Teach For America: Waiting List

Career Opportunities & Internships
21

<p>I received the form letter that said “recommended for the waitlist” … which, after reading this thread, is making me less and less hopeful… But, for better or worse (I’m not sure which to think at this point) they did say that the waitlist recommendation is for “a specific opportunity to teach in the Phoenix corps.” From what I can tell, everyone else had it more generally… So, I guess that’s good? But it’s not recommended for admission either… Ugh. Frustrating.</p>

<p>Here’s what mine said specifically:</p>

<p>Thank you for applying to Teach For America and for the time you have invested in the interview process. Our Selection Committee is impressed by your record of past achievement, leadership potential, and commitment to expanding educational opportunities for children in low-income communities. While the Committee has offered admission to some candidates and denied admission to others, it has recommended you for the waitlist for a specific opportunity to teach in the Phoenix corps. There are some unique circumstances in Phoenix that may allow us to admit and assign more corps members in the coming weeks, which have led us to create a special waitlist for the Phoenix region. This letter shares some high-level context, which we will follow up with an April 22 conference call to share more information with you. We recognize that you were expecting a final decision today and apologize for any inconvenience this delayed notification may cause. </p>

<p>This year, we have implemented a waitlist for the 2010 corps in response to the significant growth in the number of promising candidates combined with remaining uncertainty about the number of available placements we will have for teachers this fall. We saw an unprecedented interest in Teach For America, with an increase of over 30 percent in applications compared to last year - by far our largest and highest-caliber applicant pool. At the same time, the economic downturn has impacted many state and district education budgets, which means that some districts will hire fewer teachers than they have in the past. While Teach For America will likely have more corps members in 2010 than in any previous year, at most, we are expecting a 10 percent increase in the number of placements. Given these current conditions and uncertainty, we maintain a waitlist to ensure that we have positions for anyone who is offered admission and continue to work actively with our district partners to secure additional placements.</p>

<p>Recently, our Phoenix district partners learned that they may be able to bring additional corps members to the region, a potential opportunity that involves the Arizona sales-tax vote taking place on May 18. If voters approve the proposition to increase the state’s sales tax, our school partners may have the funding to hire more teachers. Additionally, there are potential opportunities to identify placements outside the metro-Phoenix area where we have traditionally placed corps members. There is tremendous need for outstanding teachers amongst both rural and reservation areas an hour or two outside of Phoenix that could lead to establishing partnerships with new districts in the next month. If additional placements become available between now and May 21, we will admit candidates from the waitlist and extend offers to join the Phoenix corps.</p>

<p>So… I’m in TFA limbo between now and May 21. If anyone got something similar in the past or for this 2010 4th admission cycle, I’d be interested in hearing about it!</p>

22

<p>I applied for the 4th deadline and was notified today that I’ve been waitlisted. It’s quite frustrating, especially since I feel that I can’t make any summer (or future) plans until I’m aware of my status. Even more frustrating is the fact that all of my highly preferred regions were new regions that were listed on the waitlist survey, regions I’d consider being more flexible in. I basically checked five boxes and said in the additional comments box that these were already my highly preferred areas but that I would re-check them anyway.</p>

<p>Anyway, here’s the letter I received.</p>

<p>Dear Blake,</p>

<p>Thank you for applying to Teach For America and for the time you have invested in the interview process. Our Selection Committee is impressed by your record of past achievement, leadership potential, and commitment to expanding educational opportunities for children in low-income communities. While the Committee has offered admission to some candidates and denied admission to others, it has recommended your acceptance to Teach For America but has placed you on the waitlist because of a few uncertainties impacting this year’s corps. We recognize that you were expecting a final decision today and apologize for any inconvenience this delayed notification may cause. </p>

<p>This year, we have implemented a waitlist for the 2010 corps in response to the significant growth in the number of promising candidates combined with remaining uncertainty about the number of available placements we will have for teachers this fall. We saw an unprecedented interest in Teach For America, with an increase of over 30 percent in applications compared to last year – by far our largest and highest-caliber applicant pool. At the same time, the economic downturn has impacted many state and district education budgets, as well as the number of teachers choosing to retire. This means that some districts will hire fewer teachers than they have in the past. While Teach For America will likely have more corps members in 2010 than in any previous year, at most, we are expecting a 10 percent increase in the number of placements. Given these current conditions and uncertainty, we maintain a waitlist to ensure that we have positions for anyone who is offered admission and continue to work actively with our district partners to secure additional placements. If we learn that our partners can hire more teachers, it will enable us to admit candidates from the waitlist.</p>

<p>If you are admitted off the waitlist, you will have one week to decide to join the corps in order to provide you enough time to prepare for your transition. When determining whom we will admit off the waitlist, we will consider the candidates who are most qualified for open positions, as well as any expressed regional, grade, and subject preferences. We hope you will remain on the waitlist to give us the opportunity to find you a placement. However, we also recognize that you are eager to finalize your plans for this year and may have different opportunities to consider. As a next step, we would like to gather any current information or updates about your timeline, as well as get your preferences of potential new sites and existing regions that will likely have needs for additional teachers. We ask that you complete a short form by clicking on the link included in your e-mail notification by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, April 23.</p>

<p>Please note that we will provide all candidates a final update on Friday, May 21 as to whether we have a placement for them in the 2010 corps.</p>

<p>We are very grateful for your commitment to Teach For America, the time and energy you have invested in this application process, and your continued patience. We look forward to being in touch, and given our Selection Committee’s positive impression of your candidacy, we hope to be able to offer you a position in our 2010 corps.
Sincerely, </p>

<p>Joshua Griggs
Vice President, Admissions</p>

23

<p>Hey guys! I’m glad to find at least SOME information on the tfa waitlist. I was waitlisted during the third cycle, and just got the same update letter as Blake. </p>

<p>I am just wondering if we will be hearing sometime between now and may 21, or if we are all being informed of our status only the 21st??</p>

<p>please please please update if you hear any good news… good luck everyone!!! =)</p>

24

<p>I would assume that since it was worded as “on May 21st” and not “by May 21st” that they do not plan to make any updates until that point. </p>

<p>Also, I would not view being waitlisted specifically to Phoenix as a bad thing. Who knows what’s going on on their end.</p>

25

<p>I was just waitlisted for the 2010 Corp. What did your email say? And have you received any updates?</p>

26

<p>Hi all, </p>

<p>I too, have been waitlisted for the 2010 corps. I recieved the “reccommended for acceptance” version of the letter with the short survey form to complete by this Friday, the 23rd. </p>

<p>I have a unique situation where I have to be in Houston, which was my one and only “highly preferred” region. I did have a few places in my “preferred” region list (eastern seaboard cities, Dallas and San Antonio), yet still managed to find myself here. Since Houston was on the list of cities in the survey, and I preferenced special ed, and pre-K, I’m stumped as to why I don’t have a placement. I’m trying to find out some similarities between us waitlisters–maybe we didn’t preference enough regions, maybe Houston has limited spots left only for bilingual corps (I don’t speak Spanish, unfortunately I took French for 8 years lol), etc. </p>

<p>I know that recently, TFA and the TNTP have come under some scruitny regarding offering positions to individuals without having a teaching placement to back it. Another hypothesis is that TFA is just being ultra-conservative in placing individuals this year to and making sure, 110%, that they have a teaching position behind every corps member invitation they offer. </p>

<p>I have been accepted to the Philly Teaching Fellows program, and the same thing sort of happened–I didn’t get placed on wait-list per-se, but they just kept postponing the decision because the Philadelphia School District numbers “weren’t finalized.” </p>

<p>I’m keeping the faith until May 21st–I just wish we all could figure out just how many people were waitlisted exactly and just how many positions they foresee opening–that would help me make a more informed decision. </p>

<p>Keep in touch, and lets hope May 21st comes as quick as possible =/.</p>

27

<p>Hey everyone, glad that everyone has found this place. And hopefully those people who are just reading will feel free to add their voice to the conversation. </p>

<p>I was wait listed on this recent deadline notification, April 19th. I don’t think there is a “recommended for waitlist” group of people (with the exception of the Phoenix Corp, which is an a different situation). I’m thinking we are all in the same boat.</p>

<p>I am going to update my regional preference form/ subject preference form in the text box in the survey. Anyone else updating?</p>

28

<p>I filled out the survey, but what was ironic was that the areas they list for increased flexibility were for the most part the areas I had already selected for my highly preferred and preferred regions. </p>

<p>To be honest, I think that the economy and lack of jobs has simply forced their acceptance rate down. If there are only enough jobs to accept 12%, but you feel that 15% are good enough to be accepted, then you accept the best 12% and wait list the other 3% to see what happens. I know it sucks being told that you weren’t as competitive as the other 12%, but unfortunately, this is most likely the case. Don’t take it personally and just hope for the best.</p>

29

<p>Interesting. The survery that I was linked to didn’t have a list of any potential sites. It just said if you would you have increased flexibilities then you should write them in a text box.</p>

30

<p>Really? Weird. My survey reads:</p>

<p>1) Are you considering other employment opportunities or graduate programs? Yes/No
2) What specific employment opportunities or graduate programs are you considering? Text box
3) What is the date by which you must notify your potential employer or graduate program? Text box.</p>

<p>4) We are actively pursuing potential new and existing regional district partners to secure additional placements for the 2010 corps. Please indicate if you have any increased flexibility for placement in the following regions, as they may have opportunities and needs for incoming corps members (check all that apply). Please note that indicating increased flexibility in these regions does not guarantee a place in the 2010 corps.

  • Alabama
  • Dallas
  • Detroit
  • Greater New Orleans
  • Houston
  • Mississippi Delta
  • Phoenix
  • Rio Grande Valley
  • San Antonio
  • South Louisiana
  • Tulsa</p>

<p>These areas are all either A) new areas B) recently expanded areas C) high needs areas. Of these 11, 5 of them were on my highly preferred and preferred list so I remarked them.</p>

<p>Then it asks if I would consider Special Education or Pre-K, and the survey finishes with a text box for you to add any additional comments. </p>

<p>It’s weird to me that yours didn’t have a list, but I wouldn’t take that as a good or bad thing.</p>

31

<p>We’re you waitlisted in previous application rounds, or was this your first app deadline? Because that is similar to the survey I filled out in the last round. If not exactly the same.</p>

32

<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>I contacted <a href="mailto:admissions@teachforamerica.org">admissions@teachforamerica.org</a> and asked a few questions about the wait listing… Some are particular to Phoenix, since that is where I was specifically wait listed, but I thought I would share in case anyone found any of the answers helpful:</p>

<pre><code>* Will admission off the wait list be on a rolling basis as positions become available, or will everyone on the list find out their status on May 21?
</code></pre>

<p>As we mentioned in the e-mail we sent you on Monday, we’re waiting for the vote on the proposition in Arizona before we are able to determine if we will be able to place any more applicants in Phoenix. As this vote will not occur until May 18, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to give final admissions decisions before May 21.</p>

<pre><code>* In my online research, I’ve come across what seems to be a difference between “recommended for admission” wait listing and “recommended for wait list,” and I was hoping for some clarification on this point - or if there was a difference in being wait listed for TFA generally or for Phoenix exclusively
</code></pre>

<p>There is a wait list specifically for Phoenix, as well as a general wait list, but that is the only distinction we have made with regards to our wait list. If you are not interested in being placed in Phoenix, you can let us know on the survey you were sent, and you would then rejoin the general wait list.</p>

<pre><code>* How many people are on the wait list for Phoenix?

Unfortunately, I do not have this information available to share with you.

  • Would changing my placement preference to “anywhere I am needed” improve my chances of being offered a position as a corps member?
    </code></pre>

<p>If you are willing to update your regional preferences, you should let us know on the wait list survey you were asked to complete. The only way to update us about your regional and subject preferences is to complete this survey. On this survey, there is a text box where you can let us know about any other information you think is relevant. Here, I would suggest that you indicate that whatever changes you have made with regards to your preferences. If you have already completed the survey, you can still edit your responses by following the same link. If you need to update your answers, please do so before the 5 p.m. ET deadline on Friday, April 23. I cannot predict if it will improve your chances of being offered a position.</p>

<pre><code>* How likely is it that Arizona Proposition 100 (2010) - the sales tax I’m assuming the email was referencing - will pass or fail?
</code></pre>

<p>I think this is a question that will likely be discussed on Thursday’s call. I don’t have any information about this proposition.</p>

<pre><code>* How many positions in Arizona will be available or added if the proposition passes?

Unfortunately, this is another question that I’m unable to share any information about.
</code></pre>

<p>For anyone else looking for information on Phoenix, I’ve been looking up the proposition. It would increase sales tax by one penny to the dollar (1%) until 2013, and generate approx. $1 billion. Two thirds of the money generate would go to support education and the other third would go to public health and safety. The governor of Arizona is a big proponent o the proposition, which was passed by the state senate (after being brought forward by 4 Republicans and 3 Democrats), however both Arizona Senators are opposed to the proposition. Evidently, 58% of people polled said they were planning on voting in favor of the tax increase.</p>

<p>… So, I guess there’s hope. If anyone gets anymore updates (on Phoenix or generally) please post on here and keep us updated!</p>

33

<p>hey everyone.</p>

<p>wanted to jump in on the discussion since i, too, was waitlisted in this last round of acceptances (april 19). i have a lot of the same questions as all of you but it seems to me that we won’t have any answers until the 21st. it is an unfortunate position that we have been placed in, the process has been so long already that another month of waiting feels like torture. furthermore, i think it’s interesting that we were never told about a waitlist at any point during the application/interview process.</p>

<p>i received the same letter as the rest about being recommended for admission. i’m surprised to hear that a different e-mail was sent about the phoenix area in particular. i wonder what the determining factors were between which waitlist each person got placed on. had those people placed on the phoenix waitlist originally listed phoenix as a highly preferred region?</p>

<p>lastly, the survey i filled was the same as the one someone copied and pasted here.</p>

<p>good luck to everyone! i hope this is better news than we think :wink: please update us as you receive any further news regarding admission/acceptance!</p>

34

<p>I too have been “recommended for acceptance” to the 2010 corps, and responded to the same survey that was provided above. Some of the regions on the survey were also my highly preferred regions. (Sigh.)</p>

<p>NEW INFORMATION: I spoke to a recruiter in TFA HQ who informed me that admissions will notify us wait listed folks ASAP, on a rolling basis, after April 30. At that point they will know who is declining their placement offer. They should also have more information regarding key regional/district decisions (perhaps levy votes?). It was made clear that there are certainly spots available, but TFA will not make a placement offer or pull folks off of the list until the finer details re: the placement are pinned down. This is a work in progress in the expansion sites. </p>

<p>Chin up, friends!</p>

35

<p>Hello Everyone,
Just like most of you I was wait-listed too. But I recently accepted into a region that I didn’t rank high or particularly want. Although I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to join TFA I don’t think I will be happy where they placed me. But I still want to be a part of TFA 2010. Any suggestions to what to say? Or how should I go about trying to switch?
I don’t want to be unhappy for 2 tears or negatively impact my potential students :(</p>

36

<p>Happening,</p>

<p>I think what you have to ask yourself is how much you care about the mission of TFA over your placement. I don’t think it’s wrong to want to be in a specific location. That’s why you pref regions. However, I remember one of TFA’s employees saying that she always says that TFA is not a travel agency, and she’s right. </p>

<p>I’m not sure what to tell you because I’m not sure what I would do in your shoes. I think if you can be successful in that area, go for it. However, if you truly believe that you cannot and would rather decline the offer, then it wouldn’t hurt to contact Admissions and just let them know how you feel and if there is any chance for a new location. Because of the economy, I highly doubt that a movement to a different region would happen, but who knows what they’ll do.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

37

<p>I would say that since they have already accepted you, they most likely would not revoke your acceptance. That being said, i dont think it would hurt to just ask if there were any other options available. I agree with Blake’s statement, but you know yourself, and if you dont feel that you could give the students your all in a certain region, don’t risk having to quit.
Question… did you just get accepted this past update (april 19th)? I’m just curious to see if they are already accepting people off of the waitlist. Thanks!!</p>

38

<p>Last week I was offered placement in a city that was on my highly preferred list after being on the phoenix waitlist from April 19th. From talking to people in that region I think there is a lot of logistical things that are being worked out to guarantee spots! They seemed very positive in wanting to keep accepting people off the waitlist as they secured more openings, which is good news!</p>

39

<p>When we’re you let off the waitlist? And which city did you get placed in? Did you find out via email?</p>

40

<p>Last Thursday I got an email and was placed in the twin cities</p>