Quick tips from HGSE faculty for Students Considering Doctoral Programs Questions to ask yourself: - Why do I want to do this? - If you were not interested in doctoral work prior to coming to HGSE, what has changed? - Do I have a compelling research question to explore? - What is the best strategic decision? Think about where you will get the most financial support. - Have you worked in a lab? Do you know what you are getting into in terms of the labor and the work? - Can you execute a research project? - How did you do in courses related to research? Should I apply now or later: - No right answer. - In general, your application will be stronger after you complete the master s program if you do not have significant experience and direction. - It helps to have research experience before applying, but sometimes paid Research Assistant jobs are hard to find after the master s year. In preparation: - Set aside time for the application process. - Keep the long term goals in focus. - It is ok to wait! Average age of doctoral students varies a lot by program and infrastructure. Admissions will like you if you: - Utilize resources - scour websites! Don t ask questions that can easily be answered online. - Respect the culture of school. - Don t ask administrative questions of faculty. - Don t blast many faculty members with the same email. GRE scores matter: If you think you can do better, consider re-taking them. Recommendation letters: In general: - Having no academic recommendations is a problem - Having all academic recommendations is fine, but one must be beyond coursework (Someone must attest to your actual research experience.) - Don t use personal recommendations. If you worked for a family friend they shouldn t mention the personal connection. - Ask for recommendations from HGSE faculty when you are further along in the program. - If you have finished your master s degree, make sure you have a recommendation from HGSE. IMPORTANT: You should waive your right to read your recommendation letters. If a potential recommender says something like I think someone else might be able to write you a better/more detailed recommendation, pick up on the signals and ASK SOMEONE ELSE. You want to have the strongest, most enthusiastic recommendations possible.
Researching faculty: - Where did faculty go before their current institution? This could be a good fit for you, but understand that they programs culture/philosophy can change over time. - Don t choose a university based only on one professor connect to the broader program. - How do you ask a professor if they plan on staying? o Ask Are you currently taking new students? o Don t ask beyond that. Research experience: - Think about volunteering. Post degree research experience, if not with faculty, consider organizations such as AIR, EDC, RAND, Abt. Associates, SRI, Pearson, ect. What will the Admissions committee think about? Fit is everything! Your interests must match or be compatible with the program and there must be at least one faculty member who could advise you. Sometimes the faculties do not have slots to take on more advisees even if you are a good fit. - Name faculty members you could envision working with, but not too many - Your interests must be focused and detailed enough that the fit is clear - You are expected to evolve and change, but you must show that you are capable of formulating a solid research idea and put it in the context of existing research literature. - It is not imperative that you took a stats course, but, if you did, make sure you did well Is not having a thesis a disadvantage? - Many programs do not have a thesis requirement for admissions. - Having completed a thesis does not necessarily make you a better candidate. - Having been involved in published research would definitely put you at an advantage How many schools should you ask your recommenders to send letters to? - The average is around 8, more than 8 can seem unfocused, 1-3 is fine if you are prepared for possible rejection - Remember that recommendations are time consuming for faculty, so think carefully about where you want to apply and do not wait until the last minute to ask for a letter - Use the same faculty recommenders for your whole list faculty talk to each other Do HGSE Ed.M. students have an advantage in the doctoral application process? - A slight one, but they are considered in the same pool as everyone else Other Options: - Consider doing a Ph.D in the UK o Only takes 3 years. o No coursework, jump right into research. o It is not as scaffolded as US programs, but it is a good option if you like independent work. o Individual UK professors have a lot of power in the Admission process (HGSE Admissions is committee based) Conclusion: Contact your advisor to talk through your plans. Be mindful that career directions can change. Focus on what you will do when you finish the degree. Once accepted, approach your doctoral work with dedication and openness to change.
Notes from Fall 2014 Program Why do I want a Doctorate? -What are your long term goals? -Most Doctoral fields focus on learning in a specific field, fairly specialized and require skills in research and production of new academic work. If you just want to broaden your selfknowledge, you can do that in other ways. You may not need a Doctorate to get the training/experience needed for many jobs. -If want deeper knowledge and want to contribute further to your field of interest, than yes, the Doctorate is for you What do I do with a Doctorate? -In US, most Doctorates are tied to certain careers: Academic Researcher and Faculty member Start identifying yourself as a future expert now and focus on what kind of instructor/researcher you want to be, make sure that you want to teach Researcher in Institution, Policy or Evaluation This may not be tied to one specific area of expertise and requires more specific and adaptable skills in terms of research Senior Leadership Most positions also require work experience in addition to the educational credentials, don t bypass the relevant experience Make sure the programs you are looking at support leadership development Finding the Right Fit -What program will best suit my needs? -Research programs carefully in terms of program strengths, what the faculty members are doing in terms of research and projects, what current students are focused on, what the graduates have gone on to do, and in what direction the program appears to be heading -Contact mentors/faculty members, current students and Admissions -Reach out to faculty who are doing work that you are interested in. Address them formally and with specific questions and statements of interest to determine fit -If the professor doesn t answer emails, consider whether they would have time to work with you in the program -Find out if the program is supportive of threads that can come off of the work currently being done at the school -Determine the financial support the school offers and how students are chosen for aid -Reach out to Admissions for information about what they are looking for in applications, do they prefer a specific research question or information about research interests - Contact students and admissions to try to determine the culture of the program and to discover if the program operates under the Clone model or the Circle of care aka the Stormtrooper or Jedi model: In some programs, you will work with one specific faculty member, others you will have the opportunity to work with several- think about which
model is best for you -Learn about the philosophy of the department, how they support and engage students, have there been shifts in the culture of the school? Are key faculty members retiring or going on sabbatical? Getting the Recommendation Letter give plenty of lead time with your request -It s good to have 2 Academic letters and one mentor/practitioner letter -Get to know the writer well, put yourself in their shoes and think about what they could say about you -Be formal and gracious in your request and state why you think they can give you a good letter -Attach an updated CV to your request and clearly explain why you wish to pursue a Doctorate, what you plan to do with it- including a copy of your research/personal statement is helpful CV and Research Statement -Your research statement is absolutely critical! -It should NOT be a narrative of your CV -Address why you have chosen the specific institution, what you can bring to them and why you are a great fit for each other -Explain how you plan to use your research to improve your chosen field -If you are in a career change and your statement does not match up with prior experience, or you are coming from a professional position, explain why you are making this change and be explicit about how your path has prepared you for this program, that you know what you are getting into and that you are capable of handling it -Research statement should be a balance between your autobiography and a literature review showing that you are familiar with existing research and that you have further questions and ways to move the current research forward -Let lots of people read your letter and give you feedback. It can also be helpful to have your recommendation writers assist with this -Personalize your statement for specific schools. This should require writing multiple letters rather than just changing the name of the school in the body of the letter. Proofread and be careful not to send a letter with another school s name in it. -Make sure you incorporate the top 2 or 3 professors whose work interests you in your statement -Clearly articulate your goals, your specific questions in terms of knowledge you want to gain and how you would like to use your research for growth your chosen field but leave EXACTLY what you want to do ambiguous Other Requirements -Some schools want proof of a major research project, others may want proof of research experience -A writing sample may be required evidencing original research and/or communication skills -Most programs are looking for evidence that you have a critical mind Admissions Process -All applications go to the Admissions office and then are vetted -Next a committee of faculty members, (sometimes students are included), sort through the applications and discuss potential candidates -Occasionally it will be the decision of one faculty member whether you are admitted or not -Test Scores DO count -If you have low GRE scores, re-take it -Can t change the grades you have already earned from prior degrees but you can show other meaningful ways in which you have learned and grown
Preparing now -Prior research experience is helpful but quality is better than quantity: better to work in-depth in one lab or on one project than it is to try to do a little work in a lot of labs -Connect with specific faculty members, get to know them well -If plan to be a researcher, take a wide range of research classes -If you are working with a professor on a current project, make sure you have the time to make a full commitment to the project -K-12 teaching experience is helpful, especially if you plan to do research in Learning and Teaching Things to Consider -Teaching is a very important part of being a faculty member, if you don t want to teach, think about other options -Ask current professors about possible mentors/programs at others schools that they recommend you investigate -Know that what you are passionate about now may change -If you are interested in multiple disciplines (ie studying Philosophy in terms of Education) research those schools as well, keeping an eye on what you will be doing in those programs Life as a Doctoral Student -Writing is what you will spend most of your Doctoral time doing: you will learn to write academically but you will be writing a lot. -Actual doctoral coursework can play a relatively minor role. It is more about independent affiliated learning.