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I've seen both single-spaced and double-spaced specified, which isn't helpful. Yes, word counts are far better.

A number of the universities I've looked at closely have said something about it being acceptable not to have LoR from professors after five years of being out of school. Two years might not be enough time to get away with it.

There's no magic cure for this, but I find it helps to think of the people I admire who did take different paths and found success on their own terms. There are always outliers, and they often have the most interesting stories. You have the perspective you have now because you've fought your own unique battles. Embrace it as much as you can, and find a way to make it work for you.

Slightly off-topic, but I love it when schools are blunt.

I'm also applying as an international student for at least a couple programs, but from US to UK. I'm already non-traditional, and without anyone to advise me, so I just click around websites and do searches on here occasionally for key terms. (Have you searched your country's name on here to see if anyone has discussed applying from it? Even if it was in another discipline, you might find some insight.)

I know I've seen at least one place that specifically said no. (I can't remember where, but I'm sure they're not the only ones.) Might be best to check with the schools you have in mind.

I knew there was a reason I kept my griping about the cost of GRE scores to Facebook.

Use Twitter for your own entertainment and don't worry about what other people are doing. If he's interesting, keep following him. If he's boring, don't. That way the answer to the imagined question "Why'd you unfollow me?" isn't a whiny "You didn't follow me back" but rather, "Because I wasn't entertained. Kthxbye."

Thank you! I have also been out of the game awhile (and am switching disciplines as well), which is why I have no suitable/recent writing samples. Love writing... Don't so much love not knowing my second topic yet. Good luck to you too!

My various writing sample requirements are: 10-20 pages 5k words (approx. 17 pages) 3-6k words 10-15 pages And two that need two writing samples, but don't specify length. I'm writing a 17 page paper and a 13-15 page paper to meet everyone's demands.

On the way to FedEx Kinkos to fax a transcript request this morning, I noticed that the coolant light was on in my vehicle. One errand turned into an hour in one auto repair shop (who quoted almost $900 worth of repairs) and then over an hour in a second auto repair shop (who quoted almost $800... Of different stuff). The two agreed that a transmission mount needed to be replaced, but place A said both engine mounts were broken as well. Place B said the engine mounts were fine, but there was a broken sway bar, old spark plugs, a "marginal" battery, and a filter which could all use fixing. Place B seemed more trustworthy. They also said that I needed some coolant, even though place A had supposedly checked all fluids a few hours prior. The coolant light never came on again, and neither place found any problems with that system. :/

I'm not sure that "no professor cares." Some will care. Others will not. Maybe he'll read it and he has a chip on his shoulder. Maybe he doesn't. Maybe your paper will be read by somebody who hates that guy and he'll love it. Who knows? (But then, you could write a paper on anything and face similar problems, so...)