TheDude

You have a really strong CV in terms of research. When are your application deadlines? Is this a case of you only having another 2 weeks to study...in which case do you think you will raise your scores that much? Some thoughts.

So at this point I seem to have solidified my scores in Powerprep. I'm wondering if it is worth going crazy with 6 hour study days this last week or should I just take it easy? Maybe do some quant questions that tend to mess me up even still, practice some essays and take the test 1 or 2 more times? I don't see my verbal score moving from the low 600's to high 500's. I should have studied vocab more this summer, but I was dumb enough to think I could study verbal last. I put a major push on re-teaching myself a lot of this math that I had not used for years and years. Thoughts? What did you do your last week?

I'm not a lit major, but it doesn't feel like a hook to me. Nothing grabs my attention as a lead and makes me want to read more. Who are you? Where is your voice? How is this you passion? What makes me want to care? I like the paragraph though, a lot actually, but if feels like paragraph 2 or 3. my take and being honest.

done

I get 2 pages single spaced in most instances.

Some places where I am applying you need to address the professor. It's all about who has money because in the end that person will be the one who says I want him/her. If the larger program has a few people focusing on like issues I'll articulate like you did.

Some places where I am applying you need to address the professor. It's all about who has money because in the end that person will be the one who says I want him/her. If the larger program has a few people focusing on like issues I'll articulate like you did.

I could have been viewed, and probably will be viewed as a floater to some based on attending 3 schools. I do have legit reasons for this, but I chose to only address it partially in my SoP in my intro. There I told a true story where I put the context of being a major in something else at a different university into focus and related it to where I am now. I'm not going to devote a paragraph to it because it seems like excuse making. Just write a kick butt SoP showing lots of depth for the field you want to enter into and what it is you want to do. My take. Address it once in passing I guess....but find a clever way to do it.

When I first entered undergrad I went from living in a town with 210 people in my graduating class to being in the midst of a big city with a campus that was about as urban as you can get (i.e., very few dorms, subway stops underneath class rooms, campus spread out in the city between McDonalds, DD and fire stations, etc). It was an adjustment, probably more so than most who move to a city because there wasn't really a campus community where I went to school. I liked it for the better and worse. I didn't really know what quiet was until I moved away from home then back into the state I was from. You just forget things like the sound of silence as you go to sleep. I like the smell of clean air and the fact everyone is friendly and knows each other as regulars in my home state. I like the fact that I know who supplies my grocery stores and the person that hands me my coffee in the morning. Some think that is quite hokie, but you never really understand until you come from a place like that. Most of all I like not dealing with traffic! Away in the city everyone lives in a self-consuming bubble. It's just different: iPods in ears everywhere, brushing past you quickly, very few friendly smiles, if I I held the door for someone they looked at me like I was up to something or if you take the time to take in your surroundings you get run over. However, I liked culture and access to those kind of events was worth it. There were no boring weekends where I had nothing to do or we had to sit an plan ahead for the next week's adventure....you can just get up and go. Maybe that can be distracting to some. What I found most difficult was finding a private space that was mine and that I didn't have to share with honking horns or whatever else. Once I found a way to adjust to that things became easier. I also liked the politics and the erudition of people more in the city. That isn't a knock on small town folk, but when you do converse with people they are much more up to date with current issues, new books, films, etc. It's nice. It's all a big gain loss thing in the end...you just have to decide.

Pm me if you'd like.

I had the brilliant idea that I'd be less stressed about the test if I set a date on my calendar and signed up the week before, I think I received that advice here. Anyways, the only date available was Halloween! So the good news is I can retake it in November if needed, right? When you say it takes 15 days to send scores does that include the writing score? I've heard 10-15 days to 1 month for scores??? I know if I stink it up on the real test it will just be nerves because I've been happy with my power-prep scores of late. I'd like to think I could just take it again 10 days later and be fine with scores getting to schools? 3 of my programs have DEC. 1 deadlines.

If you know that psycholinguistics is your bag than you might want to look at Brown. In fact, I'd definitely look at the school as the whole psych department has reoriented in that direction.

All in all I think your research and work experience is awesome. You'll probably be up against some applicants who have really high stats but research experience to a lessened degree. It's kind of a trade in the end. Numbers are really important but the big thing is research fit. I'm scared of some of the programs I am applying to based on name alone but I know my prior research and future goals are an absolute fit with their work. I guess some people get into different paths of research when they were previously in left field, but everyone says fit, fit, fit! So if you know what you want to work on you will be in great shape.

FYI: There are like 3 threads going pertaining to this subject. Your research experience looks good (any presentations?) GRE is above the cutoff. However, your GPA is going to be under the 3.5 required at most schools. I think you'd get in somewhere, but I'd contact professors ahead of time and really impress them....try to get a good vibe going with someone so that when your app gets to the adcom table it isn't just immediately rejected due to hard cuts with the 3.5 GPA minimum. I'd address it somehow in my SoP if I was you. Normally I think that when people do that it is pretty weak (e.g., I know I received a C- in Anatomy, but I was young and naive and used it as a motivational tool), etc. But you are just so close to being competitive at some even better schools with your research experience so it might be-who you to mention your GPA and maybe that you trended upwards in your last semesters.

Nope. The Human Development faction of the HGSE is doing some REALLY COOL research that I want to get into. I'm not big of Ed.D. vs. Ph.D, but it is a serious research institution. A lot of applicants do have teaching experience but the department of Human Development has a lot of really great Developmentalists (i.E., Howard Gardner, Catherine Snowe). A quick search of prior graduate students does reveal a few who came right from undergrad w/ heavy involvement in research. I wonder if there is anyone lurking on here that has some inside info on this? Anyways back to you: Check out UC Santa Cruz

I am taking October 28th and figure if I stink it up that day I can go again in 2 weeks. However, I worry that at the 2 week later mark, should it come to that, it may be to late to send scores to schools with Dec. 15th deadlines. You might want to check as you aren't buying yourself a lot of wiggle room to take the test again if needed.

My old undergrad advisor told me to do WHATEVER I had to do in order to set foot in a school. If they can put a face with a name and maybe a personal story...and if you can potentially get an advisor in your corner, it will help you. Having said that only 2 schools invited me to a POI's office to talk about research. The other schools are in the area and have days where potential grad students can come down and check everything out. I plan on doing that all through November. I'll email the grad school coordinators and just tell them I want to come visit the school, etc. I'm sure most will say go for it. I'm hoping maybe one or two will ask if there is anyone I want to meet. We'll see. I planned on visiting ahead of applying to get a feel for the vibe of departments. Then, hopefully, I'll be able to visit in even more detail all of the schools to which I have applied in late Dec., Jan., and Feb. But if you can get in there early DO IT! I will warn you: I didn't specifically ask schools to meet. After my initial, "Hey, are you taking new students? This is what I've worked on" email I got the invites. It still feels a bit like collusion and I'm almost feeling like it kills the excitement as I'm trying not to get my hopes up. However, it may be presumptuous to outright ask if you can meet.

Developmental applicant here. I have done a quite a bit of work with ToM and language specifically. Out of the 6 schools on my list 4 are in that domain. I was considering a UC school but I ruled it out due to potential moving costs and a lack of funding. My big question is a stat thing. I have been told it would be in my interest to apply to some bigger name schools, but I'm worried with my stats that i might be a waste of money. So if you can size me up that would be great! GPA: 3.6 Undergrad (3.8 something the last 2 years), Psych GPA: 3.8 Research: Manuscript under review as co-author. Submitted to a journal that was a reach but feasible. Hopefully if we get a rejection we can shop it to a journal a little bit more domain specific before I apply. It's a solid piece of work though and will certainly get picked up. It just took longer to get it done than I had anticipated. Refereed Conferences: 3 as first author on poster (submitted as second author on a poster and colloquium at SRCD...we'll get picked up for one of those if not both) Non-Refereed Conferences and or talks: 2 Semesters involved: 7 (managed lab, ran my own project, ran subjects, managed databases, analyzed data in SPSS, etc) Fellowship for original project. A couple academic awards as runner up for academic awards...but that might not matter? LoRs: Solid! Statement of Purpose: Fantastic according to those who looked at it. GRE: I don't know yet. I'm not expecting to be in the 1400's. On a good day, based on practice tests, in the low 1300's. On a bad day with nerves mid to high 1200s. Do you think I stand a shot applying to a school like Harvard, specifically the Harvard Graduate School of Education? I have my list of schools to 6 and need 2 more. I think I'll be competitive as an applicant, but I don't know what a "lock" school would be or what a reach school would be? I attended a lesser known state university, while I think I did a great job of making my eduction happen I know names matter to a degree. Thanks. I've had mostly positive correspondences with schools I emailed in the summer.... a few really good ones. had a couple pre application interviews that have me REALLY excited, but I'm trying to be tempered!

I suppose I am strange because no matter when I fall asleep I am up between 6-7 the next day ready to bounce. Usually all I need is 5 hours of sleep to feel ready to go the next day. I'm productive more so in the morning and afternoon. I try to break assignments up over the course of days, but I'm a huge pacer! So when we were working on a manuscript a few months ago I couldn't stare at the blank computer screen. I just pace, think, pace, do some more thinking, mumble to myself like a crazy person. Most of the time all my ideas hit me at once and when I finally sit at the PC I get into flow mode and just work and work and work until it is finished. It's going to catch up with me eventually, and I've always thought I'm doing myself a disservice, but I've never been called out on quality or content. Now editing....I HATE editing. That is something I need to do like in a public place with people (i.e., coffee shop or something). But sleep never hindered the process for me. All nighters are only something I can do when I'm in flow mode. Otherwise it is a functionally useless endeavor for me. I also drink a lot of coffee.

Ha! I'm in the boonies so I try to do my best, but everybody here lives 30-45 minutes from each other by car so it isn't as easy to just go mingle in the city, go sit in a bookstore and do work or something.... because, well, there is no city and everything is ridiculously far apart! But I've had success. The most important part of grad school is undoubtedly the educational experience. However, I found when conducting research that I need that balance of all aspects of life to be successful. So while I expect to pull long hours in labs and constantly have something to finish up, I certainly want to make the most of whatever free time I have. I've just had people tell me to forget that thought when I go to grad school, and I've had some professors tell me you'll work hard and play hard. Maybe, like anything, it is just the environment? Some departments will be insular, others more open, etc. I just wanted to know people's experiences on this front.

I know...I know: A topic coming way out of left field. Undergrad experiences aside, I'm expecting grad school, and Ph.D.,programs specifically, to be really time consuming. How much of a social life do you have once your there? Is it easy to meet people and mingle? Or should I expect to be running to a lab, class, home and all over again? Silly I know.

You are perfectly fine in the stat department.

I concur: Awesome GRE score, but I don't think that totally mitigates the low undergrad GRE. The lack of research experience is a huge negative if you are applying to a Ph.D. program. You'll be up against people with 3.5-40 GPAs in Psych and with already defined research interests. Most all will have conference experience and some will have been published already. Consequently, I don't know who would bite on funding you. However, you'll fair better in a Master's program....Down side is you'll be paying for it all.

Well I had my first grad school interview the beginning of this month. Building up to that day I had been studying very productively. Then I think my nerves regarding this whole situation caught up with me and I haven't slept more than 3 hours a night in the last 18 days. I try to sit down and study and all I can do is a few problems. I don't feel stressed during the day but I think this whole process has caught up with me! I'm trying some Motrin PM tonight and I'm hoping be the end of this week I can get my head back in the game and really amp it up the last 5 weeks before I sit for my first GRE. ANyone know how late we can take this for December in case I screw up??? I think I asked this before but forgot. Good luck to all of you.

Well just an update: This went fantastic. So much so that I think my current advisor thinks I'm crazy for being tempered. It definitely helped to solidify the program as 1 on my list. I have more details that I'd like to divulge, but I want to keep my anonymity.