IOPsychology

So... I need to update my resume ASAP for an internship-type opportunity that's related to my field. I just started a PhD program in I/O Psychology. What's the best way to word that on my CV/resume? I was going to put it under the Education section (obviously), but don't know what to say about the degree itself (e.g. "Pursuing Doctoral Degree..." or "currently enrolled in.." ?. I would be grateful to hear how anyone else words their graduate degrees-in-progress on their own CVs/resumes. Thanks very much! IOPsychology

I totally agree with the logic of so47. I'm actually about to do a "leap of faith" wait for funding, so I understand your hesitation about that. (In my case, even if funding doesn't come through, I'd be in-state so I think it would be do-able.) Anyway, I would reiterate the importance of talking to your potential advisor(s) at UVA and tell them what you're ultimately interested in doing, and ask them if they think it would be feasible to do that coming out of the UVA program. My sense is that you could do it, you'd really just need one solid connection to get your foot in the door (as with most things these days). As for the two schools themselves... I went to UVA undergrad and I'm working at UNC School of Medicine (in Chapel Hill) right now. So I've definitely experienced both areas, although in a different way. I really, honestly don't think you can go wrong with UVA. UNC seems to be a pretty fun place too, but you're right about Charlottesville - it IS absolutely beautiful. If you end up at UVA, I don't think you'll regret it. You'd also end up with a ton of connections in the DC/Northern VA area, which I imagine has some good opportunities for environmental health. Good luck!!

Okay so I need some advice on how to respond to this email from the head of the PhD program I applied to. I want to be nice, but I do feel like I haven't gotten very much information from this program. To give you some background: I still haven't been given any official admission decision- online or written (or by email). At this point, I assume I'm on the waiting list but haven't even been told that officially. (I have heard of another applicant getting officially waitlisted here about 6-8 weeks ago, so I would have thought I'd have heard SOMETHING by now.) FYI - this is my second choice school. Here's my recent correspondence with them: Last week: IOPsychology: Good morning, XXXXX. I wanted to check in with you about the status of my application... I remain very interested in the program, etc. but I do have some other offers I'm considering. I realize there will be a flurry of activity over the next 2 weeks but wanted to see if you could provide me with any information about where my application stands at this point. Later that day: Program Director: Hi IOPsychology, I will check in with the admissions committee. Yesterday morning (after 5 days of nothing): IOPsychology: Hi XXXX. I just wanted to check in to see if you had any further information... blah blah. Yesterday: Program Director: "Nothing new. Still in a holding pattern. So sorry. Good thing we have until April 15." I'm not paraphrasing that last one - that's literally the extent of his email. How am I supposed to respond to that? To me, it sounds like he couldn't care less. Other than getting the run-around at #2 school.... I do have an offer at my first choice school (similar program, also PhD). The only problem there is that I'm on a wait list for funding. It's a state school so their funding ability is lower. That being said, I'm also in-state there so even if I didn't have funding, it would probably be do-able (although not ideal). Part of me wants to accept there right now, but I'm wondering if timing of acceptance plays a role at all in determining funding, if it's still up in the air? As in, "Well IOPsychology accepted before the deadline, therefore must want to go here, so we should make an effort to try to get IOPsychology funded." OR "Well IOPsychology accepted, so we don't need to provide funding as an incentive for them." And it would be a lot easier to accept my #1 choice if I knew one way or the other about my #2 school. At this point, based on my correspondence with my #2 school, I don't know that I even want to go there. But, if I was accepted, I do know that I would get full funding there. So that was a really long post (sorry!). I've been debating about this a lot. And I thought I would ask for your advice because you're all going through this application stuff now, and it's hard to explain all of the intricacies of grad school admissions to friends/family who aren't familiar with it. Here's what I'm wondering: 1. How do I respond to the email from the #2 program? Or do I just take that as a "We don't really care what you do, but stop emailing us." 2. Should I accept at #1 program, knowing that funding is still up in the air? I've already talking to the DGP and my POI multiple times about this - they're waiting on decisions from people who have been offered admissions with funding. They'll have more assistantships come up later (in the summer), so it may be a while before I know anything about funding definitively. Thanks for your help! IOPsychology (Can't wait for / dreading April 15)

Hi Faythren, Okay so I'm just reading this post from the beginning now and it sounds like you've pretty much already made up your mind, but I just wanted to throw my support (for what it's worth) to Ole Miss. To give you some background: I was born and raised in DC (actually in the city, not in the suburbs), went to undergrad at Univ of Virginia, then lived in Boston for three years doing research. Last summer, I moved down to North Carolina and am working in research at UNC. I have to agree with what some of the others have said - people who haven't lived in/experienced the south don't really get it. They really do tend to see the entire south as an intellectual wasteland. As much as I love Boston, there are a lot of people up there who don't realize that there is an entire world outside of Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the same phenomenon exists in New York, too. (And plenty of other places too, I'm sure.) I think you should (if you haven't already) talk to your advisor who went to Ole Miss - I'm guessing he/she must have had a good experience there if you ended up applying to that program. Yes, both advisors are "biased" as you mentioned, but take advantage of their knowledge! Ask each of them (independently) the same questions and see how they both respond. It will help you figure out what the most important factors are for you. I also agree with the other suggestion to find out where grads from each program ended up - what their job placement rates have been (in sociology, not just job placement in general), etc. That can provide hugely valuable information. As much as I want to say, follow your dreams and worry about the money later, it's usually more complicated than that. Like Nancy F was saying, if you're saddled with huge student loans, it will have a big impact on what you are able to do after grad school - like what kinds of jobs you can take and where you can live. My husband and I are currently paying down his student loans from undergrad, and he feels like he can't leave his high-paying job (that he hates) and find his dream job until we've paid off more of the debt. Also, do pay attention to how the schools have treated you - it's important. The faculty at Ole Miss seem to really want to have you there - and are taking time and effort to prove that (both with funding offer and personalized communications, etc.). And one other thing-- for the people (future potential employers?) out there who would look down on a degree from Ole Miss versus a degree from NSSR, are those really the kind of people you want to be working with anyway? Whatever you end up deciding - good luck!

I know I'm a little late on replying but I just saw this... I'm in the same position. My understanding is that a lot of schools have much less funding than used to be the case just because of the economy, reduced grants, etc. I went to a visit day for my prospective program and asked a few students about this. Chances are - if you're experiencing this, you're not the only one. The current students can probably offer you the best advice. (Sometimes there's not all that much more that the faculty and/or director of department can do, especially during this time where they're waiting to hear back from pending offers that are out there.) So, ask current students! It sounds like you may have an "in" with them already - since you did that summer program there. Ask them how they're funding their education. I've heard that a lot of times students will find assistantships outside of the department that they're in. And good ones, too- they include tuition remission, health insurance, and an hourly wage. So don't give up hope! Good luck!

http://swz.salary.com/CostofLivingWizard/layoutscripts/coll_start.asp This is a great resource no matter what 2 cities you're comparing. You enter your current "income" for one city/area and and it provides you with the income you would need to make in the new city/area to have the same standard of living. Ex. For Eucalyptus' $19600 "income" in Durham, (s)he would have to make $29021 in Boston for the same standard of living. As for my own experience - I lived in Boston for 3 years and now live in Chapel Hill, NC. I didn't have (or really need) a car in Boston, but I do have a car (and definitely need it) in Chapel Hill. While I was in Boston, I lived in the Tufts area (right in Davis Square) which was a great, young area, and a bit less expensive than living in Boston proper. While I lived there, I shared an apartment with 2 other people (3 BR, 1 bathroom apt). For about the same amount of rent I paid there, I could get my own 1-2 BR apartment in Chapel Hill. Money aside, the other thing to consider is the weather. For some people, it's not a big deal. For me, it was. Part of that was not having a car in Boston. I think if I had had a car there, I would have been happier, particularly in the winter. Not everyone is like me though. Just consider that if you're going to be taking the T and/or walking, you'll need to invest in some heavy duty winter weather gear. I recommend a nice down coat And as for the transportation: stick to the red line if you can. The green line is painfully, horribly slow. That line is still the old trolley-train type of system, whereas the red line has the newer, subway-type trains. If you're going to live close to school and would only have to take it a few stops, the green line is probably fine (e.g. if you're going to Boston Univ.). But if you're going to Tufts or Harvard, do yourself a favor and try to avoid commuting via green line. Both areas are great- just totally different. Durham and surrounding areas tend to be much more suburban and spread out. Boston is urban of course, and very... old. But in a good way - it's very charming and has a lot of personality. I could have lived there for years longer and still wouldn't have been able to go/see all the places/things I wanted to do. But the winter can be like 6 months long there. Either way - I think you'll be happy. They're both great areas with a lot of young and incredibly intellectual people around. Good luck!!

Just curious (because I've been obsessively checking the status of a school I've yet to hear from) - what application system does that school use? I know a lot of them use the same one, but I'm kind of hoping the one I'm using doesn't have that capability... wishful thinking, I imagine.

I did my undergrad thesis with Wilson - he is AMAZING. Seriously - he's the best. I'm applying to schools in a different area of psychology, but if I were applying to social psych, he (along with UVA in general) would be at the top of my list.

Hey GBear- congrats on the news from UNC Charlotte- that sounds like really good feedback! I applied there as well and am waiting to hear something from them... do you mind telling me who your POI is there? You can PM me if you want. Thanks and good luck with the rest of the schools!