Jump to content

So what age are the ages of all you grad school hopefuls this year?


Biostat_Assistant_Prof

Recommended Posts

I am 39 and I am a bit nervous about making friends! I started law school when I was 23 and I felt a bit old, but in a good way, I appreciated being back in school after working for 2 years.  Now I'm applying to speech pathology masters programs - I started doing pre-reqs in fall 2011.  I have one acceptance so far - UNC Chapel Hill which is so exciting!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm 29 and dropped out of school twice before finding the thing I loved enough to stick with it.  I did not avoid my non-traditional status in my SOP and most POI I've met have brought it up as being a strength - as in I'm clearly not applying in autopilot because I took my time getting to this point.  But, I've met a wide range of successful applicants at prospective student weekends and they had a range of backgrounds and ages, none of which seemed to keep them from getting into a school they were thrilled with.  My field (geology) does seem particularly open to older students though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm 36. I dropped out of school a couple of times before going back for my BA and doing 60 credits in three semesters with a 4.0 GPA. Now I'm accepted to three places, rejected from four, and waiting to hear from a few others before making the decision.

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Currently 22, will be 23 when I start a program. I thought being young & fresh out of undergrad was out of the norm, but that doesn't seem to be true after scrolling through this thread - there are actually lots of 22-going-on-23 year olds! :]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm 29 and dropped out of school twice before finding the thing I loved enough to stick with it.  I did not avoid my non-traditional status in my SOP and most POI I've met have brought it up as being a strength - as in I'm clearly not applying in autopilot because I took my time getting to this point.  But, I've met a wide range of successful applicants at prospective student weekends and they had a range of backgrounds and ages, none of which seemed to keep them from getting into a school they were thrilled with.  My field (geology) does seem particularly open to older students though.

 

Why would " a range of backgrounds and ages" be a barrier?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm 40 and was rather quickly admitted into my program (MI at Toronto), 3 weeks turnaround time. I don't think those who are older have a harder time being accepted, I think age (whether older or younger) is a state of mind. It's not about the number, it's about what you do with the time you have & what your attitude is. I'm sure a number of you would beg to differ & that's cool. :) Just giving my 2 cents!

 

As for the friends thing... I've never had a problem making friends older or younger. It's about finding a common thread & working from there. Of course, with any huge age difference you won't mesh 100%, but who says you have to?? You have your school friends, work friends, outside friends. Nothing wrong with mixing it up. :)

 

Older students feeling they aren't up to par with younger students? I don't think so. My experience (as a much older undergrad student who buddied with other mature students) is that we tend to be more dedicated, worked harder, never skipped classes, & earned higher grades. Of course, I'm grossly biased, I get that. I'm also referring to undergrad vs grad, a HUGE difference. Again, my opinion.

 

In sum, I don't think age should be a concern at all when diving into grad school. It's all about the journey & there is no way you can emerge unchanged (unless you fight really hard!). You're supposed to enjoy it!

Edited by madricka
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm 40 and was rather quickly admitted into my program (MI at Toronto), 3 weeks turnaround time. I don't think those who are older have a harder time being accepted, I think age (whether older or younger) is a state of mind. It's not about the number, it's about what you do with the time you have & what your attitude is. I'm sure a number of you would beg to differ & that's cool. :) Just giving my 2 cents!

 

As for the friends thing... I've never had a problem making friends older or younger. It's about finding a common thread & working from there. Of course, with any huge age difference you won't mesh 100%, but who says you have to?? You have your school friends, work friends, outside friends. Nothing wrong with mixing it up. :)

 

Older students feeling they aren't up to par with younger students? I don't think so. My experience (as a much older undergrad student who buddied with other mature students) is that we tend to be more dedicated, worked harder, never skipped classes, & earned higher grades. Of course, I'm grossly biased, I get that. I'm also referring to undergrad vs grad, a HUGE difference. Again, my opinion.

 

In sum, I don't think age should be a concern at all when diving into grad school. It's all about the journey & there is no way you can emerge unchanged (unless you fight really hard!). You're supposed to enjoy it!

 

I know it's not your intention but this post, and especially the bolded part, suggests that there is a perception of an issue with being an older grad student in the first place.  I don't think any of the older applicants have expressed a concern about feeling not up to par with younger students, so why reassure them about it?  Why is there no post  reassuring the younger ones about looking naive & dumb to the older ones?

 

Substitute "older" for another demographic characteristic and it would be a very troubling post.

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