Stressing out over grad school apps

[Delong]

Hi everyone, I'm applying to grad school and I find the process extremely stressful. Today I got almost/maybe rejected from my third graduate school and I am completely freaking out. This one was one I was actually pretty hopeful I can get in. I still have four other schools I applied to but if this trend continues I might not get into any. Getting into grad school and pursuing life as a scientist has always been my dream. All my future plans rides on this. When I got the news today that I may be rejected I was so stressed I actually had to find a place to sit down and control my breathing. I feel like my organs are ripping apart from all the adrenaline. Can someone offer me any words of comfort or ease please? I think that I'm a pretty good student, I'm not straight A's but I love science and I worked hard. I always took hard classes and I even completed an REU. My GRE scores are decent. I really hope I can get in somewhere and that I stop freaking out.

 

[ModusPwnd]

My advise is to start fostering other dreams. Nobody should close themselves off to all but one path. Dont give up on science, but even if you happen to get in and manage to complete the PhD the chances of you being a professional scientist are very slim.

 

[Delong]

My advise is to start fostering other dreams. Nobody should close themselves off to all but one path. Dont give up on science, but even if you happen to get in and manage to complete the PhD the chances of you being a professional scientist are very slim.

I never had any other dream than doing research. I can't imagine myself doing anything else for a living. Did I make a mistake by applying to grad school this early? Maybe I should have worked a few years? I don't know.

 

[Choppy]

As much as possible try not to think about it. Once all your horses are in, then you can act on the result, but until then, dwelling on the outcome will only add to your stress.

If the unthinkable happens and you don't get in, then you just have to come up with a contingency plan. If you really want to get into graduate school, it would be worth analysing what happened and figuring out how you can improve your chances for next year. Yes, it would suck to "lose" a year, but probably not as much as you might think now. That might be an opportunity to get a job and stash away some money as you prepare for the long penniless haut of graduate school.

 

[Delong]

As much as possible try not to think about it. Once all your horses are in, then you can act on the result, but until then, dwelling on the outcome will only add to your stress.

If the unthinkable happens and you don't get in, then you just have to come up with a contingency plan. If you really want to get into graduate school, it would be worth analysing what happened and figuring out how you can improve your chances for next year. Yes, it would suck to "lose" a year, but probably not as much as you might think now. That might be an opportunity to get a job and stash away some money as you prepare for the long penniless haut of graduate school.

Ok thanks for your advice. I sometimes think I'm making some naive decisions. Maybe I should have applied to easier schools. Or maybe work a year before entering. Do I even know what I'm doing? Try ing to get myself into grad school... Who am I kidding I'm not a disciplined student and my grades aren't that good. Probably my professors said some honest things about me in the letters. I feel pathetic. Gonna go cry now.

 

[Office_Shredder]

I applied to six graduate schools and got rejected by five of them before being accepted by the sixth. I don't even understand what you mean when you say you maybe got rejected; given the heightened state of stress you're apparently in my first guess would be that you're misinterpreting some trivial communication.

Or maybe work a year before entering.

If you don't get in anywhere you can just do exactly that.

 

[Delong]

I applied to six graduate schools and got rejected by five of them before being accepted by the sixth. I don't even understand what you mean when you say you maybe got rejected; given the heightened state of stress you're apparently in my first guess would be that you're misinterpreting some trivial

If you don't get in anywhere you can just do exactly that.

The email said i didn't get in. I replied saying that at least one of the professors seemed interested in having me but she replied later saying I wouldn't be a good fit adding more to my misery.
I feel like my life as a student is being judged this feeling sucks.