Hi, I wrote about a month ago seeking advice on applying to gradschool as a student with Asperger's Syndrome (high functioning autism). I would like to thank everyone that wrote to me, offering insightful advice or perspective, related to pursing a graduate degree as a student w/ cognitive quirks. I appreciated the personal stories that were shared. Many of the posts made me smile with a new sense of optimism for the future, and acted as a reminder that being an atypical thinker is a challenge, but not necessarily I should hide.
It occurred to me that others might be curious about the advice received, or perhaps have/ know of folks with Aspergers, learning differences, atypical thinkers, neurological disorders, or cognitive quirks, so I summarized some of the major points gleaned from the letters I have received: -Dont stop trying. -Use the intense focus associated with Aspergian thinking as a tool rather than a hindrance. Remember that graduate programs differ from undergrad in that it is all about narrowing your interests and specialization in a single topic. -Think of the cognitive challenges as a positive experience (rather than an excuse), try to focus on the beating the odds angle of the story and highlight everything that you have managed to achieve such as research experience or upper level courses in statistics. -Find a mentor that understands both your area of research, and is a person who you feel comfortable communicating with and perhaps had an understanding of your learning style. Having a good mentor is the most important part of the grad school experience. -Explain your story to those that are willing to listen; if they reject you outright then chances are you wouldnt want to be working with them for the next few years of your life anyway. If you are nervous about disclosing your quirks consider telling only half of the schools that you apply for then you can have a better idea of the possible reactions. -Apply to both MS and PhD programs, the benefit of taking a MS first is that professors may be more likely to take a risk and adopt a non-traditional student. -Bite the bullet and take either the prereqs required (ideally at a community college because of the smaller classroom style), or go directly to taking the GRE subject exams to show some level of competence in the subjects. Also consider a total immersion style of course where you can focus on a single topic at a time. -If you really dont want/have difficulty with the hoops needed for a standard biology program consider applying to other programs such as geography, philosophy, systems science, or natural resources management. -Consider more alternative or interdisciplinary programs, such as the grad school in conservation biology/resource management at Antioch, Evergreen State College, or one of the IGERT funded programs. -Take a look at grad programs in other countries, especially in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, or Canada. -Let's band together and start a university of neurodiversity, with a focus on preserving earth's biodiversity ;) Thank you again for all the responses, Azure Zebu (screen name) PS. contact me if you are interested in getting together at the ESA annual conference for an unofficial mixer/round table discussion on adapting to the standard academic system, or being little islands of the consciousness, for those us that have atypical minds two standard deviations from the norm (Asperger's, the gifted/disabled duo, creative genius, dyslexia, ADHD, scizophenia, depression, bi-polar, synesthesia, non-traditional academic background, or are simply a tad eccentric and at times feel a sense of kinship to the nutty professor or the mad scientist archetype.) Depending on response we can meet at the conference, or use a different site to maintain a sense of privacy for unfiltered dialog. Thanks again for sharing thoughts. :)
