Old Man & the C(S)

I turn 40 in June and I sure hope it is helpful to my shot at admission. I know the rest of you have an excellent chance of getting older, but I haven't quite figured out a way to get younger (any recommendations from Biology or Physics friends would be appreciated).

I know I stand out from the crowd, which is good in any competition that involves tons of identical packets. When and if the interviews happen, I have several advantages. I seem to be taken more seriously by faculty and staff. I'm often confused for a PhD student, which makes me feel like I look the part. Like everyone else my age, I've taken on tough challenges and survived but more importantly, I can quantify how I survived.

Unfortunately I will get some ugly questions my younger competitors won't.

"Why didn't you try this years or even a couple of decades ago?" How do you answer that without sounding like a slacker?

"If you get a PhD, you will probably only have about twenty years to use it. Is that worth the investment?"

I turn 40 in June and I sure hope it is helpful to my shot at admission. I know the rest of you have an excellent chance of getting older, but I haven't quite figured out a way to get younger (any recommendations from Biology or Physics friends would be appreciated).

I know I stand out from the crowd, which is good in any competition that involves tons of identical packets. When and if the interviews happen, I have several advantages. I seem to be taken more seriously by faculty and staff. I'm often confused for a PhD student, which makes me feel like I look the part. Like everyone else my age, I've taken on tough challenges and survived but more importantly, I can quantify how I survived.

Unfortunately I will get some ugly questions my younger competitors won't.

"Why didn't you try this years or even a couple of decades ago?" How do you answer that without sounding like a slacker?

"If you get a PhD, you will probably only have about twenty years to use it. Is that worth the investment?"

**Bump**

Reviving this great thread and I'll tell you what I did.

1. Obsessed as to the meaning of being accepted into a program but not the graduate school.
2. Jumped through every administrative hoop they could find.
3. Texted the word "in" to my wife and walked back to my desk vibrating.
4. Nodded incoherently at my coworker who knew what was going on.
5. Called my big LoR writer, left message.
6. Skipped out of work at lunch.
7. The LoR writer called back.
8. Informed everyone using most methods of communication known to man, ordered from least understanding to most understanding while I propagated war crimes on a bottle of absynthe.
9. Attended (was driven to) a nice meal with my wife and kids.
10. Had a huge backyard party complete with inflatable bouncy house that weekend.
11. Phoned it in at the office for the next four months. ;-b

I have a great career-type job in my field and had similar second thoughts about grad school. That is, until I received my first acceptance. After I got into one of my top schools, it was the easiest decision I've ever made.

Best of luck to the rest of you.

<bump> some else probably needs this tonight.

I will sleep. For a week. Without checking my email address. That is all.

The scenario newms described is exactly what happened to my colleague this last year. You got in! The other stuff can be sorted out.

Cash?


Oh sorry.

Cash?


Oh sorry.