread that international students are given more grants because they are ineligible for US federal loan packages... I'm trying not to take this personally.  I don't have any existing undergrad debt (anymore) and apparently that is a big factor in their decision to burden you with loans or not.  

[betweenthepages]

17 minutes ago, Heather1011 said:

Did you submit your FAFSA and everything on time?

I guess it might not all go out in one day like with admissions.

I'm comforted a little to know that I'm not the only one with just loans.  It seemed like from last year's thread that international students are given more grants because they are ineligible for US federal loan packages... I'm trying not to take this personally.  I don't have any existing undergrad debt (anymore) and apparently that is a big factor in their decision to burden you with loans or not.  

I did! I didn't have to submit FAFSA as I'm international but I filled the other form in on time. I definitely had a moment of logging back into the application site and being like, wait, is my acceptance letter still up? (I thought the anxiety was supposed to end after we got in! :P)

Oh well, I guess I'll panic if I haven't heard before March 30th. If it means no aid, though, that means it'll come to the same cost as Penn with aid -- Penn might even wind up costing a little less if by some miracle that extra 10k scholarship application works out!! (Time to frantically polish that scholarship application essay!!)

[Vulpix]

7 minutes ago, betweenthepages said:

I did! I didn't have to submit FAFSA as I'm international but I filled the other form in on time. I definitely had a moment of logging back into the application site and being like, wait, is my acceptance letter still up? (I thought the anxiety was supposed to end after we got in! :P)

Oh well, I guess I'll panic if I haven't heard before March 30th. If it means no aid, though, that means it'll come to the same cost as Penn with aid -- Penn might even wind up costing a little less if by some miracle that extra 10k scholarship application works out!! (Time to frantically polish that scholarship application essay!!)

For me, Penn with aid is still $10K more than HGSE.  Which is why HGSE is still a frontrunner, but could have been such a done deal if they'd given me even half of what they gave others  I just don't really understand their methodologies, as I definitely should have demonstrated more need than just loans.  For some reason HGSE thinks my demonstrated need is just $12K, so they offered me a $20K loan.  I can't fathom that.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Heather1011

[hellocheck123]

Hello all,

Thanks to everyone who has participated in keeping this thread alive. I have only very recently discovered it but I quickly read through all 31 (31!) pages and it proved to be a great crash course in everything to consider during the application process.

I am facing a dilemma that I hope people on this thread can help resolve. I have been accepted into the IEPA program at Stanford GSE and the IEP program at Harvard GSE. Stanford has offered as small tuition fellowship (10k) and Harvard has offered a grant (16k). As an international student I am not eligible for subsidized loans or the work study program so I will have to rely on my savings and a big student loan. 

About 10 days ago, I received an email from the Financial Aid office at HGSE informing me that I had been considered for the Urban Scholars Award and while they aren't offering me one I have been designated as an 'alternate'. This means that should an award become available I will get it (yay) but there is no way to predict if at all this would happen and when (boo). I was told that being an alternate does not disqualify me from being considered for other forms of aid. I am a bit confused why I was not considered for a merit based award (Leadership in Education etc.) which seem to have more generic eligibility criteria than Urban Scholars. Oh well. Assuming that neither school will offer me any more at this point of time, this makes the Stanford program about 9k more expensive than Harvard. 

So here are my questions - 

1. How likely is it for someone to turn down the Urban Scholars Award? It seems very very unlikely to me. I can't think of any considerations that could make someone not want it. On the other hand the prospect (no matter how unlikely) of a full tuition waiver and being part of the Urban Scholars cohort seems too sweet to ignore. I am not sure how much weight I should attach to this in my decision making. Suggestions?

2. If I take the award out of the equation, I still need to decide which school to go to. HGSE is cheaper (both on account of being a shorter program and considering the aid that is currently on offer, Cambridge seems cheaper than the west coast), it seems like a far more vibrant place to be (more diverse, lots of conferences, seminars etc.), I'm told the faculty is more influential and better connected and career services at HGSE appear superior. In my home country HGSE is a huge brand - many people don't even know Stanford has an Ed School :/ The small numbers of Stanford grads/ aspiring grads or much talk of Stanford GSE at all on this chat forum is conspicuous. 

On the other hand - key aspects of the Stanford IEPA program are a big draw for me - a smaller cohort (15-20 vs. >60 at HGSE), longer duration (12 months vs. 9 at HGSE, more coursework) and emphasis on the MA paper. Given my education and work background I am confident that foregoing the HGSE brand and the networking opportunities that it brings will not significantly disadvantage me in the job market in my home country. All these considerations have enabled me to avoid caving to the "... but Harvard is HARVARD" line.

Are there any other aspects of the grad school experience that I should consider? As a foreign student I can't visit both campuses to decide. Happy to hear anyone who would like to weigh in on this decision.

Apologies for the long message. Also, I'm sorry for airing a dilemma which is definitely not whine-worthy - I know I'm very fortunate to be where I am! Congratulations to all successful applicants. Look forward to hearing opinions on my queries.

[writegirl]

On 3/25/2016 at 4:17 PM, Heather1011 said:

I got an email that my financial aid award is available. I'm on my phone and the website is wonky, but it looks like they only gave me loans :'(. I'm really upset right now. I'm hoping I'm just not seeing something but it looks like no grants at all for me. 

I guess Harvard doesn't want me THAT badly. 

I also got nothing but loans. I'm expected to contribute $22,000. It's pretty dejecting now that the "high" of getting in has faded, and it's all about the money. I keep getting skeptical voices in my head about whether graduate school is really worth all this money, or whether this is all a money-making scheme.

[NOTObsessiveForumChecker]

2 minutes ago, writegirl said:

I also got nothing but loans. I'm expected to contribute $22,000. It's pretty dejecting now that the "high" of getting in has faded, and it's all about the money. I keep getting skeptical voices in my head about whether graduate school is really worth all this money, or whether this is all a money-making scheme.

Well put-- and same here. 

But it is definitely mutually beneficial: they DO make a lot of money off us, but we get an awesome experience and entree into literally the best network in the world. 

Stay high! (Ya know, like with elation from getting in...)

 

 

[Vulpix]

Not only am I questioning the money, but I'm also now wondering "Before I spend $70,000, is this even what I want to do with my life?"  I'm just gonna power through these doubts and make blindly optimistic decisions   

[Dracos]

10 hours ago, writegirl said:

I also got nothing but loans. I'm expected to contribute $22,000. It's pretty dejecting now that the "high" of getting in has faded, and it's all about the money. I keep getting skeptical voices in my head about whether graduate school is really worth all this money, or whether this is all a money-making scheme.

Sorry to hear about the big loans. Maybe if you keep bugging financial aid, they might be able to throw in some type of grant? Maybe try letting them about other schools you were admitted to, reiterate HGSE is your top choice, but that additional funds would be needed for you to attend. 

I wasn't accepted to HGSE, but I still think the network opportunity from the program is invaluable despite having to take on a large amount of debt. With that being said, the situation and "worth" of the program will vary from individual to individual depending on your program, and the career you're planning on entering, any preexisting debt you have, and any other degrees you may have earned. In my case, I consider my rejection a blessing because I'll already have a M.S from Johns Hopkins, and I have taken it as a sign to just enter the job market in my field. Taking on an additional $50k in debt, considering I will already have a Master degree doesn't seem all that rational in hindsight for my situation. 

Take your time to decide, maybe reach out to students in your program, or if you have any friends who have participated in the program they would be able to give you the most *real* responses. Think about your starting salary, and the benefits of having such a strong network for your career trajectory. Also, make sure you calculate how long it will take you to repay those loans. You might be able to minimize the costs of living by taking on some work on the side through tutoring, baby sitting, etc. I think Master degrees are money making schemes at many institutions, albeit, still an investment. The return has been diminishing due to an oversaturation in the market, however, and factoring the value of your degree and the amount of debt is so important. The fact that the HGSE program is only 1 yr long is a plus, since you're in grad school only 1 yr and that's 1 yr sooner you can jump in the job market. 

Edited March 27, 2016 by Dracos

[Vulpix]

1 hour ago, Dracos said:

Sorry to hear about the big loans. Maybe if you keep bugging financial aid, they might be able to throw in some type of grant? Maybe try letting them about other schools you were admitted to, reiterate HGSE is your top choice, but that additional funds would be needed for you to attend. 

Someone else gave me the advice to try to ask HGSE for more money by explaining that I have grant offers from all of its competitors, so why not them?  But at the same time, Harvard doesn't need me, I can't imagine that would be met with great agreement...

[Dracos]

1 hour ago, Heather1011 said:

Someone else gave me the advice to try to ask HGSE for more money by explaining that I have grant offers from all of its competitors, so why not them?  But at the same time, Harvard doesn't need me, I can't imagine that would be met with great agreement...

Doesn't hurt to try. What's the worst thing that can happen, an email with a polite "no"? 

[Vulpix]

9 minutes ago, Dracos said:

Doesn't hurt to try. What's the worst thing that can happen, an email with a polite "no"? 

I might just wait to ask in person at the open house... but IDK.  I'm such a chicken.  Which is funny because when I had two job offers I was very confident in asking for more money from the job I wanted, but I guess I'm still intimidated talking to these people..

[writegirl]

Yeah, definitely need to suss out the glamor that is Harvard, and the reality of a graduate degree. I'm making a list tonight of "What would make 50k worth it?" and see it the way an investor would. I'm in Cambridge now, and soaking it all in, trying to imagine if I could see myself here!

The housing market is truly insane here, that is for sure!

[Levon3]

A couple of years ago in a similar situation I politely emailed my financial aid officer, letting him know about my other offers, and said, "This is my dream school but I have these better offers. Is there anything you can do?"

For me, the answer was nothing, but it certainly won't hurt to try, and I didn't suffer any negative repercussions for inquiring. 

[Vulpix]

14 hours ago, writegirl said:

Yeah, definitely need to suss out the glamor that is Harvard, and the reality of a graduate degree. I'm making a list tonight of "What would make 50k worth it?" and see it the way an investor would. I'm in Cambridge now, and soaking it all in, trying to imagine if I could see myself here!

The housing market is truly insane here, that is for sure!

How's Cambridge feeling?  I'll be there Thurs-Friday!

14 hours ago, Levon3 said:

A couple of years ago in a similar situation I politely emailed my financial aid officer, letting him know about my other offers, and said, "This is my dream school but I have these better offers. Is there anything you can do?"

For me, the answer was nothing, but it certainly won't hurt to try, and I didn't suffer any negative repercussions for inquiring. 

Did you end up going to HGSE?