naturevnurture

Although you definitely don't need to have research experience in the field you want to go into, there will be other applicants who have tons of research in that field, and that is who you are competing with. This absolutely doesn't mean it can't be done, but you will have to fight somewhat of an uphill battle to weave your experiences into a cohesive story about how your experiences prepared you for what you want to study. For example if you are doing developmental research, you may be more competitive for labs that have a child focus than labs, and not so competitive for other labs. If you know what you want to study in grad school, I would recommend trying to find a lab that studies something similar, or at least that is open to you having an independent project that is related to your interests. Advisors will definitely look at research potential and the whole of your application, which can usually override having less direct experience in the field, but it absolutely helps to know a lot about the field you want to be in!

Yep GREs definitely matter. When I started applying a faculty member told me that you should be above the 60th percentile in both sections to get in, and probably above 75th or 80th to be more competitive. However, I know people with lower that have also gotten in, and people with great GREs who haven't gotten in. They evaluate the application as a whole, so being strong in other areas will help pull up a low GRE sometimes. I would say not having connections doesn't matter that much, but if you have some they can absolutely help. As long as a program is APA accredited you should be good to work in the U.S. when you graduate. This all sounds great! Good GPA's, great research experiences, and having a M.A. all help. If you are applying to labs with research that is in the same field as the research you have already done, you should be near the top of the pack in terms of research experiences. If you are applying to labs in different fields, it is still good, but you will have to make a clear statement of how your interests tie together. I would focus on doing well on the GRE, getting good LORs, writing a great statement, and applying to labs with a great fit. If you do that you should have a good chance! Good luck!

I just got back from an interview where they gave us the interview schedule/itinerary on the morning of, with no prior information to what the day would be like at all. One of the graduate students mentioned that they do it every year on purpose to see how students respond. Your ability to be flexible/adaptable is definitely something graduate students and faculty look for and take into consideration during interviews, so just make sure to with the flow and not be difficult/inflexible with last minute scheduling!

That is so frustrating, especially with your great qualifications! But a lot of people go through this process several times because it is just SO competitive. I would recommend politely asking your programs if they have any advice on improving your application for the next cycle (and in the meantime you can get some information/closure on why you might not have been accepted this round). A lot of times it can just be one weak spot in your application that keeps you down (# of pubs, research fit, SOP, recommenders, funding, etc. etc.)

Can anyone who got interviews at University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Wyoming, or University of Delaware DM me your POI? Thanks!