Test anxiety? What test anxiety? (or Part Two of "How I Found Myself to be a Doctoral Student")

Once I secured the internal commitment that I was going to pursue a doctoral degree, I had three main questions that came to mind.

1.  Where do I want to go?

When it came to deciding where I would apply to grad school, I had a few main criteria.  First, I would not apply at the institution for which I was currently working and from which I held two degrees.  I wanted the benefits of a fresh start and a new perspective.  Second, I focused my search regionally in the northeastern / mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. My wife and I both have family in that part of the country, and it was important for us to be able to take a day-trip home to visit.  Third, I applied mainly to institutions in metropolitan areas.  With my wife also being a student-affairs professional, we wanted to maximize the chance that she would find a new job in close proximity to where I was going to school.  Fortunately not every institution has doctoral degrees in higher education, so by narrowing down my focus in this way a manageable number of institutions made my short list.

You know how shopping for cars online can be tough because every car company has an amazing website with awesome photos of their products?  My grad school search was kind of like that.  From a distance every programs looks like an amazing opportunity (and they are, for students who are a good fit there). Of the four programs that I ended up applying to, we visited two and met with faculty there.  For me, this was critical.  I wanted to get a feel for the culture of the department, and meet some of the people who I would be working closely with.  Of the remaining two schools on my list I met with faculty from one at a conference, and applied to the fourth one blind.

2.  How do I make sure they will take me?

To be honest, this one is a bit of a crapshoot.  Only faculty members and admissions offices know what really goes into this.  Philosophically, I decided that all I could do is present myself in the best possible way, and that the details would work themselves out.  If an institution didn’t want me, I probably didn’t want to be there either (in the long run).

With most applications being due January 1, I took the GRE on September 18 (the day before my brother’s wedding . . . the test is not administered in my town, so I would have had to hit the road anyway).  In the interest of full disclosure, I love taking standardized tests so I did not have the usual bout of test anxiety that a lot of people struggle with.  I prepared for the GRE by purchasing the Princeton Review book, reviewing their suggestions (particularly for the writing section), and trying to relax.  I was not prepared for the Pentagon-level security and secrecy at the testing center, but once I began the test it went well.  I was pleased enough with my score that I decided not to take it again.

I relied on some close friends for feedback on my personal statements (some who had written these types of things before, and others who were simply great writers).  I wrote a unique statement for each institution I applied to, which was manageable.

3.  Am I going to lose my mind managing all of these different applications, their respective timelines, and the handful of individuals who are kind enough to write recommendations for me?

If I had anything about the application process that I would do differently if I had it to do over, I would have been much more organized with this aspect of the application process.  There had to be a better way of keeping track of things, as compared to my endless stack of papers and the random calendar reminder.

I gave individuals who were writing my letters of recommendation a lot of notice about what was going on.  I asked for letters by the end of September, knowing that applications would typically be due on January 1.  I  was fortunate that most of my letters were returned pretty quickly, but I have heard horror stories from other grad students who had to follow up a lot.  Be prepared for this.  Another tip is that if you can make a connection with the staff assistants in the departments where you are applying, that can be a really great help.  I got to be on a first name basis with staff assistants at two of the schools I applied at, and it made it a lot easier to get things done and get questions answered.

For next week:  How I spent my time waiting for responses, what those responses were, and other adventures in limbo!