kitewithfish

So, I had gotten turned down from Yale's doctoral program a week or so ago, VIA THE INTERNET, to add insult to injury, and I was being forced to wait till 5pm to hear from Harvard.

I decided at 3pm to check out my account on the Harvard applications page, and lo, my result was already there. It read as follows.

"Dear

beanie_platypus,

"We regret to inform you that HDS is unable to accept you as a student at this time. We are total bastards."

...This is not 100% accurate. But after that first sentence I was disinclined to read the rest of the email.

I do what I do in times of trouble, I called my mom. She was in a car on her way to Poughkeepsie, NY, and thus I may have broken the news about this to the rest of the people in that carpool as well. She consoled, I was numb, and she had to hang up.

I watched some TV and tried to look for jobs. Since Harvard and Yale had turned me down, I was pretty certain my first choice would also turn me down. This was not good.

I eventually gathered up my wounded courage and headed out of the library. My mom called back, now in a train station, and she proceeded to console me. The conversation was as follows:

Mom: I'm so sorry honey. This is disappointing.

Me: I know, it's weird. I don't actually feel sad, but I know I'm disappointed.

Mom: It is disappointing. But you know, in the long run, having to take a year off to get some money is not going to matter. You're still going to get where you're going. You'll retake the GRE's and study more, and you'll be better off the next time.

Me: I know, I had just wanted to be able to do it *now*. And I don't really seem to have any marketable skills.

Mom: Of course you do. You have writing skills and a BA- you could do a lot of things.

Me: I know, it's just hard. Hold on, I'm checking my mail... There is big envelope. There is a big envelope from the University of Chicago. Mom, I have a BIG ENVELOPE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

Mom, in the voice of GOD: OPEN IT.

Me: I can't open it while talking to you, I only have one hand, I have to hang up!

Mom: JUST PUT THE PHONE DOWN.

Me: Oh. *puts phone down.* *riiiiiiips envelope open like it said things about my sister* I got in! Oh, wait. *Picks up the phone.* I got in!

Mom, still in Poughkeepsie: YAY!