New York, New YorkLast week I flew to New York for the last of my grad school interviews.
After that first night when I was all mopey and worried the trip was good. I woke up Friday morning early for a day of orientation and sitting in on classes with about 10 other applicants, most of whom (excepting one) were substantially older than me.
There are some major things about this program (which I won't specify here) that I'm not sure about, but the way they organized the day was really great because I got to chat with the other applicants about their process, what they were looking for in a grad program, etc. and I feel like I actually made a few professional allies that I can be in contact with in the future. I saw a play directed by a grad student who had never directed anything before, which was a red flag, although there were some good actors in it. I snuck into a dance concert afterwards to see how the dancers were (they're good). I took a cab back and sat in my hotel room and thought really hard about the program itself.
On Saturday I got up and had my interview, which went really well. It felt more like a casual conversation than any of the others I've had so far, and the panel (yes, there was more than one person this time) was very interested in my aesthetic and goals. I talked to others that had had their interviews before me and it became even more clear how well mine had gone, even though I'm not sure what I'll decide to do if this is the only place I get in. The fact that New York City's right there is great, but honestly I'd really like to go to a school on the West Coast and intern at a professional East Coast company to get my contacts on that side of the country.
After the interview I went out to a lovely upscale italian lunch with two other applicants (Oh, did I mention they were all female?) and we had some really good, in-depth conversations about theater, grad school, and just life in general. One of the girls even offered to wait with me for my cab back to the hotel because she wanted to chat more. We exchanged business cards and called each other when we got back to our respective abodes. The whole day really made me feel like a part of the young professional set, rather than just a random girl bumbling her way around the professional arena.
I was so tired, though, after all the scheduled activities that I didn't make it into the city to see any plays. I had real trouble sleeping the entire time I was over there, partly because of the time change and partly because I was in a big bed by myself for the first time in quite a while. That being the case, I guess it's not totally surprising that on the day Daylight Savings started, when I was supposed to wake up at 7:00 for an 8:20 shuttle pickup, I... didn't.
Or not on time, anyway. I didn't wake up when my alarm went off. I didn't wake up when the front desk called. I didn't wake up when the shuttle company called. I only woke up when the front desk AND my dad called to say that the shuttle was leaving in 5 minutes, with or without me. Luckily I'd packed the night before and just had to rip off my pjs, throw on clothes, and run out the door. I just barely made it.
But I had a nice plane flight back, went out to dinner with Cj and my parents, and have had tons of wedding planning practically non-stop since I got back. Things are exciting here, no matter what happens.