t_ruth

Where the other learning science applicants at? Don't see many thread focused on LS or related fields so decided to start a thread where we can aggregate discussion and support. Where are you applying? What stuff are you interested in?

Right now I'm set on applying to PhD programs at UCI, UC Berkeley, CU Boulder and UW, probably looking to add a couple more depending on how some scheduled talks with professors go. Still really trying to hone down my research interests but broadly interested in co-designing science learning in mostly out of school contexts.

How exciting that you are considering a PhD in Education! Some answers below:
1) Are PhDs in education, particularly science education, in demand? What is a PhD in education like? I expect there to be a lot of reading and research. Are there programs renown for education? (I'm assuming places like Harvard, Stanford, Penn [?])
Do you mean "in demand" for post-PhD jobs? Yes. An Ed PhD is one of the most marketable PhDs, as there are many government and industry jobs available to you. The faculty job market is tough, as in any field, but not impossible.
Re: what it is like: Yes, there is lots of reading and research. Specifics vary depending on the program and advisor.
Re: top programs: You can of course check the "top" Ed PhD program rankings somewhere like US News, but the most important thing is advisor. You want to work with a prolific and well-connected advisor who is a good match. Draw the line first at funded programs in R1s (and some select R2s), then look for the specific advisor.
2) I definitely want to take a gap year or two after undergraduate to figure everything out because I've been changing my mind a lot over this past year. Do you think pursuing teaching at the K-12 level for a year or two is possible? I've heard of programs such as Teach for America, which would do just that.
If you will ultimately want a faculty job, it is worth it to take three years to teach. In Curriculum and Instruction programs (where many science ed positions will be), faculty positions often require a minimum of three years K-12 teaching experience. If you are going to take the break, it seems silly to me to do it for two, when pushing past that three-year mark will open up many more positions to you.
3) Is there a forum about people's past stories? I've been trying to find people who had a similar journey as me. 
You can browse the forum here for stories, but this board isn't as active as some of the others on gradcafe. You may want to start connecting with current graduate students in places you might consider. If you are currently leading a research project, you probably have written a literature review. Who are you citing? Look up those people and their labs and try to connect with students they work with.
Good luck! Feel free to PM me w/any specific questions.

Ugh, just reread my post and I obviously meant "economic" downturn. But the new forum powers won't allow edits

For me, I did look at GREs in the past (mostly for very high or very low scores), and definitely give weight to LORs, but the #1 factor for me was and is the personal statement--how does the applicant speak about research? how do they speak about *my* research in particular?

For me, I did look at GREs in the past (mostly for very high or very low scores), and definitely give weight to LORs, but the #1 factor for me was and is the personal statement--how does the applicant speak about research? how do they speak about *my* research in particular?

For me, I did look at GREs in the past (mostly for very high or very low scores), and definitely give weight to LORs, but the #1 factor for me was and is the personal statement--how does the applicant speak about research? how do they speak about *my* research in particular?

For me, I did look at GREs in the past (mostly for very high or very low scores), and definitely give weight to LORs, but the #1 factor for me was and is the personal statement--how does the applicant speak about research? how do they speak about *my* research in particular?

Not to be crass but I hate this nepotism stuff and how it perpetuates inequitable access to the profession.

The ironic part is, removing the GRE was supposed to make admissions less inequitable, but I do wonder if it's going to have the opposite effect. I think these are all very valid points!

FWIW - I think LORs in general carry a lot of weight, even pre-COVID, but may carry more weight now. If a POI knows your LOR writer(s), and they write glowing letters, I think that is a golden ticket. Some POIs engage in what I frankly consider unethical behavior, which is take students with whom they have prior connections, usually resulting in less diversification of our field b/c those students are typically people with great means (high SES, traditional backgrounds, have the ability to do lots of unpaid RA work in undergrad/MA programs, etc.). 
 
It's a big gamble for POIs to take students, in the same way you want to match with the best mentor possible. If a student a POI takes one year turns out to be bat s**t crazy, imagine how frustrating that might be for a POI. A year of a student lost, essentially, out of maybe, at most 35-40 years of training people. Having LOR writers a) know you SUPER well and b) know your ideal POI super well is key. It's kind of sad that's where we are at, as that also probably biases toward well-connected, resourced students, but it's worth knowing. As I have aged in my program, my PI has been frank with me in telling me they have rejected candidates for lab positions, other PhD slots, etc. almost always based on LORs that are not strong (OR say *negative* things... yikes). 
 
Tl;dr for future applications: ALWAYS ask LOR writers if they are willing and able to write a *strong* LOR for you. If they are ethical, they will be honest, and you need strong LORs as other metrics (e.g., GRE) go away. 

Ugh, just reread my post and I obviously meant "economic" downturn. But the new forum powers won't allow edits

I feel like everything is going to come down to research experience/output and how well these align with the current/future work of the PI's lab.

I'm not sure if that would be ethical in the reviewal process - like, that seems like borderline nepotism. That would only probably help your letter of recommendation in the sense that, if your professor knows the letter writer, that indicates that you have experience working in the field in some sense or have been able to build relationships with people in your field (such as PTSD research or whatever). They will probably place more emphasis on another aspect of your application, like GPA. 

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

There is generally an increase in applications to higher education in times of academic downturn.
There are still some programs accepting applicants if you find there are places you could see yourself and hadn't yet applied.
Cost should not be prohibitive--many institutions offer waivers for application fees (mine does). If you are interested in Learning Sciences/Educational Psychology at all, please let me know and I can help.

It's definitely a good idea to have at least 1 other person you can see yourself working with among the faculty. This is especially helpful when your advisor decides to leave the university halfway through your course of study and you need to find a new dissertation chair for the study you've already spent month creating ?‍♀️. 

You've already received some good advice, but one other thing you might want to consider is to focus on people doing research using the framework you want to use, but on a different population. For example, you might find a PI whose work you like who researches university belonging, or the application of student support services, but hasn't yet applied it to military or veteran populations. You could be offering a way for them to expand their work that they hadn't considered.
The research "match" is something that can be argued and justified...it isn't something that is either there or isn't.

Thank you for being curious haha~ my research questions revolve around bicultural integration and biculturalism. This has a lot of do with my personal experience as an immigrant and assessment experiences on students' sense of belonging in college. In short, I wanted to know 1) how do people integrate cultures and if there's a critical age for cultural integration similar to language acquisition and 2) how does biculturalism and its associated cognitive flexibility help to improve interracial dynamics/biases. I've had a lot of discussions with colleagues and professors on whether my questions can be better explored in a psych program vs education program, in which I find most of the faculties I'd like to work with resides in psyc department. 

I think the others have given good feed back.  To those comments, I would add that is is perfectly fine to reach out to authors of articles that are in line with your interests.  You can find out if they teach, whether they are accepting any students, or if anyone in their network could help you find a good program.
In short...don't be afraid to reach out to people who are already doing the work that you want to do.  I've found that almost always they are willing to offer help.
Good luck!

I've read stuff from people across quite a few areas! The ones that have stuck out the most to me are in Psychology programs, Human Development and Family Studies programs, and Communications programs. I'm in the process of emailing these faculty now to see if they're accepting students for next fall. 
I'm not finished with the search yet, so I'll be sure to look into Learning Sciences! It sounds like something I would enjoy. Thanks so much for the advice!

I would check out Learning Sciences programs. You can study media in Psych programs, Sociology programs, Communications programs, probably more. You likely want to find someone whose research or perspective you relate to...have you read much in this area that resonates with you?
I'm in Learning Sciences and study digital environments...feel free to PM me for more specific advice.

As I understand it, yes typically for Academic positions the prestige of a program would be considered. However, one thing I've been told is that the "family tree" of mentors can be surprisingly important as well. One of the faculty where I work now has a poster in her office that traces back the history of mentors and their students quite a ways. If people have worked with your mentor, or if they've also been a student of your mentor (or even mentored your mentor), then that seems to give a small advantage as well. 

You've already received some good advice, but one other thing you might want to consider is to focus on people doing research using the framework you want to use, but on a different population. For example, you might find a PI whose work you like who researches university belonging, or the application of student support services, but hasn't yet applied it to military or veteran populations. You could be offering a way for them to expand their work that they hadn't considered.
The research "match" is something that can be argued and justified...it isn't something that is either there or isn't.

You've already received some good advice, but one other thing you might want to consider is to focus on people doing research using the framework you want to use, but on a different population. For example, you might find a PI whose work you like who researches university belonging, or the application of student support services, but hasn't yet applied it to military or veteran populations. You could be offering a way for them to expand their work that they hadn't considered.
The research "match" is something that can be argued and justified...it isn't something that is either there or isn't.

You've already received some good advice, but one other thing you might want to consider is to focus on people doing research using the framework you want to use, but on a different population. For example, you might find a PI whose work you like who researches university belonging, or the application of student support services, but hasn't yet applied it to military or veteran populations. You could be offering a way for them to expand their work that they hadn't considered.
The research "match" is something that can be argued and justified...it isn't something that is either there or isn't.