Should I be more surprised at my acceptance or my rejection?
Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:01 am
I have an unusual profile combining low grades and high test scores.
I had a 3.0 GPA at Caltech. I entered in the class of 2007 and graduated in 2009 due to academic problems. I didn't like doing the work I was given, concentrated on whatever I thought was interesting at the time (only sometimes physics), and failed the junior-level advanced quantum and EM courses. Two years later I finally finished them.
I spent my summers teaching at a high school camp rather than doing research, except the first two summers (2004 and 2005) when I did some basically-fruitless research.
After graduating, I worked at a tutoring agency, then at a pharmaceutical company doing statistics.
My test scores came out well (P / Q / V / W = 970 / 800 / 800 / 5.5).
I thought that my job experience would indicate that I had matured enough to have the work ethic required for grad school and that my test scores would indicate I had the aptitude. Since my poor academic record was due to the way I acted four years ago, and is no longer under my control, I hoped to get cut some slack.
As it turned out, I was rejected at eleven of the twelve schools I applied to, and accepted to Johns Hopkins.
So, should I be grateful to have gotten one acceptance, or should I expected to have some choice in where to attend?
I had a 3.0 GPA at Caltech. I entered in the class of 2007 and graduated in 2009 due to academic problems. I didn't like doing the work I was given, concentrated on whatever I thought was interesting at the time (only sometimes physics), and failed the junior-level advanced quantum and EM courses. Two years later I finally finished them.
I spent my summers teaching at a high school camp rather than doing research, except the first two summers (2004 and 2005) when I did some basically-fruitless research.
After graduating, I worked at a tutoring agency, then at a pharmaceutical company doing statistics.
My test scores came out well (P / Q / V / W = 970 / 800 / 800 / 5.5).
I thought that my job experience would indicate that I had matured enough to have the work ethic required for grad school and that my test scores would indicate I had the aptitude. Since my poor academic record was due to the way I acted four years ago, and is no longer under my control, I hoped to get cut some slack.
As it turned out, I was rejected at eleven of the twelve schools I applied to, and accepted to Johns Hopkins.
So, should I be grateful to have gotten one acceptance, or should I expected to have some choice in where to attend?