Biggest Regrets from this Admissions Season

[Tupacalypse]

Now that admissions decisions are drawing to a close, most of us are beginning to decide or have already decided where we will attend next year.  I thought it would be a good idea to mention some glaring mistakes or regrets you may have about the process that could help future applicants.

 

Some of mine:

 

1.  I did not get in to this process early enough.  I didn't even start thinking about grad school until December, and didn't start applying.till mid-January  By that time, I missed most of the deadlines, including SAIS where I really wanted to apply.

2.  Not getting any feedback on my SoPs.  I was just lazy and didn't have enough time (see previous regret).

3.  Not fully grasping or looking into other sources of scholarships outside of the school.

 

What are some of yours?

[campussartorialist]

My two cents:

Attach your SoP to recommendation requests so your readers have a sense of the package you are trying to sell.

Start EARLY. HKS app is first and my SoPs to other institutions were noticibly stronger and more concise because of revising.

Take your GRE during or straight out of undergrad. Once you enter the workforce, if you're working the heavy schedule of a policy position, studying gets harder and harder.

[flyingjellyfish]

I don't regret applying to the programs I chose, but I realized during the application process that I actually wasn't too interested in a couple of the programs after all.  Applying was a good way for me to make that realization because I really confronted the reasons why they weren't a good fit, but it also cost me money and was obviously a lot of work.  Since I was basically done with the applications by the time I made these realizations, I felt it was worth submitting them anyway in case I changed my mind.  Looking back, I already knew which ones weren't a good fit and probably should have cut my losses and not applied. 

 

I think in general I need to have more faith in myself and more confidence.  I often second-guess myself, which made applying needlessly more stressful. 

 

On the positive side and to second the other posts on this forum, I gave myself a TON of time to work on my applications. In fact, I decided I wanted to go to grad school right after I graduated from undergrad in 2009.  Since then, I've carefully lined up my resume to be competitive and even decided to postpone applying.  I was originally going to apply for entry in Fall 2012, but decided gaining an extra year of work experience and time to prepare would be better.  I am so happy with that choice and will encourage others to do the same! 

[flyingjellyfish]

Take your GRE during or straight out of undergrad. Once you enter the workforce, if you're working the heavy schedule of a policy position, studying gets harder and harder.

 

I think that choice is definitely right for some people, but it wasn't for me.  I took the GRE right out of undergrad, but didn't have the math or practical smarts to do well.  Grad school was also a way off for me at that point, so it was hard to motivate myself to do well.  I now work in a quant-heavy job that requires me to use many of the skills tested on the GRE on a daily basis including having to write policy briefs quickly and concisely (great for the analytical essays!).  I found studying while working full-time to be challenging, but doable and I was much more motivated to succeed.  Finally, my support network was better the second-time around, because I now have many friends in or preparing to go to grad school who could commiserate with me and give me advice. 

 

Also, I don't really regret taking the GRE twice, as much as I LOATHE standardized tests.  I knew what I was getting into the second-time around.  Perhaps attempting in undergrad to get it out of the way and then re-taking it later if you don't succeed is an ok model... 

[SkyStrike]

Now that admissions decisions are drawing to a close, most of us are beginning to decide or have already decided where we will attend next year.  I thought it would be a good idea to mention some glaring mistakes or regrets you may have about the process that could help future applicants.

 

Some of mine:

 

1.  I did not get in to this process early enough.  I didn't even start thinking about grad school until December, and didn't start applying.till mid-January  By that time, I missed most of the deadlines, including SAIS where I really wanted to apply.

2.  Not getting any feedback on my SoPs.  I was just lazy and didn't have enough time (see previous regret).

3.  Not fully grasping or looking into other sources of scholarships outside of the school.

 

What are some of yours?

 

 

In terms of #3 - what are some funding sources you've now found that you wish you found out earlier?

[Miskina]

My regrets:

 

- I started thinking about applying in October and started studying for the GRE in November (I took the test early December). I needed a lot more time to work on the quant section so I ended up with a low score. But I was happy with my verbal score, which wasn't bad given the fact that I'm a non-native speaker.

- I applied to too many programs that weren't a good fit. I didn't spent much time doing research on the programs. I'm lucky to have been admitted to a program that happens to be exactly what I wanted. But I could definitely have better used my time and money.

 

What I did well (always be positive!):

- I got as many feedbacks as I could on my SOPs.

- I completed all my applications on time even though the US application process was completely new to me. Nobody in my network (family, friends living in my country...) had ever applied to a US school so I couldn't get any help on that side.Luckily some American friends did help me but only to read my SOPs.

 

Congrats to you all!

Edited March 21, 2013 by Miskina

[MPPgal]

I underestimated myself, I had great GRE scores (164Q, 160V (not a native speaker), 4.5 W)  but only a 3.4, thus I didn´t apply to many reach-but not super Ivy programs, I should have (Cornell, Yale, etc) should have also applied to more environmentaly focused programs like Yale and Duke. But hey got a full ride and got into awesome places! Maybe should have also tried for the development programs at GT where more people get scholarships, I just thought my low GPA was going to be a bigger problem!

[Tupacalypse]

In terms of #3 - what are some funding sources you've now found that you wish you found out earlier?

Just fellowships in general and things such as the Hayek Fund etc.  Also my school has some funding available for application fees and travel expenses for interviews etc. which I knew nothing about.  Woops.

[looking_to_sea]

not taking the GRE a second time, not applying to Syracuse (though it is unlikely I would have decided to attend without major funding), and definitely not studying more for my final semester of undergrad during application time

[spacezeppelin]

I wish I applied to more selective programs. I ended up getting into all the schools I applied to, including the schools I thought were "unlikely". I think part of the problem was that I was too focused on my GPA, which really is on the low side overall. I think I discounted the importance of a steep upward trend, really strong letters, and a good SOP.

 

If I had it to do again I would just apply to where I would like to go, and hope I get in. It really doesnt make any sense to apply to program just because I thought I would get into them.

 

That not to say i'm unhappy with my options; I now have 5 good ones. I guess its a pretty good regret to have. .

[JFactor]

I guess I have a few as well:

 

- not taking the GRE sooner. Although I got a great verbal score, my quant score could've definitely been better as I underperformed in the actual exam. However, I didn't have time in the fall to take it again (after really focusing on math for a while) with everything that I had going on at the time. The summer was much more relaxed in terms of time so I should've taken my first GRE then.

 

- not getting a stronger third LOR. It was solid I'm pretty sure, and the two other ones were most likely very, very good, but it could've been slightly better. I could've built a better relationship with that particular professor or with some other professor (I had a few options). A marginal regret for sure, don't think it made a difference either way to be honest, but a small thing that I could've done better.

 

- not doing "the optional" Fletcher video interview. I embarrassingly just completely forgot about it when all the applications were coming due. You were able to take it after submitting your actual application and that was my plan but then I just...forgot. Idiotic. Although I got in, it might have influenced the funding decision and therefore I might have received a little less money than I possibly could have with doing the video interview. So even though I have other very good choices, Fletcher could've possibly been in contention with better funding if I hadn't screwed up.

[MollyB]

Great idea for a thread! 

 

Dear would-be applicants reading this in the future hoping to avoid our collective mistakes:

 

If you're thinking "Should I retake the GRE?", immediately close out of this thread, sign up for a GRE test date six weeks from now, and start hitting the books, hard. Every single person with an advanced degree I talked to when preparing my apps told me to study for the GRE. For the longest time, I was skeptical. I thought "I'm a generally clever person, I've done well on standardized tests before. I bet I can just wing it." And if I had just winged it, I'm sure I'd have done fine, good enough to get accepted to the places I wanted to go (I didn't aim for the Ivies). But I promised two people in particular that I would study for the GRE in order to prove to them that I really wanted this grad school thing, and in return they promised to help me with letters, etc. It was painful. It was boring (nay, really boring). But gosh darn it, I sat my butt down in a library chair and I studied -- only three hours a week, and only for four weeks, but that was more than I otherwise would've put in if I didn't have friends pestering me. And my score was so, so much higher than it had a right to be, given my otherwise average innate intelligence. Which is all to say: study for the GRE. It's not too late. Start now, this very moment. Good luck! 

[biscuits]

Great idea for a thread!    Dear would-be applicants reading this in the future hoping to avoid our collective mistakes:   If you're thinking "Should I retake the GRE?", immediately close out of this thread, sign up for a GRE test date six weeks from now, and start hitting the books, hard. Every single person with an advanced degree I talked to when preparing my apps told me to study for the GRE. For the longest time, I was skeptical. I thought "I'm a generally clever person, I've done well on standardized tests before. I bet I can just wing it." And if I had just winged it, I'm sure I'd have done fine, good enough to get accepted to the places I wanted to go (I didn't aim for the Ivies). But I promised two people in particular that I would study for the GRE in order to prove to them that I really wanted this grad school thing, and in return they promised to help me with letters, etc. It was painful. It was boring (nay, really boring). But gosh darn it, I sat my butt down in a library chair and I studied -- only three hours a week, and only for four weeks, but that was more than I otherwise would've put in if I didn't have friends pestering me. And my score was so, so much higher than it had a right to be, given my otherwise average innate intelligence. Which is all to say: study for the GRE. It's not too late. Start now, this very moment. Good luck! 

I spent a summer re-teaching myself high school math in order to improve my score on the GRE. ....I hate geometry. The GRE is also designed to trick you rather than to test your mathematical knowledge, so don't assume that math skills alone will get you to the finish line.

[ийнна]

I would say personally broadening my choice not being stuck to only three or four schools ! 

Ideally i would suggest somewhere around 5 and 7 but it means that you need to have a lot of time to focus on them, because the more applications you decide to tackle the less deep/insightful they become. 

And Yes thinking of taking the GRE very early ! at least 40 days before the deadline but it means to start preparing months in advance !

[lobsterphone]

Ohhhhh boy the GradCafe confessional booth, hey?  Here's advice from the procrastination queen:

 

1)  GRE - Take it early.  I took mine on 12/26 (a Christmas present to myself, harhar) and just hoped the score would get in on time for 1/5-1/15 deadlines.  They did, but I didn't get a chance to retake after bombing the quant and writing section, which probably would have helped get me better funding.  Also, study some (over 4-6 weeks is sufficient) but don't flip out because it's just like a souped up SAT, and chances are if you did well on the SAT, you'll do fine on the GRE.  DEFINITELY study vocab.  Vocab=instant points.  

 

2)  Prioritize your applications by your lowest choice to top choice.  The lowest/safety apps will ultimately become templates for your next apps, and they'll only improve with additional re-re-re-readings.   Even if you think you have the best SoP ever, put it away for a few days and revise, and have friends give it another review.  They'll likely notice things that could be better.  And it is totally worth your while to personalize each SoP per school.

 

3)  Recommendation letters - Again, ask early!  I asked for mine in early- to mid-December.  It worked out, but definitely could have been WAY LESS stressful.  Retrospectively, I should have kept in touch with professors.   I've been out of school for 3 years now and had a less than stellar record of ever going to office hours, and I attended a big public school with big lecture sizes.  I got lucky in finding a very willing professor who remembered me after getting ignored/turned down by two others. Office hours are worth it after all!

 

4)  Don't decide to travel abroad for 3 weeks during this time of year.  Oops--I'm missing every single admitted student visit day.  

 

5)  Transcripts - Take note if a certain anomaly of a school asks for an official hard copy.  I spent some ridiculous dollars on overnight shipping, assuming that every school had switched to the much easier self-scan and self-report system.  

 

6)  Last minute apps - Hopefully none of you will have this issue, because it's pretttttttty bad.  If you're planning to do your application the day it's due, at least try to look at the required SoP prompts a few weeks before.  Columbia threw a curveball by asking for two essays and two resumes.  I didn't learn my lesson, and then also had the same issue with Tufts' and JHU SAIS's extra essays.  Like I said, I think y'all are much smarter than I was about this.

 

7)  Budget - I spent the equivalent of one-month's worth of NYC rent on application fees, GRE fees, transcript fees, the whole deal.  Count on your wallet hurting around the holidays.

 

8) Relax from Jan-Feb!  There's not much use freaking out about your application until you start hearing results.  And honestly, reading this grad forum before/during/after completing my applications caused me to freak out more and undervalue myself.  There are plenty of very, very accomplished people here; that is not necessarily the norm, and consider this a statistically biased group.  I find my academic/professional profile to be pretty average, and I still got into every school I applied to.  

 

9) Subscribe to the school/program's blog or FB page.  Lots of useful application information there updated in real time.

 

Good luck 2014-er applicants!

Edited March 23, 2013 by leadbelly

[harrista]

For the international students, make sure you check out which schools require a credit equivalence report for your transcript.  This cost ~$140 and more for extra copies to be sent directly to schools, plus it can take a long time - I spent weeks arguing with the company so even though I sent off all my documentation in mid-September, it was late November by the time I got the final report.  

 

Studying for the GRE was an intense couple of months - I hadn't done maths since high school so I knew it was important to get a decent quant score.  I definitely recommend getting study books and doing practice questions online.  The complete pool of analytical writing topics is on the GRE website so there's plenty of practice available.  

[traumerei]

I underestimated myself too, but I had good reason to doubt. I had a 3.2 GPA in undergrad and only 162V 156Q on the GREs, lower than a lot of people who complain about their 'low' scores. I learned that working really hard in your essays and recommendation letters can go a long way for you. Because of that, I regret not applying to SAIS. For some reason, it didn't occur to me to apply. 

 

I also regret the bad GPA in college. It won't necessarily prevent you from getting into the schools you want, but it will do a lot for funding. I'm going to be poor for a while.  

[scholl43]

I regret applying to one school that I really didn't feel strongly about.  Not applying would have saved me a lot of time that I didn't really want to invest anyway.  I started working on my apps in August because I knew I was applying.  That said, I still came up to the deadline on some because I wrote and rewrote and rewrote SOP's, plugging in specific professor's names and other details about the programs.  SOP's word limitations vary so much that for the most part, I couldn't just reuse the bulk of the content that I had written.

[DaniCM]

I'm really happy with my choice of schools to which I applied. I started my apps with ample time to polish and finish them, asked for LORs with enough time for my recommenders to write strong letters (plus I provided them with a lot of info on myself, why I wanted to attend each program, and my long terms goals). I also gave myself enough time to retake the GRE. All good.

 

However, I didn't start my grad school app process with enough time to simultaneously apply to a lot of fellowships and other funding sources. I also found out about a lot of sources of funding late in the game (school specific, named-fellowships, hispanic fellowships, etc.). I think I would have been pretty competitive for some of that funding, had I applied...womp womp. Particularly, I regret not putting more time and effort into the named-fellowships for SAIS and SIPA. It's a miracle I was given 1/2 tutition scholarship from Fletcher or I wouldn't be attending grad school this fall.

 

Oh, I also wish I would have started saving money for grad school as soon as I realized I wanted to go, rather than waiting for admissions decisions. Having extra money to help cover my move and cost of living my first year would have been a great cushion and helped me avoid taking out too much debt for cost of living expenses.

[lacanadiense]

I'm really happy with my choice of schools to which I applied. I started my apps with ample time to polish and finish them, asked for LORs with enough time for my recommenders to write strong letters (plus I provided them with a lot of info on myself, why I wanted to attend each program, and my long terms goals). I also gave myself enough time to retake the GRE. All good.

 

However, I didn't start my grad school app process with enough time to simultaneously apply to a lot of fellowships and other funding sources. I also found out about a lot of sources of funding late in the game (school specific, named-fellowships, hispanic fellowships, etc.). I think I would have been pretty competitive for some of that funding, had I applied...womp womp. Particularly, I regret not putting more time and effort into the named-fellowships for SAIS and SIPA. It's a miracle I was given 1/2 tutition scholarship from Fletcher or I wouldn't be attending grad school this fall.

 

Oh, I also wish I would have started saving money for grad school as soon as I realized I wanted to go, rather than waiting for admissions decisions. Having extra money to help cover my move and cost of living my first year would have been a great cushion and helped me avoid taking out too much debt for cost of living expenses.

 

I feel like I could have written this myself.

[Denisse]

traumerie, I completely agree with you. My stats are very similar to yours 3.22 V:167 Q:155 and AW: 5.5. However, I really underestimated my soft factors, recommendations, and personal statements. I was accepted to 6/7 schools I applied to, but received no funding from any of them. Partially because I didn't have time to apply for named fellowships, etc. Partially because of that low gpa. I decided to attend SIPA (I have been saving for grad school for a while now and have enough saved for my living costs for the first year at least), but I'm going to kill myself making sure I get 2nd year funding.