Acceptance into a doctoral program is personally affirming and gives rise to optimism. It is also true that any change in the life of a person, even an apparently positive one, causes stress. The first cohort of students in a new doctoral program in counseling writes about the impact of embarking on a doctorate on themselves and their significant others. Although some of these students are young and single, most are "nontraditional" and have the family and work responsibilities that accrue as one ages.