The Rest of the Story

Remember this?

I briefly mentioned this "possibility" that was "exciting and frightening and exhilarating and overwhelming" that I couldn't divulge at the time because it was up in the air.  Well, now I'll spill the beans:

My professor (the young awesome one whose son I babysit and who I rave about all the time) was offered a job at a very prestigious Ivy League school.  The most famous one that comes to mind.  Apparently, it's common in academia for professors working with students who accept a job elsewhere to bring those students with them.  She wanted to take me with her.  And the way she asked me was so casual.  "So, do you wanna come with me?" I was dumbfounded.  Flabbergasted.  In a moment, something I had never even conceived of in the realm of possibility suddenly became possible.  "Keep your fingers crossed," she said.

I was informed this week that I was not accepted for the fall.  Here's why: Because of the timing of my professor's job offer, by the time I applied, I was considered an out-of-cycle admission.  I was told that my dossier was impressive and that I would have been accepted, but since the money for students who applied and were admitted traditionally was already allotted and since this school doesn't accept graduate students who aren't fully funded, it was a no go.  I was told that if I reapplied next year, I'd have a very, very high chance of getting in.  My professor says it would be a matter of simply applying; though they couldn't legally guarantee it, I'd be at the top of the list.

But here's the problem with reapplying for next fall: As of right now, I am halfway done with my program.  This semester is my last semester of coursework.  I plan to take comprehensive exams in the fall, and I plan to submit my prospectus by this time next spring.  If I play my cards right, by the time I'd go to this famous Ivy League in Fall 2014, I'd be ABD.  All but dissertation.  Nothing left to do but write.

Why is that negative?  Because grad school doesn't work like undergrad.  I can't just transfer credits or whatever.  Upon going to a different school, I'd have to retake at least a semester of coursework, and I'd have to re-do the process of taking comprehensive exams there.  I'd essentially be starting over.  Well, not completely over, but it would set my graduation date back at least a year and a half.  And I don't know if it's worth it.  I could see if I was just starting my PhD.  But I'd be 3/4ths done.  I could see if I was a fresh-faced 20something.  But I'm not.  I'm not saying I'm decrepit, but I'm trying to wrap this puppy up.  I'm not exactly a spring chicken anymore who has time to kill.  I'm trying to get out of school so I can get out of this state of prolonged instability and get a job and establish myself.  Not to mention that going to this school would be stressful as heck.  Am I willing to expend more time and undergo more stress for a brand name?  I don't think so.

But all's not lost.  Once my professor is established there, she can apply for money to hire a research assistant for a summer or maybe even a semester and she would have much more control over the process.  The best time to go would be once I'm admitted to candidacy (after my prospectus is approved).  Once I start writing my dissertation and get a few chapters under my belt is when I would start applying for jobs.  And wouldn't "Research Fellow at Big Shot Ivy League" look great on my CV?  All of that to say, even though I don't plan on actually attending and graduating from this school, I would still be able to have a beneficial experience there.

In the end, I'm content with where God has me and the doors He's opening for me.  Things that I never imagined possible suddenly becoming a possibility . . . it seems to be a recurring theme this year.  (Remember the Cuba thing?)  It's exciting.  And I'm thankful.