MS/MA ED in Higher Education Admin/Student Affairs

[April]

Okay, here is the deal with me:

Started this wild idea of wanting to be an academic advisor and would love to go to grad school and gain experience and the beginning of a career.

My GPA isn't great, taking the GRE in the next few weeks, have three letters of recommendation lined up, and working on my various SOPs.

I want to get into a decent school but since I know I have no shot at an amazing school, I am aiming for great, solid programs in places that I would like to live. The programs I am looking at need to have assistantships/internships, varied class topics, mid-level out-of-state tuition (at most) and be relatively affordable to live in the area.

My two top choices are University of WI-La Crosse and Buffalo State University. Random? I live near Portland State University but their program does not excite me.

Any sort of advisement about getting a degree in Higher Education Administration, College Personnel, and/or Student Affairs? I am the only one I know who is doing the "grad school' thing and as of right now I am unemployed and trying to narrow down possibilities so that I can apply and not waste other peoples' time or my money. I also know realistically the earliest deadlines I can do is Feb 1st, which has taken a few schools out of the running for me.

GREATLY appreciate any advice or website to refer me to. I have already looked up the NASPA and NACADA for resources as well.

[Reinventing]

I'm in this boat as well. I applied last year, and am considering a second go-round. I sent you a message.

Edited December 4, 2009 by ruralworks4me

[Reinventing]

Here are some websites I found helpful in researching different programs (in addition to Google searches):

http://www.myacpa.org/c12/selecting.htm

http://www.cacrep.org/directory/directory.cfm (includes counseling progs as well as student affairs)

http://studentaffairs.com/web/ (also has helpful info like student affairs professional profiles, etc)

Another site with some basic info, particulary if you are also considering a counseling degree as a possible alternative to a higher ed or student affairs master's degree:

http://www.counseling.org/Students/GraduatePrograms/TP/Home/CT2.aspx

For doing research on jobs/reading job postings:

http://www.higheredjobs.com

http://jobs.chronicle.com/section/Jobs/61/