k_198
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Posts posted by k_198
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2 minutes ago, imemine said:
I'll go against the grain here and say that non-published undergrad projects can still be enough experience, depending on your involvement in them. I'm applying out of undergrad with no publications, but I designed/implemented/analyzed two independent projects in my lab, one leading to a poster (presented at my university's undergrad research day). I was really concerned about not having enough tangible research products, but the application cycle has gone well for me regardless. I think as long as you can frame your research experience in terms of having seen as much of the research process as possible and how that prepares you to do similar work in grad school, you'll be fine. Great letters of rec also really help!
Out of curiosity, was your GPA/GRE similar to mine? I probably have a little less/less-involved research experience than you, but thanks for giving me a some confidence!
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27 minutes ago, scared_and_a_freud said:
I agree with andhowdoesthatmakeyoufeel, I get that it may be frustrating to push back your life plans by a couple of years but you're already way ahead of the game. I would seriously consider doing a postbacc research position in a lab with similar interests to yours for two years and really focus on increasing those hard skills and getting your name on some posters and presentations. I applied to PhD programs right out of undergrad and the question I continuously got was "why do you think you're ready when everyone else has put in more work than you" so put in the work and you'll be fine, applying beforehand is really just going to be a waste of money and time.
What is the number of psychology-related posters and presentations to get my name on to have a decent chance for the schools I am applying to, in your opinion?
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1 hour ago, andhowdoesthatmakeyoufeel said:
Also, why are you applying to those schools? Is it just because they are "top" schools? Do you have a good research match there?
School name doesn't mean a ton in psych, and schools that are perceived as "top" aren't always so in this field.
I realize that, and I did not only apply to the schools listed above because they are “top” schools. I looked for specific faculty that fit my research interests and applied to “top” schools where I found them. I want to go to a top graduate program because I want to increase my chances of getting a job in academia at a R1 university, and (on the OB side) want to try to become a faculty member at a R1 business school. By applying to programs near the top of the rankings in both areas (social psych/OB) which have faculty whose research interests align with mine, I am hoping that my chances of becoming a research-heavy (as opposed to teaching) professor will increase.
In regards to your previous comment, do you think my research experience is enough? I understand that I don’t have any publications, but I have spent around 3 years doing various research projects.
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30 minutes ago, andhowdoesthatmakeyoufeel said:
Are you a new graduate, age 19?
If so, it's gonna be reaaaallly tough to get in with no work experience and hard to convince them you're emotionally/academically mature enough for this.
You are correct about my age and situation.
I have asked a few professors about work experience, and the majority of them have said that, yes, it can help an application, but it is not needed. For example, I will quote a part of an email from a professor that I received: “Generally we don’t care AT ALL about work experience in the real world; research experience is far more important.”
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@JoePianist @andhowdoesthatmakeyoufeel
The short answer is that, by the time I graduated high school, I had around 90 college credits already and would have been only able to transfer about half of them to another college so I decided to stick to the college I had been attending for dual-enrollment. I also wanted to get my degree done fast for reasons ranging from wanting to gain compound interest at an earlier age to an enjoyment for advancing through “the levels” of education quickly. The prospect of getting a Bachelors as a newly 19 year old was an exciting prospect for me.
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I am interested in primarily organizational behavior programs and social psychology programs and would like to attend a top university. I am worried that my applications will be looked over due to the undergraduate institution I attended and wanted to know other opinions as to if I have a chance of admission at the (top) schools I applied to. I do want to note that I am attending the university I am because I wanted to graduate earlier, as I already had a lot of credits due to dual-enrollment classes. I’m not sure if it was a good decision, but I’d like to know my chances for the schools I applied to.
Undergrad Institution: Low ranked state university with an acceptance rate of ~65% and a graduation rate of 45% (ranking according to US News is >700)
Major(s): Psychology
Minor(s): n/a
GPA in Major: 3.97
Overall GPA: 3.97
Type of Student: US Citizen, Male, Caucasian
GRE Scores
Q: 170
V: 163
W: 4.5
Research Experience:History independent study, 25 page paper (was interested in it freshman year) — presented at regional Honors program conference
Behavioral Economics study — presented at regional economics conference
Attended a psychology REU — no publications as of yet
Independent psychology research project looking at how decision making heuristics can lead to unwanted choices (1 year)
Honors thesis also doing a study in regards to decision making heuristics — 30 pages, and presented at a regional psychology conference
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Featured on my local news channel and newspaper for a perfect SAT score, member of my college’s Honors Program, full-ride scholarship at my college, perfect SAT score
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA for introductory psychology class during 1 semester, member of Psychology Club
Miscellaneous: I have contacted potential professors who I would be studying under in all the programs I have applied to, and have taken a few business classes in management-related areas.Research Interests: I am interested in understanding decision making biases and heuristics to improve how business decisions are made through structural changes, and am also interested in how our social environment and the people we are in touch with influence our decisions.
Applying to Where:OB
U of Toronto Rotman — Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management
Harvard B-School — Organizational Behavior
U of Michigan Ross — Management and Organizations
U of Virginia Darden — Leadership in Organizations
Colombia B-School — Management (Organizational Behavior Specialization)
Stanford B-School — Organizational Behavior
Social Psychology
Carnegie Mellon — Social & Decision Sciences
UCLA — Social Psychology
Cornell — Social and Personality
Chances of getting into a top program w/ a low-ranked undergraduate institution? (Social psych/OB)
in Psychology Forum
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I realize that there is no magic number of presentations/posters to be guaranteed a place in any given graduate school, but I thought that was one of the stronger points of my application, as opposed to my undergraduate institution.