studentmamasf

Wow, you guys make me feel totally behind ! I am really worried about even applying, I am lacking research experience.

Background Info
BA Human Development 3.5 GPA
MA Counseling Psychology 3.7
EdS School Psychology 3.7
GRE in Fall, currently studying

Experience
2 Years experiences providing therapy, conducing psychoeducational and neuropsychological assessments
Various leadership roles at the national and state level related to psychology
collecting research data for neuropsychological test maker
Letters of recc from neuropsychs, clinical psychs, and others
Conference attendance and membership to various psychological associations
Current School List (Still Developing)
University of Utah University of Nevada Reno Cal Berkeley University of Missouri Kansas City University of Wyoming I am terrified!!
 

As an update for the folks who helped me (and for future applicants who may be in my situation): I got a full-time job as a research coordinator in an extremely productive lab at an amazing institution (which I frankly didn't think I had a shot at getting into). I'm honestly more excited about this "acceptance" than the three non-funded PsyD acceptances I had earlier this year, which really solidifies 1) the fact that I'm passionate about research, and 2) that I've made the right choice by declining offers and planning to reapply to PhD programs in a few years.
Yaaaay

I was 38 when I graduated with my master's and I'll be 44 when I'm done with the PhD, but it's worth it. One thing you don't want to be is old and in debt because there's really no way to recover from that.  Best of luck in whatever you decide!

I will be older than both of you when I finish! But to me, that’s kind of a bonus, because now that I’m a mom, the idea of settling down in some nice college town and doing research that I love sounds good. It didn’t at all when I was younger. I actually met a professor at my last interview who didn’t start her master’s until she was 37 and then didn’t go for her doctorate until later. I found her inspiring. 

I don't have any clear-cut answers for you, but I did want to offer some support/thoughts. You're clearly in a tough position, and I can relate to that as I'm figuring out my plan-B as well. I'm also married, to a spouse who wants to attend a PhD program, so I'm totally with you on that one - it's not just your own desires that matter anymore! Balancing goals is complex, and sacrifice is virtually inevitable on both ends.
Speaking from personal experience, I can say that huge student debt is rough, especially if your spouse has some as well. That fear is no joke, and you're right to take it seriously.
If there is anything useful I can offer, it is this: you will (ideally!) be age 40 either way. Which version of yourself do you want to be then?

Started undergrad at 33, master's at 38, starting a PhD program at 40.  Professors I inteviewed with said my life/work experiences were what caught their attention.  

Hi,
 
Here's some suggestions for how you can improve your SOP:
 
1.  I would cut the beginning considerably -- don't talk about all the things you thought you might be: it makes you look like a flake and raises the question of whether you'll want to be something other than a genetics counselor in a year or two. You could just start by saying something like:  Like most children, I didn't grow up with the dream of becoming a genetics counselor. In fact, I never heard of genetics counseling until my junior year in college, when....  Then explain why you immediately realized this was a perfect field for you, how it caters to your interest in science and your desire to work in counseling as opposed to in a lab.
 
2. You need to work on more precise phrasing/word choice, and varying your sentence structure to convey that you are an educated, articulate person who is likely to succeed at graduate school. Your word choice/phrasing is often too casual and simplistic and there are far too many short, choppy sentences. E.G. "I thought that is one really interesting profession. Its like a hybrid of biology and psychology."
 
3. I had a difficult time following the chronology of your different experiences -- it seems like you are talking about experiences after you finished school before you talk about internships/work you did while pursuing your BA. You refer to the crisis hotline as if you mentioned it previously and the reader knows what you're talking about. If you were committed to a career in counseling before you narrowed down the field to genetics counseling, I would discuss some of the experiences that helped you develop your skills as a counselor first and then talk about shadowing genetics counselors to learn more about this aspect of counseling specifically. You can cut out the part about looking for more info about the field on the internet.
 
4.  You should have a paragraph that explains why the specific school you are applying to is a good fit for you -- what makes the school appealing (mention specific program features); what makes you a good fit for this program. This paragraph should be rewritten for each school.
 
5.  There are numerous grammatical errors that need to be fixed. You might consider having your final draft professionally edited.
 
Good luck.

Medievalmaniac, I really don't think that the SoP is the right place to explain your coursework, unless it has direct relevance to the narrative you're writing about your development. I just attached a sheet with all my applications called "Undergraduate Coursework in Literature" or "Relevant Coursework," and then divide it up into "English" and "French." Under each category, I had the course number, the actual full title, the prof, and my grade in it. That way they can cross-reference with my transcript if they want, but they have the important info that they'll really be mining my transcript for isolated for them already. And I didn't have to take up precious space in my SoP explaining them.

As for what I did in my SoP that I think worked, I have some perspective on that, having been roundly rejected two years ago and pretty decent success this round (though UVa and U Washington, what is UP?! Still waiting on them). I really think the difference between my two SoPs is the big thing that made the difference, as my numbers and other qualifications (and even most of my writing sample, though I edited it) are the same. So here's what I think made the difference, in three alliterative categories:

1. Focus. Like it or not, they want to be able to categorize you. You can have secondary interests, but they have to be clearly secondary and bear some relation to your main focus. Last time I tried to tell too many stories of my development, and there were too many directions I could go in. This was partially a reflection of where I was at the time, and honestly I think they were right to reject me straight out of undergrad - I needed some time to reflect, to think about what I actually wanted to do in the field. Now that I have, my SoP reflects that clearer sense of direction and purpose.

2. Fit. Everyone tells you this, but it's true. I spent a lot more time really researching profs on the websites, then looking up and scanning through a few key articles, and skimming through the courses they taught. It really gives you a better idea of whether their interests and methodologies ACTUALLY fit yours, or whether it just looks like that on paper. I then tailored my fit paragraph to show how multiple faculty members could support my research interests (this may be English-specific, as in other non-humanitites disciplines you are applying to work with one advisor). Also, if the department has a pet methodology, it's helpful to know that - they'll look for students who fit that bill. Interdisciplinary programs that faculty are involved in and subfield/methodologically-specific colloquia, etc. are also things to look for.

3. Future. This could vary, depending on how much of an academic past you have, but for me what helped was focusing discussing even my past towards showing how it formed a trajectory for the future. I've said in other places around here that the best advice I got for my SoP was that you should think about demonstrating that you are capable of conceiving of a larger project; whether or not you end up doing that project is irrelevant, as you probably won't and the adcomm is well aware of that - the point is that you are CAPABLE of conceiving of a future direction for yourself. I focused on telling a story (i.e. "I'm interested in the relationship to place in Modernist literature") and cutting all details of my past that didn't mesh with that. So by the end I was able to say look! What I discussed doing in paragraphs x (gloss of relevant coursework/advisors, focus), y (challenges and triumphs of writing my thesis and learning theory), and z (teaching, living different places) all feed into the project I'm proposing in this last paragraph (though the project was sufficiently broad so as not to pigeonhole me). I said that I wanted to go in certain different directions, but it was clear that it would be a continuation of my development, not starting anew. They want to see that you are capable of functioning independently as an academic (should be demonstrated by your past and by the fact that you can independently come up with good future directions), but that they have something to offer in terms of guiding you.

Hope that helps!