GingerbreadLatte

A 3.5 accompanied by an upward trend is really good. To emphasize the trend, you could write "Junior/Senior GPA: 3.xx" on your CV next to your overall GPA.

I feel there is no need to contact professors before submitting an application. CVs and SOPs already exist as means of introducing yourself. Make those compelling and interested POIs will ask you for an interview. That's my experience at least. Indeed I was told the opposite - that I should initiate emails with POIs before applying - but I reasoned that my application already reveals so much about me as a potential candidate. Consider also the potential risk that some professors may not appreciate informal unsolicited emails when a structured system (i.e., the application and interview process) fulfills the same need.

To the above, I would ask about job placements of recent PhD graduates.

Yes and yes. But I hear Microsoft Office for iPad is coming soon, in which case I wouldn't bother with Pages.

Top 20% is enough for Latin honors at my university. I think your grades are fine. Focus on research. You might consider applying to the APA Summer Science Fellowship and some of the NSF-sponsored summer research experiences. Alumni of these programs are highly successful in graduate admissions. To answer your main question: yes, for sure, you will get into a good program. What is in doubt is whether you will get into an outstanding program. Just do your best. Good luck!

Interview Weekends UCLA (Social): January 10-12 Notre Dame (CBB/Dev/Quant? February 7-9, 2013 UBC (Social): Feb 7-10 Vanderbilt (Quant): Feb 14-16 UNC (Quant): Feb 15 UT Austin (Social): Feb 22-23 Phone/Skype Notre Dame (CBB): December 7, 2012 Washington University in St. Louis (Social): December 12, 2012 Notre Dame (Dev): December 22, 2012 UNC, Chapel Hill (Social): November 1, 2012 (Unofficial chat) UT, Austin (Social): January 10, 2013

http://www.personality-project.org/r/book/

Woah. I could have sworn their application deadline was December 15 - that's what I marked down a couple of months ago in my spreadsheet. But I checked their website again and now it says December 1. I can still access and edit my online application...think it's worth submitting late? Or should I pass? I have ten other schools, eight or nine of which I would prefer over ND, so I don't consider this a huge loss.