SocialPsych2018

I've had 2 skype interviews for grad school (one this year, one two cycles ago) and one of my former profs sent me her list of grad school interview questions that she asks prospective students. Feel free to DM me if you want the questions I've been asked or the ones that she sent me! 
 
And yeah, I'd definitely recommend making sure that your skype, laptop, etc. are working, dress somewhat formally, and have a water glass (or other drink) beside you. Good luck to everyone with preliminary interviews!

Got my first informal skype interview invite! Ahhh!

Any sensible professor will know that having a functional webcam doesn't correlate with academic / research success I'm sure you're fine. 

I've had 2 skype interviews for grad school (one this year, one two cycles ago) and one of my former profs sent me her list of grad school interview questions that she asks prospective students. Feel free to DM me if you want the questions I've been asked or the ones that she sent me! 
 
And yeah, I'd definitely recommend making sure that your skype, laptop, etc. are working, dress somewhat formally, and have a water glass (or other drink) beside you. Good luck to everyone with preliminary interviews!

Thanks! Good luck to you too! I'm also terrified that I'm gonna mess everything up...
 
P.S. Feel free to DM me if you want to know NYU POI. Don't want to post publicly  

I've had 2 skype interviews for grad school (one this year, one two cycles ago) and one of my former profs sent me her list of grad school interview questions that she asks prospective students. Feel free to DM me if you want the questions I've been asked or the ones that she sent me! 
 
And yeah, I'd definitely recommend making sure that your skype, laptop, etc. are working, dress somewhat formally, and have a water glass (or other drink) beside you. Good luck to everyone with preliminary interviews!

Just got invited for a skype informal interview @ NYU. Feeling nervous! I still need to submit 2 more applications ?

Thanks! Good luck to you too! I'm also terrified that I'm gonna mess everything up...
 
P.S. Feel free to DM me if you want to know NYU POI. Don't want to post publicly  

One of the things to keep in mind is that a program/prof may look amazing now in your mind (or basically the image you are creating of it), but upon visiting/meeting this person may disappoint. This could also work out the other way (so a program/prof you may not have been incredibly excited turns out to be a great interpersonal fit + you love the program). I have people in my cohort that happened to, so they ended up being happy that they applied to some places that they felt they may have been a less good fit initially. One girl applied to about 12 programs and said her whole order basically changed after having done visits and meeting people. Keep in mind that programs vary in culture, requirements, location, expectations, etc. Some programs are very collaborative, some are not. Sometimes you'll get a secondary advisor, sometimes you don't, etc. Also think about what you need with regard to those things (some people thrive best in very communal type of departments, some are fine more independently). 
Furthermore, also keep in mind people's interests are changing - so double-check this with people they're interested in. I wanted to apply to some people, but their line of work was moving in another direction, but they recommended me other names. Similarly, I was not 100% sure about my advisor initially but turns out his line of work has moved so much in my direction (but not yet publications) that he ended up being the best fit (although it didn't seem initially so on paper). I also initially wasn't that much into that program because of the location, but it ended up all being great. 
Also, keep in mind that the majority of people apply to study one topic, but end up doing something related/different often. Very few people end up doing what they initially planned to study (what I do is highly related to my initial topic, but it has also moved a bit). So, I wouldn't be too firm on sticking to one person/one topic, but do keep to a general theme of things (e.g., I'm into macro-level influences, so I've applied to people who have a line of research on that - but not specifically only one macro-level variable or framework). 
 
I ended up applying to 7 programs (only people I really wanted to work with), got in at 2. My initial list contained 10 programs, but I dropped some due to finances/not having funding for internationl students/location. Some people applied to far more and got 1 acceptance. Some people are indeed lucky and apply to 1 - 3 and get in. But it's just a very risky strategy... I was recommended to apply to about 8 - 10 programs given my credentials (I also have a MSc. and a lot of research experience).
 
Ask them if they can recommend people. Professors will understand you're not going to apply to one place (and would probably advise applying to one place anyway). If you're interested are indeed broad - then apply to multiple. Personality is a big field, whether it is people studying cultural differences, to whether there are 5 or 6 factors, origins, personality behavioral traces, etc. Evolutionary psychologists also are starting to enter the realm of personality and start trying to explain it.
Try to make a list of other people and read up upon their work - see if it interests you as well as you think it could KEEP interesting you. 
I don't think you're expected to have read all papers by faculty at all. They're generally interested in why you want to work with them and you're interested, but rarely will they ever quiz you on their papers (a lot of profs will rather maybe ask some questions about the field and what you want to do, but not specifically their papers in detail). 

Hello, everyone! I'm here for the social/personality psych application support group.
I'm applying to UChicago (Integrative Neuro), Oregon (Social), Brown (Psych), Boston College (Social), Michigan--Ann Arbor (CCN), and University at Buffalo (Social).
My application isn't too competitive, soooo yeahhhh. I'm just hoping for the best.
Good luck to everyone!

Awesome news! Kudos
I'm also applying to the Social Psych program at NYU. Out of curiosity, which POIs you are interested in?

Congrats! That's amazing  

Congrats!!! I hope your interview goes well!!! I also just got two invites for informal Skype interviews next week and I am super stressed. One of them is for my dream school, so on one hand I am super excited but on the other hand I am afraid to do something wrong to jeopardize it. ?

Just got invited for a skype informal interview @ NYU. Feeling nervous! I still need to submit 2 more applications ?

Just got invited for a skype informal interview @ NYU. Feeling nervous! I still need to submit 2 more applications ?

Hope everybody's application process went well! I am already dying waiting for responses. ? Hopefully December/January fly by and we start receiving interview invites soon. 
Good luck to everyone! ?

Same. ☹️ it looks like I'll have to go through this process again next year. 

I'm on that train too.  Is it too early to start a Fall 2019 applicant thread?

Hey nerds, just wanted to add a random note of encouragement! I got accepted last year to two of my dream programs, and even though the other students in my area are excited for recruitment weekend because it's two days of free real food (rather than our usual peanut butter sandwiches and apples..) and hanging out with the whole area, I really feel for the interviewees - I remember how horrifically anxiety-inducing the whole thing was. But the grad students are just there trying to get to know potential new members of their family, nothing more.
Anyways, I managed to make up for my 3.1 undergrad GPA with two years of volunteering in labs (post-graduation) followed by two years of being a lab manager for two awesome social psych professors. I thought I had no chance when I started out, but thankfully for social psychology, it's the grittiest people who aren't willing to let go to the dream who win in the end.   So many of the current students applied multiple times (I applied three times total), so just because you maybe weren't the strongest candidate last year doesn't mean anything for this year.

This happens in academia far too often. You could have near-perfect GRE scores, GPA, letters of recommendation, and even fit; yet you're still not selected. Social capital is a powerful thing, I wish there was more research on it. I worry when applying to programs that also have a terminal masters because of how often schools transition (though deserving) students from the masters to PhD program. Faculty of a student that know other faculty. Students finding their POI at a conference and getting face-time...they are playing the game. In IO we learn about how the most random factors like name and handshake can affect your likelihood to receive a job offer, especially when the process is unstructured. The application process is very unstructured: some professors hate the GRE, some love applied experience, some publications, sometimes it's just random in terms of who you apply to. It's hard not to take it personal. Graduate applicants are conscientious; you can tell by the path they've chosen.  However, I've never met someone intrinsically motivated that didn't get in. Keep hope. Learn. Find out what the accepted candidates "had" that you didn't. Objectively you may have been much higher on the list, but the list isn't objective; otherwise, a computer would select who gets in. 
 
 
In reality: I cry and listen to Katy Perry's "The One That Got Away"

So agonizing waiting for decisions, especially for small programs that accept so few people, where it's entirely possible acceptances have already happened but none of them have been posted on gradcafe 

Congratulations to your dog on his PhD btw. Very impressive, considering the lack of opposable thumbs and all

I am currently in a program and was pretty active in the Social Psych 2017 thread so I hop on here from time to time to just check in. I wanted to chime in with a bit of reassurance. It is still SUPER EARLY! I did not hear from HALF my schools until after February 1st, and did not even get my first official acceptance until mid-March. Yes, many do send out invites this week but I know in my program, many of the faculty have not even began making their "informal interview" phone calls, and another friend who is in a different program also told me the same thing. So with all that said, do not think that just because you have not heard this week that all hope is lost. I promise you, it is not! Hang in there, friends. It will be over soon and this time next year, hopefully you will all be super stressed out in grad school!

For 2 of the schools I applied to (Northwestern & UW), I didn't contact the POIs (mostly b/c I was a bit slow in actually, you know, getting to the point of actually reading their research) but I still ended up hearing back from UW & being told I'm a strong candidate.
I agree with others... I think it's too late to go back on your choice now. Best of luck!

Praying this is the week we'll begin to hear!!