Dedi

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

I might be wrong because I'm applying to Vanier CGS, but I think the instructions say to list up to five and talk about them in detail. I did three simply because they fit well with research interests and the current project that I'm proposing. I don't know if that helps, but it's something to keep in mind.

The latter. Come to think of it, he hasn't seen my CV yet. He's asked for transcripts and recommendations from professors I've done research with (this was all prepping for volunteering in his lab, though). Just keep in mind that every professor has their own style. I usually only give the CV if they ask for it on their website or request for it when they reply. Other people may attach it every time they email a POI. I honestly don't think there's a right way of doing it as long as it conveys the same information.

Generally, well-written statements are between 1-2 pages, if not given a limit. I'm sure you don't have to cut back on any experiences, but extra words do add up. You might want to restructure your sentences so they are shorter, yet convey the same message. What program are you applying to?

Congrats! I also had a phone conversation with my top-choice POI and it went very well. Waiting for the call was probably the most anxiety-provoking thing of the whole ordeal. Fortunately, we didn't realize the time zone differences and called me an hour sooner than expected. Surprising, yes, but the chronic anxiety wasn't eating away at my confidence. It was like a very informal interview. He would ask a question, I would answer, and it would stimulate some conversation. I talked about my research interests and he would discuss future directions in his lab. I also had opportunities to ask him questions (don't worry about asking about everything you want to know; if a question comes to mind after the conversation then you can always email them). The call lasted ~20 minutes and at the end he explicitly said to me that he wanted to interact in the future. If you've seen my past posts on Gradcafe, I did keep in touch and got to spend the summer as a research volunteer in his lab. Overall, just be open (but professional), have a couple of questions ready and breathe.

Let me give you an example on why both answers are correct: 1/2 * 2. Simple, yes? It can also be written as 1/2 * 2/1 = (1*2)/(2*1) = 2/2 = 1. When dealing with fractions, think of whole numbers as being divided by one. I'm not great at explaining the way I do math, so let me know if that didn't make sense.

GRE DONE. Undergrad Institution: Liberal Arts University that isn't very well known nationally. Major(s): Psychology Minor(s): Biology GPA in Major: Not sure, we usually don't have that calculated. Overall GPA: 3.51 Position in Class: I got inducted into Psi Chi last semester so at least top 35% Type of Student: Female US citizen applying to mostly Canadian schools GRE Scores (revised/old version): (Taking in August) Q: 161 (80th percentile) V: 156 (71st percentile) W: Will receive soon. B: Not taking. Research Experience: Oh, boy. This one is always tricky because the university doesn't have "labs" that I can join. I did an independent biology research project that lasted about 7 months. Preparing a manuscript (1st author out of three). Did two conference talks on this project (single author; one was a regional conference and the other was a university-wise conference) Was an undergraduate research assistant for a probability learning project, but we only got preliminary results. We're going to hopefully present a poster at a state-wide conference (2nd author out of four). Presenting a poster at a Canadian national conference on a research course project (single author). I plan to continue the project this fall and hopefully will get a manuscript in next spring (I'm thinking 1st author out of two). I am a research volunteer/intern at University of Toronto for the summer. We'll see about manuscripts. There are a few research opportunities for me this fall (behavioral ecology project, research seminar for psychology students) Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Tri-Beta member, Psi Chi member, Dean's list, received a Tri-Beta research grant based on my proposal for my independent biology project Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Biology lab assistant at my university Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: I can't think of anything else... Special Bonus Points: The PI that I'm volunteering for this summer is my POI for my top choice school. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I had a poor first year due to adjustment problems. However, my grades shot up in second year and third year. Applying to Where: See signature--I imagine that it is subject to change.

Thanks for the advice! The POI and I seem to work really well together, and it is the main reason why he is my top choice. By the way, my main interest is applied animal behavior, which has more of a prominence in European countries than North America. So, basically, it's even harder to find POIs in that end. I'm thinking of going into the basic sciences (just knowing for the sake of knowing) then slowly transition to applied work. I'll learn a lot of things that won't be related to what I want to do as a career (particularly the molecular component). However, I think it is still useful to learn these things because it expands my knowledge and if my interests change, I'm not restricted by a certain technique. Epigenetics was never something I considered until about a year and a half ago (even though I was interested in the concept). My top choice POI has changed since about 2-3 years ago, but for a good reason! I don't think I would have been happy in that particular lab; our interactions felt rigid.

Yeah, that is true. I'm also applying to other schools that have only one professor that match my research interests. It's not ideal because things change over the course of a year. I'm asking the department if they will accept three letters. In the FAQ, they say two letters are required (which says basically nothing about sending in more than two). The psych administration is kind of difficult to deal with when I have questions. The biology department is much more responsive.

I agree (though I don't practice what I preach, shh). If you do have a choice (I don't, really; people that match my interests are scattered), pick the schools that have multiple faculty that match your interests or that do rotations.

Oh cool, another epigenetics person! I have a bit of a dilemma going on. I really want to get into U of T Psych, and the POI that I volunteered for this summer (U of T professor) is willing to look over my application materials and write me a strong letter of rec. However, the program requires two letters, and I already have two strong letters in place. What should I do? Should I send in three strong letters, or exclude someone? Would having a letter from the POI strengthen my application or would it not be advisable?

I now have the same question. The program I want to apply to requires two letters. I had my two letters in place (they say they will be strong) and then the POI I've been working for this summer offered to write me a strong letter. I don't want to exclude anyone because I think they all will have an important role...