That Research Lady
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Posts posted by That Research Lady
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On Tuesday, February 07, 2017 at 9:56 PM, thirdfromthesun said:
I am a few years out of undergrad (R1 institution) and have since worked in labs at three other universities. Even with those external experiences, my undergrad adviser told me that it would be a waste of time and money to apply to my undergrad institution, as they strictly do not take graduates (I am devastated, because they hired someone new this year with whom my research matches perfectly).
I applied in spite of that advice, and was not invited to recruitment day, as expected. So, to answer your question, I think there exists a home field DISadvantage. I hope schools are able to move beyond this myopic policy in the future-- one of course does not want to become a replicate of their undergraduate mentor, but disinviting all alumni from an entire program seems misguided.
So the EXACT same thing happened to me this round but I got an interview because the POI was new. I guess it depends on the POI and the institution.
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43 minutes ago, stereopticons said:
Just a note about VA positions-- mine was a great experience, but VA is currently under a hiring freeze except for special positions, so these will be very hard to come by this year.
The VA freeze does not include these types of positions anymore. The Director has exempt them (thank goodness).
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51 minutes ago, PsychLady17 said:
A little advice here...I applied to 12 programs, received 5 interviews, and have yet to receive any offers. I was rejected from one program post-interview by checking the online portal and seeing a rejection. No personal email or call was given to me to tell me I was rejected; I just happened to find the rejection letter. On the other hand, I interviewed at my top choice, however, received an email today from the POI stating that he doesn't know if he is going to accept a student or not anymore and gave his slot to another faculty member to accept a student. I didn't even receive common courtesy of this decision, but found this out by emailing and checking on the status of my application. I have 3 more interviews this week and only 1 out of the 3 I am truly interested in. Any suggestions on what could be my plan B if I am not accepted to any program? I will have a master's degree in clinical psychology in May, I have publications, research and clinical experience, as well as a perfect GPA. I didn't think I would be having to think of a Plan B, but things are not looking too good at this time.
Also, give these last 3 your all. Go into each interview as far it's the most interesting program ever (because people can sense if your not excited). There were two schools I thought were towards the end of the list and after visiting them I fell in love with both. Keep an open mind and give these last ones a chance to impress you.
I'll just add that I only applied to 5 schools that were almost perfect fits for me. It allowed me to take time to thoroughly tailor each application packet and I had an unusually high interview rate. I know applying to many programs can be helpful, but it can be hard to tailor that many applications.
I'd agree that a project manager position would be ideal, just in case. Veterans Affairs pays a generous amount for these positions but working in a small lab at a university can help with pubs/presentations. Make sure wherever you get hired that they'll let you be productive!
- stereopticons and psyched64
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43 minutes ago, MyDogHasAPhD said:
Hi everyone. Could use a little advice.
I am currently waitlisted at my top two programs and have been accepted to what we will call my #3. Happy to have an acceptance but am in a dilemma.
The program I am accepted to is not nearly as appealing to me as my two waitlist options. Do I sit on both waitlist options, hoping one will pan out and wait until the last minute to accept my offer at my #3? I feel bad doing this, knowing someone may really want the acceptance I have but is waitlisted. But I also feel like turning down an offer and hoping a waitlist option pans out is a real gamble. Am I being a jerk for holding on to two waitlist options eventhough I have an acceptance?
I agree with the juhidee119. I'll add that APA's videos on the application process mentions that when you're in this situation you can call/email your POI at school #1/#2 and let them know that you have an acceptance to another program but you feel that #1/#2 is a better fit and you will not accept another school until you hear back from them. They said it can bring you up the waitlist (if you're not at the top of it already).
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4 hours ago, Display_Name_ said:
Saaaame, I'm dying. Do you think they notify everyone of their status at once, like someone is waitlisted, would he or she be informed of that at the same time as the first choice is offered a position?
My POI called last week and insinuated I may get an offer but they were waiting to hear about funding. The next day I found out funding was lower than anticipated so now I'm at the edge of my seat. Seems like POIs are reaching out independently so you may want to call or email! I hope were both in next year's cohort!
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The wait for word from UConn has me looking at my email like ???
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5 hours ago, elephantbird said:
Hi all, I'm first alternate at my top choice school (which has been my top choice since before I applied) and I'm super disappointed, especially considering it's extremely rare for people to say no to this program/PI. Also, I got extremely positive feedback from the POI at the end of the interview as well as by email after the interview, so it came as a bit of a surprise as well (the POI literally said "I could not possibly feel better about you"). I'm trying to just have faith that everything will end up like it's supposed to, but also, this sucks! Any tips on how to cope? Right now, I'm basically putting the idea that I could get off the waitlist out of my mind altogether, since it is so rare...
If worse comes to worse and your not accepted, you can always collaborative across programs or at least ask this person if they would be willing to be on your masters and dissertation board. There is always post-doc too! But until you hear for certain, there is still hope. That school may not be their top choice if their holding the position.
- SabDelta and elephantbird
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On Friday, February 03, 2017 at 11:39 AM, periwinkle27 said:
Ladies on a budget, where are you shopping for your interview attire?
I'm pretty certain you've already purchased a suit, but just in case, I bought mine at a thrift store in a wealthyier area. The was $15, a quality brand name retailer, and it looked virtually unworn. I used to be creeped out by buying pre-workout clothes but a $15 suit was worth getting over it!
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Oh! Also, maybe if the advisors seem very similar in fit you can start weighting things outside of them. I would consider cost of living, stipend amount, fit with program location, where alumni has ended up (and how that fits into the vision for your career) and amount of student loans normally take out by graduation. (Not to mentioned overall "feel", i.e. is your gut telling you anything.)
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17 hours ago, 01848p said:
Hi all, I wanted some input on a question that I've been mulling over as of late. Suppose you are trying to decide between two programs. The advisor who you'd be working with at each program is great and their mentorship style is exactly what you're looking for. Both faculty are doing research you are interested in, and you also like both programs pretty equally. Both faculty are publishing frequently and there are a lot of learning opportunities in each lab. Is it better to choose mentor A, who is older and more established in the field (a name that everyone knows), or mentor B who is younger, and is considered a "rising star" (don't know if that's true but that's what her students told me)?
If you really think that there is nothing that differentiates them in "fit" for you, I would suggest choosing the established older faculty as your mentor and then do some collaborations with the younger professor during your time in grad school. Then you can get the best of both worlds and have direct mentorship from a know name in the field. I know you said their mentorship style is the same, but I would warn that usually big names in the field are less hands on with their students, whether that's in time or effort. Individuals can differ of course so if you've already probed for that then no worries. Congratulations!
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18 hours ago, tomorrowforgotten said:
I've been accepted to some programs and don't have any interview invites pending or anything, BUT I can't stop refreshing my email. This process has totally wrecked me mentally; I refresh my email every five minutes. Idk what I'm expecting to come!
Anyway, I just thought I'd share and use this as an opportunity to tell everyone to go out and have fun! I know everyone isn't done yet and some are still waiting, but self care is so important! I encourage everyone to go catch a movie, hang with friends, SOMETHING. Just stop refreshing!! Good things will come!
Exactly! I have 1 acceptance, 2 interviews left, and I'm waiting for one school to get back to me...I know I'm not going to get any emails during the weekend but I'm still checking out of habit and then get disappointed that my inbox is empty. Worrying is a terrible habit when it's out of your control. I'm totally going to the gym to de-stress. Thanks for the reality check!!
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1 hour ago, Researchpsychbound said:
For a long time I was interested in doing clinical psychology, and I still am but find that I am more attracted to the research portion of it and I think I would be very happy doing only research and pursuing some kind of non-academic career. I've been accepted to a PhD program that is purely research in psychology, and I plan on accepting. I think I will be very happy in a research only program, and also think I will have a satisfying and fulfilling career after completing this program, but there is still a part of me that enjoys clinical work. My question is, has anyone here gone through a pure research PhD to later go on to do a masters or some type of certification that licenses you to counsel? I realize this is a warped way of doing things, and it's not my ultimate goal but I just wanted to know if there's any information on this in case I'll want to go back to clinical work sometime in the distant future.
I think it depends on what your clinical goals are. I know people with associate degrees who get certificates that allow them to work with special populations as a pseudo case manager/counselor. That could be a easy alternative. If you really want to be a licenced clinician, I would suggest doing a PhD that allows you to do clinical work and research. I would imagine it can be hard to get a PhD, go back to school for a masters and then worry about obtaining clinical hours, especially since the research world rewards those who start their career soon after graduation. It's possible I'm sure, but I don't know if it would be worth the juggling. On the other hand, if you could see yourself just getting the research PHD and having a fulfilling career and life, I would go to the program you're excited about. I was trying to figure out the same thing last year and I had to reflect on what my ultimate goals were for my career and it helped me make a decision. You may want to write out a career plan and reflect on what will get you to your end goal. Hope that helped!
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37 minutes ago, psychlife4me said:
Anyone been accepted off a phone interview? I recently did and after not liking some of the other places I've interviewed at, I'm really thinking I will accept it. My only worry is, I haven't seen the facility/met the grad students yet. Is it weird to ask if I can come visit the campus so I can get a good feel for where I'll be the next 4-6 years or is that weird?
Any advice would be great!My mentor advised me that you should always visit in person if you're thinking of accepting. Faculty may not have much time to spend with you but at least having a brief conversation with them and a student or two will help you make a decision. Not to mention getting a feel for a new campus and town/city.
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I'm weighing a newer faculty member at a top ten in clinical psyc vs. a more established person in the field at a top 50. I'd be able to work with both, in theory, if I was at either institution since they often work together, but of course I would have limited exposure to the advisor at the other institution. I'm leaning towards the established faculty member since our interests are better aligned but I'm not sure if I am giving up a major opportunity to have a more successful career by not attending the top ten. Thank you for your responses so far!
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42 minutes ago, St0chastic said:
My understanding is that graduating from a more prestigious program will give you an advantage when it comes to securing coveted faculty positions. Academia is very hierarchical, unfortunately. However, I would personally weight other factors (e.g., fit with advisor and program) more heavily if you're making a decision about which school to attend.
Thanks for the response! It's a lot to weigh so I thought getting some clarity on this would help.
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1 hour ago, MrTree said:
Hi all, I hope offers are starting coming in. I have a question though: generally how long will I hear back from school about decisions after the interview?
I've heard back from one within 1 business day, but another school won't be contacted their top picks until 2 weeks after interviews because they have to hear back about funding. It varies per school. And then if someone is wait listed it may take longer.
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When graduating with a PhD in clinical psychology, does the prestige of your graduate program effect your career in the short and long term? My career goals are centered around academic research with an interest in consulting. I'm wondering if the national reputation of a program (ie. graduating from a school in the top ten vs. top 50) is a significant factor in the trajectory of your career.
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To be honest, I'm not sure about getting into masters programs, but I can speak to my experience applying for PhD. I also had academic trouble (academic probation several semesters). I stayed 2 extra years in undergrad to pull my cumulative GPA to the minimum most schools take (3.0) and I got a research job that allowed me to have publications and presentations. I am doing very well in the PhD application process because of these things and others like fit, specific interests, etc. I found a way to explain my low gpa as a strength. Only caveat is, my psychology GPA was above 3.5. I think you really have to be sure that this is the carer you want because it will be a bumpy but doable road. You may want to stay in undergrad to pull up your GPA (maybe double major?) to show you can do the academic work and then apply to a masters program. If they see a huge change in your GPA some programs will know your capable. My final suggestion is to seek therapeutic support. College is hard, family loss is hard, and I'm sure the stress from this situation can exacerbate that. It really is just an extra support in a very difficult time. I'm sorry for your loss and I wish you all the best in your next steps.
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3 hours ago, Display_Name_ said:
This may be a long shot, but did anyone who interviewed at UConn this past week ask someone when we should be hearing back? It totally slipped my mind and I don't really feel comfortable reaching out to ask... My POI responded to a thank you note and said I would be hearing back "soon," but that could mean anything. Ahhhhh
I was checking the page to see if anyone heard from UConn since I too forgot to ask ? I told myself last week that I wouldn't stress after interviews but here I am....stressing lol
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4 hours ago, 802BernieBro said:
Does anyone know if having not heard about an interview from these PhD programs yet is a likely NO?
Boston Univ. - interviews going out Weds. apparently?
Stanford PhD (not PsyD Consortium) ...
UVM - heard from director of admissions and highly unlikely as all interviews are out
Boston College ...
U of Wash (not Child Clinical PhD)...
U Wisconsin Madison...
UNC - No, heard from director of admission
Harvard - E-mailed POI who indicated interviews go out on faculty basis and that some but not all have gone out
I haven't heard from U of Washington either, but I haven't seen anything on the board so I'm assuming since they get an insane amount of applications that it's just taking a little longer. Good luck!!
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8 minutes ago, justbreathe said:
There's one UCONN on the results board, posted today!
*Sigh* yes, now I see it. Thanks for the heads up. I was able to meet my POI after applications so my postdoc said I could still get an acceptance without an interview. Not sure how plausible that is but I guess it's time for prayer.
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On Friday, January 06, 2017 at 6:18 PM, justbreathe said:
What?! UConn interview invites have started coming out?! I haven't seen them on the results thread.
I haven't seen anything for UCONN either. It's my top choice. I know that their POIs weren't sent application material before Dec. 11 (not sure when they got it after that) so I'm trying to be hopeful that they're starting later. NC- Chapel Hill is going to tell everyone officially on Jan. 20th so I'm giving myself two more weeks for all schools to contact me before I accept that I won't be interviewed. I haven't seen any of my school's giving invites yet on threads so....yeah. Ignorance doesn't always feel blissful I guess.
Fall 2017 Applications
in Psychology Forum
Posted
I have a learning disability, which explains my low grades in the beginning of my academic career, but I did not mention it in my personal statement at all. Instead I had a LOR mention it and only addressed it in interviews if a POI asked about my grades. That way your personal statement and interview allows them to focus on your strengths. Also, it helps when your former professor writes the LOR stating the disability because it shows a professional in the field thinks that this is not a deterrent to your success and they have plenty of years of experience writing with a positive spin.