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It's an easy way to weed out people? I hate standardized tests for an amount of reasons I can't even count, but it is an indication of how you've faired in a system designed to churn out test results. For the most part people teach and learn for the purpose of passing tests, right? So if you've been groomed in an American educational system well ("well" according to American educational standards), you'll perform as such on standardized tests. 
 
I've had more than one somewhat young faculty member tell me they don't think they would perform well enough on the GRE to be accepted into a graduate school these days. It's basically a contest of who has the best resources growing up - who was taught how to take tests and who currently has the money/time to do test prep. Because of things like this, and how much data is showing the GRE is a poor predictor of graduate school success, I really don't think the GRE will continue to be a measure so highly emphasized. (I hope this isn't just wishful thinking.)

Does anybody defending the GRE actually think it is a useful test or is this thread now just a giant pissing contest of "but I had it worse" stories?

I'm not quite as optimistic about academic job prospects for cj/crim phds. I know a lot of cj phd recent grads bc i have 2 close friends in 2 programs. Very few are getting the first research institution tenure track job they dreamed of, unfortunately. A few got tt jobs, but many took solid jobs outside of academia (working for think tanks or state and federal government as number crunchers). One is making a lot of money because he started a quant consulting company. Two got jobs at Rutgers, but they both had preexisting connections with that department.

Now, there is nothing wrong with non academic jobs. The reason they made those choices is that in balance they decided they were better options than, say, adjuncting. One great advantage of crim is that you have more applied options like working for the government (as long as you have a compatible sensibility). For the original poster her research interests seem much more crim so I think that makes perfect sense for her. I just wanted to inject my observations about the real outcomes among two recent crim/cj cohorts.

Inspired by a sister thread in the Waiting-It-Out forum and after bombing an interview spectacularly just now, I thought the time was ripe to kick this topic up. What are your most notable interview failures?
 
 
 
Naturally, I'll start.
 
That awkward moment when.....
 
You answer the question, "What would be your ideal experiment?", with a crack about the Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies (I study aggression).
 
 
 
---------- As anyone but me would suspect, this was not the ideal response.  

"Why are you greedy? You can get a job!"
"Is that how you want to spend yor life?! When are you going to live a normal life?"

My answer:
"Actually, I don't like life in general, so study is the big distraction that I can make to stay alive! AND I'm gonna study until I die!"

I keep answering these ppl like that, so they don't bother me again!

Speaking of Coldplay..."The Scientist" is a perfect song for this thread:
 
I was just guessing at numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart
Questions of science, science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart
But tell me you love me, come back and haunt me
Oh, and I rush to the start
Running in circles, chasing our tails
Coming back as we are
Nobody said it was easy
Oh, it's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard
I'm going back to the start
 
 
nobody said it would be this hard, holy crap
"tell me you love me" obviously means "accept me and fund me"

:raises hand meekly:
I had to literally reteach myself everything.
Everything.

I work in research. I get paid to calculate Cohen's d, eta squared, and Bayesian probabilities by hand. I use R and SPSS to do everything else from CFAs and binary logistic regressions to ANOVAs.
I haven't had a math class with exception to stat since... 2008.
I don't know wtf the square root of -54 divided by 72 to the 5th exponet plus Z cubed is.
Sorry everybody.

Inspired by a sister thread in the Waiting-It-Out forum and after bombing an interview spectacularly just now, I thought the time was ripe to kick this topic up. What are your most notable interview failures?
 
 
 
Naturally, I'll start.
 
That awkward moment when.....
 
You answer the question, "What would be your ideal experiment?", with a crack about the Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies (I study aggression).
 
 
 
---------- As anyone but me would suspect, this was not the ideal response.  

Hm. About politics, I think I know what they were trying to get at. If so, this person is an asshole, IMO. The mom of a friend basically said, "Oh, so you're going to be one of those spin doctors on TV that spins all the news stories and lies!", when I was a poli sci major.    She wasn't even kidding. She didn't like me very much, obvs.
 
As for the kids thing, a lot of my family is now convinced that I am really after the PhD as an MRS degree. My grandma even had the audacity to say that she was sure I was interested in going to one school because my POI is a relatively young (30s) man. I had to explain, "No, grandma, I'm not at all interested in him like that. I think he's married anyway and just no. No. Sleeping with your adviser is really not okay." [insert a "She's after the (Ph)D!" joke here]
 
I guess it beats the fam thinking I'm destined to be a crazy cat lady. Maybe. 

Don't judge. Humor is how I cope, people. 
 
I took a nap, had a weird dream about grad admissions, and decided that there were two great songs for categorizing my reactions to bad news from schools:
 
1. 
Reaction Rating ---- Kim Crying 
 
Adele ~ "Someone Like You" 
Applicable lyrics - 
A. Someone else got the invite "I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now 
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you"
 
B. Not hearing back FOREVER Old friend, why are you so shy? 
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light"
C. Conflicted feelings & stubborn pride "Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I beg, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead"
 
 
2. 
Reaction Rating ---- Art History Snapchat That is Soooo Done 
 
Skrillex ~ "Stranger"
Applicable Lyrics: 
"I just gotta thank you, all the love I gave you
Came and you took it all away
And now there is no pain, there's everything to gain here
Now that I'm lost I think I'll stay
In hell, there's comfort in these flames and I don't feel the pain
In hell, I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger (Become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)"
 
 
 
BONUS - 50 Shades Quote for the Occasion 

"Psychology? Cool! Hey I think my coworker might be a sociopath, want to meet him?"
No...

Also, "So, you aren't going to have any kids?"
(I'm only in my 20s, damn!)

And my favorite, thanks to political psychology: "Oh so you're one of *those* people who like politics."
I don't even know what that's supposed to mean.

I have a few:
 
"You want to go to grad school for cancer biology?"
"Yes."
"So you're going to be a doctor?"
"Yes."
"But, I thought doctors went to medical school."
"I am going to get a PhD, no an MD."
"Like a medical doctor?"
"No, medical doctors get a doctor of medicine (MD). I will have a doctor of philosophy, Ph.D."
"But I thought you were going to school for cancer biology, not philosophy . . ."
 
Another few favorites:
 
"So you're going to school for cancer biology?"
"Yes."
"Well, yesterday I saw this article on *insert non-scientific, public news source here* and they have a cure for cancer already . . ."
 
"So you're going to school for cancer biology?"
"Yes."
"What are you going to do when you cure cancer? You'll be out of a job!"
 
**sigh**

I get this question a lot.  "So, does your husband agree to just up and move across the country?"  My reply always is "Well, I don't know about him, but 'I' am moving."  It shuts them up.

Dear X,   Thank you for your letter of February 3, 2015. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me admission to your program.   This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of candidates it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.   Despite [school]'s outstanding qualifications and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at this time. Therefore I will initiate matriculation into your program immediately following graduation. I look forward to seeing you then.   Sincerely, Y

Don't judge. Humor is how I cope, people. 
 
I took a nap, had a weird dream about grad admissions, and decided that there were two great songs for categorizing my reactions to bad news from schools:
 
1. 
Reaction Rating ---- Kim Crying 
 
Adele ~ "Someone Like You" 
Applicable lyrics - 
A. Someone else got the invite "I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now 
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you"
 
B. Not hearing back FOREVER Old friend, why are you so shy? 
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light"
C. Conflicted feelings & stubborn pride "Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I beg, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead"
 
 
2. 
Reaction Rating ---- Art History Snapchat That is Soooo Done 
 
Skrillex ~ "Stranger"
Applicable Lyrics: 
"I just gotta thank you, all the love I gave you
Came and you took it all away
And now there is no pain, there's everything to gain here
Now that I'm lost I think I'll stay
In hell, there's comfort in these flames and I don't feel the pain
In hell, I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger (Become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)"
 
 
 
BONUS - 50 Shades Quote for the Occasion 

Don't judge. Humor is how I cope, people. 
 
I took a nap, had a weird dream about grad admissions, and decided that there were two great songs for categorizing my reactions to bad news from schools:
 
1. 
Reaction Rating ---- Kim Crying 
 
Adele ~ "Someone Like You" 
Applicable lyrics - 
A. Someone else got the invite "I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now 
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you"
 
B. Not hearing back FOREVER Old friend, why are you so shy? 
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light"
C. Conflicted feelings & stubborn pride "Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I beg, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead"
 
 
2. 
Reaction Rating ---- Art History Snapchat That is Soooo Done 
 
Skrillex ~ "Stranger"
Applicable Lyrics: 
"I just gotta thank you, all the love I gave you
Came and you took it all away
And now there is no pain, there's everything to gain here
Now that I'm lost I think I'll stay
In hell, there's comfort in these flames and I don't feel the pain
In hell, I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger (Become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)"
 
 
 
BONUS - 50 Shades Quote for the Occasion 

Humor is the closest thing I have to a religion.
 
Reaction: There are other fish in the sea
 
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
 

 
Applicable lyrics:
I keep cruising
Can't stop, won't stop moving
It's like I got this music
In my mind, saying it's gonna be alright
Cause the players gonna play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate
Baby I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake
Shake it off
Heartbreakers gonna break, break, break
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake
Baby I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake
Shake it off, Shake it off
 
(And on people posting acceptances to schools that rejected you...)
My ex man brought his new girlfriend
She's like oh my god
But I'm just gonna shake
And to the fella over there with the hella good hair
Won't you come on over baby we could shake, shake
 
Reaction: So, so, so sad
 
The Beatles - Anna (Go to him)
 

 
Applicable lyrics:
Anna
Girl, before you go now
I want you to know, now
That I still love you so
But if he loves you more
Go with him

All of my life
I've been searching for a girl
To love me like I love you
Oh, now, but every girl I've ever had
Breaks my heart and leaves my sad
What am I, what am I supposed to do
 
Reaction: Defiant
 
Eminem ft. Lil Wayne - No Love
 

 
Applicable lyrics:
Throw dirt on me and grow a wildflower
 
(...They'll yell at me if I post other lyrics from that song.)
 
Reaction: Saw that coming (rejected by the reach!)
 
Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble
 

 
Applicable lyrics:
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
So shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been
'Til you put me down, oh
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
So shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been
Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground
Oh, oh, trouble, trouble, trouble
 
He was long gone when he met me
And I realize the joke is on me, yeah!
 
Reaction: Moving on
 
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Better Things
 

 
Applicable lyrics:
I'm a better woman than I have been
'Cause I don't think about way back when
It takes two to love but only one to leave
It was you who did that dirty deed
I got better things to do
Better things to do
Better things to do
Than remember you
  Reaction: Always looking on the bright side of life (sense of humor)
 
Monty Python - Always Look On the Bright Side of Life
 

 
(Not a melodramatic breakup song. It's what you should listen to instead of melodramatic breakup songs.)
 
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.
 
Bonus reaction for being wait-listed and then admitted:
 
Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman
 

 
Applicable lyrics:
Pretty woman, don't walk on by
Pretty woman, don't make me cry
Pretty woman, don't walk away, hey...okay
If that's the way it must be, okay
I guess I'll go on home, it's late
There'll be tomorrow night, but wait
What do I see
Is she walking back to me
Yeah, she's walking back to me
Oh, oh, Pretty woman

Don't judge. Humor is how I cope, people. 
 
I took a nap, had a weird dream about grad admissions, and decided that there were two great songs for categorizing my reactions to bad news from schools:
 
1. 
Reaction Rating ---- Kim Crying 
 
Adele ~ "Someone Like You" 
Applicable lyrics - 
A. Someone else got the invite "I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now 
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you"
 
B. Not hearing back FOREVER Old friend, why are you so shy? 
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light"
C. Conflicted feelings & stubborn pride "Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I beg, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead"
 
 
2. 
Reaction Rating ---- Art History Snapchat That is Soooo Done 
 
Skrillex ~ "Stranger"
Applicable Lyrics: 
"I just gotta thank you, all the love I gave you
Came and you took it all away
And now there is no pain, there's everything to gain here
Now that I'm lost I think I'll stay
In hell, there's comfort in these flames and I don't feel the pain
In hell, I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger (Become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)"
 
 
 
BONUS - 50 Shades Quote for the Occasion 

Don't judge. Humor is how I cope, people. 
 
I took a nap, had a weird dream about grad admissions, and decided that there were two great songs for categorizing my reactions to bad news from schools:
 
1. 
Reaction Rating ---- Kim Crying 
 
Adele ~ "Someone Like You" 
Applicable lyrics - 
A. Someone else got the invite "I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now 
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you"
 
B. Not hearing back FOREVER Old friend, why are you so shy? 
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light"
C. Conflicted feelings & stubborn pride "Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I beg, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead"
 
 
2. 
Reaction Rating ---- Art History Snapchat That is Soooo Done 
 
Skrillex ~ "Stranger"
Applicable Lyrics: 
"I just gotta thank you, all the love I gave you
Came and you took it all away
And now there is no pain, there's everything to gain here
Now that I'm lost I think I'll stay
In hell, there's comfort in these flames and I don't feel the pain
In hell, I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger (Become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)"
 
 
 
BONUS - 50 Shades Quote for the Occasion 

Don't judge. Humor is how I cope, people. 
 
I took a nap, had a weird dream about grad admissions, and decided that there were two great songs for categorizing my reactions to bad news from schools:
 
1. 
Reaction Rating ---- Kim Crying 
 
Adele ~ "Someone Like You" 
Applicable lyrics - 
A. Someone else got the invite "I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now 
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you"
 
B. Not hearing back FOREVER Old friend, why are you so shy? 
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light"
C. Conflicted feelings & stubborn pride "Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I beg, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead"
 
 
2. 
Reaction Rating ---- Art History Snapchat That is Soooo Done 
 
Skrillex ~ "Stranger"
Applicable Lyrics: 
"I just gotta thank you, all the love I gave you
Came and you took it all away
And now there is no pain, there's everything to gain here
Now that I'm lost I think I'll stay
In hell, there's comfort in these flames and I don't feel the pain
In hell, I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger (Become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)"
 
 
 
BONUS - 50 Shades Quote for the Occasion 

Don't judge. Humor is how I cope, people. 
 
I took a nap, had a weird dream about grad admissions, and decided that there were two great songs for categorizing my reactions to bad news from schools:
 
1. 
Reaction Rating ---- Kim Crying 
 
Adele ~ "Someone Like You" 
Applicable lyrics - 
A. Someone else got the invite "I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now 
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you"
 
B. Not hearing back FOREVER Old friend, why are you so shy? 
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light"
C. Conflicted feelings & stubborn pride "Never mind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you
Don't forget me, I beg, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead"
 
 
2. 
Reaction Rating ---- Art History Snapchat That is Soooo Done 
 
Skrillex ~ "Stranger"
Applicable Lyrics: 
"I just gotta thank you, all the love I gave you
Came and you took it all away
And now there is no pain, there's everything to gain here
Now that I'm lost I think I'll stay
In hell, there's comfort in these flames and I don't feel the pain
In hell, I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger (Become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)
I'll forget your name here, you'll become a stranger
(You'll become a stranger)"
 
 
 
BONUS - 50 Shades Quote for the Occasion 

Inspired by a sister thread in the Waiting-It-Out forum and after bombing an interview spectacularly just now, I thought the time was ripe to kick this topic up. What are your most notable interview failures?
 
 
 
Naturally, I'll start.
 
That awkward moment when.....
 
You answer the question, "What would be your ideal experiment?", with a crack about the Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies (I study aggression).
 
 
 
---------- As anyone but me would suspect, this was not the ideal response.  

From what I read online from various sources, I think it refers to the school's ranking based on high importance criteria (e.g. funding, pub rate) vs low importance criteria. S rankings are drawn from survey responses in each field, so the relative weight of each criterion is different for each discipline. 
 
So, Harvard in this case would rank #1 on criteria considered important by faculty in your field and #3 on measures considered less important. 

Hmm, a customer service rep down-voting complaints about their service, and then saying that feedback is important to them. 
 
Along with a lot of really recently created accounts that do nothing but advertise for that service......

Just a warning to everyone out there who would be interested in using the professional editing service gradually.me: don't. They are cheap but the price is not worth the quality. I sent them a draft of my SOP and resume recently. The comments for the first round of edits were not insightful and basic. Basically anyone who has passed high school English could have provided them. Furthermore their lack of professionalism and response to e-mails is lacking, by which I mean doesn't really happen.
 
A few of my peers have had several experiences and we would all recommend Essay Edge.
 
Sorry for the rant, but I felt strongly enough about this to share with others.