t_ruth

I'm in Ed Psych and was a returning student! Feel free to reach out via PM

You can have a specific conference proceedings section. They are weighted less than formal pubs but more than other presentations.

Sometimes PIs will do informal Skype interviews or phone calls just to help the candidate (and the PI) get a better idea of fit. This isn't really an interview like those after applications are submitted. There may also be a phone or Skype interview after applications are submitted before or in lieu of an on-campus interview. These are more formal. You may have both. The first type are really beneficial because you can reference your discussion in your application materials.

Honors thesis would work fine for my field (ed psych). Make sure to have a few people proofread it.

I don't usually receive requests with CVs. I think it is fine to send without.

After being in academia for about ten years, I think what you experienced is an exception (and you are very lucky)

I don't know. If I didn't get a reply after two tries (spaced far enough apart) and there was no away message, I would take it as a bad sign re: this person's communication. Having an advisor who is not responsive is really terrible.

If it is a hard requirement, then obviously take that specific course before applying. But not all programs have the same requirements, right? You likely meet the entrance requirements for some.

Yes. Make a compelling case for why you want to apply and what you want to do with your degree. Many people switch fields for graduate school.

You can certainly get into top programs from a less-than-top undergrad (and I wouldn't consider a CSU terrible at all!). I went to a lower-ranked undergrad and got into a number of fairly competitive PhD programs and was one of the few to get a faculty position after graduating with my PhD. However, I echo the feedback above that you might want to evaluate the type of degree you want.

Sounds like you aren't looking for an academic track (an EdD is often very practice-focused in comparison to a PhD). Given this, it seems a part-time program is reasonable.

Depends what you want to do after grad school, where you are willing to relocate, etc. Can you provide some more details?

I managed above 90th percentiles for both verbal and quant (old test version). I felt this was pretty good for being a returning student (10+ years since undergrad). I used the practice books and a math refresher book, which I loved. I did some of the flashcards, but those were more for fun and casually. I think the key is starting a few months ahead of time and being consistent--I did 30-90 minutes a night before bed for the math and practice tests and added the flashcards with friends/family every once and a while. That said, I'm generally a good test taker, so ymmv.

That's a tough one. I'd maybe start with the prof you are most interested. Then, if you have a conversation, you could ask about collaborative opportunities and note that you think X school is especially perfect because not only are you enamored with this PI's work, but you also really like what PI2 and PI3 are doing. In your application research statement it's a good idea to mention multiple people (while focusing on one).

I've already had students contact me. The early bird gets the worm, you know? I can get invested in a student if we start talking early on... Yes, I know there are dangers to emailing faculty over the summer, but I think most would be fine with an email that said something along the lines of: I know it is summer and you may not be answering emails regularly, but I am very excited about your program and wanted to reach out sooner rather than later. If I don't hear from you, I'll follow up in the fall.

Did you speak direction with the PIs in the programs before you applied? You should maintain communication if you did and start communication if you didn't. I know of plenty of people who got accepted at the same program after re-applying. Good luck!

Getting research experience will be the most important thing. If you start working with a lab in the university 1 & 1/2 hours from you, you may be able to do a lot of your work remotely. I have given some of my research assistants remote work when they are home or traveling. The other thing you can do is get to know the field. You don't need to take classes to do this. What is the specific topic that interests you or question you want to answer in your PhD work? Start looking up articles about this topic. Read them, contact the authors to ask questions, engage with professional groups and discussions--academic twitter is great for this. If you already have two Master's degrees I would strongly advise you against getting another (unless it is funded and en route to a PhD). This, of course, assumes you are really set on a PhD program. If you are uncertain and don't have a clear desire to do research in a particular area, a Master's can help focus you. It's just a large expense that might be unnecessary.

Have you looked at recent theory of mind research? That's the best place to start. Find some research you like and then look at the faculty who are behind it. You may also want to check out SRCD and Cognitive Development Society. It's about the professor you would work with, not about the program.

Agree re: the google search. Perhaps one like this.

With that age group I think you will have more luck with Dev Psych programs than with Ed programs--unless you were interested in early childhood policy. I can PM you a name or two.

I'm well past this point, but I found it helpful to reach out to the grad student community at my university--join FB pages, start emailing with my new academic "siblings." Having a tight-knit cohort and lab made my PhD years really enjoyable and I'm sure reduced my stress level. Good luck and have fun!

Agree with ZeChocMoose. For work in early childhood, check out SRCD--you will see a lot of those in this field involved with early childhood work. Do you have a specific topic of interest? Perhaps there are those of us who can provide some guidance.

This probably depends on how many programs you are planning to apply to and how competitive you think you are for them. Also, if you don't yet have a clear idea of the type of research questions you want to ask, a Master's program might be a better fit. There are a number of PhD programs who downgrade applicants who aren't quite ready for the PhD to a Master's pool--without you having to actually apply for the Master's.

Along the lines of figuring out what type of psychology you want to pursue, think about the kinds of questions you have about the world that you would want to conduct research to answer. You can then see what field is asking those types of questions--you may be surprised. I was--I originally thought I wanted social psychology, but when I explored more based on the questions I asked, it turned out I wanted educational psychology.

I work with my prospective students over the summer if they are willing. When I started my PhD program, my advisor sent me a long summer reading list. If you really want to do something, read all your advisor's papers you can and then start mining the citations and read the articles in the reference lists that interest you. This can't hurt anything and will certainly give you a running start.