Back to School Update

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A few months ago I mentioned my back-to-school plans, and I’ve been meaning to provide an update on this decision.

In brief – it’s full speed ahead! Just a few days ago my application was fully submitted. While applying for grad school may seem like falling off a log, there were actually a few steps involved.

One of the first steps in applying to grad school was taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Many of my friends expressed condolences about this step, though I actually rather enjoyed the studying process. I hadn’t thought about algebra, trigonometry or geometry for a couple decades, and it was kind of fun to dust off this knowledge.

The dusting off didn’t prove entirely fruitful, though. My written scores were pretty high but my quantitative analysis scores were, shall we say, good enough.

But good enough is just that, and I crossed the GRE off the list last August. With the GRE in the rearview mirror, I spent the next couple of months working on my application essay. Like the GRE, I also found this process useful.

I had a strong idea why I wanted to return to school, though these thoughts were not fully formed, and probably weren’t going to inspire anybody to seriously consider my admission to a well-regarded academic program. In collaboration with my advisor, the process of writing this essay gave me greater insight and ultimately more focus in my future endeavors.

Once the essay had been completed, then I reconnected with the gracious friends and colleagues who agreed to write letters of recommendation. These four are among the busiest people that I know, and I’m grateful that they took time out of their schedules on my behalf!

And now… hurry up and wait. It seems as though the i’s have been dotted and the t’s have been crossed, and now my application meanders its way through the admissions conveyor belt. Once I know more, I’ll share the news!


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