Only two weeks into the first season, discussions begin to arise over grad school apps while in the biology commons, on the ground floor of the Flying Saucer.

  “Now that we know that grad school apps all require a transcript, letters of recommendation and a personal statement, the devil is in the details!” Qinlei tells the others. “This means we should all ask the instructors that know us best”

  “Obviously, grades weigh heavily for those among us who want to practice healthcare professions, or else we wouldn’t go to such pains to earn a degree first!” Keyela remarks.

  “Same here for law school. However, for law, there are those universities who disregard recs, personal statements and other factors almost entirely, save for extenuating circumstances, while others tend to factor stuff such as recs, extracurriculars, jobs and personal statements more!” Majuro comments.

  “To be frank, I wonder how it is for abduction license-granting programs!” Killanaus sighs, while he whips some electronic device to get some answers.

  He then emails two instructors with whom he did well, more specifically the bioethics and the cell signaling course.

  “Killa, I already started contacting potential research advisors. From what my off-season advisor told me, it varies wildly from a prof to another. For some, certain grades are flat-out ignored, especially those with next to no relevance to your research interests. If your grades aren’t perfect, high-angle grades are usually preferred over low-angle ones”

  Everyone else already started applying to grad school, and I barely began asking for recs? I’m late to the party, so while I need to apply to grad school later down the road, all I know, beyond grades and recs, is the need to consider what I want to do after graduation. And, of course, whether it makes sense, financially, to leave home for grad school, Killanaus now has some questions popping in his mind.

  Later that day, in the Abduction and Society lecture, with a handful of undergrads like him, but the room dominated by grad students, he waits until the end of the session to ask his questions to his instructor. Once he gets the opportunity, other undergrads in the course are arrayed around him:

  “Because I want to earn a class-two abduction license, I might be wondering how is applying to graduate school different for those kinds of grad programs compared to, say, a research degree, law or med school…”

  “Obviously you want good grades, but not all grades are considered the same. Since you take this course, advanced standing may be granted for it in grad school, provided your grade falls within a certain range, and will be carried over to your grad school transcript” the instructor tells the undergrads.

  “Research experience then?”

  “It’s certainly a plus, but not a deal-breaker”

  Another undergrad asks a question. “What weight do letters of recommendation hold in abduction licensure programs?”

  “It depends on the class. For class-one programs, they’re very important, since they speak to your ability to do research. For the other classes, they might not matter as much, but they help provide context a transcript or résumé can’t”

  “Keep in mind that the licensure class system might be subject to change if and once we enroll!” Killanaus points out to the undergrads.

  “Even if what you say is true, it’s more likely to affect your experience of attendance than getting in” the instructor retorts. “That sort of reforms take years to take full effect!”

  “One more thing: how important is prestige in the abduction job market?” a third undergrad asks the instructor.

  “Biology isn’t usually considered an elitist field, in that where you go to school doesn’t materially affect your career prospects, and the same holds for abduction. You’ll be fine so long as you attend an accredited grad program, just like in healthcare professions!”

  Phew! That’s one less thing to worry about. I already have a lot on my plate about writing a personal statement, and that’s on top of my homework in my courses, Killanaus sighs as he starts doing said homework. But since it’s early in the season, his workload isn’t the most intense for the time being.

  However, today’s lecture in Abduction and Society gives him pause. Especially since he learned about the changes brought about by the abduction-induced epidemic as well as the Stoneship Files during these 20 days he spent on an UFO on an abduction voyage.

  About the history of abduction’s moral considerations. About how, in the early days of UFO flight, the immaturity of ultraspace flight technology made abduction one of the main practical ways to learn more about other alien races upon their discovery.

  About how pragmatism of the time overrode what was perceived as more ethical, but much less expedient or cost-effective methods to learn more about alien races back then. About the need to make the most out of limited resources to devote to exploration, and the dilemmas this caused their forefathers.

  Thus it seems like at first, abduction was perceived as a necessary evil to learn more about alien races given resource limitations. But then the judiciary began to enforce the doctrine of necessity in an abduction context. Courts came to rule that sometimes police abducting criminals was deemed to be done to protect the public. Especially when the crimes committed by that class of abductees threatened public safety or otherwise committed on sufficiently large scales. It seems like the judiciary had a great impact on the use of abductions, he summarizes the class notes on the ethical dimensions of the early abduction history.

  Once he’s done with his coursework, he checks out class-2 AAA-accredited programs to learn in more detail what he’s in for. While he realizes there are 3 courses in common, as well as field placements, and the most important difference, aside from course content, is the off-season. Whereas would-be police abductors need to spend the off-season at a police academy, and spend the second year doing supervised field training, students in the youth protection track get to do their first field placement during the off-season.

  And now he can update his CV as required for grad school admissions, as well as request an unofficial transcript, so he can get two of the documents required out of the way.

  By this point, it gets a little late, and he doesn’t have the energy to even get started on his personal statement. That, despite knowing how his experiences as an orderly and on this 20-day abduction voyage make him want to earn a class-2 abduction license.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  When he goes to sleep that night, he keeps turning into his bed:

  Killanaus found himself in an UFO with an abductee from another race, calling themselves humans. The abductee, Taylor, was a social worker, and started reading what was on file, including a first draft of his personal statement. Surprisingly, the UFO’s translation system was good enough to allow her to read the translated materials without complications.

  A science specialist degree, which he later refers to as a Sp.Sc.? In biology, with a youth protection concentration? Taylor made a realization that made her want to scream.

  “I’m Taylor. I can’t believe your kind would make biology departments teach what amounts to social work!” Taylor, aghast at what she read, yelped in what humans called a Cajun accent.

  “I mean, to the eyes of my race, a working knowledge of biology is deemed essential to protect our youth! Developmental biology to be exact!” Killanaus tried to defuse the situation.

  “This makes me feel like your race doesn’t make the distinction between social work and developmental biology!”

  “Oh, we very much do. Our social workers can intervene in social policy, long-term care, counseling, helping pre-release inmates return to society, and so on. Also, biology departments teach a specific skill that social workers lack. Abductions!”

  “Are you telling me that your race’s biology departments teach your kind how to commit crimes?” Taylor yelled at him.

  “No! Our race issues licenses to abduct, but require a graduate degree, and eligible grad degrees require a certain set of courses, along with a certain number of hours in field placements to graduate! And, even with a license, we can’t abduct just about everyone!”

  “Can’t be worse than our own race, where often career specialization is locked behind advanced degrees! But this system of abduction licensure is just evil!”

  “For us, sometimes abduction is a lesser evil, and certainly when abductees are dangerous criminals whose abduction could prevent worse crimes, abused or orphaned children! Or just people in mortal or life-altering danger!”

  What’s going on here? I can’t believe I’m arguing with someone else from another race about the morality of our abduction licensing system! Onboard an UFO! Killanaus felt more uncomfortable discussing when abduction was appropriate to the eyes of his race.

  “But back to your application: it’s not going to be about grades, nor is it going to be about your experiences! Especially if that paper gets published! The only thing remaining that might get you rejected, and you have any control over is your personal statement!” Taylor pointed out before the bad dream ended.

  He then awakens, and he’s left wondering which one he’d like most as a job, independent of his biological interests. And how he could tie in his past experiences into his desire to earn an abduction license. And what his career goals are. But he couldn’t do much work on it yet, as he desperately needs to go back to sleep.

  The following morning, a visibly groggy Killanaus feels the need to unpack his bad dream from last night around the table.

  “I had a bad dream last night!”

  “What made it a bad dream?” his mom asks him while eating leftover shiny globe stew.

  “I had some otherworldly being tell me that there’s only one thing left for me that stands between me and an abduction license that I can actually act upon: the personal statement!”

  “What makes you so confident that you’ll succeed once admitted?” his dad asks him.

  “Yeah, graduate courses are tougher than undergrad ones, just don’t think you’ll get the same grades as you used to!” his mom warns him about that aspect, despite never having gone to grad school herself.

  And I wonder who knows me better, the cell signaling instructor, the bioethics one or my past boss as an orderly? I only have Lokath, whose rec will be used in every application, Killanaus is wondering about who his other recommenders are going to be.

  Speaking of Lokath, he receives a ping from him. Upon checking his mobile, he’s forwarded a confirmation of submission for the paper he contributed to over the off-season. And a note from Lokath: Don’t submit your grad school applications until the paper is published, unless your application deadlines happen first.

  And then comes the response from the cell signaling instructor for a rec. I might know you well enough to write you a rec, but I’m clueless about what I could say that’s specific to abduction. Could you please tell me what traits make a good class-2 abductor?

  “If you may excuse me, I need to respond to a request I made for a rec. It seems like that instructor was never asked to write a rec for class-two abduction programs. They might do some of the more unsavory parts of law enforcement or CPS...”

  “I guess you don’t write a rec for a class-two abduction license-granting program as you would for a scholar’s degree!” his dad sighs.

  It didn’t occur to me yet, but I need to check against the financial aid of these programs. I knew that law and healthcare professions were treated the same for financial aid as undergrad, but does that hold for class-2 programs? I was so blindsided by the other aspects of applying to grad school that I forgot about financial aid! Killanaus is then left wondering about whether the placements are paid, as well as teaching assistantships.

  A quick look at the FAQ of one of his programs he’s considering indicates that, for the first year of grad school, he might be able to get a TA position, or merit aid, but it mustn’t be taken for granted, whereas placements during the second year of grad school must be paid.

  After that, he checks against the best traits of each subclass of class-2 licensees the AAA lists. Both to answer the question asked by his cell signaling instructor and to help him write the personal statement.

  And, of course, which traits he can provide the best concrete examples to write about on a personal statement. He also realizes that traits that make good police abductors are often important for CPS abductors, too. Bravery, compassion, active listening, critical thinking, flexibility, integrity… to name the most important ones in common. And, hopefully, his cell signaling instructor could speak to at least one of these beyond simply the grade he obtained.

  He spends a good deal of time writing his base personal statement, about where his interest in abduction came from, why he wants to pursue it, what does he hope to bring to, as well as get out of, the profession. But because of AAA accreditation requirements, he’s made to feel like everyone asks the same things of applicants, at least for a given license class. The key takeaway, for him, is why abduction and not another profession and why this license class being the main themes.

  “Damn it! I can’t seem to write what I feel would put my best foot forward to these admissions committees! I won’t let a stupid personal statement get in the way of earning my abduction license!” he laments before he realizes it’s almost time to go to his early childhood development course.

  After that lecture ends, he starts doing his assignment in ECD, at the end of which he finally brings himself to check out graduate programs in more systematic ways, starting with rankings of abduction programs by class. Oooh: I’m even more lost now. Now I need to consider not only what the program specializes in, some of which might be better at homelessness, others with addicts, others still with organized crime, and so on. It’s no longer enough to just sort by license class and locations, as I did previously!

  In the biology commons, Qinlei can’t help but realize that something’s wrong with him:

  “It seems like building your school list is consuming you. It’s only been a day since we began talking about grad school applications, and you’re not the same!” Qinlei points out.

  “At least I got started writing my personal statement; what about you?” Killa asks her.

  “Since I’m applying to scholar degree programs, I need to contact potential research advisors as well, because, from what I heard, if a personal statement or rec contains the name of one, the application will be forwarded to that person. So I need to keep space for their names!”

  “That must be rough, but I’m in the same UFO as you!”

  “Sometimes, I envy the pre-meds because they need to worry about fewer things: I need to worry about whether the group has the resources for me, and they don’t!”

  “Same here: in the world of class-two licenses, often program fit seems to be defined in terms of whether you want to focus on what the department specializes in!” Killa then receives confirmation from his former boss as an orderly that his rec is ready, if needed.

  “Except there’s one less layer for you to worry about!” Qinlei starts crying.