by Brendan Chan
I never thought that I would go to grad school. I prioritized “learning by doing” and I spent the first 11 years of my career soaking up as much as I could from the brilliant students, educators, professionals, and communities that I worked alongside.
So in the fall of 2021, as I was thinking about what I wanted my next chapter to look like, I surprised myself and the people in my life when I decided to apply to the Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) program here at HGSE.
Now, as a member of Ed.L.D. Cohort 12, I can’t imagine what my life would look like without this chapter. If you’re thinking about applying to the Ed.L.D. program, I hope that some of my tips below are helpful for your process.
(And although my advice is geared towards prospective students for the Ed.L.D. program, I hope anyone that is considering applying to HGSE would find some level of resonance!)
- Know your why
Everyone I know who works in education has a “why” for what brings them to and keeps them in the work. I’d encourage you to build on that and deeply reflect on why you want to go to school. Specifically, why do you want to go to school at this moment in time and why is this the program you want to be a part of? The Harvard brand is great, but given how much you have to invest—three years of your life, possibly moving, and certainly income—there has to be more than just the desire to get a Harvard degree. A few reflection questions to consider:
- What do you want to learn the content within this program in a classroom rather than on your own or learn by doing?
- What will the Ed.L.D. experience unlock for you and your leadership? How will that translate to transformative impact for students, educators, and communities across the U.S.?
- Why do you want to learn through a full-time, cohort-based program? (Ed.L.D. students spend a lot of time together with their cohort, so really think about this.)
- Why is this the time for you to go to school? Why not next year or the year after?
- How does this program compare to others you might be thinking about? How would you prioritize them, and why would you prioritize them in that way?
- Communicate your why clearly
Once you get clear on your why, make sure you can communicate it to other people in writing. Keep in mind that your main audience are people that do not know you, so give yourself enough time to think about how you’ll tell your story and try to get a diverse set of feedback so you minimize any chance for confusion.
- Be intentional about each piece of your application
Think about how each piece of your application adds to your story. The Ed.L.D. application consists of a Statement of Purpose, a Short Essay, three letters of recommendation, your resume, and possibly a GRE or standardized test score. Make sure each piece really brings out various parts of what you offer as a candidate. Think about how each component stands on its own, how the pieces fit together, and how you want to balance out your story across your application materials.
- Take advantage of existing resources
HGSE offers so much support for prospective students. Staff, alumni, and current students are often very willing to connect. If you want to reach out to someone, my biggest piece of advice is to do your homework beforehand and to develop specific questions in advance of the conversation that go beyond getting to know more about their journey and getting their application advice. This helps everyone get more out of the conversation and build stronger connections.
- Maximize authenticity, reflection, and presence throughout the interview process
If you’re selected for an Ed.L.D. admissions interview, you’ll get a lot more detail about what the interview experience entails. The biggest thing I recommend is to take the time to make sure you’re able to calm your nerves (or whatever other feelings might come up for you) and be really present and attune to each part of the process. HGSE is very intentional about the selection of Ed.L.D. students, and I think the best way to approach the interview portion is to really, truly be yourself.
- Most of all, remember that no acceptance, rejection, or degree defines you or your value
There is so much that you can’t control in this process, but you can control each part of your application and your energy and mindset as you go through the process. And whatever the outcome is, your value as a person and your value in this work does not change. Students and educators across America need and deserve more transformative and equitable experiences and outcomes, and we need you in this work whether or not an Ed.L.D. program ends up being a part of your journey.
Best of luck!
Brendan
If you’re interested in learning more about my experience and perspective as an Ed.L.D. student, keep an eye out for a couple more blog posts I’ll be writing this fall!
HGSE Admissions Blog 