Because I know you like hearing about school-related angst.

It seems like only yesterday that I was putting together applications for master's programs. And now, doctoral applications are due way too soon. Why am I doing this? I am condemning myself to a future of singledom if I pursue this line of study, as the field of education is largely FEMALE. BAH. How in the hell am I going to find my sugar daddy the love of my life?

In the past, I have not had very good dealings with ed schools in NY. I would particularly like to point out the acceptance letter fiasco of the spring. It seems that in the past six months, the admissions office there has not gotten any smarter. I present for your evidence:

My question: I applied last year for a master's program, and am applying this year for a doctoral program - what new information do I have to send in?
Admissions officer at info session in Boston: I'm not sure, send me an email and I'll check on it for you. Note: I sent him an email a month ago. I still have not heard back from him.
Whoever answered the phone at the admissions office: You're going to have to send everything but your transcript. Yes, that includes your GRE scores.
Another admissions officer I emailed: We still have all of your materials on file for you. Please send an updated personal statement and resume, and more recommendations if you wish.

Their website, by the way, says that they have all materials on file for students who were accepted within the last two years but chose not to enroll. I was just making sure - but it appears that they're none too certain themselves. Also, you cannot tell me that I am the first and only student ever to apply for a master's program and a doctoral one a year apart. Plenty of people do it. Be able to answer the question, dammit.

This particular affliction (read: contradictory statements from people in THE SAME OFFICE) is not just localised to that school. No, it seems that it's a virus that has spread to ALL NY ed schools. View responses to the same question at the other NY school to which I'm applying.

Whoever answered the phone at the admissions office: I don't really know. Let me transfer you to the department you're applying to.
Whoever answered the phone at the department I'm applying to: I don't really know. You'll probably have to send everything in again.
Admissions officer: Let me look you up, what's your last name again? Okay, we have everything on file for you, you'll have to send in an updated personal statement, resume, and 3 recommendation letters. GRE scores? Oh, we didn't look to see if you had sent them last year because we don't look at GRE scores for master's applicants. Yes, we have them on file for you, so you're okay.

By the way, I applied to this school last-minute and freaking RUSHED my GRE scores there, which costs extra money. ETS, how I loathe you. And they didn't even look at them. It did not say anywhere on the application that they did not need GRE scores. They also did not look at my recommendation letters, either. Bah. What the hell did they base my admission on, the not-so-lovely piece of prose I sent in as my statement of purpose? No wonder it took less than two weeks for me to hear back from them. Oh, those fools.

Here's another question I posed to various people at the same school:

Me: I don't see any recommendation letter forms on your website. Do you have special forms, or should my recommenders just send letters on their own letterhead?
Admissions officer: On their own letterhead should be fine.
Whoever answered the phone at the department I'm applying to: We have a special form that I will have to mail to you.

And indeed, there is a special form my recommenders have to fill out. By the way, this school is the only one of the 5 I'm applying to that does not have their entire applications process online. It is VERY ANNOYING.

Back to School #1. So, there are two programs I'm interested in applying to: Cognitive Studies in Education and Developmental Psychology. But of course, you can only apply to one. They are different enough that it matters which I apply to, but I would be happy at either, based on the courses offered and professor research. So I outlined my research interests and sent them to the contact professor in each department, asking them for advice. Here are the responses I received:

Professor from the Cognitive Studies program: It's hard to tell from your description, but I would say that if you are interested in Cognition and Cognitive Development you would be better off in Cognitive Studies, but if you are interested more in Social Development you would be better off in Developmental Psych.
Professor from the Developmental Psych program: It sounds like Cognitive studies would be better. If you are in New York some time and want to talk, I'll be glad to.

WAY TO HELP.

Anyway. All that to vent my frustrations, and to say that I am going to have to make an impromptu trip to NY* - when I really don't have time to - but my future career could potentially greatly benefit from this. At least, it better.

Screw this all, I'm gonna get married and have children and host dinner parties all the time. That sounds like so much more fun.


*A perk: Hey! I can see Charlie! I mean, I'm up in the hinterlands already, neither of us will have to expend too much effort (read: $20 cab rides) to see each other. Aside from the fact that he is a freaking law school male - the worst of the breed, I tell you - and to make matters worse, we don't like the same NYTimes op-ed columnists, and if only he weren't so like my ex in so many ways, I could be in love. Right, that's the hormones talking there. Get us into an argument regarding politics and I'll proclaim it over (again).