Tolman's Rat

Oh my. It's a funny feeling, because it's something I only really get when I'm ruminating (which actually happens to be quite frequent...). Think about this for a second--have you interviewed at these programs? If so, did you feel out of place talking to the people you'll be working with for the foreseeable future? For me, the conversations actually went really well, and I was unexpectedly accepted just a few days after interviewing with, as with you, a top program in my field. I'd imagine you felt the same, that once you actually got down talking to these people, you were more conversant than you expected. Also, if you got into top programs, you probably had some pretty important people writing some pretty awesome letters about you! That isn't just based on grades, but on what they see out of you on a regular basis as it relates to your skills and creativity relevant to the field.
 
That said, I don't know if the feelings ever go away, at least until you're done. A recent PhD graduate in the lab that I'm currently working in said that her greatest feeling in defending her dissertation was "Wow, I actually know stuff!" Her feelings of inadequacy lasted for the entire duration of her PhD, and it was only while defending that she felt she was deserving of her place in the academic world. 

As I said, not clinical, so I don't have familiarity there. Most Canadian experimental programs are MA/MSc admission, then bump to PhD. Most American experimental programs are PhD programs and you receive an MA/MSc along the way. I'm not saying there aren't exceptions, but this is a general trend I've observed that distinguishes American from Canadian graduate programs.

The department you applied to has to recommend your application to the graduate school for admission. This is standard procedure and it is extremely rare that the graduate school will disagree with the decision. For all intents and purposes, you are in. Congrats!!

I think I always know less than my professors think I know. I just try to keep that illusion up while we're talking, then look up all the stuff I should have known later. In other words, fake it till you make it (there's a nice TED Talk on that). It's a legit and totally acceptable thing. I'm also somewhat reassured in knowing that pretty much everyone suffers from imposter syndrome.

Re: UCSD. I don't know about Psych or Neuro, but CogSci profiles are still being reviewed.

It's so weird that after all of the painful waiting, everything starts happening all at once! I've heard from 4 schools in the past 5 days about interviews...

Me too!

For the NYU Cognition & Perception post, would you mind PMing me your POI? Thanks!

HOLY SMOKES, I JUST RECEIVED MY FIRST INTERVIEW INVITE!!! (University of Arizona - Clinical Psychology program)

Thanks! I may or may not have started hyperventilating upon reading the email.....

Received an email from UConn POI yesterday that I should "pencil [interview weekend] into my calendar" and that I will hear official word in the next couple of days. Hooray for top choices!
 
For anyone else that applied to UConn Psych - Language and Cognition, you will know soon. The division met last week. Interviews will be held Feb 26-27.

It rained in here in San Diego yesterday and it was literally on the news all day. What is this strange sky-water?!?!

As an international student, the anxiety is huge. I check my email even though I know it is already late night in America. I worried about my application and visa at the same time. I could not sleep at night because I keep thinking about my emails. To be honest, if I live in US now, I would fly to the admission office, sitting in their office, hand my materials, staring at those professors until they make their decisions. I guess I am kind of crazy now.

Does anyone else see invites posted for schools they thought about applying to but ultimately didn't for some reason and wish they had? I'm having that problem.

Woot woot, got my first interview request:). Granted, it's via phone, but I'm still super excited! I may have started crying at work...whoops.

Second consecutive good day! Invited for an interview at Georgia State University, Cognitive Sciences division (PhD Psychology). Direct email from POI.

Winner

Second consecutive good day! Invited for an interview at Georgia State University, Cognitive Sciences division (PhD Psychology). Direct email from POI.

I've been panicking since June. If anything, it's too late to start panicking now

Hooray! Congrats to you, as well! That's really nice of them to keep you updated and indicate that you're on the short list--I think that would suggest that your POI is very high on you, and now needs to fight for you and convince the adcomm of the same. 

Ahhhhhhhh I received such an exciting email today! One of the few POIs (at Binghamton University) that I didn't get in touch with prior to the application season (really can't remember why, she's awesome) "was excited about [my] application" and "plans to advocate inviting [me] for an interview." She then proceeded to describe all the ongoing projects, etc. I just submitted my application about a week ago, and the cognitive group will be meeting to schedule interviews on Jan 14.

So, one of my programs nearly gave me a heart attack TWICE today.
 
First, they have the NERVE to send me an e-mail wishing me a happy holiday season and informing me that they will be closed over the break.
 
Second, they send me ANOTHER e-mail with the subject line "YOUR APPLICATION STATUS..." and then the e-mail goes on to tell me that I'm part of a special testing group to use their new beta page for viewing application materials. Ugh.
 
Cruel, cruel torture.

My day today consisted of an important experiment- 
Hypothesis: Investigating the inverse relationship between optimal tasting dipping sauce for tater tots and least soggy-ness
Prep time: 5 minutes- experimental design
5 minutes- deciding which sauces to try
25 minutes for the damn tater tots to cook
15 minutes to eat all tater tots with different sauces
20 minutes to write this post
 
Experimental design:
Sriacha
Chili garlic sauce
Jack daniels BBQ sauce
 
Results:
Sriacha, sweetest of the 3, made tater tots most soggy over all taste ranking 2/3
Chili garlic sauce, best flavor, least sogginess, over all taste ranking 1/3
BBQ sauce, its just damn BBQ sauce...sigh.... smoky flavoring though. overall taste ranking 3/3
 
OK thats how I deal with anxiety after submitting my applications.

Got another one of those annoying Happy Holidays emails, this time from NYU.
 
You want to give me a happy holidays? Well, then give me an interview invite!

My goal is research, my back up is research, my current job is research. Not getting in a phd program isn't the end of the world if it's the research you are after. There are many ways to conduct good, meaningful work that do not require a Ph.D.

:)