Grad School? To be or not to be?

So some of you may have heard me talk about my application process for a DMA (Doctor of music arts). I have been working my hiney off to get ready for it, it was due today. I did not turn it in. I have decided to wait another year, refine my voice and get some more performance experience. This decision happened yesterday. Up until then it was all systems go. But when I met with my voice teacher to discuss the recording I was planning on sending in with my application, it seemed evident that it was not a sure thing that I would get in. I have made a lot of progress in the past few months (especially since I started taking asthma medication!) but I honestly still feel like I am rolling the dice and hoping for a seven every time I open my mouth. My technique needs to be more secure than a crap shoot. I know that one more year can't guarantee that I get in anywhere either, but I want my application process to feel a little less like this (the first 20 seconds):

and a little more like this:

So I'm waiting til next fall. Honestly, I'm relieved,I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. So for the next year, in preparation for the real submission of the application, I'll be the singing version of this: