That Research Lady
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Posts posted by That Research Lady
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I'm personally weary about post-bacs since you cannot receive traditional financial aid. If you have the money, it's definitely an option. I was in a similar experience, where my last year of school I finally realized I wanted psych but had only taken an intro course. My cum GPA was a 3.0 at that point. I stayed an undergrad for an extra 2 years to do nothing by Psyc courses and double majored. It was the best option for me because (1) I could still get financial aid for those two years, (2) I definitely raised my cumulative GPA, (3) I was older and only focused on Psyc classes so my Psyc GPA was very high. I then worked full time in research for a few years to gain as much experience as a M.A. but get paid (and start paying down my loans). My gpa was lower than yours so you may not have to work as long as i did. When I applied I was accepted into several fully funded programs. It is a HARD and LONG road but I knew that was my goal and that it was worth it. If you feel the same I would suggest considering it. I didn't want to wait this long to get into a program but I find that being a little older and having the experience and persistence can serve you really well in these programs.
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On 7/7/2017 at 6:56 PM, kristincas said:
I am seeking opinions about clinical psych doctoral admissions. I have 7 years of combined clinical research experience, 2 years of clinical counseling experience (plus 2 years of volunteer crisis counseling experience). In the last two years, I have worked in the private sector doing I/O and market research analytics, mainly because research pays pretty much nothing. I have an excellent new private sector job opportunity that I would never be re-hired for if I pass it up, but a prestigious university may offer me a non-exempt developmental clinical research job for far an embarrassing amount of money. My question is basically this: given my past experience, will the new clinical research position be much of a value add to my application? (I could probably get more presentations and maybe pubs in this position in the long run, too). Or should I stick to a solid plan B job that pays well if I'm rejected during this round of admissions? My main fear is that I will take a poor paying job in hopes of acceptance into a clinical program but will be stuck making hardly any money and not working toward a better future if I'm not accepting into a PhD program this year. Thanks in advance for your input!
I'm not sure if you're still debating the question at hand, but I would think the research position would serve you best. Personally, if I was an advisor that you applied to work under, I may be concerned that you are not dedicated to a PhD if you've been working in non-research private sector positions for the past couple years. It certainly never hurts to have more publications, presentations, or to expand your network by working with new PhDs. I received one of my interviews because a lab advisor knew faculty at the school. You sound sure that a PhD is what you want so why wouldn't you take the position that would help improve your chances towards that goal? Saving more money is certainly provocative but I don't think it's a strong enough reason to not build your CV as much as possible. Just my opinion.
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Absolutely you can. I received double time after sending my accommodations in. My biggest suggestion is do this ASAP. It is a long process (it took me almost two months) and I actually had to postpone my applications for a year because I didn't apply soon enough. The accommodations will be honored for at least a year so don't worry about requesting accommodations too soon.
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I think your stats look fine, but, as said, the GRE will really help or hurt your application. I'd also focus on the personal statement and ensure it's relevant to each advisor/school. Lastly, I'd say don't sell yourself short. It might help to worry less about which schools you think will accept you and focus on making sure you're applying to schools with good fit. I had some cringe worthy stats but I found that research/interest fit gave me a leg up. Why spend a ton of money to apply to schools you may not be excited about (or may leave you in a ton of debt) and spend the next 5 years unsatisfied. I saw people with lower stats get interviews and get it. Just focus on your apps and the interview. You may surprise yourself ?
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@gdala Im actually working out the same issue with my partner now (who is thankfully willing to drive a little further than I am). I commuted for undergrad and during the drive I often listened to recorded lectures, text books on audio, or just my recorded voice going over course content. I'm an auditory learner so it worked well for me. However, I'm still having similar concerns as you, since I'm beginning a PhD program and haven't been in school for years. Thank you for bringing this up on the forum!
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Now that the dust has settled, I hope everyone has a successful year ahead of them! Thank you all for sharing, venting, crying, and cheering with me. The support on the forum was so helpful.
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When you send a cv, add a cover letter as well. It makes you look more serious/professional. Also don't be afraid to move for a paid position! The northeast is a great place for this. I did and it was worth the experience (and extra pocket change). Full time work in research really helped fine tune my interests and was one of the reasons I did well this application season. Good luck!
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I gave up an extra 10,000 a year in stipend money for a program I felt was a better fit and was closer to home. If you feel one place will give you the education you're looking for and the people are easier to work with then it's not necessary an unwise choice. Just really have to figure out your values and choose accordingly.
- Billy_Pilgrim and 01848p
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Released my offer at UMBC. Hope this helps someone on the waitlist!!
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2 hours ago, 8BitJourney said:
Congrats!!! Hard work does one day pay off. Where will you be going if you don't mind me asking?
14 minutes ago, OptimiscallyAnxious said:Congratulations!!!! I'm beyond happy for you and grateful that you shared this exciting news with all of us.
Thank you both! This thread has helped me stay positive so I'm happy to contribute to that for others. I'll be going to UConn @8BitJourney
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Just got off the wait list and received an offer from my top school! I will be accepting as soon as I get the official paperwork and releasing my other offer. Don't lose faith! The wait list is moving!
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Honestly (to me), it sounds like the choice to stay local compromised your fit for labs and that could be the issue. My grades were not as strong as yours and I applied to some difficult schools for admittance but received offers, with the feedback that my interests were very well aligned with the lab's. It sounds like your application was strong enough to get you interviews at many of the schools you applied to (which is an accomplishment), so I'd reflect on what to strengthen during interviews as well. Or consider working out of state for only a year or two and then applying to local schools again. I did not want to relocate geographically either, but I live in an area where the programs are the most competitive in the nation and actually found that having interviews from reputable schools across the nation helped during an interview with a POI close to home. I understand that sometime relocating is not possible (which I often told my mentor) but the advice I received was, it's only 4 years (or 1-2 for an RA position) and then you can go anywhere for internship/postdoc/etc. 4 years goes by very quickly and if you are less than 5 hours away from home you will likely be able to return often. I know it isn't always that simple but I'd hate to see you gather more debt for a degree you may not need. I worked instead of getting a masters and the money/experience can be very helpful.
- HigherEdPsych and LLsApps
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This wait gets increasingly harder every day. I feel like I'm being dramatic but maybe this is a shared experience ? Other posters' good fortune is giving me hope though!
- ogd, psychIsLife and The Mountain Goat
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I worked at an ivy league my first 1.5 years and then the VA for my remaining time as an RA and I loved it. It wasn't in my topic of interest but I feel it allowed me to get experience that helped me stand out in applications. Clinical psyc admissions is competitive but those experiences helped me have options for admissions, so I'm grateful. It also pays very well compared to other positions. I almost convinced myself to stay in the VA instead of applying to grad school. I would advise that RA positions within the VA can look different so don't be afraid to ask about presentation/publication opportunities during interviews. Also, my position as an RA is among the list of exempt positions at the VA. I know my center will be hiring soon so if you're willing to move just message me and when they post the position I can send it to you.
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1 hour ago, ellieotter said:
Does anyone have any good guides/tips they use to watch their finances? I was lucky enough to not pay for undergrad myself and I had a great job after graduating so I feel like the low income is going to be an adjustment for me
I lived off of loans in undergrad and used Mint.com. It's a Microsoft run website that you can attach your bank accounts to and keep track of all your purchases and make a budget (it has graphs and pie charts so I get happy). Also, make sure you have a small amount set aside for fun. I find that if I'm on a strict budget and I don't have a little fun each month I start to get cranky/pouty/whiney lol
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1 hour ago, eveline said:
To those who have received Diversity or some other scholarship-- did you hear about it in the initial email/phone call, or did they tell you afterwards like in the formal letter?
I was told I was nominated via initial phone conversation and then I received a separate email confirming I was awarded the fellowship.
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1 minute ago, eveline said:
This is so tricky! Clearly there are a lot of us who are in this similar mess. I almost wish there was a formal "match" system like internship!
I've read that the wait list starts moving in mid-March so I'm trying to keep the faith. I can see the ups and downs of making it a match-like system but I certainly agree that the current system leaves room for improvement.
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1 hour ago, eveline said:
@Sjbionia @HopefullyDr I'm right there with you guys. Wait-listed at my #1 and accepted to a decent but not ideal program. I, too, really don't like making the other school wait. I wish I could know where I am on the wait-list -- is it appropriate to email them (maybe in a week or so, or late March if I haven't heard) to find out more specifically where I rank? Is that too pushy?
What scares me is that I know someone currently enrolled in my #1 program who got off wait-list on April 14th
. Moreover, my colleague heard from his school that same day too a few years ago. I'm really hoping that does NOT happen!
I'm in exactly the same boat. I told my POI that I would wait until April 15th if I had to (or is it 17th this year?) but I feel bad about keeping my current acceptance on hold until then.
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I agree with the previous statements. I'd add that I have the same Psyc GPA as you but a lower cumulative GPA and I didn't need a masters to be accepted (and a competitive applicant) for my second round of applications. My first round I set up a call time with my POI and asked what I could do to be more competitive (I feel like email doesn't allow for as genuine of an answer). I worked 3 years full time in research and obtained a position running a lab, which helped a lot during my application process. The thing that made the biggest difference was pubs, presentations, personal statement, and fit. Honestly, I worked an extra 5-10 hours unpaid a week to write pubs and presentations. I made sure fit was a priority and took a year to search for potential POIs (I also reached out to them half a year in advance when I could). I also wrote my personal statement like a manuscript to show my strength in academic writing. Of course don't make it boring but it sets you apart when you can write something personal and interesting with an academic style of writing. Even with a low GPA I've had the ability to choose between some great institutions, so you can certainly do it without a masters and with some strategic planning!!
Edit: oh, also, I worked in a completely different psyc area for the 3 years, so no worries. I was given feedback from a POI that working in your area of interest can help your application but it won't break it. Depends on the POI really.
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15 hours ago, psyched64 said:
I'm sorry that I didn't save the websites though!
No this is perfect, thank you! I've been collecting ideas for a 5-year plan to obtain the most out of grad school so I've been searching for extra resources. Super helpful!
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On Monday, March 06, 2017 at 1:48 PM, psyched64 said:
I'm trying to do this as well! I was reading about the steps to establish your career during your PhD years and networking was a key aspect. One of my goals in the first year is to go to job talks/seminars, get involved in a leadership role and start research so that I can start to establish connections in the field. I was thinking about important steps during my program too, but I didn't know if there are major ones that grad students have. For me, some of them are starting projects early on to get published (because I know it can take up to a couple years) and volunteering as well to gain more cultural competency experience. I'm also looking at current grad students CV's to see what things they're doing!
Do you mind sharing what you were reading that layed out steps to establish your career? @psyched64
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13 hours ago, LLsApps said:
The really strange part about the UConn post is that someone else already indicated they were accepting an offer from that same POI, which would be pretty weird and awkward if that POI had trashed all the other applicants during someone's interview... Several of the acceptances over the past day or so have named POIs that very recently accepted other posters, actually. How common actually is it to take multiple students?
The UConn post is most likely fake. I'm not sure why someone would do that (maybe trying to sabotage someone who was accepted?) but we should all be working to uplifting each other. This is a difficult process so it helps if we give each other support.
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4 hours ago, antonioa1 said:
My question is will it be possible for me to go up 26 points on my GRE? I purchased the ETS GRE prep book straight from the makers of GRE and I was thinking of using Magoosh what do you guys think? Is Magoosh trustworthy or should I try a private tutor?
So, I pre-apologise for sounding like a walking/talking commercial but I LOVE magoosh. It is the biggest reason I brought my score up! I didn't Study the first time either so second time I put a lot of hours in. I studied 15 to 20 hours a week (on top of working full time) for about 3 months. I only studied with Magoosh and my math score increased by 14 points and I ended up almost in the 90th percentile versus my previous score which was below the 40th. Verbal I moved up 5 points but I have a learning disability which makes learning new words a process for me so I did not Study for that section too much. To be honest, Magoosh's math question are much harder than the actual test, which I found great because I found the quantitative portion on the GRE super easy my second time. What I did was take a practice test, see which questions I tended to get wrong (be as detailed as possible, ie. Single word fill in the blanks or geometry with triangles) and then I'd watch those videos in order of worst performance to best and do some practice questions for those sections. Each week I'd do a mixture of all practice questions not to loose skill in what I'm good at and then I'd do a practice test a month later and start all over again. I really could not have brought my score up that much with Magoosh. With all that said, IF you have the money for a private tutor that may be a better route. Nothing beats one on one attention with someone skilled and knowledgeable.
Clinical Psych Admissions Question
in Psychology Forum
Posted
Happy to hear it worked out!! Good luck with applications!