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Ion Trap

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  1. Despite what you may want to believe, admissions committees generally are not swayed by displays of dedication by people not admitted to the program. Most likely they will find you annoying. I applied to a particular PhD program four times. You could call it my "dream school". The first time I was rejected, but I got accepted somewhere else, and got my masters degree. After I completed that, I applied the following three years. I was rejected each time. During those years, I worked and lived in the area, talked with professors, and kept up on their research. I tried to better myself in every conceivable way. Since it was practically impossible to get research experience unless I was currently an undergrad or already had a PhD, and I was obviously in neither category, I offered to do research for free, and was denied. I sat in on classes. I improved my exam scores for every admission season, spending tons of money on ETS. (Fuck ETS) Every year I was more qualified than the previous year. All it got me was earlier rejection notices. I only applied so many times because I was forced to stay in the area due to family issues, which are for the most part over now, so this year I was finally able to apply all over the country. Did they care that I was passionate about their work? That I had a professor that wanted to work with me and assured me that I surpassed any expected criteria for incoming students? No. Did they care that I still have family members nearby that need my assistance? That staying in the area would mean that I can go to my dream school I've worked my ass off to impress, and continue my career with a place that would have been a great fit for both parties? No. Do you know what the head of the admissions committee told me? That admissions were random. No, I'm not shitting you, he actually said that. He said that almost everyone who applied was qualified, so people who are picked are essentially picked at random, and that many times people were picked based on criteria that have nothing at all to do with academic performance or research potential, such as interests and hobbies that an applicant listed on their resume that a professor shared. It wasn't exactly the most heartening talk I've ever had. This year I was accepted to places that are easily peers of this school, so combined with this one professor's word, I know I wasn't rejected because I was unqualified. I'm not sorry for it all, because I'm going to a place that is peer of this place, where everyone is a lot friendlier and seems happier with life, will give me more connections and probably help my career more, and isn't filled with jerks. Also studying hard to get my subject GRE score up so high has helped me immensely. In a nutshell, I learned that admissions committees don't care about your personal story. I'm not saying all of this to get you down. Just be realistic. Your life is not the move "Rudy". However working hard to get in will make you a better person at least.
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