Too old for a PH.d?

[Watmeworry]

In the end, I was accepted at CUNY Graduate Center. There is also another woman of over 50 in my incoming class of 7. There are good people out there who will take you seriously. It is important to write and ask politely for 20 minutes of their time before you apply. But this is true for any application.

[OldGrad2012]

Wow, congratulation Watmeworry. It is inspiring to see someone over 50 to be accepted to PhD program. Now, I know I am not too old for graduate school. Does your school have PhD programs in molecular biology or genetic and genomics? I will look up your school to see if they have the graduate programs that I am interested in. So what did you mean to write and ask them before you apply. Did you asked them if age is a factor?

[emmm]

I recently got accepted into a biomedical sciences PhD program, fully funded, at a major public university. I applied to a number of departments, but was rejected almost within days by the "biggies," including the ones you are interested in. However, my application was read by several other programs, and I got multiple interviews and, ultimately, an admission. I am older than you are, and I did not have any professional work experience in life science research. My total life science lab time was < 6 months. I think this probably prevented me from getting past the first screening in some programs. As Whatmeworry said, it is important to contact programs if you can. I also made the effort to talk to program directors whenever possible. Going in and talking to people was very helpful for me, as it gave me an idea of what various programs were looking for in their applicants. So, there's hope. Good luck!

Edited August 25, 2011 by emmm

[OldGrad2012]

Hi Emmm,

Where did you get in? What school is it? I am making a list of the potential schools in biomedical science or bioscience that are safety school to get in.

[eisoj5]

Congratulations I had a program participant with whom I chatted about Ph.D. work...he got his at the age of 55, just a few years ago. It's never too late!

[sxd213]

Praise the glory of google!!! You think about it and its there on the web.

I have been reading this thread and suddenly realized that I am not alone. I just cross 40 have been in the industry for 12+ years and now planning to go back for a PhD. Just got a initial interview call from a very good business school for a PhD in India. I have been debating what to do now. Go-not go, for the interview. How will be the effort of 4+ years of penance pay off in the following years of my career. How will I be looked once I graduate?

I love to hear considerations of people who have found themselves in similar predicament- especially anyone having a Indian context.

I come from serious academic stock, and the allure of a PhD is most enticing even at this age and the current state of the economy....

Any advice is most respectively acknowledged.

[the awakening]

I am posting this, sadly, for an “emeritus” professor was just wanting to insult me because of my age. I am 36 female. I started my literature phd in my late twenties after several years’ working experience and now at the final dissertation stage. My personal experience told me that theoretically you should be welcome in graduate schools no matter how old you are. But prejudice is a silent part beyond your control. Some of my colleagues who do not have working experience secretly gossip about people’s age. Although I do not consider myself old, I still do not feel comfortable about this. And, when professors become unhappy, they will insult you in every possible way, including your age. Many professors earn their phds at 30 or even younger and they see themselves as elites. Many of these people are arrogant and can become very rude when unhappy. Be prepared for these things, if you are planning to start your phds at 30 or older.

[fuzzylogician]

I am posting this, sadly, for an “emeritus” professor was just wanting to insult me because of my age. I am 36 female. I started my literature phd in my late twenties after several years’ working experience and now at the final dissertation stage. My personal experience told me that theoretically you should be welcome in graduate schools no matter how old you are. But prejudice is a silent part beyond your control. Some of my colleagues who do not have working experience secretly gossip about people’s age. Although I do not consider myself old, I still do not feel comfortable about this. And, when professors become unhappy, they will insult you in every possible way, including your age. Many professors earn their phds at 30 or even younger and they see themselves as elites. Many of these people are arrogant and can become very rude when unhappy. Be prepared for these things, if you are planning to start your phds at 30 or older.

I'm not sure what counts as making a professor unhappy but that kind of reaction - offending a student on a personal level - seems completely unprofessional and out of place. I would find an appropriate venue to complain and replace my advisor if they ever insulted me like that.

Yes, people certainly gossip, so that's something to be prepared for. However, people gossip about everything all the time so it's also not really something to worry about too much. Some people need to be condescending to make themselves feel good, and the best way to deal with that is to stay away from them and ignore the bad attitude.

[CageFree]

Hi all,

I am a nontraditional applicant. I will turned 36 this year. I want to get my PhD after +10 years of working in research and biotech industry. I will applied this year.

Do you think I have a chance with adcomm?

Hi all,

I am a nontraditional applicant. I will turned 36 this year. I want to get my PhD after +10 years of working in research and biotech industry. I will applied this year.

Do you think I have a chance with adcomm?

I am 35 and was pretty successful in my applications. The sciences are a bit more forgiving, I think, than the humanities.

[catey]

Saying someone is "reaching retirement age," sounds to me like an expectation that everyone is expected retire at a certain age. I for one don't plan on retiring. Someone could get a PHD at 60 and work for 25 years. My doctor is in his 80's and has no plans to retire until he has to. Many of the longest living people in the world do not even think about retiring. Why shouldn't people have a second or third career if they have the energy and interest? I say "retirement age," is not much different than saying every family "should," have a cookie-cutter mother and father, two kids and a dog and a picket fence. The reality is that families comes in all shapes and sizes, and we are all unique. What we have to offer the world doesn't stop at some preconceived age. Please.

I am going to get my Master's (not funded), and I don't care what anyone thinks about my age. I am 57. Only someone ignorant (they may have a lot of book learning but are lacking in wisdom) would be prejudiced against someone because of their age. Anyone who thinks that way should be ashamed of themselves.

I say go for it--shoot for the stars. Your life is your own and there will always be naysayers. Keep your eyes on your goals and don't let anyone keep you from them!

[NonTrad14]

I know this is an old post, but I am very happy to see it here, as I, too, am a non-traditional student applying to PhD programs for the Fall '14 cohort.  This thread made me feel a bit better about my "adventure".  Thank you!

[NonTrad14]

Here is an interesting link on a study done to show the acceptance rates for non-traditional students, surprisingly, we get accepted very frequently!  http://www.statcrunch.com/5.0/viewreport.php?reportid=32855

[Macrina]

Here is an interesting link on a study done to show the acceptance rates for non-traditional students, surprisingly, we get accepted very frequently!  http://www.statcrunch.com/5.0/viewreport.php?reportid=32855

Except the study asks "have you ever applied to grad school?" There's no correlation between age of application and acceptance, just a correlation between age and likelihood of an application, at some point. It's equally likely that grad school was easier to get into 15 years ago so more people who applied back then were accepted and are able to answer the question positively.

[juilletmercredi]

Good luck, NonTrad14!  I wish more programs would look to accepting older/non-traditional students, for several reasons.  I think professors in the classroom who may have worked other careers first have a LOT to offer students.  They tend to be a little more grounded, and maybe have better overall career advice, than professors who may have never had to work in the corporate world.  Also you may see some "real-world" connections that lifelong academics might miss.  In my program it's really common for people to begin their program in their 30s (although typically not much older than that) and the connections they are able to make with their work experience really enriches the class for everyone, especially since I have never worked full-time before.

[NonTrad14]

Another interesting article supportive of the nontraditional grad student!  http://www.gradview.com/articles/graduatestudies/nontraditional-graduate-students.html

[NonTrad14]

http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2011/11/midlife.aspx

[NonTrad14]

I'm not giving up hope about getting into a program even though I am "nontraditional"...ageism...we'll see.  My GPA and GRE scores are highly competitive and I have a long history of experience to help me exemplify what I can add to the field.  Even though I have not yet heard anything, I'm remaining optimistic, if I don't get accepted to a PhD program, I'll work on my Masters, and then reapply next year! 

 

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/non-traditional-student-applying-to-grad-school.715249/

[NonTrad14]

Good luck, NonTrad14!  I wish more programs would look to accepting older/non-traditional students, for several reasons.  I think professors in the classroom who may have worked other careers first have a LOT to offer students.  They tend to be a little more grounded, and maybe have better overall career advice, than professors who may have never had to work in the corporate world.  Also you may see some "real-world" connections that lifelong academics might miss.  In my program it's really common for people to begin their program in their 30s (although typically not much older than that) and the connections they are able to make with their work experience really enriches the class for everyone, especially since I have never worked full-time before.

Thank you!

[NonTrad14]

Very happy!  Received an invitation to interview at a PsyD program I applied to!!!!  WOO HOO!  I am so happy!

[Crucial BBQ]

I know that these posts are a few years old, but....

I'm over fifty. I applied to six PH.d programs and I think I have been rejected by all, despite great recommendations from strong faculty and good grades. It was suggested that it was pointless to try because of unspoken politics, but then I thought perhaps my good grades and huge amount of experience in many areas would make me interesting. I'm just wondering if people think it is outrageous that I would try for this in the first place. If there are any PH.d candidates actually in colleges who are in my demographic I'd love to know? I suspect at in the humanities there aren't any...
I am not a dilettante. I went back to college at Community college, transferred to IVY and am finishing MA. I'm not rich either. Just to get all those criteria off the table.

I hope you have yet to give up. 

 

I can only give my 2 cents on this, take it or leave it.
Let's say you enter and get your ph.d. you'll be 55 or 56 when you graduate. In the increasingly competitive job market in the humanities, few schools (if any) are going to hire someone who is near retirement age. They want to get the most bang for their buck--young, enthusiastic people who are going to stick around for 20 years. Ideally, anyways. Things are changing, of course, and tenure-track positions vanish every year. But if I were on an adcom, I doubt I would accept someone who is 50, for the simple practicality of it. Not to mention that there have been unprecedented numbers of applicants this year. But I am not on an adcom, and so can't speak to what they would do. I would say that someone who is 50 and going to grad school would have to be really amazing, beating out all the younger folks, which would be pretty hard to do, I think. I don't want to rain on your parade, and I certainly don't want to discourage you, if this is what you want to do. Keep trying, if that is the case.

The OP never said he wanted to get into academia.  Even if he did graduate at 56, that could still give him at least a solid twenty years to contribute to the field....considering it is not manual labor and all 

[beyondaboundary]

I'm 46. This is my 2nd time around and I got accepted (full funding) to one of the best ( read most competitive) programs in my field. And btw, to further complicate it all i'm international without a US degree...

 

In my experience, age is NOT the most important number for adcomms -

[mutualist007]

This thread at times brings me down again, but there are a few success stories, so who knows. Does anyone think perhaps that US men ≥35 years of age have a more difficult time getting into PhD programs than women in the US? Because of patriarchy and assumptions about gender roles and assumptions about barriers to entry, AdComs may assume that the older female candidates faced more legitimate obstacles. They therefore may silently surmise that men had less valid reasons for delaying their entry into academia, or perhaps they think that men should suck it up and go do something manual or service oriented.

[visualtheorist]

Hi everyone.  I am just turning 60 in a few weeks.  I try to stay in good physical condition, which I believe is highly important if you want to be able to compete with younger applicants.  I completed my doctorate at an R1 school in March in a social sciences field.  I will be going to commencement next month, a week before my 60th birthday.  Everyone on the planet who knows anything about colleges knows the name of my institution, and it is very highly ranked.  I applied when I was 55, yet I was the first to defend my dissertation and graduate in my cohort.  I had good grades coming in, but my previous masters degree was earned about 35 years earlier.  In 2008 I earned a 94% on verbal on the  GRE, so that was probably a gating factor in my admission.  Upon admission, I was provided with a four-year fellowship.  It was a pittance compared to my six-figure salary in earlier years in my career, but because of my age, I was getting nowhere applying to corporate jobs, so I applied to graduate school, was accepted, and now, in 2014, I have a PhD!

 

What about my future?  I applied to numerous professional and tenure-track positions in the past six months, and received a lot of rejection...but I finally landed a tenure-track assistant professor position at a really cool but small university a couple of weeks ago.  I am stoked to the max!  What I would say to anyone over 50 who is thinking of embarking on a doctorate is do everything with your eyes and heart wide open.  Then, follow your dreams.  Make sure that you are in good health so that those around you can imagine you living a long time.  Be energetic and excited about your research and academic interests, after all, if you want to become a teacher, you can't be introverted, aloof, boring or self-absorbed.  And you definitely can't be a know-it-all with a rigid outlook.

 

I have done a lot of things in life, but I believe that my best years are still ahead of me.  My marriage is intact.  My wife and I are on the very same page.  We endured a lot in the past 4 1/2 years to get to this point, but seeing those three alphabetical fragments after my name, and being called doctor and soon-to-be professor,  makes every second of the journey worthwhile.  Now I can go out and be a positive force for changing lives.  It's not about the money anymore.  If anyone reading this blog is wondering can it be done?  Well, I am living proof that it can be done.  I remember when I first discovered theGradCafe back before I was accepted to grad school, watching the results come in for admitted (and rejected) students.  I finally posted up back then that I had been accepted somewhere.  I cannot tell you how good it feels to now be able to post that I am done with my program, and that I have a new (tenure-track) career ahead of me.  Whatever you do folks, keep the Faith.  Be a realist, but never lose your dreams.  Faith can move mountains.

 

All the Best

Edited May 26, 2014 by visualtheorist

[fuzzylogician]

Hi everyone.  I am just turning 60 in a few weeks.  I try to stay in good physical condition, which I believe is highly important if you want to be able to compete with younger applicants.  I completed my doctorate at an R1 school in March in a social sciences field.  I will be going to commencement next month, a week before my 60th birthday.  Everyone on the planet who knows anything about colleges knows the name of my institution, and it is very highly ranked.  I applied when I was 55, yet I was the first to defend my dissertation and graduate in my cohort.  I had good grades coming in, but my previous masters degree was earned about 35 years earlier.  In 2008 I earned a 94% on verbal on the  GRE, so that was probably a gating factor in my admission.  Upon admission, I was provided with a four-year fellowship.  It was a pittance compared to my six-figure salary in earlier years in my career, but because of my age, I was getting nowhere applying to corporate jobs, so I applied to graduate school, was accepted, and now, in 2014, I have a PhD!

 

What about my future?  I applied to numerous professional and tenure-track positions in the past six months, and received a lot of rejection...but I finally landed a tenure-track assistant professor position at a really cool but small university a couple of weeks ago.  I am stoked to the max!  What I would say to anyone over 50 who is thinking of embarking on a doctorate is do everything with your eyes and heart wide open.  Then, follow your dreams.  Make sure that you are in good health so that those around you can imagine you living a long time.  Be energetic and excited about your research and academic interests, after all, if you want to become a teacher, you can't be introverted, aloof, boring or self-absorbed.  And you definitely can't be a know-it-all with a rigid outlook.

 

I have done a lot of things in life, but I believe that my best years are still ahead of me.  My marriage is intact.  My wife and I are on the very same page.  We endured a lot in the past 4 1/2 years to get to this point, but seeing those three alphabetical fragments after my name, and being called doctor and soon-to-be professor,  makes every second of the journey worthwhile.  Now I can go out and be a positive force for changing lives.  It's not about the money anymore.  If anyone reading this blog is wondering can it be done?  Well, I am living proof that it can be done.  I remember when I first discovered theGradCafe back before I was accepted to grad school, watching the results come in for admitted (and rejected) students.  I finally posted up back then that I had been accepted somewhere.  I cannot tell you how good it feels to now be able to post that I am done with my program, and that I have a new (tenure-track) career ahead of me.  Whatever you do folks, keep the Faith.  Be a realist, but never lose your dreams.  Faith can move mountains.

 

All the Best

 

What an amazing story. Congratulations on your degree and on your new job. How exciting! 

[Toyin]

Thanks to all participants for this wonderful thread.

 

I have gained so much from it.