PokePsych

I wouldnt do it

sure send a pm

I did not last year and had no issues. Only use a specific format if they mention it.

Put ur name on there - if they for some reason have 10 applicants spilled out on a table, it's easy to see what stuff belonged together again..

Potentially refer to articles that do the same and say you'll use similar methods (be careful on how you word this though, you don't want to come across as if you're not sure what you're doing) - it will show that you'll at least know where to look. Ask a person who knows this stuff to go over it with you quickly, maybe they can point out some terms to use or things to add.

I'd talk with the professor - or if there's some sort of person in charge of TA-ships (my uni has that), you could also talk with them. I'd explore these options first before directing talking to the other students

Do you have some sort of supervisor?

self doubt is creeping up!

Are there any other grad students you can rely on to some extent (i.e., other people in your labgroup)? Could people at the library be of help (sometimes they have support for analysis or certain programs, etc.)? And if you just want to vent - just PM me - I've been there. Maybe still am, constantly feeling I'm not doing enough really!

I personally wouldnt do that, I think the point of a writing sample is showing your thoughts and skills. In a group paper it may be hard to distinguish what your contribution is and it may give of a signal that you don't feel confident in your own writing (or that it is not good enough)

Talk with your advisor. Think about ways you can maybe work more efficiently.

Am excited about all my research ideas, but lack time. My focus is not good ugh.

check program websites, contact the grad office, etc. I'd say generally no, but there may be exceptions

Do it! Take care of your mental health and a couple of days of can result in a fresh take on many things. I feel like they actually make me more productive

Was wearing my trenchcoat and a nice color scheme and felt fashionable AF

I wish I wasnt so homesick so I could focus more!

Depends on whether you can use the data for your own projects/papers, if you're going to be on a potentially published paper, etc. I've also run data for my former advisor in 'exchange' to have access to previous data from him.

Apparently, at a lot of schools, GRE scores are sorta a pre-requisite for funding. Departments weight them far less heavily (at least in psych). Sure, if you do bad it may hurt your chances, but if you're above the cut-off score, you should be fine.

I hate the health care system in the US. Seriously considering flying home to get dental treatment and a quick bloodcheck - would be cheaper. Even half my department recommends me to do so... Can't stop hating how retarded this system is.

depends on the school; some yes, some no

sure! you can put it in a google doc and pm me the link. the name personal statement /goals/purpose one is usually the same - depending on whether there are other 'statements' they ask you to submit. But different universities use the same term for the same thing. Depends on how much research experience you have really.

For me it was anywhere within a few hours to never

Well, if it is something like childhood, then definitely cut it out haha. I do second that - however, if you have a specific instance, then it's not a bad thing to mention it in as much that it can integrate your story. However, I wouldn't use more than a few sentences. I mentioned a specific paper that then influenced a number of (relevant) life choices because of that interest. It's again a show don't tell thing though. Narratives are memorable science shows :3 However what I mean by 'showing' interest is also using words like 'research experience X (that is relevant) excited me' and thus showing some sort of way that you're drawn to something.

My advisor advised the exact opposite. But that was also because I had a lot, and it would just distract from the main message that I'm a qualified candidate with also a lot of independent ideas that understands what I'm studying. I'm not against having a paragrpah for each project, but then you'd need to expand on what you did or what you learned. Now it reads as an iteration of your CV - add more 'story' to it. FOr example paragraph 2; why did you become interested in children? Was there anything challneging about data collection you overcame? Anything specifci you learned other than certain techniques? Paragraph 3: Starts same way as paragraph 2. Is there anything more you can elaborate on working with children? was it fun? show some zest - you were doing what you aimed for! Paragraph 4: so here you mention you are working with adoptive families. Anything you noticed when working with them that sparked your interest in studying with them? and so on. Show some 'personality' and make others part of your 'experience'. Also; 'show don't tell'. You state for example that 'Through this study, I have strengthened my understanding of how family interactions promote socioemotional development in early childhood,' but how exactly did you strenghten your understanding? You only named the tasks you did. See above - there is so much to talk about. None of my experience was directly on the same topic. That's fine. I just drew parallels. Since you want to study kids - mention you enjoy working with them, etc. It's not that difficult. I had it at both places, the first time pretty general and later on more specific. But my SOP was more like a personal narrative. Nonetheless, a good paper always 'ties the ribbon' by going back to the beginning from a stylistic point of view.

I think you want to be careful to not restate your resume too much (i.e., a lot of people put on a short project description and what they learned on their resume) - because that is what most of it is now. You may want to focus more on theories/frameworks you familiarized yourself with, specific findings that you found interesting, etc. Instead of reiterating what is on your resume, you may want to expand on your individual projects a bit more in detail (e.g., what frameworks are you using, what is your RQ, how do you test it - this will show somewhat more intimate knowledge with your area). It's indeed not entirely clear why you want to study what you study. This could be anything from eye-catching findings, personal experiences, thigns you read, a gap in the literature you perceive to be there. I think the tone and style are very good otherwise.