amazingbutternutsquash

I added a public message on the administrator account's board. How this has been handled is just wrong.

Well, then maybe it's time to follow up with them? Or for us to ask directly? Alternatively, I may just ditch this forum. Reddit may be better going forward. I know I have no reason to stick around a forum that's excluding my entire subfield... along with most of the psychological scienes.

It's been a few days. Have the admins said anything?

This exactly. Frankly, this is a stupid, exclusionary change. Clinicians obviously felt comfortable posting here before, and non-clinical psychologists deserve a place on gradcafe. I am really not seeing the benefits of this decision. I support changing the name back.

There are a few options here. UMD offers stats workshops both online and in person on some advanced (e.g., SEM) and elementary topics. For more intensive experiences, there are workshops like ICPSR or Stats Camp. Sometimes workshops are also attached to conferences/preconferences.

What programs did all of you apply to? I applied to quite a few HDFS programs last year Don't worry too much that you havent heard anything from certain programs yet, btw. I know that the program where I did my MA accepts people all the way into April. I think I heard the most concrete news from programs in February. HDFS programs also dont always interview -- sometimes they cold accept people as slots/funding opens up. I'm guessing that funding is crazier than usual this year, so many programs may just not know what they can offer yet.

Many (unsure of the exact proportion) will have *some* funding or funding on an as-needed basis. This may have changed due to COVID, but both the school I did my undergrad at and the school I did my masters at had funded MA programs, even if they weren't officially advertised that way. Instead, I think they said something on their websites or in their grad handbooks on giving funding to MA students where possible. But at my undergrad (midwestern university) that ended up being a fair proportion of students. During my MA (East Coast) I was funded at the highest level. It was more than enough to live on. But this was info you has to look for/ ask about. You might want to take a look for MA programs you're interested in, then look at their websites/programs for funding info. Or contact their admins or graduate coordinators to ask about funding for MA students. They could definitely have something avaliable.

I’d recommend formal attire — but also watch for whether they give any clues in the invite/the invites to specific events. Personally, I’m really hoping that programs match interviewees with current students (as they would with a homestay). When I interviewed last year the students I stayed with were so helpful in resolving any concerns I had about how formal/not to dress for specific events. I also learned much more about the programs that way that I ever would have otherwise. As far as showing up well on camera goes, I’ve actually done a fair bit of reading on this just for classes and teaching ? Some recommend wearing solid colors, as cameras generally render them in a way that’s more flattering than patterns. Additionally, I would try to get the lighting right. Setting up your camera so that you’re facing a window is a good, low-cost way to do this. You can also get one of those lighting rings. Basically, you want the light to hit you square in the face rather than raking across it (side lighting) or lighting you from behind (backlighting). You can also put a pillow behind your back so that you naturally lean forward a little. It makes you look more engaged and focuses the camera more on your face than your body. I’ve also noticed that leaning forward has a slimming effect if that’s something you care about. Leaning back does the opposite, and puts more camera emphasis on your chest. I think it goes without saying to make sure your background is clean/presentable. Anyways, my compulsive need to research everything I do aside, good luck on your interviews! I’m sure you’ll be great ?

Do you have any research experience?

This isn't necessarily true for marriage and family therapy (MFT) programs. I've been at three schools housing them, and I've had friends in all three programs. They all required a MA to even be considered. Some schools giving MFT PhD degrees also house MA programs (e.g., Auburn) but some don't (e.g., UGA). OP, how geographically constrained are you? Also, what are your eventual goals?

My best advice is a) to google the questions they might ask you (why their program, why their lab, what is your research experience, where do you want your research to go, etc.) For this, it's good to have a decent working knowledge of the program and what your goals might be if you go there (if they have a graduate handbook, look through that). Are there any classes you particularly want to take? Certificates you might want to earn? Demonstrate excitement about the program and what you could accomplish there! Then, I recommend having an endless list of questions. You're interviewing/assessing them too. Having questions also helps to show how excited/interested in the program you are. (I only applied to programs I was really interested in, as I think most people do, so it was just a matter of showing that). Here are the ones from my list last year, in case you/anyone finds them useful What past/present datasets are available? How much has been published from them previously? What about present projects? What measures do they contain? How much input do current students have on lab projects? How is the lab structured? Do you have group meetings with students? How often do you meet with students individually? How do you have students prepare for meetings? How many current students do you have? (I wanted to be part of a lab with 4 students or less, because I felt that professors often get overwhelmed/give less personal attention after that point -- but that's just me). When do students start leading their own projects/papers? What has made students a good fit for your lab in the past? Do the students in your lab collaborate? How is authorship determined in your lab? How would you describe your mentorship style? How do you manage student projects? What level of involvement do you expect to have? How do you react to delays (e.g., if I were learning a new technique)? Where have you seen students go after finishing the program? What excites you about the program/department? Good luck! You've got this edit: typeo

Wait, does it say that this should be a personal or family related challenge?

I don’t think it’s a good idea to discuss personal mental health problems, regardless of whether you can spin it positively. It’s too personal, and these people don’t know you. Think of it the same way you might think of telling someone personal info while getting to know them. If you rush into telling someone very personal info shortly after meeting them the best case scenario is that you’re going to come across as not having good boundaries, worst case as weird or creepy. When you add to this that the people reading your application are also, potentially, your bosses and colleagues... it just isn’t a good look. For context, my field is developmental psychology. Applicants to my programs sometimes have a tendency to talk about how their own childhood experiences influenced them. E.g., “I moved around a lot as a kid so I want to study friendships.” Not to be too harsh, but I’ve outright heard faculty get annoyed at applicants including those sorts of personal anecdotes - it just isn’t what they care about. They’re personal, not professional. It’s better to emphasize a passion for what the program would be training you to do. There are a few exceptions, like if you grew up in a war-torn country and want to study violence, but those are few and far between.

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. That's incredibly rough. Sending lots of internet support! There are a few paths I know of to get to psychometric expertise, and I want to pass them on since they're likely not as competitive as clinical psychology and may have more/different funding opportunities. First, take a look at education departments. Many have degrees or specializations in quantitative methods, which is testing in educational setting. These programs are variable, but some will let you tailor your experience so that it includes both working with kids and psychometrics. Second, take a look at school psychology. Finally, I'd suggest taking a look at developmental psychology -- you mentioned the department at UC Merced, which I know has good developmental and quantitative methodology (may include psychometrics?) programs within the psych department. I haven't researched them significantly myself, but I"ve heard through word of mouth that they're very good in both areas. Good luck!

Applying to two programs at the same school is definitely fine! The personal statement is a balancing act though, because you don't know how much the two programs talk to each other -- that means that you probably want your research interests/career goals to be very similar for both programs. At the same time, the departments are probably different enough they have separate strengths, and you would want to separately (and specifically) detail how each program will help you reach your goals.

I’m more on the border between quantitative and more applied research, but I wanted to wish everyone luck! Quant is awesome, 10/10 recommended Also, any of you who haven’t started listening to Quantitude (the podcast) should start that ASAP!

Hi everyone. I know many of you have probably heard things about how the admissions situation is likely to be harder this upcoming cycle. State budget cuts combined with a decrease in number of undergraduates is likely to decrease the number of funded slots for many universities. Some programs have already said that they are not going admit applicants for the coming cycle -- the number of these programs is still small, but the fact that it is happening at all is worrying. At the same time, there will probably be more applicants: Historically, more people apply to graduate school in times of economic hardship. Everything may look even more uncertain for international applicants. Basically, things are crazy, so I wanted to take the time to a) point out some of the potential bright spots in this mess, and b) suggest some things that applicants can do to increase their chances. If anyone else has any insights or observations, I hope you'll chime in. First, I want to say that even though there will probably be more applicants, you have been preparing for this application season for years. You have done more than anyone who decides to apply to grad school spur of the moment can possibly do, at the very least because you have had more time. In short, I think that if your application was competitive before it is likely still competitive. The second major stumbling block I can see is the uncertain number of slots universities will have to admit graduate students. I don't think anyone can say, yet, how big of a problem this will be. I have heard from professors I work with (at my undergraduate institution, my masters institution, and now at the university where I will do my Ph.D.) that they all expect to admit fewer students. However, they also say that they are just as confused about what will happen and what all of this will mean as we are. So here are some ideas that might help. Apply to an increased number of programs, but do it thoughtfully. To be clear, I am not saying that you should sacrifice fit (although you should also absolutely tailor fit to the professor you are applying to work with). However, if it is financially possible for you, I would suggest applying to more places. Think of it as a numbers game. Look for professors who have their own funding. While some funding agencies will likely re-negotiate the funding already being received in the coming months (e.g., probably NIH), a professor who has their own funding may be more free to decide to take a student than one who is dependent on the department. There are a few ways to tell if a professor has an active grant: First, look at their web page, in particular the grants portion of their CV. Second, look at where their current graduate students are receiving funding -- for instance, teaching assistants usually receive funding from the department while Research Assistants are often attached to a grant. Email professors on whether they will be taking students after school has started. Right now, they don't know what is going to happen. This year, I would wait until the end of September or October. (Also, follow all the usual guidelines for sending these emails. I used an email template I found here last year to formulate my letters and it worked out very well for me). This will also help you focus your resources on places that are more likely to admit you. Apply for funding from external sources. This one is more chancy given that the available external funding is likely to be a) more scarce than before and b) more competitive, but it is also true that if you can bring your own funding then you pose less of a problem for your department. Those are all my ideas for now, but if anything else comes to me/I hear ideas from anyone else I will be sure to pass them along. It is true that most of this is out of everyone's control, so whatever happens don't be too hard on yourself. A lot of the advice I've given above applies even without a pandemic -- however, I would argue that it is even more true now than it is during more normal times. A final random note -- I highly recommend meta-analyses as a way of keeping up your involvement in research if your lab has closed! You guys are awesome. You've got this!

So so much sense. It's a bad place, because I'm worried about making the decision (which I can't do in any case, b/c I still have visits, + I'm seriously considering 2 places at this point) but I'm also exhausted with people trying to sell me on a particular place/program. I get 1-2 emails from each program every week with something important I have to respond to. While I'm incredibly grateful to have gotten in and I never expected so many programs to consider me, it would be a huge breath of fresh air for someone to speak with me in a fully honest and straightforward way. As it is, I feel like I've gotten lost in a bizarre world where everyone compliments and sucks up to me all the time. Maybe it's the imposter syndrome, but I don't think I deserve this. It doesn't feel real. I'm also pretty introverted and I'm reeling from (and also exhausted by) all this travel, so I mostly feel ready for my life to go back to a peaceful normal. I'd like to feel like I know what's real about a place and what isn't. But when someone is trying intensely to sell me on something, it's hard for me to actually feel comfortable with the decision I'm making. I'm aware that my complaints are stupid and privileged. I'm just so so tired. For context: I've been traveling every week for over a month.

I still have one last program to visit and some additional questions to ask, but I think I know what my decision will be (not that I'm admitting that to anyone IRL yet!) In the meantime, I'm mainly doing two things. First, finishing up my thesis (or trying to...). Second, (because I'm nuts), I'm spending time planning everything I want to accomplish during my Ph.D. For me, that includes things like when to apply for funding, when to start collecting dissertation data, when to start presenting symposia at conferences, etc. And other things like when I'll probably have to take certain classes or when conference deadlines will be. I can't study ahead of time (and I refuse to try, this summer is for RELAXING), but this is my Ph.D. and I want to be in charge of how things go. I know that my (probable) future PI is on board with my taking charge here too, so that's good. Also, looking at potential places to live online is fun ?

I just heard back from the last of my schools! It was a rejection, but I don't care at all because (to put it tactfully) the program came across as very lackluster during the interview (students came across as apathetic/arrogant, faculty argued vehemently in front of us -- it was weird). Also, my parents really wanted me to go there (to be closer to home) so I'm thrilled that this school isn't an option! Anyways. I am so so glad that the waiting is over. I feel free.

I agree with this, and I think it's also important to remember that there are differences across sub-disciplines. For programs that do cold acceptances, it makes sense to visit and evaluate the program before deciding whether or not you want to attend. My top three choices prior to visiting are not the same as my top three choices after having visited a few schools. There was a program I thought I'd love, but I ended up feeling miserable my entire visit. Likewise, there was a school I wasn't considering as seriously until my visit, but they (and the PI) ended up impressing me. Acceptances also don't mean that they offer visit days in a timely fashion. One of my programs accepted me in early December, but does not allow students to visit until late February. Given that I couldn't interview the faculty/students there before then, I feel fine holding off accepting or declining that acceptance for the moment. I didn't apply to programs that I wasn't interested in, so I want to visit them all and decide based on my interactions with faculty and students. I want to know whether I can really see myself attending the program and whether I think it will be a good environment before I commit to 5+ years at a place. I also want to throw out there that having better counter offers makes negotiating your stipend possible. Departments may not always be able to up your offer hugely, but if they know they have serious competition many will start to throw you in the pool for fellowships, offer to cover your health insurance, offer to cover your moving costs, etc. I've already have had one school offer me a fellowship once they heard I got in other places.

I wish there was a better place for me to post this tip, because I think it's super cool and important and could help a lot of people, but there are quite a few HDFS programs that fully fund Master's students. It could be because HDFS programs generally have fewer applications/students and so can afford to fund more MA students. I'm not sure. My program fully funded me (stipend + tuition waiver), and I am so so thankful. It was enough that I could live in an apartment without room mates and do fun things occasionally (e.g. go out to eat, travel occasionally, learn to ski, etc.) and save some money. It was a great opportunity to further my education while proving that I could do graduate coursework and expanding my research experience. Also note -- As an interdisciplinary program, HDFS actively encourages students to take classes in other departments (e.g., education, psychology, statistics, communication, etc.)

I did my master's in an HDFS program and this isn't actually true. Plenty of HDFS graduates get academic jobs -- 2/4 of last year's graduating class got TT positions directly after graduating, and the others got prestigious post docs (at Yale and John Hopkins). The difference is usually in what departments they get jobs in. For example, someone with an HDFS Ph.D. might have an easier time getting a job in an HDFS or Education department than a Psych department. Traditionally, the advice has been to do a Dev Psych Ph.D. if you want to work in a psych Psych department. However, there is growing evidence that this is changing -- research output is a strong currency. I did my undergrad in a Psych department, and here are some of the most common differences I have observed. HDFS places a huge emphasis on context. Think the bioecological model of human development. HDFS wants to understand the environment surrounding the individual, the prominent figures in their lives, etc. This leads them to orient their research differently. Specifically, someone in HDFS will likely not do experimental studies but will instead focus on longitudinal or observational research because this enables them to examine human beings in their natural contexts. Finally, HDFS is interdisciplinary, and places a high value on actionable research. They want research that will influence policy, schools interventions, etc. Several of the researchers I've worked with have been directly involved in working with congress or other types of civic engagement related groups. I don't know what differences exist at the Ph.D. level, but I can say that at the master's level I really can't see any differences in the opportunities I'm being offered. The programs I applied to (both HDFS and Dev Psych) don't seem to care about what program my MA came from. I also applied to research assistant type positions, and I've had a lot of success with those as well. But feel free to ask me questions about any of this

School: Texas Tech University Type of Program: HDFS Acceptance Date: 12/16/2019