An Update About My Way Fun Life

Hey blogosphere!  I know this is not the purpose of my blog, but I want to let all my blogger friends (yes, you!) know what's up.

It's officially decided.  There is a light at the end of the dark, dank tunnel that is living in Utah.  In August, we will be moving to New York because I will be attending Sarah Lawrence's human genetics/genetic counseling Master's program!

Things didn't work out exactly how I'd planned, but now that the decision is made, I'm getting more excited about it.  I was overwhelmed with NYC when I went there to interview ('twas my first time), but now I'm warming up to the idea of living there.  Husband and I will probably live outside of the city a bit, maybe even in Connecticut.  We really want pets.  And maybe a garden.  (Sometimes we go on dates to animal shelters and coo over the furry inmates.)  Sarah Lawrence is actually in a suburb just outside of the city as well.  So all of that will probably help me not feel so much like a cockroach.

I decided not to do the Ph.D. program at VCU because I fear that after five plus years, I will never go back and get the genetic counseling degree.  There was a chance that they'd combine the two for me at VCU, but that didn't happen.  I decided that I ultimately want to be a genetic counselor, so I'm making that a priority.  Perhaps I'll apply for doctoral programs again after the Master's is got.

Sarah Lawrence was not my favorite, but in the end it's the only genetic counseling program that accepted me.  I was rejected from one (Stanford, no surprise there), and wait-listed at three.  This was unexpected, since I felt really good about my interviews at these other places.  My pride is currently sustaining some injuries, but I guess I'll get over it.  I believe Sarah Lawrence has a good reputation in the genetic counseling profession.  I mean, it was invented there, after all!  It is known as being the "touchy feely school," but the directors counteracted that rumor.  I know I'll get all kinds of varied experiences there, and the program seems well-suited to personal adaptation.  I am concerned about the large class size there (twenty-five students where most programs accept five to ten), and am mourning the loss of a more intimate group of classmates.  It isn't at a medical school like I would have preferred, and it doesn't have complex quantitative genetics or psychiatric genetics (my particular topics of interest) going on specifically, but I think I can tailor it the way I want it.  It's only two years, right?

I think I got in because I told them that in Utah I'm considered a "flaming liberal."  The interviewer seemed to like that.  I saw her write that exact phrase down on her notepad!

So at the moment I'm feeling kind of disappointed, but I just have to keep reminding myself of all the awesome things I can do in New York.  Can you help a sister out?  What are the perks of living in the Big Apple?