loffire

Thank you for accepting my honest feedback ? I say the things I say cos I think your profile is similar to mine. I graduated with a 3.6+ gpa as well. Though most schools state 3.5 as a min, the more competitive schools might very well have a higher unofficial cutoff (aka your application never reaches the POIs). Your GREs then have to be stellar. Some people say 310 is good. I think you might need 160ish for V and Q and probably a 5.0 for AWA. 1 publication is good! really sell your research experiences in your CV. last 2 times I applied I either failed to contact POIs or contacted them without including my CV in the email. This year I included my CV detailing everything I've done and have gotten pretty good replies. You probably also need little more research exposure. Not just running assays but like from scratch to finish, lit review, being involved in designing an experiment, running the experiment and collecting data, analyzing, writing portion of the manuscript. The more "intellectual contribution" to a research project. These are things I believe POIs are looking for. Then again I could be entirely wrong. I've applied twice without success so what do I know hahahahah ?
TL;DR, 
You need to show you've been had intellectual contribution to research projects and when you contact POIs, find people who really do something you think would be a good fit, include your CV and get a discussion started. (doesn't need be exactly same. same theme different mechanism or something to that extent) I think you're off to a good start. So apply to those schools you mentioned (they're grrrrrrreat!) but also look at not so premium schools. like public/state colleges eg. SUNY colleges or like UC merced or something (those are just examples cos I have no idea what exactly your interest is or where they do what you wanna do. Feel free to clarify anything or ask further question. Also please use bowl of salt. kthxbai

So just to update you guys, instead of bugging the faculty members again, I sought out the program coordinators/grad advisors to ask if they knew if the faculty members I was interested in working with were accepting grad students. I immediately got replies from POIs from one school, and the coordinator from another advised me on who were the faculty members who were accepting students and who weren't which was the more important question I needed answering (apart from feedback if they thought I was a good fit for their lab/program). Thanks for the input guys!

Being an international student is tough. Being a chinese international student is some next level shizzle. I've heard that one of the biggest fears faculty/grad comm have about chinese international students is that they're real good at taking tests (some think there's cheating involved) but when the students come down for interviews, the can't speak well, and some cant write well either. Unfortunately for you (and to a lesser extent, me, also an international student) your AWA scores kinda reflect that. So i'd recommend that you get your SOP checked and vet by someone from america (having brought up in a british system, we spell everything 'wrong' ?). Make sure it's a killer SOP and get your recommenders to cover your AWA score. To reflect that you can speak and write well, maybe just not under pressure; but you can definitely articulate your ideas in speech and writing. Hope this helps!
(P.S. I assumed you're chinese from the chen in your handle. If i'm wrong, you can disregard the chinese part but the rest prob apply hahahaha)

I'm fine with you being upset with what I wrote. I could've sprinkled some sugar on it and beat around the bushes, but you need someone in your corner to tell you the hard truth. You clearly didn't have that someone this cycle.
I worked full-time in undergrad, as a line cook and pantry chef. Plenty of people before you, your classmates, and future students worked full-time and still slammed out high grades at probably every university in the US/world. You're nothing special there.
More than five schools work on continental philosophy and religion. That's just poor planning.
If you want to be in a competitive philosophy department you need a M.A. in their field. You can get in to a PhD program without an M.A., your chances are higher than 0% but not by much. If you haven't seen it yet, the PGR (Philosophical Gourmet Report) is considered the preeminent ranking system but it also has a fair share of detractors. Recently Brian Leiter (founder) stepped down from running it and that's for the better - they have a solid Advisory Board in place now. Dailynous.com is also a top site to learn about the field itself, what prof is moving where, where the leaders in the field think the next hot subfields will be, etc.
The people in the Philosophy forum here at GradCafe are far better equipped to handle philosophy questions. I can direct you to some funded M.A. options but they'll know even more. If you're wanting to do a PhD in Religious Studies (or Theology) with a focus in philosophy of religion, I can certainly help there.
My intent was not to hurt your feelings but to simply tell you the truth, nothing more, nothing less.
EDIT: Thanks for the kind words @Boolakanaka!

Worries: This is my third cycle applying. It's been draining every single time. I am an international student and the acceptances for international students seem really low over the past 2 years. I did graduate from an American university, but with only a magna cum laude. There seem to be so many applying with much higher gpa than mine. Though my verbal and quant scores on the gres were pretty solid, my written score was only a 4.0. In short, I'm afraid a meh gpa, and a shitty 4.0 on written, coupled with my international student status will hurt me real bad. I have about 4yrs of research experience but only a few posters, presentations and publications to show for it. I am already 30 this year and feel like the rest of my life has been put on hold while I have focused on this. Being a first-generation college grad, my family understand the value of higher education, but don't quite get the point of pursuing a PhD instead of settling for an undergrad degree. I could really do with a win.
Excitement: There is little I can think of that would be as exciting as doing research in topics I find interesting. I contacted a number of POIs and some seemed interested in working with me. Regardless of how this plays out, I'm sure I'll eventually find myself doing research in topics that excite me so I'll just hold on to that hahaha

Worries: This is my third cycle applying. It's been draining every single time. I am an international student and the acceptances for international students seem really low over the past 2 years. I did graduate from an American university, but with only a magna cum laude. There seem to be so many applying with much higher gpa than mine. Though my verbal and quant scores on the gres were pretty solid, my written score was only a 4.0. In short, I'm afraid a meh gpa, and a shitty 4.0 on written, coupled with my international student status will hurt me real bad. I have about 4yrs of research experience but only a few posters, presentations and publications to show for it. I am already 30 this year and feel like the rest of my life has been put on hold while I have focused on this. Being a first-generation college grad, my family understand the value of higher education, but don't quite get the point of pursuing a PhD instead of settling for an undergrad degree. I could really do with a win.
Excitement: There is little I can think of that would be as exciting as doing research in topics I find interesting. I contacted a number of POIs and some seemed interested in working with me. Regardless of how this plays out, I'm sure I'll eventually find myself doing research in topics that excite me so I'll just hold on to that hahaha

Tell him to not call you, maybe?

I spoke to someone on the forum who mentioned they received an interview invite from dartmouth some time back. I applied there too and haven't heard anything. But seeing that it's been some time since the interview invite was sent, I think it's best we assume it's done and move on after a few more drinks

Same here! Was expecting it more for a live interview than over Skype

In a recent phone interview I had, I was asked to describe a potential thesis or dissertation project I would like to work on and how I would go about designing it (methods and everything). This question caught be by surprise and I hadn't prepared for it. So be ready to have a response in case something like this comes up!

I would recommend brushing up on your research statement and lines of research you potentially would like to do there. They'll probably not quiz you on your POIs work and ask more about your work to see if you'll be a good fit (personality and all) for the school, department and the labs. all the best!

I have compiled some resources I found with regard to datelines. PLEASE DON'T USE THIS TO FEED YOUR ANXIETY
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hJFI7od93wXNHfLiUl0pv4lPUsueRmVg_6N85xgFQd8/edit#gid=0
https://imgur.com/a/CGVa9
https://fretpwner.shinyapps.io/GradCafeStatistics/
I think generally the spike comes around slightly after christmas

I heard back from U of T. Kinda. Was a weird email about bidding for residences and them emphasizing that this was not an offer of admission. Got me all giddy for a bit there

I heard back from U of T. Kinda. Was a weird email about bidding for residences and them emphasizing that this was not an offer of admission. Got me all giddy for a bit there

Sorry, that was unclear. It stands for Social Affective Neuroscience Society. Most of the job postings are from psychology or neuroscience labs that could offer a lot of experience with neuroimaging.
You can email the administrative coordinator (Courtney Rogers) and ask to be put on the email list! 

Went to an info session where the admissions/financial aid director emphasized that if letters of recommendation were submitted even one day after the deadline, no scholarship money would be awarded. Panicked because I was still waiting on one LOR and my professor hadn't responded to my email or follow-up phone call, so ended up DRIVING TO NEW YORK from out-of-state to talk to her in person. The look on her face when she saw me in her office door was pretty priceless, as was my weak explanation that I just happened to be in the city visiting friends. Definitely an awkward moment but she was just busy and missed the email, and asked me to remind her again as many times as I needed to before the deadline.
Still waiting for now. 

Columbia university not the teacher's college. the general psych dept

Worries: This is my third cycle applying. It's been draining every single time. I am an international student and the acceptances for international students seem really low over the past 2 years. I did graduate from an American university, but with only a magna cum laude. There seem to be so many applying with much higher gpa than mine. Though my verbal and quant scores on the gres were pretty solid, my written score was only a 4.0. In short, I'm afraid a meh gpa, and a shitty 4.0 on written, coupled with my international student status will hurt me real bad. I have about 4yrs of research experience but only a few posters, presentations and publications to show for it. I am already 30 this year and feel like the rest of my life has been put on hold while I have focused on this. Being a first-generation college grad, my family understand the value of higher education, but don't quite get the point of pursuing a PhD instead of settling for an undergrad degree. I could really do with a win.
Excitement: There is little I can think of that would be as exciting as doing research in topics I find interesting. I contacted a number of POIs and some seemed interested in working with me. Regardless of how this plays out, I'm sure I'll eventually find myself doing research in topics that excite me so I'll just hold on to that hahaha

At the end of the day, it is afterall who knows you. And you guys didnt end up here by chance. All the best for your interviews at UCLA!

Just got invited to UCLA interview weekend. Applied to the social area.

Then these faculty do not want to continue the conversation till they get your application materials. Faculty members get so many emails that often they just reply out of courtesy. Yes it helps if a faculty member notices you, but more often than not, you got to get through the grad comm's cut. I've heard applicants get cut even before the faculty interested in working with them gets to review application materials.
TL;DR
stop panicking. these things are beyond your control. What you can control are things like your SOP,  your CV, your writing sample and test scores. Work on those as meticulously as you can, and submit your application in advance. MANY applications get tossed for being incomplete.

How soon after is Stanford’s interview weekend? Perhaps, you can just book those days anyway and if you don’t get an invite from Stanford, you can take in some sights in San Fran. You could always ask Berkeley if you could have a few weeks to arrange your flights but I wouldn’t call Stanford.

Question: I have been invited to an interview at UC Berkeley (neuroscience, not psych). I live on the east coast and flying to the west coast is a bit rough. Stanford Psych has not released their interview invites yet, and likely won't until mid-January. Stanford Psych's interview date is right after Berkeley. Berkeley wants me to book the flight before the new year, but I want to wait until I know whether I will be invited to Stanford. Should I ask Berkeley if I can wait until a few weeks later to book the flight? Should I call Stanford and say "I will be in the area... "? Thoughts? 

I bought Zelda: Breath of the Wild and so far have logged 100+ hours of gameplay since December 1. I'm thriving, clearly. 
Unrelated but: Everyone's pets are so cute!! Thank you for sharing their beautiful faces  
 

Seconding what everyone has expressed already, the waiting game truly is worse than pre-submission. I really hate refreshing my inbox every 10 minutes and feeling powerless.
My main thing (after finishing my my last exam of undergrad yesterday, yay!) since submission has been more necessary than crazy/funny: packing up my whole place in preparation for a move tomorrow! I actually have noticed that I had less opportunity to check my phone obsessively and it took my mind off things. During the process, my mom and my boyfriend's mom have both come to help us pack everything and met for the first time (we've been dating for three years), which was a little stressful! They hit it off really well though. ?