Plan B: What to do when rejected EVERYWHERE?

[nurye27]

I know that a lot of people have discussed it before, but now that rejections are rolling in for real, the possibility that we all wanted to avoid seems more and more likely to become an actuality to some.

I'm not being a defeatist here, I just think it's time, at least for me, to face reality and truly start devising a Plan B. That's why I am curious about what you guys think. What plans do you have in mind in case you get rejected everywhere? Are there any people to whom this happened in previous years? How did you deal with it? What did you do?

[DUguy333]

Facing this very real possibility for me, over the weekend I applied to two safety schools, something I should've done in December. Others may not have that opportunity as Urban Planning seems to be a pecularity with such late deadlines at some schools.

But I still have my back up plan. Volunteer with "at-risk" children at after school programs and big brother sorts of mentorship while getting some cash with a part time job elsewhere....oh, and then re-apply ALLLL ove again come november.

[bgk]

I know that a lot of people have discussed it before, but now that rejections are rolling in for real, the possibility that we all wanted to avoid seems more and more likely to become an actuality to some.

I'm not being a defeatist here, I just think it's time, at least for me, to face reality and truly start devising a Plan B. That's why I am curious about what you guys think. What plans do you have in mind in case you get rejected everywhere? Are there any people to whom this happened in previous years? How did you deal with it? What did you do?

Well, if you decided you still wanted to go to grad school. You could write to the chair of the admission committees to get some feedback as to why you were rejected and see if you can do anything to improve your application next time. One idea might be trying to do some free/volunteer work with a professor at a local university or at your undergrad place. E.g. a research project/literature review/simulation or something similar and applicable in your field.

[rising_star]

My Plan B is to do an alternate certification program and become a social studies or language arts teacher, likely in Georgia or Florida.

[Cornell07]

Well, if I don't get in anywhere, then I intend to apply to work for the State Department. As my intended area of study is the history of US Foreign Policy planning and development, I should like to have some experience working with the people I want to study. Even if I get into grad school, I intend to collaborate with the DoS in my professional and academic career. Similarly, I'll apply to some of the big policy planning think tanks.

[pleasegodletmein]

excellent topic. i'd like to move back to europe but don't know how possible this will be... i need to somehow get a job there first. or i'd love to spend some time in vancouver, ca but i'm not sure how to go about doing that either. why are all the "teach english" jobs in asia and latin america? i wish they would allow you to immigrate somewhere based on your excellent coffee-making abilities or something equally unimpressive.

if these don't work out, my girlfriend and i are thinking- portland. work as little as possible, enjoy life, travel. student loans are a bit of an issue too, though. damn this indentured servitude!

[nike of samothrace]

This has happened to me, twice. My backup plan was to just work, which I've been doing for two years. I have a good job, but nothing I want to stay in long-term (though it is in my field, which is rare without a PhD, so I've been lucky).

A lot of people in the applyingtograd community on LiveJournal mentioned that once they went through a wave of complete rejections they realized that it wasn't the end of the world and it made them less hung up on the whole process. For me, it's only reinforced that this is absolutely the only thing that I want, and that I'll do what I have to to get it.

I've been taking classes to diversify my CV and build up the skills that I let slide during my MA. I presented at a conference, am always on the lookout for new contacts and professional development, and I've become a much smarter, stronger applicant. I think it's made me a stronger person overall as well, though I have to admit that so many rejections from something I want so badly has worn me down, also. It's certainly a mixed bag.

But it *isn't* the end of the world, that's true, and having a plan B is a good idea - even if plan B only shows up well after the final rejection is in.

In the end, I believe things happen for a reason. This time around I'm applying to schools I never dreamed of before - and not lower-level schools, either! (though slightly lower-level in my specialty, they are still world class institutions). Maybe I was just supposed to go somewhere that I didn't give a chance to before. I think there's a place for me somewhere great...

good luck to you all. It's a tough road - acceptance or rejection!

[arthistorian]

i shall move on. we all will. as nike of samothrace said, it's not the end of the world

[jaw17]

Run away to Africa?

Or maybe pop out a kid.

At this particular moment, both seem somewhat more appealing than shelling out two years and $60k for a MA and then going through the whole damn process over again.

[silencio1982]

might try again next year if i am rejected. i will try to get a job at a university in my current field (development/fundraising) and maybe take a few classes to strengthen my apps. would have to re-take the GRE again. bah. i hope i don't have to!

[Southeast Penn]

This happened to me last year. It was devastating. I had applied to 3 schools and was reasonably sure I would get in to at least one of them (I had applied for study at the same school I got my MA from).

The first thing to deal with was the "well, what the heck do I do now?" feeling, along with the rejection and disappointment. I remember lots of drinking and video games. Fortunately, I'm a teacher, so summer offered a bit of free time to try to pick up the pieces and figure out where I went wrong. I knew I had to take the GRE again, because my original scores were 5 years old and going to expire. I also started studying for the subject test in my field (which happens to be Literature), because I knew just taking the stupid thing would increase the number of schools I could apply to next year.

I researched personal statements to see if I had made any glaring errors on mine. Turns out I had. In retrospect, I think my personal statement was so bad that most adcoms didn't even bother with my writing sample, my transcripts, etc. In the meantime, I kept teaching. I tried to fill out the weaknesses I knew I had on my application. I imagined, "what does the ideal candidate in my field look like on paper?" and tried to hit as many matches with that that my own experiences would allow. Because in the end I think most universities don't pick 'ideal' candidates, they pick students who show they can bring a total package, and the particulars of that package are different in each case.

This year, when the panic set in and it was looking likely I was in store for a universal rejection again, I quickly applied to a few local MA programs (my original MA was in Creative Writing, not straight English). If you're going to have to wait another year (or two) you might as well spend it doing something that is going to directly help you accomplish your longterm goals.

If you think you are a strong candidate, you probably are, and the problem lies in how you presented yourself on your application. And getting rejected, while I would never call it a blessing in disguise, does give you something else: adcoms (or at least the ones I've known) love candidates with 'real-world' experience.

[rising_star]

This happened to me last year. It was devastating. I had applied to 3 schools and was reasonably sure I would get in to at least one of them (I had applied for study at the same school I got my MA from). ...

I researched personal statements to see if I had made any glaring errors on mine. Turns out I had. In retrospect, I think my personal statement was so bad that most adcoms didn't even bother with my writing sample, my transcripts, etc. In the meantime, I kept teaching. I tried to fill out the weaknesses I knew I had on my application. I imagined, "what does the ideal candidate in my field look like on paper?" and tried to hit as many matches with that that my own experiences would allow. Because in the end I think most universities don't pick 'ideal' candidates, they pick students who show they can bring a total package, and the particulars of that package are different in each case.

This year, when the panic set in and it was looking likely I was in store for a universal rejection again, I quickly applied to a few local MA programs (my original MA was in Creative Writing, not straight English). If you're going to have to wait another year (or two) you might as well spend it doing something that is going to directly help you accomplish your longterm goals.

If you think you are a strong candidate, you probably are, and the problem lies in how you presented yourself on your application. And getting rejected, while I would never call it a blessing in disguise, does give you something else: adcoms (or at least the ones I've known) love candidates with 'real-world' experience.

What do you think went wrong with your personal statement? I'm curious if you could elaborate on the presentation issues applicants face because I think it could help a lot of people here.

Sidenote: What do you teach and to what ages? I've always thought about getting a teaching certificate and teaching high school English.

[ollie cromwell]

I'll extend the date of my graduation, pick up a GIS certificate while I can still get interest-free loans, and apply again. It'll be a bit more interesting with another year of research under the belt, and at least one pub in the field I'm actually looking at. I'd also have time to drill the quant section with a lighter classload.

[lucifer2]

If you happen to be rejected everywhere, no doubt it's gonna hurt. If even your safety schools reject you, this could mean that you are not good enough even for the programs that you deemed barely acceptable. There are two options here, do something to make your profile look better or forget about getting a PhD. You can also blame your zilch acceptance on bad luck and try again next year. I think unless you're in the fields where having a PhD is very critical for career advancement, you can use the next school year to explore your other options. Maybe the rejections are a blessing in disguise. Yeah, MAYBE. This is what I tell myself anyway.

For me, Plan B is to go back to work but what kind of work? I can push papers or count beans but I don't want to. I honestly feel like there's not much I can do if I can't get in anywhere. My test results are pretty decent for the schools that I'm applying to. I'm done with my degree so there's nothing I can do about my GPA or the recommendation letters that I can get. I have thought of getting something published but I lack data.

I hope none of us will have to seriously comtemplate Plan B.

[Philmajor]

I will have my Masters in June (Religion) but I only applied to one school - UChicago Divinity which is where I'm getting my MA. If I don't get in what the hell can I do with a degree in Religion? I will apply to more schools in the fall for 2009; there just wasn't enough time given my course load this year.

Perhaps I'll move home, play video games, and eat pizza!

[Philmajor]

I will have my Masters in June (Religion) but I only applied to one school - UChicago Divinity which is where I'm getting my MA. If I don't get in what the hell can I do with a degree in Religion? I will apply to more schools in the fall for 2009; there just wasn't enough time given my course load this year.

Perhaps I'll move home, play video games, and eat pizza!

[pleasegodletmein]

Perhaps I'll move home, play video games, and eat pizza!

yes, i've tried this... the problem is when the guilt trips start to set in- for some reason, fathers don't seem as keen on their kids mooching off of them forever as moms do. dammit! and it's really not that great to never have spending money with which to buy gas, take out your girlfriend, etc.- parents don't seem so excited about giving an allowance to their 27-year-old, either. what the hell? i wish you all the best in fulfilling my dream of being supported forever, though.

[Philmajor]

Yeah, I'm sure they wouldn't be thrilled and I suppose I'm getting a little to old to put on the sad face and mope around :oops:

Perhaps someone on this board will have some ideas on what type of jobs I should look into!

[polisciapp]

I am paradoxically accepting and rejecting this notion (i.e., not getting in anywhere). Since I am in a state of internal conflict, I just can't bring myself to think about the consequences . . . .

[Minnesotan]

yes, i've tried this... the problem is when the guilt trips start to set in- for some reason, fathers don't seem as keen on their kids mooching off of them forever as moms do. dammit! and it's really not that great to never have spending money with which to buy gas, take out your girlfriend, etc.- parents don't seem so excited about giving an allowance to their 27-year-old, either. what the hell? i wish you all the best in fulfilling my dream of being supported forever, though.

Time to head over to Cougar Night at the local meat market. Find yourself a sugar momma.

[nike of samothrace]

rising_star, I did this after my first year of rejections as well. With serious time between when I submitted the SoP and when I later read it (after most of the hurt from the rejections had gone away, really it was early next fall), I was able to see the impression I gave of myself. I had a rough time in my first year of my MA program, and so I presented myself - or so I thought - as the student who had already flirted with failure but worked incredibly hard, turned it around, and made myself a shining, dedicated, A student. The way I saw it (and yes, this passed my recommenders reading it, as well!), everyone flounders at the beginning of their grad career, and so I was showing that I had already done that and had learned heaps from it, and so lookit me, I'm strong and great and your ideal candidate!

What I really did was highlight every negative in my application, and show myself as maybe a bit of a loser. Oops.

What I did this time around was not acknowledge the Bs and B-s on my MA transcript. I led with my drive, my passion for my field, and said that my path to this point was not direct, but look at how that's made me a really diverse candidate. And then I talked about all of the things I've done to strengthen myself on every level: travel, fieldwork, coursework, conferences. I highlighted my motivation and my dedication. And - importantly - I let the recommender who has known me the longest talk about the tough times I had during my MA program. She knew what it was in my undergrad work that put me at a disadvantage when I started, and could talk about the problems in the department faculty that affected me negatively - all stuff that I couldn't bring up on my own, but were legitimate obstacles I had faced.

Basically, I took the most positive view of myself that I could, and presented that. Maybe most important is that I listened to what my friends and colleagues said about me - I saw myself as a person with B-'s on my transcript, but they see me as intelligent, dedicated, good at what I do, blah blah blah. I realized that what I saw as a black mark was not actually a black mark on my person - there's no giant B- engraved on my forehead for all to see. And it was up to me to see myself in a positive light, so that committees would follow suit and realize that I *am* someone they want in their programs, and that I am someone who will succeed.

Or something like that.

Hope that helps somewhat!

[FastForward]

Hoping to give this threat some positive spin -->

Do you think it's possible to apply to MA or MS programs after April for September 2008 (Europe or US) ? Any specific school names / programs you'd recommend for last minute master's applications ? I've heard that it's not impossible in Europe, but a nice list of specific schools would be sweet.

[Cornell07]

Well, I'm going to keep plugging away at my job and apply to jobs more relevant to my field of study and then apply to an MA program in the Fall. I've got a few more schools left to hear from..

[frankdux]

in the fall of '06 i was in my final semester of a masters in math education and i was too busy student teaching to think about further grad school, however it was somewhere in the back of my mind. the following spring i took the general GRE and decided in the coming fall i would apply to go for a ph.d. in applied mathematics. in the meantime I joined the JET program and am currently teaching english in two high schools in japan.

so when it came time to apply i actually only ended up applying to two schools which now seems incredibly stupid. but i just applied to 2 schools that really interested me that seemed within my reach that also didnt require the GRE subject test - which i prefered to avoid out of fear of bombing it. again, this was pretty stupid. if i am rejected from both schools i will take both the general gre (again) and the subject GRE and go back and apply to at least 7-8 schools next year. in the meantime i am debating whether or not to stay in japan for another year.

[Philmajor]

Frankdux - could you elaborate on your JET experience? I'm think some of us are contemplating teaching overseas if graduate school doesn't pan out as we would like.