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huskypsych

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Posts posted by huskypsych

  1. On 1/3/2020 at 7:59 PM, patricia25 said:

    Does it matter whether or not your potential mentor doesn't have tenure yet?

    I asked this question of several people when I was interviewing last year and here is my summary of the advice I was given plus the my experience as a 1st year student. 

    It's something to consider. The biggest potential risk IMO is that they will not stay at the institution long-term. I've seen two friends (not in my program) deal with their advisor leaving the university. In an ideal situation, you'd be given the option to stay in the program with a new advisor or follow the original advisor to their new university. However, if the advisor is leaving academia completely and/or if there isn't a suitable replacement advisor in your program, you'd kind of be out-of-luck. 

    Otherwise, you just want to explore the same questions/issues that you would with any advisor. Do they have funding? Do they expect you to get your own funding for your research projects? How open are they to you pursuing different topics of research or collaborating with other faculty? How productive do they expect you to be with publications? Do they expect you to work in the lab doing things like data collection or other admin-type stuff? Have they had graduate students before and if so, how are they doing? Are they going to be micromanagers or inaccessible? All of these things could be impacted by them not having tenure, but they're issues that should be considered with any potential advisor. 

  2. 1 hour ago, psycstudent2018 said:

    Just read that sometimes professors do "surprise" phone calls and conduct an interview over the phone on the spot. Can anyone who's applied before speak to this? I want to know if I should prepare something if that's the case.

    Nothing is impossible, but I applied twice (and interviewed with several programs in your signature) and never had this happen to me. The closest thing that happened was a PI emailing me in the morning and asking to speak with me that same evening, but I think that's still way better than a complete surprise! 

  3. My understanding is that different institutions have different titles. People doing the same job in different places may be called an assistant, associate, coordinator, manager, etc. However, there may be a distinction or hierarchy within your institution. For example, I know many people who were "coordinators" post-bacc doing the same type of thing I was doing as an "assistant", but at my institution, research coordinators all held master's degrees. 

  4. My first time applying I was a senior in undergrad, having volunteered in the same lab for 3 years. Similar GRE, GPA, and pubs to you, couple of interviews, no offers. Like you, I accepted a full time RA position with the same lab I was in all throughout undergrad and reapplied immediately and this time it was successful. I attribute this partly to the fact that some professors just are not interested in taking someone directly from undergrad and partly to the fact that I had a clearer idea of what I wanted in a program the second time around and wrote much better personal statements. 

    In all of my interviews, I don't think anyone (besides myself, when asked) brought up my one-lab-only experience as a weakness. With that said, I was in the really fortunate position that my undergrad lab and my personal research interests are very similar, so even though all of my experience came from that one place, it was directly relevant to what I want to do going forward. Perhaps if your current lab and your personal interests are less aligned, it might become more of an issue. 

    If you feel prepared to put in the time and effort it takes to make a great application (LORs, personal statements, reaching out to POIs), then I would say go for it, based on my own similar experience. With that said, there is seriously no rush. If you need or, heaven forbid, want some time off to get more experience or just chill without being a student for a year or two, you will still be in a great position when you come back to reapply.  

    Feel free to PM :)

  5. ~not an expert at all just a peer giving her experience and advice~

    Neither your 3.5 gpa nor your relative lack of experience are dealbreakers, but taken together and considering the competitiveness of the schools you listed, chances are you will be up against other folks who would edge you out based on slightly higher stats or more experience. This isn't to say you aren't a good applicant or even that you aren't ready, it just becomes a numbers game when there are so many applicants to each program. I applied as a senior with similar research experience and a 3.8 and received a couple of interviews at R2 schools and no offers. One year later I applied with basically the same CV (except a couple more middle author posters and a degree that was finished rather than in-progress) and got 6 interviews and 3 offers.

    With that said, never say never! Even at some of the most competitive programs I visited, I ran into a couple of current undergrads who were interviewing. It sounds like you're a solid applicant, so it would not be shocking at all if you got interviews and offers. Plus, I think the experience of applying my senior year was a really great practice run for my second application. The downsides are the money involved and the amount of stress that it will cause you. In retrospect, it was probably not worth the time, money, and tears to apply my senior year, but also knowing myself, I probably would have regretted it if I didn't give it a shot. There's probably no one clear answer to the question "Should I apply?" 

    I went to undergrad and currently work at one of your schools (my username should make it obvious lol) and was interviewed at two of the others, one of which I'll be attending in the Fall. Feel free to PM if you want to talk more about any of the programs or my experience!

  6. If you want to conduct talk therapy as your main job, you can do that with either degree. PsyD programs are more expensive and take longer, and there are many predatory "diploma mills" that offer PsyDs. I generally give my friends the advice to go for the Master's level, but if you really have your heart set on a PsyD - you better do a TON of research on the programs you're looking at - their internship match rates, training models, reputation, etc. 

  7. 22 hours ago, psycstudent2018 said:

    Hi all,

    Could use some feedback on where my resume is at.

    Currently for posters I have:

    • 1 first author APA
    • 1 first author APS
    • 1 second author APS
    • 1 second author FLUX
    • 2 first author at an undergrad conference
    • 2 second author at an undergrad conference (Mentored students)

    For publications:

    • 1 second author (revisions requested) Journal of Language and Social Psychology
    • 1 second author (revisions requested) JOVE Video Journal
    • 1 manuscript in progress

    Now, I'm debating trying to add another poster on here (ISDP), but finances are tight and I'm really deciding if it's better to add on another poster or save that money for an extra application this winter. What do you all think? Is this a decent resume or should I continue building at the expense of funds for applications? 

    For reference, my GPA is 3.5 and my GRE was V-166 Q-155. I will have 2 years of lab managing experience at the time of applying. I plan on applying only to Clinical Ph.D. programs

    I had fewer posters and similar GRE and lab experience and got into a several programs, although full disclosure my GPA was a bit higher. I would invest time and money into making your personal statement and applications awesome rather than getting one more poster, but I'm no expert!

  8. On 4/4/2019 at 3:40 PM, buckeyepsych said:

    I am not OP, but this would probably also be my biggest takeaway from a successful Round 2 of apps. Let's say you are interested in research topic X. If you apply to only labs that have X as a primary focus, you're going to be competing against every other applicant in the world who is also just as passionate about X as you are, and unfortunately, no matter how great your application is, it starts to become a game of chance in that scenario. Someone is probably going to edge you out based on a slightly better application or interview. On the other hand, if you apply to other labs who primarily study Y but perhaps did one project that included X or have been working in an area related to X, you can make a much more unique and convincing pitch that YOU are the one applicant who can bring this passion and experience for X to this lab that typically studies Y. 

    ^ this is still my biggest takeaway but I also want to say:

    -If you can, do everything in your power to find a strong mentor for this process, ideally someone who got the degree that you want to get. They know the process well and it's a nice balance between all of these anonymous opinions you can find online and the advice of friends and family, who probably hold you in unconditionally positive regard. Find an awesome professor (or even advanced grad student) who will offer frank advice when needed but who still has your best interest at heart.

    -While obviously applying to the maximum number of schools you can is a good strategy in terms of upping your chances of being admitted somewhere, I actually wouldn't necessarily give the advice to apply to a ton of schools to everyone. If you have a relatively niche research interest and/or you have certain other standards you want your program to have (i.e. having to do with funding, research rigor, teaching/clinical opportunities), the truth is there probably aren't 15-20 schools that fit the bill. Especially if you are like me and you are just getting started in your life post-undergrad, waiting another year (and another....and maybe another...) for the perfect program is probably a better choice long-term than attending a program that doesn't meet your standards.

    Those are like my most important pieces of unsolicited advice lol. I am always happy to exchange messages if someone wants to talk more :)

  9. 2 hours ago, PsychedforPsych2 said:

     I am curious, though, what do you mean when you said you applied to labs where could bring something "new to?"

    I am not OP, but this would probably also be my biggest takeaway from a successful Round 2 of apps. Let's say you are interested in research topic X. If you apply to only labs that have X as a primary focus, you're going to be competing against every other applicant in the world who is also just as passionate about X as you are, and unfortunately, no matter how great your application is, it starts to become a game of chance in that scenario. Someone is probably going to edge you out based on a slightly better application or interview. On the other hand, if you apply to other labs who primarily study Y but perhaps did one project that included X or have been working in an area related to X, you can make a much more unique and convincing pitch that YOU are the one applicant who can bring this passion and experience for X to this lab that typically studies Y. 

  10. 2 hours ago, psychhealth101 said:

    How do you respond to a POI that is putting a bit of pressure for you to make a decision, but you're still waiting to hear back from your top choice (on the waitlist)? Any advice would be appreciated!

    I am in the exact same position right now (unsure if I'm on the waitlist at top choice). I have just continued to say that I am just as eager as the POI is for me to be able to make a decision and that they will be the first to know when I know and that I appreciate their patience while I gather all the info I need to make a decision

  11. 1 minute ago, palyndrone said:

    @buckeyepsych That's really useful to know, thanks! If you use them at all, how would you say the bus systems are? 

    The OSU specific buses run pretty frequently during business hours and are great for getting around campus. The Columbus bus system (COTA) is fairly expansive and free to OSU students. The city is not very public transport friendly considering its size (no bus lanes, rail transit, etc.). People can and do use the bus exclusively, but it's definitely a slower method than driving around and the schedules/frequency are not the best. 

  12. 19 hours ago, palyndrone said:

    I'm moving to Columbus without a car and a good number of the more affordable 1bed/studio apartments nearby are around south campus--any ideas how livable this area is for a phd student on a stipend? There's a good number of units in the 500-600/month range, but if the streets are gonna be running with bud light during football season i'm happy to bus in from somewhere cheaper and a little farther away

    The area immediately surrounding campus is cheap and a good mix of graduate students definitely do live in the area. If you are looking to avoid an undergraduate alcohol-fueled shitshow every Saturday in the Fall, I would avoid the area bordered by High Street, Summit Street (or even 4th St), 11th Ave, and Lane Ave. West of High Street is much calmer, though there are still rowdy pockets on the streets immediately bordering campus. I lived on Southwest campus for all of my years in undergrad and it was a pretty balanced mix of (mostly) chill undergrads and graduate students. 

  13. 18 hours ago, Waiting272 said:

    Really hope that someone out in this online community can give some guidance. Maybe writing this out will help me with my decision too - I don't want to hold two offers!!! If anyone has any suggestions/advice I greatly appreciated. Just to give some background, I would like to be a program with a good balance between research and clinical experience. 

    • School A: generalist model, faculty match after you join the program
      • Pros:
        • There are 2 POIs that I can see myself wanting to work with (pretty good research fit), I have had steady contact with already 
        • On the east coast not too too far from my hometown and 15 min drive from a big city
        • Seems like decent opportunities for externships and conference presence
        • Students seem to like the clinical experience they get out of the program
      • Cons: 
        • Partial funding - looking at about 80k+ in loans
        • Not a heavy research emphasis, though it seems like it's what you make of it
        • Possibility that you won't get assigned to your first choice lab --- this REALLY concerns me
        • Did not get to see the psychological center that students get training at like most other schools, makes me concerned that I don't know what I am signing up for
        • There seems to be a lack of enthusiasm/support from the program for students, but this is just based on my 3 hour visit there 
    • School B: faculty match model from the start
      • Pros:
        • POI is very research oriented, which was what I sought for when I first applied
          • balances out with the clinical focus of the program
        • The sense of community on campus was stronger, seemed like more resources available to students (at least undergrad) 
        • DCT seemed to support students through and through and is very well organized 
        • Got to see the psychological center - seemed well equipped for training students/supervision
      • Cons:
        • Area of interest is not a super good fit
        • Partial funding - looking at about 90k+ in loans
          • Not a heavy research emphasis for the program overall, but PI is very research focused
        • Very high cost of living in the area, will likely need loans to cover cost of living
        • Not a convenient location to move to, transportation by car or train is going to be relatively difficult
        • Ranks lower than school A

    Any thoughts? 

    My only thought is that I'd be unwilling to go into that amount of debt for any clinical psychology program, tbh ? 

  14. On 2/13/2019 at 1:29 PM, jmaginary said:

    Is this still true?  I'm waiting on acceptance and will hopefully be moving to Columbus with my wife, so we're looking for something a bit larger than a downtown 1BR place.  Short North seems expensive, as does Victorian Village.  We've been kind of eyeing northwest Columbus and Dublin as well, mostly for affordability.

    This reply is probably far overdue, but you're correct. Those areas cited are very trendy, but they're expensive. I currently live in the Short North on a research assistant budget, but it's tight.  If you're looking for a larger place, your best bet is probably to look to some distal neighborhoods or suburbs, which the NW area of the city or Dublin fit. Feel free to PM me (this is aimed at any future people reading this comment too lol).

     
  15. Would love some further perspective on living in this city as a graduate student. Interested in basics like money and logistics, but also specifically I am worried that as a single queer woman who has lived only in large cities my whole life, I will find it challenging both culturally and logistically to meet friends and make a (temporary) home here! 

  16. 35 minutes ago, nimsaj95 said:

    Speaking of waiting, anyone know if faculty have a "deadline" for extending their first choice offers? My first choice POI has basically said he wants to accept me if departmental funding issues are resolved, but I don't know when is an appropriate time to give up hope and accept my other offer (a great program I am thankful for, but not a great fit). Feeling worn down..

    Unfortunately, I don't believe that the Council of Graduate Schools resolution gives any deadline on programs to extend offers. We have to decide by April 15 (or risk losing the offer), but they can do whatever they want ?

  17. 2 hours ago, uk2013 said:

    Rejected from my top choice today. Am wondering if it was unprofessional to attach this mp3 file to my response email. Lmk?

    I like the thought but it feels a little impersonal and formulaic? I'd invest in some body paint and record yourself singing the song (both parts). It's really not that big of an investment when you consider the application fees, interview travel, etc. 

     

    (So sorry this happened! You're going to find your place ❤️ ) 

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