As we head into February, I am finishing up the last of several letters of reference for students applying to graduate school. As with most of my colleagues, I spend a good deal of time each year drafting these documents-- it is an important part of our job-- and spend as much time chatting with prospective applicants about the realities and inevitable rejection that will likely arise out of some of their applications. For some this comes as a surprise-- "wait, you mean I don't just apply and get in?"-- and for others it is understood that their fit and placement in a grad program comes down to variables largely outside of their control. Some years ago I wrote a blog post "So You're Thinking About Grad School" where I talked about the sobering reality of facing rejection as a part of becoming successful. So for those of you going through this process now, remember that even Andy Warhol got rejected by MoMA in the early phase of his career. That did not stop him from becoming an artist-- in fact, it made him more determined to succeed. Enjoy this week's links and remember to always have a Plan B in case your Plan A does not work out.