Blessed greetings to all of you! I trust you’ve been staying busy in my absence – I pray you’ve been staying positive as well. I have been “on my grind” recently; I hope you’ve taken the time to catch up on all the posts you may have missed.

They say that anything that is worth having takes a good deal of work and I am certainly finding that to be true especially as I go through the process of applying to PhD programs. If any of you are thinking of applying, know that it is indeed long, expensive and arduous process! But of course, the benefit certainly outweighs the amount of work it takes.

Here’s a little breakdown of considerations:

Graduate Record Exam (GRE): $150, 3 months - 1 year preparation

Writing Statements of Purpose: 1 – 6 months, depending on writing skills

Filling Out Applications: $65 – $150 each, 2 – 3 months

Letters of Recommendation: Ongoing, at least 2 – 6 months before deadlines

Transcripts: $7 – $10 each (1 needed for each school applied to), 1 month

Scholarship/fellowship applications: 2 – 6 months

Writing Sample: 1 – 6 months depending on writing skills

As you can see, I’ve been busy! You will be too if you’re looking to make this next step anytime soon, as I know some of you are. The grand total in time and money for me, applying to 5 schools is approximately 6 months and $600. If you’re still on the undergrad level, take this time and cost into consideration now because it certainly sneaks up on you.

I’m almost done with the climb, and I’m breathing a bit of a sigh of relief. I take the GRE next Friday and I officially submitted my first application yesterday. The deadline for most of them is December 15^th so time is a-ticking.

Of course, through it all I’m keeping a positive outlook and knowing that I have the power and the ability to make great things happen! Whatever you have in your heart and mind to achieve, go after it and believe in yourself – it makes all the difference.

Peace & Love ‘til next time!

‘Funlayo