Does anyone have any experience applying to grad school after a long period of unemployment? Basically, I graduated in 2007, taught abroad for a few months but couldn't handle the isolation in the town of 3000 where I was working. I got back to the US in February 2008, and have been job hunting like crazy ever since--to absolutely no avail. Will grad schools just classify me as a loser and reject me? I was an older undergrad and really can't sit around and wait until I have work experience to apply. Is there any chance grad schools would cut me some slack because of the job market? Actually, I don't just mean will might they cut me slack. I mean will my unemployment have any negative effect of my application, because I am in unmanageable debt from my undergrad years and can't go anywhere without an excellent financial aid package. Should I explain that my family lives in the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country and that I had to spend almost a year "working" and getting paid out of my dad's pocket before I could afford to get out and start looking for jobs anywhere else? Or will that look like I'm making excuses? Any advice? Thanks in advance. I'm completely freaking out.
