grazzle

Thank you all for the replies, they saved my sanity last night. I did make cover sheets for my transcripts with my maiden & married names on it to try and reduce confusion, but for the GRE, I didn't think there was anything I could do. I should have e-mailed ahead like BearCat, then I wouldn't be biting my nails over this right now.

So I submitted my applications, and now that I can see what's being processed, I can see that none of my schools have my GRE scores. I sent my GRE scores to all my schools about a month ago, before I even began filling out the apps. I'm thinking the admissions offices are having problems because I took the GRE under a different name (think Jane Goodall instead of Jane Goodall-Myers). Since the deadline is about 2.5 weeks away for a few of these schools, I'm getting worried. I've e-mailed a couple of the schools with my GRE registration number and the name they should be looking for, but they haven't responded. How long should I wait for a response to these emails? Will they be able to find my GRE scores with the registration number and name? Will I need to resend the GRE scores? If I do, will they arrive in time and will they be able to find them any easier? This crap is making me crazy. (!!)

I just wanted to add something that I heard Donald Asher say once at a seminar: "Applying to grad school is hard; you want to get it right the first time." I really can't stand that guy, but having just finished my apps, I agree with this statement completely. This is not a process that I want to do twice. I would rather chew nails that go through another round of apps (and I'm not even through this one). So If I were you, I would wait and save your sanity and give it your very very best shot next year.

Statistics and maybe MATLAB, if you're serious about imaging.

I think your fall back plan should focus on getting research experience rather than taking more classes. If you're really lucky, you could get a paid research assistant job. However, that would be more likely to happen in your current location, where you have some connections. You can probably find a volunteer RA spot at one of the Boston schools. If you get some directly related research experience, you'll be more competetive. A couple classes probably won't move your GPA much, you should do the math and see if it's worth the money and time (time that could be spent doing research). I think you have some good things to address in your SOP, and as long as your grade problems are limited to a couple semesters, it should be forgiveable. But it will be more easy to forgive if you have the research skills they're looking for. This is actually what I've been doing during my gap year, volunteering in a lab. It's worked out really well for me, and I've gotten a great LOR from it. So, I might be biased.

I saw that term on one of my applications. I just put the name of the Institution where they do their research (for one person this was different from where they teach). And for title I put the title listed on their CV, so associate professor, assistant professor, lecturer, etc.

Well these responses worry me, because he appears to be junior faculty. He was hired on recently, a few years after his wife was hired in to the department. I'm thinking he might still be setting up his new lab. I e-mailed him about possibly working together and the only response I got was, "Yes, apply." I will have to find a way to ask a grad student what's currently going on in that lab. Of course, it doesn't matter unless I get accepted. So I can snoop around when I visit, I guess.

I'm interested in working with a professor who is working on a topic that matches my interests extremely closely. However, when I look at his publication record for the past few years, I see that he has about 2 experiments published from this area and about 4 reviews about this area published. Does this mean this person is having troubles with their lab or simply that people really want his opinion on this topic? Is this a warning sign or a good thing?

I really think you need to pick a program. Your POI might think you aren't sure what you want to do if you can't decide between immunology and medical biophysics. Even if you would do something incorporating both disciplines, you should pick one and stick with it at this school. I don't think two applications will improve your chances. Other people might disagree, though.

I worked on a project for a year under the supervision of a grad student at a neighboring university. I had no interaction with the PI on the project and he is really disinterested in me or writing a letter for me. The grad student was supposed to have her PhD by now, but her graduation has been delayed by a year. My other two letters are from professors who I have done research with, so I'm hoping that will balance out this third letter. Is it a really stupid idea to have her write the letter? She can speak well about the work I did on that project (and it was a lot). Should I find a professor from some class in my major to write a letter instead? I don't have many options.

You write a great story, you really do. But I think it's way too personal for an SOP. This is the meat of your intro: "I am an advocate for the family. I am sensitive to the choices people must make. I have spent years of my life devoted to understanding why people make intentional mistakes, and spend the rest of their lives trying to recover. America’s system of family and support is in chaos. The pains of living in a society where people experience desperation, poverty, loneliness, abuse and boredom – with no working ability to sit with their discomfort- is consistently producing them, who work too much, enjoy little, self-medicate and are typically searching for empty promises of happiness. The effects on the family are toxic. I want to be a part of the life-altering empowerment that is able to influence the way people relate with each other, and instills a sense of purpose and dignity so that they can do better for themselves and are then able to have healthy relationships with others. In doing so, the children of healthy adults can grow up feeling secure, loved, and protected as they make their way through hardships of their own. They will be able to learn from role-models that chose not to walk away; that encourages health and responsible choices. They become a future generation that is better equipped to deal with disappointments or tragedy without self-destructing. " You might just want to lead with that and leave the personal parts out.

I'm looking for someone in psych to trade SOPs too. Please PM me if interested.

You could go ahead and try the original number. If she isn't there, then you won't be bothering her. If she is there, then she can decide what to do next. Otherwise, I would just wait for her to reply to the e-mail.

I was thinking that after you submitted your SOP online, someone at admissions was just going to reformat it and print a copy for everyone on the admissions committee. I didn't think spacing mattered as much as word count. Although for one school they want a hard copy, I guess they'll just photocopy it to hand out.