On Monday, I received an email welcoming me to Harvard�s Higher Education master�s program. I was excited, and geeked. Who wouldn�t be? Even if I decide not to go there, I can still say I was admitted to Harvard, the best university in the nation.

That evening, I went home to find a non-descript manila envelope on my kitchen table along with some credit card offers and bills for my roommates. It wasn�t a large envelope, but it was bigger than a regular business envelope and the return address was the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies here at UCLA.

�What do you think this is, R?� I asked Ome�s boyfriend who was sitting at the kitchen table working on his master�s thesis.

I opened the envelope, took out a single letter on GSEIS letterhead and read the first paragraph.

Little tears trickled down my cheek after I read the first few sentences. I couldn�t finish the letter just then and made R read the rest.

I wanted him to make sure I wasn�t hallucinating or dreaming once again. He confirmed it with a R-size bear hug and congratulations.

I was admitted to UCLA�s doctoral program in Education in the Higher Education and Organizational Change. Prof S., a woman whose work I highly admire, was assigned to be my advisor.

I paced around the apartment for a minute half-listening to R�s chatter and later called my house to give them the latest news.

I�m still walking on air today and tons of thoughts are swirling around in my head. I doubted I would be admitted to the doctoral program here simply because of the nature of the program and the competitiveness of the application process. I assumed I�d be rejected and then I could go do a master�s program at a school out of state. I�d earn my MA and return in a year or two to enter into the PhD program at UCLA.

I though the application process was the most difficult and stressful part of all of this� but I am so wrong. Still, I am very thankful for this opportunity. I�d rather have the options of UCLA, Harvard, Teachers College (Columbia), and Michigan [probably Claremont as well] than nothing at all.

Wouldn�t you like to be in my Pumas?

Me siento:
Escuchando:

M�s reciente:
Searches - 09.16.05
the big move - 07.29.05
mother and daughter: a comparative analysis - 07.28.05
jardineros y dom�sticas - 07.27.05
tough question - 07.25.05

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