At our team meeting this morning (”team” being used loosely here, because four of us are in the office and three are on the road), I asked my admissions pals about the questions they’re hearing frequently while they travel around the country.  I wrote about testing last week (always a hot topic!) and this week I thought I’d focus on academic preparation.  Applicants often want to know if they have the “right” preparation for Fletcher.  Fortunately, there’s really no tidy path that applicants need to have followed.  This complicates our work, but it also keeps things interesting.  Here are a few of the key points we make in answer to the academic preparation question.

First — pre-Fletcher majors.  ALL majors welcome!  Though we certainly see lots of applications from undergraduate international relations majors, we don’t have a special preference for them.  We do like to see indication of both quantitative ability, and the ability to deal well with Fletcher’s heavy reading/writing load.  So you undergraduate English majors need to show us that you can handle numbers, and you undergraduate engineers need to show us that you can adjust to a very different type of out-of-class work than you may be accustomed to.  Beyond that, though, we have admitted students whose previous studies were in just about every discipline, from sculpture to veterinary medicine.

Next — pre-Fletcher economics preparation.  We do not require that you take economics before applying or enrolling…but…we certainly recommend it.  Basic micro and macro classes will go a long way toward helping you understand the economic themes that creep persistently into our lives.  Plus, under the heading of our breadth requirement, MALD students need to take both an economics class and a class in quantitative reasoning.  You’ll have the opportunity to test out of the basic classes, and many students prefer to take a higher level economics course while they’re here.

And one related note:  If you’re thinking of selecting Development Economics or one of the other quant-heavy Fields of Study, or if you’re applying to the MIB program, you should have some coursework in your background that will have prepared you.  Admissions Committee members feel uncomfortable when an applicant appears not to know what he’s getting into.

Last (for today, at least) — grades.  Regardless of where you have studied as an undergrad, higher grades are better.  Obvious, right?  We work with transcripts/grade reports from a zillion different systems, but we look for strong results no matter how you’re assessed.  On the other hand, we don’t limit our review of transcripts to the final result.  Oooooh no — that would be too easy!  We take a careful look at each transcript:  How are the applicant’s grades, class by class?  Were the classes challenging?  If the overall GPA is low, what can we note about the trajectory of grades — does it go up?  How did the applicant do in his/her major?

In other words, we give those transcripts a careful look!

Plus, we look beyond the transcript to ask:  What does the academic recommendation tell us about the applicant?  Has the applicant done any professional work that helps to fill gaps in the undergrad record?  What about post-graduate coursework?  We take all the information we’ve gleaned in answer to those questions, and form our impression of the applicant’s academic background.

So, whether your pre-Fletcher academic preparation is traditional or not, you’ll find students here whose background is like yours.

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In general, I think our testing policy is pretty straightforward.  Native English speakers, or non-native speakers whose undergraduate education was in English, should submit a GRE or GMAT.  (GMAT for MIB.  GRE (generally) for PhD.  Both are equally fine for the MALD or MA programs.)

Applicants who don’t fall into one of those two groups (native English speaker, or educated in English) need to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score.  This is the one area where we have a firm cut-off:  100 on the Internet-based TOEFL (or 600 on the paper test), and 7 on the IELTS.  Any admitted student with a score that falls slightly short of the minimum will be asked to pursue an intensive English language program in the summer.  Even admitted students whose scores are close to the cut-off may be asked to pursue an English program to boost their skills.  After all, you’re just not going to succeed here at Fletcher if you don’t have the language skills to get you through the piles of reading, as well as the many social situations that require fluency.

What about an applicant who’s required to take the TOEFL/IELTS, but who also wants to show quantitative strength?  Submit a GRE or GMAT, too.  We won’t focus on your verbal score.  Ideally we’d see a score for a quantitative test from all applicants, but we’ve held off changing our policy because of the expense of the tests for our applicants.  Still, if you’re taking a GRE because another of your schools requires it, send it along to Fletcher!

Here’s one exception to everything I wrote above:  LLM applicants who are non-native speakers also need to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score, but the GRE/GMAT is optional for all LLM applicants.

Those few paragraphs cover virtually all of our applicants.  Still, we occasionally we hear from someone who doesn’t quite match either description.  For example, someone whose country has more than one official language, or someone who moved around a lot.  In these cases, it’s best to contact us, so we can consider your situation on an individual basis.  We don’t want anyone to do more testing than necessary, but we do want to see the relevant test results.

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That’s our motto.  And when it comes to our program of evaluative interviews, it’s central to our decisions on what we will offer.

As blog readers know, Fletcher interviews are optional.  You may be applying to other schools that don’t offer evaluative interviews at all, or perhaps to schools that require them for admitted students.  If you’re wondering how we decided on the structure for Fletcher’s interview program, it all comes down to:  We do what we can do well.  For now, that means interviews on campus (generally in our tiny interview room) by current students and staff only.

We’re often asked (most recently on our Facebook page) about telephone interviews and alumni interviews.  The reason we don’t offer them is that, for now at least, we fear we couldn’t do them as well as we would expect them to be done.  Alumni interview programs are fantastic, and we would love to draw on our fabulous far-flung alums to interview applicants who can’t get to campus.  But ensuring continuity and consistency in a program like that, not to mention making the connection between applicant and alum, is a big job.  It’s one that we have in mind for the future, but we haven’t been able to make it happen…yet.

Similarly, a telephone interview requires an interviewer and a telephone in a private space.  Should be simple!  But our spaces all have people in them, so it generally isn’t possible.  Over time, we have found a way to arrange a few telephone interviews each year.  If you are an Early Notification applicant, you can request a telephone interview after you have submitted your application.  Most of the phone interviews will take place on a Wednesday, when we have a private space available.  Contact us after you submit your application, and the Admissions Office staff will set up a time and explain the call-in process to you.

And, we do offer a very few off-site interviews.  If a staffer has spare time during travels, or if a student interviewer can arrange to conduct some interviews during the winter break, we’ll contact prospective applicants.  (Interested?  Make sure you have connected with us, so we’ll know who and where you are!  We email in advance the applicants in the cities where we’ll be.)

So, for now, optional evaluative on-campus interviews are what we generally offer.  And I think it’s something we do very well.  Applicants have good things to say about their experience, and current students benefit, too.  We tweak the process every year, while always sticking to our motto:  If you’re going to do something, do it well.

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I could continue with staff introductions, but I’m going to take a break today and return to basic info.  One of the facts of Office of Admissions life is that we often have our attention split among very different parts of the admissions cycle.  So right now, while we’re just getting started on fall travel, and we haven’t even started student-led evaluative interviews, we’re also only one month from the October 15 deadline for applications for January enrollment.

If you’re planning a January application, you should already have taken your standardized tests or, at least, have booked a test date.  You should already have spoken to your recommenders, and essays should be under construction.

In fact, if you’re planning to apply by our Early Notification deadline of November 15, those same suggestions apply.  Time has a way of sneaking by us, so don’t delay.

And, speaking of not delaying, I’m looking at an interview calendar that grows busier by the day.  If you’re planning a visit, please don’t put off making your arrangements.  There are several Mondays that are already fully booked — and those who wait another six weeks to contact us will find that options are very limited.

Finally, remember that we’re offering special Visit Days for the PhD and MIB programs.  If you’d like to take advantage of one of them, book your visit for:

PhD
October 5
October 26
November 16

MIB
October 19
November 9
December 7

Last, our Facebook page has a growing fan base!  Check it out!

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Hey, all you advance planners!  You can now book your fall visit to Fletcher.  Our expanded (18% bigger than last year!) evaluative interview schedule is in place, including new 8:15 and 4:15 appointments.  The easiest way to book a slot is by phone to +617.627.3040, but you can also contact us by email.

Are you among the many applicants who think they’ll hold off until November or December to visit?  Yes?  Well, then, I especially encourage you to make the arrangements now!  By November, all of the year’s interview slots will have been taken.  The later the visit, the earlier you need to plan!  We’ll offer a complete interview calendar, with most sessions led by students, through Thursday, December 10.  From that point forward, staff members will conduct a very limited number of interviews (with even more limited help from a student or two) , and all interviewing is complete by January 15.

A word on our interview policy.  Evaluative interviews are strictly optional, though they are a very useful addition to an application.  Unfortunately, we’re not set up for either phone interviews or off-site interviews, but there’s no penalty if you can’t travel to campus.  Although there’s no “best time” for an interview, I tend to recommend that you visit before you actually submit the application.  To prepare for your visit, it’s a good idea to have thought through your objectives and to know a bit about Fletcher.

And a visit to campus doesn’t need to be limited to an interview.  We’ll offer Information Sessions on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and you can also sit in on classes.

We hope to see you at Fletcher for a fall visit.  Grab your interview slot now.

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Continuing with the advice offered up by Fletcher students, answers to the next question turned out to be a mix of strictly practical and more philosophical tips.  The question:

Describe your experiences with course registration, shopping day, etc., particularly given that registration takes place after students are on campus.  Did you buy your textbooks on campus or online?

(First, a note.  “Shopping Day” takes place one day before classes actually begin.  Professors offer mini sessions (with several running concurrently) so that students can knowledgeably select the classes that best meet their schedule and intellectual needs.  Students don’t submit registration materials until after Shopping Day.)

Januarian Erika Tabacniks provides comprehensive advice, as she did in Tuesday’s Advice post.  She writes:  “Shopping day is important, fun, and tiring.  Look over the schedule and know exactly where you are going.  Student evaluations of the courses are available online and in the library.  They are very helpful when deciding what classes to take.  You can see the students’ opinions, as well as how many students were in the class.

“Pick up the class syllabi.  They’re important for the following reasons:  They let you know how much reading a class requires; they give you a sense of the professor; and they tell you whether you will have to write a paper or take an exam, the due dates, and the weights given to assignments.  Try to balance your classes so that you don’t have an overload of work all at once.”

Fellow Januarian MALD student Filipa Azevedo Jorge, also has only one course registration period under her belt:  “I chose the courses I wanted to take before the semester began.  During shopping period, however, I changed the courses based on the professors and my interests.  I found shopping period a little overwhelming but helpful.”

Harvey Beasley, now entering his second year as a MALD student, also reflects on that typical student problem — it can be hard to do too much planning before you’re actually on campus:  “I had picked out the classes I thought I was going to take in my first two semesters before getting to campus.  That entire plan went straight out the window on shopping day.  Courses had been added that I just couldn’t miss.  Some classes weren’t offered that I thought would be, and the personality of some professors just changed my mind about some classes (in both positive and negative ways).  Then there is the input from fellow classmates and second years….My advice is to take a look at the course offerings before you come to campus, but don’t spend too much time mapping out your time at Fletcher.  Shopping day can change everything.”

PhD student Tom McCarthy takes a practical look at the second part of the question:  “You can buy used textbooks online or even online through the campus store once you get here (they have them boxed up for your pick-up).  Many classes have all the readings online and downloadable in PDF format, which supplements the books you buy.  If you know which classes you will take, get the books early to hit the ground running.  If you do not, then wait until after shopping day.  Many classes have the first readings (even if they are books) online, so that you can attend the initial session without having to buy the text.”

Harvey Beasley agrees:  “I bought almost all of my textbooks online.  Options for used books online are often so much cheaper than buying them on campus.  If you know that you absolutely will be taking a certain class, see if you can get used textbooks from another Fletcher student.  There is always a mad sale of books at the end of each semester and it’s good to take advantage of it.”

And Erika adds an additional option for finding course books, the library:  “Instead of buying the books, a good option is to read them in the library.  Most books from your classes are “on-reserve”; this means that you ask for them at the library counter and you have to give them back after two hours (or check them out again).  Good news:  If you check it out late at night you can keep the book until the next morning.  (Don’t be late, or you will pay $1.00 for each hour.)  Everyone in the library is very nice and will be glad to answer any questions you may have.”

The practical and the philosophical.  Might be a way of capturing the Fletcher experience!  There’s still more advice to come.  Tune in again next week!

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When I turned the corner into the produce aisle at my favorite supermarket on Friday, there was my pal the produce manager:  “Hey!  Where have you been?!”  I didn’t go into too long an an explanation of how we had just finished the admissions rush and my usual shopping times had all turned into work time — but it was nice to receive such a warm welcome back.  Frankly, it’s also nice to be back to a more normal schedule.

That doesn’t mean the work flow is quite normal.  At about noon today, I realized that there wasn’t a single point in the morning when I was all caught up with my email.  Every time I finished answering the questions in one message, another message came in.  Even as I write this, I can see the little notification box, alerting me that there are more questions to be answered.  So, in the interest of efficiency, I thought I’d post a few of the common questions, along with standard answers.  If other questions turn out to be regulars, I’ll try to get some more answers up here asap.

March/April FAQs:

Q: I would like to pursue a joint degree. Will Fletcher allow me to defer my enrollment?
A: Fletcher will approve a deferral of up to one year (two semesters) to allow students to start a joint degree at another institution. Prospective students needing more than one year before enrolling should plan to reapply. Anyone wanting a deferral needs to request one — it isn’t automatic — but you can submit your request by email.

Q: I’m not doing a joint degree, but I want to defer for other reasons.  Can I?
A: Fletcher allows deferrals for up to one year so that candidates can pursue professional opportunities.

Q: Tell me more about how to request the deferral.
A: Follow these instructions.

Q: The law/business/other school with which I want to pursue a joint degree is not on Fletcher’s list of “official” joint or dual degrees. How will that work?
A: Fletcher will work with you to arrange the joint degree that suits your career and study goals. The process is to transfer courses from your other program so that you also receive Fletcher credit for them.  When I speak to students putting together an ad hoc joint degree, I always suggest that they contact the registrar as soon as they enroll at Fletcher. You won’t be able to transfer in your first-year torts/finance/language class, but with careful homework, you will find classes that meet Fletcher’s requirements. (You should also be sure to work with the other school. Our experience is that many other schools are less flexible than Fletcher.)

Q: Can I make my decision after the deadline named in my admission letter?
A: No. There are many administrative reasons why Fletcher needs to know how many students will enroll, but we don’t expect you to care about that. On the other hand, we want you to remember that there are students waiting on the Wait List, and we hope you will respect their need for a speedy answer as to whether they will be admitted. We won’t know if we need to go to the Wait List until we have heard from the students we have already admitted.

Q: Do I need to return the form?  Can’t I just email you?
A: You can fax it, or scan it and email it, but we really prefer the form.  It helps us keep track of information.

Q: I hope to work when I’m at Fletcher. How can I arrange it?
A: There are many administrative jobs available each year at Fletcher, as well as elsewhere at the University. Fletcher jobs are usually “advertised” via a student email list. Jobs elsewhere at the University can be found through the Student Employment office.

Q: What about research or teaching assistantships?
A: These positions are arranged directly with the hiring department or professor. It can be difficult for you to arrange a teaching assistant position for your first semester, regardless of your qualifications, but there are often opportunities in the second semester. Many professors hire research assistants in the fall, so even first-year students will be eligible. Research assistants are paid an hourly wage, while teaching assistants are often paid per course. (I also want to say that teaching assistants do not teach Fletcher students. Professors teach, but the assistants might arrange course materials or do other “behind the scenes” work.)

Q: How do second-year scholarships compare to those awarded to first-year students?
A: We know that there are schools out there that are more generous to second-year students than to first-year students.  That really isn’t Fletcher’s model, though.  Students who remain in good academic standing can expect their awards to be renewed for the second year.  Students who do not receive a scholarship in the first year can also apply for a scholarship for the second year, but funding cannot be guaranteed.

Q: What classes will be offered in 2009-2010?
A: The schedules for next year aren’t set yet, but many courses are offered on a yearly basis.  You can see the class schedules for 2008-09 on our web site.

Q: I was put on the Wait List.  Can I request feedback now?
A: Although the Wait List is not the same as being offered admission, it’s also not the same as being denied admission.  We only offer feedback to applicants once their applications are no longer active, which is not the case for those on the Wait List.  So that means we’ll ask you to make your own determination of what materials will help strengthen your application at this point.

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I’m a big proponent of taking advantage of our optional evaluative interviews.  Every fall, I try to drum up some early business for us — I like to keep our student interviewers busy each week.

I’m still a big proponent, but I’m not trying to drum up business anymore.  As of November 21, the schedule was essentially full.  (There are still a few appointments available for LLM program applicants.)  We’re always sorry to turn anyone down, but we’ve added as many new appointments as we can, and they’ve all been taken.

So what should you do if you really hope to interview?  You can call each week to check on cancellations.  In fact, yesterday afternoon an applicant canceled due to illness.  We immediately offered his 10:00 appointment to someone who happened to call after he did.  And a quick check this morning showed me that there has been another cancellation for a January date. There’s a chance you might snare one of these slots if you contact us periodically.

Otherwise, please remember that the optional evaluative interviews, though valuable, are optional.  There is no penalty for not interviewing.  The majority of our applicants live far enough away that visiting this fall is not a possibility.

Future applicants:  If you are reading this entry in fall 2008, knowing that you will apply in fall 2009, please take note!  Don’t wait until December ‘09 to try for an interview appointment.  Every year the schedule fills by November.  Though we offer interviews through January 15, that doesn’t mean you would be well advised to wait until January 14 to book one.

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Who needs rules?  Well…we do.  And you do, too.

Let’s fast forward a few years.  You’ve applied to Fletcher and have been admitted.  You enroll and study for two years.  Now you’re looking at the job hunt and your future career.  When you tell potential employers that you have a degree from The Fletcher School, don’t you want it to mean something?

That’s where we bureaucrats come in.  It’s our goal to ensure that your degree has value.

I plan to use this theme, “Who Needs Rules,” now and then, when I feel it could be beneficial to provide detail on an admissions policy.  Today, I’m going to explain one of the guidelines for applicants to Fletcher’s PhD program.

Generally, I’m the Admissions Office contact for PhD applicants, and one of the most challenging questions I need to answer goes like this:  I saw on the Fletcher web site, that to enter the PhD program directly, I need to have a master’s degree from a program that required full-time study for one and a half to two years.  But my master’s program only lasted one year.  May I apply to Fletcher’s PhD program?

The answer, I’m afraid, is no.  Not that long ago, all students in the PhD program had completed our two-year MALD.  Then the faculty decided to open the doors to applicants from comparable programs at other universities.  I wasn’t part of the decision making, but I reckon they were expecting the applications would come from graduates of our closest peers — APSIA schools.  And some do.  But many don’t.  And then we need to figure out if the degree is comparable.  Step one:  Did the program last roughly as long as the MALD?  No?  Then the degree program is not comparable.

This policy has potential to irritate many applicants, but the ones who object most often are graduates from master’s degree programs in the U.K., where a one-year master’s is the norm.  Sometimes there are challenges involved in going from one education system to another.

Why does the faculty stick with the policy?  Because they believe that a degree program similar to the MALD is what prepares students best for PhD study here.  Thankfully, there are many other programs out there to accommodate all the different types of pre-PhD education.  And prospective students always have the option to start at Fletcher in the MALD program, and move on to the PhD later.  Either way, I know that the future PhDs will find a place that meets their educational needs.  Meanwhile, we’ll do our best to ensure that everyone admitted to the program has the academic platform on which to rest their future study.

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One of the things I learned about the blog from applicants this year is that the admissions process can appear to be an impenetrable black box, and that shedding only the slightest bit of light on it can be hugely helpful. So I’ll shed a bit of light on the state of the Wait List.

At this point, we’ve probably received responses from just about everyone who would like to continue to wait. There are some responses outstanding, but we generally assume that the non-responders are not interested. (If you are one of those people, and you haven’t replied because you were travelling, or otherwise unable to respond, please let us know right away.) We also have added to the application files any additional information that has come in, and all those files are neatly together, ready for further review. (But not ranked, so we won’t be able to tell you where you stand on the list.)

The other side of the story is the enrollment process. Fletcher’s admitted applicants were asked to respond by April 21 if they have received a scholarship, and May 1 if they have not. Our goal is to enroll the correct number of students and to do so as quickly as possible. As of April 21, the number of responses looked pretty good but, of course, was inconclusive. The last of the May 1 responses are now trickling in.

Once the enrollment story is fully told, we’ll know whether to turn to the Wait List. We would aim to have most of the offers out this month or early in June. In some years we have drawn from the Wait List later in the summer, but we prefer not to do so.

So what can wait listed blog readers take away from this? First, that we are ready to go to the list if the enrollment situation calls for it. Second, that there’s not too much information we can give you right now if you call or write to us. Third, that we’ll try to have it all wrapped up as soon as possible. Finally, if you had been thinking of sending additional info, now’s the time to do so.

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