The Agony

I've decided that a modern form of torture (that's torture in the medieval sense) is applying for things.

When you've received someone's application for a job or, in my case, graduate school, you have a lot of power.

You can twist someone into cardiac arrest by making them wait for weeks. The waiting is the worst part, of course.

Then you can call the applicant for a friendly chat and get his or her hopes up, and make him wait some more!

I'm not sure if it's just the workings of democracy or an intentional playing-hard-to-get tactic graduate schools (and some companies) use, but it sure does wreak havoc on the applicant.

So as my anxiety grows because the graduate schools are keeping me waiting and waiting and waiting (except U of Oregon, who said two weeks ago they'd love to have me), wish me luck.