Returning to school

Next  I had to apply to the university, something I haven't done since I was 16, so this was effectively new to me. It's a highly bureaucratic process -- I spent a lot of time in the line at the post office and in front of a copy machine. When you're young, this is all great training for a lifetime of battling bureaucracy. When you've already well into that lifetime, it's just... another battle.

The time gap since my undergraduate work creates special challenges for me. For instance, I had to be creative when looking for letters of recommendation. I don't have any teachers to write glowing letters about my superior academic skills. So instead of professors, I got three people to write letters for me: my boss, my guitar coach (who, in fact, has a degree in education from Harvard), and my therapist. All were more than happy to help me out, and I'm banking on their glowing reviews.

Another challenge: I don't have ANY of the pre-requisite classes required for admission. Even those that I have actually taken don't count, because I took them more than seven years ago. So I've been scrambling to complete four classes before September; this at a time when a budget crisis means the local schools are raising fees and, more importantly, cutting classes. If anything keeps me from starting in September, it will be those pre-requisites.

Choosing a future alma mater

After asking around, I narrowed my choice to three local schools: Pepperdine University, Cal State University Northridge, and Antioch University. The schools broke down like this:

Pepperdine pluses:

• Considered the premier program in the area
• Has a program designed specifically for working adults
• Campus is close to home
• "High touch" student services

Pepperdine minuses:

• Expensive
• Pricey
• Did I mention it costs a lot of money?

CSUN pluses:

• Nearly as well regarded a program as Pepperdine's
• Enthusiastic, committed, respected faculty
• Strong ties to local therapist community
• Affordable

Minuses:

• Uncertainty faced by public school in California's current budget crisis
• Campus is a bit far from home
• "Self help" administrative ethos -- as in, "help yourself, 'cause you're mostly on your own." 

Antioch pluses:

• Small school, small classes
• A strong personal recommendation

Minuses:

• Expensive
• A long drive away
• Not a "real" university

I quickly dismissed Antioch as a viable alternative. The cost, the distance... it just didn't make sense. My heart (and inner  snob) wanted Pepperdine, but then my son decided to transfer from a reasonably-priced state university to an expensive private art academy, and the decision was made: it would be CSUN. I would become a Matador.