Modulus

I wouldn't say it's common here in the States (at least not among those I know) but I am actually in this situation. Just make sure you know your University and department rules regarding committee members for your thesis/dissertation so you don't get a nasty surprise that your external mentor cannot serve.

Hey folks, if anyone has any ideas of what someone who is not eligible to reapply for GRFP should be looking at next vis-a-vis other fellowships/grants before trying for an F31 in a few years, please let me know. Clinical Psychology - Personality and Individual Differences research focus.

Anyone else get four reviews? VG/E, VG/G, VG/VG, G/G Well, that's disappointing.

This is an important question you are asking yourself. Do not take it lightly. Many individuals who believe they are 100% committed to and excited for their doctoral studies don't end up completing their degree. That is not any sort of judgment on them. In fact, I really commend people for making the choice to leave if grad school isn't serving them living their best life (there can be some real stockholm syndrome/sunk cost fallacy at play in the academy). I don't think it's at all dumb to reject a funded offer if you think you'd be happier doing something else. I'd argue it's the smartest thing you could do, probably. Not trying to encourage you to turn it down, but just to give yourself permission to consider a different path as a valid option.

I think you should definitely let them know. You will have to submit the transcripts anyway. I have no idea how it would affect your admissions status since it is a Master's degree program, but comparing it to undergraduate work is it possible (although I am not sure how likely) that an offer can be rescinded based on a significant deterioration in performance in the latter half of one's senior year. What was your GPA in the Master's program at the time you applied?

This will likely be specific to your field and the program itself. It is not unheard of for individuals to begin in a masters program and reapply to the PhD program from there. Sometimes this can be done rather smoothly. But if you are established in your current field, you may want to consider just waiting to reapply altogether.

I cannot possibly imagine they would rescind your offer for this as economics is completely unrelated to your intended program. If you wanted to reach out about it, I would kindly say something like, "I wanted to just make sure my records are accurate with your program and I wanted to let you know that my undergraduate major was in "Electronics", as per my transcript. My application materials somehow reflect Economics. I'm sorry for any inconvenience."

Pittsburgh is pretty LGBTQ+ friendly city. However I definitely get a strong cis, white gay male vibe from the traditional gayborhood (Shadyside), but have not heard of any specific negative experiences from transmasc folks I know. Let me know if you have any questions about particular areas/locations and I can try my best to give you my perspective as a queer (white, cis, femme) woman.

I am assuming you mean a different subject from the area of your Bachelor's Degree? Any advice for the direction to take and how difficult the transition will be would be specific not only the field you are interested in entering but also the field from which you came.

For me, this came in a flash--I had for years (and three application seasons) thought I was interested in one area. I could talk passionately about it in abstract, but struggled to come up with specific ideas. I figured those would come in grad school, but they were certainly a limiting factor in interviews. When I pivoted to a different area, the difference was immediately apparent. This area was one I'd been naturally drawn to and was already engaged in research in. It wasn't a theoretical disposition--it was a proven passion, and each article I read percolated new specific ideas in my head. From my experience, it's important to figure out what that is for you. Read literature--lots of it, and start out more broadly or in areas tangential to what you aim to study--and follow your interest that way, instead of seeking out papers that fit a preconceived notion of your interests.

As @PokePsych said, there are not very many "evolutionary psychology" programs. Like other niche subject areas such as "forensic psychology", researchers who take an evolutionary approach are formally in a variety of of psychology's subfields including biological/neurological, development, and clinical psychology. I would not spend too much time considering whether the field as a whole is "competitive" (virtually all reputable PhD programs are), but instead look at the average qualifications of accepted students are at the universities/programs which house the faculty members whose work most interests you.

You may want to look into the NIH Loan Repayment Program, just for some information about options which currently exist for scientists with student loan debt (can be used for housing, I know that). (I personally do not plan to take out loans.)

I was called out (just gentle teasing) by my mentor who was able to identify me on here when browsing. This faculty member's impression is that some faculty might glance on here--especially if they have given informal interview offers with strict instructions not to pass widely--but very few would spend any significant amount of time here. I know for sure that there is at least one DCT on here for a clinical psychology program. I won't call them out, but they are clear about their role and position and are not pretending to be a student.

Probably not very helpful at this point in OP's diss, but I wanted to bring up for anyone else visiting this thread that a pre-registration can be a saving grace in these situations. There are lots of reasons to consider pre-registering your research (whether you're running clinical trials or not), but one that is often understated in these conversations, but which my own mentor brings up often is that it protects you from this sort of never-ending research rabbit hole. Whether that's from picky editors and reviewers, supervisors or co-authors, or even from your own drive to run "just one more analysis" or "but what if I..." until you've spent 3 years ABD, you can always say "That is beyond the scope of the project I pre-registered." Of course, this doesn't actually limit you if there is a crucial point you did not consider beforehand and a good rationale for post-hoc testing, but it can be protective all the same.

If you do decide to go for a Master's, look into programs that fund their students--William and Mary, Wake Forest, and Villanova come to mind.