jotun26 Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 yeah, I'm having an existential crisis and I don't know where else to take it, so I guess I'm just checking to see if I'm not the only one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DorkRawk Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I'm right there with you. But I've decided to take this as motivation to learn more about my field, try to do more research, and make contacts with people in my field. Not getting in makes me think that I wouldn't have been prepared for any programs worth going to, so now I know more about the whole process and more about grad school in general, so I think I can use the next 8 months to make myself better qualified for the type of work I want to do. Neuronista 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellaflor77 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I have a graduate degree already (M.A. in Economics) and applied to Ph.D. programs, so far all rejections, except for one school that says I am on the waiting list, and said they would inform me by the end of April. So, I would be disappointed for all the time that it took me to prepare for the GRE and get the trasncripts since I studied abroad, and ask professors for recommendations. I would feel like too much time and money wasted. I can always do other things, continue with what I was doing before applying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyBean Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I got rejected by 3/3 programs (biology, likely marine focus). I spent the last week in a haze thinking that all the effort I've put into 16 years of schooling was not worth it and I wasted my youth, because the only job I got was the one I had in high school at a dog kennel. After my allotted sulking period, I found making new plans makes it feel A LOT better. I found a reach POI (he's studying sharks about an hour from my hometown... awesome!) and asked if I could volunteer in his lab for free on my days off. I'm signing up to get SCUBA certified. I'm signing up far in advance for subject GRE's and going to enjoy learning the stuff I like at my own pace. I'm also hoping going over every sub-subject in the field will help me figure out my exact interest. Find fun ways to bulk up your application for next year and find your direction. I swear, I am a very negative, pessimistic person, but right now I actually feel GOOD about all my rejections! Minus the living at home part... that still makes me feel like a hobo... Also, I emailed my schools and asked what else I could do to improve my application/ what my weakness were. I got an email today from one POI saying he wanted to take me but didn't get his grant, and that he's reapplying for it and wants to meet with me over the summer. He's not in my newly focused field of interest but MAJOR moral boost! Mal83 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neuronista Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Minus the living at home part... that still makes me feel like a hobo... Same here Good luck on your applications next year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSC Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I found a reach POI (he's studying sharks about an hour from my hometown... awesome!) "Cage goes in the water, you go in the water. Shark's in the water. Our shark." I took some time between entering my MS program and am glad I did. The couple of my people in my program who came straight from undergrad were unsure of their research interests, less motivated, and generally struggled more then those who had taken some time develop their interests. You gain a lot more from grad school when you know what you want to study and its something you really love. Like sharks (Im a little jealous). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jotun26 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 I got rejected by 3/3 programs (biology, likely marine focus). I spent the last week in a haze thinking that all the effort I've put into 16 years of schooling was not worth it and I wasted my youth, because the only job I got was the one I had in high school at a dog kennel. After my allotted sulking period, I found making new plans makes it feel A LOT better. I found a reach POI (he's studying sharks about an hour from my hometown... awesome!) and asked if I could volunteer in his lab for free on my days off. I'm signing up to get SCUBA certified. I'm signing up far in advance for subject GRE's and going to enjoy learning the stuff I like at my own pace. I'm also hoping going over every sub-subject in the field will help me figure out my exact interest. Find fun ways to bulk up your application for next year and find your direction. I swear, I am a very negative, pessimistic person, but right now I actually feel GOOD about all my rejections! Minus the living at home part... that still makes me feel like a hobo... Also, I emailed my schools and asked what else I could do to improve my application/ what my weakness were. I got an email today from one POI saying he wanted to take me but didn't get his grant, and that he's reapplying for it and wants to meet with me over the summer. He's not in my newly focused field of interest but MAJOR moral boost! Things have been similar for me...I've found myself re-focused and able to really evaluate what my weaknesses are/were. I'm intrigued by the fact that you had some success e-mailing the schools you were rejected from and getting information about weaknesses in your application--this is something I've considered doing, but have been worried that it may be inappropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jotun26 Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 I took some time between entering my MS program and am glad I did. The couple of my people in my program who came straight from undergrad were unsure of their research interests, less motivated, and generally struggled more then those who had taken some time develop their interests. You gain a lot more from grad school when you know what you want to study and its something you really love. I very much agree with this. I rushed into a PhD program straight from undergrad and it was totally wrong for me. I floated around there for two years, then began an MA program in a different field to figure out what it was I truly was interested in, and it is only now, two years later (finishing that degree) that I feel like I have a very strong grasp on my interests. The problem is that I now have little to no experience to show in my transcripts for my fields of interest, which I think has been a tremendous weakness in my applications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neuronista Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 Things have been similar for me...I've found myself re-focused and able to really evaluate what my weaknesses are/were. I'm intrigued by the fact that you had some success e-mailing the schools you were rejected from and getting information about weaknesses in your application--this is something I've considered doing, but have been worried that it may be inappropriate. I think that is absolutely fine. I e-mailed the programs I've been rejected from as well and got very fast and positive responses. One program told me to focus on my statement of purpose to explain exactly what research interests are and what I'd like to do in the future. I don't think it's a bad idea to ask. If anything, it won't hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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