The Upsides of Not Getting In

[wannabePhD]

(This post inspired by minneras - thanks!)

I'll start:

Relatives at my next family reunion will be able to say "good to see you finally got a real job!"

[a.arcane]

(This post inspired by minneras - thanks!)

I'll start:

Relatives at my next family reunion will be able to say "good to see you finally got a real job!"

Instead of hoarding my vacation days and savings to move to future graduate school, I'll actually take a vacation from my real job! And continue to have excellent benefits!

[fauxtog]

i would be able to coast at my brainless yet secure job: save some money, chip away at some debt, and maybe take myself on a bad ass vacation.

[minnares]

My youngest son won't have to wait to get braces. The remodel on my kitchen will get finished. I might get my trip to Italy finally (sympathy gift from the DH). Oh yeah, and I can afford to keep my pantry well strocked to feed my three sons! And then there's all the books I'll read of my own choosing and with all the time in the world .

~ m

[monkeefugg]

Move to Paris, and re-apply next year

Fail to get in next year? Move to NY and take acting classes

Edited February 26, 2010 by monkeefugg

[bluellie]

Spend a year down in South America, volunteering and improving my Spanish. Next year: apply to graduate school (again) and jobs abroad. This year's going to be an adventure, regardless of what happens. =)

[Tiglath-Pileser III]

I'm sorry. I don't see any upsides right now. All I see is the miserable end to a life dream.

[socnerd]

I might get to see what the inside of a homeless shelter looks like.

[katalytik]

MUCH more time available to spend on Grad Cafe.........

[eastcoastdude123]

I'll probably get to set a record for most jobs applied for without getting an interview. Oh, and I hear that Busch Light is quite tasty, which is good because my financial situation will deteriorate to the point where I have to quit drinking Natural Light.

[res2135]

Oh, and I hear that Busch Light is quite tasty, which is good because my financial situation will deteriorate to the point where I have to quit drinking Natural Light.

Hahaha, that was amazing. I live in fear of the day I can't afford Natty Light.

[nessadub]

I won't have to move. I can keep my job with benefits. I can stop hoarding my vacation time. I can save the thousands of dollars it would take to visit all five schools I applied to. I can spend more time sleeping and not worrying about checking my emails. I can stop driving my family crazy about not knowing where we are going to move to.

[medize]

I sympathize with Hermes' sentiment. I've been studying classics for fourteen years now and it was my dream to become a professor in the field.

But it's not going to happen, so I'm shooting to study in Jordan this summer and use the rest of the year to improve my Arabic. For what ultimate purpose, I have no idea, but it's pretty much the only useful skill I have.

[danicalifornia]

Have plenty of time to start pole-dance classes, sell my car, get a boobjob and start being a *bilingual* stripper in my country. I'll finally have the money to take my boyfriend out to dinner and say: "its on me darling".

[minnares]

I sympathize with Hermes' sentiment. I've been studying classics for fourteen years now and it was my dream to become a professor in the field.

But it's not going to happen, so I'm shooting to study in Jordan this summer and use the rest of the year to improve my Arabic. For what ultimate purpose, I have no idea, but it's pretty much the only useful skill I have.

Trust me when I say I totally get the feeling of having a dream dying. I've been rejected from 3 of my 6 and am anticipating two of those last 3 will be solid rejects as well, which leaves 1 school. If I don't go this year, I have to wait at least 5 years to reapply because of my family situation. This is quite literally my Perfect Storm year, now or possibly never type of deal. However... life is long. That's not just a throw away, pat concept. I've heard of people getting their doctorate late in life. Heck, I'm 37 already. While I don't know your personal situation at all, I hope you'll reapply next year or whenever you're able. The only way a dream can die is if you choose to give up on it. There's almost always another way or opportunity to get where you want to be. I still believe this. (Let the Pollyanna comments commence!).

~ m

[kobe36]

keep my job for now while I search for a new one, take myself on a nice long vacation with my SO, and buy myself something very pretty and then get back to working on the apps for next year.

[Strong Flat White]

Write, write, and write some more.

[The Pseudo grad student]

I'm sorry. I don't see any upsides right now. All I see is the miserable end to a life dream.

Awww.. Cheer up Hermes . I know 2 rejections must hurt but you've got 3 more schools to go! Besides I believe that things tend to work themselves out so keep hope alive! Things seem bad for now but I think in time you'll understand why. I really do wish you all the luck on your applications!

As for the OP's question: I think I'll move to SF and devout my time to modeling. Oy I feel my brain getting slower by the minute...

[medize]

Trust me when I say I totally get the feeling of having a dream dying. I've been rejected from 3 of my 6 and am anticipating two of those last 3 will be solid rejects as well, which leaves 1 school. If I don't go this year, I have to wait at least 5 years to reapply because of my family situation. This is quite literally my Perfect Storm year, now or possibly never type of deal. However... life is long. That's not just a throw away, pat concept. I've heard of people getting their doctorate late in life. Heck, I'm 37 already. While I don't know your personal situation at all, I hope you'll reapply next year or whenever you're able. The only way a dream can die is if you choose to give up on it. There's almost always another way or opportunity to get where you want to be. I still believe this. (Let the Pollyanna comments commence!).

~ m

Minnares, that's very true. This is my second year to apply, actually (wah wah wah). I'm definitely not giving up on the long-term dream of getting a doctorate, but I think it is useful to realize when something isn't going to work out in the immediate future and plan accordingly.

For everyone getting rejections, apply again next year! I was a much better candidate this year than I was last year (although still not good enough, haha sob). My professors told me it was fairly common not to get in your first time around.

Oh yeah, and M, keep up the good fight. I wish you the best of luck in your perfect storm year. My roommate is almost fifty and she's getting her PhD this year. You're not alone!

Edited February 26, 2010 by medize

[minnares]

Oh yeah, and M, keep up the good fight. I wish you the best of luck in your perfect storm year. My roommate is almost fifty and she's getting her PhD this year. You're not alone!

Thanks for that! I'm so emotionally strung out right now I get teared up ridiculously easy . I've come this far and through what seemed like insurmountable odds back then. Maybe a decade from now I'll be able to say the exact same thing about this situation.

~ m

[lily_]

Frankly, I didn't want to move to Queens and face a 1 and a half hour commute one way everyday anyway. Plus if I don't get into NYU I can spend more time on my ass and get the courage to face the mean ladies at the food stamp office again. Yes, they are bullies and I am small.

Oh yeah and I can continue to apply for meaningless jobs because my undergraduate degree is useless without at least a master's!

OR, and this is better yet, I can do ANOTHER year as a non-matriculated student attempting to fix the damage that my undergrad GPA of 2.7 has done to my future! A year at U of C's non-matriculated program getting a 3.8 was apparently not enough! This time though, I'll have to take on MORE DEBT due to the 18 months of UNEMPLOYMENT!

AND I can study to take the GRE AGAIN! because you know, the 1250 + 6.0 writing score just can't cut it! AND take the Chinatown bus on MORE semi-humiliating campus visits of trying to charm potential advisers before the whole process begins, for the third year in a row!!! hi5!

[Branwen daughter of Llyr]

Weelllllllll... not really ridiculous, but here goes:

1. I have time to actually save up a small nest egg for grad school (stipends are barely enough for rent...)

2. Time to get a head start by taking Latin at TAU (also making me a more attractive applicant)

3. Time to revamp SOP (ditto on attractive applicant)

4. Time to re-write writing sample + perhaps find somewhere to publish it (ditto on attractive applicant)

5. Time to finish YA novel I'm working on and maybe manage to get it published somehwere

6. More time with family here before the long haul back over the pond

7. Cats and dog get to wait an extra year before being subjected to an 11 hour flight

8. Time to read books NOT related to school

9. Time to acquire more skills & experience that will help land part-time jobs during grad school (as stated, stipends are barely enough for rent)

10. I'll want it THAT MUCH MORE next year

11. Time to bargain, beg, wheedle, and strongarm any higher power / divine being about 2011 apps

[Medievalmaniac]

I've come this far and through what seemed like insurmountable odds back then. Maybe a decade from now I'll be able to say the exact same thing about this situation.

~ m

YES.

[Maxwello]

I still haven't given up for this year. (I haven't heard from any of the six schools I applied to.) However, if the worst happens, at least I will have time for the real estate market to recover a bit before having to sell my house. Of course, that means it will have time to recover in the cities I'm looking to move to, as well.

I take solace from a dear friend who went back to school in her mid fifty's. She graduated with her PhD, turned 60, and married off her oldlest daughter all in the same week. She's been extremely happy with her decision to go back and loves the variety of work and travel she gets to do now.

[eveangel1979]

This is my first year applying for PhD programs. I did better on the GRE than when I applied to my master's program. I was more focused on the applications. I actually felt as if during the 5 years since I graduated with my master's degree I had matured a lot and become more focused.

If I don't get in this year, I'll have another year to grow and present a better application for 2011. Also, I'm taking a vacation overseas, I'm going to read anything I want, and I'll be able to save money. It's not all bad...