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meezy123

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  1. Like
    meezy123 got a reaction from 1|]010ls10o in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    I do find it weird that there are some universities that have better rankings but are classifisied as R2 universities while some lower ranked universities are classified as R1. Which would be more important? 
  2. Like
    meezy123 reacted to round2_ in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    What do you want to do after your post doc? A TT position at an R1 has different expectations than a SLAC job that's teaching oriented, a data science job in industry, etc, etc. 
  3. Upvote
    meezy123 reacted to PokePsych in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    no - because POI is also very important and most of all fit. 
  4. Like
    meezy123 reacted to shockwave457 in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    I think prestige is important but there are certain red flags that I wouldn't allow prestige to let me overlook. I wouldn't pick prestige if the POI doesn't match at all with your interests or if you have tor really stretch your interests to vibe with them because you don't want to be unhappy for 5+ years. Other than that, if you could see yourself being happy at 2 different institutions and loved them both, then i would allow prestige to win out on deciding. In my own personal experience, 
  5. Like
    meezy123 reacted to asurachm in Fall 2019 Developmental Psychology Thread   
    @meezy123 I am a current grad student in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS). Your case is a classic case of hard decision making.  It happens to a significant number of students in my program as well. You have pointed out that some of our research programs are pretty similar to those in the clinical psych and developmental psych, given that some of the faculty have credentials in clinical psych or developmental psych (also they collaborate heavily with faculty from the Psych department). If your concern is whether going to HDFS will limit your chance for an academic job, you should talk to the department about their placement history. I am sure they have data about this, including the field (whether the majority of them become a professor in the HDFS department as well or there is variability) in which their alumni are currently working. I remember during my visiting weekend, the PI of my program showing this exact chart. At least for my program, the number of graduates who become faculty in other HDFS programs are almost equal to the number of graduates who become faculty in the psychology department. This seems to me that maybe your productivity and fit of research play a more important role in job placement, rather than a field of study. You should also talk to your prospective advisor about the track record of graduate placement in his/her lab. Good luck!         
  6. Like
    meezy123 reacted to Psyhopeful in Fall 2019 Developmental Psychology Thread   
    I don’t know a lot about HDFS, but there are definitely schools with strong programs and research labs, like Michigan State. I think it’s possible to do your own research, it really depends one what your focus area is and what the schools who are hiring are looking for.  I am torn similarly between two choices that include exact research match vs close but better stuff overall. I am wondering if an exact research match is actually a benefit or if maybe being close would allow you a little more autonomy. I had planned to ask this myself when I get closer to decision time. (My visits are all in March.)
  7. Like
    meezy123 reacted to Rickey Henderson in Stop insulting programs   
    I think people should stop insulting programs that they get rejected from, or get in to. If you get rejected and dis the school, it just comes off as desperate and immature. Even something like "accepted, waiting to hear back from better programs" come off as elitist, and can make someone feel like shit if that was their reach school. This might come off as overly sensitive, but the insecurity of grad school applicants is already sky high.
  8. Like
    meezy123 reacted to PsychWannabee in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    I got an acceptance today and cried. I'm going to grad school, y'all ? 
    Sharing this process with all of you has definitely helped make this crazy application process a lot more bearable. Wishing acceptances on everyone!
  9. Like
    meezy123 reacted to 1|]010ls10o in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    I really like this approach. I've had those feelings percolating but haven't articulated them. I also advocate staying true to your own interests and not compromising your passion just to become accepted to a lab. I feel like I meet so many applicants who are willing to go to the first place that accepts them, even though it's a 5+ year commitment that they're deciding about. Manipulating your statement and your responses to an interview, particularly about what you want to research might be one of those situations where you need to beware what you ask for. That said, I do understand that people have more internal 'milestone clocks' and might not want to stop 'making moves'. I'm biased since I'm an older applicant.
  10. Upvote
    meezy123 got a reaction from psychisfun in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Got a rejection email at 1 am from Ohio state. Deleted that email asap. 
  11. Like
    meezy123 reacted to higaisha in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    This is a really delicate balance, but something you won't know until you try. I did this at interviews and had it backfire horribly on me, and other times it suggested I was well read and knew more intricacies about the topic than most. From what I know now, I would err on the side of caution. It's one thing to bring in new ideas, but its another thing to bring in a whole new direction to the lab which may leave PIs scratching their heads. Doesn't mean your ideas aren't relevant, good or pertinent to the lab's topic, but I think PIs would rather take a more safe and "sure" pick than to go out on a limb and choose someone with fascinating ideas and future directions which may not align as well with their work.
    /rant start
    I tend to be on the more daring end with my ideas and I have no regrets because it really does help both parties assess fit. I'm not going to do something I even marginally dislike, and I'm putting it out there as diplomatically as possible for my PI as well so they can get an idea of whether they'd want my ideas there or not. I could have very easily manipulated my interests in ways which would have improved my chances and fit, but I chose to stay true to my own interests. This is a hardass way of looking at things, and is likely not the best way to go by things unless you're sure you can sell your ideas (and you're egotistical and ballsy enough to give it a try--haha). The way I see it, I want to be at the place which is ideal for me. I don't mind re-applying instead of going somewhere where I'd be meh happy with, also my main interest is research so that is a very big factor I weigh. Big balancing act with this.
    /rant over
    Anyone else have thoughts about this? 
  12. Like
    meezy123 reacted to brighteyes in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Generally, from what I understand, the professors are looking for the best fit for their lab in terms of interest. Your interests should closely align with the professors whose lab you're requesting to join. I think whether you bring additional interests to the table is subjective to the POI. In an interview I had last week, my POI asked me what kind of mentor I wanted-- I was honest and said I wanted someone who would teach me the skills I need to be a professional in my field, someone who has interests very close to mine, and would allow me to not only work on their research, but also encourage me to take on my own research as well. She liked the answer, and said she wasn't interested in just creating a bunch of mini-mes with the exact same research interests. I think it is totally up to the professor though.
  13. Like
    meezy123 got a reaction from shockwave457 in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    I was wondering if professors are generally okay with accepting students who want to take a different take on their research/expertise, like bring their own interests that the professor hasn't explored but still relating it to the professors research? hope that makes sense
  14. Like
    meezy123 got a reaction from xChrisx in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Got a rejection email at 1 am from Ohio state. Deleted that email asap. 
  15. Like
    meezy123 got a reaction from Fi19 in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Got a rejection email at 1 am from Ohio state. Deleted that email asap. 
  16. Like
    meezy123 reacted to hopefulgrad2019 in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    sorry to hear that. Good luck with the rest of your programs! 
  17. Like
    meezy123 reacted to hopefulgrad2019 in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    SAME. 
  18. Like
    meezy123 reacted to ASDadvocate in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Me too. Mine was post-interview so I had already received a rejection phone call :'(
  19. Like
    meezy123 reacted to Mickey26 in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    VERY VERY rare circumstances. If you don't meet min requirements (GPA, GRE) then they would not give you an offer (although I assume the psych department already ensured you meet requirements). Congratulations!!  
  20. Like
    meezy123 got a reaction from Mickey26 in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Thank you!! I'm so excited! It's a human development program but POI's research is an EXACT match to my interests
  21. Like
    meezy123 got a reaction from ItPhBeLikeThatSometimes in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Got a rejection email at 1 am from Ohio state. Deleted that email asap. 
  22. Like
    meezy123 got a reaction from JoePianist in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Got a rejection email at 1 am from Ohio state. Deleted that email asap. 
  23. Upvote
    meezy123 reacted to humanisticPOV in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    1) Be OVERPREPARED! Read the program handbook multiple times, familiarize yourself with the research of your POI but also with the research their students are currently doing, look at their lab website and student/professor bios. Pro tip: search all the government funding databases (NIH, NIMH, etc.) to see what projects are currently funded for the POI you're interviewing with; in my experience, professors are always impressed if you know about projects they haven't published yet. Also check out "Mitch's uncensored advice to applying to graduate school in clinical psychology" (http://mitch.web.unc.edu/files/2017/02/MitchGradSchoolAdvice.pdf), specifically Section 3 about interviews.
    2) Be yourself. The best way to stand out is by being authentic and honest about your experiences/interests. If you don't have experience with a certain method or analysis technique, say so, and do not misrepresent your interests or abilities. Personally, I don't try to tailor my research proposals to specific PI's because I want to show that I would research that topic even if I wasn't in their lab, that it's something I'm passionate about and committed to researching. It shows you've developed your interests enough to have a solid direction you want to embark on (and hopefully the professors you applied to work with are already a good match for your interests, without you needing to tailor yours to match theirs). Additionally, some professors will ask you very specific questions about your research interests or potential projects you would want to work on and if it isn't something you've already spent a lot of time thinking about or researching, you would likely be unprepared for those types of questions.
    3) Make it more of a conversation than an interview. Professors are not only interested in your knowledge of the field and match with their projects, but they want to know that they would enjoy working with you closely for many years and that you would make a good addition to their lab, from a social/cultural perspective. My mentors repeatedly refer to interviews as "the a--hole test"; just demonstrate that you have good social skills and that you're not afraid to speak your mind or ask questions (read: DONT BE AN A--HOLE).
    4) Weave your answers into your experiences. Instead of giving a direct answer to a question, demonstrate your answer by talking about an experience you've had or an opportunity that exemplifies your answer. (Example: If asked to "Describe your work ethic", instead of saying "I'm responsible, hard-working and dedicated", talk about how you took on additional responsibilities for a certain project or some professional development that you've done to build healthy work habits). This kind of response answers the question while also giving more information about your interests/experiences. These kinds of answers also help to make the interview seem like more of a conversation than a "formal interview". If you have a TON of past experience, try to pick your 2-3 most relevant experiences to elaborate on for the interview instead of attempting to give an overview of your complete work experience, and refer back to these experiences as often as possible! (interviews are usually relatively short, an hour max, so you don't want to run out of time talking about everything you did 5 years ago before getting to your more recent/relevant experiences). Stay calm, be confident in your responses and tone of voice, and I'm sure you will do GREAT! GOOD LUCK  
  24. Like
    meezy123 reacted to lisa2275 in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Thank you and congratulations!
  25. Like
    meezy123 got a reaction from PsychedOutHopeful in Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!   
    Thank you guys!!!
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