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[edumacatedchik]

Okay.. as embarrassed as I am.. here are my stats.. would do you think my chances of admissions are?

Undergrad GPA...2.9. I started out as a Dean's list student, but in the end of my sophomore year I became a single mother and the adjustment was severe. One quarter I even received a 1.6 , by the time I learned time management, my GPA was insavlageable. So, here I am with a degree worth 2.9 *insert sigh here*

I took my GRE and received a 910 the first time; 420 math, 490 reading, and 5.5 writing. I became discouraged and applied for a graduate program that didn't require a competitive score and to my suprise, they accepted me.

This time, I want to aim for a better school, a more research-focused school for a MS in Student Affairs. I will be finishing my graduate degree with a 3.6 (Educational Leadership). I am scheduled for my GRE in November, so I don't have the current scores for that.  I have two years of professional student counseling experience. Assuming I get a 1000 on the GRE, what do you think are my odds of gaining admission? Any advice or tips are appreciated. Thank you

[edumacatedchik]

Moderators.. if this is in the wrong section, I asked that it be moved to the correct one. Thank you.

[reesespeanutbutter]

You're in the correct section.  This board often sees threads about admissions. 

I know very little about your discipline, but it seems that your undergrad GPA should matter less than your more recent grad degree GPA.  Your GRE score will determine quite a bit if the schools you're applying to have minimum/competitive scores. 

Would this be your second master's degree?  My first thought would be to make sure you really need the degree for the career you want so that you don't waste your time/money.

[edumacatedchik]

Thank you Reeses.

I was beginning to think I had messed up, lol

This would be my second Master's degree. I really want to work in higher academia, one day becoming a Director of Student Affairs. I took the plunge and took on a program from a not-so-good school just to say I have a Master's. Well, After doing the research (which I should have done before), I decided that I am going to have to start over and aim for a MS in Student Affairs. The school I really want to apply (FSU) to has great assistantship opportunities and is the only school that I want to attend. Hopefully, I will gain an assistantship and not have to cover out of pocket so much. I believe with the internship (which will be an extra 2 years experience) and the two years I already have, I will have an competitive edge once I graduate. I am a minority female (if it as anything to do with it) and I HEAR that it could either hinder me or further my success chances. Who knows...?

I last took the GRE in 2006; before the November 2007 big "alterations" of the test. I have been studying for about 2 months and I feel confident in my ability to score a 1000, if not a little higher. I am already about 75K in debt. <---Sallie mae OWNS me. I REALLy want to do this and I truly am ready for the challenge. I understand that I have to play catch up and begin some serious research.

I am just very nervous. Thank you so much for you comment. I really appreciate it.

[ideagirl]

This would be my second Master's degree. I really want to work in higher academia, one day becoming a Director of Student Affairs. I took the plunge and took on a program from a not-so-good school just to say I have a Master's. Well, After doing the research (which I should have done before), I decided that I am going to have to start over and aim for a MS in Student Affairs.

Ok, I know nothing about the field you want to enter, but I have to ask: is there any reason not to try and get some relevant work experience under your belt between now and whenever you get your next Masters degree? I would think that such experience would not only help your financial situation, but also strengthen your application for that other Masters you want to get, and improve your chances of finding the kind of work you want when you're done with it.

[edumacatedchik]

Idea...

Currently, I have two years exprience. By the time I apply, it will be nearing three. Right now, I work full-time doing student counseling. I have tried to apply at larger universities and I am either under or over-qualified for what I applied for, you know how that goes...

I don't really have a lot of volunteer time as I also hold a part-tme position (unrelated field, retail) and am a mother.

Do you believe that I should wait until I enter year four (of experience) to apply? I just don't want to be pushing 30 just now getting a MS..

[scheherazade]

FYI, there weren't any big alterations in the GRE.  The changes were indefinitely postponed.  The minor change was that you will see a different type of question once or twice during the test, if at all, and it won't count towards your score.

I don't know much about your field, but it seems that aiming for 1000 on the GRE is kind of low.  That's a low-end cut off for applications in many programs, which means that higher is really needed to be competitive.  Looking at the FSU website, that's the case there as well.  The minimum is usually not enough to get you in.

If I were you, I'd do some serious test prep in the months leading up to the GRE.  Barron's is good, especially for the verbal.  You can download the free test prep program from ETS.  I also noticed a test prep book from ETS the last time I was in the bookstore.

[edumacatedchik]

Thasnk you Scheherazade,

I really appreciate it. I do agree that going for a 1000 is somewhat low. I just wanted to make an assessment based upon my previous performance and my personal idea of how I do on standardized tests. I think I sould aim higher and I will.

I did download the tests off of ETS and upon registration, they sent me a CD with some practice questions. Last time, they helped tremendously.

[ideagirl]

Currently, I have two years exprience. By the time I apply, it will be nearing three. Right now, I work full-time doing student counseling. I have tried to apply at larger universities and I am either under or over-qualified for what I applied for, you know how that goes...

The positions you're overqualified for are irrelevant--you're never going to be less qualified than you are now, so don't worry about those. As for the underqualified--is your relatively short experience a factor in that? If simply working another year or two would make you qualified for some of the positions you want, I would seriously consider just doing that instead of going to school right now.

I say that because if I've read correctly, you're a single mom who already has $75k in student loans--it just seems to me like getting to a better point financially would be a better goal right now than getting another graduate degree in a related field. And please, don't talk about "pushing thirty" for your second Masters--there are people on these boards who are just now finishing their PhDs in their mid-forties and early 50s! Plenty of people do grad school later in life.

Again, I know nothing about the requirements of your field, so take my advice with that caveat. But since you know about your field, take a shot at answering this question: if you had the FSU Masters degree, assuming you then got the kind of job you wanted, how much higher would your pay be than it is now? Or wait, let me change that question: how much higher would your pay be, compared to what you'll be earning 2-3 years from now if you keep working and getting the normal promotions/raises? (That's the math you have to do here, since your alternatives seem to be "start a Masters next year and graduate in 2-3 years, then look for a job" or "stay at your current job, or one like it, for 2-3 years and then look for a job you'd like more." So the comparison isn't what you're earning now, but what you'd be earning in 2-3 years.)

I ask that because even if you get into a fully-funded Masters program, your income is going to plummet, since fully-funded generally means you're getting somewhere in the neighborhood of $15k a year to live on. If you're earning $25k/year now, then even if you get into a fully-funded program, getting your Masters right now is going to cost you $10k/year, or $20,000. So, is taking that $20,000 hit worth it, mathematically? How long would it take, after your FSU Masters degree, to earn back that $20k?

Even if you do conclude that overall--financially, in terms of quality of life, etc.--you want the other Masters, maybe quitting your job and going to school isn't the best way to get it. Perhaps you could do it for free--does your current employer let employees take one or two free classes per semester? Are there other colleges/universities you'd like to work at that offer that? What I'm getting at here is that you might be able to get your second Masters for free, just by strategically choosing which school to work for (i.e., one that has the program you want) and taking on the extra load of one or two classes a semester.

[reesespeanutbutter]

There's a reason she's called 'ideagirl.'  Good suggestions of things to think about.

[brook]

First things first, listen to ideagirl.  I agree with her entire post.

Second, I can completly relate to your situation, as I currently work in student affairs as a counselor and academic advisor at a community college.  I have a MA in counseling and have four years of experience in my position.  Due to limited cc resources, I have a vast range of experience handling academic advising, career counseling, personal counseling, and retention advising (working with students on academic probation, suspension, reinstatement, etc.) For the past year I have been looking at other job oppertunites at 4 year schools, but so far have been unsuccessful in finding a new position.  This is partly because I prefer part-time, (as I am a mother of two), but also because the job market out there for SA professionals is extremely competitive.  Even with the experience that I have, I've been beat out on two job oppertunities by people who have closer to 10 years of experience within SA. 

Earlier this year I began looking into Master's programs from Universities in my area who are better respected than the one where I recieved my MA in counseling.  For a while I thought that getting a second Master's and paying out even more money would be my ticket to a good four-year institution.  Then I stumbled across CHE, posted a few times about my situation, and also began talking and networking with more people in higher ed in my area.  I did apply to my program of choice and was accepted, but ultimatly decided not to do the program.  I decided that doing the program would not significantly improve my chances of getting into one of our 4 year schools in the area, and that the cost and time would far outweigh the benifits at this point in time.  I have learned from talking to many people in the field, includiung on the fora, that your experience matters more in SA than your degree.  You already have a degree in Higher Ed leadership (which I would think is more valuable for a future director's position than my own MA in counseling), so I would advise you to get more experience and continue to look for a new position in the mean time. 

If you can, get on committees and gain as much well-rounded experience as you can.  Anything you can do to put yourself in the spotlight to gain more experience will help in the long run.  Also get yourself a fantastic resume, even if it means paying a resume service to put it together for you.  I used a great resume service several months back and have been very pleased with the results and the attention that it gets.  If you want to talk more, feel free to PM me and I will be happy to tell you more about my experience on the job market. 

[new_bus_prof]

I would also say to build up your experience. Many of our academic counselors in the business programs have 5 to 10 years work experience beyond their Masters degree. And many Directors of Student Affairs have 15+ years dedicated to the work.

As to volunteer work, and being a mother, I would seriously think about volunteering some time at your child's school (if of age) that could be relevant to building your CV/resume. There is nothing like showing a passion for the work via relevant volunteer work.

[edumacatedchik]

Currently, I have two years exprience. By the time I apply, it will be nearing three. Right now, I work full-time doing student counseling. I have tried to apply at larger universities and I am either under or over-qualified for what I applied for, you know how that goes...

The positions you're overqualified for are irrelevant--you're never going to be less qualified than you are now, so don't worry about those. As for the underqualified--is your relatively short experience a factor in that? If simply working another year or two would make you qualified for some of the positions you want, I would seriously consider just doing that instead of going to school right now.

I say that because if I've read correctly, you're a single mom who already has $75k in student loans--it just seems to me like getting to a better point financially would be a better goal right now than getting another graduate degree in a related field. And please, don't talk about "pushing thirty" for your second Masters--there are people on these boards who are just now finishing their PhDs in their mid-forties and early 50s! Plenty of people do grad school later in life.

Again, I know nothing about the requirements of your field, so take my advice with that caveat. But since you know about your field, take a shot at answering this question: if you had the FSU Masters degree, assuming you then got the kind of job you wanted, how much higher would your pay be than it is now? Or wait, let me change that question: how much higher would your pay be, compared to what you'll be earning 2-3 years from now if you keep working and getting the normal promotions/raises? (That's the math you have to do here, since your alternatives seem to be "start a Masters next year and graduate in 2-3 years, then look for a job" or "stay at your current job, or one like it, for 2-3 years and then look for a job you'd like more." So the comparison isn't what you're earning now, but what you'd be earning in 2-3 years.)

I ask that because even if you get into a fully-funded Masters program, your income is going to plummet, since fully-funded generally means you're getting somewhere in the neighborhood of $15k a year to live on. If you're earning $25k/year now, then even if you get into a fully-funded program, getting your Masters right now is going to cost you $10k/year, or $20,000. So, is taking that $20,000 hit worth it, mathematically? How long would it take, after your FSU Masters degree, to earn back that $20k?

Even if you do conclude that overall--financially, in terms of quality of life, etc.--you want the other Masters, maybe quitting your job and going to school isn't the best way to get it. Perhaps you could do it for free--does your current employer let employees take one or two free classes per semester? Are there other colleges/universities you'd like to work at that offer that? What I'm getting at here is that you might be able to get your second Masters for free, just by strategically choosing which school to work for (i.e., one that has the program you want) and taking on the extra load of one or two classes a semester.

Thank you idealgirl.

I really do appreciate your response. Sorry for the untimely response of my part.

I will be honest and admit that I am terrified. I am terrified to try and find a job with my MEdL seeing how the school I attended sucked. I am very embarassed about it and am serious about getting a good position in SA. After looking at my cards, I figured that I should probably "start over" because I don't feel I have a good chance getting a good position. I have applied to numerous positions at the local university and cc, but no one is wanting to give me a job.

Right know I make 28,700 yearly and I feel like financially I am drowning. To add that, I had to pick up a part time. While my work is fulfiling, it is definitely not what I need and want to do in the futue. My current employer does NOT offer tuition assistance.

I have given up attempting positions with my BA because I am tired of getting a letter every day explaining that I did not recieve the position. No call, no interview, nothing. I was actually offered a position with a CC in Registration but the pay was significantly LESS than where I am now, and I didn't see how it would help me advance to where I want/need to be. I was not, and am not, willing now to take that far of a pay cut to gain experience that probably wouldn't help me anyway. Also, it was a position not even requiring a BA, but here I am a last year grad student and they are offering me the position.

If I were to stay at my job, (assuming their cheap asses actually give me a raise) for another 3 years, I would be at 32,453K (did the math) where as I would hope that I could be ATLEAST in the mid 40s after graduation after recieving a MS in SA. I am not here to get rich, but I am tired of struggling trying to pay the bills AND not doing what I want to do.

I understand where you are coming from and I think I have a lot more to consider than just "going back to school". Thank you again.

[edumacatedchik]

There's a reason she's called 'ideagirl.'  Good suggestions of things to think about.

Thank you Reeses. What kind of commitees do you suggest? I don't even know where to start.

Can you give me some specifics that I should try and do to set myself out there?

Thank you for your response.

[edumacatedchik]

I would also say to build up your experience. Many of our academic counselors in the business programs have 5 to 10 years work experience beyond their Masters degree. And many Directors of Student Affairs have 15+ years dedicated to the work.

As to volunteer work, and being a mother, I would seriously think about volunteering some time at your child's school (if of age) that could be relevant to building your CV/resume. There is nothing like showing a passion for the work via relevant volunteer work.

Hey New Bus. Thank you for your response.

Excuse me if this may sound dense, but I don't understand how volunteering at my son's school (pre-K) would help beef my resume for a higher education SA position. I work in a middle school as a counselor and that experience hardly counts. I doubt that helping wipe up boogers and slobber would help me. Also, I work full-time (counseling) and part time. I am also a full time grad student.

Do you know of any reputable resume companies? I am willing to spend the money on someone that is reputable and will give me a great resume.

Thank you in advance