# Who is applying to grad school? I am! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 17, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346 "2002-12-17T15:53:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/1 "2002-12-17T15:53:08Z")
I was inspired by **Mullinator** ’s [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=150964). I was also a little depressed, because I hate all of you people who have managed to apply to grad schools without killing someone (ie, letter writers). I’m right now applying to MA programs in Middle Eastern Studies at the Universities of Michigan and Washington. I took the GRE. I got people to agree to write me letters of recommendation (I think they might actually all write them, too!). I’ve acquired official transcripts. I have until January 15 to get all of these pieces of paper together, and then I get to sit and pray. Eek. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/2 "2002-12-17T17:20:08Z")
Just remember, once you take that first step you only have thousands to go. Wait, that’s not helpful. Working and going to school full time isn’t easy, but it is much easier to go if you have the inclination so be sure to jump on it when you are ready to go. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/3 "2002-12-17T17:26:17Z")
Best of luck. Really - it’s a far different experience than undergrad - these are people who want to be there, and that makes a huge difference (ok, there are a few in some of mine who seem to be there just because they didn’t want to head out into the world yet). Now, is it time for me to go start my grad school thread for the day? ---
**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/4 "2002-12-17T20:57:27Z")
I just sent out my GRE score reports 20 min ago!!! YAY me! I’m apply to: Baylor School of Medicine University of Texas Houston Graduate Studies in Biomedical Sciences University of Virgina department of Immunology University of Washington Pathobiology program Oregon Health Sciences University I missed the deadlines for my uber backup school (which I think is a good thing) I’ve got to send out the transcripts (oh MAN that’s gonna suck) And the reccomendations, everything else is done. Pray, sacrafice children, mamals and religions artifacts of non-inconsequenial size for me. I just hope that the rest of my application outweighs my grades. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/5 "2002-12-17T21:09:30Z")
Words of wisdom: make sure your recommendations get in on time! I got a promise from my undergrad advisor, with whom I had a great relationship, to write ones for me…unfortunately, she was then diagnosed with cancer and went into chemo, unbeknownst to me, and everything else fell by the wayside. It sucked all around. That said, good luck, and eat your Wheaties, because that’s probably the only food you’ll have time for in grad school…not that I’m bitter or anything. (That, and funding in the liberal arts is a BITCH!) Eva Luna, Mistress of the Arts in Russian & East European Studies ---
**Author:** ![hello32499](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cc9497/32.png) [@hello32499](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hello32499)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/6 "2002-12-17T21:16:10Z")
I’m apply for an M.Ed in College Student Personnel Adminstration at Ohio U, College Park, and James Madison. I’m also applying for graduate assistantships (Og!) for a live in residence life position. I can’t wait for grad school to start, I love Student affairs!!! Corey Resident Advisor George Mason University On preview, wow that looks like the email I sent to my parents when they asked about my future. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/7 "2002-12-17T22:08:26Z")
My goodness, was I ever this enthusiastic? Terminus Est, Ph.D. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/8 "2002-12-17T23:36:35Z")
Kyla, go for it and good luck! Maybe Terminus can give you a little advice. Term, is there life after getting a Ph.D? 😉 BTW what’cha degree in? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/9 "2002-12-18T00:43:43Z")
After a Ph.D.? You get to be a post-doc, an even lower form of life. Think you’re busy in grad school, just you wait… My degree is in Plant Breeding, which probably couldn’t be more different than **Kyla** ’s chosen field. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/10 "2002-12-18T00:52:47Z")
Ah yeah, I was in your place, applying to grad schools, about one year ago. I hated it, and I was very glad when it was over. Good luck! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/11 "2002-12-18T00:54:40Z")
Good Luck, **Kyla**! ---
**Author:** ![lothos2002](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/df788c/32.png) [@lothos2002](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lothos2002)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/12 "2002-12-18T03:31:23Z")
Good luck Kyla, I’m sure you will do great. Just make sure the letters of rec are sent on time, as someone else recommended before. Mine were a few days late because the teacher had some problems, but since I knew and told them about it, they accepted them. For me, Grad School was soo great that I just had to have one more go. lothos2002, M.A. (international political economy), M.B.E. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/13 "2002-12-18T03:52:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CRorex \* > \*\* > I just hope that the rest of my application outweighs my grades. \*\* I kinda feel that way too. My undergrad degree is in a different, although related, discipline from the one I am applying for. My GRE scores are not particularly exciting. I’m crossing my fingers that a few factors will work in my favor: I’ve lived in the Middle East, have studied Hebrew, and a little Arabic too, and also that I’ve been out of school for nearly three years now. If I had applied to grad school directly out of college, that would have been the easy way out. But now that I have been working for years, going back to school is the difficult choice. So that I have made this decision shows that I am serious, and am not doing it to avoid the “real world.” ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-applying-to-grad-school-i-am/143346/14 "2002-12-18T13:06:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyla \* > \*\*But now that I have been working for years, going back to school is the difficult choice. So that I have made this decision shows that I am serious, and am not doing it to avoid the “real world.” \*\* I think that’s part of what got me in too - my undergrad grades were not wonderful, even for being at a fairly selective college. My GREs were excellent, but I think having worked for seven years after getting the bachelor’s helped me more than anything.