Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Oh how I LOVE having choices!

Poor, poor neglected blog! I think about you often and yet never seem to have the time to actually sit down and write. Oh well! I have exciting news that I need to share so here goes.

So, after all that prep time, studying for the GMAT and then stressing over the application, at last some of my results are in: I’m officially accepted to both Westminster and the University of Utah!! Ya-hoo!

First of all, this makes me happy because it means I’m definitely going to grad school next year. Not that I thought I wouldn’t necessarily, but there’s always the chance it won’t work out the way I’d hoped. But now I know that it did work out, and that makes me feel like all the studying, hard work, researching and agonizing over the decision were all worth it.

Second of all, being accepted to two of the three schools I applied to (cough, cough BYU should perhaps communicate to me soon) means that I have choices! I get to choose between two great schools whom I’m confident will both offer me a great education. They each have strengths and weakness, so I have to think through that as I decide.

I love having choices. It’s one of the great things about being sent to the earth to have this mortal experience, that I have a beautiful gift called moral agency. Sometimes I’m placed in situations where I don’t have a choice, and that is always hard. However, in this case I do! And I’m delighted.

A great friend was trying to help me do pros and cons about both schools on the way to work today. While I came up with a few points in favor and against both, it wasn’t a comprehensive enough list to help me decide. And people at work today were trying to persuade me one way or the other depending on where their bias lies. It was pretty amusing actually.

Despite all this, the person whose opinion matters the most … is me. I’m the one who will ultimately be getting my education. I’m taking on the time and financial commitment for grad school. So, that means it’s up to me (and Heavenly Father of course who is ultimately the one guiding my life) as to where I go.

I will enjoy every moment of my choice as I make a major life decision on where to pursue my higher education. Wish me wisdom and the ability to make the right choice.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Now that it’s all over . . .

Greetings once again from a rather long hiatus from my blog. I didn’t necessarily mean to do so, but life just sometimes gets in the way.

I’m happy to report that I am now a veteran of the GMAT!!!! Yippee!! It feels so great to be done with that beast of a test. And for now, I’m not planning to take it again, so that means I’m really done!

For the last two weeks I’ve been busy a) catching up on all the stuff I had to neglect while I studied and b) filling out the grad school applications. I have to say that it was a lot harder of a process than I expected it to be. I’m pretty sure that part of the weeding out process is checking to see who can fill out the application correctly and gather all the necessary information in time to meet the deadline.

You’d think with me being a writer that drafting my personal statement wouldn’t be such a big deal … but it really was. This is not a type of writing I do very often, and I found it a challenge to try to figure out how best to represent myself on just one page. But, with feedback and editing help from some trusted friends, the personal statement was also prepared.

I submitted my part of all three applications last Tuesday. Yippee!!

So, now I just have to make sure that all the other parts of the applications that I’m not in charge of are also submitted in a timely fashion.

And then I get to play the waiting game . . .

It hasn’t been an easy experience deciding that I’m ready for grad school and doing the necessary work so I can hopefully get in. However, I’ve learned a lot already, and I’m hopeful for the future and for how this is all going to turn out.

Don’t give up on me posting here. I’m sure that I will write another post once I know where it is I’m going. Keep your fingers crossed, or better yet, say a little prayer for me that I’ll get into school and/or figure out where it is that I need to go.