RubyBright

We're well-rounded students who appreciate cultural heritage and culinary skills.

Or even chocolate chip banana bread. Mine has been called a narcotic, though as a psych major, I had to disabuse them of the idea. It's really just that I double the chocolate chips that are called for. Maybe we could pass them off as holiday gifts?

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Aerosmith's Nine Lives album.

Too bad I can't send the adcoms cookies. That would be bribery, you say? I don't know what you're talking about...

Forget checking apps three times a day - I keep checking the GradCafe chart!

I also applied to Chapel Hill, but for cognitive... has anyone heard anything outside of clinical? I know that all of psych had the same deadline...

^ This. I went ahead and sent out a ton of emails last night, and nearly all of the professors very kindly got back to me first thing this morning. Turns out that some aren't taking grad students this year, and one is even leaving the school. But one gave me names of other people I should try talking to! I'm also beginning to get the feeling that the one school I'm applying to has very friendly faculty - and if you're going to be working someone for five years, that can be important. Also, this is a great way to ask for articles that are in press if you're interested in something that hasn't been published yet.

My boyfriend, when I asked what I'll do if I don't get in anywhere: "... I don't actually know." Aaaaargh. No pressure.

I hope that Sansao's interview went well... and good luck to everyone else starting to hear from their schools.

I keep hearing that it's important to talk to professors whose work you're interested in before you send in your application (and list them in your application, as possible), but in the rush, I completely neglected to do that for one of my top schools. Do you think it will help to do so even after submitting the application, as long as I listed them as POIs? The school's deadline is January 5.

I didn't list professors in my SOP - just made sure that each SOP was tailored to reflect specific research being done at that university, and then listed the professors where it was asked for in the application. I'm not sure what I'd recommend if they don't give you a space to do that, though.

Sometimes schools care more about your program GPA than your overall GPA. However, I've heard that your grades in your last 60 credits (when you're in undergrad) are nearly as important. I'm assuming this is partly because you will also be taking many upper-level major classes during your last two years. I agree that whether you're aiming for a master's or a PhD program - and what it's in! - is also relevant.

Right there with you, Tolman's Rat. I still have three more applications to send in, though, so it's a little nerve-racking to already be losing faith. The idea of doing this again next year (or even the year after that) is something I'm trying not to think about.

If I'm not accepted this year, I have a few years of work experience in the tech field, so I'll probably get the highest-paying job I can find and save money for a year, look for a volunteer research position, and then reapply on the next round of applications. I'm not really sure what I'll do after that if I'm rejected again... but at least if I have a year to work and save money before heading into my PhD program, I'll be able to afford plenty of ramen.

I was only kind of stressed until I started reading this... now I think I'm getting a twitch. So far, I've only contacted a professor at one of my schools, and my next app is due on Saturday. I sure hope they'll still think of me kindly if I'm contacting them after the deadline and pledging my undying interest in their research topics...