funny story
Drinking + the application process = ... a mess, most likely.
So some lady called my cell phone and left a message while I was at work. I couldn't make out who she was or why she was calling. She only said that she would be calling again later that night.
I carried on with my day, finished up my shift, went for a long run and then went out to dinner with a good friend. We were having drinks and eating an appetizer when my phone rings with a restricted number. I answer. It's the same woman and I was able to make out the words, "Hello, this is the Dean of the University of X calling..." I grabbed my coat and ran outside into the snow (it is Buffalo, afterall) and I had no idea what to say. She wanted to talk about my application. She addressed the fact that I graduated with duel BA in German and Linguistics and asked me to talk about my interests.
The wine had clouded my thought process. I had just assumed that it was the Dean of Linguistics that was calling (I had applied to both German and Linguistics) and rambled on about how much I love linguistics. She said, oh, that's too bad. I'm the Dean of the German Department. *Oops!* I rebuked, switched gears and I had no idea what the wine was making me say. I just went with it because I was screwed anyway. Yes, I love both schools of thought and I know that I have to pick one, but I figured I'd see where I got in and then just go from there. I don't really know what happened but in the course of the next babbling session, she somehow offered me admission. Oh neat! I thought.
My friend came outside with my food boxed up and had paid the bill. I felt bad, it was supposed to be my treat. Ok, time to gracefully exit the conversation so that I can apologize to my friend and offer to give him money. As he was driving me back to my house, she kept asking me more questions and the Cabernet was slowly taking over my brain; I get really excited when I drink. She said, "Wow, I can see that you're really enthusiastic about this! I'd like to offer you a 5 year fellowship." Whaaaat?! I turned to my friend. He was seemingly annoyed that I was still on the phone (as he had no idea who it was but just knew that I bolted outside to talk to them) and I didn't quite know what to say. She told me that she would be calling again next week to talk to me again... just so that I would let the offer sink in. Oh, and if I wanted to visit the campus, she would arrange my trip for me.
Did I seriously get offered a fellowship on the sheer basis that I had had a few glasses of wine? It doesn't make my enthusiasm any less meaningful or my words worth any less... don't get me wrong, I don't apply to schools that I don't want to get into... I just don't expect to get phone calls when I've been drinking. I mean, really, should I have said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be talking to you right now as I am in the process of finishing a bottle of wine?"
Hah! Anyway, that's my safety department at one of the schools on the bottom of my list. Kind of funny... and really strange. It's a good thing she didn't call after one more glass, lord knows what the conversation would have sounded like.
So some lady called my cell phone and left a message while I was at work. I couldn't make out who she was or why she was calling. She only said that she would be calling again later that night.
I carried on with my day, finished up my shift, went for a long run and then went out to dinner with a good friend. We were having drinks and eating an appetizer when my phone rings with a restricted number. I answer. It's the same woman and I was able to make out the words, "Hello, this is the Dean of the University of X calling..." I grabbed my coat and ran outside into the snow (it is Buffalo, afterall) and I had no idea what to say. She wanted to talk about my application. She addressed the fact that I graduated with duel BA in German and Linguistics and asked me to talk about my interests.
The wine had clouded my thought process. I had just assumed that it was the Dean of Linguistics that was calling (I had applied to both German and Linguistics) and rambled on about how much I love linguistics. She said, oh, that's too bad. I'm the Dean of the German Department. *Oops!* I rebuked, switched gears and I had no idea what the wine was making me say. I just went with it because I was screwed anyway. Yes, I love both schools of thought and I know that I have to pick one, but I figured I'd see where I got in and then just go from there. I don't really know what happened but in the course of the next babbling session, she somehow offered me admission. Oh neat! I thought.
My friend came outside with my food boxed up and had paid the bill. I felt bad, it was supposed to be my treat. Ok, time to gracefully exit the conversation so that I can apologize to my friend and offer to give him money. As he was driving me back to my house, she kept asking me more questions and the Cabernet was slowly taking over my brain; I get really excited when I drink. She said, "Wow, I can see that you're really enthusiastic about this! I'd like to offer you a 5 year fellowship." Whaaaat?! I turned to my friend. He was seemingly annoyed that I was still on the phone (as he had no idea who it was but just knew that I bolted outside to talk to them) and I didn't quite know what to say. She told me that she would be calling again next week to talk to me again... just so that I would let the offer sink in. Oh, and if I wanted to visit the campus, she would arrange my trip for me.
Did I seriously get offered a fellowship on the sheer basis that I had had a few glasses of wine? It doesn't make my enthusiasm any less meaningful or my words worth any less... don't get me wrong, I don't apply to schools that I don't want to get into... I just don't expect to get phone calls when I've been drinking. I mean, really, should I have said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be talking to you right now as I am in the process of finishing a bottle of wine?"
Hah! Anyway, that's my safety department at one of the schools on the bottom of my list. Kind of funny... and really strange. It's a good thing she didn't call after one more glass, lord knows what the conversation would have sounded like.