Feeling pretty down about grad school

[Kalika]

Hey everyone, I could really use some encouragement ...

 

I've applied to grad schools, but I haven't heard back (I sent applications in early March..). Anyways, I'm on another forum much like this one, only this one is for grad students. They're all chatting away about how they got accepted to some of the best schools in the country.. Stanford, Harvard, NYU, etc..

 

My UGPA is good (over a 3.8 ) but the school I went to isn't nationally recognized or anything like that.. and my entrance exam scores were horrible. The grad schools I applied to are not top schools, but they're reputable ones and I'm afraid that they may be out of reach because of my lousy entrance exam score.

 

Anyways, just hearing about their great undergrad schools and entrance exam scores is really bumming me out. I am becoming more and more depressed about it.

 

Please help

[DoorMouse]

Keep positive thoughts and good things will happen. Filter the negative energy away from you. Don't worry, things will happen for you, if not, then they were not meant to be and you will have an option to do other things.

[Lily04]

if the message board is something like link removed....don't listen to it. They're all Harvard scholars on that website....I visited it before, friend recommended it for admissions questions and so forth but I found it just got me more & more depressed so I can completely relate with you.....I eventually stopped visiting those type of websites because they were not helping me but only served to make me more depressed. If you know what stats you need and what's required (you seem to have a very good GPA) then why do u even visit those sites? how will it actually help? for me it only made me more paranoid.....I'd suggest just being comfortable with your scores and if you don't get in, apply again next year but set your sights a bit lower. Realistically if you don't have a high entrance exam score and came from a lower tier college, you don't have a shot at the higher-end schools....however if you have a great LSAT score (I'd say 165+), you would have a reasonable shot at some tier 2 schools, maybe even tier 1 you don't give me enough info. to know. I don't know enough about grad schools to advise on that....even law schools actually, as I'm from Canada. But I have a lot of friends who applied to law schools in the States and I know they really emphasize LSAT. I believe in the States GRE isn't as important as: GPA, strong references, published works in journals (if possible), and a strong undergraduate school. Those are the criteria.. so if you're mediocre on some aspects I'd say you still have a good shot!! you might just need to be more realistic with your chances and consider different options. That doesn't mean u shouldn't apply, but just don't aim for Harvard or Yale next time around.

[bacci]

Did you have good letters of reccomendation? perhaps some of the progrms you applied to are very competitive and sometimes thy accept students depending on the faculty's research interest. D not take tis as an identity marker, there's many factors involved. Once i met a professor who told me she remembered my application that i was consdered but they felt that my preparation was too advanced in some areas and too basci in others, after meeting me she strongly suggested I reapply. what i want to tell you is first of all don't jump to conclusions. Second, that you can try again, and you can retake those GRE's. You have time, I went back to school at 35 with two daughters, now i'm working on my PhD., if grad school is what you want , find out from the departents what they are looking , how this match your interests and strengths, what can you get and what you have to offer, if there's somone's research you're interested try to contat hte person. If possible meet with the faculty you'd be interested in working with. You can do this, don't give up and don't put yourself down ever.

My mentor once told me, I believe in you. At the time i didn't believe in myself, and told hm so, and he looked at me very seriously and said, OH, but you MUST.

You have to believe in yourself first, or else no one else will. Hangi in there, don't believe everything you read in those sites and guess what, getting in is only the bginning, staying in is n entirely different matter and to ensure success to have to be in the right place so make sure you choose the right place. Sometimes a letter of rejction is a blessing, trust me.

Good luck and have faith in yourself!

[Kalika]

Hey everyone, thank you so much for the responses.. made me feel a lot better reading them this morning..

 

The biggest reason I was on the forums was to get an idea of when I can expect to hear back. So I posted, but only one person responded, and they guessed that I might hear back the end of April.. I'm just hoping to hear back sooner rather than later. Some grad schools can waitlist you right up until the last week of classes, and it's frustrating not knowing where I'm going to be living in a few months, especially since I have a child as well and I have to figure out childcare arrangements for him..

[Batya33]

Keep focused if possible on how much you accomplished already - the great GPA, the courage to go for it and apply to grad school, particularly since you have a child! Just tryin' to be a cheerleader here. I didn't go to a recognized undergrad either and it all worked out fine.

 

Here's to positive thoughts including the thought that you can re-take the entrance exam if absolutely necessary and try again next year. You will get there!

 

(one song that helps cheer me up in similar circumstances is Dixie Chicks Takin' The Long Way Around).

 

Good luck!

[Kalika]

Thanks Batya

 

You all are right, I'm really focusing too much on being negative. I've already convinced myself I wont get into my top choice school.. I'm going to try to be more positive. Regardless of the outcome.

 

But seriously, waiting is torture.

[poloplayer]

Hi,

 

Keep your chin up. The Internet has many trolls - people who cite acceptance to top schools, amazing job offers, etc. I would take all of that with a grain of salt - you really need to discern what is truth versus what is bologna online.

 

My younger brother wants to be a nurse. He just completed his Associates at a community college. 4.0 GPA, Honors Program, Journalism Club, and Speech Team. He has taken all the correct courses such as Anatomy, Biology, and Chemistry. He also worked the whole time as an assistant manager at a popular restuarant in the area. He had his eyes set on one college - it's not too far away, in the heart of the medical district, and very well known for it's medical programs, but not an Ivy or the like. He heard back a few days ago and it was bad news. His dreams were shattered and he holed up in his room without talking to friends and family. Now what?

 

He grieved, had his pity party, but now has made a plan. He is beginning to contact people who work in the industry and speak with them. He is also looking for a job in a hospital or the like - to gain some relevant experience. And this time, he is broadening his horizons - perhaps he realized not to place his eggs all in one basket. He will be applying to a number of nursing programs.

 

Hold your head up high - be proud of your accomplishments thus far. Sometimes in life we hit some bumps and things don't go our way. How will you react to that? Will you just quit? Give up? Look elsewhere? Or will you become more motivated? Launch a new plan, with things you didn't consider before? Perhaps it's a blessing, and a new path will unravel for you? Just whatever happens, don't make it seem like it's the end - you have many options and opportunities ahead of you.

[Kalika]

Polo -

Thank you so much.. You're absolutely right, if I don't get in, it's just an opportunity for me to try something different. I hope everything works out for your brother!