Phew * wipes sweat from brows * 😅
I'm always a little scared someone is secretly reading this and putting pieces together like "yup thats applicants 736 Allright, boy is she in trouble , did you read what she said ???" LOL.
Also I would really love to hear from any very non traditional applicants on how they filled in their "gap" years since I was somewhat insulted with my use of the time. 🥲 not for any real reason just out of shear curiousty as to what most people do with their life lol
I think that fear is healthy...
as for how I filled my gap years...I worked in a camera store, then for a venture capital company, then Jenny Craig, then I nannied, tele-fundraised, waitressed, worked animal hospitals. Took care of an ailing guardian until she died, then my biological mother until she died. Then moved back to MA. Worked more hospitals, more waitressing, got married, took care of his grandmother as she ailed/died, tried to go back to school full time and work full time--did poorly. Worked as a working student/groom at a competitive dressage barn. More animal hospitals, interned in a wild life center. Had gastric by pass, had 2 kids. Lived on an antique farm, worked in another dressage barn. Started a photography business. Supported my spouse through a major mental health and substance issue crisis, managed a child with developmental issues and one with learning issues...went back to school in order to find a path to independence and freedom. And here I am lol
activities included volleyball in local leagues, participating in fundraiser activities for causes close to people I care about--Project Bread's Walk for Hunger, The Pan-Can Walk to support Pancreatic Cancer research, The Survivor Theatre Project for people who have survived sexual abuse or assault (this was close to my heart because it's apart of my own story).
Honestly, a lot of the time was just spent surviving. I had no family to help me I lived below the poverty line a lot of that time and at one point was collecting people's recycling to redeem for cash to feed myself.
My GPAs aren't super...my undergrad was decent but it took me a long time to learn about setting boundaries and prioritizing what I needed to do to succeed in science classes. So everything after undergrad was crappy and dragged my gpas down. I started in on Post-bacc premed classes in 2019 and my gpa for that is like a 3.91. It's been a lot with 2 kids at home and them having remote learning etc...
I know this didn't play out the way you hoped, but I am really glad you have acceptances/waitlist options to work with. You'll be great where ever you decide to go.
Basically I have a crap ton of life experience lol and about 10,000 hours of work experience. No research experience.