Sh*t people say when you are applying to grad school

[reachystik]

reachystik: i luv your kitteh buddy icon!

Thanks! That's Bruno the big fat orange cat. Mid-yawn pictures are funny

[Marshall]

A few days ago after accepting an offer I got a "oh wow... more grad school?" . Gee, don't sound so excited!

[Smitten Pears]

I have one to add:

My boyfriend just came into my office with an envelope and said, "Did you see this mail for you? It's from Columbia."

--Excited pause--

"I'm just kidding. It's from Direct Loans! Ha!"

WTF.

Not funny!!

Edited April 16, 2012 by Smitten Pears

[butalas]

I hear alot of... "well they would be crazy not to accept you"

and... "I'm sure you'll have all the programs you want to choose from, you'll see".

and... "I just don't understand why you didn't get in!"

but my favorite is... "whatever happens will be the best option for you. Everything happens for a reason."

Maybe I should put that on my resume under education, "everything happens for a reason"

Applied: UT Austin, Texas A&M, Southern Methodist, Rice, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Colorado School of Mines.

Rejected: Arizona, CSM

Waiting: UT, TAMU, SMU, Rice, OU

Accepted: None yet

This pretty much sums up my experience...especially "everything happens for a reason." Of course they don't understand AT ALL the research and process of applying, and finding out all these specifics about each school. I think with most people, it's a polite way of saying "I don't know anything about graduate school, nor do I care to talk about it." My current roommate described me as "masochistic" for wanting to study more.

[imonedaful]

Randome Guy: How is that goal of earning a PHD going?

Me: I am not sure yet, I haven't got into any schools yet.

Random Guy: They are making schools more difficult to get into now. But you seem intelligent.

Me: So what is it that you know about business PHD programs that you think you can speak on them?

Random Guy: From experience, not much at all. But this person at University X that I know does. And a friend of mine is a real estate agent and we are always talking about business and schools.

Me: University X doesn't even have a business PHD program and real estate is just... completely irrelevant.

My goodness.

[Cogito]

My mother after telling her I was rejected from Stanford: "Can't you just call them and tell them how interested you are in the program?"

No mom. It doesn't work that way, and even if it did, it's not the best fit for me anyway.

[ohhello]

Friends, upon learning where you've been accepted: "Oooh, you should go to [program], [city of program] is so exciting!"

Friends, upon learning where you'll go: "Congratulations! Now I have an excuse to visit [city of program]! I'm so excited!"

[GreenePony]

Friends, upon learning where you've been accepted: "Oooh, you should go to [program], [city of program] is so exciting!"

Friends, upon learning where you'll go: "Congratulations! Now I have an excuse to visit [city of program]! I'm so excited!"

I've gotten these, but it's more "more of an excuse" since those I grew up with are only 2 hours away but my friends from ug (22 hours) may visit, especially since "our" QB is likely going to be living/playing in the same city.

Edited April 21, 2012 by GreenePony

[oseirus]

My mother after telling her I was rejected from Stanford: "Can't you just call them and tell them how interested you are in the program?"

No mom. It doesn't work that way, and even if it did, it's not the best fit for me anyway.

that is possibly the sweetest and saddest thing I've read in a while

[sansao]

Friend: "have you heard anything yet?

Me: "about what?"

Friend: "grad school."

Me: "THAT'S A DAMNED LIE! THERE'S NO SUCH THING."

Friend:

Me: -___-

[oseirus]

Friend: "have you heard anything yet?

Me: "about what?"

Friend: "grad school."

Me: "THAT'S A DAMNED LIE! THERE'S NO SUCH THING."

Friend:

Me: -___-

you forgot to add "I'll sue you if you say otherwise!"

[sansao]

you forgot to add "I'll sue you if you say otherwise!"

Heh. Good point.

[prettyuff1]

From my parents, "Why do you want to escape from the real world by doing a PhD?"

My parents are convinced I'll never work full time.

Never mind I'm the only one of my siblings with a degree in under 5 years and in the entire extended family to get a phd

[avicus]

Never mind I'm the only one of my siblings with a degree in under 5 years and in the entire extended family to get a phd

I get you! At least now my parents are more supportive, but only after much explaining that getting a PhD might actually improve, not worsen, my job prospects. I guess when your parents lives in a small town and don't read THAT widely (as in my case), this kind of statements are bound to come from them.

My solution: Patience and love. After all, they're my only parents.

[ClemsonJoy]

Husband's cousin posted on FB yesterday:

"Wow I am starting to feel limited in what I can do. I want to teach but I need a 2.5 GPA. Sadly I have a 2.2. If I want to get into a grad program what I want wants a minimum of a 3.0 GPA major/cumulative. What am I going to do now?"

Sorry honey, not everyone is meant to go to grad school. As my husband said, "Maybe you should've tried harder the first time?"

Then she goes on to say, after someone offered the advice of taking more classes to raise your GPA:

"I wish I could but I have to pay for classes myself soon. I am trying to get a 2nd degree but I think it's proving to be worse than my first degree"

Sorry but, your first degree is in theatre. What could be worse? (No offense to any arts people out there but.... really.) We were both a bit flabberghasted about the entire discussion/situation.

[bergsteiger]

My friend: Did you get into the grad school you wanted?

Me: Yeah, I received financial aid!

My friend: Great, so how much?

Me: XX dollars, which covers tuition and living costs.

My friend: Only that much! So you wont be able to save money.

Me: (No comment)

[teambear]

1. Parents: "Why don't you just try to work at the bank?" Well maybe because my field is Architecture, Urban Planning and Design!!

2. "What do you need ANOTHER degree for?" Well, now that a bachelors degree is useless in our world I need to go back and upgrade.

3. "Isn't this costing you money?" Why people ask this, I really don't know. And my answer is either "it's not your money. why do you care?" or " No its free, they are paying for my life."

[ANDS!]

A bachelors is hardly useless. The great majority of working professionals have them. Just an aside to give some weight to that comment.

[prettyuff1]

A bachelors is hardly useless. The great majority of working professionals have them. Just an aside to give some weight to that comment.

It is pretty useless in Biology/ Chemistry.. You'll start as a lab tech making $11/hr with no room to really advance to R&D with out an advanced degree.

[affguy]

I have a 30-second explanation of what I do that most people can understand: "I study mummies, tombs, and pyramids." To that explanation, I get the "that's so cool, I wish I could do that." And I have to admit to enjoying that kind of response. I found that when I explained what I really studied which was "the "syncretizing effects of Egyptian mystery religions upon Hellenized Jewish Gnostic sects," the eyes glazed over. There is just no way you can explain something like this to someone who doesn't have specialized knowledge to begin with.

Yes, I'm necro-posting, such is (un)life. I've just submitted my application for a masters program in critical infrastructure planning and management. It's part of an urban planning department that looks at building enough resilience into water, healthcare, power, and similar systems that they can withstand natural disasters, terrorist attacks, climate change, etc. When people ask what I'll be studying (obviously everyone assumes I'll be accepted, even though it's a stretch for a mid-life career change), I simply say "apocalypse management". They laugh and seem to appreciate the absence of any further explanation.

[OregonGal]

That is an awesome career/degree description, IMO.

[ILuvPsych2013]

While deciding where to apply...

Family member: Have you decided where you're going yet?

Me: Yeah, that's not really how it works. I apply to many places I am interested in and hopefully 1 or 2 decide to offer me admission.

Family member: Wow...Isn't that nerve-wracking not knowing where you will end up?

Me: YEAH.

[YesserLab]

This Drives me craze:

1

{

Me: I have applied to [ Some prominant Top-Ranked Uni]

Them: Isn't this uni the one who just sells degrees ? OR (completely not know what thay are talking about) I heared bad stuff about that uni (Santa, please tell me what are these bad stuff and how to hear about it)

}

2

{

Applied and waiting

Them: Are we there yet,

Me: NO

Them: Are we there yet,

Me: NO

Them: Are we there yet,

Me: NO

Them: Are we there yet,

Me: NO

Them: Are we there yet,

Me: NO

Them: ooh, you are rejected, they're just shy to say this coz they know you are good

Me: *Scilence*

}

Edited June 3, 2012 by YesserLab

[Chukwu Chucks]

~random people : "damn! u r a smart pants aint ya?"

~friends : "Good luck"

~best friends : "U miss the freshman girls huh? dont forget to join the sorority there if u get accepted!"

~Parents : "Oh crap....i gotta pay for college again????"

[avicus]

Yes, I'm necro-posting, such is (un)life. I've just submitted my application for a masters program in critical infrastructure planning and management. It's part of an urban planning department that looks at building enough resilience into water, healthcare, power, and similar systems that they can withstand natural disasters, terrorist attacks, climate change, etc. When people ask what I'll be studying (obviously everyone assumes I'll be accepted, even though it's a stretch for a mid-life career change), I simply say "apocalypse management". They laugh and seem to appreciate the absence of any further explanation.

"Apocalypse management" FTW!