Rigid_Designator

Update: Have heard from Ohio State and University of Illinois. Just to let other applicants know emails are being sent out.

My MS program required me to submit interest in working with up to three faculty members who were accepting students on my application. I was accepted without interview and assigned to one of them; I presume they made this decision themselves based on needs and the like. This was in the application; if your application did not require this, it makes me wonder if you don't have a POI or if one gets chosen during the program itself. I would research your program's website some and see what you can find out. Contacting current grad students in your program can also be helpful.

What I have heard from my professors in my MS program is that IF you are directly asked this question, answer fully and honestly. The reason you're being asked is because professors don't always have funding for a new person yearly. This means they want to be careful extending an offer; they want to ensure they're going to get someone to say yes, otherwise they just wasted their chance to get a new student (I learned this typically occurs in a rotation, meaning it might be one or more years before that POI gets another chance at recruiting a new doctoral student). You want to let them know what your other offers are, what type of funding you would be getting, etc. If the POI who asked you is one you would prefer to work with, this needs to be known. But not to the extent that it sounds like you're desperate and will do anything to work with that POI, even if it means accepting a lower offer from him or her. Knowing what other offers you have shows you're competitive and gives the POI an idea of how much to offer you. It's all about negotiating. Ph.D programs have a lot of negotiating and bargaining involved when it comes to selecting students.

If it isn't asking too much, can you share who your POI is?

Thanks everyone! These responses are helpful. My verbal is at the 87th percentile and my quant only the 42nd. I was wondering if perhaps the quant score is harming me...but I have also talked to others who got interviews at the same places I applied to with lower GRE scores than me. So perhaps a lot of it comes down to factors you cannot necessarily predict despite having a good application...

If the cognitive interview isn't until March, then surely I still have a chance to be invited. And WOW! Acceptance without interviewing! Congrats!!!!!!!

Hi, Just curious, can anyone share with me, for those of you who have been accepted to a PHD program, what your GRE score/percentile ranking was? I realize this is a sensitive topic for many of us so only reply if you're okay with it. I am trying to figure out whether my scores will destroy me or what types of scores DO still get accepted even if they aren't high, for example.

Well, I would apply to doctoral programs and hope for the best. But it would benefit you greatly to also apply to a master program if you can. That way you will most likely get in somewhere even if it isn't directly to the PhD track.

My goal is cognitive psychology doctorate, so a little different. But my first run of Ph.D. apps as an undergrad led to total rejection. Quickly, I applied for an MS in psychological sciences. Accepted quickly without even having to interview (other MS students did have to interview, meaning that although not considered qualified for doctoral work at that point, I was more than qualified for master's level work...now perhaps also doctoral work but my application and lack of research experience suggested not to my schools of interest). I will be graduating with my MS in May, and I must say my competence level as a researcher and independence in the field of psychology has increased exponentially over the past 1.5 years. My point is that graduate work prior to the doctoral degree can be extremely helpful in building your skills and exploring your interests as an individual and building your CV for a more powerful second run. However, I suggest you go to a master program focusing in clinical psychology if that is your ultimate goal. If you need to become a social worker or want to do so, I don't see how it could hurt. But be sure to explain the reasons for this in any future interview because POIs might wonder why you went off to social work rather than psych for a MS/MA. What all my professors tell me is that admittance to a doctoral program require your interview to solidify your focus as a researcher. To show them you're focused on it, live for it, and are willing to work day in day out for the next 5-7 years in this field with plenty of enthusiasm.

I think one of the best ways to cope is to try to remember that rejection isn't necessarily a rejection of you as a person. Funding plays a role. Sometimes you've simply applied to the right place at the wrong time, and no funding can accommodate you. Further, the lack of a perfect research match when someone else DOES have that near perfect match can throw you out. Rejection often feels like a personal rejection towards yourself as an individual. Perhaps it SOMETIMES is, for example if you're a great applicant on paper but screw up interview weekend but getting excessively drunk...well yeah...that'll be an issue. But majority of the time it seems that factors impact us that do not have to do with our character itself. Plus, it is important to remember we are more than just graduate students. It is hard to remember this when day in and day out you're living in a lab, doing coursework, maybe teaching, working with undergraduates, and surrounded by colleagues doing the same thing as you.

Rejected: Ohio State University - Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Reason: Generic letter stating my application was reviewed carefully and not approved. Coping mechanism: Focusing on finishing my MS thesis project (running participants all day every day of the week...excluding times I am in class), applying for research oriented jobs at universities...just in case I am outright rejected from everywhere. Rejected: Indiana University - Psychological Sciences Reason: No official letter, but the invitation weekend starts today and I have heard nothing. Perhaps waitlisted...but haven't heard anything and don't have much hope in that regard. One of the POIs was clear in stating that funding may be unavailable. One POI never responded to me, while one was enthusiastic. So ...there's that. Coping: Same mechanism as above.

Did you and this individual hear in terms of decision or interviews? If in terms of interview, when is interview weekend (if they are having one)?

Hello everyone, I have checked results search with no avail on the following programs, so can anyone tell me if they've heard from: 1. Ohio State University - Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities division 2. University of Illinois - Urbana - Cognitive division 3. Purdue University - Cognitive division