"What other educational or professional goals are you considering?"

[captiv8ed]

That is the question.

The answer is: None, I will stalk these programs until someone let's me in.

How do I put that in a better tone?

Anyone else dealing with a question like that?

[Amanda]

The answer is: None, I will stalk these programs until someone let's me in.

Haha. I like this statement, but I'm sure you're right in thinking that they won't. Maybe you could frame it in your commitment to research. You really want to pursue the track that this program would put you on and you are going to seek it out wherever you can. I think that's a little vague but...I feel like the question sort of is as well. Maybe you could think about it as if you didn't get in to any of the programs. What would you do? Reapply. But in the meantime what would your goals be? I think that if you find yourself thinking of interim goals that would make you a strong candidate next time you applied, you're in good shape. I mean think of it this way...that looks great and it's also honest!

[captiv8ed]

But it is tough because I don't want to say "if I don't get in" but then I don't want to look unfocused either. Does that make sense.

I posted a draft on livejournal with the "If I don't get accepted next year I will do XXX and reapply" kind of statement and someone mentioned that it makes me sound less confident. And I can definitely see that.

[Amanda]

Yeah, that makes sense. I think what I was envisioning was a situation where you might be interested in working for a private research firm or maybe the government. I know these jobs are tough to get into (and I don't know your education level but I only have a BA and that basically means disaster) but maybe you can say you would go to work for a private firm? If you would, of course. Imagining myself in your shoes, that might be something I would talk about. Developing my research career at a private research firm. Or if you're all about teaching at the college level maybe you could talk about teaching high school or going to Teach for America?

I guess all of these are sort of obvious alternatives to graduate school. I feel like you could make the private route work although it might make you look less committed to working in a university setting.

Man...this is actually a tougher question than it originally seemed to be....

[SuddenlyParanoid]

Perhaps you could pretend to answer it with something like "Although I plan to focus on further research on yada yada yada in my career, I would like like to be able to combine it with teaching at multiple levels from introductory undergraduate courses to graduate research seminars." And then maybe throw in some policymaking thing you could do with your degree.

[captiv8ed]

OOH, that is good!! Thanks!