dancedementia

Hey all! I'm in a masters program (clinical mental health counseling, CACREP) with the option to complete a thesis. I've opted to do so as a way to show that I'm capable of graduate-level writing. The research faculty at my institution do not have any interest in the area(s) I want to focus on in my doctoral studies (tl;dr - eating disorders / body dysmorphia, although a bit more nuanced than that). However, I have recently been given a very plum opportunity with a well-known lab that studies co-morbidity of drug use and anxiety disorders (they have active grants from NIMH and NIDA). They've said I'm welcome to collect data through their lab and utilize the facilities for my thesis work. Authorship on posters are a guarantee, and publication is likely. Should I take this opportunity, even though it's not exactly in my area of interest? Obvious pros are financial support and authorship, but I don't want to seem all over the place with my research topics when it comes to applying for doctoral programs. Would I be better off trying to find another lab that at least is somewhat related to eating disorders or body image?

A few schools were already using PsyCAS last year, but I'm glad that they're finally making it standard. At least, I hope it will be standard across the board. I am tired of having to order my GRE scores 10 times at $30 a pop...... EDIT: Just popped on PsyCAS to check. The only schools taking apps via that platform thus far for 2018 matriculation are Mercer, Stanford/PGSP, PCOM, and a ton of Argosy's. Definitely not standard yet.

That's awesome! I'm constantly astonished by individuals who are able to publish undergrad work in a journal. Did you get a ton of help from your PI or were you largely left to your own devices re: publishing?

I personally didn't like Magoosh that much. Felt way too simplistic. I used Gruber for math and then just bought the Manhattan 5lb book of GRE practice problems. Just grind problems until you understand the structure and types of problems you'll likely see.

Do you mind if I ask what your financial aid/funding offer was from Ferkauf? I'm interested in their program for the future but the high cost of tuition has me wary

Congrats!! What a great program

Judging from the focus of the programs, it seems OP probably needs more research experience before applying.

Phew, that's definitely a relief. Thanks for the feedback

Obviously we all know the major pubs that people want to get into - Science, Nature, Psych Bulletin, Am Journal of Psych, etc. But when evaluating a PhD applicant's CV for "publications", how significant does a publication have to be to "count"? So for example: I was published in the journal of a professional organization that I am part of (honor society). It is a very small journal and emphasizes graduate student research. I was also published in a small, state-wide journal. Obviously, these are "easier" journals to get published in than huge national ones, but they are still peer-reviewed and have a selection process. Do adcoms frown upon things like this? Can I still claim that I've been "published" even though they are in small journals?

Hey! I was in your same boat. I ended up going for a post-bac program in psychology (online courses) and then the masters degree. First off, a secret: masters degrees are the cash cows of schools. There's not as much government grant funding for them, which means the school gets more $$$ out of you. They don't have to pay you a PhD stipend. They don't need to cater undergraduate student life projects to you. tl;dr - schools WANT you for their masters programs. It is surprisingly easy to get in. Because of this, however, I would caution you against pursuing an expensive masters program. I made that mistake - went to Boston University (cost of living comparable to NYC - slightly less actually, tuition comparable to NYU), and the financial burden sucked. I took out $50k in private loans before I realized this was not sustainable, so I jumped ship and am now attending a program in my home state which is 5x cheaper. Columbia's post-bac program is great but also harder to get in, unfortunately. I would really push you to consider Hunter or another CUNY campus. Research match doesn't matter *too* much at the masters level, so don't put too much salt in thinking, "Oh, but there's only one professor I really want to work with." Also, what I ended up doing while at Boston University was applying for labs at MIT and Harvard, and they were very willing to let me collaborate cross-campus. So even if you attend a school like Hunter or Queens, there's no one stopping you from volunteering at an NYU lab > Is it possible to work at a research lab without experience and without enrolling in a college? Yes, although you'll probably have to do it on a volunteer basis. Also keep in mind I'm gunning for clinical/counseling psychology; the social psych world might be a little different, so if anyone can offer more insight, please do!

There's just so many myths flying around. I've heard people tell me that if I didn't have a publication, good luck getting in anywhere. I've had people tell me that with my 2 national conference presentations + 3 regional conference presentations, that I'm a shoe-in. I've had people tell me to do research work only in my area of interest; I've had people tell me to broaden my horizons and get lots of different experiences. I would reach out to grad students at specific institutions you're looking at and ask if you can ask them a few questions. Most of them have been happy to help me out with the nuances of their particular school.

Accepted across the board! Will be starting at Texas State this summer. Congrats everyone so far!

Hi there. Some PhD programs that I'm looking into offer a general GRE waiver if the applicant has already obtained a masters degree (with a sufficiently high GPA). If these cases, is it a good idea to take the waiver? Or is it better to CYA and submit the GRE scores anyways (I guess to prove that you don't have anything to hide)?

Congrats!!

Congrats!! Super tough program to get in. You'll love Boston!

School: Texas State UniversityProgram: MA Clinical Mental Health CounselingDate of Notification: 03/09/2017Method of Notification: Email. At 10pm, no less!Thoughts: Overwhelming relief! As some of you may know, I had to withdraw from my other masters program (at BU School of Medicine) due to financial hardship. I was so terrified I couldn't get in anywhere to complete my studies, haha. This is a very well respected program in the state. Still waiting to hear back from Univ of Houston (my top choice) but still overjoyed I have at least one acceptance.

Damn masters programs are killing me with the waiting. I know it's only been a month since the deadline but I'm so antsy I check the application portal like 5x a day lol...

Try some courses on edX too! Here's a good one specifically for the social sciences: https://www.edx.org/course/data-analysis-social-scientists-mitx-14-310x-1

I would actually argue that BC's program is pretty competitive. Their profs are also known for being ridiculously nitpicky for completely random reasons. But that's all hearsay from several BC master's students I know.

Congrats!! It's always so uplifting to hear of people getting into their #1 choice

Congrats!! UH has so many great research centers and groups, I'm jealous! Who was your POI?

Can you PM or post your POI? I ask because there are a few faculty members I am very interested in working under (they match my research interests to a T), but I also wouldn't be applying for PhD for another 1-2 years. I need to be let down gently lol.

Anyone applying for masters heard back from U-Houston yet?

UTD takes forever to send out results. I didn't get my rejection from them last year until June lol. UT Tyler tends to be more responsive and I've heard good things about their program, so good luck! If you're looking at an experimental/research based masters, have you considered UTSA's M.S. Psychology program? It's very similar to UTD's but they make no attempt to hide that it is basically a PhD prep program haha.

I wish I could tell you! There are some stats on Peterson's (see here) but it includes all of the department, not just the M.Ed Counseling program. Fingers crossed for both of us, maybe we'll be classmates next fall