The NYCTF application process, timing ...

Before I bother getting my skirt in wad about the umpteen thing I MIGHT need to worry about (e.g. finances, classroom violence, moron principals) I need to actually get into the NYCTF program.

There is a great LiveJournal site that anyone thinking about the NYCTF should go read. It's been around since 2005, and is treasure chest of posts from people going through the NYCTF program, or who tried to get in but were rejected, or who got in and have since left teaching, or who have gotten in and are still teaching. Post from all sorts. It's great to get the lowdown of what to expect and how things play out from so many different vantage points.

Now, the application process.

The application process (for the regular, summer program) goes something like this:

1. Apply. Wait for invitation to interview (2-4 weeks??)
2. Schedule interview (you have 3-4 weeks to schedule something)
3. Go on your interview. Wait for response (3-5 week??).
4. If not accepted, you are either outright rejected, or waitlisted.
5. If accepted, go out for beers.

Now, those timeframes above, giving # of weeks, have been gleamed from the NYCTF website, from peoples' experiences, etc. Of course, I've read and heard of great differences in how long things take.

The initial wait after you submit your application is usually consistently quick, 2-4 weeks. However, it seems like it can be much longer if your application was put in right as they're finishing up the previous group's application process -- say, if they finished taking in applications for the Mid-Year program and you've JUST put in an application for the following year's regular summer program. So, people who've submitted their applications in Oct, for example, usually got answers in 2-4 weeks, without exception. But people who (as I did) put in their applications in August, when the mid-year program applications were just winding up, might not get as timely a response.

I've heard/read/gleemed that about 60% of applicants get an interview. Once you are invited to interview, you only have a few weeks to actually schedule one (via your application portal on the NYCTF website). Once you interview, official NYCTF literature SAYS you will receive an answer in 3-5 weeks. But again, this seems to vary greatly, depending on the time of year you apply. In general, it looks like they do not accept people into the regular, summer program until after the first of the year, and often not until well into February. So if you interviewed in the late fall, you might not hear an answer until 4-5 months later. Whereas, if you interview in Jan or Feb, you could hear a response within a few weeks.

But, the admissions are on a rolling basis, so they fill positions with qualified candidates as they come in. Thus, the earlier you apply, the more spots are open in which to be placed. So the long wait might be worth it.

And then, once you're accepted -- well, then the fun (cough horror) begins.

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UPDATE

Got some good feedback from the folks at the NYCTF about the timing for step one above. Looks like, regardless of how early you apply, they will not be responding to applicants for the regular summer program until around mid-October.