Psych_Law

Haha uh oh! Looks like we'll be competing for a spot. It was bound to happen.

Haha yeah, thankfully they do have a page that they update when they receive specific parts of your application. Who are you wanting to work under at Texas A&M? I'm applying there as well.

Goodness, this school is behind in the times. Sam Houston State University. Small university in a small town in Texas.

Are any of your programs still on a "paper only" format for applications? One of my schools requires everything sent by mail and this is what is the biggest pain for me at the moment! Especially trying to make sure those writing my LORs mail it relatively soon so it gets there by or on December 1st.....but also trying not to be a pest by reminding them. The struggle.

I wouldn't give up on your dream just because of one class did not go the way you thought it would. This one class cannot define you. Yes, I would say a good GRE quant score would do you some good. Do you think if you took a different stats class another semester that you would be confident in getting an A? That might be a good idea as well, just to show you know what you're doing despite that one class. My GRE quant score is not representative of my statistical knowledge, so I put some emphasis in my SoP about the 4 different stats classes I took and how I was a TA for a stats course and taught other students the material while increasing my confidence in statistical knowledge. So I think you could do something similar if you work hard to get a good GRE quant score, and just do it the other way around: show that your GRE score and potential other stats class is a better indicator of your ability to do well in graduate-level statistic work.

Do you mind me asking what your GRE scores were? You don't have to divulge that information if you don't want to (I'm just always curious what people think is "really bad" in terms of GRE scores.)

Great, thanks for your help!!

Thanks, I wanted to ensure that if I'm counting the lines of text in WordPad that this would be the right way to go.

For a specific program, this is the information provided about the length of the statement of purpose: Use a plain–text editor such as Microsoft WordPad to write and SAVE your essay(s). it must be no longer than 120 eighty-character lines of text (including spaces and blank lines). So no more than 120 lines when writing it on Microsoft WordPad? Maybe? I emailed the department but the clarification wasn't helpful.

I'm in the process of applying as well so I don't have an answer from the perspective of a grad student who already got accepted, but I have dealt with similar problems. I've come to the conclusion that because of the amount of SoP's that they are going to read, they are looking for students who really know that they want to study. I would find a specific area that you find interest in (even though you have many areas of interest) and write something similar to the given paragraph above. Then after you could write a sentence or two about other various interests in research areas that can be accomplished at the program and how your interest in these other areas can be beneficial for their program (or something along these lines) so that you can be useful for more than just one project or research study. That way they see that you know what you want to study and you're not just putting down all these different areas that you're interested in (that they may think you just are putting down but don't really know what you want to do), but that you're also open to studying multiple areas and you're passionate about "the big picture". At least that's how I've gone about writing mine. Hopefully this helps!

I would recommend looking over the school's specific requirements for the SOP. Usually they ask what to talk about, and if not you can email the graduate coordinator if there are any specific things to talk about. Most of the time they want you to discuss why you have an interest in the field, and a short personal story to explain your rising interest would be appropriate. If written correctly, it can show your motivation and drive for the area of interest. For your second point, I would again look at their requirements. Ask the program coordinator if it is appropriate to write about a specific lab/professor. For my programs, it is absolutely essential and if you don't your SOP will likely be thrown in the trash. It shows that you've looked into why this program is right for you and where you would fit best. For the last point I don't think I have much guidance due to my unfamiliarity with your field of study.

Your scores typically take 7-10 days to be reported to your account (closer to 7 from my experience). I would check the website multiple times as it gets closer to that 7 day range, as mine appeared before I got an email about my scores. I sent my scores on Oct. 20 to 2 of my schools and one reported receiving them one day later, and the other reported receiving them a week later. So that varies by school, but I would assume it takes between 3-7 days for a school to receive your scores once sent. So with all of my own subjective experiences in mind, I think you should be okay. As long as all of your other material for your applications are in before then.

I've browsed this forum for quite awhile (mostly for the tips about the GRE) and I haven't come across many people applying for Clinical Psych programs with a forensic/legal emphasis. Anyone out there?

The Power Prep tests are much more accurate at predicting your actual scores. Most individual's actual scores will not very much from the Power Prep scores (unless you took the practice test in unrealistic conditions).