HyacinthMacaw Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Hey folks, It's still early in this application cycle, but I'm wondering if there is anyone out there like me who is already second-guessing themselves. I'm really wishing I had been more aggressive about asking professors to read my personal statement. I asked four professors, but one declined and three never responded. I didn't press the issue because I didn't want to seem disrespectful or annoying. In all, only one person, a recently graduated Ph.D. student, read my statement, and she offered only very general comments. I guess there's nothing I can do about it now except hope for the best. I'm sure we all have regrets to share. Maybe we know we didn't represent ourselves the best we could have on our applications. Maybe we should have applied to more schools, contacted more POIs, etc. Hope this forum allows everyone to get these thoughts off our chest.
waddle Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 In all, only one person, a recently graduated Ph.D. student, read my statement, and she offered only very general comments. Heh, you at least did better than me! The only other set of eyeballs that read my SOP belonged to my father. Well, that's what I get for procrastinating until the day before my first deadline, right?
mewtwo Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 I would have taken fewer classes. Between classes, TAing, and other tasks, I had almost no time to work on my applications (most of which happened to be due the day I proctored a 3-hour final and took a 3-hour final).
SyntheticOrganiker Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Knowing what I know now,. I would've applied to fewer places.
Count de Monet Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 to have been safe, I should have taken out a massive loan and just bribed people. Forget all this hard work and crap! John_Duble_E 1
RDX Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Hey folks, It's still early in this application cycle, but I'm wondering if there is anyone out there like me who is already second-guessing themselves. I'm really wishing I had been more aggressive about asking professors to read my personal statement. I asked four professors, but one declined and three never responded. I didn't press the issue because I didn't want to seem disrespectful or annoying. In all, only one person, a recently graduated Ph.D. student, read my statement, and she offered only very general comments. I guess there's nothing I can do about it now except hope for the best. I'm sure we all have regrets to share. Maybe we know we didn't represent ourselves the best we could have on our applications. Maybe we should have applied to more schools, contacted more POIs, etc. Hope this forum allows everyone to get these thoughts off our chest. I should do that too. I didn't ask them, afraid of annoying them. But actually one of my professors is a DGS and mentioned he'd like to if I asked just days ago..
natsteel Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) As far as a specific application regret, I never felt 100% about my SOP, despite working on it from August to November and having had more than half a dozen drafts read by 2 professors. Hyacinth, in some ways the comments were helpful but they also confused things at times, for example, when getting conflicting advice. I feel like I know my SOP could be better, but it was just about the best I could do on this type of writing assignment. This and my GRE AW score are just not up-to-par with the rest of the application. So, I guess I regret not starting on it earlier. Also, I lightened my load last semester down to 15 credits to accomodate the application process. Now, I need 19 credits this semester to graduate on time. Staring ahead at possibly my heaviest workload yet, I think I regret having taken only 15 this past semester. Edited January 16, 2011 by natsteel
ydg23 Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) I occasionally question parts of my SoP. Out of the blue something will pop into my head that I wrote, and I'll give myself a headache thinking about it. I have to just let it go or I will obsess over something that is now out of my hands. Edit: I'm giving myself a headache right now thinking about it. Time for some aspirin. Edited January 16, 2011 by ydg23
surprisecake Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 There are some parts of my SOP that aren't very clear in meaning. They only really make sense to people who know my research background, i'm not sure how much will sink in with the adcoms. Didn't contact professors early enough. Didn't get my transcripts evaluated by WES as recommended by my #1 school. I really didn't want to give more money to these third party type places and when i eventually submitted my application, I found they converted my international GPA to a 3.01/4 .... which it most certainly is not!! waiting hurts
apieceofroastbeef Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) I wish the version of the SOP I submitted to my last school, with a Jan. 15th deadline, was the version I sent to the schools with Dec. 15th deadlines... I wish I hadn't applied to at least two of my eleven schools. I wish I had decided that I was going to apply to graduate school earlier last year so I could have taken the GRE tests in the summer and given myself more time for the writing sample and SOP. I wish I had attended office hours during college so that my professors knew me better, because I'm actually pretty amazing. Edited January 16, 2011 by catherinian
Tufnel Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) I would have applied earlier. I barely made a couple deadlines and made some careless mistakes as a result. For instance, I submitted my rough draft instead of my final as my writing sample for one of the applications. Edited January 16, 2011 by Tufnel
katerific Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 To answer OP's question and to expand upon the topic a bit.... The things I truly regret about this process: - Not applying for more outside funding. I have a feeling that one school I applied to might reject me mainly due to the professor's funding situation. - My GPA. It's decent, but... since a major burnout I had in highschool, I REALLY didn't care about grades too much. Don't get me wrong: I have always cared about learning, but since then, I've never really believed that what you learned/know correlates to what grade you got. My major GPA is fantastic since I've always been really dedicated to those classes, but everything else... my GEs? Required language class? Psshh! Unfortunately, it shows in my GPA. I think even a little more effort may have helped my GPA a lot. And I care about my GPA now, of course, since a high/low GPA can convey a number of different things (about my intelligence, work ethic, etc), even if only variable really contributed to my overall GPA. Things that I wonder about: - Retaking the GRE. I took it once and made a decent score, but it could have been a lot better. - This one professor (not the one mentioned above)--I've met him a few times over the past year, but I didn't speak to him after September of this year. Even though in September he kinda laughed and told me, "katerific, you're doing everything perfectly!", a lot of other professors really urged me to contact him again. Out of shyness and out of fear of looking desperate (I've bumped into him a bit), I didn't. - I wish I wasn't so awkward in front of my advisor. He can be a bit intimidating, but I've always tried to be myself around him anyway, and to indicate to him what I don't know and what I do know. I'm honestly unsure about how this panned out and affected his image of me. I would not be surprised if he mentioned in his LOR that I was shy, or bad with communicating or expressing ideas, or just uninspired/lazy with regards to research. He could have, but maybe he didn't. Will any of these matter? Perhaps, but maybe not. Things I did right: - Obsessing over grad school early. Okay, say what you may, but it really helped me discover what I really wanted to do, and to start on applications early. The latter was probably the best thing I did.
kaz Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Things I did right: - Obsessing over grad school early. Okay, say what you may, but it really helped me discover what I really wanted to do, and to start on applications early. The latter was probably the best thing I did. That was what I really should have done. The application process really needed time. I ended up spending late nights researching different unis, studying GRE, finding out I missed the fulbright scholarship dateline, hastily composing the SOP etc. Can be done, just more stressful.
OnceAndFutureGrad Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) I don't have any regrets now, but I might later. I made myself known to the POIs at every school and visited every one in driving distance, probably to the point of obnoxiousness at the closest (heh). If I don't get accepted, I might regret all the time on the road! Edited January 16, 2011 by RecycledViking
Golden Monkey Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 I would have started applying earlier. Like 10 years earlier. esoryma and gwualum4mpp 2
natsteel Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 - Not applying for more outside funding. I have a feeling that one school I applied to might reject me mainly due to the professor's funding situation. - Retaking the GRE. I took it once and made a decent score, but it could have been a lot better. Things I did right: - Obsessing over grad school early. Okay, say what you may, but it really helped me discover what I really wanted to do, and to start on applications early. The latter was probably the best thing I did. I sympathize with all of these. I wasn't able to get an external fellowship application ready in time and so I missed the deadline. It was a long shot, of course, but I deeply regret not having gotten it done. I also did passably on the part of the GRE that matters, but I constantly wonder whether I should have taken it again. Also, I started obsessing over grad school towards the end of my sophomore year. That's when I began researching programs and just the whole process in general. I didn't actually start working on application materials until the end of this summer, but having been thinking about it and preparing for it for more than a year ahead of time helped a lot. I would have started applying earlier. Like 10 years earlier. Tell me about it. If I knew I could make any money to read and write, I would have done this a lot sooner. When I was younger, those were the things I would do instead of trying to make money...
Zouzax Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Love this subject .. because this is what haunts me at night! I also regret not applying for outside funding. I was planning to apply for the Ford Fellowship, but one of my profs didnt send me his LOR until wayyy past the deadline (mid-December), even though I had requested it in September. But it's also my fault, as I could have been more proactive in finding others. I regret not adding a few extra things on my application - not adding my language blog, and not mentioning some relevant courses I took (completely forgot about these until I had sent everything in and was obsessively going over the applications in my head, of course) I regret not explaining things more/ better - for example, why I chose the Master's program I did, exactly what this program is all about, what my thesis is about, and why I'm perfect for the programs to which I applied (I had great ideas in my head, but once I try to write them down on paper, meanings get lost .... especially for my dream school, I wish I had knocked it out of the ballpark with that app) Anyway, if I end up being accepted to anything, I'm sure my regrets will change .. maybe Ill take them all back But this is what's on my mind as of now ....
Golden Monkey Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 *Sigh* I also didn't apply for any outside funding. That whole world is a mystery to me. Two of the programs I applied to are funded, but the other two are not. For the two that are not, I'm really not sure how funding works at all.
coffee or death Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) This topic is akin to a conversation in a bar. Dejected souls pouring out their grief. I wish I had contacted the professors wherever I applied. The other is finding the results section of this website. I just realized that I haven't been invited to the interviews at a couple of places and a couple of other places might have the same fate in store for me. First it is one school, then it becomes two and then four. Edited January 17, 2011 by coffee or death
HyacinthMacaw Posted January 17, 2011 Author Posted January 17, 2011 Totally feeling the "drown your sorrows" vibe and sympathize with everyone here; I'm sorry to have started this thread! I totally agree with a previous poster: Let's focus on the positive. All this endless self-criticism, while it's probably good to know that others are feeling the same way, gets us nowhere towards our goals. Let's practice self-compassion and avoid being so hard on ourselves!
katerific Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) Totally feeling the "drown your sorrows" vibe and sympathize with everyone here; I'm sorry to have started this thread! I totally agree with a previous poster: Let's focus on the positive. All this endless self-criticism, while it's probably good to know that others are feeling the same way, gets us nowhere towards our goals. Let's practice self-compassion and avoid being so hard on ourselves! I was hoping people would look more objectively at themselves with this thread... I mean, that's what I tried to do! It's more helpful for future generations or whatever. Or do people prefer the "drown your sorrows" vibe? Another fantastic thing I did that I absolutely DO NOT regret: - buying this bag of Heath bars to celebrate finishing apps/cope with the waiting process. Okay, maybe I'll end up regretting this. I know it's wrong.... but it feels so right. Edited January 17, 2011 by katerific fbh 1
XOwlfan Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 I feel relieved reading the responses to this thread--I'm so glad I'm not the only one with regrets! I definitely wish I would have applied to more schools. And I wish I would have applied sooner, had more people read my SOP, and put more time into fine-tuning my writing sample. Then again, it's probably the kind of process that never really feels done until decisions come back (and often not even then).
coffee or death Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 Life , too short to live, just long enough to regret. Cheers
luce373 Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 I wish I'd applied a little earlier. It wasn't really feasible due to coursework and then illness, but all of my applications were submitted right at the deadlines and now I'm having to wait longer to hear back. Also, for personal reasons, location has become way more of a factor than it was when I applied. Now I'm stuck with half of the schools I applied in places I really don't want to live. I wish I'd looked at location a little more making up my original list.
awvish Posted January 17, 2011 Posted January 17, 2011 Also, for personal reasons, location has become way more of a factor than it was when I applied. Now I'm stuck with half of the schools I applied in places I really don't want to live. I wish I'd looked at location a little more making up my original list. I'm in the same boat there. Katerific (in re Heath bars), that sounds like the best idea ever.
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