Islamahmed

@TakeruK has some excellent advice, but I just want to reiterate for lab based people: I always tell my students not to strongly consider a department if there aren't at least 3 people they'd be happy working with. 
Ideally, you get the person you want to work with- but things happen. It might be a tight year, and everyone wants to work with one person and it gets competitive. They might lose a grant, and not be able to afford to take on a new student (or a current student might not graduate, leaving no opening). On the much less predictable and more severe end, they might get in an accident/get sick/die (I've seen all of the above happen to friends). You also might love the research, and find out you can't work with them personally, or have deep personal issues with someone else in the lab and need to switch. 
If you only have one person you want to work with, realize you're taking a heavy risk- if anything doesn't work out with that person, you're out of luck. 

This thread might be a couple of months old, but I feel I need to contribute my own crazy backup plan(s). I just started pursuing a master's and I plan on applying to Ph.D. programs when the times comes. If I don't get into any of the schools I apply to (if I don't try again) I'll probably follow my second dream and go to school for Classical Studies or East Asian Studies with a focus on Japan. Or, alternatively, I could move to Scotland's west coast and open up a cute little inn (which has always been one of my dreams)

No. Between Google Scholar, faculty maintained websites, and departmental profiles, I had zero trouble finding folks in my area.
 
I would, but it is not clear what the supposed benefit to faculty would be. Now professors get to waste time with prospective students before students even apply? Yippee! Also, short of someone perfecting teleportation technology or offering free plane tickets, I do not see how you could offer a medium more conducive to building chemistry than phone conversations.
 
(a) Research openings (b) Skills needed (c) Type of support envisioned (short-term/MS, long-term PhD). You know, the stuff faculty already put in their vacancy announcements.
 
What @TakeruK said.
I also second @TakeruK's point that faculty would have almost no incentive to participate in this service.
The starting point for this venture should be conversations with faculty members or college/department representatives to identify what tools/processes would help them better sort through thousands of applications. I know that this is in fact a real problem. My old advisor once joked that she would have liked the department to attach OCIS codes to applicants. Honestly, I thought she was onto something.
Getting schools/faculty involved is the basically the whole ballgame. It is clear that you have not really looked at this scheme from their perspective. Be open to the idea that the solution to their problems is not a cell phone app.
 
 

Wish everyone good luck :))  

@8BitJourney @glopez Good luck to you both!

Sent in my application a few hours to spare!

I have!  Not going to lie I'm sure my odds are pretty slim but at least I wont have to wait in agony for too long. We'll know early January whether we proceed to the next stage
 

Hi! Fellow applicant for Fall 2018! 
 
I'm just starting my search into programs but I do have some worries!
I'm considering re-taking the GRE to better my score (I've only taken it once and in a panic because I thought my institution where I'm at now for my Master's degree required it). I'm also worried that my current research project won't be as successful as my undergraduate research experience! I hope that does not reflect badly on my part...
 
I'm looking forward to braving this application cycle with you all!

Although you're disappointed with the response you received, in the long run you may be better off where you are without the credit transfer.
Based upon my own experience--I "transferred" from one program to another--it's my guess that your department at A wants to make sure that you're taught to their standards rather than the school where you earned your MA. 
I recommend that you stay where you are and use the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and to avoid "double dipping" on the work you did at your previous school.
Insofar as communicating your sense of disappointment with the timeliness of the decision, I recommend that you think carefully before saying anything. In a perfect world, you should have gotten the information sooner. In the Ivory Tower, your discontent could get you read as someone looking to game the rules.

If this CV is going to be used for a graduate school application, you should either put both or none at all. Putting only your graduate GPA will draw attention and I know that would cause me to immediately flip to your undergraduate transcript to see what you are hiding. I would leave them both off because it does nothing to enhance your application, they will already have access to your academic history. Utilize this space to talk about courses that you took at each institution that's relevant to this new degree you are seeking. - Admissions Track

Hey guys! I'm just finishing up my 1st year of grad school. I love my program and school but my cohort...not so much. I have a fairly large cohort (15-20 people). Most of us came straight out of undergrad. However, we're a fairly diverse group (some are married, some live alone-like myself, some come from different parts of the country, etc.) And while I've made some good friends in my program, I feel a certain hostility from others that I'm not so close to and I can't understand it.
 
All of us take the same classes every semester so we're together quite often. I enjoy our classes and the work, so I try to put my best effort into everything I do (I'll be using this knowledge in my career, so why not?). However, I've experienced comments such as, "Why are you doing it that way?", "You don't need to do all that extra work.", "You're going to make the rest of us look bad.", "You're a know-it-all." Some of these are told to me directly while others I've heard whispered about me. When people in my cohort ask for help, I'm more than happy to help them with the coursework. And yet, I feel like I'm being used for answers, and then mocked about the effort I put in after I've helped them. Sometimes, they roll their eyes when I offer answers in class or giggle during a presentation I'm giving. Then, they complain all the time about the amount of work we have to do, how our classes are stupid and the professors can't teach, and the professors will never know if they share answers on assignments we turn in later. This atmosphere just seems so petty, competitive, and suffocating. Also, I recently got a large sum of funding from the department. I didn't tell anyone except my closest friends in the program because I didn't want to seem like I was bragging (funding is scarce in my department already). Somehow, people found out and no one seems to want to talk to me anymore. It's gotten to a point where I mostly just want to go to class, not raise my hand anymore to contribute towards discussions, and go home immediately after. I've tried to be friends with them (I admit, I'm a bit of an introvert) but nothing has worked. 
 
I knew grad school was competitive but I didn't know it could be this hostile. I don't brag about my grades or funding, so I don't know what their problem is with me. I thought grad school would be all about collaborating with each other and helping each other but I guess not. My family, boyfriend, friends, and the few people I'm close with in the department have been really supportive and told me that they're just jealous bullies and to not pay attention to them. I try but it's hard when I see them almost everyday, and will be seeing them almost every day for the next few years.
 
Has anyone else experienced bullies in grad school? How did you handle it? Please sure your stories and advice. Thanks! 

Definitely just going into the forest and becoming a full-time hobbit

My best friend and I have a plan: If I don't get into any graduate programs we're both going to go in on opening a cat café. We've already started a rough business model. It makes exactly no money but we'd get to spend our time hanging out with cats.

I'm in a very similar situation as you. It's almost eerie actually. I could be your I/O Psych twin, if I didn't decide to run off to Management PhDs. (They publish in the same journals, so why not?). You are good enough. Imposter syndrome is a real thing, and a frustrating leech of one at that. Did you enjoy your research? Surely you did, otherwise you wouldn't have done it for so long. Those recommendations wouldn't be stellar unless you had what it took. The faculty who wrote for you have their reputation on the line when the refer you. They won't be hyper enthusiastic about a subpar student. 
Your GRE score is the most pressing issue. I'm in the same boat. (I scored a whopping 22% percentile in math, if it makes you feel better). My other two scores were good, but I'm going to echo the poster above- GRE scores will (often) put you out of the running before you even get on the start line. It's cruel, and studies have shown that GRE scores aren't the best predictors of graduate performance, but they're the only horse and pony show in town. If I were you, I would throw everything you can into bettering your GRE score. It might take a year, but think about all the extra research you can do as well. If you split your time between GRE and research, you'll be so far ahead of the other applicants it won't even be funny. 

I know waiting another year is awful, but you haven't heard back yet, so don't lose hope. If you do have to wait another year, I want to tell you that it gets better. This is the end of my 'year of waiting and GRE prep'. I was in your shoes last year, but one year isn't that bad. You can still apply to quantitative/research based Experimental Master's programs (since most deadlines for those are Feb/March) if you think that might boost your application. Or perhaps a summer REU?
 
My last piece of advice is to reach out to any of the faculty members that have been responsive during the application process. I actually spoke to one of my top choice faculty members and he ended up calling me on the phone multiple times and visiting with me when I was at his university. I was truthful about my subpar GRE score (the exact percentile, at that). He still encouraged me to apply. My point is, if you make a connection, one of them will go to bat for you. (Though it's far better to utilize your time studying... I let my Master's thesis and general laziness get in the way). 

If you want to talk in pm or rant to anyone, I'm here for you. Stay strong

@Islamahmed I am applying to PhD only. I just got my MA in Applied Anthropology, so there's no reason for me to apply to do an MA again. On the Comm side, I'm not necessarily opposed to entering at the MA level, but might as well try for the PhD.
@EvelynD Doing better than me! Writing is pretty much on the wall that I'm much more likely to get into a Comm program given my interests. x] Regarding the submittal of your thesis, I would reach out to friends to see if they'd be willing to edit a chapter or section for grammar. Does the content suck because of the findings, the quality of the methods, or something else? Some of these can probably be corrected for before submitting it with your app. 
Still need to edit my SoP, but I have an article due today (not academic/journal, just for work) so I'm procrastinating...
 

Aw thank you for the advice and inspiration! Just gotta push through this difficult process and make myself stand out

You got kicked out for a B in a stats class? That's a very stringent program then because from what I know, it's pretty acceptable to get a B in a class. I know people who get mostly B's and don't get kicked out. I know people who got C's and retook the class and got a B a second time and passed, so getting just 1 B and getting kicked out? That's pretty harsh. 
That being said, I find your situation quite unusual (however I could be wrong). I would make sure it was just your grade (if you are reapplying to the same school), and make sure there were no other political factors involved (which there very well could be). Anyways, I think you'd have a good chance going back for a successful PhD program if you're biggest complaint was a B in a class. Just my 2 cents

Wow that was not correct English —“was. Emy. Lose” translates to “was very close” in extremely tired graduate student lingo haha
 
sidenote: do people still use the word lingo?—asking for a friend...

Hi all,
I applied last cycle and I'm now in the first year of a PhD program.  I'd love to stay active on this forum, so please feel free to use me as a resource during the upcoming application cycle.  I'm happy to offer advice, edit SoPs, share my own application experiences, etc.  Best of luck to everyone this application season - feel free to reach out for any help you may need as the (incredibly long) application cycle keeps moving.

I'm currently in the same position, but I know I'll regret it if I don't apply to my top choice schools (not Ivy leagues, but comparable). Similarly, I ditched the "safety" schools that didn't interest me; unless I would still be ecstatic to go, they're not worth applying. Lastly, my primary interest is neurobiology, but of the ~8 schools on my list I'm only applying to 2 neurobiology programs - the rest are programs known to be less competitive (like umbrella programs) that will provide access to neuroscience labs. Maybe you can do something similar with your top choice schools.
Good luck

That's cool. Fair enough. I thought it mattered originally that who you might go to for guidance would matter, but it's certainly true that regardless of the relevance I blew this one out of proportion, yes indeed. I don't think anyone likes being misrepresented, and I'm a human in that camp. Sorry for the distraction, I'll only come back here with research advice if I come up with anything good. 
I'm never disingenuous with "fellow academic" - wasn't before, wasn't now - and will wish you luck. Sorry again for the disruption. 

You're not too old for this. You're actually respecting yourself, your values, your interests and your life goals by going back to school to study something that you love despite your age. I respect you for that choice. In my opinion, it takes a lot of courage to follow one's heart to pursue our true goals in life.

In my opinion there is more hard science based courses in a MS program vs. a MA, however I am not entirely sure and I would suggest looking at the curriculum for the schools you are interested in. For my undergrad it was essentially harder to get a BS than a BA in psychology. I would also say it depends on what you want to do with your career. If you are interested in research and pursuing a research based PhD than I suggest applying to MS programs where a research based thesis is required.

Similar to @Jay's Brain, I hold a BSc in Psychology even though my coursework was predominantly social and cognitive, with little bio focus (to compare, a cognitive science degree at this school is consider a BA). My undergrad institute gives out an MA in psych despite being the top research institution in Canada for Psychology (and ranking top 20 globally last I checked). In my current grad institution, I am getting an MSc despite my research's focus being heavily social (though still research intensive)
Honestly, for some schools it seems arbitrary and likely based on tradition. Don't get hung up on the labels of whether its called a "science" or "arts" degree given the interdisciplinary nature of the field. Look at the actual program and what it has to offer.
and that's not even getting into the contentious issue of whether we can even call Psychology a science yet

Would it be possible to take a subject test? That might alleviate the impact of your lower scores. I think you have a LOT of research experience and a good GPA, but I don't know the impact a GRE that low could have on your chances. Have you checked the websites to ensure that they don't have minimums? Not a lot of schools do, but it's always good to be safe.