The following two to three weeks, a lot of us will receive emails from schools, and many years of our life will have more certainty. Either we receive acceptance letter, and go for grad school; or, we receive rejection letter, and start a new way of life. This is clear. What is not clear, is what does it mean for us personally.
Certainly, acceptance means recognition. It means the school believes that you can help it, and do well there. There is no doubt about that. Now, many will infer that rejection means disapproval, including me. Regardless how strong and rational we claim we are, deeply, we feel rejection means disapproval. Like many have described in this forum, it is like a relationship. There could many potential suitors, and you know that. But, as long as you want to be genuine and loyal, it always hurts to be rejected. We are just as fragile as it is.
I applied for PhD program in Finance, and today received yet another rejection letter. Disappointing. It is a school that I visited, and I even talked with the admission staff and students there. Very beautiful campus. Such vivid experience only makes the pain more tangible. However, I know one thing: I did not really get to know the scholars there well. They need someone that can help them in their specific field, and it could well be that I am not the one they think that can do the job, compared with other candidates. Education at doctorate level is about contribution to school, not the other direction. We know it, because we got paid to do PhD, not the other way around any more.
The question is what is the message of rejection: does the rejection mean that we are not qualified for the job? Certainly no. It is the opinion of schools, and we all know for certain that schools are not always right. By monetary measure, Harvard dropout makes more money that the one who completed, and hundreds of others who did not go to prestige schools ends up with purposeful and successful life, such as Steve Jobs, and many other entrepreneurs. Academic achievement seems to concentrate more in school these days, but I doubt how many of us really want to end up doing that. It only means one thing, that you and the school has a disagreement. You believe you can help the school in the field you applied, and the school disagree. What we should do? Simple: move on.
Those who deeply believe in academic success will apply again next cycle. Those who really do not will think about what they really what, and find other opportunities in life.
I have four more school to wait. I have no idea, and I am only optimistic about one of them. I will only keep thinking about my own purpose during the last waiting, and then, see how it will turn out to be. I hope every body here stay calm and happy and finish this process, whether you end up doing your PhD, or discover new things in life.
A master student in Washington DC.
