Jump to content

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


Clou12

Recommended Posts

When I tell people that I've been accepted to a school in California (NOT "I'm attending school in California in the fall")

"California? You can't move to California!"

I can and I might!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I tell people that I've been accepted to a school in California (NOT "I'm attending school in California in the fall")

"California? You can't move to California!"

I can and I might!

Why not? California is awesome! I might leave and I'm not happy about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why not? California is awesome! I might leave and I'm not happy about it.

 

California is definitely awesome but so is NY! Plus I'm an anomaly and winter is my favorite season  :wacko: I'd miss not being on the east coast for the majority of the next 5 years

Link to comment
Share on other sites

California is definitely awesome but so is NY! Plus I'm an anomaly and winter is my favorite season  :wacko: I'd miss not being on the east coast for the majority of the next 5 years

Oh god can we trade places? I'd miss not being on the west coast for the majority of the next 5 years. Though I might move to Penn, not NY :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is one that my mom and her 65 year old crocheting friends have been laying on me recently. 

"Oh, you were accepted to School A, but your fiance wasn't? You just need to make a trip down there, he can rewrite his statement of purpose, and you both can just go talk to the department. I'm sure they'll let him in after he talks with them." 

Yeah. . . because that's how grad schools work. They'll outright reject you, but it's not because they don't want you. They just want you to come visit and share in some tea and crumpets. Then they'll accept you.

 

Sometimes I wish the world did work that way (because I do love tea and crumpets), but then that wouldn't be fair to the hundreds of other people similarly rejected. 

Similarly, I read this article on what you should do when you're waitlisted, and it was written by a professor who had once been a graduate director. He gave some tips on what you might do to show the department that you're interested in remaining on the waitlist and that you really would like to attend. A few things he said not to do (which he himself had experienced) was give your graduate director chocolates, flowers, or a mirror which read "Here's hoping I'll be looking at you next fall." lol

 

"Did he like the mirror?"

"I dunno. . . but I hope so. Maybe he'll invite me to his office for tea and crumpets."

"Maybe you should send him another bouquet of flowers, just in case."

"Yeah, you're probably right."
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This might be more of a student affairs/higher ed thing to say, but maybe others have been hearing it. For those of us still fretting because we're waiting on news from our respective schools: "Trust in the process." What the hell does this even mean? I feel like that's the advice you give someone when you don't have actual advice to give them. Seriously if one more person uses the phrase "trust in the process," I'm going to rage...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My grandparents who live in my hometown want me to move closer to home.

Grandmother: Why don't you apply to Buffalo's library science program, I don't want you so far away.

Me: But Buffalo doesn't offer my concentration!

Grandmother: But it's closer to home!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My grandparents who live in my hometown want me to move closer to home.

Grandmother: Why don't you apply to Buffalo's library science program, I don't want you so far away.

Me: But Buffalo doesn't offer my concentration!

Grandmother: But it's closer to home!

 

Mom: Apply to [my alma mater]! It has one of the best programs for this in the country!

 

---days pass, look up [her alma mater] for S&Gs--

 

Me: Mom, [your alma mater] doesn't even *have* a program.

 

(apologies if I posted this before)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I tell people that I've been accepted to a school in California (NOT "I'm attending school in California in the fall")

"California? You can't move to California!"

I can and I might!

The second I told people about the offer in Ottawa, I`ve had tons of people asking me when I`m moving, what I`m doing with my animals, and also any plans for the summer are now `We have to do this before you leave!`

An offer doesn`t mean I`m going there! Gah.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"

"What about [my boyfriend]?"

 

I hear this one a lot. As though it's not occurred to me. My other favorite is "Well of course you'll get in everywhere. You had great grades and you're a GRE prep teacher." THEN after I've patiently explained how selective the programs are, and eventually get rejected, the same person goes "How could you not get in? You had great grades and you're a GRE prep teacher. Did you screw up your application?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hear this one a lot. As though it's not occurred to me. My other favorite is "Well of course you'll get in everywhere. You had great grades and you're a GRE prep teacher." THEN after I've patiently explained how selective the programs are, and eventually get rejected, the same person goes "How could you not get in? You had great grades and you're a GRE prep teacher. Did you screw up your application?"

I LOVE that people don't get how PhD admissions aren't just about scores...and how they seem to think it works like undergrad - that if you want to go, you just have to sign up!

Edited by aphdapplicant
Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Are you reading my mind?"

Totally...

"How do you do research in psychology - is it like you go out somewhere and do people-watching?"

"How do you do research with something SUBJECTIVE like personality?"

"Oh so you want to be a psychiatrist (or therapist)?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

*shakesheadinshame* So I just heard back from UCL and I got in.

 

 

My mom's reply : Where is that? 

My reply: It is in the UK

Mom's reply : OH GOD, THERE ARE A LOT OF INDIAN PEOPLE THERE. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE DON'T MARRY ONE OF THEM. I KNOW HOW PARTIAL YOU ARE TO THEM!!! 

 

*Background information : the last 2 guys I dated were Indian* 

 

My reply : = _ =; the 2nd year is in Russia too Mommy. 

Mom's reply : OH GOD, YOU ARE GOING TO MARRY A RUSSIAN MAFIA. PLEASE DON'T MARRY ONE OF THEM. I WILL DISOWN YOU!!!! WHY CAN'T YOU DATE A WHITE ENGLISHMAN?!

 

5 seconds later : I will buy you a flat in London. 

 

= _ =; I don't know how graduate school correlates to me getting hitch but okay. 

Edited by kittythrones
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My mother is thoroughly convinced that you MUST have a Master's degree before you will be admitted into a PhD program, regardless of the amount of evidence to the contrary I present. Sadly, I have been rejected from all of the PhD programs I have applied to so far, but two of them have offered admission to their Master's program. 

 

Mother's response: "Told you so . . ."

 

The worst, however, came from a LOR writer, upon hearing that I would also be applying to my school's Master's program (doesn't offer a PhD):

"I'm surprised to hear that. You really shouldn't go here--it would be a waste of your time. I have no doubt you will get into at least one of your PhD programs."

 

Guess who will more than likely be my advisor for the M.A.? Awkward . . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Oooh I'm coming to visit you in Montreal!!!"

Ummm...when I lived 30 miles from you, I never saw you, but now you're gonna make the effort to see me when I'm living in another country because you want a cheap vacation???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use