SheilaCoo

In my case, I think I got off the Wake Forest waitlist mostly because I had the competing offer from UChi and then I emailed them to have a try. I didn't submit GRE scores. I had some research experience and comprehensive curriculum including good stat grades and some coding/data analysis but my undergrad GPA looked just fine (3.6~3.7/4.0 or so but definitely not higher) and I didn't have any US references who could write me strong letters. I maybe submitted a "standard-wise" research report as a writing sample which was neither that bad nor that impressive, and I wrote my personal statement using some alumni's / online advice. I think "provincial schools" are generally more prudent when reviewing international/non-local applicants. These schools, regardless in US or Europe, typically have their "target schools" which are not big names but have a lot of collaborations or at least have sent some previous students to each other. In my case, UChi was more informed in reviewing international applicants as they have a greater variablity and a larger cohort size. They can have a wider range to admit all kinds of students. Then the UChi offer served as a stepping stone for me to have Wake Forest reviewers know my potential cuz of course they knew UChi (unfortunately not the other way around). I think current students and alumni are also very important especially for international students. If you know anyone who was in that program who had similar background as you (schools, countries, etc.), definitely get connected. They'll serve as not only your resources, but also the applicaton reviewers' - these previous students can let the program give you more attention, especially for a "compact" program like Wake Forest. If you are looking for research master programs, I'd recommend you to check Europe, both UK & the continent. They really have some outstanding & affordable English-taught programs providing excellent cohorts, careful training, and close contact with professors. Many of these programs need two years to complete. In European academia, getting a research master is the *norm*. Don't only focus on North America as grad schools here are basically reprented by PhD programs - MA students are the secondary. Of course Wake Forest is an exception as they don't have PhD programs so they need MA students to serve as TAs and RAs and as the cohort size is small they can give MA students good training.

Hey merry! Thank you very much for your detailed reply! Yes, I contacted the program director soon after I wrote this post. Everything was nice, exactly like you said! The program director and current students (like you) were super approachable and helpful, full of enthusiasm. Their sincerity and sense of belonging impressed me. Indeed, placements were absolutely amazing (although for UToronto, there might be some tricks regarding the campuses, for some reasons). I ended up turning down the offer simply because I just realized the professors there in my subdiscipline had very different research interests from me. I tried to read more of their publications to interest myself but unfortunately, it just didn't work. I would recommend this program to students who might be interested more in cultural/social development. In a word, a take-home message for prospective students: it is always nice to do more research before your application!

Also, for possible on-capus jobs/assistantships at UChicago, usually psych students have to do unpaid jobs in the psych labs you're interested in to do your thesis or build connections, during the master's study. If you do the paid jobs, it is likely they are not the labs that will help you out in your PhD application. It is a trade-off. So I would say if you enter the program from a less privileged background and with less funding, it will stress you out either in your study or your life.

Yes that's something I would remind international students who may have more funding to check. MAPSS-Psych is a STEM program now and it may be helpful to someone who needs OPT to find predoctoral jobs in the states. But as regards placements in the industry (except predoctoral RAs), I do notice that some MAPSS-Psych graduates work as data scientists (so-called, as I would say MAPSS is not comparable to traditional CS programs) or UX researchers. Just to note something I know from their alumni. As for Wake Forest, I have to search for more info.

Exactly, thanks!

Yes I had some experience in developmental psych. Starting from looking at POI is a good point! And sorry didn't mention this before, but indeed I contacted MAPSS and hoped to negotiate, but they only increased the scholarship with a minor increment (still around 1/3 tuition). It seems to me that they have a large pool of candidates (as seen from the first-round webinar for psych concentration, the ratio of enrolled students to admitted candidates can be 40~ to 70+, but again this is just my impression, not precise estimation) and won't give equal attention to everyone. Their staff appear approachable in webinars but usually you can only see some copy-paste general descriptions in their email replies.

Thank you! I agree. But Wake Forest does not post its placements online. Of course, I can just ask them, but how do you know their past records (and know that they are better than MAPSS)? Thanks! Also, does the reputation of the MA school matter when applying to a tenure? I would assume Wake Forest is not influential outside the states, so only the resulting doctoral program matters.

I'm not sure if I should try more American schools in the next cycle, like Columbia or Cornell or UIUC as they all have fine developmental programs. Not sure about their funding either. I was just not that sure about my research interest when I applied...?

Hi! I am an international student holding a non-US undergraduate degree in psychology (a first-rank research school in Europe but maybe placements overseas and developments/pubs in Ph.D processes are not comparable to the states). I applied to some MA programs and just got a funded offer from Wake Forest for two years (75% tuition waiver so about 10,000 dollars tuition per year, potential full waiver & assistantship stipend in future). I also have a offer from UChicago MAPSS, but with merely 1/3 tuition waiver and may result in 50,000 dollars debt... I'm generally interested in ( clinical) developmental psychology though I have some background in quant psych. I do know a lot of alumni from MAPSS but I'm really not sure about Wake Forest's reputation. I'm kind of detached from MAPSS as they seemingly do not care their MA students and indeed it implies more stress in money and time. Their placements are good though. In this case, can anyone give me some suggestions? Especially in PhD placements & pubs. Many thanks!!!