<p>recharge,
I wasn’t bragging about d. I was pointing out that having to cobble together temporary and part-time jobs to make ends meet seems to have become the norm for recent grads who want to work in their fields of study. And riding out this recession by going back to grad school has become the fallback position for many of them.</p>
<p>roderick,
Believe me, d partied at Penn! But she had attended a rigorous boarding high school where 6 hours homework and Saturday classes were the norm so she learned how to exist on very little sleep. By the time she got to Penn, even though she had probably developed decent study habits, she blew off her first semester - probably 2.5 gpa - before realizing she was limiting her future options if she didn’t buckle down. After that, she would figure out what it would take to get an A in a class and then do just that amount of work -no more and no less. (So you’re right, she probably was a bit of a grade grubber).</p>
<p>When I said she was lucky enough to get a full scholarship to MIT (and other schools), I was referring to the fact that she applied just as the economy was improving and school’s are probably feeling flush because their endowments are so much higher than just a year or two ago. Her acceptances were probably based on her ug record and her resume, but the financial aid offers are likely a matter of good timing.</p>