Nightmares

[psychdork]

I had application dreams last year when I applied. I had several, but one was that I had been rejected from Harvard when I didn't even apply to the school. I think someone else had the same dream.

I had 2 rejection dreams, and 2 inclusive dreams. I went 0/4, so they were accurate in my case

I had the same dream, though I can't remember if I was rejected from Harvard or just a random school. All I remember is I woke up freaked out, and that it took me a couple minutes to realize that I hadn't applied there in the first place.

[swisnieski]

I dreamt I was invited to my dream school (Carnegie Mellon) along with a dozen or so other applicants to interview. When I got there, all the students have large binders (90+ pages) containing biographies, their CV's, research samples, etc. I was the only one who didn't have one because I never bothered to read the material they sent along, which apparently included instructions for how to prepare for the interview. Then we all sat through a mini-lecture. The professor (the one who I want to be my advisor) called on me to answer a question about volcanoes, of all damn things; I didn't even hear what the question was because I was frantically trying to draft 90 pages worth of material for my notebook. So I just said I didn't know. She asked me why and I said I felt "frazzled."

Oh god, real-life Sean is embarrassed just to relate the story of dream Sean's misfortune.

Edited January 2, 2010 by swisnieski

[modernity]

"Omigod, Michael totally checked out the book I needed to sabotage me. What a total b*tch!!"

I don't know that this is so far from the truth of my undergrad. There were a couple times where several students were assigned similar topics, and a student would run from class to the library and check out all the books on the subject. It got to the point where the professors put a 2 book limit in at the library on campus. I assume this came from some sort of fear of not having enough material or having other students do the same to them? It was definitely irritating.

I always dream that I am back in college, and I forgot that I signed up for a class. I don't attend the class for the first 5 weeks or so, and after the first test passes I realize I had forgotten to go. I then proceed to panic and have to decide whether I want to try to go to the class and face the professor, or take an F for the course.

[grad_wannabe]

I had a dream where I showed up to a school for an interview, and was placed in a classroom full of other applicants. There was a guy up at the front of the room in a white button-down and glasses, holding a clipboard. Each applicant was called to the front of the room to give a presentation of their application materials, but I didn't have mine. The guy with the clipboard called my name, and I walked up with that chagrined, tail-between-the-legs feeling. I remember the feeling of trying to mutter an excuse while awash in shame and embarrassment. In response Clipboard Guy grabbed me, threw me over the desk at the front of the room, and raped me.

I think I've been watching too much Law & Order...

[joro]

I had a dream last night that my last LOR was submitted. I woke up this morning and went to my computer to check only to find that there was nothing.

[gremot]

I had a dream last night that my last LOR was submitted. I woke up this morning and went to my computer to check only to find that there was nothing.

still nothing, huh?

it's like a living nightmare already - I feel so sorry for you!

[joro]

still nothing, huh?

it's like a living nightmare already - I feel so sorry for you!

Well, I hear back from my first choice whether or not they received the LOR from him. It would be nice if he at least sent it there. I did tell him that I need it in by Dec 15 to qualify for any financial aide. If he didn't, then I officially deem him as a jerk.

[glasses]

I had a dream where I showed up to a school for an interview, and was placed in a classroom full of other applicants. There was a guy up at the front of the room in a white button-down and glasses, holding a clipboard. Each applicant was called to the front of the room to give a presentation of their application materials, but I didn't have mine. The guy with the clipboard called my name, and I walked up with that chagrined, tail-between-the-legs feeling. I remember the feeling of trying to mutter an excuse while awash in shame and embarrassment. In response Clipboard Guy grabbed me, threw me over the desk at the front of the room, and raped me.

I think I've been watching too much Law & Order...

That's a doozy.

On a more lighthearted (and hallucinogenic) note: I, on the other hand, have been watching too much Lost.

About two weeks ago I got the flu (yet again -- the THIRD time this winter; evidently my caffeine-centric diet is not the world's most nutritious). I had a really high fever, and I don't remember much about the first two days. I do remember one hallucination-dream, though. The English department of my top-choice school was sitting around a giant conference-room-style table. Their heads kept turning into brightly-colored animal heads -- Super Impressive Scholar's head became a pink elephant head, Really Amazing Scholar's head became a blue horse head, etc. -- and they kept thumbing through manila envelopes with application materials in them. The folders had giant labels on them with the names of each applicant. There was one more spot, and they had it narrowed down to me and Ben Linus.

I wish I remembered more, although I really don't need to . . . I mean, it's Ben Linus. If he wanted the spot, he'd have gotten the spot.

March could not come quickly enough.

[meowmeow]

There was one more spot, and they had it narrowed down to me and Ben Linus.

I wish I remembered more, although I really don't need to . . . I mean, it's Ben Linus. If he wanted the spot, he'd have gotten the spot.

That is fabulous! If I lost a spot in an English program to Ben, it would make the rejection more palatable. I do love Ben.

Somewhat tangentially related - I comfort myself in the knowledge that soon Lost will be back to distract me during this waiting period.

[piccgeek]

I had a dream that I checked my mail and it was stuffed full of papers. It was all my application materials, including the 40 pages of writing samples, all individually and randomly in my mailbox, and every single page had a giant red F on it. My subconscious has all the tact of an angry rhinoceros.

[origin415]

I often have dreams of getting accepted into the various schools I'm applying to.

So really the real nightmare is waking up and realizing it was just a dream

[rogue]

I had my first (that I remember, anyway) admissions dream/nightmare last night. The back story: my girlfriend wants a chihuahua, and--completely unrelated--I spent the past week battling with UPS over a package that they were too incompetent to actually deliver to me, despite that being their job.

So, in my dream I got a delivery notice saying that UPS tried to deliver a chihuahua puppy to me, but I wasn't there to sign for it. I went on this wild goose chase all over town (and halfway down the eastern seaboard, apparently) so I could sign for this chihuahua before it asphyxiated inside the cardboard box. I ended up at my childhood home eight states away (and which we left when I was 12), and while looking for the UPS slip there I found ten folders, each neatly labeled with the name of one of the schools I applied to. Inside were my admissions decisions, but I couldn't open them because I had to find the effing chihuahua first. Anyway, I finally found the chihuahua, which was not dead yet, but I woke up before I got to open the folders. Argh.

[coyabean]

I keep having this one dream over and over, where I'm waiting tables, and I have like 20 of them, and they're all mad. But instead of talking to me about their food or whatever, they keep asking questions about my thesis and my application materials. Usually at least one person throws food at me, and another person boos. It's a terrible dream...I told my advisor about it and she giggled..yes...giggled. Then tried to make a straight face and told me to try relaxation techniques....

I think it's a little too late for deep breathing exercises.

Ok, see, no nightmares (yet?) but I am definitely paranoid. I think EVERYONE is laughing at me -- advisors, mentors, friends, adcomms.

[anxiousapplicant]

Ok, see, no nightmares (yet?) but I am definitely paranoid. I think EVERYONE is laughing at me -- advisors, mentors, friends, adcomms.

I feel the same thing. i imagine all my profs two-timing me. I keep thinking they told me to apply to all those reach schools and then privately they agree I'll never make it. Or i imagine they sold me down the river in the rec letters.

[jacib]

I had a really weird dream where I was applying to Columbia med school, actually I'd already applied but forgotten to fill out some supplementary forms. And my friend who is in Med School was trying to stay positive about my chances, but also realistic. And I was like "No, Catie, I feel really good about this, you just have to help write this summary of all the science course I've taken. I just need to have some social science courses look like hard science courses, that's all." They also had this special "Islam and Medicine" program and that's why I thought I had a chance. I wrote a pretty good essay for that. It wasn't a nightmare at all actually. I thought I had a chance (I was still applying to a bunch of sociology programs), even though the deadline had passed and I was trying to add some supplementary forms I'd forgotten.

[SomeoneTakeMe]

No nightmares, but it does take me a good 2-3 hours every night to fall asleep now as my anxiety gets me and my mind races. It is going to be a long winter.

[tinuvielf]

In November I had a dream that it was February, and I'd forgotten to apply to any schools. I was running around with a packet of admission materials .

This one had me in stitches!!

[Summit_Bid]

I finally had an admissions dream last night!

In my dream I came home from work and as usual checked through the snail mail. I saw four special envelopes from I think it was UCLA, UCSB, USC and I think maybe NYU (I'm not applying to NYU in real life though). The NYU one looked the thickest so I figured it was an acceptance. I decided to go for what I thought was the bad news first and opened up the flatter envelopes. When I did there was a letter in there reminding me to send the schools my FAFSA info and that this was just a formality not related to a descicion by the department. Then, there was another little note that something like this:

"Sorry to bum you out. You probably thought this was an acceptance or rejection letter-that will come in another month. Every year we have students who call in and complain to us that these Financial Aid letters get them excited because they think it's going to be an acceptance. Understanding your pain of realizing you're going to have to wait longer for a desicion, we are sending you this consolation prize..."

and inside the envelope was a shiny nail clipper that you could attached to your key chain! All three envelopes had the exact same thing inside.

I was so excited in my dream that I woke up before I got a chance to open that final fourth thick envelope from NYU!

[rogue]

and inside the envelope was a shiny nail clipper that you could attached to your key chain! All three envelopes had the exact same thing inside.

I was so excited in my dream that I woke up before I got a chance to open that final fourth thick envelope from NYU!

Ha ha... I love that you were so excited about nail clippers that you woke up!

[origin415]

and inside the envelope was a shiny nail clipper that you could attached to your key chain! All three envelopes had the exact same thing inside.

I was so excited in my dream that I woke up before I got a chance to open that final fourth thick envelope from NYU!

Thats amazing. I guess that will help remove the temptation to bite your nails in anticipation?

[Summit_Bid]

Thats amazing. I guess that will help remove the temptation to bite your nails in anticipation?

Probably.

I think the nail clippers were also like a pocket knife kind of and there was this thing on it that you could use as a letter opener (I assume it's for use for when we get our desicion letter)...or maybe kill someone on the admissions committe if they reject us?

In real life, just before I went to bed I used nailpolish remover to take off some paint on my nails so that's why I probably dreamed about the nail clippers.

Edited January 13, 2010 by neoreeldancer

[tellmealready]

I had a dream about a week ago that I received a letter from U of Connecticut's BiomedSci PhD program saying "REJECTED, and you have to pay for your own flight to get here to get personally rejected, TO YOUR FACE" or something ridiculous.

and then YESTERDAY, I checked my email, and lo and behold! an interview! but I DO have to pay for the flights..but I will get reimbursed eventually.

So I guess HALF of that dream was true?

[Victorianna]

Congratulations on your interview!

[joro]

I had a very weird dream about WashU and I woke up this morning with an email from them telling me that my application is almost complete with the exception of the 3rd LOR.

[JackieW]

I had a dream last night that I forgot to send in all of my supporting materials to Boston College, and I woke up in a panic... only to remember I sent those out a month ago.

I sent my final application out yesterday afternoon, so the anxiety has certainly begun! (Not like it didn't start in June...)