The application checklist for applying to graduate school includes the following:

1. A completed application form.
2. A Statement of Purpose
3. At least 3 letters of recommendation.
4. Additional information, such as abstracts, resume, list of publications, etc. Essentially a CV or the work equivalent.
5. GRE test scores.

I’ve completed #5 in the list above. I have until December 15th (realistically, December 1) to complete the rest. (And I got an 800/610–respectable, though I thought I could do better on the verbal. But in a test environment, you choke–and I choked hard. Assuming the essay portion of the test went well, I think it’s good enough.)

If all goes well, then by next spring I should hear from one of the three schools I’m applying at: either Caltech, USC or UCLA. And if this all works out as I hope, then I will be entering the Ph.D program in Computer Science.

Why a Computer Science Ph.D.? Because I promised myself 20 years ago when I left college that someday I would go back and get a higher degree. And now is the time to complete that promise.