StatsNerd

Hi all! I'll be taking both the general GRE and the psychology subject GRE in the next few weeks. On top of being nervous about the actual content of the tests, I'm freaking out about all the ins and outs of selecting and sending scores to schools (I'm applying to clinical psych PhD programs, most with Dec 1 deadlines, but one with a Nov 15 deadline). I've tried searching the ETS website for these answers but I just seem to get more confused reading through all their mumbo jumbo. My questions are: I was looking at an "example" score report on ETS (the one they send to schools) and it had spaces for both the general and subject test scores. Do you have the option to send/not send subject test scores when selecting which general scores to send (and vice-versa)? Or is the subject score section just left blank on the form sent that reports your general score (and vice-versa)? In other words... I'm taking the subject test two weeks before the general test... so it is a waste of money to send separate subject test score reports to schools if the subject scores are going to show up on the general test score report anyway?? Assuming the reporting is separate for both of the tests... Only a few of the schools I'm applying to require the psych GRE, but if I happen to do really well on it, I'd want to send my scores to all of the schools... would it be appropriate/ok to send along an "unofficial" score report of my psych GRE scores to schools not actually requiring it? My understanding is you can print free unofficial reports from the website. This way, they'd see my scores but I wouldn't have to pay $25 per school to send an official report. Or would that just look cheap/desperate...?

I was notified today I was wait listed for a master's program. I am 2nd on the list and was told if any of the 15 admitted students decline the offer of admission then I'm in. I think my chances are pretty good then, right? I mean, it is rare for all admitted students to accept an offer... and all I need is for two of them not to accept. *fingers crossed* I've liked hearing all the success stories so far, keep 'em coming! And good luck to the rest of us still waiting.

oh yes, sorry. The schools I'm applying to all require hard copies, strangely enough. Online apps would have made my life a little easier and saved me some trips to the post office/freak outs about things possibly getting lost in the mail. That said, you are right about not really having the option for a cover letter with online apps.

Is it common/expected to include a cover letter of sorts with each application? I've heard it mentioned here a few times but none of the schools I'm applying to mention it. Is it just assumed you will include one? There are a few technical things about my application that I would like to be able to point out, things that wouldn't really belong in say, my statement of purpose. For example, after freaking out about finding a 3rd LOR I now might actually have an extra LOR (a professor who wasn't replying to my emails for weeks finally came through and said he'd write the letter this morning, after I had already found a last minute replacement...). How exactly do you word it? "Dear admissions committee, This is my application, just wanted to note that blah blah blah.... Thank you, your name." ?

So my quest to secure a 3rd academic LoR is proving to be harder than I thought. My first deadline is mid-Feb and I am thinking I might have to turn to my "last resort" employer LoR. Three of the schools I am applying to require 3 LoRs (the other just 2, so I am fine with those) and say they prefer professors or people who can speak about your potential to do well academically. I know I'll probably be at a disadvantage not having all three be from professors but I'm getting desperate. If I do have to use my employer, how should I advise him to fill out the forms that specifically ask to rate me based on school-related things (example "demonstrated research ability") when he does not know me in this context? This is a job unrelated to my field but I have worked there for several years and this person knows me very well. I have no doubt he can write a very positive letter highlighting my strengths (in terms of my work ethic and such) but I'm worried about the forms. Would it better to tell him not to fill out the form at all and just attach the separate letter or just fill them in as best he can?

I'm having an extremely hard time writing my SOP. Long story short-- my academic record is rather spotty so of course I have the dilemma or how to address that (a few medical LOAs/course withdraws and 2 poor grades) in either my SOP or in a separate area. I transferred schools my junior year and ended up having to retake a lot of courses in my major because my new school only allowed so many credits to be transferred in. My interest in research really only developed once I transferred schools. I started out wanting to go into school psych, now I'm going into social/cognitive psych and applying to experimental psych MA programs. I really loved the research methods and stats courses I took at my second school, and from there decided to get involved as an undergrad research assistant and eventually became a TA for two stats classes. The thing is, I had already taken these courses (research methods/stats) at my first school but they just never did much for me at that point. Actually, I really disliked them. I think a lot of it had to do with how my first school placed very little importance on research and the consensus among students seemed to be that stats classes were evil and not really needed for careers in counseling, teaching, etc. Even the profs seemed to condone this idea-- that research was just something you had to show at least *some* interest in if you wanted to go to grad school, but after that, it was pretty useless (again b/c most people were not after careers in academia). Anyway, my second school had a different view on research (or at least the profs I got to know), and I found my classes there much more stimulating. The way stats courses were taught at my second school made a huge difference in how well I understood and appreciated the material as the emphasis was not just on memorizing a bunch of formulas but on understanding what we were actually calculating. I really just had a much better experience at my second school and it was these experiences that helped me realize my research interests and my desire to pursue graduate school. It would make sense for me to mention all of this (albeit more eloquently) in my SOP, but I am worried about how it might come across. I don't want to be seen as "putting down" my first school. In terms of reputation and prestige my first school is actually ranked above my second school, but I truly feel I had an overall better academic experience at my second school. This should be fine, right? Of course this "better experience" was also due to me just being more mature and self-aware by the time I transferred, so maybe I should focus on that?

Thanks guys. After talking to her a little more and getting feedback from others I think it'll be okay. She is a person with very strong opinions and she is not afraid to express them. I explained a little more about why I want to apply to these programs (more than just "I don't feel competitive enough for PhD programs at this point") and gave her some concrete data on the success of graduates of these programs (as a stats prof she is always looking for numbers ) and she was a little more convinced. She really knew nothing about these specific programs, her "all MA programs are useless" thing I think was more based on her idea of general psych master's programs that are more geared towards counseling and don't offer a lot of opportunity for student research/mentor-based relationships with profs. Anyway, I think I just threw her off a little by not agreeing with her on this, and standing strong in what I think is best for me (b/c like I said, this has never been easy for me, normally I'd just be like "you're right, I'll do it this way if you think that's best" even if I knew it wasn't). I am trying to believe her when she says she will still write me a strong LOR.

Long story short-- the LOR that I was expecting to be the strongest may end up being the weakest... unless I'm just being paranoid. I'm applying to experimental psych master's programs and this professor is basically against any such programs. She thinks they are useless and do nothing to help boost chances of getting into PhD programs. The only reason I'm applying to MA instead of PhD programs is because I know I would have a very hard time getting into any PhD programs at this point... my stats are not great (3.6ish GPA, 560 Q/600 V GRE, only a few semesters of undergrad research experience). She thinks I'd be better off getting an RA job somewhere for a year or two to get more research experience and then apply to PhD programs. But I applied to TONS of RA jobs last summer/this fall and only had a handful of interviews and no offers. I don't think she realizes how competitive it is these days. I TAed for this professor my senior year and worked with her on a few small research projects. She LOVES ME (or... she did? :/ ), brags about me all the time to others, probably overestimates my abilities. I was really counting on a glowing LOR from her but now I'm worried she'll let her disapproval of my life plans come through in her letter. :/ Funny thing is, her biggest (only?) criticism of me has always been that I lack confidence in my work and don't advocate enough for myself... so here I am, finally confident in what I want to do, advocating for myself, and she's not seeing that. So frustrating. Like I said, this was suppsed to be my strongest letter. My second letter will be fairly strong I think (professor I had for senior research seminar) but my last one will probably just be generic positive as it's a professor who doesn't know me as well. Maybe I'm just being paranoid though... maybe she'll come through in the end. Anyone else have experience with an LOR writer not being completely supportive of your specific plans?