You know . . . last fall when I was gearing up to finally apply, I thought it'd be really cool to not tell anyone, and then when I got in somewhere sweet I could be all giddy and surprise loved ones. But, for me, it seemed I could not adequately imagine pursuing this without talking about it with some people I'm close to. So in a way I think it helped my applications, even if most were unsuccessful. The chances for top programs are low, for just about everyone, and there are so many factors you can't control for . . .
It takes courage to have a dream and pursue it, and I think it takes courage to talk about your dream while you're pursuing it.
All that said, now that my dream has been talked about a little . . . if/when I try again, I may go silent hahaha.