Anticipating many rejections

[wildviolet]

I can always try again next year.

Exactly!

I noticed that you applied to schools only in California. If you don't get in this year, you may want to try broadening your search next year. Initially, I restricted my schools to the west coast, but I'm glad I applied to a school in the midwest--once I did some research, I learned that there are great schools all over the country. Also, I don't have any hard data, but my feeling (from reading stuff around the web) is that this year there are more applicants to grad school because of the poor job market. Thus, this year may have been particularly competitive.

[leahallegra]

I can't even imagine this. Did you contact profs / write custom SOPs for each school? I applied to 6 total and it literally took me almost every day from August till January! Maybe I'm just slow.

I contacted professors from a couple of schools that I was very interested in working with but not for all. Several of my schools Im more or less going in blind on the applications process although I know the focus of the department's research. I did write individual SOPs for all the schools however I used one global template for them so I more or less changed out the name of the school, faculty, research focus, and changed the two/three paragraphs I had on why I want to go to this school in particular. But the background, research experience, interests, and goals stayed the same.

[leahallegra]

Oh, and it wasnt some super short easy process. I more or less didnt sleep for about a month and a half while I did all the applications throughout December/winter break. I chose schools with January and February deadlines so I could have winter break to work on them hardcore. It sucked.

[PhDreams]

I more or less didnt sleep for about a month and a half while I did all the applications throughout December/winter break.

This is why I love Grad Cafe. No one else would understand why anyone would do this ^^

I spent the two weeks after finals not sleeping AT ALL -up by 8am and asleep by 4am. Geez....

[sansao]

21 is an obscene number and that many applications becomes VERY difficult to keep track of. LORs were a nightmare and a half but as I mentioned above I really needed to case a wide net in my situation. I kept an Excel spreadsheet and checked off every piece of the application for all the schools to help keep on top of things. I also didnt really have a winter break since I was busy with applications 24/7. It sucked. Never again (I hope!)

Well, the biomedical field does seem to be pretty competitive this year. Hopefully your interview at Penn State got you in. In the meantime, I don't think you did yourself a disservice by casting a wide net, at least you have a lot of possibilities. If I had three rejections (out of four schools) right now, I'd be completely and thoroughly panicked.

I spent the two weeks after finals not sleeping AT ALL -up by 8am and asleep by 4am. Geez....

Yeah, I did my apps over the Fall semester, and I might as well have been taking an extra course, complete with homework and term papers, for as much time as I put into it. Funny enough, the waiting this semester is far more distracting than the application process was. On the upside, my applications were all done in November (minus lors, which didn't arrive until Dec/Jan).

[Frostfire]

Yeah, I did my apps over the Fall semester, and I might as well have been taking an extra course, complete with homework and term papers, for as much time as I put into it. Funny enough, the waiting this semester is far more distracting than the application process was. On the upside, my applications were all done in November (minus lors, which didn't arrive until Dec/Jan).

The waiting is definitely more distracting. By far. I mean, yay for being done with them, but I feel completely drained of any motivation to get anything else done. Especially since I'm saddled with a class I absolutely hate this semester. Bleh.

Hopefully good news comes in soon.

[PhDreams]

Especially since I'm saddled with a class I absolutely hate this semester. Bleh.

Sooooo there. I just dropped "that" class today.

Anxiety + "that" class =

Couldn't deal with it.

[sansao]

Especially since I'm saddled with a class I absolutely hate this semester. Bleh.

Sooooo there. I just dropped "that" class today.

I have one class that I love this semeste, and the other three are meh. I don't hate them, but if they weren't required to graduate, I definitely would have enrolled in something else more related to my field/interests. On a side note, you know you're a nerd when your "fun elective" is differential equations.

[Frostfire]

Sooooo there. I just dropped "that" class today.

Anxiety + "that" class =

Couldn't deal with it.

So, SO, wish I had that option. You have no idea.

I have one class that I love this semeste, and the other three are meh. I don't hate them, but if they weren't required to graduate, I definitely would have enrolled in something else more related to my field/interests. On a side note, you know you're a nerd when your "fun elective" is differential equations.

The real sad thing? If not for this class filling a requirement, I've no idea what I would have taken. There are no real options this semester for what I'm interested in. *sigh*

Honestly, if not for doing the TA bit for the intermediate Latin course, there would be NOTHING about this semester that I like.

[omigoshlolz]

Oh, and it wasnt some super short easy process. I more or less didnt sleep for about a month and a half while I did all the applications throughout December/winter break. I chose schools with January and February deadlines so I could have winter break to work on them hardcore. It sucked.

Good for you! I mean this with 100% sincerity, that is AMAZING! Good luck! With motivation and determination like that, you'll succeed anywhere you choose to attend! 21 schools - wow!