Just Try and Reject Me

[jilixi]

I've already bought my books for the courses even though I haven't heard back yet whether or not I've been accepted into the program. I got an apartment near campus. I've told everyone I'm going to grad school.

If they reject me I've decided that I'm still going to attend classes. I will show up and participate just like everyone else. If they kick me out of the classes then I will have a pretend lesson outside on the lawn, right outside of the classroom. If they kick me off campus, I will stand near the entrance of the school pretending to give a lecture on the subject I wish to study to thousands of imaginary people. If they call the cops on me I will cry until the cops take pity on me and try to persuade the school to accept me. (I'm good at getting cops to feel sorry for me).

I think this is a very good plan. It will show my undying dedication. I think it will lead to good things for me. I persuade anyone else who has gotten rejected to seriously consider the same type of plan.

[Jae B.]

Have you visited Berkeley...?

[Jillybean]

I've already bought my books for the courses even though I haven't heard back yet whether or not I've been accepted into the program. I got an apartment near campus. I've told everyone I'm going to grad school.

If they reject me I've decided that I'm still going to attend classes. I will show up and participate just like everyone else. If they kick me out of the classes then I will have a pretend lesson outside on the lawn, right outside of the classroom. If they kick me off campus, I will stand near the entrance of the school pretending to give a lecture on the subject I wish to study to thousands of imaginary people. If they call the cops on me I will cry until the cops take pity on me and try to persuade the school to accept me. (I'm good at getting cops to feel sorry for me).

I think this is a very good plan. It will show my undying dedication. I think it will lead to good things for me. I persuade anyone else who has gotten rejected to seriously consider the same type of plan.

love it! Ditto....except in NYC, I'd probably be just another one of those people standing outside a school talking to imaginary ppl!

[shakespearebro]

This sounds like a good plan for being admitted to a kung fu school.

[The Pseudo grad student]

I've already bought my books for the courses even though I haven't heard back yet whether or not I've been accepted into the program. I got an apartment near campus. I've told everyone I'm going to grad school.

If they reject me I've decided that I'm still going to attend classes. I will show up and participate just like everyone else. If they kick me out of the classes then I will have a pretend lesson outside on the lawn, right outside of the classroom. If they kick me off campus, I will stand near the entrance of the school pretending to give a lecture on the subject I wish to study to thousands of imaginary people. If they call the cops on me I will cry until the cops take pity on me and try to persuade the school to accept me. (I'm good at getting cops to feel sorry for me).

I think this is a very good plan. It will show my undying dedication. I think it will lead to good things for me. I persuade anyone else who has gotten rejected to seriously consider the same type of plan.

Haha, I LOVE your tenacity! People might think you insane but I'll think of you as devoted. It definitely shows merits for getting into the school!

Good luck on whatever school you are waiting on!

[Ion Trap]

Despite what you may want to believe, admissions committees generally are not swayed by displays of dedication by people not admitted to the program. Most likely they will find you annoying.

I applied to a particular PhD program four times. You could call it my "dream school". The first time I was rejected, but I got accepted somewhere else, and got my masters degree. After I completed that, I applied the following three years. I was rejected each time.

During those years, I worked and lived in the area, talked with professors, and kept up on their research.

I tried to better myself in every conceivable way.

Since it was practically impossible to get research experience unless I was currently an undergrad or already had a PhD, and I was obviously in neither category, I offered to do research for free, and was denied.

I sat in on classes.

I improved my exam scores for every admission season, spending tons of money on ETS. (Fuck ETS)

Every year I was more qualified than the previous year.

All it got me was earlier rejection notices.

I only applied so many times because I was forced to stay in the area due to family issues, which are for the most part over now, so this year I was finally able to apply all over the country.

Did they care that I was passionate about their work? That I had a professor that wanted to work with me and assured me that I surpassed any expected criteria for incoming students?

No.

Did they care that I still have family members nearby that need my assistance? That staying in the area would mean that I can go to my dream school I've worked my ass off to impress, and continue my career with a place that would have been a great fit for both parties?

No.

Do you know what the head of the admissions committee told me? That admissions were random. No, I'm not shitting you, he actually said that. He said that almost everyone who applied was qualified, so people who are picked are essentially picked at random, and that many times people were picked based on criteria that have nothing at all to do with academic performance or research potential, such as interests and hobbies that an applicant listed on their resume that a professor shared. It wasn't exactly the most heartening talk I've ever had.

This year I was accepted to places that are easily peers of this school, so combined with this one professor's word, I know I wasn't rejected because I was unqualified.

I'm not sorry for it all, because I'm going to a place that is peer of this place, where everyone is a lot friendlier and seems happier with life, will give me more connections and probably help my career more, and isn't filled with jerks.

Also studying hard to get my subject GRE score up so high has helped me immensely.

In a nutshell, I learned that admissions committees don't care about your personal story.

I'm not saying all of this to get you down. Just be realistic. Your life is not the move "Rudy". However working hard to get in will make you a better person at least.

[jilixi]

Despite what you may want to believe, admissions committees generally are not swayed by displays of dedication by people not admitted to the program. Most likely they will find you annoying.

I applied to a particular PhD program four times. You could call it my "dream school". The first time I was rejected, but I got accepted somewhere else, and got my masters degree. After I completed that, I applied the following three years. I was rejected each time.

During those years, I worked and lived in the area, talked with professors, and kept up on their research.

I tried to better myself in every conceivable way.

Since it was practically impossible to get research experience unless I was currently an undergrad or already had a PhD, and I was obviously in neither category, I offered to do research for free, and was denied.

I sat in on classes.

I improved my exam scores for every admission season, spending tons of money on ETS. (Fuck ETS)

Every year I was more qualified than the previous year.

All it got me was earlier rejection notices.

I only applied so many times because I was forced to stay in the area due to family issues, which are for the most part over now, so this year I was finally able to apply all over the country.

Did they care that I was passionate about their work? That I had a professor that wanted to work with me and assured me that I surpassed any expected criteria for incoming students?

No.

Did they care that I still have family members nearby that need my assistance? That staying in the area would mean that I can go to my dream school I've worked my ass off to impress, and continue my career with a place that would have been a great fit for both parties?

No.

Do you know what the head of the admissions committee told me? That admissions were random. No, I'm not shitting you, he actually said that. He said that almost everyone who applied was qualified, so people who are picked are essentially picked at random, and that many times people were picked based on criteria that have nothing at all to do with academic performance or research potential, such as interests and hobbies that an applicant listed on their resume that a professor shared. It wasn't exactly the most heartening talk I've ever had.

This year I was accepted to places that are easily peers of this school, so combined with this one professor's word, I know I wasn't rejected because I was unqualified.

I'm not sorry for it all, because I'm going to a place that is peer of this place, where everyone is a lot friendlier and seems happier with life, will give me more connections and probably help my career more, and isn't filled with jerks.

Also studying hard to get my subject GRE score up so high has helped me immensely.

In a nutshell, I learned that admissions committees don't care about your personal story.

I'm not saying all of this to get you down. Just be realistic. Your life is not the move "Rudy". However working hard to get in will make you a better person at least.

yeah... i totally get what you're saying. i was joking in my post anyway.... i'd never actually do any of that and i haven't bought books for the courses already etc. i just wanted to lighten the mood of this forum. the feeling of my future being in the hands of strangers is an awful feeling especially when i'm passionate about this and know i would make an amazing art therapist and not getting accepted this year is not going to deter me after i've finally realized what i want to do in life. i'll just apply to other programs next year. like you, i applied to the school in the city in which i already live because i'm not mentally ready to move yet. if i don't get in i will consider other cities... i'd like to be back on the east coast actually.

congrats on your admittance this year! and thanks for your response. i've never seen "Rudy". is it good?

[oldlady]

I've already bought my books for the courses even though I haven't heard back yet whether or not I've been accepted into the program. I got an apartment near campus. I've told everyone I'm going to grad school.

If they reject me I've decided that I'm still going to attend classes. I will show up and participate just like everyone else. If they kick me out of the classes then I will have a pretend lesson outside on the lawn, right outside of the classroom. If they kick me off campus, I will stand near the entrance of the school pretending to give a lecture on the subject I wish to study to thousands of imaginary people. If they call the cops on me I will cry until the cops take pity on me and try to persuade the school to accept me. (I'm good at getting cops to feel sorry for me).

I think this is a very good plan. It will show my undying dedication. I think it will lead to good things for me. I persuade anyone else who has gotten rejected to seriously consider the same type of plan.

Considering that you want to study art therapy, I think that your plan is brilliant!

[EKPhrase]

Despite what you may want to believe, admissions committees generally are not swayed by displays of dedication by people not admitted to the program. Most likely they will find you annoying.

I applied to a particular PhD program four times. You could call it my "dream school". The first time I was rejected, but I got accepted somewhere else, and got my masters degree. After I completed that, I applied the following three years. I was rejected each time.

During those years, I worked and lived in the area, talked with professors, and kept up on their research.

I tried to better myself in every conceivable way.

Since it was practically impossible to get research experience unless I was currently an undergrad or already had a PhD, and I was obviously in neither category, I offered to do research for free, and was denied.

I sat in on classes.

I improved my exam scores for every admission season, spending tons of money on ETS. (Fuck ETS)

Every year I was more qualified than the previous year.

All it got me was earlier rejection notices.

I only applied so many times because I was forced to stay in the area due to family issues, which are for the most part over now, so this year I was finally able to apply all over the country.

Did they care that I was passionate about their work? That I had a professor that wanted to work with me and assured me that I surpassed any expected criteria for incoming students?

No.

Did they care that I still have family members nearby that need my assistance? That staying in the area would mean that I can go to my dream school I've worked my ass off to impress, and continue my career with a place that would have been a great fit for both parties?

No.

Do you know what the head of the admissions committee told me? That admissions were random. No, I'm not shitting you, he actually said that. He said that almost everyone who applied was qualified, so people who are picked are essentially picked at random, and that many times people were picked based on criteria that have nothing at all to do with academic performance or research potential, such as interests and hobbies that an applicant listed on their resume that a professor shared. It wasn't exactly the most heartening talk I've ever had.

This year I was accepted to places that are easily peers of this school, so combined with this one professor's word, I know I wasn't rejected because I was unqualified.

I'm not sorry for it all, because I'm going to a place that is peer of this place, where everyone is a lot friendlier and seems happier with life, will give me more connections and probably help my career more, and isn't filled with jerks.

Also studying hard to get my subject GRE score up so high has helped me immensely.

In a nutshell, I learned that admissions committees don't care about your personal story.

I'm not saying all of this to get you down. Just be realistic. Your life is not the move "Rudy". However working hard to get in will make you a better person at least.

Ion Trap - I have the same exact story - got the GRE up to 800 and the MA with a 4.0. Three years straight - "no." When I read an article saying that the founder of Vanderbilt, more than a hundred years ago died of syphilis, I felt a little Better. FU ETS and FU Vandy!

[Summit_Bid]

I do have one story that is a little like the OPs. There was a women who was accepted into a program but couldn't get into a very crowded class she needed to graduate. She bought the books for the class and attended everyday despite not being officially enrolled. Eventually they kicked her out but she went on the lawn outside the window of the classroom and listened. The teacher allowed her to come to class and take the tests and graded all of her homework assignments and even the final. She ended up being the best student in class and aced all exams and papers. Because she did such a good job administration later added her retroactively and she was able to graduate.