[Fall 2020 Psychology Acceptances]

School: University of Notre Dame

Type of Program: Phd in Quantitative Psychology

Acceptance Date: 2/12/2020

[How to prepare for quantitative psychology phd interviews]

1 hour ago, 11082017 said:

I got into a Quant Program this cycle and can share my experience and what I did. 
 

1) read the quant program website for the program you’re applying to. When you come up with questions about the program, make sure they aren’t already answered on the website or the FAQ. 

 

2) definitely review your previous research and be prepared to talk about the methods you used and why your experience led you to choose a quant program. What was the value you saw in pursuing a quant program vs any other psych sub-field. 

 

3) continuing on the last one, be prepared to talk about why a quant program is right for you. I spoke a little about how training in quant methods would grant me more freedom to tackle complex research questions. 
 

4) read your professors work! You don’t have to be an expert but you should be able to ask questions off the top of your head or seem conversational. 
 

You don’t have to be an expert on the methods your professor is using (you are going to school to learn those after all!) but you should brush up on them and make sure you are not clueless. 

More than wanting to learn specific methods I talked about why learning about quant methods in general is important to me and to the work I wanted to do down the line.

 

Those are the things I can come up with off the top of my head. Hope they help. Best of luck!!

 

 

 

Congrats on your admission! Thank you so much for pointing me in a direction in this preparation process! I do have one follow up question on the 4th advice you provided -- my POI has so many publications that there are almost 10 of them are published in 2019, should I go through all of them? Or should I just maybe pick three papers that seemed the most interesting and focus on just these three papers?

[How to prepare for quantitative psychology phd interviews]

10 hours ago, bht said:

Hi

I see what your concerns about. Of course, I do not know what your POI thinks about this issue but generally professors do not want students who are little clones of themselves. I think it is good that your have some common interests and you have some different backgrounds too. This is your room for improving yourself. You can explain your background and research interest. And then you should explain how motivated you are to learn other aspects of it. It would not be realistic to expect from prospective students to know all about literature or all about analysis. On the other hand, I think it would be smart to read about SEM to at least understand to gist of it.

Best of luck

Thanks for the advice! I will definitely go and read a bit on SEM. 

[How to prepare for quantitative psychology phd interviews]

I was invited to an interview for a quant psych program, and I started to prepare for the interview from answering some common Ph.D. interview questions that I found online. I am wondering what else I could do to prepare for the interview and what to expect from quantitative psychology interviews. 

One thing that worries me the most about the interview is that I don't understand very much about the techniques that are used in the research of my professor of interest. His research contains uses of factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and item response theory under the context of educational testing. I know some factor analysis, but I am unfamiliar with almost all the other techniques, and I could not make a lot of sense of his recent publications. If I were asked about how my research interest aligns with his, then I will only be able to expand on why I am interested in investigating educational testing, and that I would love to learn the quantitative methods that are associated with educational testing. I did have some research experience that utilizes multiple regression, but it is nowhere near the complexity of the research that the professor is doing. 

Should I spend some time to learn structural equation modeling and item response theory, given that I will have maybe a week to prepare for this interview? 
Should I just focus on be prepared to talk about my own research instead? 
Please help! 

 

[should i withdraw from real analysis?]

2 hours ago, Stat PhD Now Postdoc said:

I don't think the W's will be a big deal, as long as your other grades in lower-division math courses were acceptable. You should still be able to get into a Statistics MS/MA program. I could be wrong, but I also don't think you need real analysis for quantitative psychology. You certainly need familiarity with things like SEM, factor analysis, multivariate analysis, etc., but it seems like overkill for psychology students to study the mathematical theory and foundations behind them. 

Thank you so very much! I have just talked to my advisor and have decided to withdraw from the course. 

[should i withdraw from real analysis?]

3 hours ago, Stat PhD Now Postdoc said:

A "W" will look better than a C for either of those grad programs. As long as you are not planning to get a PhD in Statistics, it should be fine to withdraw from this class and not take Real Analysis period (for most Statistics Masters programs, you only need to have completed Calculus I-III and non-proof based linear algebra).

Another concern is that if I withdraw from the this analysis class, then I might have too many Ws on my transcript because then I will have 3 Ws and 2 of which happens in my junior year. If this is the case, is it still best to withdraw from real analysis? 

[should i withdraw from real analysis?]

I am a junior double majoring in math and psych, thinking to apply for masters in stat or Ph.D. in quantitative psych. I am currently struggling in real analysis - I handwritten the class notes two times, and still cannot do a single homework problem. I just cannot do proofs no matter how hard I try. I spent days trying to understand the definitions, but I just cannot use them. To the point where I know what the problem is asking and I can write down the relevant definitions word by word, but I just cannot formulate rigorous proofs. I don't know what else I could do except withdrawing from the class.

But I had one withdraw from freshmen year (an econ class), and another from last semester (a philosophy class) - I wonder how bad does it look if I have another W on my transcript. By memorizing the HW solutions, I could probably get a C in this analysis class. I am currently having a 3.61 GPA. All my other classes are fine. Should I withdraw from the course?

[how will three withdrawals impact my application]

I am a junior double majoring in math and psych, thinking to apply for masters in stat or Ph.D. in quantitative psych. I am currently struggling in real analysis - I handwritten the class notes two times, and still cannot do a single homework problem. I just cannot do proofs no matter how hard I try. I spent days trying to understand the definitions, but I just cannot use them. To the point where I know what the problem is asking and I can write down the relevant definitions word by word, but I just cannot formulate rigorous proofs. I don't know what else I could do except withdrawing from the class.

But I had one withdraw from freshmen year (an econ class), and another from last semester (a philosophy class) - I wonder how bad does it look if I have another W on my transcript. By memorizing the HW solutions, I could probably get a C in this analysis class. I am currently having a 3.61 GPA. All my other classes are fine. Should I withdraw from the course?

[Any chance to get into funded MA programs?]

27 minutes ago, Duns Eith said:

Where are you getting the numbers in bold?

By the way, @dqz1213dqz, mxhgns's post is precisely what I'm worried about. The fact that you might get tenure might be more based on social factors than on competence and merit. And a WHOLE lot of luck. And that isn't even the only thing.

There are other problems with academic philosophy aside from poor job prospects and the difficulty of getting hired. It is the explicit and implicit tribalism (analytic vs continental; contemporary vs history; virtue signalling for one's political problem of the day; etc. etc. etc.). The constant infighting within the discipline that isn't just about improving knowledge (everything Leiter-like). The accolades for publication and grants, but not for teaching and improving the lives of students or the public. The utter BS that is some of the publication process. The continued pressure administrations put on the humanities (including, to simply starve the department) which creates precarity even for those who have tenure. Not to mention the enduring power structure that enables people like John Searle and Trent Dougherty, to cite two recent examples.

 

Thank you! This is daunting to hear, but it is necessary to know!

[Any chance to get into funded MA programs?]

3 hours ago, maxhgns said:

You will have zero control over where you live for the rest of your life. That's because for every job to which you apply--and you'll be lucky to apply to apply to about 50 TT jobs and 50 non-TT jobs worldwide each year--you will be competing against 650-1200 or so other applicants (although sometimes it's as low as 300, or even just 100 if it's a job that requires you to teach in a language other than English). 

Unfortunately, you probably won't get a TT job at all. Instead, you'll be working for peanuts and no benefits and teaching way too many classes as a visiting assistant professor or adjunct until you decide that enough is enough, and you want a job outside the academy. IIRC the average pay per-course for adjuncts in the US is about $1700 (and remember, adjuncts end up having to teach at several different institutions to get their ten+ courses a year). VAPs are paid much more, but it's still pretty low--from what I've seen, it's about 30k-40kish, for teaching loads that are usually 3-3 or so. The trouble is that those contracts end after a couple of years, and then you have to move again.

That's the obligatory "don't go into academic philosophy" speech. There's nothing wrong with getting a PhD in philosophy (provided it's funded), as long as you're aware of the job prospects. If you decide to do a PhD, just remember that (1) you're not special (you really, really aren't; everyone you're competing against for jobs is more or less every bit as good as you are--that's the tragedy), and (2) you should start planning your exit strategy ASAP. Enjoy your time in grad school, but use it to acquire skills and experiences that are marketable and useful outside university settings.

Thank you! This is exactly what I need to know! 

[Any chance to get into funded MA programs?]

3 hours ago, Prose said:

You should definitely not be thinking about applying if you haven't talked to a philosophy professor about this yet. The short of the long is: it's terrible. It's not something you do just because you think it'll be a good thing to do after you graduate, or because you don't know what else to do. Just talk to an actual philosophy professor about it. It's well known how bad the situation is in academic philosophy.

Thanks for the warning! The professor with whom I talked last semester just informed me that I might have to move to undesirable places if I wish to continue my study, but I will investigate further with other professors next semester. 

[Any chance to get into funded MA programs?]

On 12/30/2018 at 11:28 PM, Prose said:

1) what is a public ivy league institution??

2) funded masters programs are hard to get but theyre out there (see: http://dailynous.com/2015/11/18/ma-programs-in-philosophy-fund-students/ )

3) some programs are generally unfunded but you can luck out and get random merit funding (my case at the moment)

4) no its definitely not too late just:

-get good grades next term

-perfect your writing sample

-obligatory <dont go into academic philosophy>

I was thinking about your suggestion that it is obligatory to not go into academic philosophy. I want to know more about this -  what is the current situation in academic philosophy?  

[Any chance to get into funded MA programs?]

17 hours ago, The_Last_Thylacine said:

I go to Texas Tech's terminal MA program. The funding is enough to cover rent, groceries, a health cooperative payment, gas, utilities and the tuition remnant left over from the tuition remission. If you want to pursue graduate school in philosophy without taking out a loan, I'd certainly recommend Texas Tech. I live quite comfortably.

I’ll definitely look into it! Thank you!

[Any chance to get into funded MA programs?]

10 hours ago, Kantattheairport said:

Hello! I'm a fellow international applicant, who also applied to MA programmes last year. One quick word of advice I'd offer is to really research the costs of living at your targeted institutions and compare this with the typical funding packages that successful applicants receive, and make sure well in advance what kind of funds you'd be expected to contribute yourself. When doing this, keep in mind that full funding at MA programmes tends to be a rarity, and when schools say something like 'successful applicants receive on average scholarships covering X% of tuition', that can often mean that that's the maximum possible funding available (rather than what's averaged out when considering big and small scholarships). Most US students who go to MA programmes, as far as I know, either (i) have some savings set aside, (ii) take out federal loans, or (iii) work part-time on weekends. As you're aware, most international students on a student visa don't have (ii) or (iii) as an option, so make sure to compare expected contributions with your savings well in advance. Anecdotally: I got into Tufts last year and was on the waitlist at GSU, only to discover that MA funding is more limited than I had realized, and had to withdraw my application from both places. So plan in advance so that you don't end up like me!

That said, from what you've said it doesn't sound like getting into MA programmes is unrealistic. On what you can do next semester + in the summer: in addition to what Prose said, try and get together to have some substantial conversation with your philosophy professors - especially your probable letter writers - to realistically assess whether you'd enjoy grad school, and what sort of places would be good for you to look at. They'll know better than us (and probably you) what your standing is. Your writing sample and letters are often the most important parts of your application, and can sometimes offset weaknesses in other areas.

Good luck!

Thank you! This is very help!

[Thinking about quantitative psych (Applying next fall)]

12 hours ago, Hk328 said:

To become competitive, you want to gain more research experience. You want to be as active in research as possible, and try to get a poster or two presented at a conference. Changing one of your majors may not necessarily change anything. You just want to make sure you've taken the pre-requisites that psych programs want to see. You can most likely get those as the minor, but I would look into it a bit further. 

Thanks for this advice! This is really helpful! 

[Thinking about quantitative psych (Applying next fall)]

I am a junior at a public ivy institution, majoring in math and philosophy, minoring in psych maintaining a 3.6 GPA. I will be applying to programs next fall. 

I have gotten into 1 research in a cognitive psych lab during the summer in which all I did was to read papers and proofread papers of the graduate students in the lab. 

I will be starting working with a faculty member during the spring, and will hopefully get to work on something that is more exciting.  

I have yet to take the GRE, but based on the practice test, I am probably going to be in the 315-320 range. My verbal and math scores do not differ very much. 

I am thinking about doing a Ph.D. in quantitative psych, and I could change one of my majors to psychology. How much can the psychology major name help me in the application process? 

What could I do in the spring and in the summer to be more competitive?

many thanks. 

[Any chance to get into funded MA programs?]

I am a junior (international student) at a public ivy league institution, double majoring in math and philosophy, minoring in psychology maintaining a 3.6 overall GPA.

I am contemplating about graduate school in philosophy, but

I have relatively low grades in philosophy - all of my grades in philosophy are A-, and I withdrew from a seminar in ethics this semester.

I have yet to take the GRE, but based on the practice test that I took recently, I am probably going to be in the 315-320 range.

I am wondering at this point, is it still realistic to consider some good funded masters programs in philosophy?

What should I do in the coming semester and in the summer to make my profile more competitive? 

many thanks. 

[[need some advices] non psych major applying for phd in quantitative psychology]

I am an international student in my second year of college double majoring in math and philosophy. I also took some psychology classes (intro to psych as social science, intro to psych as natural science, social psych, cognitive psych, stat course), I will be taking evolutionary psych next semester. It looks like that the structure of my classes each semester is 2 math, 1 phil, 1 psyc, and 1 general education course. I am currently having a 3.5 GPA. I will be working in a neuroscience lab this summer. 

By the end of my junior year, I will probably have two research experiences related to psych (one is my summer research, the other will be a research class in cognitive psych). I think that I am able to at least minor in psych, but my institution only allows me to have at most (2 majors, or 1 major 1 minor). So I will not be a psych major or minor when applying to graduate school. I have considered switching my secondary major from philosophy to psychology but I am almost done with the required classes for philosophy degree and I am contemplating doing an honors thesis in philosophy.

I know that I want to do research in the future and quantitative psychology seems to be a great option. I wish to get into a program that is ranked around 50. What else do I need to do considering my situation if I want to get into a quantitative psychology Ph.D. program? Am I competitive enough?