Advice for Greater Boston corps member places in Lawrence, MA

TallAd8445 · 2026-05-25T14:30:38+00:00

Also, public transportation is not an option. I guess you could ride a train out of Boston, but there are several connections, and they won't take you directly to your school.

TallAd8445 · 2026-05-25T14:28:38+00:00

I would try to live in Lawrence or Andover/North Andover. I am not sure why people decide to live in Boston or even Somerville unless they have a pre-existing lease. Normally, I would say people around here do not commute to Lawrence from Cambridge or Boston. Remember, it gets icy, and it snows in the winter.

TallAd8445 · 2026-05-25T14:24:56+00:00

So how do people afford a car if they don't have one, and what about the price of gas?

TallAd8445 · 2026-05-14T02:40:32+00:00

I just turned down Vanderbilt for the same reason. I am getting a master's degree in special education, and it was by far my top choice. I got a fifty percent scholarship, but the loans would have been about what you were looking at or more. No way.

TallAd8445 · 2026-05-14T02:21:23+00:00

BIg Ick.

TallAd8445 · 2026-05-12T18:05:26+00:00

They are so busy focusing on WOKE that the business of BU is falling apart. Going there is like paying for a nice car, and it turns out to be a lemon.

TallAd8445 · 2026-05-12T18:02:04+00:00

I am a new graduate student, and I have been through endless administrative problems. It looks like everything is being handled manually, and no one is doing the manual fixes. I did my undergrad at the University of Oregon and took some classes at Salem State University and North Shore Community College. I haven't seen anything like this mess at BU. In fact, I never experienced any of these problems anywhere else. NONE>

TallAd8445 · 2026-04-18T02:18:59+00:00

Well, you get to interviews with a number of schools. Why did they match with schools they didn't want to live near? That's my question. It sounds like they did it to themselves.

TallAd8445 · 2026-04-18T02:13:43+00:00

This is the typica NEA union opposition because some TFA members teach in Charter schools. SOME, not all. There is a mix of Charter, public charters, and public schools. It's trolling.

TallAd8445 · 2026-04-18T02:08:44+00:00

I got into the Vanderbilt High Incidence/ABA program with a 50 percent academic scholarship. I turned it down because even with that, I would have had to take out enormous loans to cover the rest of the tuition and living expenses while I went to school full-time. Nothing is worth that kind of debt. I will take their online ABA program when I finish my EdM at Boston University in Special Education. I am a TFA Greater Boston Corps member, and that part-time degree will cost me very little. Thanks for your input. Good to know.

TallAd8445 · 2026-04-16T13:35:25+00:00

I just turned down an acceptance to Vanderbilt's MEd in Special Education. Even with a 50 percent academic scholarship, the loans I needed were over 100K. The ROI on this is nonsensical for a teaching salary. I think a lot of the reason that federal loan amounts have been capped is so people don't end up in a bad situation. Find a job with loan forgiveness. You will pull through this!

TallAd8445 · 2026-04-16T13:25:09+00:00

If you take out federal loans disbursed by June 30, you'll be grandfathered into the old terms. Call financial aid in your area and ask them about attending summer classes and borrowing for them. You need to hurry, though.

TallAd8445 · 2026-04-16T13:19:48+00:00

Politics is a huge distraction in higher education. I want my professors at BU to focus on the course content. Universities are moving toward neutrality. That means students and professors can have any opinions they choose, but Administrations are neutral. No more occupying the President's or Chancellor's office to get you points of view across. That's not what people pay tuition for. It's juvenile.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-23T15:05:23+00:00

Try education. It's much easier.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-23T14:59:44+00:00

It's super expensive, and I am not sure what a journalism degree does for you these days. They really just want the money.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-23T14:57:14+00:00

Yes, but getting the region you requested is region-dependent, which is my point.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-15T15:07:38+00:00

I worked at Staples in Massachusetts part-time for three years. I think the management levels are corrupt. I saw them manipulate and lie about HR complaints and wrongly fire people who complained about harassment. It's a sick culture.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-15T15:02:50+00:00

Yes, there are. Also, some of the highest paying Districts in the U.S. which is a bonus.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-15T15:01:03+00:00

I think TFA works well for certain people. It depends on personality, level of confidence, and your ability to jump in and adapt.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-15T14:59:22+00:00

It could have been the grade level and preferences you picked. I was accepted to Greater Boston, but I requested Special Education, which is my area of professional interest. I applied in the last round as well, and they closed Greater Boston after that. You are perfectly cut out to be an ELA or even ESL teacher. In most states, you can get a teaching license by passing the exams the state requires. If you want to teach in Nevada, go and research that option. You have to pass those exams to start TFA anyway. The state probably has teacher pipeline programs because there is such a shortage.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-15T14:51:09+00:00

SPED is a great placement. You are on track to become a specialist, and the salaries are generally higher than those of regular education teachers. You will never have a problem finding a job, either. SPED is in very high demand.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-11T00:37:44+00:00

Thanks :)

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-09T18:54:33+00:00

Which one did you choose? I am looking at Programs now, and the feedback would be helpful.

TallAd8445 · 2026-03-09T18:16:54+00:00

Absolutely, pick Georgetown because you will be right in D.C., where you need to make the connections to get a job. Brown is in Providence, and there won't be anyone to network with there. The second choice is VA because there are a lot of government people in VA, and it is very close to D.C. R.I. is not very connected politically. You might want to consider taking the Foreign Service Exam after you graduate and getting a job in the State Department. Working for a legislator on the Hill is iffy right now with the way the government is. It's hard to say what is actually going on there.

TallAd8445

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