BeingThere

In reading through the application materials required by some of my programs, I'm finding that many do not specifically request a CV. I have not opened up any applications yet. I've just read the instructions listed on the websites. It is possible that within the online application, there will be an opportunity to upload a CV separate from a personal statement. I would like to send a CV along with my personal statement because I have a lot to list. My CV is three pages long. If I had to cram it all in a two-page personal statement, it would leave me no room to state why I want to study I/O with that particular professor or my plans for after grad school. I have to spend at least a couple of sentences explaining why I switched from a completely non-related major and career. I'm applying to I/O programs but I'd appreciate experience from anyone. Do you send a CV even when one isn't specifically asked for? Or do you hope that within the application they will have a form which will ask you to list accomplishments? I can get clarity by contacting the listed contact person for each program and ask them (all 14 of them!) Just wanted to get a general idea here from folks who've gone through it.

I am sorry I don't have anything to offer in the way of solid help regarding how to finesse your current commitment to an econ program. However, I can tell you that you need to refine your interest. Psychology is a very broad field. There significant differences between clinical psychology, social psychology, I/O psychology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and developmental psychology. (Sorry if I've left anyone out!) Before you think about switching programs, you may want to find out which particular discipline you are drawn to within the broader field. Better yet, talk to a professor in the psychology department at your most recent university. It may help to pick up an Introduction to Psychology textbook and read through it. Best of luck to you! Another big consideration is research experience. To get into any decent PhD program in psychology, you're going to need research experience in a psychology lab or working under a psychology researcher. If you have research experience in economics, it may translate for I/O or quantitative psych - emphasis on "may."

Firstsight, that was what I needed to hear. I had a sneaking suspicion I'd have to retake the GRE in order to be able to sleep at night and know I've done all I could to make my app the best it can be. My first scores (prelim, according to the report the day of my test) were 170 V and 155 Q. I'd like to get the quant score higher. I've always done well in math, but I haven't been in a math class in 15 years. Most of the studying I did was just refreshing my memory on algebra/geometry. Now that I've remembered some math I wonder whether, if I spend another month or two practicing timed tests, I can do better. I don't know if I can spend two hours a day as you suggest, but I can surely spend some time. My biggest concern was whether studying more in hopes of improving would be worth the time and money. Like all of us, I have coursework, research, and other app requirements to complete in the coming months. Additionally, I hadn't heard of many folks who substantially improved their scores the second time around. Your second-round improvement gave me hope. Looks I'm going to take the darned thing again.

Just took the GRE. My preliminary scores were 170 V and 155 Q. The (I/O) programs I'm looking at range in their average accepted Q scores between 152 - 158. I am debating whether to take the GRE again. I am thinking I could study more and possibly raise my Q score. However, I have a timeline and there are other things I need to start focusing on this year. I am not sure if it's realistic to devote more study hours to GRE math in the next couple months - or more to the point, how many more study hours I would need to significantly raise my score. I have a high GPA and some good research experience, so I think the whole package will be very good overall. Just don't want to leave any points on the table if they are worth going after. Does anyone have any experience with increasing their Q score on a second take of the GRE?

I will be applying to 10 PhD programs and 2 master's programs. This may change if any of my POIs aren't accepting students for next year.

And shoes (with good traction on the soles) that you can wash.

Many of you may already have your personal statements ready to go, but for those who are still refining theirs, this links to a good article on writing a good personal statement: http://www.psichi.org/Pubs/Articles/Article_756.aspx The references from the article give more useful info about being a competitive applicant. Best wishes to every one (of us) this application cycle!

Thanks, PsychGirl1, I wasn't thinking about attaching my CV. Is that standard practice when first contacting profs? And PsychChick, I was told to think of all contact with profs and schools as you would contact with prospective employers. I don't know if you have experience applying for jobs, but I think by the time you contact a professor, the only doubt you should have is whether they will be taking students. You could contact grad students to find out the climate of the school, read everything on the program website to find out how to apply and what the pre-reqs are and how the program will work (e.g. coursework and TA or RA expectations.) In other words, you can get nearly all other info from the website, other current grad students, (and this forum, actually), so I also am unsure what doubts you are referring to.

Clarkboyo: As an answer to your question re the subject test for US schools, I am also applying to I/O. Three of the programs I will be applying to either require or strongly recommend the GRE psych subject test. Most of the schools I'm applying to do not require it. I plan to read through the ETS psych subject book in the month before the test. Unfortunately, I won't have taken developmental, abnormal, or personality psych before the test, but I have done a large amount of independent reading and with the help of the ETS prep book, I hope to do well.

You might have better luck searching by faculty research interests. You can search for your research interests (on EBSCO or some other journal/literature search service) and then see which faculty are doing research in those areas, and find out which schools they are at. The focus of a program is the focus of the faculty at the program. As you know, a PhD is a research degree. (I am assuming you are referring to PhD programs.)

I saw that same thing. I think they may schedule by academic year, not calendar year. At least that is my hope. In July they will post more dates. Or you can call them or contact them and ask.

I work in social services in Kentucky. At my company, we have LPCCs and LCSWs. Both can do therapy/counseling. The differences, as I understand them, are the post-degree supervised hours needed and the certification test. If I were you, I would check out some local agencies in the state you wish to work in and talk to people and find out what the licensing and degree requirements are to do the kind of work you want to do. You can probably talk to a therapist or counselor who works at your local VA, or one who works at a social services agency there, and find out what you need to know to make an informed decision. State licensure boards may also be able to tell you what qualifications are needed to do the kind of counseling you want to do.

I'll be taking the GRE on Friday June 28. I'm giving myself the weekend after that to either cry it out or to celebrate. I've got a 4.0 junior/senior and major GPA (hopefully compensating for a rough patch in my sophomore year.) I usually have no problem with tests; I'm a test-taking machine, but this one has such lore built up around it that it's got me a bit freaked out. I am studying regularly, especially the math. I have notes on my statement of purpose and have kept my CV up-to-date, so after I know my GRE score I can focus on my statements of purpose for each of the programs I'm applying to. At this same time I will contact faculty to make sure they are accepting students next year.

I'll be applying to I/O programs for Fall 2014.

TheSun, One of the faculty at my current school, in a workshop on applying to and attending grad school, made the suggestion. Her reasoning was that if, for some reason (life events, you find out you hate grad school, you get a debilitating illness, your career goals drastically change, etc) you do not finish the PhD program, you will at least have a master's after two or three years instead of walking away with nothing. Of course, those accepted to a PhD program should move heaven and earth to finish their commitment. Yet, apparently, attrition rates in PhD programs can be quite high. There are surely varied reasons for attrition (personal v. program), but as I learned in social psych, it's more prudent to consider that the odds apply to me in the same way they apply to those around me. As it happens, all the schools I really want to go to do offer a master's on the way, so that did not play a part in my selection after all. Another thing I'm finding, though, is that some programs that offer master's on the way to PhD will bump up the stipend after the master's. I am sure the increased stipend comes with increased responsibilities, but that would be good for me. (Now that I think about it, maybe someone should examine whether attrition is higher in programs which offer a master's on the way? Anybody know of any studies on attrition in PhD programs?)

Perhaps read the other threads that address this question. For instance, There are probably others in the forum that address it as well.

My top considerations for where to apply (which I will be doing this winter): --Faculty research interests/fit --Particulars about program -size of program (larger is better, up to a point) -perceived program climate -master's-on-the-way-to-PhD -chances for internships -reputation of program -opportunity to explore/change research focus (see size of program) --Chances of me being accepted based on GRE/GPA (I have a great GPA, but I'm taking the GRE at the end of June.) --City/location appeal (I don't give a lot of weight to this b/c from my experience I can be happy living anywhere, depending on what I'm doing while I'm there.) --Funding (listing this b/c funding is essential to me, but all the programs I'm looking at are funded) I have a list of ten PhD programs and two master's programs. Later in the summer I will begin contacting faculty at the PhD programs. From those interactions my list of schools may change. If there are other major factors I should consider, I would like to know about them!

Benjamin.gera: You will be working during grad (PhD) school. The CV you build up during that time will determine your fit or lack of fit for any postgrad job. If you get a degree from Harvard on a lot of research related to group dynamics and apply for a job related to selection, then the Harvard degree might have limited impact on whether you're hired. If you plan to go into academe, the school you got your degree at might matter more than the work you did while at that school (as long as you were highly productive.) No one controls that much of their future. You can make an informed choice, but in the end, countless variables beyond your control are going to shape where you end up after grad school. Find your research interest(s) and apply to programs that will allow you to pursue them. The most marketable degree -- between OB and I/O -- is the degree held by the person who is most effective at networking, is a hard worker, is smart, has a great CV, has good ideas, and is productive. Beyond that, the difference between OB, I/O, and social boils down to whether one goes into industry or academe. But caution should be used in planning a specific trajectory. I know people who headed toward industry only to find that they prefer academe, and vice versa. A final thought: if an organization hires a person with and OB degree from Harvard over a person with an I/O degree from School X simply because of the Harvard degree, then a) they really need an I/O psychologist and b.) I would question whether it would be wise to work for an organization that made such silly hiring decisions.

--I loved Morton Hunt's "The Story of Psychology." (That was my introduction to psychology. I would suggest it for every first-year psych undergrad.) --William James' "The Varieties of Religious Experience" was also worth reading. --Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow" was also good. --Right now I'm reading George Ainslie's "Breakdown of Will."

Thank you both. Bedmas, I couldn't get to the site with that link. Darwin, I think the PSID will suit my purposes. Thanks!

Hi all, I've got a professor in my undergrad program who is willing to work with me for independent study on some more advanced statistics than my undergrad program offers. However, we need a data set to work with. Preferrably one that is usable for regression and multivariate analysis. Does anyone know of data sets that are being offered for analysis? I don't know if that's a strange question or not.

Your previous lack of success is not an insurmountable obstacle. But you need to be able to explain your previous decisions (e.g. lack of maturity) and your previous poor grades. If you can go to a state school, take upper level psych courses, raise your GPA and get research experience, you could conceivably get into a good school. As NicholasCage has said, you don't need a psych undergrad to get into a psych grad program. But you DO need great grades and a track record of some sort of academic success to get into a good master's program. And you DO need research experience nowadays to get into a good PhD program. Funded programs are funded because they are basically hiring you to do work. So they want to "hire" people who can do the work. I like your revised plan -- go to a state school, get some research experience, find out what exactly you are interested in about psych. Your statement of interest is too general; everybody is interested in human behavior and many people are compassionate and good listeners. Those qualities don't distinguish you from a good chunk of the general population. I hope you go for it and pursue this if it's what you want. If you go enroll at a state school and get some research experience and talk to faculty there you will get further guidance. Best of luck to you!

Well, never say never, but you do have some substantial obstacles. Most likely you would not be a competitive candidate for a reputable PhD program so your plan to try for a master's program at this time is probably the best route for you. But here are some things to consider: 1) Other than intro courses, I am not sure a junior college will offer the level of coursework that a grad program would be looking for. Most folks who are applying to master's programs have quite a few upper level psychology courses under their belt. 2) You may want to think about why your undergrad GPA was 3.0. If you struggled in undergrad due to coursework, why do you expect to do well in grad school? 3) Why do you want to get a psychology grad degree? You said you would "most likely" pursue clinical or social. Those are very different degrees with very different career trajectories. You may be able to refine your interest in lower-level classes at a junior college, but you may not get an accurate feel for what those fields really are. Just some things to consider. Not trying to be discouraging; just hoping you will have a realistic plan.

Do you have a better option? If you're too old, then I'm too old. And I'm not too old.

Items on a checklist can't be assumed to be attributable to a clinical diagnosis. Degree and context matter, especially with some of the "symptoms" you've listed. I don't have a copy of the DSM but I would really caution you against jumping to the conclusion that these behaviors are all caused by the same thing or are even pathological. This list could indicate simple anxiety or it could indicate that the person does not like their life situation (dealing with another person who is sick.) It is impossible to say. If you are worried that this person will do harm to themselves or others, you should seek professional help in person.