by Bryan Koval | Mar 16, 2010 | Doctoral Study
After what seemed like years of waiting (but was actually more like 6-8 weeks) I started to hear back from the institutions to which I had applied. Something that was surprising was the lack of real information that admissions decisions included. I imagined the “fat envelope” that I remember from my undergraduate acceptances, but in reality what I was getting in the mail was usually a single page letter. Sometimes there were a few additional pages of information about how to access the online “accept or decline” form, but rarely more information than that was included. Where was the financial aid package? Where was the information about assistantships and student groups?
I know I’ve mentioned it a few times, but this is where cultivating relationships with staff assistants, office managers, and faculty at your prospective can really pay off. I found these folks incredibly helpful. Each institution is different (so pay particular attention to the materials provided by your prospective schools), but as a rule by including an institution on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you will be considered for the general federal aid (grants and loans) at that institution. Some programs guarantee an assistantship and full-funding (tuition and stipend) for all students who are admitted, while others provide information about assistantships that are available and students can apply for each one they are interested in, like they would for any other job. Some departments have financial aid that is distributed through a competitive process that includes a separate application and essay, so be on the lookout for the details and deadlines.
When possible, I would suggest getting the full financial package and assistantship details in writing before accepting an offer of admission. As budgets get tighter this may be a discretionary line-item which departments can change from year to year, so if you are being told you’ll be guaranteed funding for 2 years, ask the department to put that in a letter for peace of mind. Once an offer of admission is made, it will be rare (and maybe illegal?) for an institution to rescind that offer because you want some specific details.
Understand that you will want to hear back from all of the institutions you applied to, but that by waiting you may be giving up opportunities at the institutions that let you hear back from the earliest. Most programs will work with you and be patient, but I did have some institutions that put deadlines on assistantships and financial support. You’ve been accepted because the program wants you there, but particularly in popular programs at selective institutions there will be people on a waitlist. Fortunately I had a complete picture from all of my institutions before I had to make a decision, but I could see where there would have been complications if timeline were a bit more different.
There is something to be said for declining offers with grace: do it. Especially with higher education being such a small field and everyone knowing everyone else, it is important not to burn bridges. You may be talking to a future colleague or employer, so make sure to be honest but polite about your enrollment decision. Most institutions will not ask what you are doing instead of enrolling, and you really don’t have to elaborate. Chalk it up to a better fit elsewhere, thanks them for the opportunity, and move on.
You did it! You’ve navigated the system, gotten admitted, and have your finances (essentially) pinned down. Next time I will begin a new series on the type of program I chose: a primarily distance-education Ed.D. cohort, designed for individuals working full-time in higher education.
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by Bryan Koval | Feb 26, 2010 | Doctoral Study
Tom Petty was right: the waiting is the hardest part. Once all of my doctoral stuff was submitted (approximately January 1, 2009), I got a pretty severe case of the “itching to find out what happens next.” Here are some “do’s” and “don’ts” based on my experience managing the purgatory that was January, February, and March of my doctoral admissions process.
DO . . . make sure to take some time to ensure that everything in your personal and professional lives that you fell behind on during application season gets taken care of. Wouldn’t it be a kick in the shins to have a program check your references and not have them be glowing because you’ve been distracted lately? How about a date night (or two) with that special someone who has hung in there while you practiced for the GRE, dropped hundreds of dollars on application fees, and continues to wait patiently while you decide which state you may be moving to?
DO NOT . . . start getting obsessed with all of the details related to relocating to your dream schools. I spent more time on Craigslist looking for aparements than I really should have. Figuring out the time it will take to get from that dream home to campus via public transportation is not the best use of your time, and may set you up for disappointment if things do not work out the way you hope they will.
DO . . . be aware of financial aid deadlines at the institutions you have applied to. I found that I was able to apply for departmental funding and other institutional aid once my application was in, and that those deadlines were earlier than I would find out about an admissions decision.
DO NOT . . . hesitate to contact the programs where you have applied to ask about the status of your application, particularly if there is not an online method of checking on this. I mentioned earlier that office managers and staff assistants can be great resources, and I found them to be excellent sources of information. A quick email or phone call is OK to ask about where the process is going. But . . .
DO NOT . . . call them everyday.
In all honesty, this in-between period was kind of fun. The true work was over, the possibilities were bright, and there is a sense of accomplishment that goes along with getting the paperwork taken care of (particularly if you are paperwork-phobic like me). For my next post, I’m going to discuss admissions decisions, getting real about money, and trying not to burn any bridges.
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by Bryan Koval | Feb 12, 2010 | Doctoral Study
Once I secured the internal commitment that I was going to pursue a doctoral degree, I had three main questions that came to mind.
1. Where do I want to go?
When it came to deciding where I would apply to grad school, I had a few main criteria. First, I would not apply at the institution for which I was currently working and from which I held two degrees. I wanted the benefits of a fresh start and a new perspective. Second, I focused my search regionally in the northeastern / mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. My wife and I both have family in that part of the country, and it was important for us to be able to take a day-trip home to visit. Third, I applied mainly to institutions in metropolitan areas. With my wife also being a student-affairs professional, we wanted to maximize the chance that she would find a new job in close proximity to where I was going to school. Fortunately not every institution has doctoral degrees in higher education, so by narrowing down my focus in this way a manageable number of institutions made my short list.
You know how shopping for cars online can be tough because every car company has an amazing website with awesome photos of their products? My grad school search was kind of like that. From a distance every programs looks like an amazing opportunity (and they are, for students who are a good fit there). Of the four programs that I ended up applying to, we visited two and met with faculty there. For me, this was critical. I wanted to get a feel for the culture of the department, and meet some of the people who I would be working closely with. Of the remaining two schools on my list I met with faculty from one at a conference, and applied to the fourth one blind.
2. How do I make sure they will take me?
To be honest, this one is a bit of a crapshoot. Only faculty members and admissions offices know what really goes into this. Philosophically, I decided that all I could do is present myself in the best possible way, and that the details would work themselves out. If an institution didn’t want me, I probably didn’t want to be there either (in the long run).
With most applications being due January 1, I took the GRE on September 18 (the day before my brother’s wedding . . . the test is not administered in my town, so I would have had to hit the road anyway). In the interest of full disclosure, I love taking standardized tests so I did not have the usual bout of test anxiety that a lot of people struggle with. I prepared for the GRE by purchasing the Princeton Review book, reviewing their suggestions (particularly for the writing section), and trying to relax. I was not prepared for the Pentagon-level security and secrecy at the testing center, but once I began the test it went well. I was pleased enough with my score that I decided not to take it again.
I relied on some close friends for feedback on my personal statements (some who had written these types of things before, and others who were simply great writers). I wrote a unique statement for each institution I applied to, which was manageable.
3. Am I going to lose my mind managing all of these different applications, their respective timelines, and the handful of individuals who are kind enough to write recommendations for me?
If I had anything about the application process that I would do differently if I had it to do over, I would have been much more organized with this aspect of the application process. There had to be a better way of keeping track of things, as compared to my endless stack of papers and the random calendar reminder.
I gave individuals who were writing my letters of recommendation a lot of notice about what was going on. I asked for letters by the end of September, knowing that applications would typically be due on January 1. I was fortunate that most of my letters were returned pretty quickly, but I have heard horror stories from other grad students who had to follow up a lot. Be prepared for this. Another tip is that if you can make a connection with the staff assistants in the departments where you are applying, that can be a really great help. I got to be on a first name basis with staff assistants at two of the schools I applied at, and it made it a lot easier to get things done and get questions answered.
For next week: How I spent my time waiting for responses, what those responses were, and other adventures in limbo!
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by Bryan Koval | Feb 5, 2010 | Doctoral Study
During the fall of 2008, while I was finishing my masters degree in Higher Education at Penn State, I decided that rather than taking a break from school I would try to move directly into a doctoral program. I was motivated by a number of factors. First and foremost, I had a pretty strong internal commitment to completing a doctoral program before turning 35 year old. This was a fairly arbitrary commitment, but I knew that it was something important to me and I wanted to be able to leverage my doctoral degree for a significant part of my career. Combining this intrinsic motivation with some restlessness in my current professional position was a recipe for getting serious about doctoral programs.
As I began to talk to people (family, colleagues, professors, etc.) about my doctoral aspirations, reactions fell into three basic categories. Here they are, and how I talked myself through the feedback:
1.) “You should work more before you get into a doctoral program. You’re too inexperienced for that.”
This is probably the feedback that held me back the most. I am indeed a fairly new professional (less than 5-years in the student affairs field), and I questioned my timing for two reasons. First, what might it mean to be finished with my doctorate at 32-ish years of age and have a work history limited to entry- and mid-level positions? Is it really possible to be “over qualified”? I came to grips with this by saying to myself, “My work and my education are only two of the many parts that make up who I am. There’s more to me than what you see on a resume.” I decided not to worry about this.
My second concern was how I would look to admissions committees. Clearly I would be at a disadvantage when compared to more seasoned applicants with much more professional experience. In the end, I decided that applying to grad school was not something that is limited to one chance. If I was not ready to take this next step, one of the gatekeeping mechanisms would let me know. Being turned away at this point would not deter me from pursuing a doctoral program later.
2.) “Why do you want to go right into another grad program? Take a break and recharge your batteries.”
This was tempting. Making a major life decision while you are in the midst of completing a masters thesis is probably a bad idea. That being said, I was really excited about the prospect of staying in school for my doctorate. I had enthusiasm for it, and I figured that if I stuck while the iron was hot I would have (basically) good scholastic habits and be in the right frame of mind for academic work. From a personal perspective, I want to make some serious progress towards this degree before my wife and I have kids. What good am I to a toddler if I’m preoccupied with transcribing qualitative research data? It will be a relief to get the degree and put the process behind me.
3.) “A doctoral degree isn’t going to necessarily be worth the investment for what you want to do. Do you even know for sure what you want to do?”
Well, to be honest I am still working through this one. I know I want to work in higher education. Having my doctorate will open some doors (or it won’t), but I’m fairly sure few doors will be shut in my face because of it. We’ll see about the fiscal sense that investing in a doctorate made further down the road . . . I’m not going to stress out about it today. That $4 latte at Starbucks wasn’t necessarily my wisest financial decision either, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get something out of the experience.
For my next post, I will be writing about the application process, the dreaded GRE, and how I decided where to apply.
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