Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to run this bye the group.
I had posted on this prior, but wanted to get opinions at a new stage.
I had been going back and forth on two masters programs and which one to attend. The medical school here recommended the first one, and I was told by the director of this one if I got all A’s, I would be accepted into his program and had a great chance. I followed up with him 3 different times and then right before submitting my application, he say “We’ll see you in the fall”. 3 days later I was rejected from this program and I was told it was because the other committee members wanted more of a track record. The graduate director recommended more graduate degree courses, and so I started that process.
was then accepted into another out of state program but it wasn’t recommended to me, and I would be an out of state student. I went there, I loved the opportunities and people and felt I could thrive, but I did not have the money. I ended up unenrolling from the local program and enrolling into this program, but I did not secure the funding in time once it all started, and I had a change of heart while there. I just didn’t have the money. I immediately began course correcting and planning for coming back in January, unenrolled, and then re-enrolled in the local program.
Long story short - I will get A’s and I will show my ability - but I had 6 days to take two exams in two of my courses back to back after driving back. I studied 20-30 hours for each and did the lowest I’ve ever done. I had actually been in attendance at the other program during some of that material - the lectures weren’t recorded, one of them was audio recorded, and I was able to do better in that one than in the other one. I began course correcting immediately and am ready to rock these courses.
The caveat is the grading - I will get A’s and show my ability again, but I have 2 exams to prove myself in one of the courses. There are just 3 exams and they are all weighed at 33%. The other course that I did poorly in, has 4 exmas with extra homework sets, and points can be made up. I’m also in another course which I have a B in.
I will get A’s, I will demonstrate my ability and show mastery, but I need to be smart.
My undergraduate GPA is very low and I will show my ability by maintaining a 4.0 - but I can’t continue to play a bad hand. I had made a mistake in not just taking the 3 months off until joining the out of state masters, or staying at the in state the entire time.
I can and will be resilient, and I will persist, but I need to know what’s the smart way of persisting -
staying enrolled locally, crushing the remaining tests, taking those grades and going to the out of state program.
Or getting out of this one, saving my resources, course correcting, coming in fully stocked with funds and housing to rock the out of state program and not looking back?
At the end of the day all that matters is my grades and I demonstrate my ability - the latter option gives me the best option. I’m also being true to myself because I know I work best away from distractions and when my back is against the wall (I need to get my inheritance to crush that program and stay enrolled, I will find a way!)
I am anxious to prove myself and get outside of these selfish program thoughts - I know I must help others and focus on them after showing my ability but I will show a 4.0
PS - As an extra caveat this same scenario played out before hand over summer and I was able to strategize and navigate around it. I had needed to take biochemistry, and enrolled into an out of state program. I then was offered a chance to work at the medical school here for a disease that is close to my family, so I stayed and tried to take biochemistry here. Long story short, I couldn’t stay unless I also took a 6 weeks Organic 2 course, which was not realistic. I then visited another out of state biochemistry course, but this was just 6 weeks and 3 hours away to get there. I ended up saving my hand and cards and just volunteering and working, while planning to take biochemistry in the semester of graduate work.
This same situation is playing out again in Fall, but it would raise a flag as to why I’m not in fall courses this semester - I’ve also already visited with the adcom here before I had switched programs as well as the masters director. The difference now is one was fall, this one is summer.
God give me the strength to persist and be wise in my strategy!