Dedi

It also depends on what species of subjects you are using. With animal work (which I do), you'll have some extremely busy periods with some downtime in between. Take advantage of the downtime.

That is what I got! I really like it (and I'm not usually a person who keep track of things by writing it down).

Everyone seems to be quite competitive. However, it is hard to tell sometimes just looking on paper because research/personality fit is major component to consider (that's why many universities have interviews!). For example, my PI gets a lot of requests from straight A students to volunteer in his lab. It looks great on paper, but then he finds out that they aren't fit to do research or coursework is so high a priority that they just quit. He's also told me that ~20 graduate applicants wanted to be in his lab this year, and I imagine some of them were much more competitive than I was. What set me apart is that I made a connection with the PI, volunteered in his lab for a summer, and showed him that I was very well suited to do research, even if I did not get straight A's or come from a prestigious university (I was from an unknown liberal arts school). The point being, looking at the stats/numbers doesn't say much about your motivation to do research, how involved you were with the projects (were you doing data collection, literature searches, or were you leading your own projects?), and how your interests and goals match with a PI. You're more or less applying to join a lab, not necessarily towards a program (this doesn't necessarily apply to those doing rotations, though you will eventually choose a lab). Your LoRs and SoP will be the main venue for showing that you are competent and motivated to do research. If you haven't started writing a draft of your SoP, I would do it soon. I remember making many dramatic changes to my SoP before it was fit to submit to graduate schools. Finally, I would suggest at least trying to make a connection with your top choice PI's. If you have a chance to have a phone or face-to-face conversation, that's even better. So, there's my little speech on grad school applications. If anyone on this thread wants me to take a look at their SoP, shoot me a PM.

Any particular reason you want to stay in the west coast? I don't think the Biology Subject Test is really needed unless the adcomm would have reason to think your biology background is lacking. At least, that's what they say about the psychology subject test.. Have you contacted PIs from these institutions? Might make your list smaller if some PIs aren't taking in students.

I'm sure it depends on the person, too. I called most of my professors 'Dr.' (except the biology faculty for whatever reason) and they seem to prefer that when you are an undergrad.

Is that the exact name? Because I googled it and can't find it anywhere (Psychological Science, I assume, is a different journal). I would be extra careful, especially if the journal name is very similar to a top journal in the field.

Which journal? Some journals are pay-to-publish, which in my opinion, can look worse on a CV than no manuscripts at all. I get those emails, too. My mentor tells me to ignore them. When you get those emails, make sure that the journal has peer reviews as part of the submission process.

I too have a "niche" research interest (epigenetics of animal welfare issues) and, like you, had a hard time finding PI's. I applied to three schools in Canada (I'm a US citizen) with one PI from each school that I would like to work with. The thing is that you may have to work out a compromise and think, "okay, this is similar enough." If I didn't do that, virtually no one was going to fit my research interests. Even so, once you establish a relationship with a potential PI, hold onto it. What I did is that I spent a summer in my top choice PI's lab last year. When it came to applying, that PI chose me out of 20 candidates (according to him) that wanted to work in his lab. He also nominated me (I didn't ask him to do it) for a scholarship (and did receive it). I'm a research assistant in his lab until I start grad school in the fall. As for the other two PI's, one went on sabbatical and the other accepted me, but there were issues with being international and the PI being able to fund me. The point is, it's not necessarily a bad thing to have a specific research interest--you just have a couple more obstacles to go through to do what you love. As for not having an marine bio or evolution experience, I wouldn't worry too much about it (I didn't have any epigenetics experience). The point is that you can do research, which is what matters most when looking at research experience. I'd say go for the schools that you would not regret moving to and that have 1-2 PI's with the same research interest. Some people might say different, and you may take my story with a grain of salt, but really, what do you have to lose (besides waiting another year)?

No, not at all weird. Having the same issue. No one has said anything bad about my application, and a lot of people say that my academic record is very strong (not just grades, but research experience). But, to put things in perspective--The program has seen many applications and their academic history while, for the most part, we only know ourselves. In some ways, I.S. pushes us to say "I do not know everything." That statement is not the endpoint--it encourages us to know more and to keep the imposter at bay. Right now I'm taking a Coursera class on epigenetic control because I want to learn more about the work that I will be doing.

While I agree that the score indicates mediocre writing, the GRE writing score really doesn't mean anything substantial. It pretty much means you can BS (they don't fact check your "sources". You can make stuff up just to make words) your way and ramble (which is what the sciences DO NOT want). I've written two small grants (one I did win--the other I'm sure I had a good shot at but there were some underlying circumstances), written two manuscripts (still under review), written numerous abstracts for conferences (all of them have been acceptable) and got a 3.0 GRE writing score as a native English speaker. The personal statement/letter of intent will say more about your writing style than some arbitrary number. Rant done. 3.0 is mediocre, and may raise some flags for a native engllish speaker trying to get into sciences where you have to write grants, read a lot, and write publications.

I started doing my research this summer and I'm starting to get I.S. full swing. It's a bad feeling, and it doesn't help that I have depression (but in recovery mode). Luckily I have a very understanding supervisor that won't see me in a bad light if I go in for therapy. So I'm going to do that. Anyone have good experiences with dealing with counseling for I.S?

PANAS?

I think the APA site might have a list, if you're looking for psychology-related conferences.

Undergrad Institution: Small private liberal arts university Major(s): Psychology and Animal Behavior; minor in Biology GPA in Major: ~3.8/4.0 Overall GPA: ~3.6/4.0 Position in Class: No idea Type of Student: White female from the USA. Applied to Canadian schools. GRE Scores (revised version): Q: 161 V: 156 W: 3.0 Research Experience: 2 years research experience doing independent projects: Worked with zebrafish to look at behavioral and physiological effects of a enriched vs. barren environment--submitted manuscript to undergraduate journal + one poster + one talk. Data collector for a probability learning project with rats--one poster. Several projects regarding the effects of sucrose in an omission contingency--three posters + one talk + one manuscript in the works. Worked with ring tailed lemurs using behavioral networks to find the optimal enrichment for an individual animal--One poster + one talk + submitted manuscript to low impact journal Looked at the relation of maternal licking to stereotypy prevalence/dopamine dysfunction in rats and mice--one talk + one poster. I am first author in all works except the probability learning project (second author). Awards/Honors/Recognition: Dean’s list, Tri Beta member (honors society in Biology), Tri beta research grant, Psi Chi member (honors society in psychology), Honors award in psychology at my undergrad --Results-- University of Toronto Psychology -- REJECTED University of British Columbia Animal Welfare -- REJECTED University of Waterloo Health Systems and Gerentology -- ACCEPTED University of Toronto Cell and Systems Biology -- ACCEPTED + Major scholarship Attending: U of T CSB. Overall Impressions: It was a fairly nerve-wrecking process--The last two schools I needed to hear from had their results on the same day and both were acceptances. I noticed I'll go from calm and collected to panic mode at certain times in the process. It's also very helpful to have a supervisor on your side. As an international student, less than 10% of the applicants are accepted at U of T CSB, but your chances soar if a supervisor is willing to take you in (about 60%). My supervisor also nominated me for the scholarship that I ended up receiving. I contacted him my third year of undergrad and worked for him the summer before application season.

I did not apply based on stipend either. However, when it came down to it, funds are what influenced my final decision. It was either only getting funding for my first year of my masters (second year I had to apply to grants or pay out of pocket) at one university or getting funding for a PhD for five years + a major award at another university. I'm by no means greedy (I live very modestly as is from my socioeconomic status) but when you have those kinds of choices, the decision becomes pretty clear. I agree with Telkanuru--we all hate to say it, but there would be more funds to go around if grad schools accepted fewer students...

As I recall, 26 pt. is generally the accepted minimum font size for relevant info. References can be 18 pt. I've done quite a few poster presentations over my undergrad. I think the hardest thing is making that 2-3 minute pitch. You're bound to change it as more people ask about your poster. Also, make the design visually appealing without it being distracting. I tend to flair up my posters too much, haha.

If it makes you feel better, U of T really only looks at your past two years of undergrad. Cell and Systems Biology doesn't look at your cGPA at all. So that means that you have time to get yourself on your feet. Any particular reason for the B/B+'s? Is it motivation? Test anxiety? This will be something to reflect on if you want to improve your grades. I had a 2.9 GPA after my first year and improved dramatically since. Now I'm at a 3.6 cGPA and will be going direct entry to the PhD for Cell and Systems Biology at U of T (Which requires an A- average your final year).

I have schizoaffective disorder, but I am fairly high-functioning right now. I told my advisor about it after I worked for him last summer, so I proved myself as capable as anyone else without a disorder. Obviously I wasn't going to be able to hide regular appointments during my time in graduate school. My advice to you is to focus on what you are capable of and not your disabilities. In other words, emphasize that it is generally well-controlled with medication and that you are in treatment/recovering. That was the important part for my advisor.

I did this and got into one of the programs (which I accepted). This was my top choice school and knew the POI from researching with him the summer before applying. He even said it was a good idea to apply to multiple programs (but I would still be working for him because he was cross-appointed in other departments). I don't know how the arts work very well, so this may not apply (I'm in the STEM field).

1. Finish my B.S. and my extracurricular rat project 2. Start my PhD program in June to get my research started early 3. Go to Alaska for an Animal Behavior conference in mid-June 4. Explore the city more, get an apartment 5. APA conference in Toronto in early August

I've been accepted to a graduate program with a competitive scholarship. However, since I'll be off-campus (and out of the country) for the first time, I attempted to start budgeting my money. Thing is, I'm not sure what I will exactly need to pay for once I start living on my own. So, I started a thread to get other people's input and maybe get a list going that would apply to many new grad students. So far I have rent (utilities and internet included), cell phone bill, transit pass (I'm not using a car), groceries, spending money, and misc (the little charges such a laundry). Can anyone think of more?

Well, I did not end up in a psychology program, but here I go anyways... Undergrad Institution: Very small, liberal arts university (not well-known at all!) Major(s): Psychology and Animal Behavior Minor(s): Biology GPA in Major: 3.8-ish? Overall GPA: 3.605 Position in Class: Between top 35% and top 10% Type of Student: Female US student applying to Canadian programs GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 161 V: 156 W: 3.0 Research Experience: One independent research project with zebrafish (one talk, one poster, one manuscript submitted), a multiple choice probability learning project with rats (one poster), a line of research with the effects of sucrose on performance in an omission contingency in rats (one poster, one talk, another poster in submission. Hoping to get a manuscript out of our current project), one experimental psych class project (one poster), a zoo project with ring-tailed lemurs (one talk, one poster). Finally, at my top-choice school, I had the opportunity to create my own project with the role of maternal care on the prevalence of rat caged stereotypy (one poster). With the exception of one poster (2nd author), all of these works have been first author... Phew! I hope i didn't miss anything.. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Tri-Beta (Honors Society in Biology), Psi Chi (honors society in psychology), a Tri-Beta research grant, a couple of conference travel grants. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Head rat caretaker at my university? Special Bonus Points: I was a research volunteer for my top-choice university for one summer. That was certainly enough to get support from the POI. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I can't think of anything... Applied to Where: University of Toronto -- Psychology University of Toronto -- Cell and Systems Biology University of Waterloo -- Health Systems and Gerentology University of British Columbia -- Animal Welfare Results: Rejected: University of Toronto -- Psychology (presumed) University of British Columbia -- Animal Welfare (POI going on sabbatical) Accepted: University of Toronto -- Cell and Systems Biology University of Waterloo -- Health Systems and Gerentology Attending: University of Toronto -- Cell and Systems Biology + Connaught Scholarship! It was a rather surprising turn of events, to be honest...

I received a Connaught for international doctoral students scholarship I officially accepted the offer this morning.

Depending on whether or not my PI gets his grant, I'm thinking of starting in June. I would be coming right out of undergrad, but I would have all of May to recuperate. When I asked my PI about starting my research in the summer, I didn't know he had to fund me. I thought that the department would work that out. How naiive I was...