[NYU general psychology masters vs. PhD]

I am coming from an MS into a PhD and it was the best decision I ever made. However, it was a 2-year, research-based, mentor-based master's program that gave me invaluable experience and the opportunity to do a badass thesis and really expand my CV and confirm my research interests. It sounds like the NYU master's isn't the same type of program and wouldn't give you the same opportunities.

That being said, if you're not feeling the other PhD programs for whatever reason, think of the time and life commitment of the programs- if in doubt, take a year off.

Could you please tell me which MS you are come from?

[Is GRE AW very important?]

If you were worried, why didnt you just submit a brief writing sample with your applications (formally or casually)? While only one of my schools actually requested it as part of their application, so far the POIs that have the most common research interests with mine actually asked to read it (and it's 30+ pages). So far I have gotten a favorable response and no one even mentions my AW score (which was only 4.0, as I screwed up the first topic).

 

I'm an International student and my English writing ability is not good... I never wrote English papers. When a POI asked me to give her a writing sample, I translated one of my papers into English. I spent a lot of time on it (it's 20+ pages), but I think it only showed to her that my writing ability is bad.. Maybe next time I should write a brief writing sample so that I can let someone help me revise it... But I am not sure what kind of articles I should submit. I think academic papers are always long.

[Is GRE AW very important?]

I think AW is thought of as less important because your strength as a writer can be assessed pretty well from your statement of purpose. I've heard that people will often write a bad AW off as a fluke if your SOP is well written.

But SOP is the article having been revised by other people... So I think SOP cannot show the real ability of a writer...

[Is GRE AW very important?]

I know writing ability is extremely important to students in research oriented graduate programs and professors always think highly of it.

 

But why many programs stated that they select candidates based on scores of V and Q? Why they don't mention AW?

 

With 3.0 AW, I am worried if I can get admission, although my V and Q are good.

 

It seems that different people have different opinions about the importance of AW....

[California State University]

I found the faculty to be fairly inexperienced and un-engaging. Their administration and "red tape" is a bureaucratic nightmare and the curriculum (for teaching) is really disconnected from current teaching practice.

The people in my cohort were intelligent, dedicated, and passionate teachers--but we all found the courses and the course work to mostly be busy-work and not particularly applicable to the positions for which we were in training.

Could you please tell me which CSU have you attended?

[a question about SOP]

Thanks very much. These suggestions are really helpful.

My past research experiences have nothing to do with the field I'd like to pursue in masters program. They just strengh my research skills and make me more familar with psychology research in general. So I only use this as a link between them and the reasons for pursuing graduate study: "With the accumulation of relevant experiences in psychology, many tentative ideas sparked in my mind, but I could not verify them due to the limitations of my current knowledge. I am looking forward to graduate education. "

I'd like to know whether this link is too weak? The program is that my research experiences are not in the field I want to pursue.

[a question about SOP]

A school describes the requirement for statement of purpose like this: Write a statement composed in your own words describing your career plans and the reasons you wish to pursue graduate study.

I am wondering whether it is appropriate to spend nearly half of my SOP on describing my past research experiences. I am applying to masters programs. If I only keep the part relevant to the requirement, my essay would be very short.

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

[California State University]

Anyone know these schools? such as Fullerton, Long Beach, Northridge... I read on their websites that the psychological research MA/MS programs in these schools have excellent record of placing graduates in top PhDs, like Yale, UCLA, Stanford..... a list including many top schools... Are the masters programs in these california state universities really so good that many students can get admission to top PhDs?

 

I also noticed that almost all students enrolled last year in Fullerton are from universities at California. Whether it is very hard for International students to be admitted in these school?

 

Thanks very much for your help.

[a question about filling in the Department Summary Sheet]

When filling in a sheet required by the department, there is a blank like this:

 Special Skills Background (comp. programming, teaching/research experience, electronics):

 

I am wondering if this is the right place I can describe my research experiences.

 

In addition, is the employment blank the place I should describe work experiences, but not research experiences?

[Please review my SOP for master in general psychology]

I'm a student from China. My SOP is for master in general/experimental psychology. My SOP has been resived by essayedge, but the editor made so few changes and she didn't purpose any useful advice. Thanks for your advice!

 

 

Seeking a fulfilling and exciting life, I aim to pursue an academic career in psychology.

In college, I acquired a broad knowledge scope of psychology. However, I gradually understood that I should not confine myself to or rehash the existing theories of others, but instead to further the current body of research and to make significant contribution to psychology. I therefore actively sought opportunities to participate in research in order to improve my research skills and broaden my perspective.

As a sophomore at XX University, under the supervision of Prof. XX of the Psychology Department, I organized a research team and designed one of the chosen 2011 core projects that received fund from XX. In this project, we investigated peer relationships and maternal parenting style in children both in SOS children villages and in two parents families. This experience provided me with valuable opportunities to be closely involved in every step of psychology research. By the end of the project, I had developed from an amateur who merely had fiery passion for psychology, into a professional who could appreciate the beauty of psychology on a deeper level, and in a more scientific and systematic manner. The experience affirmed my aspiration to devote myself to psychology research. It also enabled me to learn how to cooperate with others as a team and to settle disputes timely and effectively. Our project eventually passed the final assessment of XX and now we are planning to publish our findings.

To expand my research experience, I participated in a project investigating enterprise employees’ career resilience. I managed literature survey and data analysis under the supervision of Professor XX. He trusted my diligence and solid background in statistics. We developed a questionnaire of career resilience in the context of Chinese culture and conducted some empirical research using this questionnaire. From Dr. X as well as his graduates, I learned a lot about developing questionnaires and also improved my skills in operating statistical software applications.

With the accumulation of relevant experiences in psychology, many tentative ideas sparked in my mind, but I could not verify them due to the limitations of my current knowledge. I am looking forward to graduate education. Conducting psychology research to find out the nature and principles behind people’s various behaviors is the most amazing cause I could undertake. I realize that the research field of psychology is vast, and I have interests in many research directions and topics. Accordingly, I have yet to decide on a specific research field on which to concentrate my academic efforts and wish to shape my interests through the general MA in psychology at XX University. The program’s strong emphasis on research and high-degree of individual attention from research-oriented psychologists constitute the most significant factors in my consideration. Both factors will enable me develop my interest areas and to lay a solid background in psychology for evolving into an elite PhD.

Another appealing aspect of XX’s program involves the sizeable proportion of the faculty members conduct extensive research in the area of social and personality psychology. Research in this area is often grounded in effective measurement. Dr. A’s and Dr. B’s work on psychological measurement are closely related to my field of interest. I am also curious about why people with stable traits may change under different situations, which may fall within the category of their research interests. My interests in personality development may also correspond with those of Dr. B and I am fascinated by the future research direction Dr. B purposed in his articles. Additionally, I am also interested in the research directions of several other faculty members, and with my extensive interests, will cherish the opportunities for mentorship.

[How to mention research interests in SOP]

I also agree that it's okay to ask more than one faculty member per department about working with them. After all, you are just asking if they are taking students, you are not asking to join their group. Similarly, if they answer positively, that just means that they do have spots for students, it's not a commitment for them to take you if you get into their school. So, it's actually better to have multiple options at every school you apply to -- that is, you probably shouldn't apply to a school if there is only one person you could really work with. 

 

But this depends on the field too of course. In some fields/departments, you are admitted directly to a specific group. In other places, you do rotations at many groups in the first year. 

 

As for research interests matching up -- you are not expected to know exactly what you want to do. However, personally, I think it's important for a graduate student to know what they want to do, instead of being interested in everything. If you know what you want, then it's just a matter of looking at all the faculty members and deciding whether or not their interests matches yours. I'm not sure what you mean by "trying to mention their research in limited words" -- why can't you just say what you're interested in and mention that this matches up with Profs X, Y, Z. etc. There's no point summarizing their interests and then yours and then stating the obvious that they match up. Just talk about your interests -- the profs know what their own interests are!

 

Finally, my post was written in the mindset of the sciences, where grad students generally work on a project assigned to them by their supervisor. Sometimes, it's a project that is conceived together and guided by both student and professor input. Thus, the majority of our funding comes from our supervisor paying us to do this work. However, I understand that some social sciences (but not sure about Psychology), grad students come up with their own project completely so that the prof is more of an advisor than a direct supervisor. 

Thanks, your suggestions are really helpful! Most programs I apply adopt mentorship model, while I prefer to working with various faculty members to shape my interests... I guess I have understood how to mention research interests with the help of you guys!

[How to mention research interests in SOP]

-There are often 6-10 faculty in a particulary program. You do not need to send every single one an email. It is not considered impolite.

-The reason you mention 2-3 faculty is because you aren't sure what the future directions are. Get more information. If you can't assume their latest publication as a representation of their current research and research within the next two years.

-Usually it is best to look at the future directions of the empriical articles or review articles they have written. Researchers often summarize what they think will be an interesting line of research in the future for them.

I'll send emails for more information

Describing how my research interests fit with those of the faculty is so difficult for me. When trying to mention their research in limited words, I often found their own summaries on the website is more useful, although they are usually fairly uncompleted...

[How to mention research interests in SOP]

In my experience, I found that research interests listed on faculty websites to be somewhat vague and if you just repeat them verbatim, it might not have a very strong effect. In addition, not only are these websites sometimes out of date, the list of topics might be quite large and you aren't always sure what their main / most recent focuses are. So it's better to read their recent papers and see if there is a theme to what they have been working on. If you notice they have several students, make sure to separate out the papers co-authored with each student since they might be working on different paths with different students. You can also email them a note saying that you are interested in X and ask whether or not they will be interested in working in that topic next year. You can frame the question as wanting to confirm that the website is up to date.

Thanks for your advice. But I still have some puzzles.

I read some articles of the faculty but I could not summarize exact themes of their work. Usually I found the themes they summarized are more applicable.

If I have sent e-mail to one of the faculty asking whether he would recruite new candidates and got a affirmative reply, then is it impolite to send e-mails to others in the department? I want to mention 2 or 3 other persons since their research directions all interest me, but I'm not sure whether they will continue these directions and whether asking their future directions is suitable.

[How to mention research interests in SOP]

For Ph.D. programs, it is vital to tailor your interest to those of faculty. Ideally, you want your interest to extend an aspect of their research program or propose an interesting direction that they may have not considered.

For MA, programs, I think it is less critical, but you should still try to tailor your interest to a particular faculty.

-It goes without saying, that your interst should sound genuine. If they're genuine, even better. If you can't find a faculty that do not have overlapping interest with you, then you probably shouldnt apply there. For example, I would have loved to apply to UC San Diego because I like the city, but there was no one there I wanted to work with. I tried to make it fit, but the difference between my interest and that of the faculty is just too large a gap to overcome with scenery and location.

-I don't know about mentioning interest that is "completely" unrelated to any of the faculty. It should be really connected to one of the faculty. If you can't see the connection, then they won't either. Every interest you have, in my opinion, should be traced back to one of the potential advisors in the department.

I'd really like to stress that if you can't see yourself working with anyoone in the department then you shouldn't apply there. You do not want to be that graduate student that is advisorless or is in their second year and still can't find someone who would sponsor their master's thesis. For example, I worked with someone who wanted to enter the program to the really study the psychology of religion, but since she had psycholinguistics background, she emphasized that as her interest. No one in the department studies the psychology of religion, so she was advisorless for awhile and is now forced to do a master's thesis on something she is minimally interested in.

In short, don't apply to programs where there is no one you can see yourself working with. It will be unenjoyable for you and for the department and most likely a waste of your time.

Thanks for your advice. I do apply to programs in which some faculty's research directions attract me and I'll only mention directions really fascinating me. What I feel confusing is the way to mention them. I do not hold certain interests, if I do, then I can seek connections with the faculty. But the fact is I can only read the website and some articles of the faculty and select from THEIR interests which I feel fascinating. And I dont know whether it is appropriate to do so...

[How to mention research interests in SOP]

I know I should tailor my interests to those of faculty. But to what extent is appropriate?

I'm applying MA in general experimental psychology and not ensure as my interests. Is selecting research interests faculty listed in the website and writing them in my SOP suitable?   Would it be regarded as artificial?

And whether mentioning interests not holded by any of the faculty would be regarded as not fit?

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

[some questions about CV]

I'd be happy to take a look at yours as well when you're finished. You can mull over your CV like I did or do it superfast like some of my colleagues. I actually spent a week or so making mine after eliciting feedback from 15+ people (peers and professors). A buddy of mine did his in a day with minimal feedback. I think a happy medium between both of our approaches would work out best.

 

Just so you can benefit from my experience...I sent out my CV to 15+ people and nearly everyone disagreed on what I should include or take out. In the end, I just synthesized all the good feedback I received. For example, I organized it with honors and awards first according to a professor. I also removed the monetary worth of most scholarships and awards. I cut down the details of certain projects. I will be removing details of my research experience soon and just focus more on publications.

 

Receiving feedback from a lot of people was a helpful experience, but in the end, you really have to decide what you want to put on there, how you want to put it, and what to leave out.

 

Best of luck.

Thanks for your advice. I'm a student in China...Very few students in my university apply schools in America so I can hardly find people to review my CV. I'd like to show you when I finish, and I also plan to get it modified by a professional agency like resumeedge.

[some questions about CV]

haha You may have misread it. I have a very low overall GPA at 3.39. I'm actually concerned it might hurt my application packet.

But the major and last two years are far more important than overall. I guess you have a good chance.

[some questions about CV]

I'd be willing to look yours over/show you mine if you'd like.

Yes! I'd like to show you when I finished it. I just begin to write it since the deadlines of programs I apply are late. I'll appreciate it if you could send me yours.

[some questions about CV]

Id also be happy to share my cv. PM me or just google my name.

Thanks! I saw your CV. It is so unbelievable. Your 4.0 GPA, your experience, your research skills. I wonder how you can do it!

[some questions about CV]

How are you mentioning people in your cv? 

 

 

As for your other questions: I included all my work experience under " Professional Employment" where I included retail experience and a government internship. I didn't include any high school experiences, just everything I did while in college. 

 

I'm confused by your concern about vita length. A cv is very different than a resume. There isn't a length maximum. However, I would only list people as references IF they have agreed to be references/ write rec letters.

Thanks for your reply. There are other 5 authors followed my name in one of my articles. Should I include them all in the "references" part?

Also, although a CV does not have a length maximum, I am worried about listing some experience being considered as irrelevant and hurt the effectiveness of my CV.

[some questions about CV]

The sample for CV in the book "Insiders' guide to graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology" raised some puzzles in my mind.

First, should I list some irrelevant experience on CV? like university singers in the sample provided by the book,or a family tutor for a middle shool student?

Second, is it necessary to include the "references" part? There are at least 6 people I mentioned in CV, list them all and their information will take up much space.

Third, I participated in a students research trainning program and completed the research project. As the chargeman of  my team I particapated in every step of our research. So how do I describe my duties? Listing all steps of a research seems lengthy.

 

Thanks for your help!

[how to select general psychology programs?]

You could also buy a copy of APAs Graduate study in psychology. Cut them down by looking at the ones that actually have funding, some of the information there can be inaccurate but it is a helpful guide. I think the application process is just time consuming in general so even after you pick ten....you're still going to need to devote a significant amount of time just going through the application process. And my opinion is to avoid professional schools typically they are just very expensive.

And who can tell me what professional schools are?

[how to select general psychology programs?]

You could also buy a copy of APAs Graduate study in psychology. Cut them down by looking at the ones that actually have funding, some of the information there can be inaccurate but it is a helpful guide. I think the application process is just time consuming in general so even after you pick ten....you're still going to need to devote a significant amount of time just going through the application process. And my opinion is to avoid professional schools typically they are just very expensive.

Thanks, it's such a hard work... I have the 2012 edition of this book. There are 74 master programs in experiment psychology(general), and many programs in general psychology are as well research-oriented, and many programs aren't listed on it. Are the programs not in this book not so good?

[how to select general psychology programs?]

I'd look at the ones affiliated with nicely ranked graduate psychology departments. I do know that William and Mary's program is quite good as is Wake Forest's.

I think this is a good idea as well. But for most of the programs, I cannot find their departments in the rankings.

[how to select general psychology programs?]

Sorry i forgot to mention, I'll apply masters, and regard it as a step for applying phd in the future. I know the filters you talke about, but these will spend a lot of time.. it is impossible for me to investigate these kinds of information of each of these about 50-80 programs...how can i eliminate the majority of them so i can investigate their faculty interests, rate of publication,ect...