Reflections on the 2019 Application Cycle

As many of you may already know, Match Day was on April 26th! And at 6am that morning, I found out that I was accepted into Keck Graduate Institute's Masters in Genetic Counseling program. I was fortunate enough to be home in Hawaii when I found out, so I was able to celebrate with my family in person! My family is so important to me, and being able to celebrate my good news with them was just the icing on the cake. 

In the same week my mom was give a distinguished alumni award, my bother got into private school, my cousin was accepted into his biochemistry major, and my dad secured a big client at work! Woo Hoo!

This application cycle has been a wild experience. There were moments where I felt low and discouraged about myself and my experience–or lack thereof; at the same time, there were also moments where I was filled with so much pride in myself and how far I had come. Nothing about this process was easy, but as I reflect on the past year and half in the wake of Match Day results, I am filled with so much gratitude. 

I want to thank every single person who has spoken words of encouragement to me, mentored me, opened doors for me (even closing doors for me), and have been a part of this crazy journey towards graduate school. I have been so blessed/lucky (you pick) to have met so many amazing people, who have taken their time to share their wisdom, time, and energy to help me to learn and grow into someone who is prepared to be a genetic counseling student. So, you'll forgive me if I take a moment to thank some of those people. 

I want to thank all of the mentors I have had along the way, formally or informally, every single one of you (you know who you are) have made such a huge impact on me over the past year and a half. There are not enough words or homemade cookies that could express how grateful I am to have known you and learned from you. 

I want to thank the genetic counselors on twitter, who are always there when I need some words of wisdom or a little pick-me-up when I'm feeling down on myself. 

I want to thank every single student or applicant who has reached out to be via social media to tell me that my blog has helped them or inspired them in some way.  

Finally, I want to thank my family (by blood and by bond) for always supporting me. They saw the best in me before I ever could. Doing something with so much uncertainty is scary. In my last post I talked about walking into the abyss, but I would say that this whole process is more like walking a tightrope. I wouldn't have even taken my first step if it weren't for my family being there to catch me if I fell. 

To Future Applicants:

One of my goals is to do more public outreach
about the field, and the day before Match Day
I spent my morning talking with high school
students at my alma mater about genetic counseling!

The most important piece of advice that I can give you, as you embark on this journey, is to make connections. The most enjoyable part of preparing and applying to programs were all of the amazing people I met along the way. Not only have the people I've met along the way become an unexpected support system but, connecting with current genetic counselors on twitter, other applicants on discord, and networking with genetic counselors in my area opened so many doors for me to explore the field. I've had the opportunity to make strides towards some of the goals I have for myself as a genetic counselor because of the people I've networked with, and I believe that those opportunities are what set me apart from other applicants. I would also encourage you to be curious, and unafraid to ask questions about anything and everything. I know that when it comes to graduate school there can be a sense that you have to know everything to be considered competitive, but that's not true. Asking questions of students, current genetic counselors, and other professionals in the field is the best way to learn, not only abut the field itself, but about your own interests and passions. Not every applicant needs to take the same path, and if you're applying with experiences that are atypical, celebrate those differences and highlight how they have prepared you to be a genetic counselor. When it comes down to it, if you're committed, you are going to be a genetic counselor one day, so why not start thinking about what you want to do once you're a GC?

As always, if you have any questions about my decision process or my application process, please feel free to contact me! I look forward to sharing my journey through grad school with you all.