Plan B?

[magicsana]

So what are your plan Bs, if let's say, you do not get accepted in any of the programs you applied to? 

 

This thought is always at the back of my head, every day. This is my second round of applications. Last year did not go so well. But if I do not get accepted anywhere again, I'm not sure what my plan B is. I mean, I'll apply again for next year, but meanwhile? I'm thinking of doing another MA if I have nothing else to do, but I am not too sure about it.

 

How about you?

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

My Plan B is to apply for career jobs related to my interests and apply for doctoral programs again next year after attending more conferences as a presenter and having submitted multiple articles to journals. Plan C involves locking myself away in a house in the mountains and writing until I can reapply (also doing the conferences and articles).

[magicsana]

11 hours ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

My Plan B is to apply for career jobs related to my interests and apply for doctoral programs again next year after attending more conferences as a presenter and having submitted multiple articles to journals. Plan C involves locking myself away in a house in the mountains and writing until I can reapply (also doing the conferences and articles).

They post sound great. Conferences are a great idea. That's basically what I did this past year. Think I was able to knock out 6 conference presentations. Trying to get published is also on my list. 

[THS]

Step One: Start teaching at a local community college.  I'll have my MA so that'll be possible.

Step Two: Get on a research project at one of the local universities (I live in central Cali so I'm close to Berkeley, Stanford, San Fran State, Davis, ect they are all close enough that I could drive a few times a week).

Step Three: Study and retake my GRE's 

Step Four: Go through steps to get MA work published

Step Five: Attend/give papers at conferences in sociology- I've given 3 papers at ANTH conferences but that doesn't seem to have helped with what is shaping up to be 4 rejections straight out the gate.

Step Six: Reach out to departments in advance this time so that they've heard from me/know I'm applying. 

 

[sturdyelm]

In case you are curious (and in my opinion the more dialogue the better) - there's a similar thread in the "waiting it out forum".

 

[BlueNahlchee]

I recently began applying for jobs frantically to get my mind not too distracted by this waiting game... 

[Le Chat]

My plan A would be a doctoral program but I knew that was a long shot as I am switching career fields. 

I applied to 4 plan B schools and one I'm really excited about. It's a 60 hour program with multiple professional license options. I plan to do that, work in the field and do research. Clinical Psych is crazy competitive so I'm glad I applied to backups.

[kimmibeans]

I got in, but when I was applying my plan B was applying for an MPH or law school   to do patent law. 

[qkhitai]

My application deadlines were pretty scattered, so my first choice had a deadline of January, whilst other programs didn't even accept applications until April. I got in to my first choice, but my Plan B was a number of...let's say less than reputable universities (which admittedly had good funding). My Plan C was to return to China and/or Mongolia for a year to brush up on my language skills. 

[jazzontherocks]

I got accepted to both my choices but my Plan B was to keep finding international jobs on LinkedIn and hoping for the best. Now that I have turned down both universities (due to the high tuition and my family having to work extra hard to fund me - they finally agreed to support me but it was past the deadline), I'm going to start all over again with my grad school hunt but if I get a decent-paying job along the way I might cancel grad school or do an online Masters as I work.

[Crucial BBQ]

My Plan B was to get on with life, and to reapply the following year.   That may sound facetious, however I am older than most around here, already have a career, home, and so on.  In reality, grad school was my Plan B.