yellowbluegreen

Could someone post an updated discord invite?

I don't think there's anything wrong with it if you're interested in them and they're a good research fit. It depends entirely on why you were rejected -- which is something you probably will never fully know (unfortunately). I've been on the other end of situations where we end up with 3 highly qualified candidates applying for a single RA position and we're genuinely upset we can't give all of them spots, and end up choosing someone who is marginally more qualified than the other 2. If those other 2 people were to reach out 1-2 years later as an interested grad student we would be ecstatic and would seriously consider their application, with positive memories from their prior application with us. But - I've also helped conduct interviews for RA positions where someone wasn't a fit at all or was off-putting during the interview, and we had no interest in accepting them. If they were to apply as a grad student years later, we'd obviously take the time to go through their application, but it would be very different from the first scenario. Anyway - my point is just that people sometimes give really polarized responses of YES definitely do that! Or NO don't waste your time! And it really depends on why the person wasn't accepted and it can work for you or against you, so why not give it a shot? I think all it takes is a quick intro of "I applied during x season or to x position" and that you're applying to grad school this cycle and wanted to know if they were planning to accept a student for fall 2021? good luck!!

i agree with everyone above me who said to study from an intro psych textbook! A solid intro psych textbook, supplemented with some kaplan (or w/e brand) psych GRE study guides to help pin down names/theories is more than enough!! The test covers broad info across the different domains, but truly doesn't go too deep into any of them. I also found it to be a very straight forward exam. i didn't feel like it was trying to "trick" me or like I had to puzzle/reason too much to get to the answer. It was one of those tests where you either know the answer immediately or you don't (and I would make a best guess) for me at least. I also found other people's flash cards on quizlet and would practice them when I had downtime or was commuting on the train . The ETS practice test was also helpful. I researched the q's I got wrong, and focused on my weak subjects. Honestly I think the best thing to do is know what your strengths/weaknesses are. I'm bad with names/popular theories especially in social and developmental, so I focused a lot of that. Whereas I was strong with the more bio/neuro stuff and stats and didn't prep much for that. I started like a month before the exam, but mostly crammed like 1-2 weeks before. My undergrad degree wasn't in psychology (or a related field), and I took a few post-bacc classes but had never taken social or developmental psych, and still got a 760. I remember being very very nervous leading up to it, and being surprised at how straightforward it was!

I know 3 different people who interviewed at a program (high-level programs), were waitlisted, didn't get in, re-applied 1-2 years later and are now students at the place they had initially been rejected from. People have different experiences with re-applying, and I think it entirely depends on why you were not offered admission to that university. If someone interviews and the PI realizes maybe the school isn't a good program for the student's career goals, or the PI realizes the student isn't a great research match/fit, or maybe even that the student's personality didn't mesh with their own or the culture of their lab, etc - applying a second time probably will not improve your chances, and you probably will not receive an interview. But if, for example, there were a few students that the PI wanted to take and someone just barely squeaked out ahead of you, and it was a tough decision -- I imagine they would be thrilled to have another opportunity to interview you and offer you admission (especially if additional experience has been gained). I also work at a university in research (I'm going to be a 1st phd student near year at a diff school), and have talked to faculty where I work who have said re-applying just shows how interested you are, and reiterated that it really depends on why the student wasn't accepted (it is was lack of fit, or having someone slightly more competitive take the spot even though they really liked the candidate). And that's really what influences whether you get invited back. If it's a school you genuinely enjoyed interviewing at and it was a PI you truly want to work with, and it's a program you would like to attend, why not re-apply? Sorry this turned into a novel - I just don't see the harm in re-applying if you really liked the school and it's a top choice (unless it would cause financial strain, etc., which is totally understandable)!