Penn GSE

[day_manderly]

Got my GRE scores, time to start a thread for my top choice!

I am an international applicant.

Program: Higher Ed

Interests: international higher ed
GRE Score: V166 Q152 AWA 4.5 (makes me incredibly sad)

TOEFL: 113 out of 120.
GPA:  no idea, my schools didn't have it, but I was a stellar student, especially while doing my Master's
Work Experience: impressive, relevant, in my field, as a researcher, corresponds with my interests perfectly

SoP: will reflect the above, mention professors I've contacted, my plans for my thesis, etc.

LoRs: probably glowing, but only one from someone with some sort of a name in the field (common international applicant problem)
Undergrad Institution (Public, Private, Ivy, etc..):  one of top schools in my country, but it's not even visible in international rankings

Grad Institution: one of top schools in another country (outside US, not English-speaking world) - in the international rankings, but not like top 100
What Other Schools Are You Applying To: Lynch, UMich, HGSE, UMass (probably, still have to contact somebody there), maybe Stanford, Vanderbilt, maybe Texas Austin

What do you think?

[MAC2809]

5% chance. 

[vaporeon]

15 hours ago, MAC2809 said:

5% chance. 

TF?

[day_manderly]

On 19/11/2016 at 8:53 AM, MAC2809 said:

5% chance. 

Why?

[emilb34]

I don't know if this is what @MAC2809 is referring to, but Penn has a notorious low acceptance rate in their Ed programs. According to US News rankings, they accept 4.5% of applicants. Don't let this deter you though! People apply and get accepted to programs with low acceptance rates and rejected from programs with high acceptance rates. At the end of the day, the 'admissions game' doesn't always make sense. 

[hopefulPhD2017]

1. On 11/22/2016 at 2:26 PM, emilb34 said:

   I don't know if this is what @MAC2809 is referring to, but Penn has a notorious low acceptance rate in their Ed programs. According to US News rankings, they accept 4.5% of applicants. Don't let this deter you though! People apply and get accepted to programs with low acceptance rates and rejected from programs with high acceptance rates. At the end of the day, the 'admissions game' doesn't always make sense. 

   I assumed that's one of the reasons why they've waived their application fee, so that they can get more applicants and have a lower, more prestigious acceptance rate.

[day_manderly]

Does UPenn do Skype interviews for international applicants?.. Does anybody know?

[istanbulnotconstantinople]

I was wondering the same thing. Logically I figured that they must interview by phone or Skype since they couldn't expect us to fly half-way across the world for the interview days. I have a feeling I read on a previous years thread that someone had a phone interview at Penn, but maybe some interviews are conducted via Skype too.

[day_manderly]

35 minutes ago, mjl89 said:

I was wondering the same thing. Logically I figured that they must interview by phone or Skype since they couldn't expect us to fly half-way across the world for the interview days. I have a feeling I read on a previous years thread that someone had a phone interview at Penn, but maybe some interviews are conducted via Skype too.

Aha, maybe, it makes sense to re-read the last year thread! So silly of me not to have done it before.

[hopefulPhD2017]

I received a happy holidays email from Penn GSE on Dec. 23; I applied for the policy PhD program for fall 2017.

I was telling my partner about the email and he wondered if, as it mentioned a date for the Preview Weekend, it meant I was possibly in the pool of those who may possibly be invited. Here is what the email said:

Season's Greetings from Penn GSE. The holiday season is upon us, and we are winding down the fall semester. Please note, in observance of the holidays, Penn GSE will be closed from 12 p.m. (EST) Friday, December 23, 2016, until 9 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, January 3, 2017. We will respond to your phone calls and emails upon our return.

Looking Forward to 2017 On the road to success, the rule is to always look ahead. Keep an eye out for more information regarding these upcoming events in 2017. Select applicants will be invited to Preview Weekend, February 17-19.  Doctoral decision letters will be sent out early March.

I'm pretty sure this email has zero significance or meaning in terms of my actual chances of admission, but I wanted to see what you all think. I'm assuming you all got this too? Can anyone confirm that this email means not much at all? Save for the fact that it was very thoughtful of them to send it all all, which goes a long way. Plus this is the first interview weekend date I've seen officially published, which is pretty exciting)!

Going a bit crazy waiting to hear back from all the schools! 

[istanbulnotconstantinople]

12 hours ago, hopefulPhD2017 said:

I received a happy holidays email from Penn GSE on Dec. 23; I applied for the policy PhD program for fall 2017.

I was telling my partner about the email and he wondered if, as it mentioned a date for the Preview Weekend, it meant I was possibly in the pool of those who may possibly be invited. Here is what the email said:

Season's Greetings from Penn GSE. The holiday season is upon us, and we are winding down the fall semester. Please note, in observance of the holidays, Penn GSE will be closed from 12 p.m. (EST) Friday, December 23, 2016, until 9 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, January 3, 2017. We will respond to your phone calls and emails upon our return.

Looking Forward to 2017 On the road to success, the rule is to always look ahead. Keep an eye out for more information regarding these upcoming events in 2017. Select applicants will be invited to Preview Weekend, February 17-19.  Doctoral decision letters will be sent out early March.

I'm pretty sure this email has zero significance or meaning in terms of my actual chances of admission, but I wanted to see what you all think. I'm assuming you all got this too? Can anyone confirm that this email means not much at all? Save for the fact that it was very thoughtful of them to send it all all, which goes a long way. Plus this is the first interview weekend date I've seen officially published, which is pretty exciting)!

Going a bit crazy waiting to hear back from all the schools! 

Hiya,

I also got the same email and I assumed it was sent to all applicants. Like you said it is a very nice thought though and reassuring to have some idea of dates. It doesn't really help out the international applicants much though since I assume they won't invite us to the preview weekend regardless - unless it means they would also conduct phone interviews with us then too.

[day_manderly]

Same here. Got this e-mail, too.

[hopefulPhD2017]

@mjl89 and @day_manderly I figured as much! Thanks for responding. Guess I'm back to waiting!

[hopefulPhD2017]

Just found this. Worth a read, IMO http://penngseadmissions.blogspot.com/2016/02/q-doctoral-edition.html?m=1

[mr_r]

Hi, all. 

I'm applying to the Ed.D program in Ed Leadership. I attended Penn GSE for my Master's and learned and grew so much as an educator. Good luck! 

[hopefulPhD2017]

2 hours ago, mr_r said:

Hi, all. 

I'm applying to the Ed.D program in Ed Leadership. I attended Penn GSE for my Master's and learned and grew so much as an educator. Good luck! 

Hi @mr_r it speaks highly of the program that you're reapplying! Good luck and if you have any inside intel, don't be shy.

[mr_r]

Haha. No, no inside intel, unfortunately. 

[day_manderly]

Ok, so I've checked the Results page. Doesn't look like there is a clear pattern... 2016 - interview invites went out on the 21st of January. 2015 - January 15, 2014 - January 31st... Suspense, nail biting, omg...

[hopefulPhD2017]

Yes, the only pattern that's clear is that I'M STILL WAITING

[mr_r]

Does anyone know if Ed.D invites go out at the same time as Ph.D? It looks like there will be a "doctoral weekend" rather than separate Ed.D and Ph.D weekends. I'd assume, then, that invites go out roughly the same time?

[hopefulPhD2017]

1 hour ago, mr_r said:

Does anyone know if Ed.D invites go out at the same time as Ph.D? It looks like there will be a "doctoral weekend" rather than separate Ed.D and Ph.D weekends. I'd assume, then, that invites go out roughly the same time?

I have no idea, you're our insider. ?

I think if you called they'd be happy to share that information with you, and if they happen to give you a time those invites are going out, report back please!

[hopefulPhD2017]

We are four weeks out from Penn's interview weekend (Feb. 17-19), anyone want to make predictions on when invites will come out, based on past years? Looking for ways to pass the time

[higheredbee]

1 hour ago, hopefulPhD2017 said:

We are four weeks out from Penn's interview weekend (Feb. 17-19), anyone want to make predictions on when invites will come out, based on past years? Looking for ways to pass the time

when we least expect it!

haha that's so optimistic since it's nearly impossible to forget what the next few weeks will bring.

Although, last night I watched Sing in theaters and that was actually a good 2-hour block of time where I wasn't crazily checking my email it is possible to be distracted from all this! 

[istanbulnotconstantinople]

8 hours ago, higheredbee said:

when we least expect it!

haha that's so optimistic since it's nearly impossible to forget what the next few weeks will bring.

Although, last night I watched Sing in theaters and that was actually a good 2-hour block of time where I wasn't crazily checking my email it is possible to be distracted from all this! 

I am increasingly grateful to be on the wrong side of the world, so that each morning when I wake and see no emails I know that I can just relax until the evening because it's nighttime in the US so nothing will be arriving in my inbox. Although it is saddening to realise today is not the day I will hear anything, knowing that helps me to get on with my day.

[hopefulPhD2017]

@mjl89 Looks like you're right!

Someone just posted an interview notification for Penn Education (Quantitative Methods And Evaluation), PhD (F17)

!!