Dedi
-
Posts
329 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Dedi
-
-
Thanks for your reply! I realize I have mostly reaches. I'm defininitely going to trim it down, mostly depending on my new GRE scores. I have an in at one highly ranked program, so for that reason I figured I might as well go nuts and see what happens.
I do have an explanation for my grade trend (1 bad year and an upward trend ending in nearly all As in my most advanced courses). I'm wondering whether or not it would be wise to mention briefly it in any way (without sounding like I'm making an excuse). Any thoughts?
I had a bad 1st year, but I'm not mentioning it because a ) if not put in the correct way, it does sound like I'm making excuses and b ) I have a major upward trend starting my 2nd year (went from ~2.89 to 3.52 for cum. GPA) and the adcom can see that in my transcript. That's my two cents.
-
My writing score is worse than yours (3.0), but only one program I'm applying to looks at the GRE scores.
As far as I know, the writing portion is the last thing that admissions will consider when looking at the GRE (and the application package in general).
-
When I had informal Skype interviews with POIs, we talked about everything you've mentioned. Even though it was redundant information, the Skype meeting was a good way to gauge how we interacted "in real life". There was a lot of small talk, and we discussed how the interview process at the university would work if I was invited. I was a lot more stressed out and prepped much more than I needed to. It was very friendly and less formal than I expected.
That was my experience as well. We talked about the projects going on at the lab, how my ideas would fit, and some other random odds and ends. I do recall the POI asking me why I wanted to go into graduate school. It was very informal and I felt like I was allowed to calm down (which is a very good sign that I will get along with him). At the end, he mentioned how he would like to keep interacting with me in the future.
This was back in January, and I still communicate with him (In fact, I had another skype conversation with him last Friday). I don't think I would stand a chance as an "international" applicant without him trying to advocate for me. It does make a difference.
-
Most Canadian programs do not require GRE scores either. Standardized tests don't mean much, IMO. No Child Left Behind is an example of what education has come down to when standardized tests come into play.
I wouldn't say that they are a low level program. It's just that they consider other aspects of the application to be more important (which may even be a good thing).
-
Hey, thanks for your detailed reply! I knew my SOP needed a lot of work and you've highlighted it pretty well. I'll definitely look into all these points and refurnish it in a better way. I have one more doubt though. You've mentioned about not trying to impress them with the vocabulary. Does vocabulary not matter at all? I've tried to use better vocabulary just because, there's a conception in India that the SOP should show you've a good vocabulary. I really feel that I could do a better job using simple English.
For the sciences, plain English is usually preferred. The adcom is looking at many of these SOPs and it's almost a relief to read something that doesn't require a lot of effort to understand.
-
I totally understand your concerns but I have researched these programs and their faculty endlessly. I'm rather obsessive about it to be honest. Given the breadth of my undergraduate research I have a few different interests in graduate study but all concerning brain imaging. From studying memory and language processes to imaging neurogical and psychiatric disorders. These schools have extensive programs in these areas.
I see. Well, best of luck to you! Some people are very lucky in terms of having a lot of schools that would match research interests.
-
Adran6,
Quick question; what are your research interests? Do these schools have professors that match your interests? When you say you aren't messing around with getting a PhD, I worry that you aren't carefully researching the schools and making sure you wouldn't mind going to that school if you got rejected everywhere else. In other words, I wouldn't choose a school that you feel would make doing your PhD a chore.
I'm sure you did your research, but I wanted to be sure.
-
From what I gather, a high score will not guarantee admission but a low score will hinder your chances.
Think of it as a graph with the GRE score on the x axis and chances of admission on the y axis. The line rapidly increases as your scores go up and plateaus after a certain point (and it won't ever reach 100%).
There are a lot more than a GRE score that admissions committees consider (such as SOP, letters of rec, and research experience for most programs).
IMHO, getting a high score on the GRE means that you played their game and it's not really indicative of grad school success (as much as they BS about it).
- wh815, youngcharlie101 and smg
-
3
-
I'm finishing up an application (just need to pay the application fee). I am starting to get anxious about results already (the deadline hasn't even passed yet!). Excited, but also nervous.
-
I agree with Vene. Talk with them now so that they are prepared to write you a letter (provided that they agreed to write a LOR) when the midterms arrive. Establish the relationship now (go to office hours with thoughtful questions, for example) and send them your application materials (CV, SOP) so they can write the best possible letter. A grade is only one component of the letter (and it's not really that important). They are evaluating your characteristics and work ethic that will determine success in graduate school. One of my letter writers didn't even teach me, but I have worked as a research volunteer with him.
Overall, if you feel that you can give an accurate picture of how you would do in graduate school to these professors, then go ahead and ask them for the letters.
-
I agree with TakerUK. Though I use a very brief narrative (1-2 sentences) instead of bullet points, I think both can work if done effectively (then again, I did this for work experience and not projects. I just list the project name, place, and PI).
10-15 projects is a lot. Were you particularly engaged with a few of them? If you were just doing literature searches, data analysis, etc. I don't think you are obligated to list them all/list them in detail (I didn't list all the projects I've done that didn't go beyond a poster at my university's academic conference for me). However, if you led a project or did an independent study, it would be worth noting more in detail.
Another way if getting your mass of projects mentioned is to say that you did x with y number of projects under the Research Assistant position portion of the CV. However, it really depends on how engaged you were with all those projects.
Did any of your projects lead to conference presentations/publications? Putting those in their respective section and not putting them in the "Projects" section (which I use for projects that are still in data collection) will also shorten your list.
I might be able to help guide you to writing your CV (not like I have enough on my plate as is). If you're interested, go ahead and PM me.
-
I'm confused. Are you applying to an Undergrad program or a Grad program? If the former, I think you came to the wrong forum.
If the latter, I'm not seeing much in terms of research interests. I know you want to do automotive engineering, but can you be a bit more specific?
The quotes don't make sense in the given context. Your organization is very choppy and doesn't have a sense of direction.
You seem to have a very shallow understanding in your topic of interest and about higher education (Undergrad or Grad). It does read like a high schooler wrote it.
You're better off starting fresh. Get advice from your professors/teachers about how to write a SOP and get a native English speaker to proofread. This isn't about understanding English. It's about understanding how to communicate effectively in writing.
(Yes, I know I'm sometimes harsh, but I'd rather nip the ineffective SOPs in the bud.)
-
I will also look at your SOP, but not until the weekend.
-
you turn it in by Aug 1...or you under another deadline
It may be another deadline. Mine is November 15th...
-
I titled my emails "Prospective student Fall 2015"
I deliberately made it obvious so they would know what they were opening - I also wanted to make sure they could find it again if needed
Ditto.
-
Regarding the various research experience, I do not think it will be detrimental to your application. I'm in the same boat as you. Though my university doesn't technically have "labs" in the life sciences, I've had some varied independent research projects (that I've done beyond what was expected of me). What I've done in the SOP is made these different topics surround my current research interests.
No one is expected to know what they exactly want to do in the first or second year of university. Even then, who you work with as an undergrad depends on who is taking in students. As Fuzzy said, too much experience is never really a problem.
-
Thank you so much for the clarification. It's really great of the both of you to take time out of your busy schedules and answer my questions. I'm very gracious. I have two more questions:
A. Is getting into a masters program in Canada on par with getting into a masters program in the U.S.? Or is it more on par with getting into a U.S. doctorate program, since the master's (as you so kindly clarified for me) is essentially the first two years of a doctorate?
B. Is it more difficult for American students to get into Canadian graduate programs than Canadian students? I have noticed that there don't seem to be a lot of American grad students (if any) in the Canadian programs I've looked into.
B. Yes, definitely. American students are considered "international" and therefore most Canadian programs have limited spots for them. I'm applying to U of T's psych program, but I am not sure of my chances even with help from my POI...
-
To discuss research ideas, what the POI might want the student work on during the PhD. Perhaps there are other funding options, like departmental fellowships that the POI would be willing to help you get. Perhaps, you have a question about one of your POIs paper.
There are probably more I'm missing.
I think you covered most of it. It's good practice for networking, as well. It took me a while to write a decent email for POIs. It's a skill, I guess.
-
Call me out if I'm wrong, but my first impression of this statement is that you focus too much on the past and how it led you to where you are now. I didn't see anything about your current interests and what you plan to do with the degree. Why do you want to go to Graduate school? Who are you interested in working with in a particular school? I would cut the first half and start with the "In India..." sentence. Even so, you may want an intro paragrpah that summarizes (briefly) what you will be talking about.
I'm outside your field, but that is my two cents.
-
This is a great idea. Count me in, once I get my new laptop with all my files available. That should be possible by next week.
-
I also have to disagree with contacting POIs. I think of it as networking; if they cannot take in students, there's a chance that they may collaborate on a project in the future.
There was particular POI that helped me in contacting other POIs. I had the chance to meet her at a conference, and she was very nice. She's not taking in grad students, but I'm keeping her in mind for a postdoc should I decide to go for one. Also, she may end up the "outside person" in my dissertation committee. You never know what may happen!
I cannot stress the importance of networking enough. We live in a world where networking is fast and easy. Take advantage of it. The mild annoyance of some professors does not outweigh the benefits of possibly having a POI advocate for your application.
-
The first time I took the old GRE I scored a 5 on the writing. The second time I changed 3 things, and got up to a 6. Here is what I changed:
1. Use short and long sentences. Example: Is it a cogent argument that statistically significant results can be extrapolated based on a sample derivated of convienent participants who happened to walk into that lab today and were persuaded to sign a letter of consent due to a stack of $100 bills? I think not.
2. Have some pocket $20 words that can easily be thrown in. These can be things like extremes (exorbinant), common verbs (ameliorate, mitigate) and words to describe good arguments (cogent) or ones that aren't really there yet (jejune). You know you are going to have to talk about the status of an argument, or a thought process, so have some good words ready.
3. Use examples from different fields. If you read some headline news7 from biology, physics, chemistry, or technology, apply them as metaphors to your argument. Then you can get all fancy and say things like "If we look to the modern field of physics, we can see this example played out in the research currently being conducted at MTI in superconductors... Alternatively, in biology this can be viewed as ______" Being able to signal to the reader that you are not only correct in the reasoning of your argument, but can lend on different fields to express your point makes you seem like an even stronger writer!
I hope this helps...
Sorry for the previous rant. I'm as stresssed as everyone else regarding admissions.
Personally, I've had conflicts regarding how an academic should write. I believe the GRE encourages poor writing. Big words in the real world don't impress anyone. The formulac "5 paragraph essay" is barely used in undergrad anymore, and it probably is used less in grad school. In my honest opinion, the AWA formula is for the convenience of the readers and does not benefit us whatsoever.
I've heard of people that are "good writers" do terrible on the AWA. Alternatively, I've heard of "bad writers" doing well on the AWA.
If I decide to do the GRE again, I'll have to strip my writing of any dignity and create those flowery sentences that make me go cross-eyed. I hate it, but I have to play their game.
-
I abhor the GRE's writing section. Professors have told me that I am a strong writer, and I get a 3.0 on the AWA section of the GRE. It's an absolute joke.
The whole GRE is a joke, really. The verbal is basically memorizing 'big words', quantitative derives questions from high school algebra, and the analytical writing is mindless BSing (with some organization). It sucks that my top choice program requires it (and it is the only program I'm applying for that requires it).
I honestly can't afford to take the test again, so I may have to forfeit my chances of getting into my top-choice program. The POI is going to ask how the adcom views GRE scores, but I have a feeling that it will be important for international applicants. That's my luck.
-
Hoping I seem competitive enough to get in. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated
Have you checked the cut-off for the GRE in these places? Your GRE score, while not terrible, may prevent you from getting into the UC schools. If your heart is set for California, you may want to consider retaking it.
Otherwise your application seems strong enough. I think your next steps would be to write a killer statement, maybe retake the GRE, and think about who would write your recommendation letters.
Fall 2015 Applicant Thread
in Psychology Forum
Posted
You can't mention other faculty member(s) that match pretty close to your interests in that program?