Kilos

This is my first grad school application season (nontraditional student graduating with a B.A. in May) and all-told I think I've spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $700 to apply to six schools. I'm factoring in: My one GRE attempt ($205) A few GRE fees required to send scores ($81) Six application fees (~$400 - fees ranging from $40 to $100 - no waivers) Postage for a manuscript ($8.20) A few odd transcript mailing fees ($15-20) It's not a cheap process, but I feel that it was a good investment. I see some people applying to 15-20 schools, so you can take my ~$400 figure and multiply it by three to get a high end figure. Also, applicants who need GRE subject tests or who take multiple swings at the GRE general exam add significantly to this total. The time spent was the real cost, in my opinion, but I enjoyed most of it.

That's definitely the vibe I got during some brief conversations with faculty (seminars) and students. They all seemed so interesting, and I felt so stimulated by even the tiniest bit of interaction I had with them. It was really exciting. I had a hard time picking a major in my undergraduate studies because I felt torn between the humanities (my skill-set in English/rhet/comp) and STEM subjects (my passions for technology, science, and numerous subfields). In fact, my proposed research within the HDLT program involved exploring the (ever-diverging) social/educational/political gap between humanities studies and science studies--specifically whether or not the mythic cognitive disconnect between the two ("oh I'm terrible at math/english/science!") actually exists, or whether it's a byproduct of uninterested/unmotivated students/teaching, or something else entirely. It would be such an incredible privilege to work in an intensely multidisciplinary environment, surrounded by people who are just as excited about this stuff as I am.

Wow, that's so hard to fathom--700 applicants whittled down to 100. I guess, if anything, that makes the looming threat of rejection a bit easier to swallow. Sometimes there are simply not enough spots. I'd love to squeeze some secret info out of you, but I think it'd probably just make me more of a nervous wreck, so I'll just keep wallowing in my blissful ignorance. Oh and thanks for the well-wishes! Considering what you just told us, we're going to need all the luck we can get.

Yes, yes, and yes some more. I'm applying straight out of undergrad, so I don't have the graduate experience you do, but I am a nontraditional student so I've got the same kinds of concerns. I own a house, I have a career, I have an amazing, supportive wife, and I've got a cat... It's upsetting to think about relocating, especially from somewhere cheap like Ohio to one of the most expensive places in the country--but we've had dozens of conversations and we're all ready to pull the trigger and make it work. I was talking to my wife the other night and I said "I don't know what I'm dreading more, packing up everything and moving to Boston, or getting rejected outright." She didn't miss a beat and said "getting rejected, obviously." ha. She keeps telling me it's completely out of my hands now (has been since 12/1) and I shouldn't worry about it... but I can't help it.

My thoughts exactly. ha. This HDLT program has been my top choice since I first found out about it. No other program/school/environment/faculty seems to so perfectly align with my interests and passions. I've built this up into an enormous, life-changing event in my head, even knowing how unbelievably competitive the process is, and now, after years of waiting and preparing, I'm trying to brace myself for the rejection letter. haha. I just keep telling myself it'll all be over soon.

Thanks for this awesome info! In past years the first interview invites have gone out 1/18-1/23; it's great to have confirmation. Just got a major case of the nerves.

I haven't had any correspondence with any of my schools and I'm already feeling the same way. I think it's pretty natural. It's a huge shift, a huge change, and for many of us it's the first time we've been faced with such a monumental opportunity. I know everybody's different, and people's circumstances all vary, but for me, it's unnerving knowing that the very course, direction, and ultimate outcome of my life may very well rest on how appealing an admission committee finds my stack of papers. You got the interview though, which means your stack was good enough; now all you have to do is show them you're the person on the paper. : )

Excellent news! I'm sure you'll nail the interview--just remember they contacted you for a reason, just be yourself.

Awesome @Espeon! That sounds very promising. I only applied to five schools, and four of them won't be sending out admissions until March-ish. My top choice (an education program) typically contacts potential admits for interviews around January 20th. I'm not really expecting any contact until then, and even then I'm not expecting anything (i.e. trying to be pragmatic) because it's an insanely competitive program. I'll be checking this thread constantly, though, because I love hearing about people getting interviews/admits. The one thing (above all else) that really gets me about this whole graduate school thing is the near-mystical aura around every stage of the process. I'll have my B.A. in May, so this is obviously my first application season, but it's been a rollercoaster. One day I'm floating on clouds, feeling incredibly confident about my prospects as a top-tier candidate... and the next I'm mocking myself for thinking I ever had a shot. I'm all about suspense, but I really can't wait for this whole thing to be over. I've got an awesome job offer waiting for me if I don't get in anywhere, and that takes a bit of the edge off of things... I can't imagine what others (who don't have that luxury) must be going through. Such an incredible weight/unease.

Thanks @soydominique . I'm sorry about your grandmother and you're spot-on about the emotional confusion. It's weird, because right before my mom died I was absolutely over the moon about these grad school apps. I had everything laid out and I was rearing to go... after she died I could barely get myself to the computer. Before she passed I couldn't think of anything I wanted more than to go on to pursue my graduate education. I was bouncing off the walls excited. I haven't been able to find that feeling since. It's been a month or so now and my head doesn't feel any clearer. I guess some things just change you.

I was wondering the same thing. I didn't register this account until very recently, but I'm a loooongtime lurker. I remember a few of my most-lurked threads from last year were four times the size of their current counterparts. Not entirely sure what to make of it.

I agree that you may be overthinking it, but since you asked, I scanned my official (paper) transcript as a multi-page .pdf file and uploaded it. I think all they're looking for is a general copy of an unofficial transcript. Harvard requires official transcripts only after you've been accepted; they seem to be running off the knowledge that most applicants will generally be honest, while reserving the right to rescind their decision should that unspoken trust be violated. Long story short, while I cannot speak for the institution, I think they're just looking for the information and probably aren't too finicky about the method of transmission.

@Yanaka and @biyutefulphlower: you guys are awesome. Thanks very much, and I totally will if I need somebody to talk to. And yes, Oregon's wonderful! I've traveled the entire country and not found anywhere more beautiful. It feels like home. Portland is my favorite city in the country, though it's becoming a bit... overcrowded and over-trendy in my opinion. Who am I kidding--I still go back whenever I can.

Thanks for your kind words. If I have any advice (and it's fairly cliche, I know) it's to spend as much time with your mom as you possibly can. I ache knowing I could have called more often, or visited a few extra times. It's one of those things you can never make right, so you have to make sure you never do it wrong to begin with. Also, I don't know how strong I'm being, I've just been putting off dealing with it until after all this grad school application stuff is behind me. I'm sure sometime around February I'll completely fall to pieces.

Thanks, @biyutefulphlower. It really has disoriented me; I've lost both of my parents now, and I'm still relatively young. I feel like the anchor to my past and younger life is gone. I can't even count how many times I've tried to call either my mom or my dad over the last few years... before I remember they're gone. Bah. Awesome to see you're applying to Oregon! That's one of my five schools. I grew up near Eugene and did part of my undergrad work at UofO. Hoping to get into their English Ph.D. program (concentration in Environmental Lit/Rhetoric). It's a wonderful school with great resources, a beautiful community, and the English Ph.D. program is way more competitive (acceptance-wise) than most realize. I feel I'm a great fit, but I worry I've gotten my hopes up because of my personal connection to the area. I'm trying to be realistic and I understand that it's a long-shot.

Oh my, no. I'm now terrified, though, that others who speak French didn't think my seafood-related joke was nearly as funny as I did.

haha, that's the only French I know. I was told it meant "Waiter, I'll have the skatefish, if you please!

I love French in general! Garçon, je voudrais la raie s'il vous plaît!

Yeah, totally agree with @Yanaka, there's no need to feel even a little bit off about applying to two schools. Life circumstances are often the most formative in the decision-making process; I wouldn't look at it like it's a restricting factor, more that it helped you narrow down your choices and save some money on application fees. There are a dozen schools I scratched off my list because I couldn't see myself living there for an extended period of time, or because they didn't perfectly match my interests. You're just filtering based on different criteria, that's all. Sometimes, in some scenarios, going to a faraway school just to get a degree isn't worth the cost/payoff in the long-run. It sounds like your husband has a good job, you have a job, you're educated, and you have your life priorities laid out to best serve your future. I think you've got your head on straighter than most, and you're using your life experiences to make good, informed choices. Frankly, that's the exact opposite of naiveté.

Great question with no perfect answer. Some schools/applications actually have sections laid out specifically for this. They'll ask you to "explain any extenuating circumstances" or something of that nature; in these cases it's easy to type up a 1000 character response explaining why. In scenarios where this opportunity isn't provided, you'll need to make a call as to whether or not your grades were terrifying enough to justify a mention/explanation in your SoP or Personal Statement. Personally? I'm no expert, but I think it's pretty clear that old grades are eclipsed by new grades. Committees will almost certainly notice that a transcript is from 20 years ago, and they'll also note the marked improvement in more recent endeavors. I'd say there are caveats to this, like if you completed 3/4 of a degree at a 2.5 GPA before transferring and finishing up with a clean(er) slate, or something similar. In your situation (low undergrad/high graduate) I'd say you probably shouldn't worry about it too much. People change, circumstances change, and motivations change. An ancient undergraduate transcript might say something about your 20-year-old self, but your better graduate transcript shows that you're a changed, focused, more driven person who is capable of taking on graduate-level work. I suppose at the end of the day the only person who can answer "how best to explain" your grades... is you. Were there good reasons or were you just dicking about? If you were lazy, my advice would be to dodge the old transcripts as craftily as you can, because your more recent education demonstrates your aptitude. If you had a really good reason for your sub-par work (health, family issues, financial constraints), I'd consider addressing it briefly but directly, explaining the situation while taking responsibility for the poor performance. My $0.02. Best of luck!

I can completely relate; that's exactly how I feel. I'm sure you don't want my life story, but I'm a nontraditional student wrapping up my undergrad at a different school after a long (9 year) hiatus. I resumed my undergrad with the express understanding that the end goal would be a Ph.D. in my field. My first instinct was to cast the widest net possible, and my initial scratch-paper list was nearly twenty schools long. It didn't take more than a week or two to cut that down to twelve, and then eventually to eight, and ultimately five. I guess what I'm getting at (in my rambly, roundabout sort of way) is that it doesn't matter that my goal has always been graduate school--if I'm not over-the-moon excited to pack up all of my stuff, sell my house, thoroughly befuddle/disorient my cat, and move somewhere for 5-6 years, it's probably not going to work out. As you put it, I don't want to just go to school SOMEWHERE, I want to get an education so perfectly aligned with my goals and interests that I'll never look back and think "what if..." Frankly, if that means I'm not good enough to get into those perfect programs, then so be it. I poured a lifetime of hard work, high marks, and passion into those five apps, and at the end of the day that's all I can do. (still, ditto on the panic tho. brb hyperventilating into a paper bag.)

Yeah, I'm already obsessing and I know I've got months until the first acceptances/interviews go out. Cornell's a wonderful school in an incredible location! I wish you the very best of luck.

Thank you, that's very kind! It's been one heck of a month. I'm just glad to have my applications done; now, the waiting game!

I originally had 8 schools on my list. Unfortunately, my mother passed away on Thanksgiving, and due to time constraints I trimmed it down to five. Three are English/Literature Ph.D. programs, one is a Rhetoric Ph.D., and the other (which is actually my top choice) is an Education Ph.D. (concentration in Human Development, Learning and Teaching) that is perfectly aligned with my interests. So yeah, five. Seeing all of these people applying to 10-20 schools is making me wonder if I've made a grave mistake. Ha.

It looks like you guys more or less figured this out, but I figured I'd chime in: there's a lot to be said for doing things correctly, but I don't think you have anything to worry about! I really doubt Harvard (or any other school for that matter) would throw out an excellent candidate over a misplaced GRE sheet. I obviously can't speak for anybody but myself, but I'd assume that as long as they get the scores into your packet before they start vetting it shouldn't have deleterious effects. Best of luck to you!