Graduating Undergrad This Friday -- I don't know what to do anymore

[kxhl]

Hi everyone,

I graduate this Friday (well I'm walking the stage and I have 2 online summer classes to go) and I'm so nervous and scared for my future.

I really want to go to grad school to get my MSW but I am so burnt out from undergrad that I am taking a gap year. Also it was so expensive to apply to grad school. My bachelors of science is in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Latino/a Studies.

My dream grad school is University of Chicago but I am too afraid to apply or even apply to other schools. I'm so afraid of failure and rejection. I just wanted to know how and why you think you got accepted into those SW programs? I have done a lot of service and social justice activism/work in my undergrad, as well as being apart of many different orgs and having leadership positions. I just think my grades espeically senior year grades are not the best. I don't know my final grades but I'm hoping my GPA would stand at 3.0 or higher at the end.

[harpert1]

On 5/5/2019 at 9:50 PM, kxhl said:

Hi everyone,

I graduate this Friday (well I'm walking the stage and I have 2 online summer classes to go) and I'm so nervous and scared for my future.

I really want to go to grad school to get my MSW but I am so burnt out from undergrad that I am taking a gap year. Also it was so expensive to apply to grad school. My bachelors of science is in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Latino/a Studies.

My dream grad school is University of Chicago but I am too afraid to apply or even apply to other schools. I'm so afraid of failure and rejection. I just wanted to know how and why you think you got accepted into those SW programs? I have done a lot of service and social justice activism/work in my undergrad, as well as being apart of many different orgs and having leadership positions. I just think my grades espeically senior year grades are not the best. I don't know my final grades but I'm hoping my GPA would stand at 3.0 or higher at the end.

The best advice that I could give you is: Everything will be fine, and it’s totally normal to be a bit fluxed after graduating from undergrad (congratulations!!!). A gap year is a good way to hone in on your focus and also take a breather from school; I would actually say take two years off to get some post-college experience, which can help differentiate you from other candidates.  I would also recommend volunteering a little bit in addition to working full-time so that way you could vary up your recommendations and resume.  I don’t want to be cliché when saying this but the adage is true: “The only way to fail is if you don’t try.”  The worst that any school could do is reject you, and that would be fine, not finitely life altering, while conversely an acceptance could be life changing.  I don’t think I did anything too special for admittance to grad schools; if you offer a compelling personal statement, have good recommendations and a solid resume, I’m sure most grad schools would love to have you.  I’m attending UChicago SSA, and thinking of pursuing a PhD, so I hope to see you around on-campus someday, perhaps. 

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”

[doctormelody]

13 hours ago, harpert1 said:

The best advice that I could give you is: Everything will be fine, and it’s totally normal to be a bit fluxed after graduating from undergrad (congratulations!!!). A gap year is a good way to hone in on your focus and also take a breather from school; I would actually say take two years off to get some post-college experience, which can help differentiate you from other candidates.  I would also recommend volunteering a little bit in addition to working full-time so that way you could vary up your recommendations and resume.  I don’t want to be cliché when saying this but the adage is true: “The only way to fail is if you don’t try.”  The worst that any school could do is reject you, and that would be fine, not finitely life altering, while conversely an acceptance could be life changing.  I don’t think I did anything too special for admittance to grad schools; if you offer a compelling personal statement, have good recommendations and a solid resume, I’m sure most grad schools would love to have you.  I’m attending UChicago SSA, and thinking of pursuing a PhD, so I hope to see you around on-campus someday, perhaps. 

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”

I completely agree with this. It's pretty normal to feel insecure and worn out after completing your undergrad - I certainly did. Personally, I found asking for recommendations to be the most challenging part of the process for me. The personal statement wasn't fun but I'm a strong writer so I think that helped. Everyone has their strengths, and it sounds like one of yours is definitely your extensive volunteer and leadership experience. I agree with @harpert1 that taking two years off to work and volunteer in the field could be beneficial, but I also recognize that that's easier said than done. In the end you just have to do what's right for you, but I definitely recommend applying to more than one program just in case. There are several good ones in the Chicago area if that's where you wanna be. Good luck to you! You got this.