Academic dream crushed

I have been depressed all night to the point where I feel I cannot even function. It has been my dream to study at uc berkeley since I was 10, and just when I think I have finally found the perfect opportunity, I somehow mess up. I applied for a summer research position through their diversity program, and spent the past week crafting the best personal statement I could possibly right. However, I started this application way too late, mainly because I was told that you had to be an undergrad and I am graduating this spring. Then I was told to just stay another semester, because this program would be worth it, so I made the decision to go with this. After so much stress over just how exactly I would do this, I needed to just forget that, and just get started on the application, which would be due in a couple days. So that's the most stressful part, I am ok with writing a 2 page personal statement in that short time, but how am I supposed to get TWO letters of recommendation with such short notice?! It would seem almost disrespectful to expect a professor to comply with such a request. But I asked anyway, this program means too much to me. So, I managed to get one letter of recommendation, and found out after calling the program office, that I could still get the other letter sent in after the deadline, but ASAP. So now I am at the post office, ready to send my application express-paid-next-day delivery, when I take a look at the application to make sure everything is there, and see with horror that I also need an OFFICIAL transcript and a copy of the entire application itself. There was no physically possible way for me to produce this, especially since the post office was about to close and it was a friday, and the application is due on monday. So I just mailed my application and personal statement. There is no way I can get help right now, because the office is closed until monday. I pretty much came home, crashed on my floor and cried. I seriously don't even know how to react to this all right now. I am just a sitting duck at this point.

I am hopeful that next week you will get the missing items added to your application and continue to hope that this works out for you. Do you have any idea how many people might apply for this position? If it isn't many, then the quality of your personal statement and letters of recommendation might make up for the gaps. If I were on the decision team for this position, an applicant's tenacity and enthusiasm would mean a lot to me.

(((Hugs)))

Life is a maze and there is more than one way to get through it.
I know this seems like THE ONLY WAY POSSIBLE to achieve your goal right now. I have been there, actually many times. It is truly crushing to have THE ONLY WAY fall through.

But- ok so spend today a little miserable and crappy and have an attitude and eat some junk food and be snarky at someone who won't mind... Then pick yourself up and on Monday work your butt off and see if there is ANYWAY to get this stuff turned around. You can get an unofficial copy of your transcript and fax that easily- see if you can send that in as a holding placement while a request for an official transcript is in the works. Also a copy of the complete application shouldn't be that difficult to fax. Since they have a good portion of your application mailed by the deadline, I would honestly contact them just ASSUMING that they have no problem receiving the other parts late- some places like admissions, scholarship and other study opportunities do legitimately run by this policy.

Depending on which program you are talking about, they may or may not run by this policy but may have the ability to decide on a case by case basis.

It is not NO until you get that NO, ok?

And if this doesn't work out, there will be other options. I swear. Really really. It doesn't seem like that now and it won't for a while and you may have to create them yourself.

But you will surely get more than one chance- the next chance may look entirely different though so keep your eyes peeled.

Good luck.
Don't be so hard on yourself. [though I understand, I should take my own advice]

-Josie

I would find e-mail addresses and phone numbers and see what you can do. Did you make a copy for yourself or just mail the one-and-only? I would not worry too much about the copy if that is the case, I imagine they will make a copy, they often have to anyway so they can give it to various people looking at it, etc. I think the problem of incomplete applications is probably pretty common for them and the "due date" is just for that reason, so they have time to get things "together" for your file and then start looking at things. Otherwise people would never reread the instructions like you did and would be forever missing pieces here and there and it would be harder for them than it is.

If you are graduating, I would look into some day going to graduate school there if you do not get into this program? Dreams usually don't have time limits, it's possible to make the important portions of them come true at just about any time. I'm doing one of those educational ones now and I'm 63

:-)

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk