cogscipixie

Oh, there is still hope! Trust me Maybe the person they first gave the offer to is still deciding. That means you still have a chance. Yeah, I was placed on a waitlist without being told so, but I turned down my spot anyways a couple of days ago for someone else to (possibly) take. It was bizarre getting a response email back from Stellan Ohlsson with all of the cognitive faculty CC-ed on it after I told them I had found a better match for me between a couple of other schools. Considering my research interests at other schools are pretty much in line with UIC's faculty, there is no doubt I will be seeing them a lot at conferences in the future. He was very responsive and collegial in the email, so it's good to know that they understand UIC is not for everyone. Loved the students, the city, but not the campus, or the faculty tensions too much.

Maybe we're a much more vocal group when it comes to being open about our grad apps experience? Anyhow, I'm obsessed with cognitive science and the brain, so more than likely, as our interests converge and become more specific, I'm sure that many of us will be seeing each other at future conferences, and possibly collaborating across labs. I know my potential lab collaborators are all over the US and France/UK/Germany, so if anyone on here is interested in doing metacognition, educational applications, text comprehension, and educational technology work, more than likely we will be research buddies! I plan on at least attending Psychonomics in the fall even though I am not submitting any data with my potential PI(s) just so I can begin networking. Is anyone on here in cogsci planning on attending?

In the scheme of life, it doesn't really matter. All you get is stuffy, "we're better than everyone else" newsletters and journals. My dad is a PBK, and we just laugh together about the ridiculousness of the society. Just because you have 3 letters by your name (PBK, PhD, etc) doesn't make you necessarily a better person or line you up for a career. Programs look at overall potential, and honor societies, while they might fill out a resume, don't necessarily become an end-all, be-all for admission to top programs. I know many friends that have gotten into Top 20 programs in many fields without PBK, but they may have been in Mortar Board (which I joined) or nothing at all. To be honest, as a prospective psychology major, the most they would probably ever want to see is Psi Chi on your CV. It shows that you are and have been committed to the field outside of going to classes.

I *might* be attending in the fall. I'm sitting on a decision between Kentucky and another program which I equally liked, but I did love Lexington, the campus, the department, and the varied training experiences I would get in the department and in collaborations with other departments. Maybe someone on this board can convince me to go to UK .

I completely agree. If you're applying to an experimental program, yes, GRE scores are calculated into a prospective student's score but they're only a small piece of the package pie. If the student is a very strong research fit, shows that they can do the work (presentations at national conferences, an honors thesis, independent study), and has taken the initiative to immerse themselves in a topic that energizes them, then that is much more important for looking at how they can match up that potential candidate against others. You have to have the smarts, but you also have to learn to apply that knowledge. That's why it's so crucial nowadays to have directed undergraduate or independent research under your belt so you know what you're getting yourself into, in addition to figuring out your research niche. I was a 2nd-time applicant this year, took 2 years in between to work in a well-respected R1 institution's reading and language lab, but that was all on top of the independent research I did all 4-years of undergrad. I didn't bother taking my GRE over since I was a borderline 1200 score and I thought the rest of my CV would speak for itself. I got multiple interviews with schools that were all strong research fits, and places I could see myself develop and excel as a scientist. Don't give up hope if you don't make it through the cut the first time. Make sure you figure out your research niche prior to applying, get more hands-on experience (the best you can!), and apply to places you will be happy to attend. It makes such a difference.

Because I'd rather just hear from them first, and even if I was handed a spot, I would turn it down for one of the others that might want to be in Chicago next year.

Ugh, I STILL haven't heard back from UIC. I just want to know since it was not my top choice so I can get on with choosing between my top 2 research fits.

Hi y'all! I was accepted to Kent State for cognitive psych PhD. I don't know if I'm going to be there in the fall, but I wanted to see who else might be able to tell me where some of the nicer apartments in the Stow/Kent/Cuyahoga Falls area might be, as well as general factoids about the area.

Don't always apply to schools that just have the name factor. I know of many graduate students that picked schools based on how recognizable the name was, and how many of their graduates go on to teach at the Ivies, and the new Ivies (Vandy, Duke, etc). They end up being really disappointed when they realize their competition is just as fierce once they are in the program, and are miserable for 5-6 years of their lives. It's good to have a balance of 1-2 reaches, 4-5 reasonable ones to get into, and 2-3 safeties. Not only that, but you also need to be looking at fit as well. Some of my schools I was invited to for interviews this time around were stronger research fits overall, and while ranking is important, it's not what is going to make you happy down the line. I would be happy to get into any school that offers me full-funding as long as I know the research and overall personality fit is there. Good luck!

aw crap. Now I'm going to be impulsively checking my gmail every minute.

Yeah, I was interviewed at UIC 2 weekends ago, and still no word. Hopefully this week will be the one!

Thanks for y'all advice. My potential advisors (at both UIC and Kent) are very well-known and well-respected leaders in metacognition, memory, and text processing research so I've been told my multiple outsiders, "I would be in good hands." I feel comfortable with all my choices, since most of their grad students go onto fabulous post-docs and teaching positions.

So today (since I was gone in Chicago for an interview the past 3 days) I saw that I had received my Kent State offer letter and Pitt psych rejection letter (my current research employer) on the same day. I feel like this could be a blessing in disguise since I already somewhat dislike a couple of the faculty. I meshed well with the faculty at Kent State, and particularly my future co-advisors, plus I enjoyed my most recent interview at UIC in terms of the graduate community and some of the research I would be doing. Has anyone felt like maybe a lesser-ranked school who accepts you but actually fits you better might be the more "sane" option than going to a Top 15/20 school where you would despise the community and possibly your potential committee members?