What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge In Applying To Grad School?

[DrKT]

When I was applying to grad school, I remember that it was kind of easy to get lost in the process. What has been the biggest challenge for you?

Finding reputable information? Getting advice from someone who's been there? Knowing *specifics* about what you need to do to strengthen your application? Knowing what to write about in your SOP? Or anything else?

What would you find helpful in going through the application process?

Air out your challenges here!

Edited April 28, 2011 by DrKT

[eco_env]

email the administrative person for the program. Sometimes they don't have the info avaialble, though- for GRE scores and funding, for example.

[bgreenster]

I've been doing research on grad schools for about six months now, on and off, and my biggest frustration has to be the websites. I feel like universities' websites cater to undergrad so to find the one piece of information you need (average GRE scores has been the hardest for me to find), you have to click about 60 freakin' times to find it. It reminds me of JSTOR that if your search words aren't perfect it won't know what you're talking about.

Another thing I am extremely annoyed with is the information on dual degree programs. My plan is to get my Masters in Library and Masters in History/Public History. However, when I go to websites that have these programs they say "Oh, well here's information about the Library Science program, now go to the History page for that part of it." It's a never-ending cycle!

I swear, grad schools make their websites vague on purpose. If everyone knew what the average funding was (which they definitely publish for undergrad), how the hell dual programs work (can I be enrolled in both programs at once? Or is it like 1.5 years of one, 1.5 years of another?) and what they REALLY want as to applications, the world would be a whole lot easier.

I second everything here. The websites drove me crazy! It was awful when I was trying to research programs and figure out which had professors that were into my area of interest. On a LOT of the sites, I had to individually go through every faculty member to see what they taught/researched, and it took ages. It was such a relief anytime I got onto a school's website that listed professors by their areas of interest (and definitely made me think more highly of that school, haha)

I ended up deciding NOT to go for a dual degree at Texas because I was so confused by the process. I even asked faculty questions, but no one could give me straight answers for the dual. I was just continuously told "this is how it is for our department, ask the other school about its department." I couldn't even figure out exactly what day it all had to be in by because the two schools had different deadlines and it wasn't clear how it all needed to be done. Ah well, I figured I could just apply for dual if I get into the one program.

I'm just glad I started researching programs a year ago so I was able to get it all straight with plenty of time for applying. Can't wait for this whole process to be over; I feel like it took over my life the past 9 months

[abc123xtc]

Apart from the whole obstacle course thing, the hardest part was being confident enough to even apply.

[socihealth]

This may sounds cheesy, but just finding the courage to apply and contact profs, departments, and talk to my current advisors was difficult for me. Of course, I agree that many parts of the process were difficult themselves. But I think stating my goal to myself and to others was really a big obstacle to overcome.

[mandarin.orange]

The most challenging part of the process for me was the sudden implosion of my personal life, with things that were largely out of my control and strangely coincident with the very tight timeframe in which my apps were due. I am a goal setter and had been preparing for a return to grad school for 2 years, and lined up great and reliable LOR writers. But, no matter how carefully you plan for the app process - or anything in life - far more significant things can blindside you. My apps were due Dec 15-31. During that time same time, the following happened: 1) I had to move very suddenly out of a crazy situation with roommates and absentee landlord, 2) one of my best friends had a stroke, and 3) death of one of my students. During all this, finals week and the needs of my HS students, as well as reviews/revisions I'd gotten back for a manuscript, had to take a permanent backseat.

The app process was challenging, notably taking the GRE on short notice and writing the "Personal History Statement" required by the UC system. But, it all paled in comparison to the literal shitstorm taking place around me at the time. I'm grateful everyday that, somehow, I managed to laser-beam focus on the app that mattered and got me to where I am now.

[Star Dust]

well my biggest challenge -which is is still my biggest one- isactually to find a university that accept me ...

i am a petroleum engineer class 2008 GPA 2.1, TOEFL 577/680, IC3 698 and have three years expeince in drilling fields .. can anyone point out the prolem please or can help me??

[bgreenster]

Apart from the whole obstacle course thing, the hardest part was being confident enough to even apply.

Definitely. That's how it took unti lnow for me to apply. The whole process seemed so daunting, that it was just easier not to apply and go through this. I finally did now because it's necessary for my career. I was basically embarrassed to even ask for LORs, thinking I wasn't good enough for all this anyhow

[bgreenster]

well my biggest challenge -which is is still my biggest one- isactually to find a university that accept me ...

i am a petroleum engineer class 2008 GPA 2.1, TOEFL 577/680, IC3 698 and have three years expeince in drilling fields .. can anyone point out the prolem please or can help me??

What exactly are you trying to go for grad school in? Right off the bat, I'd say it's hard to get accepted with a low GPA. The best way to deal with that is to take classes and do well in them, to show you can get better grades. I'm not sure where you're from, but I know that grading is harsher in other countries (when I studied in Spain, the professors believed that a C was a "good" grade - in the US, it means you don't get into grad school...) Maybe take some online courses through an American program?

[CageFree]

The SOP was the toughest. I needed to really narrow down what I wanted to study... of course my interests may change but finding an appropriate explanation for a) changing fields of History and choosing what I chose, were by far the biggest challenge. That, and editing my writing sample from 2000, which required me to reconstruct the bibliography from scratch since I couldn't find it anywhere.

[OldGrad2012]

I must have to say getting the LOR worst the absolute worst thing and depression as well. I had to start over too because I graduated in 1997. It is 2011 when I applied too. Most of the professors where I got my bachelor degree were retired or does not remember me. So I had to asked my supervisors or boss from work for them. It could of being worst. If I had applied sooner like soon after I graduated in 1997, I could of gotten better LORs. But I got in anyway.

[t1racyjacks]

I do not find it very difficult to apply -- but I find it difficult simply keeping my head up. Application is simply application, but it's hard to stay happy when you have virtually no hope. I simply mope all the time, when not reading. Ironically enough one of the ways I distract myself is by working on 'the application' -- at least -- the research bit. I like doing research and if I could I would do a research job without the hassle of getting a phd -- it's just that it's near impossible nowadays -- to do research at the level I want to without a phd. Of course, I'm still going ahead, but it isn't a very pleasant process, emotionally.

[Shelley Burian]

LORs, absolutely. I had someone not send one the first time I applied and had a close shave this time. My tip is always request one more letter than you actually need so if the worst happens, at least your application is complete. Also for me contacting POIs was INCREDIBLY nervewracking as I am quite shy and have a horror of bothering people so it took alot of courage for me to email people I didn't know.

[OregonGal]

Yes, LORs--one of my LOR writers actually called me a bulldog at one point but I was just sending him an e-mail once a week or so to remind him that, by the way, my January admissions deadline was the previous week (I had actually asked him to write the LOR back in late November).

[emmm]

Sorry to hear that -- my LOR writers told me they appreciated the reminders...

In fact, they were so much more supportive than I expected that getting LORs ended up being one of the best parts of my application process.

Edited June 29, 2012 by emmm

[Cici Beanz]

Agreed. You ever wonder how many people fail to get into grad school because they don't have that "All I Do Is Win" mindset? It can be a mental trip to keep the faith and have confidence that you're doing the right thing and stay the course to follow your dreams, you know?

Now what advice, if any, would you offer to someone who is having trouble with developing that positive mindset?

I think the best advice for folks having trouble with this is to take things one step at a time. You might now be able to convince yourself that you can become a rockstar in your field, but you have a pretty good shot of convincing yourself that you can find a handful of interesting looking programs...then look at their requirements...then put together a personal statement...

[Sigaba]

For me, the most challenging component was the GRE: carving out time to study and not to freak out about taking it.

Edited June 29, 2012 by Sigaba

[Shari A Williams]

For me it was most CERTAINLY my statement of purpose. Even though I knew exactly what I wanted to put in it and everything, just finding the exact right way to say it was an issue. Then again, this is a problem I have in general when I'm writing papers as I tend to be a perfectionist and want my things to sound as natural but sophisticated as possible.

Every other part of it was a breeze for me....even the writing samples which I just pulled from my current thesis and slightly modified before sending them off. But the Statement of Purpose literally had me in tears for a second.

I laugh when I think about it now, but back then it was no laughing matter at all.

[xxcheshirecatox]

For me, it was two things, really. The first was even getting to a place where I wanted to expend the energy to apply. This was not my first application season, and I was well aware of how draining and potentially soul-crushing the process is. Plus, I wasn't sure that I wanted to return to school just yet (or even at all). But after about 6-8 months of reflection, I decided I was ready to take the plunge. I sacrificed my nights and weekends (I work full-time) to make it happen. That wasn't fun. It did pay off, though.

Unquestionably, the hardest part of the actual application was the statement of purpose. I feel like this is part of the reason I floundered the first time I applied and didn't get into a program. It really required me to dig deep to come up with something of quality, as I generally suck at writing about myself. So this time around, I became determined to make it better, and I worked on it for months instead of doing it at the last minute. I bought a book about how to write an SOP. I edited and re-edited. And I ended up getting into my top choice. Well worth it, but exhausting.

Edited July 1, 2012 by xxcheshirecatox

[butterfingers2010]

For me the entire process of applying to grad school really challenged my sense of self-worth. At every point in the process, I was thinking "Am I good enough for this? Am I going to pull THIS one off?" From taking the GRE to obtaining LOR's to answering application questions, you are constantly faced with how you might compare to other applicants or to what the school is looking for. Some aspects of the application were especially hard for me-for example-bombing the GRE TWICE and basically living in fear that the only programs I would get into are ones that don't require it. I also had some trouble obtaining LOR's, as the first people I asked-those who I were so sure would be great letter writers for me-turned out not to be as interested as I had hoped. It was a huge sense of relief for me when I found the LOR's I needed, but it was definitely a challenge to my self-esteem. I think the most important lesson I took from that is that you have to realize that not everybody will like you or want to take the time to help you achieve your dreams, but that doesn't matter, because there are people who ARE interested in your future and your success. The most rewarding part of applying was being forced to articulate exactly what my goals are and what my professional approach and style is all about. I learned a lot about myself through writing, re-writing, and writing again my SOP and other essay questions that I had to do.

A year of researching schools,two GRE exams, six months of writing, a few crying spells, hundreds of dollars, and ALOT of worries later, I am finally a graduate student! Applying to grad school is one of the hardest things you'll ever do but it's so worth it.

[TropicalCharlie]

I found the GRE and the SOP to be the most challenging aspects of the application process. I had been out of school for ten years, so I was quite worried about how I would fare on the GRE. I took the GRE when it was still the CAT format, and during the 30 seconds it took to populate my scores, my heart must have skipped several beats. I did well enough the first time, so that was a big relief. I got over this hurdle, and it was on to the next. The SOP was a long process of writing and re-writing, getting various qualified people to look over it, and more re-writing. Then adapting the original version for each school was a process in itself, because one school may have a limit of 1000 words while another wants only 500.

LOR's were the easiest for me since I had kept in touch with all the right people over the years. I knew all of them personally and professionally since I worked for them and took their classes as an undergrad. I never even thought of going to grad school until about five years ago. It's a good idea to maintain contact, even when you don't think you need to at the time, because you just never know when you'll need their help further down the road.

Edited July 4, 2012 by TropicalCharlie

[kateausten]

LORs are definitely my biggest challenge in applying. In fact, I'd say that anxiety about where to get them made me procrastinate thinking seriously about grad school because applying seemed impossible. I went to a small school, and was a transfer student so I mostly took classes within my small department. I got to know three professors well and two of them passed away within a year of me graduating. I'm aware of how ridiculously egocentric it sounds to be naming that as my own bad luck, but I'm left with profs I had one class with and may not remember me, or profs who didn't see my best work due to me happening to have health issues while I was in their classes. People keep telling me to take more classes but I still have to pay my rent and local university classes don't fit my FT work schedule.

In a broader sense, figuring out what I want to do has been a challenge as well. I've almost picked a career path by process of elimination, trying different things related to subjects I'm interested in and hating them for different reasons, then looking at what I find draining versus what I find stimulating. My undergrad was very good with grad school counseling and helping you explore your academic interests but that's only half the equation. You also have to figure out what you want out of life and if the career you're pursuing will support of impede that. I experimented with different fields that would give me the lifestyle I wanted (geographic freedom, ability to work for myself or as a contractor) and figured out what I like and hate to do. It is also challenging for me to make the commitment and take on the financial burden without feeling like I know for sure what I'm getting into -- but as a person with bills to pay I can't just take internships or a $10/hour entry level job to get exposure to a field, I have to trust myself enough to trust that I know what I want.

[ronwill06]

LORs are definitely my biggest challenge in applying. In fact, I'd say that anxiety about where to get them made me procrastinate thinking seriously about grad school because applying seemed impossible. I went to a small school, and was a transfer student so I mostly took classes within my small department. I got to know three professors well and two of them passed away within a year of me graduating. I'm aware of how ridiculously egocentric it sounds to be naming that as my own bad luck, but I'm left with profs I had one class with and may not remember me, or profs who didn't see my best work due to me happening to have health issues while I was in their classes. People keep telling me to take more classes but I still have to pay my rent and local university classes don't fit my FT work schedule.

In a broader sense, figuring out what I want to do has been a challenge as well. I've almost picked a career path by process of elimination, trying different things related to subjects I'm interested in and hating them for different reasons, then looking at what I find draining versus what I find stimulating. My undergrad was very good with grad school counseling and helping you explore your academic interests but that's only half the equation. You also have to figure out what you want out of life and if the career you're pursuing will support of impede that. I experimented with different fields that would give me the lifestyle I wanted (geographic freedom, ability to work for myself or as a contractor) and figured out what I like and hate to do. It is also challenging for me to make the commitment and take on the financial burden without feeling like I know for sure what I'm getting into -- but as a person with bills to pay I can't just take internships or a $10/hour entry level job to get exposure to a field, I have to trust myself enough to trust that I know what I want.

I agree I have the same issues too. I work a full time job and can't afford to do everything that would make my application look great.Having to work full time has also hurt my grades in some areas because of the cumbersome daily schedule I have.

[docjourney]

I think this is EXACTLY what I'm going through! 

[Amayan]

For myself, the wait to hear back on acceptance or rejection has been the hardest part.  It's been really torturous and all I can think about is how much is riding on this.  I did my best, but I can't stop worrying that my best isn't good enough.

[museum_geek]

Waiting on LORs was the toughest part for me.  Putting all the hard work I had done for my apps into the hands of others and trusting them to get those letters in on time was really difficult.  Thankfully my letter writers are all awesome and got everything in well before my deadlines!