rogue

As far as I can tell, no one at any of my prospective schools has googled me. How can I say this with any confidence? Well, I have a website that is my first and last name as the URL (it's not a vanity thing; I do a bit of freelance work and the site hosts my resume and portfolio). I also have a tracker on the site, and I can see where the hits are coming from. I have not gotten a single hit from an academic domain since I sent out my applications, nor have I gotten hits I can't account for (i.e., ones that aren't friends, family or clients/prospects) from any of the cities where my schools are located. And yet, if you search for my first and last name, this is one of the very first sites that pops up. I can't imagine a student or faculty member searching for me and not clicking that link, so I'm assuming they're just not searching.

I'm "old," too: 36. And I feel like now is exactly the right time for me to go back to school. I knew in high school that I wanted to get a Ph.D., teach college and research (probably partly because my dad was a prof). I just didn't know what I wanted to focus on. Undergrad didn't really give me a much clearer picture of what interested me enough to devote my life to studying it. I took a year off between undergrad (graduated in '96) and my MBA ('99). I really only went back to get the MBA because I hated working and my dad offered to pay for it--he thought it would be practical and help me get the more lucrative jobs my artsy-fartsy (aka awesome, in my book) liberal arts education wasn't. I think he missed the part where I wasn't applying for those jobs because they didn't appeal to me in the least. And I let him miss it, because, hey, he was offering a free ride for two more years. My performance in that program left something to be desired, both because I wasn't fully committed to grad school and because I came into the program with hardly any real world experience, which is probably helpful in any grad program but is CRUCIAL for an MBA. I'm not sure why I got an MBA, other than that the opportunity presented itself. I hate the corporate world. After that sobering experience, I decided I couldn't even think about going for a Ph.D. until I figured out what really lit my fire, intellectually speaking. It took another nine years or so of working soul-draining corporate jobs to figure that out (so at least my MBA came in handy then), and then another year after that to get my act together and apply. (I sat last year's application cycle out hoping the real estate market would improve and I could unload my house.) Anyway, I now know what I want and I am committed to going for it. That's a far cry from where I was in those first post-undergrad years. Do I wish I had figured it all out sooner? Yeah, because then I could've spent more time doing stuff I liked instead of stuff I didn't. But I'm really glad I took the time to sort out what was right for me, and I think I'll be more successful as a result. I agree with other forumites--we all bring something unique to the table, whether it's youthful energy or valuable experience. And somewhere, at least one program is going to be looking for exactly what you have to offer.

This is geared toward undergrad, but I just came across it and had to share. A couple of my LOR writers showed me their letters. I can only hope the third is not like this one. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-mehlman/college-days_b_380458.html

This. And yet, I'm antsy as all hell waiting to hear back from the others. I alternate between extreme optimism ("I'm getting into all my top choices! However will I choose?" and stressing out about choosing between programs I haven't been admitted to yet) and mild to moderate pessimism ("XYZ University sent out notifications and I didn't hear anything. Meh. Guess I know where I'm going."). The pessimism also comes with a heaping side order of relief, because I suck at making decisions.

Looks like folks are hearing from Texas. Anyone want to share? I haven't heard a peep from them yet.

I told my boss the day after I got my first acceptance, but I'm not sure this is the route to go for most people. It worked for me because everyone in my office knew I was applying and they've all been supportive. Also, my boss is dating a friend of mine (who would see the announcement on my Facebook page), and I wanted her to hear it from me first. Anyway, she was happy for me and happy to have so much lead time to fill my position. If you have any reason to think you'll lose your job if you speak up now, I'd wait until about a month before you're set to leave and then tell them. It's better than a two-week notice, and they're not likely to find a replacement quickly enough to make you miss out on that last paycheck or two.

So far, I've gotten one admit, with full funding to one of my top choice programs (yay!). I just got an email from a potential advisor at my safety school, asking me to interview and meet some of their grad students. Should I politely decline? If so, what should I say? I haven't accepted this other offer yet, as I'm waiting to see if I get similar offers from my other top choices. I can't really imagine a situation in which I'd turn down the offer I have in hand to attend this other school, but I sort of hate not keeping all my options open at this point in the game. Am I being ridiculous in hedging my bets? For what it's worth, the safety school is in the city where I currently live, which is a plus, and the main reasons it's not higher on my list are 1. it's unranked and 2. the prof I want to work with is likely retiring in a few years (before I'd finish my degree). Thoughts?

Woohoo! Congrats!

Congratulations! That's fantastic!

Have you contacted him to let him know you're applying again? I can't really tell from the way your post is phrased. If not, I definitely would. I'm not sure I would bring up seeing the job postings, though... that might be a little awkward/uncomfortable.

Thanks! The event supposedly includes lunch with faculty and students, then meetings with faculty (which we can schedule) or sitting in on a class or two. Then there are a couple of book discussions, followed by a wine and cheese reception. I don't know anything about stats, other than that they said there were an unusually large number of applicants. (That seems to be standard boilerplate for most schools, no?) I visited there last summer, when I was up for a conference. I like the grad lounge as well--it seemed like a laid-back collaborative space. There weren't a whole lot of folks around as it was summer, but the professor I met was very nice and so accommodating. I have a great feeling about this program and am really looking forward to finding out more and getting a better handle on the vibe there in a couple of weeks.

This is fantastic!

I posted my recent acceptance on Facebook (though I didn't say exactly where I was accepted, until later in the comments, after people asked). I don't see why I should feel the least bit weird about doing that, either. It's major, major news for me. Much more important than how hung over people are, what they ate for lunch, where their cat threw up or any of the other inane things that people deem worthy of status updates.

I probably check it at least 20 times a day. I think my girlfriend is going to take away my laptop.

Oh, on second thought... Dear Other Schools, I am horrible at making decisions. Maybe you should just reject me. It'll be easier on all of us. Thanks, Rogue

Dear Other Schools, This might come down to a bidding war. Please plan accordingly. xo

Hey, I saw someone else got into CUNY as well. I'm wondering who, and if s/he'll be at the admitted students event on 2/16. Anyone?

Thanks, everyone! Yes, the CUNY one was mine. I think it might be on the early side, though, because of the fellowship--so they probably have plenty more people to notify. I hope you all get good news soon!

I just got my first acceptance, to one of my top programs, with full funding. I can't even explain how relieved I am. Now I can go on with my life knowing that I'll be in school this fall, and plan accordingly (sell the house, etc.). Yay!

Ah, I was just coming here to ask the same question. So thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

Now that I've actually gotten my first acceptance (woohoo!), I can say that my initial list was probably a little off. It actually went more like this: 1. ex-gf (who desperately wants me to move to the city where I got accepted, because she's moving there... I know, twisted) 2. parents 3. BFF 4. current gf 5. brother, grandmother, rest of family 6. via text, all the friends who'd be pissed I didn't tell them before telegraphing it to the rest of the world 7. all my friends on Facebook 8. everyone at the bar where I went to have celebratory drinks 9. GradCafe

How ironic.

Definitely a bad idea. They'll notify you when they've made a decision; you don't want to annoy them in the meantime.

Me too! Right now I'm listening to a lot of house music (my usual), with occasional breaks for punk and ska stuff when I'm feeling particularly angsty about all the waiting. Oh, and I've been known to listen to a remix of Pink's "So What" ten times in a row lately... it might be a break up song, but it's good for when I think about the possibility of across the board rejections. "So what? I'm still a rock star!" Sigh...

I didn't pick up a call yesterday because it was from the same area code as one of my schools and I wasn't prepared for an on-the-spot phone interview. Turns out it was about a freelance writing gig. Oops.