ResilientDreams

Yes, I think that definitely has significance and you should include it under presentations.

A professor I emailed about working with said I was a good candidate and that he hoped I applied. He offered to Skype with me to talk more. He asked me some questions about a study I'm working on, so I know I'll talk about tha (and also his work), but is there anything else you all suggest I ask about/talk about?

I second the advice about contacting all potential PIs at the same school at once. I only emailed one person at each school and of course some aren't taking graduate students, so sending the email to the second person feels weird. So far I've gotten one really positive response (PI specifically excited about me), two more generally positive responses, one really positive response from a PI not taking grad students this year (which is a shame), one neutral response from a PI not taking students, two no responses, and one really bad response from a PI I thought would be interested in me (decided not to apply there). I think emailing is helpful because it makes yourself known and you also find out more about your potential PI. Interest goes both ways.

Hello lovely GradCafe people! I have another question. Do psych PhD programs generally want your official transcripts from study abroad? I was abroad last fall taking classes unrelated to psych. They're listed on my home institution transcript as transfer credit, but they don't factor into my GPA. Does anyone have experience with this? If I need the official, hard copy transcript I'm going to have to ask for it early (like now) to make sure it gets here on time.

What's your goal? Are you trying to take some psych classes before you apply to grad school? Or are you an undergrad switching majors? Do you have plans for grad school?

Nope, just trying to set myself up for success. Also been pretty busy the last couple of days so I'm just now finishing looking through Professor B's work. Thanks for the advice though.

@ExponentialDecay Can I do that? It won't seem like I'm weirdly hiding something like @Hk328 said?

I have three more emails to send...need motivation to get working on them again.

@Adelaide9216 I think it's actually a perfectly reasonable thing to be upset about (even though sometimes I judge myself for feeling that way too). It's...a big thing. You're searching for a deep connection. And that connection can be hard to find when you're so deep yourself. I also think that was awfully rude of that guy to not only turn you down but ask you to introduce him to someone else. I'm really sorry that you've given up hope regarding this...but I sincerely hope all the effort you've poured into this pays off. Sending you good internet vibes. ❤️

I know this is a really old thread, but I wanted to say that I relate to this so much. I am not a minority, but I have had people (including a male "friend" that I no longer speak to) tell me that because I'm so smart and so driven, I'm "scary". My response is always that it's their loss. It does get really lonely sometimes though, and I wish I had someone to share all my passions with and who will stand by my side through life's changes. I know friends can do that too, but it's not the same as someone who has made a commitment to be a lasting part of your life. I know I don't need a partner. I've gotten this far without one, and I will have a smoother transition to grad school and a new city than someone in a relationship. But...I want one. I want someone to give myself fully to and to share all those moments with and build a life with. And it's just super frustrating that it's not working out, and that people are suggesting it's because of a core part of who I am (my academic ambitions). I will NEVER change who I am...but I don't want to be alone either. I'm only 22, so I know it probably seems super ridiculous that I'm talking about this in such a dramatic way, but it's difficult especially when you see friends succeeding in their romantic life. It's hard not to compare and think that there is something fundamentally better about your friend, and something fundamentally deficient about you. I try to tell myself it's just a product of circumstance. I even downloaded a dating app because I thought all I needed was a little help actually meeting guys...got myself into an emotionally abusive four month relationship that way. My first relationship ever. So that didn't help my morale and it did teach me that I'm better off on my own than with the wrong person, but...I'm still hoping that right person will come along.

Whoa, I didn't realize that I was in the running for an Amazon gift card...better keep posting.

I wanted to bump the positivity thread again to tell everyone that I'm wishing you all the very best and that I know you'll all do great things. ❤️

@Sigaba I agree, and that's exactly what I want to avoid! I actually really do like Professor B's work. The only reason I contacted Professor A first instead was because I could more directly tie in the research I had done (although I can also relate it well to B's work). Do you have any suggestions for what I should say instead? Am I in a position where I really shouldn't email B at all?

@Hk328 Thanks for the input! So something along the lines of "I spoke to Professor A, but he's not taking grad students this year. I see that you do similar work and it fits in with my interest area" and so on? I just want to be sure to word it so that Professor B doesn't feel offended for being my "second choice".

@ReturningStudent My friend is a non-traditional student who received her bachelor's in English and then worked in an unrelated field for ten years. She decided she wanted to switch to psychology, and began volunteering in the same lab as me. She volunteered and took classes for two years before successfully being admitted to a PhD program and a master's program (she ultimately chose the master's program). I'm not as familiar with educational psychology specifically, but I would suggest volunteering and taking classes as your two main starting points. Best of luck!