--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd applied to graduate school for…" description: "\"I'd applied to graduate school for playwriting, and I got rejected by every school. I felt that theatre was closed but that, when it came to film, the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/greta-gerwig-2602_good_i-d-applied-to-graduate-school-for-playw_1522518.jpg" --- # I'd applied to graduate school for playwriting, and I got… ![“I'd applied to graduate school for playwriting, and I got rejected by every school. I felt that theatre was closed but that, when it came to film, the door was very slightly ajar. If I have any virtues, it's that I'm good at walking through doors that are slightly ajar.” quote by Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/greta-gerwig-2602_good_i-d-applied-to-graduate-school-for-playw_1522518.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/greta-gerwig-2602_good_i-d-applied-to-graduate-school-for-playw_1522518.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/greta-gerwig-2602_good_i-d-applied-to-graduate-school-for-playw_1522518.jpg) > “I'd applied to graduate school for playwriting, and I got rejected by every school. I felt that theatre was closed but that, when it came to film, the door was very slightly ajar. If I have any virtues, it's that I'm good at walking through doors that are slightly ajar.” [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker sees rejection in one art form as opening a narrow opportunity in another, and values persistence in seizing marginal chances. **In simple terms:** Rejection can lead to new, small openings. Key Takeaway Embrace near‑misses as chances to act. Themes resilience opportunity creativity Mood determined optimistic Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - applying to film - networking - skill development - audition preparation Key Concepts career pivots artistic persistence doorway metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What small opening can you act on now? - How do you turn rejection into motivation? A Different Perspective Even slight opportunities may be illusory; success still requires effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Film Door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-door-5631250/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Got Rejected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/got-rejected-908963/) [Rejected School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rejected-school-1616626/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-felt-484905/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Theatre Closed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre-closed-5631251/) [Virtues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtues/) [Walking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking/) ## Related quotes > [I was rejected in school because I didn't look like the big-breasted, beautiful girls. I was awkward and sad. My mother always said, "Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/i-was-rejected-in-school-because-i-didn-t-look-like-the-big-breasted/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) > [How can a child adhere to school and the notion of secularism when they see their mother rejected from a school outing, stigmatized, left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najat-vallaud-belkacem/how-can-a-child-adhere-to-school-and-the-notion-of-secularism-when/) [Najat Vallaud-Belkacem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najat-vallaud-belkacem/) > [Something about being rejected at Church Camp felt so much more awful than being rejected at school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/something-about-being-rejected-at-church-camp-felt-so-much-more-awful/) [Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/) > [A boy got rejected & girl got selected in an interview 4 same reason. Think? They both had the first two buttons of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ab/a-boy-got-rejected-girl-got-selected-in-an-interview-4-same-reason/) [AB](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ab/) > [There's an examination for young people to go to university. I failed it three times. I failed a lot. So I applied to 30…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/there-s-an-examination-for-young-people-to-go-to-university-i-failed/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [I remember when 'Aladdin' had come to India, there were a bunch of people who auditioned. We had to record a video, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananya-panday/i-remember-when-aladdin-had-come-to-india-there-were-a-bunch-of/) [Ananya Panday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananya-panday/) > [The only thing I'll say, and I'm sure everyone says this, is stick with it. I'm not shy about telling people about the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-feige/the-only-thing-i-ll-say-and-i-m-sure-everyone-says-this-is-stick-with/) [Kevin Feige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-feige/) > [“I submitted a poem last night to The New Yorker. They said it can take up to three months to hear back. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-submitted-a-poem-last-night-to-the-new-yorker-they-said-it-can-take/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I got rejected from all the good drama schools first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-sharp/i-got-rejected-from-all-the-good-drama-schools-first-time/) [Alex Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-sharp/) > [Got rejected for a job as a car salesman. Apparently A professional in fake laughing and bullshit wasn't what they were looking for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/got-rejected-for-a-job-as-a-car-salesman-apparently-a-professional-in/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I decided to write short stories because they got rejected quicker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-b-cooney/i-decided-to-write-short-stories-because-they-got-rejected-quicker/) [Caroline B. Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-b-cooney/) > [The fact that my dad was never around gave me a lot of determination. It really set this fire full of fuel, so to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-ashba/the-fact-that-my-dad-was-never-around-gave-me-a-lot-of-determination/) [DJ Ashba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-ashba/) > [I was in the NDA (National Defence Academy) when the Kargil war happened, and I was all set to join the Indian Army. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohit-raina/i-was-in-the-nda-national-defence-academy-when-the-kargil-war/) [Mohit Raina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohit-raina/) > [I thought I had to write literature and add my name to the list of great Southern storytellers. Fortunately for me, no one wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/i-thought-i-had-to-write-literature-and-add-my-name-to-the-list-of/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [My cards and flowers always got rejected on Valentines Day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-kashyap/my-cards-and-flowers-always-got-rejected-on-valentines-day/) [Anurag Kashyap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-kashyap/) ## More by Greta Gerwig > [I didn't know the city at all, but I was so happy to be in New York I cried. I was so excited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-didn-t-know-the-city-at-all-but-i-was-so-happy-to-be-in-new-york-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [I think I've always wanted to direct, but I didn't go to film school. 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That you really have to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/something-people-say-about-acting-is-that-acting-is-listening-but-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [As a kid, I was a big reader. Books and theater were the way I understood the world, and also the way I organized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/as-a-kid-i-was-a-big-reader-books-and-theater-were-the-way-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [Movies are now more often watched on the small screen anyway. But at least for me, what got lost in that is the difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/movies-are-now-more-often-watched-on-the-small-screen-anyway-but-at/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > ['A People's History of the United States' was actually a very big book for me. 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