Have I Covered My Past Sufficiently?

RichC1985
Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:35:46 +0000

Some years ago, I attended grad school for anthropology in a one year intensive program away from home. Unfortunately, although I started out as a very enthusiastic student, shortly into the term, I encountered a series very traumatic evens in which left me in a state where carrying out simple day to day activities was a challenge. In spite of all this, I did not want to tell any of the faculty and worked hard to keep myself focused on school and, with the exception of one class in which I got a C, everything else was perfect. However, by the time the second half of the term came around - the thesis portion - I was in a state where I could barely function at all. As a result, I spent most of my time lying in bed and did not get to work until about a month and a half before the paper was due. The final project ended up being rushed and I got a B on it. Hence I graduated with an overall B average.

I have recently decided that I would like to pursue a PhD in anthropology at an ivy league school, Harvard being my top choice. I may have an anthropology degree that is less than perfect but in the time since I attended that college, I have kept myself very busy to build good credentials. I have done work as an independent researcher, traveling to over 40 countries and publishing articles for academic journals, newspapers, and magazines, including two celebrities. I got another MA in history which was perfect except for one B+. I have lectured at 7 events, including a Tedx. I opened a business. I even worked as an English professor at the best university in Kyrgyzstan for a year and a half.

I know that I have a black mark on my record but I have done the best I can to cover it. On top of this, it is possible that I can explain - if given the opportunity - the situation that arose during my first time in grad school. I actually wanted to defer the thesis for a year because I felt I was not in the right state of mind but a professor encouraged me to keep going and just get it done. So I did. At one point during my time of crisis, I spoke to a psychiatrist on the phone. She is still working and may have a record of me. If I could explain that I was under extreme emotional chaos which affected me, this could possibly be another tool. And finally, it has been over six years since all of this happened. Perhaps this is enough time so that I can say “That was then.” How much time might be necessary before this phrase becomes valid - if it ever is? Might I still have a chance at Harvard?