BeingThere
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Posts posted by BeingThere
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I've noticed that a couple of the schools to which I am applying are requesting that I upload a copy of the print-out of my GRE scores as well as have them sent directly from ETS.
My print-out of the score report shows a list of all the schools to which I have requested scores be sent. I've only taken the test once, but I would assume that a print-out would also show any other scores I earned from other test times? (So much for "Score-select".) I am wondering if this information is also on the official report sent directly from ETS to schools.
Why would schools request that I send a print-out of the report as well as have scores sent from ETS? I don't mind letting schools know what other programs I'm applying to or the number of times I've taken the test. I am just curious why schools want this?
Yes, yes, I know. It's the heat of application season and I have many other things to focus on besides this minutiae!
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Hi JohnAlexander,
I believe you've already gotten some good answers to this question when you posted it in another thread.
If you aren't getting the answer(s) you're looking for, this might not be the best place to ask this question. It might be a good idea to talk with I/O psychologists who are already working in I/O. Or call some consulting firms and tell them your situation, and see what they say about your potential marketability.
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I am not sure an experimental degree would translate so smoothly into I/O work. But not for the reason Lisa gave.
If you look at the curriculum for I/O PhD degrees (which are listed on many program websites), you will see that there is a lot of coursework in topics particular to work settings that you will not be getting exposure to by studying personality in the broader sense in an experimental program. Even though your research pertains to the workplace, your background education would not. You would be missing at least a year's worth of coursework specific to I/O (or related business degrees.)
Go here for a sample I/O graduate program curriculum: https://www.uakron.edu/psychology/academics/industrial-organizational-psychology/curriculum-outline.dot
You would be at a distinct disadvantage. Further, grads often get jobs through internships or through connections made in I/O programs. Not having access to those is also a disadvantage. But, hey, never say never. Some job postings say "I/O or related field." You can interpret that how you wish. Can you do a business degree along with your experimental degree?
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I/O can be as competitive as clinical. USF and Georgia Tech are top programs in I/O. Your chances of getting into those would probably be similar to your chances of getting into a clinical program. Clinical programs tend to be the most competitive types of programs simply by the sheer number of applicants those programs get (so acceptance standards can be raised higher and higher.) However, that does not mean that I/O programs are not competitive.
The most direct way to improve your chances would be to get some quality research experience.
***Sorry to sort of repeat what Lisa and PsychGirl said. I was typing as their posts came through.
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Hi CaptainWolf. I'll give you my two cents, but I'm a fellow applicant so really I only know what I've been told or what I've read.
Clinical and I/O are so different and have such different career trajectories. I'm curious how you came to the conclusion to apply to both. Would you really be equally happy with a career in I/O or a career in clinical?
Have you done any independent research, poster presentations, an Honors thesis; will you be co-author on any research papers coming out of your lab experiences? To be very competitive you should have some substantive experience showing you have some research skills and know quite a bit about how to conduct and present research. What have you done in the research lab?
Your stats are good, but "good" when applying to PhD programs means around "average." That's not a bad thing, but it means you'll have lots of competition.
You may have great things on your CV that you just didn't mention in your post. It is hard to say what anyone's chances are just based on GPA and GRE scores (unless they are really really low, and yours are not.)
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I have an intro to psych textbook from 2010 that I'd be happy to mail someone (no charge) who has been out of school for a while and needs a refresher.
Message me if you want it.
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Something to keep in mind is that if they ask for more than one page then they are probably willing to read more than one page. If they were only willing to read one page, why would they ask for two-to-three?
I also pay close attention to their prompts. If they want a narrative of major life events (as one school does) then they probably wouldn't expect that in 500 words - and they don't. If they want simply my career goals and why I chose School X, then yeah, I could manage to do that in 500 words.
I trust that schools have experience on what the necessary length is for applicants to communicate the info they want to know. I'm going to go by their standards.
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Is anyone else struggling to get their personal statements into 500 words or less? Any tips? If the limit was 1000 words I'd be golden. Help me...
I feel your pain, SportPsych,
I'm not looking forward to writing my 500 word statement.
Mind you, this is not advice, just sharing my plan of attack on it:
I am first writing the longest statement. Then I will take that, paragraph by paragraph and summarize each pertinent paragraph in fewer sentences for my 2-to-3 pagers. Then for my 500-word statement, I'll summarize in a couple/three sentences each pertinent paragraph from the 3-pager.
The only way I can write 500 words is by editing and re-editing a longer statement. Of course each program gives a slightly different prompt, but my bio is my bio; that part is not going to change.
I'll let ya know if my plan works! I hope to have all these done by the end of Oct!
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One of my programs states, "up to 5 pages." Another says, "2 to 3 pages." None of my programs say that the Personal Statement should just be one page. The most restrictive says "500 words."
Two of my programs don't even want a personal statement; they have a form to complete (which is basically asking you questions that you would have answered in a personal statement.)
I do understand the value of brevity. And I'm not disagreeing with Fishasaurus about how much of it they will read. It is probably wise to state the most important things on that first page - if you've interested them they made read the rest?
However, I suggest you check your individual program's application requirements. All but one of mine clearly stated the desired length of the Personal Statement.
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How is everyone doing with their personal statements?
I have never been at a loss for (written) words. But this puppy is a truly challenging thing to write. I'd be interested in hearing how others are doing with it. I'd also really appreciate any suggestions, experiences, or words of wisdom from those who've gone through this.
How did you elaborate on the items listed in your CV without simply repeating them?
Did you feel like you had to have a completely captivating and original story for how you got interested in the field?
How targeted were each of your statements to each school you applied to? (Completely separate statements or just one statement adapted for each program?)
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I'm going to make a post here, because, procrastination.
I'm applying for I-O psychology programs. Minnesota, Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Penn State, Rice, South Florida, Michigan State, Bowling Green, DePaul, and UNC Charlotte. I hope 9 is enough! I used to have 2 others that I eliminated for various reasons. I'm considering throwing in a masters program for good luck.I've contacted 7 POIs - one briefly said he was accepting grad students, three seemed to glance over my CV and encourage me to apply with a few kind comments, one said she wasn't accepting grad students, and two have not replied. I haven't had any intensive conversations, which I am ok with. I feel like I got a good sense of their research by going through their published papers and websites. And since I mentioned my research interests and suggested working with them, maybe they'd tell me if they felt my interests were too different to work with me. But that could just be my justifications...Once I take my Psychology GRE tomorrow (!) I will contact my other POIs! I pulled together a draft of my personal statement, but I think it needs a lot of editing before I am willing to even show it to anyone (my English MA friend wants to look over it for me, and I had to tell her noooo not yet!). My professor wants me to apply for the NSF fellowship, although I honestly feel too overworked to actually develop a proposed research plan. Maybe once I get the Psychology GRE over with I will have more time to consider it.Maziana,
I'm taking the Psychology subject GRE tomorrow also.
I've had a similar range of experiences with emailing POIs. As long as they don't tell me out-right "No" I'm gonna apply!
Even at the early stages, feedback on your statement can help a great deal. I would encourage you to go ahead and let someone take a look at it. They may see something you don't see and it could help you shape and refine your ideas from the start. Just a thought.
Wishing you the best on the subject test!
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There may be another value (other than CV items) in working at multiple labs: knowledge of various subfields and different lines of research. Many undergrads don't know what they want to research and exposure to different topics in a hands-on kind of setting may help undergrads develop their research interests. If an undergrad felt bound to just work in one lab, then how would they know that is where their interests lie versus other research areas? There is probably a balance between many labs and one lab. And this would be found at a different point for each student.
Another consideration is quality over quantity. Not only in the way you point out, Lewin, but in terms of skills developed. Think of the skills developed by someone who enters data for a lab for two semesters versus someone who does an independent research project over those two semesters.
If grad programs want students with research skills, an important consideration for the student is "how will this research experience help me develop research skills and what skills will I be able to develop here?" A detailed letter of recommendation is vital, but skills are highly valued too.
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For a list of school psychology programs for graduate study, try here:
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Carolyn_D:
Check out Industrial/Organizational Psychology. In my review of I/O programs, I know I've come across faculty at various schools who study judgment and decision-making, but not from the consumer perspective. I/O is a great field that includes a wide range topics. I highly recommend you look into it. Go to SIOP.org and then look under "Graduate Training Programs" for a list of schools and links to the school/program websites.
Further, I/O is a grad degree that you can use in the workplace. You aren't consigned to just academia. But if you did decide later that you wanted to teach, with an I/O degree you could teach in business or psychology.
Just offering another viable option if your interest is in judgment and decision-making. If judgment and decision-making is the only thing you love that overlaps with marketing, then I/O might be better because it encompasses a very wide range of psychology topics.
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Many PhD programs in I/O offer their students opportunities for internships during the course of their graduate studies. If it's applied experience you want, I am sure you will find plenty of programs that encourage or outright facilitate that, even if they don't have their own consulting firms.
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I am still working on my personal statement(s). My goal is to have the main one finished by the end of this month (then I will adapt it to each program's requirements - some want 500 words, some want 2-3 pages, some want personal stuff, some just want your career and research goals, some want a form filled out, etc.)
I also work full time, etc, etc. This is what I do to stay on top of it all: I have a spreadsheet for all the programs I am applying to with columns for each application item. I have decided to just open the online applications for the master's programs and get my recommenders to send letters, and then worry about adjusting my personal statement and sending the grades/scores to those after I get all the PhD applications done. (Thoe master's deadlines are Mar 15.)
--I have my transcripts ordered, except for one program that I just decided to add to my list
--I have my CV finished (still waiting to hear if I will get published so I haven't uploaded it yet)
--I have my GRE scores sent
--I'm taking the Subject test at the end of this month (have selected the schools it needs to go to)
--I am compiling packets for my letter writers (giving them a list of the schools, what they need to do to submit their letters, my CV and a little blurb about my goals/accomplishments.)
--I am working on my personal statement and that is Job One right now.
I got the simple, no-brain stuff out of the way first (requesting transcripts and sending GRE scores). I stay organized. That, for me, is half the battle. If everything I have to do is just rattling around up in my head it can all feel overwhelming, but if I have a way to track what I am doing, have done, and still need to do then it all feels manageable.
My list of schools has even changed in the last two weeks, as I've gotten more information. But I just adjusted the spreadsheet and am still on track.
I don't know when your deadlines are and I don't know what kind of writer you are so I can't really judge if you have given yourself enough time. But I would suggest getting the simple stuff out of the way immediately to leave brain space for the personal statement now.
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I went ahead and sent my transcripts. I'm a part-time student, with four classes left (two this semester and two next semester) and my acceptance to a school surely would not hinge on these four courses (unless I bomb, which is highly unlikely.)
It is sort of sad, because my two current courses are very relevant to my interests and what I'll be doing in grad school. But I have some Dec 1 deadlines and my current courses won't even be finished by then. And I have research experience which should present a compelling example of my aptitude for the subject matter.
Past performance is the best predictor of future performance and grades are only one part of the application.
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Well, I hope to see you in the fall of 2014 at one of those schools. ;-) We're applying to three of the same.
Your stats are comparable to mine, though you did better on the Quant section of the GRE. Your research interests are similar to mine (personality.) Have you contacted your POIs?
From what I've heard and read, I would say research experience is generally more important than extra-curriculars. If you have experiences that show you are a leader and work well in teams/groups, then you may be okay without a ton of extra stuff. Were you an office-holder in Phi Beta Kappa?
It's good that you've done an independent project (your Honors proj.) Even if you wanted to start another independent project now (as I have), you can list it as "in progress" on your CV.
I am thinking your chances are as good as most people's will be. Probably just as good as mine. I hope there aren't too many more like you out there. ;-)
It is expensive and time-consuming, but I was told to apply to 10 to 12 programs and choose a range; 3 or 4 for which you exceed the average stats, 3 or 4 that you meet, and 3 or 4 that would be reaches for you. I would say Urbana-Champagne and Univ of Minnesota are as selective as they come. You may also want to consider a couple of master's programs just in case. It really is a numbers game.
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Read their website. If it doesn't say anything about NOT taking new students (similarly for the prof), it's a good assumption to make. Again, contacting the prof is not a formal part of the admissions process.
Thanks, Psychgirl. Guess I am gun shy, since Purdue didn't have anything listed about not taking students this round, yet I was told by a prof (who did reply) that they would not be - with the exception of possibly one particular faculty. And I recall last year a school announced it was not taking new students AFTER the app deadline.
I do realize that contacting profs is not a formal part of the app process. ;-) Thanks for your continued input on this forum; it is valuable to have input from someone who's gone through the process.
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Yay! Glad to hear.
Some profs never reply- if the program and the research is still a good fit, apply anyway. Some are just notoriously bad at responding to emails, or just don't like prospective students emailing them. A prof's response is not a prerequisite for the application to the school.
Thanks, PsychGirl. That's a good point, but I dislike spending $100 to $150 applying to a program that is not even taking new students. Guess I could contact the program itself to simply ask if they plan to admit new students. ?
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I contacted my POIs via email. A range of responses from matter of fact and polite to very friendly and encouraging. Just sent the last of the emails out today so I'm still waiting to hear back on a couple. One still has not responded and it's been over a week. I know, I know, a week is not necessarily an inordinately long time, and maybe this person is waiting to respond until she knows whether she's taking students next year. I will give the benefit of the doubt, but my application to this school is on hold til I know if there is a point in applying here.
What have other people encountered in the way of responses by POIs? Any other folks have long delays in response or get no response at all to an email?
So far, it has been largely a pleasant and informative process. For those hesitating or nervous, dive on in; the water's fine.
P.S. I did take PsychGirl's suggestion and attach my CV. Definitely the right move.
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I was told by Dr. Jagacinski at Purdue that profs probably won't be taking new students next year as their incoming class this year was unusually large. She said that Dr. Tay might be taking one student but that is not for sure.
Just thought I'd pass along the information for those who were considering Purdue.
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I'm not so sure your stats are that bad. And I don't know enough about developmental psych to know what PhD programs expect of undergrads in the way of publications, but I know that for my sub-field, having publications as an undergrad is not the norm. However, having plenty of research experience and some poster/paper presentations IS the norm. (But Lisa is in developmental so she would have a better idea about this.)
If you were asking me, I would say you should also apply to some PhD programs (as well as master's programs) -especially if your research interests are a really good fit. You might be a better master's candidate, but I would hesitate to rule out applying for any PhD programs this time around. For I/O, and I assume also for developmental, PhD programs vary widely in their selectivity.
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Another consideration: some schools request it for non-psych majors. Since you weren't a psych major, even if a school doesn't request it, you may want to take it and then put a sentence in your personal statement to the effect that you got (insert awesome score here) on the psychology subject GRE.
Sending GRE scores to programs
in Psychology Forum
Posted
Abhalia, actually I did that. My PDF version does show all the schools I sent the scores to. So I just masked the list of schools. Problem solved. My original post was more about whether it would seem weird if I did mask the schools, as they obviously show up in the printed report.