Confession time

I am a softie for graduate school seekers who find themselves lost in the special sauce of the application process, because, well, this was me, way back when.

My personal story isn’t that I did everything right. Far from it.

I had very decided Ph.D. aspirations without a real clue of how to get there. Yeah, I knew the basics: High GPA. High test scores. Write a few essays. Send the applications off. But, boy, was I missing a whole lot of nuance. How do I best communicate my skills and preparation? How my past experiences shaped me and led me to pursue this path? Why me and not someone else?

I didn’t know how to best advocate for myself on paper… or in person.

Short version of the story

I was on anxiety overload when applying to undergrad. So to tell me that the nature of graduate school admissions was quite a bit more competitive sent my nerves skyrocketing to the moon.

I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here. There were no guarantees. Graduate school is highly specialized. There aren’t incoming classes of thousands of slots to fill. By nature, the admissions process is selective. Showing up on your A game is paramount. Or at least a B game with a compelling background and experience.

Did I mention there are zero guarantees?!

My parents’ advice could only take me so far. After all, they hadn’t applied to Ph.D. programs. When I came of age, somewhere between the X and Millenial generations, there was no wealth of web-based information just waiting to be discovered on getting into graduate school. I had to figure out this ish out by myself.

I know what it feels like when you’re in the thick of it, working on applications, obsessing over entrance exam scores, writing essay after essay, and laying awake at night, wondering if an acceptance letter is forthcoming.

I also know what it’s like to fail. Operation Ph.D. program took 3 separate tries before I was successful. The first time? I got in nowhere. The second? Invited to interview, but they decided to pass. Third time was the charm. I earned several acceptance letters. Not only was I in, I had choices.

Why I’m here

I have a special affinity for graduate school applicants because I was you. Making every perfect decision isn’t my story. Nope. Getting into grad school was my own process of making bitter mistakes and dusting myself off to emerge on the other side, victorious.

Proper planning. Support and accountability. Detailed feedback. Effective communication of career goals, experience, and ability to succeed. I learned from real life experience that these are standout qualities of well-prepared applications that win hard-earned spots in incoming cohorts. Truthfully, it doesn’t matter what kind of graduate program.

My soft spot remains because I was you. I am you. I can see you through to the other side of your application process. Successfully.