somethingelse

I'm going nuts. My potential advisor said I'd find out by the end of February, and I haven't heard anything yet. At this point, the wait is killing me... I don't even hardly care anymore whether I get in or not...

First off, you're not being attacked; you asked if it was right for you to think this way and you got responses. They might be blunt, but it sounds like you could use it. Criticising your line of reasoning does not qualify as an attack. Second, why are you concerned about how or why this other guy got accepted to the program? What does it matter in the long run? I think this obsession of yours is really quite revealing of the need to feel special and perhaps a need to feel like you've suddenly been accepted into an elite social circle. That's simply not a sign of good character, and if I were you, I'd be more concerned about YOUR ability to make it in the program, not someone else's. After all, sometimes people get in based on their personal qualities, not their quantifiable performance. If the guy really is a leech, get over it. You will encounter leeches throughout your life, with positions you think they don't deserve or can't handle and who use others to help them achieve their ambitions. They're everywhere, in business, government, politics, construction, and academia. In conclusion, I think you just need to grow up a little bit.

He got accepted on some sort of special scholarship, moved into campus housing, and was told at some point that it was a huge mistake. I don't know the details... he went home and we attended community college together in the rural community were we lived. He was a great guy, very honest and high achieving, so I don't think it was some fault on his part and he was lying.

I have a few ideas: 1. Do the PhD and go into academia. Get a professorship somewhere, teach and research. 2. Do the PhD and go back into public or private sector. Consulting for federal government or think tank. Then maybe return to academia after 10-15 years. 3. Don't do the PhD and go into policy analysis with the federal government or think tank, building off my MPP degree. 4. Don't do the PhD and stay in urban planning (currently employed in planning). 5. Don't do the PhD, get out of urban planning, don't go into public policy, and be a stay at home dad. Some days Option #5 seems like the best one, really.

I knew a guy who was accepted to Cambridge (from the US), actually moved there and started school, and then was told it was a mistake. Now THAT sucks.

Excalibur (a campy classic) House of Cards Trilogy (one of the best series I've ever seen -- British TV) District 9 (just saw it on video... better than I thought it was going to be)

I'm applying to the University of Michigan, Natural Resources and Environment PhD. Part of me agrees with you. But the thing is, I am not really interested in much else at this time that I would want to study at that level, so how would I know which schools to apply to? If something else comes along down the road, who knows, I might apply another year. But right now, this is it. I'm aware that my interests might change somewhat, but at least in this program I would hopefully be in a place that would "catch" my interests since it is a popular program for env. psych. interests. But you're right... if this was absolutely what I wanted to do with my life, it would be risky. But so many things can happen in life that change our goals and desires that I've learned to just sort of probe all sorts of possibilities at the same time, instead of putting all my eggs in one basket. So while this may be my only PhD program to which I'm applying, I have other ideas for work.

And in this boat, we know there's more at stake than if we were single, had no more responsibilities than to put food in our mouths and pay our rent, and had many more years until we were going to start a family. At this point, its pretty important that we do this because we 100% want to.

I really did it for a variety of reasons: 1. I saw all these people with PhDs who more or less weren't really cut out for academia or just didn't make it for some reason, and so they spent many years of their life when they could have been in the workforce, building their professional skills and so forth with the degree they already had. In essense, they were over-educated and under-experienced. 2. Burnout has really affected me the past year or so, and the last thing I want to do at this point is go do some PhD program I am only half interested in, live in an area where I don't want to settle down in, and live the life of a student for 4-5 more years, especially with a family.

I'm interested in environmental psychology (studying how the natural and built environments influence human behavior and visa-versa) and pro-environment behavior, and the premier program in the country for this (at this time) is at U-M, School of Natural Resources and Environment. There are others, but none with the specific faculty members I want to work with and who are at the forefront of this type of thing. There might be a single faculty member here or there, but they are either a stretch ,or in a program where I'd be alone in my research interest. As far as making a living, I hope that with my background in urban planning and policy I would still be marketable for federal jobs in natural resource management and policy analysis if the academic thing didn't work out. however, my ideal would be to teach at a small, liberal arts program or even community college and just sort of quietly do my research on the side... not really into the rat-race of publishing and everything to get some hot position. Besides, by the time we're done with our programs, I think tenure will truly be a thing of the past. With humanities, I can definitely see the more important dilemma between "doing what you love" and making practical decisions. For humanities, you don't have a middle ground very often... its either do or die, in a sense.

I've applied to only one PhD program. Why? Because it was the only one that had the researchers and academic environment I wanted to study in. Every other program was a stretch of my own interests and I made a pact with myself that I wouldn't just apply to a PhD program simply to get a PhD. So I had a spreadsheet of 12 programs that I whittled down to one. I love the academic environment, and love teaching and the idea of researching as a career, but I'm not going to get a PhD in something that I am not passionate about. As far as my chances... I just don't know. Ordinarily, I think I would have been a shoe-in based on the input given me by my potential advisor. But this year, she said, the program's financial framework is being overhauled and they are only admitting those who they can fully fund. So a class size of [twenty maybe?] will be reduced to a few for Fall 2010. I have great work experience, a masters (earned with distinction), awesome GPA, but mediocre GRE scores. Most importantly, I've tried to demonstrate that my research interests are in line with my potential advisor's. So, in all, I just have NO IDEA if I will get in, and the fact that it's my only shot is making more than a little nervous. If I don't get in, I'm pretty worried about my job prospects. My current job will be ended soon, and in my line of work and this economy, I have been extraordinarily stressed, especially with a baby on the way, as well, and currently supporting my wife through nursing school. So is there anyone else out there who has only applied to one program? What's your plan if you don't get in? Do you think you'd ever apply again? What are your thoughts?