If I don't get accepted anywhere, I think I'll...

[nawa]

I will first swear quite a bit. 

Ditto

[bgguitarist]

I will first swear quite a bit. 

Won't we all?

[livenlearn]

complete my master's  and try to get a job/internship in my field  if i don't get in (phd in epi) , i will consider law school.

[moyru]

keep teaching but perhaps in another district...maybe move to somewhere new. I'm ready for a change of scenery. 

contemplating retaking the GRE/reapplying....I'm kind of burnt out, though. 

[MadtownJacket]

I don't want to think about not getting accepted anywhere after getting interviews to both schools that I applied to.  That would be horrifying and depressing.

 

If that does happen, I would stick with my job (in which people said I would be stupid to leave in the first place) and either try again next year or find a job closer to family.

[nawa]

is this anybody else's second time going through this ?

[wisescience]

If I'm not accepted, I think my contingency plan will resemble the following:

Summer 2014: Continue education in EMS, improving my abilities for on-ambulance work; Study for the GRE

 

Fall 2014: Re-take the GRE and reapply for grad programs; continue my RA job and hopefully publish/co-author (assuming I'm enjoying the work); expand my involvement in EMS & Fire Departments

 

Winter 2014: Use the EMS & RA money to fund a 1-2 month trip to a foreign country, rent out a small apartment or room there and dedicate myself toward experiencing the local culture & language, all while writing a short story during my stay. Ideally, I will then seek to get the writing edited and published someday in the future.

 

Spring 2015:   Continue RA job and EMS/Fire work, and hopefully hear back from graduate departments

 

Summer 2015: All the necessary preparations for grad school if it's a possibility; another study abroad if the money's there, with a focus on learning a research language or etc. 

[meowth]

I'll try to get a full-time position at the public library where I currently work part-time.

 

Not 100% how I would improve my application for next time around if I wanted to try again for similar programs. I would maybe apply to more master's level programs.

 

At some point I would maybe also consider going for a master's in library science, especially since the library will help pay for that if I work there at least a year.

[kgbisa]

Take it really personally and cry for a few days. Learn Russian and take the trans-Siberian rail until I can come out of the mess. And then I'll just keep working at my job until I think of something else.

[Icydubloon]

Get a job

[Domino]

Glad to hear so many of you are planning to reapply if nothing happens this year!  This is already my third attempt at getting into graduate school so I think if I don't get in this round, it's time to face facts and come up with a whole new life plan.  I have no idea what else I could do since I've been focused on a career in academia and research for so long... it's scary to think about.

[Loric]

It's probably a harder job to get than into grad school - I had perfect proficiency scores in pre testing and didn't even get an interview - but if you love books and academia you can try to be a librarian.

I'll admit, the tests to be a librarian occasionally made the GRE look fun.

[roguesenna]

1. I'll probably study and try to improve my GRE QR score. pretty happy with my VR and AW scores so I'll just be trying not to fuck those up.

2. Try to find a job in my field, or find a job that allows me the flexibility to do some volunteering or interning in my field.

3. Continue my work with the NY Ren Faire (hopefully doing some directing this year!)

4. Try to revive a relationship with a really strong (and sort-of-famous!) professional contact who would make a great reference.

5. Reapply and broaden the search to a few more schools than I applied to this year.

[PsycD]

1) Get over it.

2) Go on a road trip.

3) Relocate to a place with awesome weather and/or awesome people. 

4) Continue being my cool, kick-ass self.

5) Start a new career.

6) Date...a LOT.

7) Enjoy life.

[Nautiloid]

I'm gonna run away to California and continue working in industry. 

 

Of course, I have a good feeling about getting accepted at least somewhere now. It's good to have a backup plan though, I guess. 

[Domino]

1) Get over it.

2) Go on a road trip.

3) Relocate to a place with awesome weather and/or awesome people. 

4) Continue being my cool, kick-ass self.

5) Start a new career.

6) Date...a LOT.

7) Enjoy life.

I'm loving this plan.  Need a road trip buddy? 

[gellert]

Travel or join some kind of service association (Peace Corps, Americorps, etc.).  Then apply again.

[PsycD]

I'm loving this plan.  Need a road trip buddy? 

 

Sure

[Monochrome Spring]

Join Peace Corps, hopefully for environmental education in Central or South America.

[roguesenna]

Just FYI, peace corps/americorps/teach for america can be just as difficult to get into as grad school. be prepared.

[Monochrome Spring]

Just FYI, peace corps/americorps/teach for america can be just as difficult to get into as grad school. be prepared.

Definitely. I've been in contact with the recruiter for my area for about 5 months now, and we've talked about it.

[Aenrichus]

I am giving up an alright job and have applied at eight schools. This would not be much of an issue except that I currently reside in Japan and my wife is Chinese. As such, we are paying roughly $1000 to get her green card. She has already informed her company that she will quit her job at the end of March and thereafter will not be eligible for a Japanese visa. We plan to travel for a few months this summer before going (back) to the United States so that I can start a program. If I don't get accepted anywhere, I think I'll...

• Kickstart something
• Continue writing
• Consider finding a job

After the weeping subsists, that is...

[Sarah Bee]

I am in  a fix. First I come from a traditional background wherein no females are allowed to leave the country alone, but I rebelled and fought for it and convinced my family about my dreams. So this scholarship is really, really important to me.
Second, I have a job and got an offer for a better one but I am not switching right now because I am waiting for the result. 
I don't know what am I going to do next, probably apply for more scholarships but I am not sure if I will have the same kind of enthusiasm after being rejected (the horror :S).  I so want to study more and expand my horizon so as to increase my chances of being an international reporter one day. 
I am completely fixating on the scholarship I have applied to and honestly, if I don't get it, it's going to be a BIG disappointment for me. Not prepared to tackle failure 

[tingski]

Im gonna have to kiss academia goodbye and find a job where I'll get decent money. So sad..

[PsycD]

Im gonna have to kiss academia goodbye and find a job where I'll get decent money. So sad..

 

Same here. I don't know that I'll be very sad about it, though. I'm over the emotional roller coaster of it all. It's starting to feel like a bad relationship...I no longer care how it ends, I just want it to be over.