Anyone else already planning ahead their future after imminent rejections?

[Nebraska19]

While I still have not been fully rejected (I have been wait listed at two schools) and still have 5 out of 7 schools to hear from I am already preparing my plan B. I am an out of field candidate for speech pathology and I plan on getting into a post-bac program to take all the courses I need in order to apply to more schools next year and be a stronger candidate. I am limited to only schools that offer a "leveler" sequence this time and I have no idea how many people in my position a schools offers admission for. But I just REALLY hope that I get in somewhere because trying to figure out which schools need which pre-req courses done is a royal pain in the butt!

 

I also may try to brush up on ASL and maybe re-take the GRE, but getting in a post-bac program is my top priority when it comes to my plan B.

[child of 2]

I live in Pearland, I work in freeport on site with a plant. 

 

I don't know if I'm going to the rodeo or not, i've never really been. 

 

And I think I just got another rejection notice.... 4 down five to go...

man you're pretty close to houston. I'm jealous. I'd never go to a rodeo for fun. But since I'm not from around here, I might go just so I can say I did it.

[Owlie]

Rejections from 2/5, interview 2 weeks ago from 1, and yet to hear from the remaining 2 (but they had late deadlines).  Part of me wants to be optimistic about the interview, because I haven't seen anything on Grad Cafe yet.  However, it's not a huge field, so I'm not surprised if there are relatively few applicants.  However, a larger part of me is going to assume a rejection, because as far as I know many places notify quickly after interviews.

 

I still have to finish my MS, and a lab tech job is a possibility, though I don't think it's reasonable because I'd want to reapply next year.

[Bren]

Already heading down that Plan B route. I am studying Music Business and don't have many options when it comes to schools, so I originally applied to 4, withdrew from 1 because I couldn't afford the app fee of $150, and just got my first response- a rejection- back today. So now I am looking down the jobs road in my field. Hopefully I will have better luck there.

[Reatha]

man you're pretty close to houston. I'm jealous. I'd never go to a rodeo for fun. But since I'm not from around here, I might go just so I can say I did it.

 

Yea, but I commute a fair distance to work everyday. For me it just depends on if other people are interested in going. 

[Reatha]

Anyone started thinking about next years applications yet?

 

I've started to think about based on the feedback I've gotten this year which school I would reapply to and which I would not

[nope]

However, a larger part of me is going to assume a rejection, because as far as I know many places notify quickly after interviews.

 

Not necessarily. Sometimes it's just really hard to cut the numbers down, and there's negotiations that have to happen over who gets what student which may have not been completed yet or interviews may have changed things up (more true in direct mentorship programs). When I applied the first time, I got an offer from the university I go now a few days after the interviews themselves. However, my friend waited like three weeks before getting an offer (different university), and he was a top pick. (I guess they could have been lying to him, but I'm not sure why they would.) Money being the issue that it is and administration being the way it can be, there are a lot of reasons there might be a delay.

 

The waiting really sucks though.

[pears]

to those debating whether to go to a rodeo: do iiit! you will regret nothing. (just be sure to have a reserve of whiskey and bud heavy.)

[NightGallery]

I also have one application pending and it's not looking good.  According to the results search someone heard on February 9th, and of course today is the 1st of March so I'd say that things aren't looking too good for me.  I emailed the graduate director for updates on admissions decisions (annoying but necessary for my sanity) and he has not gotten back to me.  I feel that if I was an accepted student he would go out of his way to let me know, so I'm assuming that the silence = rejection.

 

I would like to reapply next year but unfortunately, I'm losing hope.  For my first round of applications, I was accepted into a school and did attend for a semester.  However, due to severe flooding (power outages, etc), bad personal life situations, and an overall bad academic fit with the department (was not gaining ground with my advisor and was unable to switch advisors), I ended up leaving in hopes of transferring.  I hate typing that because it's SO embarrassing for me, but it was the right decision.  So this application season was my second go around, and unfortunately I couldn't apply to a ton of places because it took me a while to find a job (and to find myself).  I knew that things would be risky once I left, so none of this is a surprise really.

 

I'm currently working at a history museum/hall of fame full-time, so I would just continue with that if I didn't get into this particular school.

 

I do want to reapply next year, though I worry that I'm losing status in the eyes of my recommenders.  I just wonder if they are going to keep supporting me on this.  After a while I feel like they're going to say: "This crazy girl is still trying?  Give it up already!"  I'm also worried about age.  If I reapply next year and get into schools, I'll be entering at 25.  Someone needs to virtually slap me for implying that 25 is somehow old or non-traditional for graduate study (I'm kind of beating myself up about the past on that one).

Your stress over your age is overblown. Relax. I had a POI tell me that he thought 25 was too YOUNG for the PhD track his program offered. Really, there are plenty of folks 30+ in PhD programs. 

[abeilles]

I do want to reapply next year, though I worry that I'm losing status in the eyes of my recommenders.  I just wonder if they are going to keep supporting me on this.  After a while I feel like they're going to say: "This crazy girl is still trying?  Give it up already!"  I'm also worried about age.  If I reapply next year and get into schools, I'll be entering at 25.  Someone needs to virtually slap me for implying that 25 is somehow old or non-traditional for graduate study (I'm kind of beating myself up about the past on that one).

 

Well, I'm 26 and just starting this year!

[NightGallery]

I was in this boat the first time I applied 2 years ago.  I applied for Social Psych PhD programs which take 1-2 students per professor (sometimes not even that many) so it's very competitive.  I applied to 12 schools the first time I applied and spent a lot of time researching and choosing what I thought would be a good cross-section of schools.  I got 2 phone interviews and 1 in person interview and ended up with 12 rejections. 

 

So facing the disappointment I felt since I thought I would get in (everyone always thinks you won't have a problem getting in...don't listen to everyone.  They know nothing.), I realized I had no plan B.  Luckily, I got 2 degrees in college, one in a different area, so I decided to split my job search between both fields.  In psych, I joined all of the listservs and applied to lab manager positions.  I also applied to retail or fashion jobs.  I ended up getting 2 job offers on the same day about 2 months after graduation, one as a lab manager at MIT and one as a retail manager at a department store.  Obviously, I took the job at MIT and ended up being way happier than I would have if I had convinced myself to go to the only school that interviewed me (they didn't accept me so it was a nonissue, but it wasn't a good fit for me at all anyway).  I applied again this year, to 13 schools, and was much more successful.  I got 4 phone interviews, 3 in person interviews and 2 offers with great funding at good Top-40 programs where I have a good fit.  Now my problem is trying to decide where to go.

 

Here is my advice if you are in the "didn't get in anywhere" boat:

 

1) You are not alone!  I had great experience coming out of undergrad.  Honestly, I couldn't have gotten any more than I did at my undergrad institution.  All of my letter-writers were confident, my essay was good, my grades were good, my scores were good, etc.  The fact is, there are so few spots and so many applicants that not everyone who is qualified gets in.  You are probably all qualified.  It may be the case that some of you put in more effort with your applications than others but, at the end of the day, if you didn't get in it really doesn't mean that much about you.  All it means is that some kid with a masters degree applied with your exact same credentials.  So, seriously, stop taking these rejections personally.  Obviously that's more easily said than done but you are still the smart, capable individual you were when you applied.  It's not you, it's them.  (Also, in terms of age, a lot of programs don't like to accept right out of undergrad so 25 is definitey NOT old to start a program, but it can depend on your field.  It would be rare to get an advanced business degree with no work experience, for instance.  So if you just graduated or are still in school, it is especially common to get rejected at that point.)

 

2) Write your rejectors back, especially if you had an interview.  Find out why you were rejected (or other people were chosen), specifically.  POIs are usually happy to tell you (spoiler alert: either you don't have enough experience or other students were a better match) how you could have improved your application.  Take it seriously if you want to get in next cycle and improve that application.  Also, be nice and respond with a thank you for the consideration either way.  You don't want to burn any bridges.  You may decide to apply again, or you may decide to apply for a job there someday.  Assume nothing about your future relationship with these people other than the fact that your end should always represent you as a capable professional. 

 

3) Don't stop learning about the application process since you've done it before.  A lot of people assume that they didn't get in because someone else had better grades or scores, but it can also be because you made one of a host of fatal errors that applicants in your field make.  For instance, in psych programs, and in many mentorship model programs, you are going to want to write specific professors to see if they are taking students this year AT ALL.  If you skip this step, you may have applied to 13 schools, 7 of which you never had a chance of getting into because the person that you applied to wasn't taking students.  If you are applying for these kinds of programs, so many people do this that if you don't your application will get less consideration.  Professors seek out these specific applications when people get in touch, you bring your name to their attention.  Also, people often make a lot of mistakes in their statements.  One of these mistakes can be talking to much about your experience and not focusing enough on your fit with the program/school.  Make sure to keep getting the advice from people you trust so you can avoid these mistakes next time.

 

4) Build your resume in the meantime.  When I got rejected the first round, I was told I had 2 choices to add to my experience: apply to MA programs with late deadlines or get a lab manager or research assistant job in my field.  I chose the second route and ended up with a great job that elevated my CV a ton and provided me with a ton of wonderful experience that I used to my advantage in this cycle.  A lot of people work in unrelated fields between application seasons but if your application wasn't strong enough the first time, that isn't going to change if your job has nothing to do with your subject.  Also, a lot of places want a LOR from your boss if you have a job after school so keep in mind that you will need time to cultivate a relationship with your boss for a good rec.  I waited 2 years between applications because I wanted a whole year at my job for my writer to comment on.  Keep this is mind when you are planning for the future.

 

Overall, I really don't think I would have been happy at the last place I was waiting to hear from for Fall 2011.  The mentor would have been a bad choice, both in personality and research fit.  The program is not well respected and I would have taken it just because it was the only school that hadn't rejected me (at that point, I stress again that I was rejected from this school as well).  Instead of putting a sub-par institution on my CV, I got to add a job at MIT and will soon add a great PhD program.  (This is a good part to point out that when it comes to grad school, there are no safety schools.  You could blow every applicant out of the water in terms of education, grades and scores but if other people have a better fit, that other stuff means a lot less.)  Being rejected from all of the schools I applied to actually worked out better for me.  I did reapply to some of the same schools and my 2 acceptances are both from programs I had applied to and been rejected from previously.  I had a phone interview with one and was never taken off the waitlist and, at the other, I literally never heard anything.  So keep in mind that this next year can turn the whole thing around for you.  Schools that didn't look at your app this year may be calling you as soon as apps are in a couple years from now.  The second time around worked for me.  In the time between, I got great work experience at an impressive institution with an incredible scholar I am lucky to call my boss. 

 

Remember, you are not alone!  Rejections happen more than acceptances.  Take the next year or two to work on that CV and you will be successful. 

I got rejected from one of my top picks today, and am very disappointed. I'm down but not out yet. Your post has really helped put things in perspective for me. Thanks.

[Reatha]

I got rejected from one of my top picks today, and am very disappointed. I'm down but not out yet. Your post has really helped put things in perspective for me. Thanks.

 

I'm the same. It really did put things into perspective for me and honestly if I have to wait and apply again next year I'll do so with work experience from my current job and my publications will be out by then. Furthermore, I'll have an industry recommendation instead of only academic. 

 

So in other words in one year, my application won't even look  the same, so maybe it would be for the best for me to wait a year. 

[child of 2]

emailed one professors today if he's taking graduate students, and received a prompt response that he doesn't have funding. He was the only professor that I would have worked with in that department. I'm only lukewarm about another one.

 

I shuold have done a better job contacting professors... I'm hanging by a thread.

 

F**K!!!

[Reatha]

emailed one professors today if he's taking graduate students, and received a prompt response that he doesn't have funding. He was the only professor that I would have worked with in that department. I'm only lukewarm about another one.

 

I shuold have done a better job contacting professors... I'm hanging by a thread.

 

F**K!!!

 

Had that realization too

[NightGallery]

emailed one professors today if he's taking graduate students, and received a prompt response that he doesn't have funding. He was the only professor that I would have worked with in that department. I'm only lukewarm about another one.

 

I shuold have done a better job contacting professors... I'm hanging by a thread.

 

F**K!!!

It's really tough this year... I have a 3.89 GPA, excellent letters, and I visited 5/6 of the programs I applied to, contacted/communicated with professors of interest, met with them etc. The catch phrase included in every letter of rejection I've received is that this year is "extremely competitive". Ugh!  it's like an unwelcome mantra coursing through my consciousness. Help!