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 mallorn Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Currently 22, if I get into grad school I will enter at age 23. Graduated three years ago at the age of 19 (elementary+HS is only 10 years in my country, and I'm one year younger than the normal people in my batch- long story), realized that I wanted to go to grad school in my junior and senior year in college, but I knew there was no way that I was doing it straight out of college. First, my grades are not strong at all. Second, I couldn't imagine being a TA for people who would be my age or maybe even older than me! Third and most importantly, I knew that I wanted to deepen my learning but I didn't know how and where. In my past three years of work, I have been fortunate to get jobs that allowed me to travel all over my country and ones that taught me new skills. Like many people who posted here, I gained a lot of perspective on things, was able to pin down the subject that I wanted to do research on. Not to mention I went on a 2-week international trip with my college friends, very budget and basic but so much fun. I don't regret waiting at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Italophile Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I'll be 23 next month. Only taking one year off of undergrad (assuming I get accepted), but that year has been well worth it to solidify that I'm headed in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 txelizabeth Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 24. I got my BA in 3 years and graduated summer 2008. Then I did a year of post-bac work before starting a MS program in a different field. Now, I'm going back to linguistics for a PhD without finishing the clinical work for my MS (completed the coursework last spring, currently taking grad linguistics courses to postpone loan payments and improve my apps). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 thestage Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 28. started undergrad 8 years after high school. not going to pretend I learned any valuable "life lessons" during that time. PhDreaming 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 sleepycat Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 24, 5 years in college, 1 gap year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Michelleelleh Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I am turning 31 next month! Hoping my professional experience will make up for some of my questionable undergraduate grades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 CarlieE Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I'm 30. Interestingly I was asked by a prof from the school I want to attend if I was sure if I wanted to go straight into grad school (I am finishing my BA; took time off school to try "life", not regretfully).. And his concern about accepting me as his student was that I might burnout if I went straight from high school to college to grad school... I explained I am 30 and that I had my time "off" so I'm sure of the direction I'm heading to now. So, not to scare the 20-somethings, but this might be a question that comes up in an interview or perhaps something the adcomms consider when making their choices... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 TypeA Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I'm 22. Graduated with my B.S. in April 2011, and have been working full time since then, in a position arguably related to what I want to do. Depending on funding and my financial situation, I may defer for a year and matriculate when I'm 24. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 wlkwih2 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I am, as I had written before, 24, but this application & waiting time took 10 years out of me, so i'm 14 now, thank you very much. This anxiousness really is like puberty all over again. Heather.Mauch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 koolherc Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 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. wow, there are so many problems with the above, I don't even know where to begin. keep pushing summer_reader. I dunno where you've looked, but the CUNY Graduate Center has great PhD progs in a lot of fields and is often very open for older students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 CarlieE Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 wow, there are so many problems with the above, I don't even know where to begin. keep pushing summer_reader. I dunno where you've looked, but the CUNY Graduate Center has great PhD progs in a lot of fields and is often very open for older students. wow, there are so many problems with the above, I don't even know where to begin. keep pushing summer_reader. I dunno where you've looked, but the CUNY Graduate Center has great PhD progs in a lot of fields and is often very open for older students. I agree with koolherc. At NIU I see a lot of older students; and know a few in their fifties doing their PhDs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 cunninlynguist Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 (edited) 23. And the median age for the programs I applied to is 26-28, due to work experience. ... On that note, see y'all in three years! Edited February 1, 2012 by cunninlynguist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 abc123xtc Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I'll be 23 by the time I enter graduate school (well, if I get accepted....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Grunty DaGnome Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I feel about 20 years older than when this process started. crazygirl2012 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 GreenePony Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I'll be 22 if I'm accepted this year. I don't think age has that much to do with my application, however at my top choice I noticed there's more individuals a couple years older. But there is very little I could do in museums without a masters. The market is being flooded with museum students because there are more and more programs (apparently they look good to have) and less jobs with the budget cuts so museums can have higher hiring criteria and can realistically require higher education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Hillary Emick Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I'm 34. I took a few years off between high school and college, and have been working in a related field professionally for seven years. I have been told that while the chronological age is pretty irrelevant, my professional successes will be an asset in getting into graduate programs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 crazygirl2012 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I'm kind of a baby-- turned 21 a few months ago. My POI at my top choice school told me that she'd prefer if I had taken a year or two off after undergrad to get a master's degree or something. Of course I didn't reveal my actual age, just the fact that I'm a senior in college. I hope she assumes I'm 22! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 MonkeyPants Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 i'm 31. Did my undergrad from 24-28, started working full-time at 14. Couldn't afford college til i was 24. I did bring this up in my applications, and i have three years of work (in research!) between undergrad and applications. Tho' by the time this process is finished, i'll probably feel about 75. Courage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Midlyfechrysalis Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) 46 in April. I do not know if that is a good thing in terms of my applications or not. I'm worried the answer is "not" Edited to add: I just graduated with my Masters, and I was not age conspicuous in that program. It was geared to older, "2nd career" students. I think the Ph. D. is different. Edited February 9, 2012 by Midlyfechrysalis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 pikachu Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 24, ou la la according to my country customs, should get married asap, almost spinster so.. if I decide to do Phd studies, I am joining spinster_forever club automatically, hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 caitlee91 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I am 20 - turning 21 in June. Lots of AP credits and very careful undergrad planning has allowed me to graduate a year early (but still w/ a good amount of research exp. and study). I'm hoping programs don't think that I'm too young. We shall see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 CellMol Biologica Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I turn 40 in June and I sure hope it is helpful to my shot at admission. "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?" Can you please tell me how you answred both these questions? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 CellMol Biologica Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 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. Thanks, can you repeat if you were doing 'relevant' or 'non-releavant' work during those 4 years? I asked as you said "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," If you were working in the same field how can that be nonrelavnt? My second question is - how did you explain your age and applying so late in your interview? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 CellMol Biologica Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 35... and 36 by the time I get to New Haven in the fall. thanks - how did you explain applying for PhD so long since graduating form undergrad in your SOP and inteviews? pinkrobot and comp12 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 CellMol Biologica Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 . One interviewer DID ask why I wanted a PhD when I could do consulting and conceivably earn a lot more (As if THAT would be so easy!), but that was still a complimentary kind of comment, I thought. So how did you explain why you want to do PhD at 40+? I ask as I am an old applicant too. Your feedbacl would really help. thanks pinkrobot and comp12 2 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
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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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