Ed.M. Application Advice with Student Panel

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Hi everyone, we're going to go ahead and get started if you can't hear me or you're having trouble try refreshing your browser. This usually works best in Chrome or fire. Fox so you may want to try those browsers as well. But thank you for joining us today. I want to get started quickly so we have enough time for your questions at the end.

Here is our agenda for today. So this is the application advice for EDM applicants were going to talk about what makes a good applicant and what the committees are looking for. We're going to talk about the application components. I'm going more into the statement of purpose letters of recommendation standardized tests. The GREI mean that includes the toll for yotes. If that's applicable to you transcripts and then will end with.

Q&A. With our current students here.

So this is what we will be talking about. I want to go over a little bit about what we won't be able to cover this session, so we will not have time to cover the 13 different Masters programs their structure and curriculum.

We also won't be able to talk about the differences between doctoral and Masters.

Financial aid or funding student experience housing but we also won't be able to talk to the career path so this is just about the application an advice from the admissions office and our current students here.

So if you do want to learn more about the topics listed above here. You can visit our website. We have recorded webinars touching on many of these things you can also visit the financial aid website and reach out to them directly so those are just some resources listed here.

So I want to introduce everyone who's joining us. My name is Leah Belcher. I'm an assistant director of admissions and then I've got 4. Great current students with me today. So if you guys don't mind just going around and introducing yourselves and what program you're in.

Sure, high and Betsy I'm currently in the TE program, which stands for technology innovation and education.

Oh, hi. I'm manual I'm in NBA which is mine brain in education.

Hello I'm Bobbie Hampton, I'm currently in the teacher education program specializing in middle school science and I'm very henricus. I'm in a learning and teaching program at many instructional leadership.

Great thank you guys.

First thing I want to go over is the admissions criteria so but that's before we jump into the requirements. Let's talk a little bit about how we review applications.

So the most important thing is to remember that, we use a holistic review.

It what holistic review means that there's no set formula for whether or not you're admitted there is an aid. This GPA plus this GRE equals an automatic yes or no instead. We truly look into your individual circumstances who you are your background and what you would be bringing into the program.

So this means that we are creating or you're creating a picture based on the materials you give us so no one component is considered more important than the others.

I'm certainly the committee is looking at your ability to do the academic work. Your commitment to the field of education. Whether or not you're a good fit for the program you're applying to an HD SC.

And then also what you can contribute to the Gulfport. We value a lot of diverse experiences and interests so that's going to be important to the committee as well.

So those are the important things about how we look at an application.

Going into what's required for your application you will need to fill out our online form and that includes uploading a statement of purpose are resume or CV.

You will need to take the GRE.

In total or outs if that is applicable to you and we also require transcripts from each post secondary institution used attended 3 letters of recommendation. There is an application fee. And then several programs have additional requirements. You will look at those requirements on our website and in the application instructions. If you do have specific questions about them. Luckily, we do have someone from LNTNTEP today and they can try to answer those 2.

So starting with the statement of purpose. It's important to remember that this is also a writing sample. So you will be reviewed on the content of that statement as well as the writing St.

It needs to be tight and double spaced.

And no more than 1500 words.

In the future in why HTC in this program is going to help you get there.

This statement of purpose is an opportunity for you to really self reflect on where you are at in your career in what you want to do next. So why are you passionate about education? What do you want your impact to be in the field and what do you hope to accomplish?

Those are the things that you want to be thinking about when you're drafting this statement of purpose.

So when I ask our current students if they don't mind going around an talking about their experience writing this, if you guys can remember from a year ago? How did you approach it you know what? Were you considering were the kind of things you knew you wanted to highlight going starting messy. Sure, Yeah. Of course, so I had done some coursework when I was working at MIT, which is where I was before, I came here and I had some.

Pretty specific research interests and so I started out by sort of laying out specifically why I wanted to come to hug Z 222 dive into those research subjects a little bit more. And then I found myself having to broaden and talk about all of my previous experiences. And why I would be a good fit here and how how this research related to the.

The specific coursework that I wanted to take here and I found a lot of.

Um.

I found it really helpful to look closely at the courses, but I wanted to take an the faculty working here to sort of frame my statement.

Great thank you, yeah, so I was teaching for 3 years before coming here and during those 3 years.

I found that like I was developing as a teacher and there were some questions that I could answer in some questions that I just couldn't and so I think that helped me a lot thinking about what I actually wanted to study when I came to grad school and why was going to take a break from teaching to come and be a student again full time and I think I used the statement to kind of Express. Those thoughts right express' kind of where I was in that development for those 3 years teaching and then what I needed.

And what I thought it would be getting out of the program.

So I thought conveying that was important for my own self, thinking about like what I was going into and also for the Admissions Committee.

Thank you. I'm for me, I was coming straight from undergrad and so a big piece of like my statement of purpose was just about like the community? How is coming from and how like my degree at hugs he could help me like better serve them? When I write this highly tumors heard back so I focused a lot on my why a lot about like my racial and gender identity and how that kind of intersected to figuring out the kind of middle school science teacher wanted to be so all those layers together was really like my why, why do I want to do education?

Why do I want to help this specific demographic of kids I really kind of made that appear in my statement of purpose.

I think this sort of echo but other people have been saying like I think it was just it was really honest as I wrote it, like high in August of last year. I didn't had no interest in going to Graduate School and by October. I felt like something that was really right for me and I sorted by just writing down like why was that what was going on in my mind that made me realize that to become a better teacher. I could actually go back to school and there is more to learn and then I also have visited Harvard for one of the.

Like the preview days in the fall but I think speaking about what excited me there and one like what was the specific things that stood out to me about harvard's programming being Colbert based in being a full time program and why I felt like that was a really good fit I think the hardest thing was then they like selling it yourself which I think is teachers or sometimes not always good at doing and saying here's why I'm actually going to contribute to the program and so that was where I focus a lot of my revisions on this trying to bring out more what I've done in the past to bring to Harvard.

Great um another thing I wanted to ask you guys if if you remember.

Know how long you were really working on the statement of purpose? How many drafts. You went through is there a process that helps you get started and then if you had anyone help. You edit it as well. That would be great. If you guys could share all of you are just some of you wanted to answer.

Sure, I took up.

Above months probably to write it. I remember distinctly having 3 like fully fleshed out drafts where there is like significant differences between each one of those, and I did ask for help writing it. I sent it to a few friends to edit for both content and other and then I also sent it to the people who were reading. My letters of recommendation and it was helpful for them to see.

My.

My interest then my motivations for coming to grad school, but they also provided a little bit of feedback on it on the actual statement itself.

Yeah, when I when I was writing, it, I went. I also took a few months, there were a couple different topics that I kind of wasn't sure which one would be kind of the main theme when I think I think that was probably the hardest part.

Kind of settling on one in accepting that like the statement wasn't going to be everything I wanted to put into it because it is. It does have a word limit and so I think it took me a few months. I also sent it to a couple of colleagues and a couple family members to just make sure that my voice was still there throw the edits definitely like 2, 1/2, ish month process a lot of drafts alot of revisions.

Send it to some people strictly for content and some people strictly for grammar just to kind of have 2 different eyes, so that they don't overlap. The folks that were looking for continent kind of like a manual, saying we're more like finding my voice in the grammar accounting for the writing structure.

Yeah, it was similar. I also took several months. I think that I wrote the first draft in like afternoon like I am someone who just likes to get things on paper, and then it was like a constant refining, but I also find that when I get ideas on paper, they're often pretty convoluted and I have these really, really long sentence is and so I have a couple of good friends, who are good at calling me out in my writing about him. Don't understand what you're saying or you should really take. This paragraph and making two paragraphs and so it's sort of like other folks. I said relied on.

Some good friends, who were very generous and read it and several times as it evolved great. Thank you guys so just answer. Some questions that are coming in this will be recorded and we will post. It online and email, it out to you. Otherwise, you'll have 10 or 15 minutes. I believe at the end of this session or we can just go back and forth and you guys ask questions.

Somebody ask can, we say our names. Yeah, if you guys don't mind if you remember just to say who's speaking. I think it would be really helpful.

But just to kind of rap up the statement of purpose. A lot of what these guys talked about is it's important to start really to give yourself enough time to go through this process in these iterations in drafts.

It's also important that.

It sounds like you an it's really your voice in the whole application. It's your opportunity to kind of peace. All of the materials together and let us know what you're passionate about and what you want to do in the field of Education.

It's also important to remember that this isn't a college essay the statement of purpose is really going through your goals and what you want to do it may be appropriate, sometimes to have citations, but it certainly shouldn't be an academic paper.

Like I said earlier really needs to sound authentic and coming from you. You want to articulate your goals and why you want to attend Graduate School? Why HTC an why the program. You're applying to specifically as well. Don't react your resume. We ask for it. So you don't need to list your credentials. That's something we already have.

Also, you definitely want to edit and ask for feedback like these guys, said they shared it with colleagues. People who knew them well check for grammar things like that. That's really important because this is a writing sample so you will also be judged on that as well.

And then you also want to share what you can contribute to your cohort? What is your unique perspective that you were going to bring in?

And how you can help really make a CSEA.

Really engaging community.

Moving on to the letters of recommendation so choose people who know you well and interact with you in different capacities. You're going to want to have a real well, rounded group of folks talking about your streak so ideally these letter should address both your academic abilities and your experience professionally.

That said if you have been working for a long time and you don't have.

The relationship with previous professor anymore. That's OK, you really want to just pick spokes that can speak to your abilities that bastard know you the US so in that case you would really just want folks to whatever recommenders you select maybe highlight your writing skills research any projects. You've done with them that will kind of help.

Answer some of those academic abilities.

In lieu of having a professor write your recommendation.

So when you're approaching recommenders.

Make sure that they have enough time to write you a strong recommendation. You don't want to give them You know 0 information. It's the last minute. They won't be able to write the best letter for you so definitely make sure here in communication with them early.

Also I'm one of the things that she said, is she gave one of her recommenders. A copy of her statement of purpose that can be really helpful for them to know why you're applying to Graduate School why you like the program a little bit about the program really give them the Contacts you can even let them know. Hey, I really want you to highlight this project. We worked on this thing I wrote it, can be really helpful to give them that direction and you can kind of help. Make that a stronger letter for yourself.

A little logistical things, so think carefully about who you want these recommenders to be.

We cannot make changes once you've listed them on your application.

The only reason we would if it's it's really close to the deadline and you absolutely haven't heard from them.

But otherwise you will need to just have that conversation with them and make sure that they are ready for this kind of commitment and they have enough capacity.

Another thing to mention is that you will be asked whether or not to waive your right to access your letter of recommendation.

Here's what that means.

If you waive your right you will not be able to view the letters on your behalf, even if you are admitted in and roll.

If you do not waive your right your letters will become a part of your student record, which means if you are admitted and choose to enroll HTC you have the right to access those in read them.

This is your choice you are not required to waive your right to access a letter of recommendation so in deciding that there are several factors. You want to consider I think the most important is ask your recommender what they prefer some recommenders want you to waive their right. You're right so that they can write those knowing that it's private.

Other recommenders don't have an opinion and they won't care if you choose not to waive your right so it's really important to just have that conversation with them. So you're all on the same page.

Important thing again here is this decision can absolutely not be reversed if you click something in your not quite sure what it means we cannot change it.

So definitely have the conversation know what you want and then make that selection in the application.

For letters of recommendation that are not in English if your recommender is not a native English speaker. They can write you a letter but they will have to submit a certified word for word translation.

In the recommender must upload both their non English letter in the certified translation.

Applicants cannot be involved in either the translating or the upload of those that's really important too.

One final thing I want to mention is.

In terms of anyone has questions about the process.

Basically, what happens is once you input your recommenders contact information they receive an email from us.

Anet links them to a portal where they will fill out some questions and then are able to upload the letter. You can send them reminders. If it is not been completed. You'll be able to tell if they've submitted.

And then another piece to this is.

They are allowed to submit after the deadline technically.

But if it's more than a few days.

You kind of in a danger area because your application will go under review and it won't have any letters attached to it, so while the recommenders are not tide to that deadline. They can submit January 6th. You will want to make sure they submit a few days after or else you're going to be in trouble and you know your application will be at a disadvantage in that case.

I see a lot of questions rolling in please. Save them for the end, will definitely get there, I may answer them on the way.

So when I ask you guys about the letters of recommendation. How did you go about choosing your recommenders? Did you choose a variety of academic and professional and how? Did you like that work.

Chicken steak so I was working after I did my undergraduate degree and so I wanted to sort of get a wide range. So I asked somebody my academic advisor for my undergrad and then my boss that I reported 2 for 4 years working and then I asked another professor with whom I took classes as I mentioned I'm sorry this is Betsy.

And then I ask somebody that I had taken classes with MIT very recommendation.

Hi this is a manual uhm so I wanted. I wanted my recommenders to be able to speak to different aspects of myself as an applicant so one recommender was my thesis advisor from undergrad because I've been almost 3 years out of undergrad. We had a few emails back and forth where I explained what I have been doing in the meantime, where my interest had grown and developed since we work together just so he had more of a sense of.

Who was the student at work?

Developed since then, and then I asked 2 people to my colleagues at my school. One was my Department head. I was a math teacher, and so it was the math. Barber chair and the other was the diversity officer at our school because those were kind of My 3 main interests that I wanted conveyed in the application.

For my recommendation letters I asked 102 my professors and then uh our advisor for an organization. I was the president of at the time until those 3 folks nubian like academic grown because they all worked at my undergrad institution, but also knew me like I was working 2 jobs while I was in undergrad and new me like as organization presidents in my rolls so they could speak so like all the kind of aspects of who I was applicant. I also was really.

Upfront and honest with them about like why was applying sending my statement of purpose and just making sure that they knew how much? I wanted to so that could kind of like come alive in their recommendation letter too.

So I have been out of undergrad for 7 years. When I applied which felt sort of. It felt weird to go back to undergrad professors that said, I did have one of my history professors from undergrad who had written me recommendations back when I was a senior in college and who I was fairly close with I reached out to her and I was like sort of asked her what do you think you can write a strong recommendation and she said. Yeah, absolutely if you send me your statement of purpose? I'll use all sort of use what I wrote back in 2012 as a base and it felt.

Useful to have someone who knew me in an academic setting as a student who didn't seminars and small losses with her, but then my other two I used to have my supervisors. My current boss who had been my instructional coach so she seen me teach a lot and had sort of done a lot of work with me on my teaching and instruction and then a former supervisor actually did a Masters at Harvard. Prior to her time at my school so she knew the program really well and she was not working I had spoken with.

Internet deciding whether to apply or not, and it felt like she would be able to speak, particularly by my fit for the Masters in education at Harvard.

Great thank you guys.

So it's still seasonal questions coming in if you just want to hold on a repeat them. When we were in our last 1015 minutes. When we closeout will definitely answer those but I do want to move on to standardized tests and talk about the GRE so this is required of all applicants. We do not have exceptions. We don't have exceptions for the amount of work experience you may have or prior degrees. We do require it for everyone.

The score must be from a test taken on or after February 1st 2015.

And then ideally taken by early December. I realized that it is now early December. And so that may fill in helpful to you here.

The jury getting your official test scores to us is not an exact science. what I mean by that is. It generally takes ETS 2 to 3 weeks to get us your official score.

So if the deadline is January 5th you can work backwards from that to calculate when you should take it.

Typically, you should be fine throughout the mid December range.

The only reason we say ideally early December is because we can't guarantee that ETS won't have delays.

But what I would encourage you to do is self report your scores in the application as soon as you take it, you can put those in.

Then, once we get the official scores will verify it.

So that means you'll at least have scores attached if for some reason there late in your application goes under review.

So make sure your scores are sent to HTC through the code 3428. We can't receive them if they are sent to another Harvard School for instance, you would need to resend the score.

And then as far as tips were taking the GRE. We definitely understand that this can be stressful. Especially for folks who don't feel that they're good at standardized tests.

Again, this is a holistic review. We do not have a minimum score requirement, so the things we recommend are be familiar with the test instructions visit ets.org allow yourself. Some time to do some of those time practice tests that they have on there for free. And then just kind of familiarize yourself with the test so you go and being better prepared.

But I do want to ask our current students about their experience taking the GRE so.

Can you talk about your experience preparing for the GRE?

If you have any advice for taking the GRE, especially for folks who are working an you know, not used to taking test and are having to deal with this and their busy lives.

Go ahead and this is Pepsi Uhm. I was working a full-time job when I was applying so it was.

I was out of practice taking standardized tests uhm. I got a book and Oh and I actually found on line. YouTube videos really helpful for explaining some of the math concepts, there's a lot of.

Lot of content out there about it, I studied probably for 2 or 3 months and I did take it twice. 'cause I wasn't happy with my score. The first time and I think that that's something pretty common, so don't be like worried about doing that I think that if you're playing this year at this little late for that. But for people who are considering it in later years I definitely recommend that if you can. That's helpful hi. This is manual. I saw someone ask what program are going to, I'm in my brain education.

I so I'm teaching so I spent the summer before So what would have been June July August. I spent that I gotta put that got some flash cards. I studied I was probably in a different position than most so I teach math and I actually felt that I was kind of.

More I don't know they worry about aware of the writing section of the verbal sections. And so that's where I spent most of my time. But yeah, I think you just like give yourself enough time I only took it once but.

Yeah.

Yep.

When I first started I'm studying for the GREI made myself like A.

If I did everything I needed to do kind of path so like I had a book in Harry. Many chapters problems and then I did a like if life happens like procrastination and things don't workout and I think that was very helpful. I'm in like studying and preparing I think a practice test. I was like my first like a motive study and just kind of see where I was at and then from there kind of target it where I needed to be for each section, which was really helpful. So I didn't just feel overwhelmed like I was just having this study everything.

Yeah, only take it once in Outputs, just like I'm done with this. This is Ruben. I so I haven't teaching high school and I've been teaching, helping students prepare for the AC T at AP exams. And so I feel like it had been awesome. I had taken with Internet test, but I was very familiar with sort of the mindset that one needs to take these tests and I think so. Much of it is about familiarity is not. It is about what you know, but like it's also about just sort of understanding the way the test stinks.

And so for me like I have to find that I'm not someone who learns super well from like reading the review book like review like lessons. I just like I just took like many sample sections and then it would like read the explanations of the things that I got wrong and for me. That was the most effective way to sort of figure out why? What sort of things one time, remembering or was that reminder standing or like sort of honing in on my thought process and practice. I believe that the GRE when you register for it. There's like some sample test.

Online you can take in so I think I started there and then I use the book to kind of cell Phone on that.

Do any of you have any advice to kind of alleviate the stress around the jury anything that you kind of that kind of help. You relax a little bit and maybe even let go of the test after you took it.

I think that hearing, I mean, you can see this more than I can, but hearing that it was a holistic review was really helpful. I think it felt like in some ways, the part of my application that I had like the least control over but I knew that I felt like I had put a lot of habitat for my personal statement. I knew that I had built religion with Recommenders, who could write some recommendations and I felt like whatever the jewelry was, I was putting my best foot forward in so many other ways that like it wasn't going to make or break my application.

For me, I think it was really important for me to familiarize like a Reuben said about the way the test thinks especially about the essay questions right just reading. Some of the props and understanding what I'm being asked to do and then also I think the jury is.

Not unique, but maybe maybe unique in that you get the score right after you finish taking it so I think just like having that and not having to wait days or weeks or however long for some of the other tests about the score. I think that also alleviate some of the stress.

Thank you guys.

So I want to move on from the GRE will have again some time to ask questions later. But I want to talk a little bit about the to full and I don't so if your native language is not English and you didn't and your bachelors degree is from an institution where English was not the sole language of instruction. You will need to take the Toefl or Isles. Scores must be from test dates no later than February, 1st 2018. We do need to receive these scores by the application deadline.

And then the school code for this is for the tofu is 3428. We don't need a coat for that helps you don't need a code for that. We do have preferred minimum scores for these so 104 on the Toefl with individual section. Scores of 26 and then 7.5 on yotes with individual section scores of 7.5.

Also I want to mention in the application if you feel like your scores do not reflect your English speaking abilities in particular.

You can record yourself and we have a video portion where you will receive a prompt they're pretty broad. We're not looking for the content we're just looking to see that you can communicate in English effectively you can record yourself and that will be a part of your application as well so just keep that in mind.

I wanna go over transcripts before we get to the Q and a portion so you will need to upload transcripts from every post secondary institution. You've attended. These can be unofficial transcripts. We don't need official at this point.

But the copies mushrow completed grades.

Duration of study an any degree controls you received so this includes summer courses transfer credits. If you took a class that wasn't in degree for a degree study abroad. We will need all of those.

So another thing to mention is that if you have one semester or less of transfer credits or study abroad.

In both the course names an letter grades appear on your home institutions transcript, then we don't need a separate transcript.

But.

On the reverse if you took more than one semester.

Of either of those we will need a separate transcript or if the course names and letter grades. Abcd those need to be included as well. They can't say T for transfer for instance, it's important that we have those if we start reviewing your application and notice that we don't we will reach out to you in try to get those from you so it's important to include them in if you have questions about your specific circumstance email us.

But it can hold up you know the process it. When we're reviewing applications 'cause. We will have to reach out to you and try to get those.

If you're a current student if you are currently enrolled and you will not be graduating until next may for instance.

You can upload we just need a transcript that is in progress.

So we don't need you to wait on those fall grades. You certainly once you get them or welcome to email us and an update that but we don't need them. We do like to have the in progress courses that you're taking this fall.

If that's possible that would be great and then you can just report your GPA up to this investor that you have it.

There is no GPA minimum like I mentioned earlier.

But while we just need unofficial transcripts right now. If you are admitted you will have to provide official transcripts. And if they are international transcripts. They will need to be verified but I'll go over those little bit more here.

If your records are not in English, they do need to be accompanied by a certified translation that must be word for word, and you will need to upload both the original transcript and the translation.

Again in mid students will need to go through a verification process for those transcripts at their admitted.

OK, great, so we have about 20 minutes actually for Q&A.

So I guess.

If you guys want to start asking questions will try to get to as many as we can. And I'll try to type as well, but will mostly try to talk out loud since this will be recorded and we want people to be able to hear the things that we answer.

So maybe just to go around again and introduce yourself and what program you're in in case people joined us late. I saw a few people asking about that? Do you mind starting message so? Yeah. I'm Betsy and I'm in the TV program? Which stands for technology innovation in education.

Hi I'm a manual I'm in MBD, which stands for mind brain in education.

I'm Bobby I'm in the teacher education program specializing in middle school science and Ruben. I'm in the learning and teaching program in the instructional leadership strength.

Great.

So uhm question that I think we can can touch on maybe you Ruben someones.

Been out of grad school for awhile 10, plus years in teaching and they're kind of wondering what to expect going into Graduate School, yeah, so for me. It's been a really nice change like I had not been a student for 7 years and then to come back and be in student mode again with like it was a good change of pace and that was what I needed. I think that as a teacher. You are in the day-to-day work without a chance to come up for air.

And being able to kind of step back and reflect on my experiences and I'm thinking about my time in the classroom every single day, every single class like it is constantly extremely relevant to the work and the reading that I'm doing but to sort of get a chance to step back and reflect on it. For me is really meaningful and it's really valuable. I know that one question that I had sort of coming in as a teacher with experience was that beat Harvard doesn't have a ton of like they had the teacher education program or if your brand new.

Now, but they don't have like a social studies instruction track if you're drinking.

Which Premier something that that sort of held me back for awhile but I have found that every single course that I have enrolled in head in some ways spoken to the work. I want to do in the classroom in the future. And so I think it walks. A really nice line between the sort of big picture theories. An research and like concepts and then feeling very practical and applied to the work of teaching and educating.

Great thank you so I'm just trying to keep up with some questions. I want to touch on.

We do post the average Tre scores from the last admitted class on our website under on the admissions page. If you Scroll down a little bit. There is a box that says who studies at HDFC. You can see the average age average years of work experience an average Tre score by program.

We include the percentiles just keep in mind that's an average we don't have a minimum score requirement but we do post those so that may be helpful to you.

Another question I saw was about letters of recommendation. You cannot have more than 3 letters of recommendation. We only allow 3 so make sure you include don't think that you can add a 4th and they're really the one that you want so only 3. We can add a 4th one for you.

In terms of transcripts if you want to include your study abroad transcript and you have it by all means do so. That's not that is helpful as well. But just remember as long as it shows the course names and letter grades.

Did see let's see here?

So one of these questions is can you highlight the difference between what to include on your resume versus education an?

Work experience.

Two guys have any tips for that on what you chose on our end. I expect that sometimes that will be certainly repetitive, but we do want to give you the opportunity to show us your whole body of work so any volunteer activities. You've done projects and worked on things like that. They can be included on your resume for instance, and maybe not in your work experience so from our perspective we do.

I told be a lot of overlap there, but it's just different ways for you to highlight.

All the work you've done.

Do you guys remember weighing that at all?

Do you love?

I don't see a question earlier. I want to get back to this is a manual again someone asked.

Getting back to the same purpose. If you had multiple ideas, which one did you like? How did you decide to do something that I?

It is something that I struggled with and also something that I realized.

Um like at some point I was going to have to decide and so I think a big part of it was just being comfortable with the idea that I chose and I probably could have written a another good statement of purpose using that other theme, but that didn't take away from what I ultimately chosen so I think if you are deciding between 2:00 or 3 things I think I would deciding between 2:00.

At some point you just have to kind of make a decision and say, I'm going to write about this one then I'm going to.

Like if it is a theme that is worth.

Writing about like it will it will be?

Sufficient.

I think.

Oh.

And that's how I approach that question.

Big thank you.

Look at the question about who will review applications, so this, the committees.

The admissions companies are.

A group of faculty members and staff members.

Just so you're aware.

In terms it looks like there's a lot of folks asking about who they should ask for their letters of rec.

Whoever you think and speak last year abilities.

They can all be professional like I mentioned if you don't feel like you have a?

Relationship with the faculty member they can don't need to necessarily be direct supervisors, although some of them at least 1 should be.

If you have work experience, but it could also be folks who have worked on a project with you colleagues things like that.

If you ask the question and I haven't gotten to it up.

In awhile feel free to send it in again.

Or, a lot rolling in.

So I've got someone asking about.

The style of the statement of purpose like a personal anecdote or dry and simple writing style. I think you answered your own question there a little bit don't want a dry.

Writing a sample our statement of purpose.

I'll definitely have these guys maybe talk about the things they how they approached this and what they would consider the style of their statement of purpose. I think it can be helpful to have an anecdote if you're looking to kind of.

You know, maybe show why uhm this impacted. Yuan why you want to be in this field and go in this program that certainly can be a hook in a statement of purpose.

The thing is, you don't want a whole statement of purpose. That talks about your experience doing XY and Z. This anecdote and then you don't have enough time to answer the rest of the property do you guys have any advice about how you? How you kind of way those things?

Sure, yeah, I can start this Pepsi. I saw somebody else asking about my experience. Maybe I can speak to that a little bit also I tried to approach my I don't have an education background formally. I was breaking into contemporary Art Museum at MIT before I came here and there, I sort of cultivated this addressed in how people learn and how people are getting information in different settings, especially with devices and things.

So I brought my statement of purpose and used an anecdote to start about like why I felt really passionate about why this was the right program for me and then use the rest of it to talk about my experience and answer the other parts of the prompt but I felt like it was really important to like catch the attention in like a really concrete way, at the beginning before I talked about my other experiences because.

Man.

I don't have that duck formal teaching background so the beginning felt like a good place to do that before I got into the other heavier topics. I hope that is helpful.

Uh yes, this is a manual again.

So yeah, I like Betsy I think a big part of my.

The beginning of my statement purpose was really narrative driven and I included that so that the reader would.

Like.

Want to keep reading right enjoy it keep reading like learn a lot about me learn why learn to come to grad school.

I think the questions I was trying to ask my statement were like who am I why grad school in general. Men why the Expo in particular. I mean, I think that 1st question right who am I is really served by it was a kind of narrative event. But I think it was something compelling so that it answers. The question then it also like.

Is enjoyable for the for the reader?

This is Ruben I think just to go back to the question of tone as well. Like I definitely treated it more informally than academic essay. I think that I think in the first paragraph. I used the phrase like a classic teenage. I roll to describe how I used to feel about history classes that kind of gives some sense of the tone and I think that is again sort of in keeping it honest and true to who. You are like it should sound like you.

Thank you guys.

Oh, I see some questions about on through this one about transcripts here.

If you took.

Courses in high school or got AP credits. You took a Community College course in high school. We don't need to see those great if it's from high school. We don't have to see it. Another question about the urban scholars fellowship, and there's some financial aid here. We're going to be able to cover some of it, but I'll definitely point you to resources did any of you applying for the urban scholars, yeah, I am.

Oh great now human, yeah, talking about that and in that process. Sure, I mean, I think I remember that the separate is that box that you check right here like a very small. Yes, I like it was not a lot of space to explain why I was interested or why I had been working in urban education.

But I think I'd give it some serious thought you know, and so I definitely it was the last part of the application that I wrote because I didn't want to feel redundant from my personal statement.

And so, yeah, I think that's because it is like 500 words or something. Yes, I so I think it was, it was something where I was much longer. When I first drafted and I tried to cut down to what's the core of why I'm in the work and I think like just to keep coming back to the question of why it? Why do I care about education and why do I care about working in the schools. I've been working at in particular, sort of returning to that, like that personal touch tone help me.

Feel like I was able to sort of answer the question in an authentic way.

Great thank you so for those we do have merit scholarships like the urban.

Fellows in that is through the application like Ruben said it's a box where you will send men about 500 words. It will be considered during the application review process, which is separate from our need based awards. Those are going to be in a separate financial aid application so when you apply.

After you have submitted and after that January 5th deadline bottle week or so afterwards. Our financial aid office has been to reach out to you and ask that you submit a financial aid application.

That's when you'll be asked about those in need based awards fasfa things like that.

We do have a financially recording in which I'll link to uh when we wrap up.

That may be helpful or you could also reach out to them directly.

So another question about the additional material section.

This is not something that we require you to do this is if you have any additional materials. You want the committee to see.

It needs to be less than 10 pages.

But that is just if there is some other component you want to highlight.

Another question I saw was about when the application ask if there were any reasons for low grades things like that.

This is the opportunity for you to say.

And let the committee know. Hey, I was going through I had a hard time adjusting to college after high school. That's why my grades were pretty low. But I was able to maybe you were able to recover and found the right program for you put the right major things like that. Maybe. You had a personal life event that impacted your grades at that time. We just want you to have that space to let us know that.

Because it's not something you'll want to put in your statement of purpose your statement of purpose is not the opportunity to explain.

Grades or anything like that, so that's really what that space is for?

All right, we've got a few more minutes.

So, in the statement of purpose when if you want to mention we don't require you to mention faculty members necessarily but it can be helpful. If you're talking about This is why I want to attend. This program specifically. I like what this faculty member is doing. I want to learn from them.

That's when that can be helpful, um.

You certainly don't have to restrict it to a faculty member listed on a specific program. But you will need to talk about you know why you want to be in that program and and how that faculty member fits in if that makes sense.

Do I see any questions, I'm missing.

Um another about additional rec letters.

We only allow 3 it wouldn't be appropriate to include that in the additional material section.

So I'm going to question about the timeline so you will need to submit by the deadline. That's January 5th, 2020 at that point we have a few days of processing time we make sure their application looks completely reach out to you if something didn't upload right or we have some questions things like that.

Then we'll start reading and there will be admissions committees.

Through February and then we're going to release decisions in March. We don't have a specific date for that. But it will be by the end of March.

If you see a Fulbright scholar question, if I'm not sure how many folks is applicable to but your two statements is fine for that Fulbright Scholarship.

So we do not have rolling admissions at HGC it is one academic admission cycle.

So we usually open that up the application becomes open in the fall, usually around August or September and then the deadline typically for Masters is in January, then we won't we will admit a class.

Again release decisions in March, but we won't reopen the application again until the following.

Thought so it's just that one cycle. We don't have any rolling admissions. We don't look at any applications until after the deadline, so there is no benefit of applying?

You know in October versus applying in December. We're not going to look at any applications until after that January 5th deadline.

We will be recording this so if um.

You arrive late.

We will post it and email, it to you don't worry about that.

Did you see a question about the format of this statement of purpose?

We don't have a format that is required.

We certainly like I said, We need it to be typed in double space. But other than that that format is up to you.

See in um message from constant about if the committee reserves the right to put an applicant into a different track.

So I think we are referring to Constance is if you apply to a program can they decide that maybe you're better fit for another program?

That is very rare.

You should be applying for the program that you think fits you best. It has happened but it's very rare. So you definitely want to make sure that you're conveying in your statement of purpose? Why that program is the best fit.

Marie is asked about 10 the additional materials via website. No, they cannot of the readers are not able to link outside of the application. So if you include links we will not be able to look at it.

If it's a screenshot that's fine, but we can't view a URL.

Didn't know if you submit any additional materials were getting a lot of questions about that.

Yeah, I submitted additional information just because I'm from a low socioeconomic status. And so in college. I was supporting my family and so I had to work. A lot and so just in framing myself. I just thought that was important for like the Admissions Committee tonight.

Great thank you.

I submitted an extra materials about some of the projects. But I had created just 'cause I felt like I didn't have room to fully explore them in my statement. And in other places so it was sort of like a supplemental portfolio of sorts.

Great.

So Fortunately we run out of time I do want to go around.

And have everyone if you don't mind sharing piece of advice something you wish you had known during this application process really quickly. If you don't mind straight. This Pepsi again. I think that the advice to let your voice shine through is more important than I realized now coming to the program. I really see that they're putting together a class but that fits together and works together really well.

So I was like so nervous about making myself look like a good candidate that I think my voice did end up coming through. But I was, I was concerned about like elevating myself versus lying. My personality shine through and I really recommend to just let yourself shine through the application rather than trying to

worrying about elevating yourself, so much.

That makes sense.

Ohio's manual uhm. I think for Maine, one of the biggest things that I did. As I was completing the application was thinking through the different programs and making sure that I was confident about the program that I ended up deciding to apply to and just like treating that as a learning process, thinking about.

Well, I was going back to grad school, but I want to get out of it. And so I think thinking like being conscious of that as you do the application is important.

This is Bobby I'm kinda echoing with some of my colleagues, said just make sure like you are seen in your application. You're why of why you want to do this kind of comes out, I'm very apparent to the admissions team and just putting your best foot forward and whatever happens after that, like it's meant to be something.

Now, this is Ruben this device. Someone did give me but it was really helpful. So I will give it to you all which is look at the course catalog the course catalog is public and as I was running my statement of purpose. I just read through it, and she would try to imagine myself in these classes for Sakshi. That's really what I wanted to do, but also to sort of get a sense of the types of learning that I might be able to do it ugly and how that might sort of match with what I wanted to achieve. And where I want to go in my life and I think I used. I think it refers to some specific classes, even in my statement of purpose just kind of.

As I was talking about my goals for myself.

Wonderful thank you guys I just want to wrap up I want to thank our current students for joining us they're going into final theater the semester it's a busy time we really appreciate it and I think their perspective is really helpful.

Going forward, I know I didn't get to everyone's questions. Please email us. We're also having virtual drop in hours. What that means is the platform like this, but instead of a presentation will just be in the chat box answering your questions about the application. So this is for folks who have started the application and have those really specific questions.

Will be answering those on December 17th and then January 2nd right before the deadline.

Other ways to connect we've reported a lot of webinars that are available on the website. This one will be going on there as well. If that good content on our admissions blog.

Twitter and then of course, please email us if you have any questions want to. Thank you guys for joining us today and have a great rest of your day.