Jay's Brain

To be honest, I think competitive programs such as I/O or Clinical Psychology can fall very much on the cohort you are applying with. Sometimes you just run out of luck and the people applying just fit better (not an exact science but I fell on both ends this past application cycle). Another possibility, and one that constant_wanderer didn't address is perhaps how specialized his or her research interests are with the PIs and programs applied to. Both their profile and yours show a lot of merit that will be benefiting of someone in their respective career fields. Your minors in Statistics and Mathematics may help you a lot in the long run too. The only thing that you may be lacking, and one that is looked at considerably, is more relevant research. Make sure your honours thesis studies something related to I/O or OB. When casting your nets for graduate school, also consider wider options that are similar but doesn't have to be exactly the same as your research interests. Things can change in grad school. For example, my initial research interest applying this past year cumulated in getting acceptances at 3/5 schools. The program that I eventually accepted is not exactly what I envisioned myself doing months before when writing my SOPs, CV, etc., but it is still something within the field I'm very much excited to learn more about. Mind you, I only have a few manuscripts in progress and a couple of presentations too even with my 3+ years of research experience. I think if you show more promise in what you're interested in doing (be firm about that, because grad schools don't like it when you're not entirely sure) then you have just as much of a chance to succeed! Good luck

I think as long as your dialogue isn't too overly long (i.e., take away from it being just a brief introduction), and you continue with a clear extension of what you want to do (sort of like what you're doing in your post), then fire away! Just don't let it take away from what you're really trying to sell and persuade, that you are a competent researcher and fascinated by this area of study and its implications. If you can make it as part of the actual body of the SOP, then you should be good to go! Post samples of it to this forum thread when the time comes if you need more feedback! Good luck!

When doing comparison questions, the best way to do so is if you replace the variables into any integer, and by that it can mean 0, odd, even, and their negative equivalents (e.g., 2, -2, 3, -3). That's what Princeton is referring to by "plug in", change the x and y in the question to actual numbers After you simplify, the equation is 2x = y Let's try zeroes first: if x = 0, y = 0 2(0) = 0 0 = 0 Therefore, x = y Let's try x > y now if x = 4, y = 3 2(4) = (3) 8 = 3 Now mathematically these things don't really make a lot of sense, but that's why the answer is D. Without telling you more, it's sort of like saying 2 apples equals 1 orange. You can't tell if that's true or not if you didn't know what the price of the apples and oranges were to begin with right? Similar idea here. Plugging/replacing the variables with any two integers can give you a myriad of answers that can range from x and y equalling (e.g. both = 0), x > y, or even y > x Another way of looking at it is the fact that answers A, B, and C can all be right in any different situation. When you do more questions you realize that if any two of these three answers are right, then it has to be D. Something can't be bigger (as indicated in answer A), if they can also be smaller (as indicated in answer , right? Hope that helps!

I guess the situation is different, but in Canada (where I am!), for example, most of the programs in Psychology require the 1-2 years of MA before you pursue the PhD. It may seem like an extra year, but I think many people I know can attest that it does help to prepare you for the rigour. Now in your case, if you're looking into programs solely in the States, I know a lot of people do say the Masters is unnecessary. However, like you said yourself, one of the possible flaws with your application was the lack of direction. The Masters may be able to give you the opportunity to reassess what it is you're likely to pursue. Your GPA is stellar, but you didn't give a lot of other information (GRE scores, what kind of research experience you've had and how extensive, or publication/presentation), so is hard to judge. Assuming that the sole reason could be your intentionality, you need to find ways to do so. Just but be forewarned that some schools in the US don't fund your MA. Alternatively, you can take the year to strengthen your application with more research experiences that are relevant to topics you want to pursue. See if you can do enough to get a publication or at least a presentation at a conference. Clinical psychology is a highly competitive program, and they want to make sure you not only have the aptitude, but the ability to do research in the topic you end up in. If you at least know that, you're on a much better footing. Best of luck!

Magoosh GRE Vocabulary app - great resource! As for the rest of the Verbal section, I found it useful to not look at the given word options and decide only from looking at the sentences what fits the best in the blanks. They can be very common words. Once you've established that, look at the list offered and choose the one that best fits the definition of the words you chose. Also keep in mind positive, negative, and neutral connotation. You still have a lot of time, so good luck!

Are you regretting not applying to HKS simply for the Harvard name? Columbia isn't THAT far off from Harvard in terms of prestige, and you do want to consider fit and the ranking of the program as well. I'm not in IR so I can't provide you with concrete advice, but from a general what-program-should-I-choose perspective I would say a program that offers you all the things you want, gives you amazing funding, and has the ranking to back it up, should be considered closely. Not downplaying your aptitude, but anything can happen within a year (maybe the next cohort is amazingly bright) and you may not even get into the same programs you did this year. It might be a bit on your part for not considering HKS a bit closer when you first applied, but regardless of that you've been accepted to a great program so it doesn't seem that ideal for you to risk it and wait another year.

Considering all the work that you'll probably end up doing when graduate school starts, perhaps this is just a good time for you to be well rested and take some time off? You never know if you'll have such an extended period of freedom from work for awhile, so why not enjoy it. If you are itching to go back, I think contacting your new PI might be useful. Even if you don't start on anything right off the bat, at least you can learn more about the lab and start building a strong relationship with your PI by showing initiative. And you'll get a chance to transition into the lab so you won't have to hit the ground running come Fall. Hope that helps!

Just a thought, if the questions are VERY HARD, perhaps they are meant to be very hard? Don't let overly difficult questions affect your preparation. There will always be questions that are exceedingly difficult that you won't catch on. Even if you extremely well on all the questions, that may or may not prepare you for it. Just remember, the questions on the GRE are computer assessed. That means they change in levels of difficulty depending on your performance in the previous section. Keep practicing just like you are and follow that schedule. But don't get overwhelmed! And on test day, make sure you go into the exam with positivity! Good luck!

Just my own take on situations involving GRE...sometimes we spend too much time flustered with trying to get the highest scores possible. Take me, for example. Did decent on the first one and chose to do it TWICE more. Not the best decision on my part as my scores plummeted the second time around (I take the urgency and negativity going into the test as a large factor). The third time around, I improved my Verbal, but my Quantitative scores ended up being a point lower than my first test. Guess which one I ended up sending to all the schools to look at? As isilya said above, the GRE is usually looked at as a cutoff or a way to look at an applicant more closely. It is what it is. Make sure the rest of your profile is within the range of the expectations of each school you apply to and cast your nets! Don't take the GRE again if you can help it! Took me a lot longer and disregarding advice from people who had gone through the process to realize that.

Hi I agree with iphi. Since there are so many universities in the world to do your undergrad, I don't think it's fair to say that wherever you do your undergrad will be a big deterrence of whether you get into a graduate program or not. Your other credentials are what you may want to focus on. Your GPA can be improved if you pursue a graduate program. Again, school may not be as important if you get the grades, but if you do want to pursue something in North America (I think you can consider Canada too), that might be a bit more worthwhile to take a look. To do so, you should become more invested in research and to raise your applications in those ways. Get involved as much as you can through the universities (UHK, HKUST, etc) or through private practice. Be sure to know what you want to pursue as well (field of study and research), and find ways to contribute in those areas. Also, remember, to look into TOEFL/equivalents and GRE!

Sounds like you're on the right track! I think I will take a look at how much your research interests align with the current schools you are interested in matching with. Developmental and cognitive psychology are pretty different areas. Do you want to focus purely on either one? Or are you more interested in cognitive development of certain age groups (e.g. infants, adolescents, etc). You don't want to fall into the problem of applying to a cognitive program at one school and a developmental program at another. I assume that's not what you'll be doing, but really can't tell based on your information. Other than honing down what your specific research interest are (totally important for your SOP), I think you have the makings of a competitive application! Get the GRE scores as high as you can, and then leave it at that. I too ran into the problem of trying to push my scores higher and experienced burnout for my second set of scores. I eventually ended up using my first ones and here I am going into a program in Fall. Good luck!

Hi, fellow Canadian here! I recently accepted an offer to York University for their Clinical Psychology program. I'll be going down the Neuropsychology route, so it's a lot different from what you may be doing. However, I can tell you from a Canadian student perspective on how the process was like (I just went through it the last couple months after all!). The one school that I can think of right now that has both MEd and MA programs are OISE here in Toronto. You want to first figure out your potential research topic and the supervisors that may be of interest to you. Which part of counselling are you interested in (the types of interventions, etc). There are some changes going on with how Psychotherapy is considered and licensed in Ontario, so that's something you do want to consider. I'm not sure how it is in different parts of the country. In terms of MA vs. MEd, at least from what I've been told and seen with friends who have applied, MEd focuses a bit more on higher education (again, this is where honing down what you want to pursue is important). The MA, on the other hand, is more aligned with looking at research implications. Take a look at OISE's differentiation between the two degrees they offer: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/lhae/Programs/Higher_Education/Degrees_Offered/Masters.html I do have some insight as to the more general questions you were asking (choice of school, interviews, etc), so feel free to send me a personal message and I can walk you through my experience. The TL;DR version of it is that after a lengthy period, starting with completing my two sets of GREs early last summer, I submitted all my applications in the first week of December and confirmed my program of choice with external funding early April before the April 15th deadline.

Yeah like avidman said, most schools use the funding package to entice students to accept their offer. Hence, more often than not, you find out how much you will be given when they send you the official acceptance letters. Alternatively, during my graduate application this past year, my current graduate advisor told me the rough estimate of what I'll be receiving on top of the external scholarship that I received. Do take note of that, though. If you receive external funding that may affect how much the university gives you. BUT it may only help with their decision of accepting you as well!

Hey, I respond to your other post. I'll say the same things as I did over there, but in more detail. Given your circumstances, you should really be focusing on what your pursuits will be. If psychology, and more specifically, clinical psychology, is what you hope to pursue, you need to ensure every part of your applicant is in tip top state. Like you, I realized late into the ball game that I wanted to pursue this path. However, fortunately for me, I had been involved with research a lot earlier. So I was lucky in the sense that I was already preparing myself for something that I only knew I wanted to commit to later on! Since you don't have that luxury, and due to the competitive nature of the programs you hope to apply to, I firmly suggest you take that gap year you yourself suggested. Even with my experiences, I chose to take a gap year (I graduated in June 2014 to give you an idea of the time frame). Even after completing my GREs the first time around after my third year, and completed my honours thesis (something you should really consider doing by the way), I chose not to apply during my 4th year. At that time, due to the level of work I was doing and my lack of insight onto what I specifically want to do, I decided to make the choice of not committing to an application cycle. As of now, do your best to start getting more involved with research. Explore your options through volunteering and working in labs. If you're interested in clinical psychology, consider other external opportunities like volunteering for hot lines and crisis centres. Otherwise, reassess where your interests lie. Do you prefer clinical psychology or is counselling psychology/social work something you may prefer. I say this, because these areas are often mixed together in terms of content and research fields. The latter areas, however, tend to be slightly less competitive. Since you pursued a double major in music and psychology, consider whether you would like to combine both of these areas together. Perhaps you can look at music therapy as a gateway to your research interests. Or, you may even leave clinical psychology completely and do something more experimental (e.g. music cognition). Those are some of the things you may want to think about. Again, if you have any specific questions feel free to send me an inbox message!

Definitely not too late! Like you, I confirmed my career choice in 3rd year of my undergrad. I did my first set of GREs the summer before my 4th and final year of university. I started studying in May, and wrote it in August. This was when I needed to do a long refresher of my rudimentary mathematics and practice my vocabulary more extensively. During this time, make sure your GRE scores, along with the other parts of your application, are sufficient. It may seem stressful, but don't worry! I went through the same thing as you not too long ago and now I'll be starting my MA/PhD this coming Fall in Clinical Psychology. PM me if you have any other questions!

Hey, I'm from Canada and will be going to a Canadian school in Ontario (not sure if that's even relevant, but at least it'll mean we'll be the same graduate cohort entering this Fall). I think you may want to try contacting some of his graduate students. Ask them what his schedule/agenda looks like for the upcoming months (if he's scheduled to talk to them or be around on campus, etc). You may also get some insight on what kind of advisor he has been. Perhaps, like you said, being that he is on sabbatical, he just isn't responding promptly. It makes sense. Professors on sabbatical use it to catch up on their own research or do other non-academic things. Your first few months may be a bit of a nuisance, and as a incoming graduate student, I realize your need to get everything prepared and planned out (especially being an international student). But don't be anxious! I'm sure he'll be in touch with you soon! He wouldn't have accepted you if he knew he couldn't handle having a new student. Best of luck with your first year!

I'm from Canada, and I'm pretty sure you can. I know quite a few people with dual Masters (One of the mentors I worked with had 3-4, and purposely chose to not pursue a PhD even though he could've received one). If there's no restrictions on any of the websites of the schools you're interested in pursuing (one where it says DO NOT apply if you have a Masters), then you should be okay to do so. I guess the only thing you want to be wary of is how you will describe your coursework related to your first Masters. Alternatively, perhaps you can pursue a Masters that is similar but slightly different in content?

You can't force her to write you a LoR, but you can convince her to do so. Explain to her why you want to pursue your particular field, what you've done to prepare for it (aka your CV and experiences), and why you've come to her. Her role as your history professor and your close interactions with her are both good reasons. Possibly when she meets you she'll explain why she considered retracting her support. Before she gets to that step, just make sure you come prepared. Let her know these are your career choices and you would be very grateful to have her as your reference. Beyond that, there's nothing else you can do. The decision is still ultimately in her court. Even though this may seem like a hard to miss LoR, if she's hesitant about it you have to be cautious whether she will be willing to write you a strong letter. Figure that out in the meeting so you can decide if you should still have her be your reference. Good luck!

I don't know too much about SLP programs, but here's some general advice that will hopefully help with your stress! In the same way that people with higher GPAs/experiences were not able to get into graduate school, there are also A LOT of people who had weaker credentials that made it. So don't fret! Thinking about graduate school can be very daunting, but it's a beast that you can slay with a bit of perseverance and a positive attitude! You do have some experience and background, but be sure you know what you're doing and what you plan to pursue. You may want to extend a little bit further in the kind of experiences you have, make sure they are a bit more concrete. Definitely look into clinical research experiences, because that will surely help. Given your background, perhaps you can also take a look at some other programs? Maybe mental health/counselling programs are a good fit for you too. Social Work comes to mind as well. Don't be discouraged by any setbacks, either from experiences or your marks. Those are important, but the overall package of why you are is as important. Why do you think those same people with high GPA/experiences were not able to get into their respective programs? It's probably because of a lack of fit. Just improve on all the aspects that the programs are looking for, and take a chance! Hopefully someone here can help you out with the SLP programs/schools. Good luck!

I think you're in a situation not unlike many people struggling with finding out what is right for them. Before you jump head first into a graduate program of some kind, ask yourself why you want to do so before preceding. Graduate school, in either psychology or biology, can last between 5-7 years depending on your program and things you do. Do you have something in either of those disciplines that will make you interested to pursue for such a long period of time? There's a solution to the questions I posed, and it can be beneficial to you in two ways. I highly recommend you look into volunteering/working in either psychology or biology labs (better yet, maybe a lab that looks at psychobiology or neuroscience!). This can 1) help you to decide whether or not you might enjoy doing research or doing something similar for an extended period, and 2) give you the actual experience that is considered heavily in a graduate application. Beyond that, your marks are good, but can be improved. Since you're a junior, you still have a bit of time to improve your marks. Most graduate programs consider your last two years rather than your complete undergrad. Boost up your GPA, and also take relevant courses. Gain more experiences, and, if you are adamant about it, look into taking your GRE. Ultimately, you want to go into graduate applications with a game plan. Know what you're interested in pursuing, and take the necessary steps to do so. Hope that helps you for the time being! Good luck!

While what MidwesternAloha said is true, I would disagree. If you want to go a little bit further and reciprocate then there's no reason not to. Given that he is young in the field too, there's still great opportunities for you to collaborate possibly. And everyone likes a small token of appreciation! He did help you get into grad school. You have a lot of options to play with for a gift. Being in neuroscience, a token to do with the brain or neurons come to mind. Maybe a mug with tea packets in it to help him leave the coffee scene?

Try speaking with the people that are currently attending those schools. See what their opinions are of their programs, and the prospective career outlooks when you come out of it. Your choice currently is between proximity and length/content. Is it worth to invest an additional semester if Idaho will give you the right opportunities? On the other hand, you also see Minot as a better option, the only problem being distance and housing. If the latter is a better fit for you, then the only hurdle you're crossing is distance. For the former, you have to worry about whether the academic conditions are ideal while knowing you're closer to home. Choose which one you prioritize more, and go for it!

Well that seems like a fair start. He's asking, because he wants to know a bit more about you. Perhaps in your conversations with him you can tease out what the expectations for your graduate programs are, and how you've shown that you have the apt and capabilities to meet those expectations. It will give him more information to work on and write about!

Hi nice writing! One suggestion I would make is to clarify what your opinion is about the prompt right from the get go. I couldn't really tell what you thought about it until perhaps the penultimate and last paragraphs. Besides some minor grammatical hiccups, you're off to a good start Good luck!

I'm echoing what everyone is saying already, but more often than not most schools don't require a very high AWA if your other scores are excellent. Of course, it can never help to do well on all three of the sections of the GRE regardless of which program you're pursuing. Here's some tips that may or may not work for you that helped me get a 6 on AWA. First, before you assume I'm a prolific writer, that's not the case. While I do enjoy writing, I make mundane grammatical errors all the time. You will too given that you have 30 minutes to read the prompt, decide on what to write, maybe create an outline, write the passage, and then leave time for yourself to quickly glance over it for glaring mistakes. Time is precious, so you must gather your thoughts quickly. This can be done by doing enough practice. I write creatively for fun sometimes and I do a bit of hobby blogging, so all of that probably helped. That's not necessary for you to do well, though. Just take a look at practice prompts and decide what's the best way to break the question down. In my opinion, I found the "Analyze an Issue" section to be more challenging than the Argument one. I would say this one is where creating an outline is practical. From the get go, you want to have chosen a side and found strong evidence to defend or support your opinions. And, yes, as others have indicated, there are instances where the topic relates to you more than others. The questions, however, are meant to be general enough that anyone who is attempting the GRE for graduate schooling should be able to chime in with opinions or comments. That's really what it is. You want to decide which direction you want to pursue, and look at reasons that strongly support the evidence. Is it necessary to know a lot of historical details? Well, depending on the question, it may help. But questions such as these are open-ended. They allow for almost anything (as long as what you write is relevant!). You want to be able to move from paragraph to paragraph with ease. Don't end anything abruptly, and in ways that don't really follow through with the previous sentences. For the "Analyze an Argument" task, I say this section is "easier", because I think this requires less of an opinion and more logic. The previous essay is challenging, because you need to tie in experiences or examples that relate to what you're trying to say. For this one, however, everything you need is right in front of you. In fact, you may even lose marks for being opinionated! Read the prompt, usually a story of some kind, and then ask yourself, what about it doesn't sound right? If you were in the shoes of the person or situation, would you make the same decisions? If not, then you have a couple of points to bring up already! Sort through each sentence, and identify what makes sense logically. Find the 3-4 that make or break the passage and relay it in your writing. You do not need to add anything beyond what it says. if the decision or the choice or whatever the passage suggest does not seem valid, there's probably an issue wroth arguing there. Remember, ultimately, with 30 minutes, you can't really write an essay well. It WILL NOT be one you are proud of. But, the markers also know that too. The AWA section is the first part of your test, so make sure you're thinking positive thoughts going into the exam. Good luck!