Moving to Madison

I'm wearing this today:
(in long sleeve though I rolled them up).


I haven't written here in ages, but decisions have been made and my future is lined up. I am moving to Madison, Wisconsin to attend the University of Wisconsin at Madison. It's free. I almost went to Carnegie Mellon, but it wasn't worth to $50k to attend.

I'm going to San Francisco at the end of July (quitting my job in the middle of July).

It's pretty exciting and I am vacillating between being incredible scared and incredibly excited. Right now, I am just feeling a little sick to my stomach which could be either joy or fear.

This isn't school-related:

Well it is. I am planning (hoping) to visit one of the schools I am applying to. One of the most prestigious ones. I was imagining what they would ask me during my interview. And books came up because my life would be perfect if people interviewing me would just talk about literature.

Favorites:
Fiction book: The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen)
Non-fiction book: Teachers Have it Easy (Dave Eggers) and Arc of Justice (Kevin Boyle)
Play: Waiting for Godot (Samuel Beckett)
Short story: Araby (James Joyce)
Poem: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (T.S. Eliot)

Okay, so one of those was an Oprah Bookclub book, but suck it up. It is still a good book.

Big Time Update

I changed my final recommender. I ran into someone from my last job and I asked him and he was very willing to write a letter for me. Only one school requests two academic and one professional and it is the one I am most likely to get in to. I might ask for one from another professor just to be sure, but if he says he rather not, then I won't be concerned.

I feel bad that one of my recommenders has been bumped. She was neither academic nor professional really, but she's a nice person and I really like her. I think I am going to ask her to write a letter to every school that lets you submit four letters. I almost have packets put together for each one telling them what I need and when, my SOP, my resume, and what each school says they are looking for in a rec letter (if they give guidance).

Basically, everything is complete. I need to upload some documents and I want to fiddle with some of my essay, but I am pretty much ready to send everything in and pay my fees.

I am pretty excited.

Moving Forward

Sent an email to a professor at #5.

Next week I am going to try to schedule a meeting with my potential final recommender. I hope all goes well, but who knows if he'll even really remember me.

I have like seven drafts of my statement of purpose. They all say basically the same thing in varying degrees of earnestness. All my applications are started except two. One opens Monday and one the following Monday. I think once they're all open and worked on, I will be able to focus on my SOP and what I really want from it.

I feel like I should be nervous but I'm not yet. I'm sure I will be when I push that submit button.

Graduate Schools Update

I am dropping #4 and adding another Northeast school in its place. The school rank is much higher and I figure if I am going to do this, I should do it right.

I took some time off work and really focused on the necessary writing. I wrote the analytical essay for #1 (in California) and got my boyfriend and a friend to read through it. I am sending it to someone else today for an opinion and then I will hold for a week, reread, and then submit to the student readers the school offers.

I am working on the four-page policy memo for the newest addition (new #4). It is a little short right now, but I am just adding ideas as I find them and find time to write.

My general statement of purpose is basically done. I just need to tailor it to the schools. My resume is looking good. My Personal History Essay for #1 is decent. I don't know how long it needs to be or anything, so I just wrote and then stopped when I reached the present.

My big problem is that my writing style, while technically correct is very bland. I have a decent vocabulary but it isn't extraordinary. I don't know what to do to pep up my writing some and make it really impressive.

Recommendation letters and online applications

As of today, I have arranged meetings and recommendation letters from everyone I plan to ask (two academic, one non-academic which is ideal). I also began the online applications for every school that has them available (#2, #3, and #6). The other two won't be available until September. I hope to have my applications done and sent by November 1.

I am determined to work on my SOP this week. I want a solid draft by mid-August so when I go requesting letters in September, I have something decent to show them. I have already worked on my resume, but I feel like it is lacking.

Here it is with personal information removed:

Education

University , - December 2006
Bachelors of Arts in English, magna cum laude
Minor: Mass Communications

Relevant Coursework

US government, international relations, microeconomics, macroeconomics, precalculus and trigonometry, survey of calculus, elementary statistics, technical writing

Relevant Experience

Research secretary and grant coordinator, ****************, *********, ** 2008-present
• Conducted database search for articles, reviewed academic literature
• Edited, formatted, and submitted manuscripts to leading pharmacy journals
• Reviewed, edited and submitted grant applications/proposals, renewals, and revisions to the National Institutes of Health
• Plan, organize and execute department seminar series – coordinating travel, lodging, and payment for visiting speakers, as well as promoting each session within the university

Peer Leader and Peer Leader Mentor, ***********, *******, ** 2004 and 2006
• Taught introductory class for new students alongside ** staff members
• Organized large community service project
• Led lecture of the important of community involvement
• Mentored other peer leaders during my second term of service

America Reads Tutor, **************, ********** 2005-2006
• Worked with minority and other underserved students in ****** County elementary schools, middle schools, and community centers to help them improve reading ability and comprehension
• Collaborated with other tutors to create a dynamic teaching environment utilizing the limited space provided
• Tailored program to meet school and community center needs while still meeting the goals and requirement of the America Reads program

Skills
Apple OSX, Microsoft Word, graphic presentations (PowerPoint), Excel. Dreamweaver. Adobe Suite (Designer, Acrobat, Photoshop). Strong analytical skills. Experience with scientific research and methodology.

Relevant Honors

Dean’s List 2004-2006
President’s Honor Roll – 2006
*********Scholarship for Academic Excellence – 2006
Magna Cum Laude honors including senior thesis – 2006
******* Member (Classics honor society)
***** Institute for Leadership Development – 2006

Recommendation Letters and Contacts

I had a great 24 hours. The professor I was working with here referred me to a couple people at the schools I want to apply to. I also mentioned to him that I am planning to apply to the Maryland school so maybe he'll know someone there too.

I downloaded articles from the people he mentioned and put in requests for their books. I hope to contact them in mid-August. I will also contact people I found on my own, since his contacts did not cover everywhere I want to apply.

I also contacted my potential recommenders today which was really awkward as they all have English degrees and I am looking for something entirely different, but I played it as best I could (asking for any help they could give) and one got back to me right away saying he doesn't know much about policy but would gladly write me a recommendation which is fantastic. I could not have hoped for a better or easier response. I was told that teachers know what you want when you contact them like that, but it is nice to have that taken care of. I still am waiting to hear from another professor and I hope I hear soon. I will have to contact a professor who doesn't know me and just beg for a recommendation if this guy doesn't come through. I am not above that though. My first two letters will be good. If I have one "she took my class, got an A" letter, I should still be okay overall.

I really need to get working on my statement of purpose though. It really needs to shine in light of my awful analytical writing score. I plan to have everyone I can find read it before I turn it in.

I am thinking about dropping my safety school off the list. What is the point if I have a shot to get into a better school in the future? I am sad I wasted a free GRE score report on them, but it was a $20 mistake. Better then wasting a bunch of time and money on completing the application.