blubed
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Posts posted by blubed
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I'll be releasing an offer from fordham today.
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On 3/27/2015 at 4:15 PM, TakeruK said:
I agree with MathCat, there's no harm in asking (especially since it sounds like they are practically inviting you to ask). Of course, having another offer helps the DGS make the case for you but perhaps something can still be done without another offer. Never know until you try.
I know this is from a while ago, but I wanted to ask your opinion on calling vs. emailing when you ask for more funding. I'm asking that my partial tuition waiver be increased to a full tuition waiver at my top choice program. I really prefer not to call, but my mentor suggested it and the forums send mixed messages. I have until April 15 to decide, and should hear back about a fellowship by the 1st, but I'm getting antsy. Please let me know what you think!
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On 3/16/2016 at 6:00 PM, Kingace said:
Has anyone ever contacted a department to find out the status of their application? I am debating doing that, I've heard from all but one school which is my first choice.
Yes, I called the relevant office of grad admissions and asked for an update (got voicemail). They called me back to let me know I'm still being considered/no initial offer has been made from this poi. I did this after emailing the POI last week and not hearing back. It's been a month since the interview.
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12 hours ago, artsy16 said:
What does this mean? How can they require you to wait for them?
Yeah that's outrageous. I met with advisors out of my own free will- I requested meetings because I was having a hard time making a decision. If I absolutely knew I wasn't going to attend a program I would decline immediately. It's really frowned upon to hold on to them when you know you aren't going. I don't know the nature of your relationship with this advisor, but it doesn't sound like any mentor/advisor I would want. If any of mine suggested that I couldn't make the decision without their approval, I'd politely thank them for their input and still do what I want. Anywho, congrats on having multiple offers. I hope you have a less controlling advisor in the future.
- FeelTheBern and artsy16
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I agree with most of the commenters. I would also be honest and tell them about your offers, but emphasize you haven't accepted any because they are your top choice.
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I'm going to decline Mizzou today. It's a fantastic program, best wishes to the next student!
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hola, has anyone heard from pitt's clinical program post-interview? it wasn't long ago but soooo much anticipation!
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Just now, wowthisprocessisstressful said:
Yup it is! If it doesn't work out I'll be applying for RA positions and trying again in a couple of years
That was also my plan if this didn't work out. I have a couple of friends who also applied for masters, but if you can get one for "free" if you wait another application cycle, why bother?
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6 minutes ago, wowthisprocessisstressful said:
Thanks for your response and congrats on your acceptance! Is USF your first choice?
Thanks! I didn't get an interview to my first choice. As for the interviews I did have, I didn't have a top choice going into them. They're all strong programs, and even now it's very easy for me to see the pros and cons of each program. I've been fortunate in that the schools that I wasn't crazy about also weren't crazy about me. Since my offers are fantastic fits for me, deciding is going to be awful. And I'm still waiting to hear back from one school
Is it your first choice?
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57 minutes ago, wowthisprocessisstressful said:
Blubed, do you feel comfortable sharing the initials of your POI or your general area of interest? I'm having a really hard time waiting to hear back and am trying to evaluate my chances in any way I can. Thank you so much!
Sure, I applied to the clinical program, and my main interest is addictions research, esp alcohol and tobacco. I hope this helps. I was also told that it might take a couple weeks to get a decision, so your POI might just be taking a little while longer. I'd give it another week and then maybe send out an email and ask what your status is.
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1 hour ago, FacelessMage said:
Folks who were accepted to USF: how were you notified, and did it come from your POI or from the DCT?
I got an email from my POI. The DCT is super friendly in person, but she didn't send out the offer.
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31 minutes ago, FeelTheBern said:
Thank you for pointing this out @blubed! I completely agree, I actually got this idea from the Philosophy subforum where their wait list thread currently has 206 replies and 10,485 views.
np
i've found it to be pretty disappointing that we aren't more like the other subforums in that regard, but whatcha gonna do? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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On 2/28/2016 at 0:34 PM, FeelTheBern said:
That's fine if you feel as though you need to wait, however, there is no need to downvote me @JoePianist for creating a thread that has been received quite well on another subforum. I am not forcing people to share this information if they do not want to.....
The clinical psych forum is really interesting in that there is an overwhelming sense of fear/concern in sharing this type of information. I'm not sure why. You'll see "2016 Acceptance" threads (or threads like this) in other subforums that have taken off wildly, but not here. I don't really get it, but it's absolutely fascinating.
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12 minutes ago, ChrisTOEFert said:
Bold A:
There are just only a few schools in the world who do it. I can think of perhaps 5 in Canada, maybe 5 more in the US, and probably about 10 off the top of my head in Europe, and one in Australia. But to more narrowly answer your question, yes, my topic of interest is kind of narrow. While it is generalizable to anything that has to do with ancient DNA (I am interested in research that will prolong the usability of the extracted DNA and ways in which to repair the damaged DNA to make it more readable), only maybe 5, ten tops, have labs equipped to do what I want to do, let alone have profs that are interested in repair work. Most are interested in ancient pathogens, migrations, and population genetics. Those are all topics of interest and are relevant to the study of humanity as a whole, but I feel the "market" so to speak is saturated with this type of research and it is beginning to reach a foreseeable end point of not being able to evolve.
Bold B:
I agree that a Master's is not the best for everybody. However, does a Master's not make it easier to get accepted for a PhD? In Canada and Europe school's won't even look at you if you don't have some sort of Master's degree, unless you are some God in your undergrad with at least 2 first author publications, a crazy high GPA, conference presentations, etc. I consider it an evolution, undergrad, Master's, PhD. Each of these growing off of one another to give you the skills and prepare you mentally for the next step in your life. I guess I could ask then, if a 4 year PhD was the norm for the U.S., would you then do a Master's and then a PhD? That way you could see whether or not a PhD was for you (as in the choice that will give you the most net advantage in your life goals) and you'd still be out in the same time frame of ~6 years...because in my experience, and I cannot speak for others, but a Master's is not quite the same intensity level as a PhD but it gives you a looking glass into what to expect.
Bold C:
It was just a question. You're right nobody cares about me, whether or not I get in, or end up dead in a ditch tomorrow. My account will just fade into obscurity. I was just curious is all, you didn't have to respond or you could have downvoted me if I upset you. But as I said, that was not my intention I am just overall curious to other people's thoughts and wishes to grad school.
A: That's a bummer :/ While there weren't many opportunities for me in my home state, I still was able to apply to multiple programs. Some were in more desirable locations than others, but it's still nice to have the flexibility of choosing where you'll end up. I guess it's better than only have one or two programs.
B: Plenty of students are accepted straight out of undergrad (finishing their senior year), so yes, you can be accepted without a masters. I didn't do a masters and have two admissions offers so far. I can't speak for every field, but it's been my experience that you don't need a masters for every program. I have friends that went straight from undergrad. I have friends who are working on their masters, some of them need to boost some inefficiency-maybe a low undergrad GPA.
C: Why give you a negative reputation when you're actively trying to engage in conversation? I don't give people negative feedback because I disagree with them. I much rather tell you why I disagree. I appreciate curiosity, I just didn't appreciate the tone [which is almost impossible to get right because it's the internet]. I don't know you, I generally hope people do well, I hope you don't die, certainly not to be found in a ditch. It's not that serious. I just didn't like your phrasing, and like discussions.
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On 2/17/2016 at 1:11 PM, compscian said:
@vadupleix I am a bit concerned about the direction of this discussion though. Looking at housing difficulties and commuting times as criteria for choosing a university is bad IMHO. I'd rather pick the university based on potential advisers, course offerings, climate, employment opportunities etc. Housing and stipends are minor obstacles, and easy to overcome as you encounter them. On the other hand, if your mind is set on Madison, then don't try too hard to find reasons to strike Seattle off your list. Sometimes it's better to follow your heart/instinct.
I have to disagree. When you're choosing a school, you have to consider what's most important to you. Maybe for you climate is more important than having affordable rent. And that's ok, because it's the next X years of your life and those are your priorities. If an excessive commute is going to make you miserable [I have road aggression so no thank you], or if you're not interested in living like a penny pincher [totally fine if that's your lifestyle], you absolutely should be considering these criteria. Cost of living vs. stipend is incredibly important to me, which is why I only applied to programs that offered sufficient funding. I hope OP can find a suitable balance. I can't imagine not considering rent and commute time after living in an extremely expensive and congested metro area. If it'll impact your mental health you better think about it.
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11 hours ago, Nicole Gilbert said:
Here is my stupid question that you don't have an answer to either: How do I get through this and how do I plan my future? Does my impoverished an unconventional past make me less viable a candidate? Does the academy only love to study and romanticize the poor so long as they don't have to include us in the conversation? Is there a place for me? Should I drink more wine? Oh Lord! Maybe I just need some company tonight. Rough time, friends. Rough times, indeed.
I definitely talked about my impoverished upbringing, and have met candidates from similar backgrounds so I wouldn't take this as an attack on your SES. I wouldn't take this as an attack at all. It's hard not to take it personally, but it absolutely is not personal. Once you realize that you'll feel better. [Tangent: if you choose to take this personally anyway, then use it as motivation to show the program that you can do well without them.] I was rejected from 11 schools outright, and then another after interviewing, and then another for the waitlist. I gave myself a couple nights to be disappointed, but then I moved on, and hoped for better news from the remaining schools. I have an admissions offer so I'll be a student this fall.
If I didn't get any offers, I'd be applying for jobs that will make sense to an admissions board. If I couldn't get a relevant job, I would still look for employment to pay the bills, and volunteer somewhere relevant. You don't want to have a lapse in your CV where it looks like you just changed your mind about your future (assuming you want to apply to similar programs next year). So a solid Plan B or Plan C is important. It sounds like you're a teacher so use the summer as time to apply for more programs. I have friends that are teachers and they've moved a couple times without tremendous strain. Is there anyway you can help your son after moving? How old is he?
Cut yourself some slack, too. You applied to one school. VERY rarely is that a successful situation. I hope you're able to apply more broadly soon and then see the benefit of applying to more than one program.
tl; dr. Have some wine. Have your favorite snack. Be around your favorite people. Love yourself. Don't doubt your abilities. Try again. Try more than one program.
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1. It's been my experience that these schools post the average time to completion for a degree. Some of their students take a leave of absence because of personal reasons, take extra time to develop grants or additional publications, maybe they changed mentors or research projects. A school I visited recently had some students that left in 5 years and some in 7. It depends on many factors. Also, whether a program offers a terminal masters is very variable.
2. Clinical psychology programs have an acceptance rate of about 1-2%. So I'd be pretty foolish to apply to just a couple of schools knowing that. I applied to 17 programs across the country, and yes, they are all doing research that applies to my interests. Is your topic of interest so narrow that you can only think of one or two applicable programs? I like to keep an open mind even within my specialty area. I have two acceptances and am anticipating at least one more. I've made a spreadsheet comparing them and then I'll be meeting with mentors with help deciding.
3. It's really presumptuous to suggest that for every career path that a masters is a best way to start. It's not for my long-term career interests. If you've done your research for your particular field, given your particular career interests, then surely you'll come to a conclusion about graduate school. That conclusion won't be the same for everyone and you should be respectful of that. You aren't willing to commit 5 years to a program, but I am. So I could ask, why even go to grad school when it doesn't sound like it's something you really want? But I wouldn't because different strokes for different folks. Do what works for you and don't worry about everyone else. I doubt they're worried about you.
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On 2/20/2016 at 8:23 AM, hsrnl said:
I'm probably being paranoid, but would it look odd to volunteer in psychiatric research and then apply to grad school in psychology? I want to apply to clinical psych programs in the next few years, but I need more research experience. I'm going to try to stay on at my current clinical lab if they'll have me, but I'd like to volunteer in another lab. I was thinking of contacting some professors in psychiatry at my university's med school since my psych department is heavily cognitive psych/neuroscience-focused. Would this make me look indecisive or like I don't understand the difference between psychology and psychiatry?
When it comes to research, I don't think the difference between psychiatry and psychology matters. So long as the research is relevant, I don't see why anyone would care. I would seek out any research opportunities that are consistent with your research interests. I know some people who work in a cancer center and do psych research. The topic seems much more important than the office title. I've worked in a psychiatry department as a research assistant and it's absolutely been helpful in making my application competitive.
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It sounds like you already know the answer. I think the most thorough/impressive approach is to talk about how your unique qualifications make you well-suited for the program and to work with the PI. It shows you're reflective, have done your research about the program/PI, and you already have some training/experience.
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2 minutes ago, Generic_Applicant said:
I am beyond impressed...
Thank you! I think my past self would be surprised too. My major point is I really believe any one of you can do this! My spouse applied to 15 neuro programs (twice) and isn't nearly as organized as me. This is absolutely doable (if you want to do it). Don't doubt yourself.
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1 minute ago, Becks_Psych said:
@blubed I can't imagine how much that costed you. Was that a factor that mattered for your or no?
Mostly, yes. I'm an RA and don't make much. I was able to save a lot of money because I did the McNair Scholars program so I didn't have to pay any application fees. If you say each app fee is an average of $50, I saved about $900. Would I have applied to 17 if I didn't do McNair? Yes. The schools that I would pass on to save money were so inexpensive anyway. It's the top tier programs like UCLA and BU that cost the most to apply to and I wouldn't pass on those opportunities to save 90 bucks.
I spent about $450 on sending GRE scores (still a painful thought), another $120 on transcripts, about $1500 on interview travel. I don't get vacation time so I lost money for time I wasn't at work and paid to travel. So cost has definitely been a factor, but I didn't want to be at a disadvantage for not going in person. That was a personal choice. This approach is certainly expensive, but I don't have to do it again. I'll also note, I'm glad I went to 5/6 of my interviews in person. They were very similar on paper, and going gave me so much more invaluable information.
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It is a lot, but you can definitely do it. I started looking for schools (lazily) in June and had a definite list by October (wasn't kidding about lazily). [If you want tips on how to find schools, let me know.]
I used excel to make a spreadsheet with info that was important to me. Avg time to degree completion, what's funding like, what's the average gpa/gre score, potential advisors and their specialty, attrition, etc.
I made another document for my letter writers with the school name, application due date, type of degree (all clinical phd for me), and a sentence or two about each advisor. I actually ended up using this document and expanding on it, so I put in addresses for sending transcripts, GRE reporting numbers, the personal statement question, login information for each website, etc. I sorted the schools by due date so I could prioritize submission. So then I sent out my GRE scores and transcripts (I sent mine all out within a week, early October).
You'll already have your CV, writing sample, and transcript together because you gave them to your letter writers.
I chose the most comprehensive personal statement prompt, and wrote 4-6 drafts before it was good enough to start sending out. So it's early November now. I used the same personal statement for every school, and changed little details like switching out "scientist-practitioner model" to "clinical science model" depending on the school. Or adding a line about health disparities if that's an emphasis for the school, etc. For every statement, I changed the paragraph about my research interests/faculty interests/why the school is a fit for me. So I didn't write 17 personal statements. I wrote 1 statement and made revisions, whether it was for length, or taking out some sentences that weren't relevant to the school's particular question.
After your first few submissions, you will become a pro at this. You'll get to the point where you are concerned because you completed a statement in 30 mins. One night I submitted like 4 applications. I'd do every application to completion. Trying to do each one piecemeal and then going back and forth seemed like too much work and potential space for mistakes. You can do one a day roughly (you'll skip some for sanity and fun) and complete 15 applications in 3-4 weeks.
I was done a couple weeks ahead of schedule for every application deadline (it'll be a wonderful feeling). If you find a level of organization that suits you, it makes it easier.
The hardest parts for me were making a final list of schools and writing my comprehensive personal statement, everything else becomes pretty mechanical and repetitive.
- MarineBluePsy and Love3
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I'd say applying outside of your "comfort zone" is important. If I only applied to schools in states that I wanted to live in, I wouldn't be going to school this fall. My two offers are from places that I can definitely see myself living (after going there for interviews), but they aren't places that I would choose to move to for reasons other than graduate school. And applying to MANY schools is important. I applied to 17 and got only 6 interviews. Who knows what would've happened if I only applied to 8? I might have goose eggs. So I'd say applying broadly.
My personal statement definitely helped. I have an interesting personal story that draws in the reader, so if you can think of a hook or a part of your life that others want to hear about-write it into your statement.
I've also been told that my letters or rec were very supportive and thorough. It certainly helped that one of them was with a renowned researcher that I worked with for many years. So improve your social network if you can.
You'll get there!
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I'm surprised this thread hasn't taken off. I guess we're all still waiting to hear back from other schools.
I've been accepted to Mizzou's Clinical Psych PhD program. I'm really excited about it, but I have a couple more interviews for equally awesome programs. It's a relief to know that I can definitely be in school this fall.
Fall 2017 Applications
in Psychology Forum
Posted
fordham has a forensic psych track. good luck