Realities

Ruth Baer at University of Kentucky also sounds like a good fit.

I do this (whenever I want - sometimes I'm excited about projects; also sometimes I have to catch up/get ahead on stuff due to busy weeks). I definitely think it's good for your mental health to engage in self-care and taking time completely away from your work to unwind. Typically I stop working after 9:00pm on weekdays and then only work as needed/wanted on weekends. I definitely engage in some fun things, like sports, every weekend.

I've been trying to read 5 articles every morning and 5 every evening - inputting notes into a database for future reference. Not sure I will keep up this pace, but as a first year graduate student, I really feel the need to get caught up in my field and really understand the articles I'm citing. It also is already helping me develop original research ideas.

My university forces us to get in-state residency for tuition/fees purposes - we had to go through steps immediately upon arriving so that we will have in-state tuition at the beginning of our second year. You'll want to see if your university does something similar, and whether or not it's even possible to keep your original residency.

I spend about $80 a month, or $20 a week, on average. I don't eat out (usually), don't drink anything other than milk and water (personal preference), buy meat in bulk when on sale, and buy produce weekly based on what is on sale/season. Personally, I don't feel like I'm limiting myself in any way with regards to nutrition and/or taste. Note: I live in Florida, so prices might be much higher in other locations.

I was accepted my first application season (just to add to the data for that option, since it wasn't included in the poll). Good luck to all!

How many times did you email your old lab advisor? It may be that he just missed your email, especially since he told you not to hesitate to ask for help in the past. I ran into a similar crisis last year where a professor who agreed to write me a letter went MIA (due to illness) and I didn't know who to ask. I ended up asking for an emergency letter (after the deadline) from someone who advised an organization I ran/led - do you have anyone like that? Although they won't be able to speak to your coursework or research, mine was able to speak to my maturity, work ethic, and interest in the field (since it was an on-campus organization related to mental health).

With no intent of thread-jacking, I'd also be interested in hearing feedback on workload/time spent working in the social sciences. Worthy of a new thread, or no?

I hit a point of intense exhaustion this past weekend, where after being hyper-productive on Friday, I couldn't do much of anything until Tuesday. I haven't experienced this on a day-to-day basis though, so it may just be a matter of pacing myself and avoiding burnout. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to avoid this exhaustion/burnout when there's just so much that needs to be done? I'm on 8 projects (3 that I'm leading) on top of coursework and everything, so I'm having trouble forcing myself not to work all weekend when I have the energy.

I actually don't think your GPA is a problem at all. You're going to be graduating with a 3.5, and you have a very obvious upward trend over the years. Your research experience is excellent, so I think you would be a strong applicant anywhere. Just be sure to emphasize your research fit with your POIs when you apply, and you should have a great chance.

I agree; I would think that you'd have a good shot. If I were you, I wouldn't even worry so much about the "tier" of the program and rather focus on applying to professors with whom you have an excellent research fit.

Late 20s is old? That's news to me. Seriously though, everyone is different. Your way of doing things is not necessarily the right way for everyone.

I used a research prospectus, rather than a full-length research paper. It seemed to work just fine, as I interviewed at the two schools I was required to submit a writing sample to.

Just as a piece of advice, I would start by searching to see where the professors are located that are writing the journal articles related to your research interests. Also, the prestige of the professor you will be working with matters much more than the prestige of the institution - though really, you need to be focusing on fit more so than prestige. As far as programs fitting your criteria, neuropsych is not one of my interests, so I'm of little help there.

I second what Lisa44201 said - your GPA is fine. Do well on the GRE to demonstrate your strengths (though really, 3.5+ GPA is good), but nothing about your profile sticks out as a problem. In fact, you should be in good shape by the time application due dates roll around. Relax, and try not to stress out too much throughout this arduous process. Enjoy it as much as you can.