Dear Andrew,
Tell that professor to kiss off! I graduated at 26-ish, so I was a little older than the average student. I had to go straight to work...no grad school right away because of my son...but plan to go back when he is 18. I'll be 38, and if anyone dares to say that I made a "mistake" and am too old, well, the ACLU doesn't have anything on what I'll do to them!
The scientists that I know here are completely NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL. One of my best friends is a neuroscientist (specializing in the workings of the inner ear and restoring hearing in those who go deaf, as opposed to being born deaf). She started school to become an audiologist/speech pathologist, simply because she never really new an honest to goodness scientist. While working at a hearing clinic, she discovered she was bored. So, she went back to school. She got tromped on a bit by men, who thought "girls can't be scientists," but let me tell you...she is whip-smart and at the forefront of her field. Another lady I know is an incredible biologist researching pregnancy and the "hows" of it in various mammals. No one would ever consider her week! A lot of these folks didn't take traditional routes through school...there were kids, or bills, or other delays. For someone to say that they shouldn't have gone to school because some younger kid deserved their spot is outrageous! The research they've done is amazing.
Face it, grad schools look at older students as a bonus. Meaning, you're not 21 and if you are going back to school you must be very serious and committed about the situation. Younger kids still have wild oats to sow, and have a higher drop out rate...whether it's money, or parties, or simply burn out, they don't last as long or seem as committed as older folks. That professor was absolutely full of him self. Yale would be LUCKY to have you...they wouldn't be wasting a place at all.
Science aside, you are not the weak link. Don't let the folks in that program make you feel like that. Tell them simply, in language you are comfortable with, what your ailment is, and why you perhaps need a more "unique" and flexible schedule. Get yourself stabilized, grab some ginseng tea, take up yoga (it helps, I swear), and (if you can afford it) see a therapist to talk about how these folks are making you feel. I saw a therapist the whole time I did my undergrad work, and she was the one who kept me going and believing in myself. You wouldn't have gotten this far if you are a weak link. Remember that.
Please let me know if you'd like to talk more! I'm happy to communicate with you!
sue
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