sjc86

Psychology is waaaaaay behind this year compared to previous (well, non-clinical that is). Look at the overall acceptances/rejections received this year vs. last. I've only seen a handful of acceptances to experimental programs thus far. This is just my perception of how the admissions cycle is panning out this year, but.... if you were applying to mostly state schools, they simply aren't taking as many international students in the social sciences this year compared to previous. It seems like there are actually enough qualified American students this year, and they take precedence. Again, this could be wrong, but from what i've gathered there have been plenty of very qualified international students left in the dust this year. Don't jump out a window though, think of the person that would have to clean up...

The temp jobs are generally basic admin stuff. I'm looking for more of an admin assistant position than straight data entry or reception because it is more varied. I interviewed with one recruiter today, and she said that 2-4 month gigs are pretty hard to find, but 2 weeks is totally reasonable. The pay ranges quite a bit ($12 to $16 mostly, can be as low as $10, or as high as $22), it just depends on the job. Im way underpaid, too, but all of my experience is in non profit and academia. I would expect a 35% pay increase if i switched to the private sector full time. Hopefully I'll get into grad school and this wont be an issue....

Emphasis: Developmental (To be specific, affective cognitive developmental neuroscience... ) Your background and rough grades: 2.5 years full time research (1.25 years development and 1.25 years in cognitive, both full time paid). 2.5 years undergrad research at R1 public university. honors thesis (in social). No authorship, but results of my thesis were published in a different paper (I was a footnote; kinda pissed me off to be honest). Co-authored large federal grant funded for 400K over 3 years (for the organization I was working with, not for me!). 1290 GRE. 3.37 GPA (which is why i've waited 3 years to apply!). Programs applied to: UCLA, Georgetown, UCBoulder, UOregon, WUSTL Interview invitations, method of delivery, and date received: UCLA- invited in early January via e-mail from POI. Rejections: None, but I'm thinking that no contact at this point means rejection... most likely. Hopefully UCLA works out, it was my first choice anyway. I feel like we're getting so personal....

I submitted my resume to a few temp agencies this week and have received calls back from all of them. They seem to really like people with research experience (proves we can think?). I'd suggest it to others especially if you're in or near a big city. I'm hoping to find a 2-4 month gig... I'll let you know how it goes.

Thats where schools should just tell us we're rejected (I think this is the case for at least 2 of the schools I haven't heard from). I'm just trying to stay hopeful because... i've been grumpy for the past several months over this whole process and if it is all for naught, I may loose it. Not like "going postal" lose it, but like "I'm going to work on a lobster boat in Maine for the rest of my life".

Were you actually rejected, or did you just not receive an invite? If you havent actually been rejected, there is still hope! I haven't heard ANYTHING from 3 of the schools I applied to.

Hear hear! And only ~30% of us actually vote. I've bought beers for people, texted updates about wait times at polling places, directed individuals to candidate's websites, held election night parties, and still.... I only have a 70% success rate in getting my friends to vote. Just vote. I don't care who you vote for, just vote. DO IT. It's really important. Like... really. ugh... I'm all worked up now.

I was looking at the result database and i noticed that while every other field is posting acceptance/rejection results, psychology is still mostly posting interviews (of course there are exceptions, but overall...). Any thoughts on this? Is our field just more fickle? Why wont they just go ahead and reject (or accept!!) a bunch of us already!? I think the wait is finally getting to me...

Entirely depends on the program. In some cases, you're basically accepted, in other cases, not so much. There were 15 prospective students at the one interview i went to for 5 spots in the area (also developmental). That being said, there are 5 spots and 7 faculty members and each faculty member had at least 1 student interviewing. So... its a crap shoot. If you got the interview, you're qualified for admission. If you don't get in after interviewing its probably not because you did something wrong, but rather that your POI couldn't take anyone, or someone else was a slightly better fit.

In addition to my research experience, I have 4 years experience in hospitality and food service. I got rejected as a hostess at a Nordstrom's Cafe this morning. ugh.

I heard that the University of Phoenix online has some quality Ph.D. programs that may better fit your needs.

Congrats! If you hadn't gotten in, though, it may have felt pretty good to "defriend" them anyway. Like sending them a rejection letter...

It used to be that 2 years + a thesis was enough, but with more and more applicants, the process is much more competitive now. Without publications you'll probably need an extra year or two. Its hard to predict, though.

I worked at a social lab during undergrad (did my thesis there), graduated and got a job in developmental/clinical research, and I am now working in a cognitive lab. I decided I like developmental the best, so that is where i applied. As long as you clearly state why you want to study I/O, you'll have no problem. Plus a lot of I/O is an off-shoot of social (of course, it depends on exactly what you want to study), but I wouldn't worry about it. A social psych researcher is going to approach a particular research question in a very similar fashion to an I/O researcher.

Take the job. It will give you time to focus your interests and interact with the real world (as oppose to "ivory tower hopping" for the rest of your life). Plus, you said that you've never really had a job outside of research labs. How can you be so committed to one thing when you haven't tried anything else? Give it a shot and you'll be able to reevaluate in a year or two. If you decide to take the job, let your POIs know WHY you are postponing your PhD (I did this exact same thing, though the job I took was in academia). Keep up with the journals that best represent your field. Continue following your POIs websites for new publications, and be sure to look into new programs as your interests evolve. What ever you decide, best of luck!