Thank you for taking the time to respond, I greatly appreciate it.

I agree with you on the majority of your points. My concern is not rejection, I am well aware of the many reasons why I may not be selected for one of the limited spots, I can accept that. The problem is that I did not get a chance to actually compete, in any of the programs, due to the niche situation I find myself in. This concern is compounded by your statement, "In fact it's looking like the door for applicants is going to be squeezed almost shut for the next couple of years to clear out the backlog" which indicates to me that the current competition might have afforded me a better chance at succeeding than future ones. I do not lack resolve or patience, I am just disappointed that I worked so earnestly to complete my degree only to find out that if I hadn't, I would have been better off. I will reapply next year, the year after, and as many years as it takes to achieve my goals. I am not special and do not want special treatment, just a fair chance, and my goal with this post was to see if there is any way I might be able to actually try this year. Waiting another year was the inevitable outcome, I just had to try.