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neur0cat

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Posts posted by neur0cat

    Home Field Advantage?

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    2 hours ago, byn said:

     In that cycle, the POI still invited people to interview for her lab, but he was the only one selected for the laboratory. I have a feeling that some POIs will put those who apply for their labs "at the top of their application piles" but still will go through the "formal process" of reviewing applications for their lab, doing interviews, etc., especially to not have concerns raised over unfair advantage by adcoms (even if they have their own biases/preferences in favor of someone who works in their lab/they'd already accept). In my opinion, it seems a little unfair if other applicants aren't aware they are competing against another candidate(s) who may have a slight advantage over them in the process..

    Experienced this during one of my interviews - there was another applicant who had been working at the lab for some time prior to formally applying. I was somewhat disconcerted upon realizing this but did my best anyway. I've accepted that there are factors you simply can't control and it's ultimately the POI's choice in deciding. I really hope my POI did not go into the process with the mentality of already knowing whom to accept and inviting applicants as a formality just to ensure "unbiasedness".

    Interview Attire

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    7 hours ago, Louvre said:

    My source said ok to wear dark denim jeans without rips for the social assuming the rise is not too low (or you wear a long enough sweater to cover any accidental exposure!). 

    Thanks! In your opinion at least, would this qualify as dark denim? 

    Interview Attire

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted · Edited by neur0cat

    14 hours ago, pricklypear said:

    I think this would work great! I'm wearing similar outfits during casual events at my interviews, which consist mainly of dark jeans, basic (striped) sweaters and black ankle boots (no blazer). I found the ankle boots to be quite versatile, so I will also be wearing them to the formal part of the interview with a pencil skirt, blouse and cardigan. 

    I'm also planning to wear a pair of black ankle boots to the formal interview. Wondering if it's OK to wear regular colored jeans to the social though? I plan to also wear plain sweaters without the blazer.

    How many typically get interviews?

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    20 minutes ago, byn said:

    The program I'm interviewing for is extremely competitive, and I think that's the norm (to interview fewer students). I've read on forums about the program I'm interviewing at that in previous years, about 4-5 candidates interviewed for one spot. I don't feel confident whatsoever about the 20-25% chance of being selected.. I am doing my best to prepare for the interview, but I still feel SO nervous about this. :wacko:

    Would you mind sharing which program that is via PM :)?

    How many typically get interviews?

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    31 minutes ago, byn said:

    I thought about this as well.. Having to go into interview day with "competition" mentality makes me feel a little uneasy- Usually when we apply for jobs, internships, volunteer positions, etc- We don't meet other applicants during the interview process. This process is a little more nerve-wracking knowing we are sitting next to and across other competitive applicants who want that spot just as much as we do. :blink:

    Exactly how I feel :(

    Also, is it likely in the case of extremely competitive programs, for programs to interview fewer students since it is likely that most students are bound to accept offers? I'm not quite sure what to expect in terms of my chances and it definitely isn't quite professional to ask.

    Interview Attire

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted · Edited by neur0cat

    Thank you @Emotix! :) Would you think ankle boots (something like this) are fine, or would flats/heels be advised? I am mostly interviewing on the East Coast and it's expected that it'd be cold.

    Also, what do people think of going with a boucle blazer?

    Interview Attire

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    I'm international and hail from a country with a tropical climate. Given interviews are in winter, I would like to seek some advice regarding how formal blouses should be. I'm trying to steer away from wearing a suit as not only is it costly to purchase, I've never worn one before and expect I might feel rather uncomfortable if I were to do so at interviews. I am also not interviewing for clinical programs so I'm not too sure if a full suit is expected/necessary. 

    Do you think the following blouses would work (with dress pants) or are they too informal? Would regular black ankle boots work for interviews or is it necessary to change into heels? 

    Thanks very much!

    Screen Shot 2017-01-08 at 12.04.39 pm.png

    Screen Shot 2017-01-08 at 12.05.44 pm.png

    Questions about flight expenses

    in Interviews and Visits

    Posted · Edited by neur0cat

    7 hours ago, fuzzylogician said:

    1. Yes. Covering the cost of the flight entails getting you there and back.

    2. Get a normal (return) ticket, this should be fine. You could let them know that you're combining the visit to that school with a few other visits to save on costs, and you're having the schools you're visiting share the expenses. This is fairly routine, especially for international students. Costs are too prohibitive (not to mention that the whole thing is time-consuming) to make multiple trips for interviews. 

    Hi @fuzzylogician, thanks for the clarification! I do have other interviews but would really prefer not to pool the expenses together mainly because I'd rather have the other schools account for the domestic flight expenses respectively. If I were to pool all the expenses together, I might wind up having to pay a lot more with every domestic return ticket per interview.

    Questions about flight expenses

    in Interviews and Visits

    Posted · Edited by neur0cat

    Just a few queries - hope people who've been through the process might be able to give their thoughts on. Some might seem silly but I'm international and this is the first (and only, I hope!) time I've been through the process.

    1. When programs cover flights, does this necessarily always imply a return air ticket instead of a one-way?

    2. I have a few interviews on hand, with most programs offering to cover only domestic air fare. However, one particular program is offering to cover a lot more than the usual amount, which is almost enough to cover the entire international air fare. My question is: Will it be all right for this program to cover the entire international return flight, even if my return date is a lot later (due to the other interviews thereafter)? I'm not sure if this might be in bad taste since I'm pretty sure the school will come to know of it, but a one-way ticket is almost the same price, if not more expensive than a return ticket, so it doesn't make sense. Or should I just personally cover the international air fare to be fair to all schools, but get the program to cover only domestic air fare?

    Preparing for Clinical PhD Interview

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    52 minutes ago, stereopticons said:

    Likely you will be. When I stayed with a grad student at an interview, I had an air mattress on the floor. I would expect that they'll have blankets and pillows, but if you need more, you could bring some. 

    Is it good practice to bring a small gift for the grad student whom will be hosting you, or is that unnecessary?

    Contacting POI after application

    in Waiting it Out

    Posted · Edited by neur0cat

    Just wondering if it would it be OK to contact the POI (whom I have previously contacted prior to submitting my application) about my application status? It seems a couple of invitations have been sent out by the school/program and I was wondering if all invitations have been sent out. I tried contacting the department administrator but it seems people will be away till January.

    Asking how many places available - appropriate?

    in Interviews and Visits

    Posted

    Thank you @fuzzylogician :) The main reason I would appreciate knowing this is because I am an international applicant who will be paying out of my own pocket for an international flight to the US. Thus it helps to get a better idea of what my chances might be like at this point, to assess if it is worth it or if Skype might be a more cost-efficient option (though I understand it is always better to be there in person). 

    Specific questions re. details to include in SOP

    in Statement of Purpose, Personal History, Diversity

    Posted

    Hi,

    I have three specific questions I'd like to get some feedback on regarding including the following information in my SOP. To provide some context, I am an international student who completed my Bachelors in a US institution and a Masters in the UK. Post-Masters, I returned to my home country (neither the US/UK) where I have been working in a research associate position at a national research institute for 2 years.

    1. It is very likely that I will be talking about the research I've done in my country of citizenship as I have 2-3 publications during my time here. I understand international students are at somewhat of a disadvantage as PIs outside of the US or UK may not be as internationally renowned or may have limited connections with those in the US. However, my PI has working relationships with a couple of researchers in the US and I am listed as a co-author on a manuscript where we have collaborated with 2-3 of them, however I did not work intimately with them. Would it be perceived negatively (i.e. trying to namedrop) if I were to mention their names in my SOP when writing about that particular project (one of them works in the NIH)? The publication is listed on my CV but I don't know if I should draw more focus to it in my SOP, just in case people are not familiar with the PI I work with (in addition, he is a clinician-scientist). Is this a good move or does it seem like I'm trying too hard?

    2.  For a particular top school/program in my area, I had pretty extensive conversations with a recent PhD alumni as well as a current grad student who works in the same lab I am intending to join. Do you think it is a good idea to briefly mention this in my SOP? Again, I'm on the fence because I don't know if it will make me seem like I'm name-dropping/trying too hard vs. actually impressing the committee/POI that I have taken great efforts to speak with past and current students in the program. 

    3. Would it be wise to mention that my previous research supervisor was on maternity leave for a rather extensive period of time (this happened during my Masters)? I ended up acing my masters thesis despite it being quite a challenge. I don't know if this will come across as me being negative about my experience or if it may be positively perceived as being independent, able to overcome obstacles etc. My advisor did mention after reading my thesis that he was impressed that I was able to do a good job despite these circumstances.

    Thanks very much and I appreciate any advice anyone can offer!

     

    Fall 2017 Applications

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    2 hours ago, superlative_high said:

    Hi all, nervous cog psych/neuro PhD applicant here. I'll be applying this fall to start fall of 2017. Any thoughts on how I could improve my application? I'm particularly unsure about my GRE AW score. I'm generally satisfied with my GREs but I'm wondering if I should retake considering how competitive the schools I'm applying to are. 

    Undergraduate (at non HYP ivy): 
    Major - Psychology, Minors - Philosophy, French (also took a couple of CS classes and linear algebra)
    GPA Overall - 3.86 / Major GPA - 4.00 

    Masters in Experimental Psychology (at top UK school): equivalent of A; prize for best overall performance

    GRE - Verbal: 169, Quant: 167, AW: 4.5
    Psych GRE 98th percentile

    Research - 

    • 5 years of research in various fields within cog psych/cog neuro (4 different labs - currently in an RA position) - Extensive programming experience (particularly with Matlab) as a result 
    • 3 publications currently under review - 2 first author and 1 second author. Unfortunately, I starting to doubt any of these will be out by the time I apply
    • 5 posters/talks (including 3 at SfN this November)

    Honors

    • Bunch of department prizes (for best honors thesis, poster presentation, overall performance etc) from both undergrad and grad institutions

    I'm planning to apply to a mix of psych and neuro programs with a number of top programs in there (Harvard, UCSD, Stanford etc). Do you think its worth retaking the GRE or should I focus more on other parts of my application? Any input would be really appreciated :)

    You've a similar background and stats (except I didn't score as well for the GRE Quant) as I have. I am actually also applying to a mix of psych/interdepartmental/neuro programs. I think you are really competitive even if you lack publications!

    P/S Sent you a PM!

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