Political Science - Fall 2011 Cycle

[The Lorax]

But you know, 30 or 33 isn't even old. Not to diminish anyone's life experience. But my spouse is 36, and recently made a career change. He's still young with many years of working toward...whatever it is one is working toward....ahead of him. Especially with life expectancy increasing, and retirement age likely being pushed back to 70.

As a relatively young person likely to be sitting in a classroom with some 30 year olds - no one is looking at you thinking "isn't he a little OLD to be going back to school? He's getting grey around the temples for crying out loud!"

[Polly_Sigh]

^ same. turn 28 this summer though xD

29 in a few months right here. WOOT WOOT!!!!

[Polly_Sigh]

another refreshing post from GopherGrad! I completely agree that life experience, and especially life experience outside of academia, adds to one's ability to be successful in grad school. now if only i could convince the admissions committees of this….

I went to law school as a wet-eared 22 year old and treated it like college. I mean, I worked really hard, but it was sporadic.

I remember that what time I showed up at the library depended on how much work I had, but however early I got in, this one student was there before me. When finals came, I was hitting the books until all hours, but he was rarely there late. I asked him once about his study habits and he said:

"I get here at eight every day and leave at five. If I run out of reading, I re-read, I read ahead, I read supplements. If five o'clock comes and I have more to do, I ask myself if the extra work is worth an hour not seeing my wife, my kids or taking the time I can with my parents or friends. If it's not, I leave. This is just a job. You do it right, but it's the means."

He finished near the top of the class and disappeared into a middle-sized firm that paid him like crazy and let him take family vacations. Man had developed priorities that I totally did not get. I'm still not sure I do, exactly. But I do know that working has changed my attitude toward education.

Experience has something to say for it. I often feel behind when I think about finishing eight years from now ... almost 40. But I've stood up in court and made arguments that the judge should take someone else's children away. I've argued to free people I knew should be in jail. I celebrated marriages and births with friends and cried with them during divorce and miscarriage and been through a lot of it for myself. It would be insane to think that won't add to my experience studying again.

Everyone takes their own path, but they mostly lead to similar places. Your career, your whole life, eventually gets put into perspective. This is not to take away from you young gunners that got your shit together and hit the Ph.D road at 22 (you'll find your own ways to grow, obviously), but I'm glad to be embarking on a new phase with a little bit of history to fall back on. There are some things you can't learn until you're older; going back to school later is a trade-off, not a loss.

[gtown_applicant]

anyone waiting for georgetown?

[REVVOLVING]

I went to law school as a wet-eared 22 year old and treated it like college. I mean, I worked really hard, but it was sporadic.

I remember that what time I showed up at the library depended on how much work I had, but however early I got in, this one student was there before me. When finals came, I was hitting the books until all hours, but he was rarely there late. I asked him once about his study habits and he said:

"I get here at eight every day and leave at five. If I run out of reading, I re-read, I read ahead, I read supplements. If five o'clock comes and I have more to do, I ask myself if the extra work is worth an hour not seeing my wife, my kids or taking the time I can with my parents or friends. If it's not, I leave. This is just a job. You do it right, but it's the means."

He finished near the top of the class and disappeared into a middle-sized firm that paid him like crazy and let him take family vacations. Man had developed priorities that I totally did not get. I'm still not sure I do, exactly. But I do know that working has changed my attitude toward education.

Experience has something to say for it. I often feel behind when I think about finishing eight years from now ... almost 40. But I've stood up in court and made arguments that the judge should take someone else's children away. I've argued to free people I knew should be in jail. I celebrated marriages and births with friends and cried with them during divorce and miscarriage and been through a lot of it for myself. It would be insane to think that won't add to my experience studying again.

Everyone takes their own path, but they mostly lead to similar places. Your career, your whole life, eventually gets put into perspective. This is not to take away from you young gunners that got your shit together and hit the Ph.D road at 22 (you'll find your own ways to grow, obviously), but I'm glad to be embarking on a new phase with a little bit of history to fall back on. There are some things you can't learn until you're older; going back to school later is a trade-off, not a loss.

Good stuff. 28 here.

[Polly_Sigh]

yes... waiting for a less than favorable outcome, i'm afraid.

anyone waiting for georgetown?

[wannabee]

yes... waiting for a less than favorable outcome, i'm afraid.

Also waiting for GT. In previous years, rejections were not sent out till later in March.

Edited March 7, 2011 by wannabee

[gtown_applicant]

looking at last year stat's, I'm not sure if gtown sent out the second wave of acceptances yet... everything seems a little off this year....

[GopherGrad]

Thanks, everyone! A word of warning to all the whipper-snappers I end up in class with: Creaking hips aside, I can still put on a clinic when it comes to throwing down like a rock star. You may be relieved to know that the party does not stop at 30.

And Lorax, I totally agree. a 30-something has plenty of time to sink into a new career. Not as much as a 22 year old, but plenty. As we get older, the energy+time versus wisdom+experience fulcrum just keeps shifting. I didn't notice the greying temples of my law school cohort and my current sense of aging is entirely internal.

I'm a soccer fan, and I remember watching a game featuring one of my favorite elderly stars (Litmanen or Nedved, I think) and the announcer was waxing on about said footballer's economy of movement. "Imagine!" he said "if he knew what he knows now when he had the legs of a 25-year-old!" Point being, of course, that having the legs of a 25-year-old actually prevents you from learning about economy of movement on the pitch. I don't know how that relates to grad school other than that it relates to everything.

Oh, and on a substantive note, it's been two weeks since the DGS at Marquette told me there is no way it would take two weeks to hear back and I haven't heard anything. So. Any minute now.

*twiddles thumbs*

*refresh*

[Ashlett]

Well now I feel bad...I won't be turning 22 until July. Heh.

But I'm incredibly focused, so that could be it...

Also waiting on Georgetown and UVA too.

[YAGSA]

Ah, the last page of posts has made me feel so much better about my age (25, turning 26 in July). I've never been off school, but I did 4 out of 5 years of law school (undergrad program outside the US) before getting my BA in America, and now I'm going straight to a PhD. I was worrying about being the oldest among my cohorts, but perhaps that won't be the case.

[milanointer1908]

It's kind of funny you guys mention age. I actually felt at a disadvantage coming into graduate school as a 21/22 year old. I've spoken to various professors in top 10 programs who suggested that I take a year off from school and travel, learn a language, join the peace corp, or get a job with an NGO, as people my age really aren't sure about their research interests and have a habit of wanting to live the good life more than studying and working. You guys will be fine.

[explodingstressball]

Anyone going to GW's admit day?

[hupr]

Anyone going to GW's admit day?

It was kind of late notice, and I've already got another visit scheduled the same day...

[Polk011]

Anyone going to GW's admit day?

I'll be there. I live in DC and GWU is one of my top choices, so should definitely check it out Though I asked them about the prospects for funding and they didn't sound that optimistic from their reply....

[CAS166]

Still haven't heard back from USC, GWU and NYU. Don't know if I should put any more hope in these schools.

[GopherGrad]

Well now I feel bad...I won't be turning 22 until July. Heh.

I actually felt at a disadvantage coming into graduate school as a 21/22 year old.

Well, that's not the point, either.

You're probably both incredibly focused 22 year olds, but you aren't as focused as you will be in ten years.

Look, focus isn't everything, not by a long shot. I hate to harp on soccer analogies, but:

Lionel Messi is young. He's cunning, creative and elegant. But he's also a spaz (comparatively). He makes ten runs when two would do. So should Barce trade him for a more experienced forward? Of course not. They already have David Villa to play fisherman, to bring a sense of patience and temperament to the offensive half. Messi's explosiveness (when juxtaposed with Villa and Xavi) is precisely why he's on the team. Barce would be worse without it (and footie fans everywhere would lose at least a half-dozen inspirational moments a week).

The flailing, rabid curiosity of a younger intellect is clearly valuable to academic institutions. Spending that period learning course material deeply is not a mistake. It's just easy for older students to feel jealous that they spent such professionally and academically formative years in other pursuits. It's important not to lose sight of how those experiences will advantage your education and the education of your classmates and wider discipline.

[balderdash]

Well, that's not the point, either.

You're probably both incredibly focused 22 year olds, but you aren't as focused as you will be in ten years.

Look, focus isn't everything, not by a long shot. I hate to harp on soccer analogies, but:

Lionel Messi is young. He's cunning, creative and elegant. But he's also a spaz (comparatively). He makes ten runs when two would do. So should Barce trade him for a more experienced forward? Of course not. They already have David Villa to play fisherman, to bring a sense of patience and temperament to the offensive half. Messi's explosiveness (when juxtaposed with Villa and Xavi) is precisely why he's on the team. Barce would be worse without it (and footie fans everywhere would lose at least a half-dozen inspirational moments a week).

The flailing, rabid curiosity of a younger intellect is clearly valuable to academic institutions. Spending that period learning course material deeply is not a mistake. It's just easy for older students to feel jealous that they spent such professionally and academically formative years in other pursuits. It's important not to lose sight of how those experiences will advantage your education and the education of your classmates and wider discipline.

As a 21 year old, let me chip in.

I completely agree with you. I sit here and think that I have this incredibly focused research agenda, and then I talk to my peers (some as old as 40, 42, etc). I hear about their background, experience, and interests that have resulted. It honestly puts my "focus" to shame. Right now I'd be happy researching any one of 10 African states, individually or collectively, focusing on either current trajectory or historical development. So I think there's quite a bit to be said for getting a deeper perspective. Then again, it may just be because I've been unsuccessful this year that a few years off is starting to sound good. In any case, at least time away from the ivory towers will give me a chance to pay down student debt.

On a different, related note: has anyone here accepted or rejected their offer from Princeton? If so, what field? Cheers.

[polarbear0627]

Anyone going to GW's admit day?

I am going. It never hurts to pay a visit.

[gjason]

Thanks, everyone! A word of warning to all the whipper-snappers I end up in class with: Creaking hips aside, I can still put on a clinic when it comes to throwing down like a rock star. You may be relieved to know that the party does not stop at 30.

And Lorax, I totally agree. a 30-something has plenty of time to sink into a new career. Not as much as a 22 year old, but plenty. As we get older, the energy+time versus wisdom+experience fulcrum just keeps shifting. I didn't notice the greying temples of my law school cohort and my current sense of aging is entirely internal.

I'm a soccer fan, and I remember watching a game featuring one of my favorite elderly stars (Litmanen or Nedved, I think) and the announcer was waxing on about said footballer's economy of movement. "Imagine!" he said "if he knew what he knows now when he had the legs of a 25-year-old!" Point being, of course, that having the legs of a 25-year-old actually prevents you from learning about economy of movement on the pitch. I don't know how that relates to grad school other than that it relates to everything.

Oh, and on a substantive note, it's been two weeks since the DGS at Marquette told me there is no way it would take two weeks to hear back and I haven't heard anything. So. Any minute now.

*twiddles thumbs*

*refresh*

My flight instructor gave me two pieces of advice. 1.) Jet planes will kill you deader than dead. The little prop planes will just barely kill you. 2.) You start a flying career with a lot of luck and a little experience. You better hope that your experience catches up before your luck runs out.

Not sure if the first piece of advice helps much here, but there is something to be said about the second.

There are pros and cons to starting a PhD young and old. Personally, I lacked the maturity and experience to pursue a PhD in my 20s. At 32 I have the experience to approach a PhD like a job, which will suit me well. For those in their 20s, you have more luck than me,and probably more academic experience than I had at 20, so don't worry about it. Have fun and work hard.

[tomsmonticello]

Finally received the tangible rejection from Harvard via mail. I never thought I'd be so happy to receive a rejection hah...at least I actually have it in my hands now.

Edited March 7, 2011 by tomsmonticello

[wtncffts]

Still haven't heard back from USC, GWU and NYU. Don't know if I should put any more hope in these schools.

Just checked my e-mail; rejection from NYU. Seems like they're doing a round of rejects now.

Re: the age debate, I guess I'm kind of in the middle here. I'm 26 (turning 27 this year) but have pretty much been in school continuously since high school (well, I guess since kindergarten, really). I took 6 years to get my undergrad degree, two and a half to get my MA. Although I'm older, I don't feel like I have the work or life experience that an 'older' student starting a PhD has. I do think I'm quite mature and focused intellectually, but it's less a function of my age than of my personality and temperament (granted, age has something to do with the latter, but I think I'm essentially the same person in this regard than I was five or six years ago). I think it's doing an MA that has really prepared me for a PhD.

[lasthope]

For the new USC waitlist.. who did you call?

[sweater]

Any inside news on Columbia? I feel like I've been waiting forever for my rejection!

[RWBG]

Just checked my e-mail; rejection from NYU. Seems like they're doing a round of rejects now.

Sorry to hear that! I haven't heard anything; it's kind of weird that they wouldn't send out rejections all at once! I'm still waiting.