ihatechoosingusernames

Hey there! I'm currently going through a similar process. I applied to about 12 schools, waitlisted at my top choice, and admitted to two great programs. There are quite a few factors I'm looking at (assuming I don't get off the waitlist), but here are a few that come to mind: Research fit with professors! Number of publications from students and professors in the program (Are the profs actively publishing? Do they often publish w/ student co-authors?) Ability to get graduate certificates if I want to (I would like to end up with both an advanced stats cert and a gender/women's studies cert, personally.) Program focus (If I take the necessary classes/internships/whatever, will this program put me where I want to be career-wise?) Group dynamics (I visited the schools and met with current students. Did people like it there? Are they friendly? Helpful? Competitive?) Funding (Not just stipend; amount of credits they'll pay for, travel funds, summer funding, fees, school supplies, etc.) School/Program ranking (Is the school well known? How is the psychology program ranked? Are the faculty known in their fields?) Program alumni (Where are past students in my program working now? Academia or Industry? Where do I want to go?) School alumni base (Will I be able to network with alumni that may help me find a job/internship/post doc position in the future?) The city! (Is it expensive to live there? Will you need a car? Do they have a bus? Can I get the foods/coffee I like? What is there to do on a Friday night?) The campus (Too big? Too small? Easy to get places? Places I can get plugged in so I don't feel alone in a new university? What's the gym like?) And I'll say this only because I'm going sifting through these same feelings too and have to remember to keep my ego in check...but no one is going to be super crushed if you don't accept their program offer. Obviously they would like you to attend, but if you don't they already have someone in mind. This happens every year, and no one is going to be let down if you don't choose their program. Every year thousands of students turn down offers across the U.S. and there is no great academic mourning session...at least that I know of!

Thanks for the info! We drove through Sam Houston on our way out of BCS, and Lake Conroe looked like a good place to kayak. From what I've been researching there are some cool spots to hike in TX, but many are at least a 1.5 hour drive away. I guess if that's what I need to get my outdoor fix... Anyone have any tips on the best places to live with a dog?

I'm so happy to be able to post in this thread! I had interviewed at this school about a week and a half earlier, and was told that I was either going to be accepted or put on a short waitlist. I was actually asleep on Monday morning when I got the call from my POI. I spent the first three rings of my phone trying wake up and make it sound as though I had been up and about like a normal human being during the work week. When I finally answered the phone, my POI says. "Hi! Do you have a moment for a really quick chat?" Really quick? Oh great. I guess it'll just take a quick second to put me on the waitlist. "I just wanted to let you know that we've decided to accept your application, and hope that you'll join us..." at which point I lost track of what she said because I floated away on a cloud of joy!

Traffic isn't terrible if you feel like you need to drive, but the public transit system (bus & light rail) are fantastic. I think you get the opportunity to purchase a bus pass at a discount as a UW student as well. If you like biking, there is a huge bike path that goes right to campus, and the city is bike friendly as well. I couldn't tell you a thing about the math program, but I lived in Seattle around the UW area for years. It's expensive, but totally doable. Feel free to message me if you'd like to talk more about the different neighborhoods around Seattle.

That's what I did. I applied in 2013 and didn't get in. I took a job a Lowes for a bit and contacted a professor at the closest university who had somewhat similar research interests. I attended lab meetings once a week, and had the chance to get in a few more poster presentations and a non peer reviewed publication in the university's women's studies journal. I did have the opportunity this last summer to apply for a job as a research assistant, and got the job based off of my volunteer research experience. If anything, it shows how dedicated you are to research. I even had it brought up at a visiting weekend, and they mentioned how impressed they were that I kept active in the field. @EatSleepPsychology is right, though. There are so many factors that play into an admissions decision, and you can't control all of them. It's frustrating, but it is what it is.

Do you handwrite on the Surface using the pen? I also read somewhere that you can record audio for your notes using the surface tablet similar to how the livescribe pen records notes. Do you use this function at all, and if so, do you like it? I noticed quite a few current students at the preview weekend using a Surface tablet. I like taking notes by hand, but it sure would be nice to have them already on an electronic device!

I didn't apply to GM, but is there a link you can click in the application or in the application status check page that brings you to a decision letter?

And it'll likely be a high security deposit too. Most places require proof that you and your boyfriend make at least three times the cost of the rent, and if you don't you may need your parents to cosign the lease. Depending on where you live coffee shops may be a good place to work also. My sister made enough just in tip money to cover her monthly gas, utilities, and grocery budget.

I think it's a good idea! I don't know if they'd formally be co-advisors or if you'd just end up working with both of them. At one of the programs I applied to there were three people that I'd most likely end up working under over the course of 5-6 years. It's nice because when you go out into the workforce (especially academia) you're going to need around three letters of reference. If you've been closely working with two people, then those letters will be strong. Also, if you end up having a personality conflict with one, then you can always cut ties and work with the other. You'll also get two perspectives on how you're progressing in grad school, and two people that will be able to help you network at conferences.

Congrats @Flume and @IOhopeful2016! Looks like IOhopeful2016 is going to have to change their username

Anyone have anything new to add to the College Station thread? I'm specifically looking for info about outdoor activities. I grew up in a state where I hiked a lot and I know Texas (at least around BCS) is pretty flat, but are there any hiking related things to do? What about kayaking?

Yeah, they're doing their interview "weekend" for social psych this week Wednesday.

Finally got a formal acceptance to a PhD program! I'm so happy I feel like I could cry, jump for joy, and take a nap all at the same time. It's been an exhausting two application season, and I'm happy to never have to spend another dime on the application process again!

I made these EXACT mistakes! I applied to 12 schools, had at least 4 people other than my husband look over my SOP, and only caught it for the last three or so. But, I've been interviewed at almost all of the schools where I submitted the mistakes. @fuzzylogician is totally right - they're not going to disqualify you for little typos

Any more up-to-date info on Worcester? If I were to move there I'd be bringing my dog. Are there any areas that are more dog friendly than others?

Congrats to whomever had the acceptance from FIU! If you see this, would you care to share your POI via PM?

Exactly! The $99 subscription gives you six months of access, and you can easily get through all the videos in that time frame. The key is to consistently practice. And I know that the practice problems are more difficult than the actual test. Somewhere else on this forum they have a thread dedicated to how people were scoring on their practice tests and what their actual scores were. I went in to the test with my practice scores 3-5 points lower on Magoosh than the actual test.

I would second Magoosh. For $99 you get over 500 of each type of questions. If you've taken it already, you can do their thing where they guarentee that you improve your overall score by however many points or your money back. Be warned that it's a ton of work. They require that you watch all the training videos and do all the practice problems, but at the very least it's good motivation. I loved that you could do practice problems and they'd have a video explaination at the end. It didn't make my quant score go up a lot of points (153 to a 156) but percentile-wise it jumped enough to put me in the 60th percentile. They also explain how to approach different types of questions which I found helpful. If your vocab tends to be okay but memorizing oodles of flashcards isn't your thing, I'd recommend getting a Kindle or the free kindle app and reading ebooks. Most likely you'll be able to check them out for free at your local library. Amazon has a few free books online too. I read a bunch of Sherlock Holmes novels since they were interesting enough to keep me reading, but had words that I didn't know the exact definitions of. On a Kindle (or kindle app) you can highlight words you don't know and read the definitions. I'd even highlight words that I could figure out from the context of the sentence just so I'd know them later on. It was helpful having that exposure, and I didn't feel like I was doing too much work.

School Name: North Carolina State UniversityInterview Invite Received: January 21stDegree: PhDType: Applied Social and Community (Formerly Psychology in the Public Interest)Notified via: Email/phone call from POIInterview Date: February 19Additional Info: Was emailed and asked to call my POI ASAP. Had a phone call this morning, extended an invite to visiting weekend/interviewing for TA slot weekend on the 19th. Was told that my POI is recommending me to the grad school to be admitted to the program. So...soft acceptance, I guess?

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who has cried in the testing center after seeing some good news! @beyondnervous You can do it! That stupid test has bested many of us on our first round of applications, and the second time you apply you'll be applying with better scores and a strong knowledge of how the entire application system works. Stay strong!

I just heard back from the joint program today. Waitlisted. I'm stoked I'm even on the waitlist, but also sad that I'm on the waitlist. Talk about some conflicting emotions!

Thank goodness for technology, indeed! I just got off a phone interview where I was told that if I declined an in person interview they wouldn't hold it against me at all. They know we have limited funding as students, so it's no big deal to turn it down. I see they want to discuss interview arrangements. Do you know if they're offering to pay for part of your trip at all? If they are, and if that weekend isn't already taken up with another interview, you might consider giving it a shot. I don't think turning down an interview would automatically disqualify you, but it's important for both you and the school to get to know each other. They don't want to pick someone who has obvious character flaws that are only apparent once they meet someone in person, and they don't want to invest time/money into someone who may hate the city and leave a year down the road. It's a gamble for them to extend an offer of admission, and I'm sure it calms them somewhat to meet prospective students in person. But don't sweat it too much! If you really don't have the time/money/whatever, just tell them you're broke and take the Skype interview

Going out on a limb...it means you're probably going to be receiving an invitation to come for an interview

If you received the phone interview from the applied social/community program at Portland State, I'd love to know who your POI is! And congrats on the interview!