Aussiegbrl

I've been a member for at least two years. Anyone else feeling the stress? lol Thats rhetorical

ssadiesades

yeah I put Spanish as one of my last choices since I don't actually speak Spanish at all haha

KnickyG

I put down that I would do everything but HS Math or Science and Spanish...i can't speak any Spanish so I would be pretty useless there and they don't seem to have a high demand for bilingual Japanese speakers.

bubblerj

I am pretty stuck in Hawaii for family reasons and I am just hoping I still get in...

For subjects I chose: Elementary, ESL ( I am already ESL certified), Spanish (Which I speak fluently + the ESL experience), and Special Education (because I have been working with special needs for the last year doing Behavioral therapy). Oh I also put Social Studies (would love that!!)

So..I hope my geographical constraint does not prevent me from getting a spot! We will see

wonderstruck08

I don't even know if transitional funding is a good indicator for me as I didn't apply/upload support materials until 5 days past the deadline. As the day gets closer I am gradually going more bonkers over everything! haha.

@bubblerj: I hear they don't look at your geographical/subject preferences until after you have been accepted. Likewise, I am pretty stuck in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Hoping we both get accepted and placed in our preference regions

educatedbrotha12

@wonderstruck08-did you preference any areas outside of the Baltimore-Washington area?

I selected about 20 different regions but I'm more concerned that my subject areas aren't diverse enough. I pretty much excluded all of highschool, art, music, and foreign language from my form, but I'm open to everything else. Maybe it won't affect decisions but I feel like based on my preferences I may be waitlisted. Who knows :/ lol. I also wish I could've applied to an earlier deadline. For some reason I feel like we are dealt a bad hand in general since we are the last deadline. What does everyone else think?

wonderstruck08

I highly preferenced only DC, Baltimore & Delaware. I included several others that I would consider but would most likely be unable to accept in preferred and least preferred (simply because there was the requirement to list at least 10).

I've sort of convinced myself at this point that I will not be selected but every once and a while I keep imagining "but what if I DO get it". Sighhhh. I've never been so unsure of my like chances at getting chosen for something before.

ssadiesades

I'm not sure. I don't think it affects whether we are *not rejected* or not, which I say specifically because wait listing is more common for us since they may just not have any spaces left by the time it gets to us. I wish I had learned of TFA sooner, I would have applied to an earlier deadline. :/

only two more days!!

ssadiesades

also, wonderstruck, where in the dc/balto area? I'm from around there; even though I put these regions as low on my preferences, I think I'll be coming back here eventually!

wonderstruck08

@ssadiesades: I am getting ready to graduate from UMBC, so I am currently in the Catonsville area. My family lives closer to Towson.

QUWordArt

@educatedbrotha12 - As a 5th deadline applicant, I have heard that you might have a greater chance of being waitlisted (depending on how the other deadlines went and what regions are hearing from the school districts).

As far as getting the regions you preference goes, being 5th deadline does put you at somewhat of a disadvantage. I was 5th deadline last year and was eventually told that my highest preferenced region (Boston) had filled after the 2nd deadline. (Connecticut was definitely my 2nd though! :-) )

Placement depends on so many factors. TFA always tries to send you to your highest preferenced region, but there are factors that may prevent that from being a possibility. Certification is a big one. I can only speak of Connecticut, but I know that it's one of the hardest states for an individual to gain certification (especially through an alternative route). If you don't have the undergrad coursework that is necessary to gain certification in a particulat state, then TFA is obviously not going to send you there. (That's why you had to fill out that redonkulously long form based on your transcript.) I had initially wanted to teach secondary english, but I am only qualified to teach elementary in CT based on state standards. There are a lot of states like that, but there are also a lot of regions with extremely lax certification requirements.

Regions also need to be in constant contact with the district(s). The district tells TFA how many spots they are likely to have for TFA corps members in the upcoming year. TFA compares these numbers to the number of corrps members they have placed in the past and eventually decides how many new members they can take in with confidence. (I will be honest with you all and say that Connecticut was unable to place 3 of elementary corps members this year, who had to be given the option to defer, transfer to another region or drop out. This is extremely RARE though, but it can happen.) Districts may change their mind many, many times throughout the year, so regions may have the privilege of taking on even more corps members in later deadlines, or they may have to cap out early. The waitlist also comes into play here. If a district decides, in June, that they are (and this is an extreme!) going to fire 30 teachers and want 30 corps members to take their spots, a region can turn to the waitlist. It all depends. The last thing a region wants to do is take more corps members than they can place.

rustyhalos

My preference list is all big cities--I'm a city type of girl--but honestly, I'd accept no matter what happens. My prefs aren't as important to me as TFA and being a part of the movement.

TFAAMAN

Does anyone feel like they are attending a funeral on Thursday? I am getting that vibe...

texaslove12

Hey everyone! My TF Status still hasn't changed, it's seeming like an indication that I wasn't accepted :/ Lately I have been feeling so unsure and a bit doubtful that I will get into TFA, but you all have been so helpful as I know we are all in the same place. Only 2 more days!

I don't even want to begin to think about being waitlisted. That thought scares me almost as much as a rejection.

I am feeling positive that whatever happens for all of us, we will all make an impact in some way- just maybe not in Teach for America. I am just a month away from graduation so if I don't get in I will just focus on finishing off the semester & looking for other opportunities, but I want this so badly! Best of luck to all of you!

rustyhalos

This thread is rapidly morphing into group therapy