RestorationJunkie Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 The question of age has come up in a number of topics here on Waiting it Out and on the board in general. So I'm curious, how old are you? Do you think your age is helpful or harmful (or irrelevant) to your application? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 UFGator Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 22, 23 in August. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 CogEdPsych11 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Bukharan Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 kateow Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 30. I don't think it's made any difference in my application success, but then I look young and took a while to complete my BA, so (if you assume people are 22 at graduation) it looks on paper like I'm 24 or 25! HAH! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 PrettyVacant Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) 23 Age should be irrelevant, but if it did matter, I'd probably be in a good place. Edited February 11, 2011 by PrettyVacant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Mrs. Grad Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 25! Woot woot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 lydibird Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 21, 22 in April. I don't think it really had much effect. In my program there is a pretty good mix of young, straight out of college students and people returning to school after working a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Nurse Wretched Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I'm 34. The average age of new nurse PhDs is 45. So I'm a mere babe in the woods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Old Man & the C(S) Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I turn 40 in June and I sure hope it is helpful to my shot at admission. I know the rest of you have an excellent chance of getting older, but I haven't quite figured out a way to get younger (any recommendations from Biology or Physics friends would be appreciated). I know I stand out from the crowd, which is good in any competition that involves tons of identical packets. When and if the interviews happen, I have several advantages. I seem to be taken more seriously by faculty and staff. I'm often confused for a PhD student, which makes me feel like I look the part. Like everyone else my age, I've taken on tough challenges and survived but more importantly, I can quantify how I survived. Unfortunately I will get some ugly questions my younger competitors won't. "Why didn't you try this years or even a couple of decades ago?" How do you answer that without sounding like a slacker? "If you get a PhD, you will probably only have about twenty years to use it. Is that worth the investment?" mdmcmullin and njm.black 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 phusion Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I turn 30 this Saturday!:o Life is good...age doesn't matter. xyz123abcefg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Bonkers Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 24 with some quarter-life crisis issues. artlesspredilection, dhm0219 and Semester Photon 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 kotov Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 20, turn 21 in July. Doubt anyone cares that I graduated in 3 years, doubt they'll freak out about me being too young. Age is probably just a number here, I hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 greengrass2 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) 26 (27 in June). Still got it, though. I think my age is helpful because I've gained experience with my age; I'm not fresh out of college and have been working (in the same field I plan to study for a doctorate, pharmacology) for over 4 years. If I was doing some non-relevant work during those 4 years, my age wouldn't mean much in terms of being "more" prepared. Edited February 11, 2011 by greengrass2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Aglaiya Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I am 39. I emigrated to the U.S. 3 years ago but had not studied English before. Now, I feel ready to apply to Graduate school. If I had won a green card 10-15 years ago, I would have applied in the age of 24-29. Consequently, the age is an accidental factor in my case:-). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 crayolacat Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I have no idea. I feel like my field is very "academicy" and turns up their noses at anyone who has been doing anything else, but that could just be the other applicants, who are generally very young and have that attitude in spades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 jynx Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Turning 25 in a week and a half...I doubt my age will matter to adcoms, but I honestly have no idea how a 21 or 22-year old has enough time to be ready for grad school as soon as they graduate. It took me a couple years of meandering through art school and community college to figure out what I wanted to do. I admire those of you who can do it, though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 drumms9980 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 25 next month! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 HyacinthMacaw Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 23 and happy to subject myself to the indentured servitude and prospects for marginal employment that characterize life as a grad student! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 natsteel Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 35... and 36 by the time I get to New Haven in the fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Golden Monkey Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I turn 40 in June and I sure hope it is helpful to my shot at admission. I know the rest of you have an excellent chance of getting older, but I haven't quite figured out a way to get younger (any recommendations from Biology or Physics friends would be appreciated). I know I stand out from the crowd, which is good in any competition that involves tons of identical packets. When and if the interviews happen, I have several advantages. I seem to be taken more seriously by faculty and staff. I'm often confused for a PhD student, which makes me feel like I look the part. Like everyone else my age, I've taken on tough challenges and survived but more importantly, I can quantify how I survived. Unfortunately I will get some ugly questions my younger competitors won't. "Why didn't you try this years or even a couple of decades ago?" How do you answer that without sounding like a slacker? "If you get a PhD, you will probably only have about twenty years to use it. Is that worth the investment?" Well, ha, I'm almost exactly 4 years older than you (also a June birthday,) and also applied to HCC. Georgia Tech has undoubtedly put both of our applications in the "old person" pile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 mscongeniality1 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 22! 23 in September My age is coincidental, I guess...in order to get a job in my field (or at least the job I want), I have to have at least a master's degree...hence the mad rush of all my peers and I submitting our apps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 directeur Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 26. I specifically waited this long to apply because my field (MFA-Theatre Directing) expects a good deal of professional experience outside of undergrad. I just hope I've waited long enough! Many other applicants in my field are older and more experienced than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 avas Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Just turned 25, so my grad school apps coincide with my quarter life crisis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 DrPepper-olic Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 28. Female. And (just) married. I deviate from the norm in my field, which also seems very "academic-y." I tried to be "productive" with my quarter-life crisis, so I learned math, Czech, and Russian. Hope the ad coms smile on those skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 summer_reader Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) I'm 50. Age matters. I've been told that I am being selfish and taking places away from younger students that have a longer potential career and potentially more opportunity to generate grant revenue for the department. I've been told that since I have a house and a husband and adult children I should let younger people have a chance at the same things. I've been told that my undergrad marks from the late 70's/early 80's can't be compared to current marks because marking standards have changed due to grade inflation (shouldn't that make my marks appear more favorable when you consider "inflation"?) I've been told to give up and go get a job. I have been asked if I think I am too old to have a dream of getting a PhD. I feel badly for ad com members when I get that question because apparently they no longer have any dreams. Edited February 11, 2011 by summer_reader Bukharan, gellert, v834 and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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RestorationJunkie
The question of age has come up in a number of topics here on Waiting it Out and on the board in general. So I'm curious, how old are you? Do you think your age is helpful or harmful (or irrelevant) to your application?
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summer_reader
I'm 50. Age matters. I've been told that I am being selfish and taking places away from younger students that have a longer potential career and potentially more opportunity to generate grant revenu
Bonkers
24 with some quarter-life crisis issues.
Trin
I'll be 45 later this year, and at least 50 by the time I get my PhD. I initially thought it was unlikely I'd be able to become a professor this late in life, but as one of my profs said, "Oh, you'll
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