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Penn GSE 2016


phillyhed

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On 1/23/2016 at 10:56 AM, Heather1011 said:

:(  There is still the waitlist etc.  Do you have a new plan, try again another year?  With other schools? You seem so deserving and it would be a shame not to.

I still always find it strange when alums of the schools don't get into those schools a second time.  I understand it's competitive and these are different programs (or for you, almost the same?), but still, you've already been vetted because you went there!  I have a friend who went to Penn undergrad, didn't get into their medical school but got in to all relevant med school competitors.  Just seems bizarre, almost as if it's a disadvantage because they want to diversify or something suspicious.

@Heather1011, I don't find it odd. What it takes to succeed in med school is different from undergrad and what it takes to get a master's is different from a doctorate. My MSEd from Penn GSE was 15 years ago. It's a completely different department now than it was then-- a totally different focus, faculty, etc. Now, in my view, it's a better fit for me now than it was then but in this case, someone disagreed and I have to accept that.

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Just now, phillyhed said:

@Heather1011, I don't find it odd. What it takes to succeed in med school is different from undergrad and what it takes to get a master's is different from a doctorate. My MSEd from Penn GSE was 15 years ago. It's a completely different department now than it was then-- a totally different focus, faculty, etc. Now, in my view, it's a better fit for me now than it was then but in this case, someone disagreed and I have to accept that.

Sigh :( That reasoning makes sense, just frustrating of course.

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My application status on my checklist still says "Ready for Review." Does that mean they didn't read my application? I applied really early, I wonder if it didn't go through... Does anyone else have this listed as their Application Status?

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7 minutes ago, carol64 said:

My application status on my checklist still says "Ready for Review." Does that mean they didn't read my application? I applied really early, I wonder if it didn't go through... Does anyone else have this listed as their Application Status?

That's what it said up until I got my decision email.  I don't think it changes until the decision is made.  It signifies that your application was complete, so it definitely went through.  (For example, mine was still "pending" or something until it was "Ready for Review", at which point the decision could have come at any time).

That being said, if you applied for a PhD, phillyhed contacted admissions and found out that all interview invites were sent out last Friday, so presumably if you didn't hear from them on Friday, no invite (but no formal rejection either, because they may find that their invitees are not up to par/do not want to enroll).

Edited by Heather1011
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I applied to the PhD in Education: Culture, Institutions, and Society.

I just got an email about the financial aid info session, but I didn't get an interview invite.  

I guess now I just wait for an official rejection letter in mid-March?

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19 hours ago, phillyhed said:

For any gluttons for punishment, like me, I emailed Penn GSE Admissions to get confirmation that all invites for doctoral interview weekend have indeed been sent and got this reply:

Thank you for your message. All invitations for Doctoral Applicants Weekend at Penn GSE have been sent via email. All applicants will receive their decision regarding admission in mid-March. Let us know if you have any other questions, have a great day.

I just needed to put the nail in that coffin because even though I knew they were all supposed to go out on Friday, I needed to know definitively. Receiving the email about the financial aid session was a bit of a punch in the gut, as I'm sure the official rejection will be.

Good to know I can stop hoping though. I have no effing idea what I'm going to do next but wish you all the best!

I didn't get the invite either, @phillyhed. :( it's such a bummer. Also, the financial aid session email was the worst. I received it at three different email addresses (I stupidly signed up for info from Penn with multiple emails) and had to delete it THREE TIMES. I guess I'll busy myself w/the other schools I applied to...

I'm assuming from your username that this is the only program you had applied to -- is that right? What are your plans going forward, if you don't mind me asking?

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2 hours ago, nicolemae said:

I didn't get the invite either, @phillyhed. :( it's such a bummer. Also, the financial aid session email was the worst. I received it at three different email addresses (I stupidly signed up for info from Penn with multiple emails) and had to delete it THREE TIMES. I guess I'll busy myself w/the other schools I applied to...

I'm assuming from your username that this is the only program you had applied to -- is that right? What are your plans going forward, if you don't mind me asking?

You're right-- I only applied to Penn. I'm from Philly and have lived here all my life. I'm an older applicant (almost 38) so uprooting my life is a bit overwhelming. I've been in my job for nearly 7 years and at this organization for 10. I have a secure career here.

Today's the first day I've really been thinking about options and starting to talk to people in my life about what I might do next. I haven't really been able to discuss it since Friday. It's a big disappointment.

I'm considering a few things:

  • Stay in my current job for another year and apply to other programs/ schools next year. (I'm interested in college degree attainment for first generation/ low-income students so Sociology is another way to go.)
  • Talk to my boss about reshaping my role at the organization to get more hands on experience with data and measurement (that's a big part of what I do now but not my primary role). If I did that, I'd commit to staying for two more years.
  • Look for jobs where I can get more experience doing research/ policy work at an organization that would be willing to hire someone with little research experience but is smart and willing to work hard to learn on the job. I'm not sure how practical this is in Philly, although I've seen jobs at research institutes in DC that would consider a tele-commute arrangement.
  • Look for a job doing the kind of work I do now (college retention) on a campus, rather than through a non-profit.

It's tough. I'm very settled- married, own a home, comfortable life style. Applying to school was a big step for me so I've been doing this big gear-up for a possible transition in my life and now...I don't know what I'm going to do.

What about you?

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52 minutes ago, EdLeadershipApplicant said:

Hey all, longtime lurker (sorry...:ph34r:) - has anybody heard news on the EdD front from Penn?

Someone posted on the Results page on Friday that they got an invite to the Interview Weekend. It was a higher ed EdD applicant. They didn't specify if it was for traditional EdD or Executive. I'm not sure if they require interviews for Executive EdD.

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4 hours ago, phillyhed said:

You're right-- I only applied to Penn. I'm from Philly and have lived here all my life. I'm an older applicant (almost 38) so uprooting my life is a bit overwhelming. I've been in my job for nearly 7 years and at this organization for 10. I have a secure career here.

Today's the first day I've really been thinking about options and starting to talk to people in my life about what I might do next. I haven't really been able to discuss it since Friday. It's a big disappointment.

I'm considering a few things:

  • Stay in my current job for another year and apply to other programs/ schools next year. (I'm interested in college degree attainment for first generation/ low-income students so Sociology is another way to go.)
  • Talk to my boss about reshaping my role at the organization to get more hands on experience with data and measurement (that's a big part of what I do now but not my primary role). If I did that, I'd commit to staying for two more years.
  • Look for jobs where I can get more experience doing research/ policy work at an organization that would be willing to hire someone with little research experience but is smart and willing to work hard to learn on the job. I'm not sure how practical this is in Philly, although I've seen jobs at research institutes in DC that would consider a tele-commute arrangement.
  • Look for a job doing the kind of work I do now (college retention) on a campus, rather than through a non-profit.

It's tough. I'm very settled- married, own a home, comfortable life style. Applying to school was a big step for me so I've been doing this big gear-up for a possible transition in my life and now...I don't know what I'm going to do.

What about you?

As a young adult, I'm in a way different situation. I am less rooted -- I moved around several times across the country for career reasons and now am in Cambridge for work. I also applied to a number of programs across the country knowing I may have a chance of moving. At the same time, I was counting on being accepted to HGSE so I can stay in Boston (my partner moved to Boston to be with me recently), but seem to have been low-key rejected from there as well, judging from the absence of an interview invite. So that makes me consider very seriously, or at least more seriously than during the crazed weeks of completing applications, how it would be to move across the country "for good".  I was hoping to settle down in the place I get my doctoral degree so it's still a big decision despite being a younger applicant. My partner owns a home in California and so it is an easy way out to go to a program there, but there are obviously other elements to think about here. I guess we're all in it knowing we're potentially throwing a wrench into our plans!

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I am 25 and I am already worried about uprooting my life in some way that negatively affects the relatively loose roots I have laid down where I am, and my relationships, depending on where I end up moving.  I can't imagine how hard it must be the longer you've been in a place, especially one you've grown up in and have so much invested in.  Best of luck to everyone, it's not easy to make these big decisions.

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Just attended the financial aid session online.  Some of this information might be interesting to everyone:

The maximum grant given is $13,500.  This is typically in the form of $10,000 merit scholarship and $3,500 GA.  All GA positions are $3,500 split over the course of 2 semester (so that's only $1750 per semester.  Definitely money, but it makes me feel less bad about not getting one, if it's just gonna be more stress for not that much assistance)

There is also a "Dean's Centennial" $10K grant, given to typically 1 person in each program, that is decided early April.

Edited by Heather1011
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So I'm an international student (Nigerian studying in Taiwan) and I can't travel for the Doctoral Weekend so I was scheduled for a Skype interview with my POI. In my head, that was Friday 7pm EST - Saturday 8am Taiwan Time. So yesterday, continued what my friend calls "opposition research" on my POI. Was 70 pages into a book he edited when I received really positive news from my POI at Ohio State, so decided to chill a bit - thanks to this admissions season, the BP machine says my BP is 170/124??!!! (I have to believe my machine is now faulty though I do have a BP condition and I'm only 23 :().

Anyway, I woke up 430am my time for the interview at 8am, still surprised I hadn't received any mail from the programme coordinator. Went to my lab around 6am so I could have a bright and ordered room to myself then I returned to Bernie Sanders news to pass the time. So a few minutes back, I emailed her to confirm that the interview is within the hour, and she went, "Your SKPYE is set for next Friday, February 5 at 7:00. Go to bed! We will see you next week." OH CRAP!!! I guess I can now start watching the last 2 Thom Hartmann shows I've missed. I've basically lived the last 2 days (waking/sleeping/eating) in preparation for this morning.

Edited by juanmesh
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4 hours ago, dear_valentine07 said:

partially freaking out and thinking that some results might come out today about the Ed Policy masters. applied on 1/12/16. @Heather1011 This was about how long it took you to hear back as well, right?

Yeah, it was 3 weeks if you don't count Christmas break.  But each program operates differently and I think pretty independently of each other, plus it's all based on number of applicants and I imagine Ed Policy is slightly more popular than IEDP.  But you'll hear soon!!

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Just had my Skype interview with my POI at Penn. That was quite possibly the chillest - chill as in calm & relatively jovial - first-time conversation I've ever had with a professor. We discussed my interests, his current work and he also said he wanted to convince me Penn was the right place for me. He even talked about the other languages I speak (sadly, I'm only good with English) and him finding people who speak those languages to convince me to come to Penn - WHAT?! Said I could get back to him if I had further questions. I didn't even have to wade into my opposition research - 70 pages of a book he edited :). Don't know whether to curb my enthusiasm but that went too well! It sounded like a prospective admit but then I'm thinking, maybe they do this with everyone? I'll be very sad now if I end up getting rejected.

Edited by juanmesh
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11 hours ago, Heather1011 said:

Yeah, it was 3 weeks if you don't count Christmas break.  But each program operates differently and I think pretty independently of each other, plus it's all based on number of applicants and I imagine Ed Policy is slightly more popular than IEDP.  But you'll hear soon!!

I submitted my application for IEDP on Jan 23, and it's not even ready for review yet... Still "materials needed", but I already sent my GRE results to GSE in October. I guess many people submitted their applications in January - the deadline peak for all other international education programs! (at least for those I've applied to)

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4 hours ago, teppeice said:

I submitted my application for IEDP on Jan 23, and it's not even ready for review yet... Still "materials needed", but I already sent my GRE results to GSE in October. I guess many people submitted their applications in January - the deadline peak for all other international education programs! (at least for those I've applied to)

Are you an international student? I had the same thing because the app didn't automatically waive my English proficiency status even though I completed my undergrad in English, so I emailed them and they had to manually waive it for me before the app became ready for review...

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3 hours ago, betweenthepages said:

Are you an international student? I had the same thing because the app didn't automatically waive my English proficiency status even though I completed my undergrad in English, so I emailed them and they had to manually waive it for me before the app became ready for review...

Yes I am an international applicant. I have no problem with the English proficiency part though - the test scores have been well received. (Actually I also completed my undergrad studies in English... But it is not uncommon among the students in my hometown to take those English proficiency tests, so I just did it anyway.) GRE is the part that I am having trouble with :( I already emailed them about it, but no reply yet. 

Edited by teppeice
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7 hours ago, teppeice said:

I submitted my application for IEDP on Jan 23, and it's not even ready for review yet... Still "materials needed", but I already sent my GRE results to GSE in October. I guess many people submitted their applications in January - the deadline peak for all other international education programs! (at least for those I've applied to)

I don't think it should take that long to match GRE scores... mine were matched instantly, and as long as it was through ETS it should go through automatically.  A common problem is that there is a name spelling error in Penn's system vs. GRE system.  Might want to double check that.  Hope they get back to you soon!

I submitted my application 11/27 but was missing one LOR, but then once I got it in on 12/13 it was instantly "ready for review."

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