vallaboop

Is it inappropriate to ask the people that wrote your LORs if you can read them? I had a professor tell me once that just because you waived the right to read your letters doesn't mean you can't after the fact.

That's a good idea! Haha, I look a recipes to distract myself too! Pretty soon it will morph into a cooking/baking frenzy to distract myself in my free time

Good idea! It'll be a hit here in the forum! Haha

Haha, I like your thinking! Distract the hands, good plan! I've been thinking about taking up the guitar, maybe now is a good time for that

I'm so glad I'm not alone! I'm finishing up my second to last semester in a terminal master's program and working full time as a research assistant. It's not helping though! I also need to stop rereading my personal statements, every time I do I want to edit them again! It's trying me crazy

1. PhD or PsyD? PsyD is geared towards those who are interested in clinical work with little (if any) emphasis on research. These programs also cost money, whereas most PhD program (all that I came across actually) waive tuition and offer a stipend. 2. What are the realities (what can I expect) of working in the different specialties I mentioned above? You have an incredibly wide range of interests, which is not a bad thing! However, before applying you really need to narrow done your focus. It is good that you are thinking about this now! One of the biggest factors of getting into a PhD program is how well you fit with the faculty, how your research interests align with theirs. This is just as important to you as it is to them. You find to find a program with faculty members who are conducting research that you are interested in and that you have some experience with even tangentially. You also need to look for faculty members who are accepting new students. This can be frustrating because depending upon the school this information doesn't get updated as frequently as one would like. I had changed the list of schools I applied to multiple times because faculty members I was interested in weren't accepting new students, information I didn't know until September/October. You can email faculty members in advance but this can be tricky as well. Some people welcome emails and encouraged perspective students to reach out. Others will not respond and have all the information they deem relevant on the schools website. You really need to research. 3. Are there any programs you would suggest that I highly check into? Again this is hard to say because your interests are so board at this point. I suggest purchasing the Graduate Student in Psychology book by the APA. The 2018 edition is already available. This book gives you all the schools in the country that offer graduate programs in psychology, as well as some useful information about specializations within the PhD programs (i.e. behavioral neuroscience). From there you can create a preliminary list of schools you are interested and go on to their websites to look at faculty and gather more information. I suggest creating a spreadsheet, this was a huge help to me. You can create columns for things like school name, location, deadline, application fee, faculty members of interest, minimum GPA (if applicable), minimum GRE scores (if applicable). I also suggest searching for the programs rank on US news, it is hard to tell how "good" a program is. It's so different that undergrad. Here is the link: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools 4. How many applications did you submit for grad school? (Just curious, because my list is way too long so far) It depends upon your circumstances, if you are able to relocate to anywhere in the country then I suggest applying to at least 10 schools. It also depends on what you can afford. I applied to 13 schools, I would have liked to apply to more to up my chances but it was getting so expensive. 5. What is the best way I can achieve my ULTIMATE GOAL, mentioned above? Getting a PhD will definitely help! However, it is a difficult and arduous process. Do you have research experience? A lack of research experience can be over looked but it can be a serious detriment to your applications. If you don't have research experience you should start looking for a research assistant position ASAP. I would speak with your adviser to let you know what opportunities are available through your school. Also, do you have any poster presentations or publications? This isn't necessary but will definitely help. I can provide you with some more resources on this if you are interested. 6. Any suggestions on how to look more favorable to grad schools? Do your homework on faculty members, read their research and become familiar with them. Write an excellent personal statement. Start early, tailor each personal statement to the specific school, have other people reach your statement and edit, and you yourself edit, edit, edit! This is the place where you can tell your story and make them want you. Show them why they should want you in their program. Be careful to avoid cliches and pitfalls. Here is a good article for reference: https://psychology.unl.edu/psichi/Graduate_School_Application_Kisses_of_Death.pdf 7. What other things about this whole process, am I forgetting to think about? If you haven't taken the GRE yet start studying now and take it this summer. If you can afford to, take a prep class. If not buy books and look into MaGoosh. Sorry to babble on for so long! I was a nervous wreck about this whole process so any wisdom I can share I am more than happy to. Good luck!

All my applications are in! Who else is obsessing even more now?? It's been less than a week since most of my deadlines and I already hate waiting!

I would say absolutely! If they can speak to your work ethic and it is related to your field then it is just as good as a professor. If you were asking about something in retail or food service I would say no way. It is better to get a great recommendation from someone you work closely with than from a professor who can't speak to your credentials.

Does anyone know if Skype interviews are common? Almost all of the programs I am applying to are far away and I am getting worried about the costs of flying.

Thanks! I've postponed taking the test until October so I might check this out.

Hi Madhuvanthi, I would be happy to help as I am applying to PhD programs in behavioral neuroscience as well. What exactly do you mean when you say "I scored 69.43%?"? Also what does a GPA of 7.14 convert to on an American scale?

If you are considering going the masters route first, I would suggest looking for psych masters programs. They are usually more lenient and accept students with a variety of backgrounds.

I wouldn't worry about your GPA honestly. As long as you are looking at schools that don't get a ton of applications, you should be fine in that aspect. You have clearly shown you can excel in psychology. My thoughts echo most other responses, your lack of research experience is definitely going to hurt you. One route (that's been mentioned) is to apply to a terminal masters program first to garner research experience and show you can excel in a graduate program. However, this is the expensive way to go. I'm currently going this route and so far I am happy with my decision. However, I have had some life obstacles and I felt a master's program first was my best option. I think for you it would be worth taking two years off and getting a job as a research assistant. I say two years because most places (at least in New England where I live) require a two year commitment. This way you can get exposed to research and you will get paid. If you go that route, try to take advantages of the opportunities that any potential employee has and try to get involved in publications and/or poster presentations. Either way you choose I would suggest studying for the GRE and retaking. While your scores are decent, I think it will be greatly beneficial to you to improve in verbal, and it wouldn't hurt to bump up your quant score as well. Good luck!

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder V (DSM-V) by American Psychiatric Association: "Cannabis-induced disorder may be characterized by symptoms (e.g., anxiety) that resemble primary mental disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder vs. cannabis-induced anxiety disorder, with generalized anxiety, with onset during intoxication). Chronic intake of cannabis can produce a lack of motivation that resembles persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia). Acute adverse reactions to cannabis should be differentiated from the symptoms of panic disorder, major depressive disorder, delusional disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, paranoid type. Physical examination will usually show an increased pulse and conjunctival injection. Urine toxicological testing can be helpful in making a diagnosis." Basically, marijuana can induce anxiety especially if an individual is predisposed for anxiety type disorders. In addition, increased and prolonged use of marijuana can lead to amotivational syndrome (reduction of prosocial goal-directed activity which can adversely affect school). I understand using substances to cope, lots of people do this. However, based off your concerns I would say you should try to find a healthy alternative to cope. You will appreciate it in the long run. Hope this helps!

I wouldn't be worried about your professor losing interest in you. You are still an undergrad, you have more leeway than a grad student. As long as you continue to volunteer in his/her lab then you will be okay, at least in my experience. It will definitely help you to read up on some literature from a variety or areas pertaining to those subjects. However, you are still limited to what resources you have available to you. For example, are you able to use student volunteers or is there a data set already collected that you can manipulate and make your own? These are things you need to consider when coming up with a question. Having a brilliant research question is great but it won't get you anywhere if you can't execute it.

Can you provide a bit more background? I'm not entirely sure what you mean. Does your research question have to pertain to the research that is being done in the lab that you are in? If so, what is the research that is being done? If possible, I think you should come up with your research question within the next two weeks because then you will have more time to actually complete the research before you graduate. Depending on the circumstances it shouldn't be too hard.

Everyone is different. I love Magoosh, but I agree with you about their flashcards. I prefer their video tutorials and practice questions. For vocab I like Barron's Essential Words for the GRE. I also like making my own flashcards a lot more than using pre-made ones. The act out of writing out the words and definitions by hand helps me tremendously.

I think Barron's is fantastic. They star the words that are seen most often in the GRE. They break the vocab into sections of 10 alphabetically. They give the definition and use the word in a sentence. They they have review of the section with matching, fill in the blank and questions asking whether or not the sentence makes sense. I also like it because I know which words I need to put onto a flash card and which words I already know. Plus the act of making your own flashcards but hand writing them helps you remember. As a supplement I also like the flashcards by Magoosh broken into "beginner" "intermediate" and "advance" sections. They have a smart phone app so you can use it on the go.

I think you should reach out to the other POI at school B! For some programs I have looked at they encourage you to identify more than one POI in case one is not taking new students, or the admission committee thinks you are a better fit for one vs the others research. You could even say in your email that you have spoken with such and such and explain how both people appeal to your interests.

What PhD program are you applying to?

Okay, thanks. I have magoosh and I thought I was doing well and I started doing practice problems and it was like nothing was sticking. I thought it I had flashcards to remember things it would help. But I did end up buying a math book so hopefully that will help. Thanks for your advice!

Does anyone know of any good GRE math concept flash cards? Do those exist?

I completely know how you feel! I applied to PhD programs my senior year of college and I got rejected from them all. I was so upset I didn't know what to do. Looking back now I realize I was pretty naive about the whole process. I also had a less than stellar GPA but I'm hoping that my research experience and masters program will make up for that as well. Good luck!

oh wow, that's a serious bummer. At least they told you why you were behind the other person. well I will try to keep working hard and hope for the best I guess.

Thanks for your response. That makes me feel a bit better. I will try to relax, I just get so worried that too much time will pass and I will no longer be a competitive applicant. My timeline was already delayed due to personal reasons and I don't want any other gaps. I currently have a job as an RA and I know I will be able to keep this position until I decide to leave but I'm just worried it's not good enough. BAH I need to get out of my own head. *breathing now* thanks again