UConn Not, I Can Not!

I was inspired to write this post by Anna's post. I actually started this blog thinking I should start documenting my life in case I do get accepted in a graduate program and get relocated hehe. I applied for a program at the University of Connecticut. I was egged by a friend to apply for graduate studies in the US because he wanted to apply too. I'm not sure how we ended up narrowing it down to UConn and not in any other school but it's probably influenced by another friend who finished her MS degree there. So after researching here and there I decided to gather all the requirements – financial declaration, recommendation letters, transcript of records, I even took the TOEFL and GRE exams – and submit my application. I applied for their MS Applied Financial Math program and also applied to be a teaching assistant for financial aid. I passed my application on January 2006 but did not receive any reply from them. While my friend received a "regret" letter, I didn't receive any. So by July that year, I emailed them and inquired. And this was their reply to me.

Hello your application was received in the Math department and reviewed on January 25th, 2006 . The committee decision was not to admit you , a note in the folder stated you were competitive for admission but we could not offer you and funding and full funding was needed for you to be able to attend. A formal letter was sent to you on February 15, 2006, I have a copy in your folder. The address the letter was sent to was blah blah blah, Philippines . If this address is incorrect please let me know and I will forward a copy of the original letter to you at the correct address.

I did not receive the letter she was talking about so I asked if they could mail the letter again and clarified if I can still enroll in the proram. It seemed to me that I was accepted but they will not be able to sponsor my studies. Now this was their reply to me.

I have discussed your situation with Professor Bridgeman who is the Program Director for Applied Financial Mathematics, Master’s Program. He said it is to late at accept any further students for the Fall semester which opens in approximately 1 month. However if you can show the appropriate financial documentation, indicating support in the amount of $36, 500 USD he will reconsider admission for the Spring 2007 semester. Please understand International Students need to show a full academic year of funding regardless of which semester they enter. All information on this matter is listed at the Graduate School website at www.grad.uconn.edu. Also please understand funding for students in this program is limited and the possibility of future funding is minimal.

Yeah, right! If I had 36,500 dollars I wouldn't spend it on my studies ahaha! I would have just travelled to Europe or something hehe. So goodbye UConn! Goodbye East Coast! I wonder what my life would have been if I were able to study there. Would I have gone back to the Philippines? Would I be married now? Hmm...