child of 2

Did you, in some form?  Though I rather like the way you've written it here.

From what I remember, I didn't mention anything about my future career other than that I wanted to work in R&D. I spent 80% of the essay talking about my research and teaching experience. I only had positive feedback from the professors who read it for me. I was told to emphasize my research experience... I mean people can talk all they want about making the world a better place, but the cold hard truth (for chemical engineers anyway) is that one way or another, people end up doing process design, or something completely unrelated to their PhD thesis. It seems the real exciting stuff only happen at research universities and national labs. Outside, in the private sector, it's all about the bottomline... and not getting sued. Ridiculous...

My nerves are only starting to fray now that I'm waiting for my last reimbursement check but I already paid a deposit on an apartment in my new state.  I no longer have wriggle room financially, mentally, or emotionally.  Hello Miss Crazy Kale     

you signed a lease without looking at the neighborhood first? I did that, and now I regret it deeply.

well... more specifically, a scientist that helps address the world's sustainbility issues such as petro chemical deriveratives, mostly polymers, which typically require high energy demands, processes that produce a lot of wastes, and when turned into a product, gets a 1 way ticket to a landfill, often behind the curtains, in a third world country. Have to hand it to Apple for that one, they come up with new shit every year, and people flock to them.

There are currently research involving biodegradable (recyclable) polymers that could potentially be not only a greener, but cheaper alternative to conventional plastics, electronics, etc. Polymers is also a big player in fuel cells and photovoltaics, which are currently already optimized; they're just trying to make it cheaper than fossil fuel (good luck with that one  ).

shit, maybe I should've put that into my SOP....

I just want to be a fucking scientist

you would think that paying $60-120 for a stupid application entitles you the courtesy of prompt email responses and constructive feedback after the process is over. I mean for f*k's sake the NSF fellowship, which has a free application, sends back comments to those that make the first cut. Another reason why I hate the school administrations' guts. My hard earned money is just another drop in the bucket for their BS.