aaaaaack!

05Nov09

Applying for graduate school is both thrilling beyond belief and absolutely one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever done in my whole life.

Applying to college wasn’t this bad!

I’ve thought about it, and I think the scariness comes of the fact that I actually, truly need to do this. I’ve got my heart set on it. I don’t know what else to do, I don’t think there’s anything I want to do that doesn’t require me to go back to school.

I’ve decided on four schools to apply to (Boston University, Tufts, Virginia Commonwealth and George Washington University). I’ve started getting the work together that I need for the applications, and I’ve started contacting professors for recommendations. So far, the response has been positive, even though a couple of the profs I talked to didn’t have me in small classes, or for anything other than frosh Latin.

I have a couple concerns, but I’m hoping that they will be fairly easily overcome—I don’t have quite the foreign language proficiency I should at this point. However, I’ve always had every intention of taking additional language courses while I’m the grad program, because I both need and want to be able to at least read French and German, if not speak them both as well. And possibly Italian.

Do universities take Rosetta Stone for that?

That’s my main concern. There’s also the fact that it’s been five years since I graduated from college. And I know plenty of people wait before going to grad school, so that isn’t as much of a concern for me. and I didn’t want to go back to school just to go back to school. I waited until I finally figured out what I want to actually do.

I want to work in a museum. I know what I want to do in a museum; I just have to figure out a way to coherently state that in my purpose statement thing.

Now is when I start organizing. I’ve looked into what I need to complete my applications at each school, and I am going to make myself a nice list. I’ll possibly post it here, because hell, why not? But it’s pretty basic: recommendations, GRE scores, applications, money, essays.

Next big hurdle (besides writing that statement): take the GRE. Guh. And might I add: ungh.

Filed under: other | 6 Comments
Tags: applications, applying, grad school, graduate school, statements

6 Responses to “aaaaaack!”

Feed for this Entry Trackback Address

1 Shannon on November 5, 2009 said:

Have you considered asking some of your massage school instructors for recommendations? Obvs they couldn’t speak to your mad Latin skillz, but they’ve worked with you more recently and could communicate your passion for learning and communicating.

Alas, I have no GRE words of wisdom, other than this: take the whole day off. I drove home in a stupor and passed out for 3 hours after mine. And then I ended up at a school that didn’t require it. Irony, thy name is academia.

Reply
- 2 lizzie on November 5, 2009 said:
  
  I’m not sure that would work, since the BSOM is a trade type school, not an accredited college. i mean, it’s accredited, but it’s of a different sort.
  
  I did take the whole day off. I had already figured I’d be a zombie afterwards. Ah well, at least it’s close by.
  
  Reply
3 Anna von Beaverpuppet on November 5, 2009 said:

EEEEE scary. I myself have a goodly number of years to go before I’m going to be in this boat, but it’s awesome that you’re posting about this stuff, because I have NO IDEA what to expect otherwise.

As far as the Language goes… can you take a few courses at a community college while you’re working on this? Would that be accepted, like transfer credits? It’d be cheaper and you could get started in the spring with it, then take a couple over the summer, and have a good leg up before moving on to the more advanced (and more expensive) stuff at the uni.

Just a thought! Good luck! And don’t forget to do some deep breathing!

Reply
- 4 lizzie on November 5, 2009 said:
  
  I think I might try to do just that, AvB. I’m not sure if they’d be accepted, but at least it would get me a leg up, and I’d be passing fair at the French by next year.
  
  Wait… when did you change your name to Beaverpuppet? God I miss having Pajiba time. I miss EVERYTHING now.
  
  Reply
  - 5 Anna von Beaverpuppet on November 6, 2009 said:
    
    Oh, hee! There was some article about Mel Gibson one day and the accompanying photo was of him with a beaver puppet on his hand (I think he’s doing a movie where he talks to the beaver or something). And shortly thereafter gp made a comment on his blog about “creepy beaverpuppet skin” in reference to me (for which he was soundly scolded). It just seemed to fit, somehow…
6 jM on November 6, 2009 said:

I second the community class recommendation. And you can try to find out from your potential schools what kind of language classes will transfer. Good luck, Lizzie. I’m pulling for GWU for OBVIOUS reasons.

Reply