Applying to HGSE - Do I stand a chance?

[StrangersLikeMe]

Hello everyone, I'm Sumayya from Pakistan. I am about to graduate with a Bachelor's in Business Administration (BBA) Degree. I've always been interested in academia but I'm worried my degree is from a different discipline and I've had little experience in teaching. I'm new here so apologies if I sound a little sporadic, but I wanted you to look at my portfolio and let me know
- If I stand a chance at HGSE. I've done a little research and EPM/Learning and Teaching/International Education Policy sounds like something I'd want to do. 
- What schools other than HGSE should I apply to, if I'm considering MS in Education (keeping in mind that financial aid is imperative for me), and how many schools on average does a person apply to
- If I really don't stand a chance at HGSE, what other MS programs are suitable for me when you look at my portfolio

So, here goes...
CGPA: 3.88, Elective: 3.9
Experience: 2 internships (8 weeks each), one at an engineering consultancy firm's HR department, another as a digital marketeer and project associate at an NGO
Advisory member for a social entrepreneurship society at my university, aimed to consult schools for the underprivileged (January-present)
One year as the Head of Talent Management at my University's Alumni association aiming to provide merit-based loans for those who can't afford tuition (2015)
Other experiences include several freelance writing jobs, digital art and the like.

I've written an extensive research paper on Feminist Advertising as my final year project. I've also done several other projects including Consultancy reports, White Papers, Case Analysis etc., as part of the courses I took. 

I'm yet to give the GRE and write my SOP. But I am a meticulous and hard working and am quite certain I will do well on them (God willing). My LORs are also going to be strong, my university's Dean has also agreed to write me one. 

I'm also willing to take an year off to get some corporate experience, and perhaps even do a part time job as a lab instructor my university offered me. Would that make any difference?

Any sort of help would be appreciated!

 

Edited June 5, 2016 by Sumayya

[Vulpix]

I think if your GRE and SOP are strong, you have a good chance at HGSE and any other schools.  Financial Aid is very challenging in general, especially as an international student.  Most students must take out many loans.  I would definitely recommend getting experience and working beforehand, not only for a higher chance of admission but also because it will help you really know what you want to be doing, and that will help you write a more focused SOP.  It would also increase your chances of merit scholarships. I think clarity of purpose is everything in an application, and if you can communicate that clearly to yourself, your LOR writers, and the schools to which you are applying, you can be admitted.

While there are definitely many students who come straight out of undergrad to grad school, I think for HGSE it is less common, and most students have 3-4 years of work experience.  When I visited Penn, it definitely seemed like a younger bunch, and same goes for many other places.  

In terms of aid, I could be wrong about this, but I think you stand a better chance of getting scholarships from private universities in the US over public universities.  Private schools like HGSE have more funding to offer.  Public universities would be cheaper overall, but may reserve any grants they have for citizens...

Edited June 6, 2016 by Heather1011

[Levon3]

I agree with Heather1011; it seems like you stand a chance! As far as financial aid, I'm not sure how it shakes out for international students. Harvard gave me a decent amount of aid, but it was still more expensive than my other choices because the tuition is so high. I would definitely steer clear of TC because of poor financial aid offerings. You might also apply to Vanderbilt. They have a few (albeit rare) 2/3 tuition scholarships and you never know if you might get one. If you plan to return to Pakistan, the name recognition might not get you as far as HGSE, but they are consistently ranked in the top 5 schools of education, and policy is one of their strong suits. 

As far as the # of schools students typically apply to, I think it varies quite a bit. I applied to four. I've heard of people applying to as few as one, and as many as 11. Keep in mind that applications can be expensive, so I would have a narrow list of "best fit" schools, which includes one or two "reach" schools (a little above what you think you could get into) and one "safety" school - in case you don't get into your favorite programs, you could still accomplish your goals at, and afford, this other lower-ranked school. 

[Vulpix]

Just a plug - Penn's application is free!  They also gave me the most financial aid.

But yeah, most apps cost around $65.  HGSE is the most expensive at 80 I think.

Edited June 6, 2016 by Heather1011

[StrangersLikeMe]

Thank you Heather 1011 for your help! I agree, it does seem a little work experience will make me more focused on what I want. I am thinking of applying for Fulbright next year, let's see. And yes Penn has been in one of my shortlisted schools, though I am still researching. Actually another reason for me to take a year off was to first get some relevant experience, and also to gather some money for the application process.

And I appreciate your help too, Levon3. I will look into Vanderbelt. I was in fact wondering what blend of top-tier and middle-tier I must have in my shortlisted schools. It seems I still have a lot of research to do, thanks again for the starting point!

 

[Vulpix]

4 hours ago, Sumayya said:

Thank you Heather 1011 for your help! I agree, it does seem a little work experience will make me more focused on what I want. I am thinking of applying for Fulbright next year, let's see. And yes Penn has been in one of my shortlisted schools, though I am still researching. Actually another reason for me to take a year off was to first get some relevant experience, and also to gather some money for the application process.

And I appreciate your help too, Levon3. I will look into Vanderbelt. I was in fact wondering what blend of top-tier and middle-tier I must have in my shortlisted schools. It seems I still have a lot of research to do, thanks again for the starting point!

 

I can't emphasize enough how beneficial it is to work and save up money for graduate school.  Right now I'm feeling blessed that I can afford to pay for most of my degree myself, but I realize I'm not only "blessed", I also just saved well for three years and now I'm choosing to spend my money on this.

[Levon3]

4 hours ago, Heather1011 said:

I can't emphasize enough how beneficial it is to work and save up money for graduate school.  Right now I'm feeling blessed that I can afford to pay for most of my degree myself, but I realize I'm not only "blessed", I also just saved well for three years and now I'm choosing to spend my money on this.

You were blessed that you could save!

[Vulpix]

28 minutes ago, Levon3 said:

You were blessed that you could save!

Yes, definitely, since I don't have any dependents or big medical expenses.  But I also made some good choices in spending during that time.  I have a lot of friends in similar situations (first year teachers living in the most expensive city in the country) who have not saved much at all.  Honestly, not blowing $$ on drinks every Friday probably saves $1000 a year  .  The fact is, I think a lot of young people ARE in a position to save money once they get a job, but lack the urgent need to do so.  It's the people who need to save who often aren't in the position to, unfortunately.

Edited June 10, 2016 by Heather1011

[Levon3]

I was supporting my sister, paying off my undergraduate degree, and making under $30k my first few years teaching. I never went out for drinks, and still didn't manage to save much. But I didn't mean to imply that your saving wasn't impressive--it very much is! 

[StrangersLikeMe]

Well this certainly is interesting. Here the culture is that the parents do most of the stuff for us, including college fees and what not. I have already saved up much from cash awards in competitions and semester positions; also from the internship and part-time jobs. If I were to stay in Pakistan and do my Masters, I'm pretty sure it would be a given that my parents pay for college, it would rather not be supported socially at all that I pay for my education. But the Masters abroad is quite expensive, especially because of the currency difference in dollars and PKR. Anyway, my situation is similar to yours, Heather - no dependents. I am quite hopeful, because before coming here I was quite sure the thought of me even applying is quixotic. Now I'm a little motivated!

[Vulpix]

On 6/10/2016 at 7:05 PM, Sumayya said:

Well this certainly is interesting. Here the culture is that the parents do most of the stuff for us, including college fees and what not. I have already saved up much from cash awards in competitions and semester positions; also from the internship and part-time jobs. If I were to stay in Pakistan and do my Masters, I'm pretty sure it would be a given that my parents pay for college, it would rather not be supported socially at all that I pay for my education. But the Masters abroad is quite expensive, especially because of the currency difference in dollars and PKR. Anyway, my situation is similar to yours, Heather - no dependents. I am quite hopeful, because before coming here I was quite sure the thought of me even applying is quixotic. Now I'm a little motivated!

Why not apply!

I think in America parents are expected to *try* to help with your undergraduate costs (which may or may not be possible depending on your situation), but after that you're on your own... unless you come from great wealth, I guess.