As of this weekend, Kate and I are finished with the GRE. Honestly, the only way they could have made this process worse is if they tested us under conditions similar to the short-lived game show The Chamber. After about the third hour of taking the test I was ready for the blasts of cold air, the flame throwers, the electric chair, the occasional boot to the groin, but apparently even the barbarity of Educational Testing Service has limits. I tried to convince Kate that they required you bring them a pint of your own blood on the day of the test, but she didn’t believe me.
We’ve narrowed our selection down to four graduate schools, and with this test out of the way we are finally on the last stretch of the application process. Honestly, applying to graduate school is so time-consuming it’s like having another part-time job, on top of your existing full-time job and your other part-time job. Every evening for the last two months I’ve come home from work, only to dedicate 2-4 hours a night to applications. I find it ironic that polishing up a resume and applying for a great job is a piece of cake, while the process for wanting to give someone else $30,000 a year could be so intensive.
