TheDude

Curiosity is good!

HA!!!

UConn because I couldn't do much online and had to chase professors around to amass all LORs, SOP, transcripts in one envelope and then rely on USPS. The electronic process was a little tricky in that I had to remember log in info, remember to check certain portions of the system, but it was easier in the long run. Aside from that everything was pretty easy. Fordham's website sandbagged me a bit in terms of being vague in spots about whether or not the subject GRE was required. It looked like the answer was no in a couple different places within the program website. When I went to submit my application it turns out it was required. Eh. I guess I have to take it now when it is available should I get admitted.

Look, if you want to email them then go for it. It's your application and your situation, right? The email I was speaking of was sent at the end of October, not after the application had been submitted. I met one professor face to face, had wonderful email exchanges, a lot in common, met with a couple other faculty at the school via their recommendation. I still wouldn't have contacted them again. That's me. It just kind of wreaks of those students in undergrad who show up at every office hour in hopes of trying to wiggle their A- to an A. But I'm just one person.

Neuro, I guess it depends on where you end up and if you plan on traveling home much, etc. My preferred programs are all 120 miles from where I currently live. I also only have a year left of payments on my car. If this wasn't the case I'd just pay to take the train home when necessary. However, since my car is still running beautifully, and it is one of my only two "assets" I'd just assume keep it. If I was going to school in the boonies I'd also think I'd want a car to get out and see some sights, visit people, etc.

Whoa! I had a big breakthrough with my dad last night. He called and said, "Hey Son, I was at a job site the other day and I met a woman who is a developmental psychologist. I started telling her you were looking to do that. She even went to the school you interviewed at a bunch and said you definitely need to go there. I started telling her about all your research and she was really impressed." I think he gets it!! My dad does excavation for a living, and it took like a year for him to understand there were layers to graduate school education. I just figured he'd tell people I'm still in school.

I will take a different approach with my response. For most everyone this isn't just a feeling you get in academic settings. I can totally sympathize with you. I was crippled by social anxiety for quite sometime. It is still something I grapple with on a weekly basis. However, what I found worked best for me was just experience. When I go everywhere I walk with my head up and take notice of other people. How do they look at other people? What to they look at? What kind of mood do they look like they are in? I'm just constantly making observations. Why? Observations are conversational points you can use for small talk. Every time you go out is an opportunity to work on this. I am personally not big on cognitive reappraisal, and the whole just tell yourself positive things. However, I do realize when the monkey chatter in my head arises, and am cognizant of the fact that it needs to be silenced. I mean it though, this is not something that you just fix in academic settings. You need to take a holistic approach. When you are grocery shopping talk to the checkout person. Sure, sometimes you won't want to or you won't know what to say... or you might even think what is the point? However, just make a comment on something you are buying. Ask how there day is going. Do this everywhere and start small. Maybe just getting to that point is a big deal initially? If it is then work towards keeping a few exchanges going. Watch people who are real sociable. I was always surprised by these people. They walk in a room and can hold everyone's attention with ease. Often times I'd be baffled by the seemingly insignificance of what they were talking about. But that is by in large what small talk is. It's hard to make friends or meet significant others if all you can do is ramble about nuclear particle physics or whatever. As far as people in authority positions. They are no different than you in most aspects. Being sociable is a very powerful tool.

When adcom committees are meeting? I just think you are playing with fire with a POI who you don't really know, even if you have had some decent email correspondences with them. I had some amazing pre-submission interviews where I was contacted again by POIs and really encouraged to apply and let them know if I needed anything else along the way. A simple, "Thanks so much for everything. I am currently working on completing the application. I appreciate all your time and information in meeting with me" was the last contact I had with even the best prospects. They'll see your application, and if the meeting or talks were that great they will remember. 1) Not contacting them won't hurt. 2) Contacting them is a gamble. I hedge with #1.

On the music note: I majored in performance for a while in my undergrad. Once I left studying it formally I found that every time that I picked up my instrument felt better. I was more clear headed and focused in the shorter practice time I had. To be totally honest I think I have lost some chops that I had when I could practice nothing but music for 8 hours a day, but as a musician I feel like my ears, and my feel for both my instrument and music overall, is much improved. I also have access to record with a few buddies who are supremely talented. When we want to make tunes, or an album as we are currently doing, we record ideas when we have time and use the net to send media files back and forth to see what happens. It works. Additionally, I'm just as content making solo arrangements of famous jazz standards on my guitar or music that no one will ever hear but me. All of this requires little interaction, musically speaking, with anything but my own thoughts and private moments. So, to bring it a bit full circle I have had to modify my perceptions of what a happy and successful musician was. I plan to keep on working at this when I am in grad school. However, as someone who currently makes my entire salary with music related endeavors I will say it is pretty rough out there. Unless you are doing some amalgamation of teaching privately, doing corporate or wedding gigs, doing studio work, and then recording/performing your own stuff pro bono, it is pretty hard to make a go of it. Musicians as a whole have a very poor sense of business, and this just creates a dog eat dog world of total buffoons out there. Gigs don't pay what they used to. People don't care about live music like they used to. My plan B: I don't really know. I guess a Master's, but I don't know what purpose that would serve. Most programs that offer this are only a year. Will I really get to know my research advisor that well from the time I start in September to when I'd need a letter in November? It seems like a useless waste of time and money.

This thread has been oddly therapeutic for me!

I'll echo neuro.... I get the couch comment quite a bit. "So, you'll probably have a pretty sweet couch?" Once I get past this and explain I am interested in Developmental psychology it gets really weird. "So, you like analyze kids for problems and stuff?" No, not really. At this point I crack a joke something on the lines of, "No, I can't tell you why your kid sets cats on fire!" My Uncle won't let me talk to my 5 year old cousin anymore because he's paranoid that I am diagnosing him with something. It's nutty. I think most of it stems from the fact that I'm the only one in my family to have attended college. Lastly, I do feel like I've found a way to convey why research is so important to everyone. Within a few minutes of talking to most people know they get it. However, the last thing I want to do is bore them with details unless they ask. Even if this happens I still constantly checkup with them mentally to make sure I'm not boring them.

Good music... and it is the only thing in life I am really pretentious about.

Find the studentdoctor forums. There is a whole setup for students looking to be admitted into clinical Ph.D. programs. People there have been admitted with 1200-1300 GRE scores. As mentioned, clinical is very unlike the other subfields in psychology. GRE scores that are in the 1400-1600 aren't required for many top programs in these other fields. Your score probably isn't going to get you in a tier 1 school, but it won't rule you out in other programs. Search that site for the anecdotal proof. Shoot Edit: I went on a Ph.D. rant. I have not heard of Clinical Master's. Do you mean an LCSW? Either way, I won't sugar coat it... your GPA is of concern, even for Master's programs.

Harvard, BC, BU, Fordham, Tufts, NYU, George Mason, UConn You?

Nope, and per the results page I don't plan on hearing much until the end of January.

They have been really quick about communicating with me. I had a missing transcript. Consequently, I sent one out as soon as I received the email. They got back to me really fast thanking me for diligence and said it would be a while before the online system was updated. Don't worry too much yet.

Tallied yesterday, 1112$ and counting if I have to resend transcripts via priority mail. GRE, Fees, transcripts, postage for 8 schools. Ya, I definitely didn't save as much as I should have (only 600$) I'll be paying down new credit card charges for the next couple months.

I second Gomorrah. If you dig mob movies this is the best. I still need to see Cache too. It's been in my Netflix Que forever.

"Nice day today?" "Ya, my husband and I have been waiting for a day like this to do X, Y or Z." Some guys don't look at the finger for rings. I always forget to do this when I am being flirty. Not because I am a low person, but I just never think to do it. If she's married any normal guy should get the message real fast.

Okay, I finally tried the Franzen novel "The Corrections." His pose is beautiful, but if I want to see the trappings of contemporary suburbia I just talk to neighbors. I couldn't do it. I did read "The Big Short." It was a great read that served to make me pretty angry about the financial crisis, and on top of that even more suspect of anyone getting into i-banking. Next on the docket is: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time." My resolution is to read more fiction this year.

To me this looks like 2 things: 1. Desperate. 2. Trying to stack the deck in your favor. I think this might ultimately give POIs an uneasy feeling. If you met with them they will remember you. If you wrote about them in your SOP they will read it.

I don't currently live in Boston, but I did live near the Prudential Center for a year. I also have a slew of friends who live around that area. Medford is solid. Your commute would be right up 93, I do this regularly. It can take 20-45 minutes depending on when you leave. I also drive 70- 75 mph. I-93 needs a bunch of work and will no doubt beat the hell out of your car, but you should be moving against the main flow of traffic at a good clip. It doesn't start to get really screwy until you hit Lawrence, and if you have a family you shouldn't be in Lawrence, period. Billerica isn't bad. However, in my opinion all those surrounding commuter towns loose their character after Medford. Concrete Jungles. However, you'd probably find a better apartment for the price north of Medford.

I second speaking with him about the negative affectivity that arises as a result of your good news. Those kind of interactions compound over time. As far as his work ethic goes... he digs what he digs. I worked with an academic who would leave everything to the last second and then just pour out some high-tier work. Some people just let thoughts marinate differently. I speak for most men: We are morons. Spell it out, hand it to us and then tell us what it says. Then... don't ask us to color in the lines.

Hey, I know everyone around here is pretty smart and might have already thought of this, but take the results section with a grain of salt. Last year there were some definite quirks with postings. If you applied to a big program more than one person should be posting interview results. If it is a smaller program I guess you just have to roll with it.

I wandered around these forums last year when I was mulling over applying to potential Master's programs. It hit the fan around mid december to first week in February. At that time the, "OMG, did you hear from" or the "Does this mean I didn't get in?" threads stared to appear. I'm still irrationally checking my email.