socialpsych

My impression is that it 1) is pretty much expected in some fields (as UnlikelyGrad said) and 2) helps you build a CV with a larger number of solid publications before looking for a TT job.

Wow, glad to be in the already-decided minority! Yes, visit days are crucial.

I think clinical is more competitive, but maybe also smaller (by # of PhD programs)?

Hmm...I think you can probably tell if this is just a "I'm tired of school at the moment" (which is fine--just take the summer off or something) or more serious doubts about what you're getting yourself into. If it's the latter, do not start your program next fall. See if you can take a year off and do something else. Grad school is a huge commitment and if it's not really what you want, you would do best to find out for sure sooner rather than later. On the other hand, if it's just burnout...I wouldn't worry about the stats training; you will probably get a basic stats review in your program anyway. And if you're going into a research-focused clinical psych program, I've heard that it's pretty easy to switch gears to mostly practicing afterward, even though the degree is research-oriented...

Really? Then maybe instead of a pro-con chart you should just write out the reasons that favored the school you chose. There must be SOME reason you chose that school, even if it was just "my gut said it would be a better place"!

I think that just about sums it up. From what I have heard, bottom-heavy tends to be better for grad students than top-heavy, generally speaking. But anywhere you go, you should try to work with a mix of people at different points in their career, if you can.

I'm not sure I understand what you are asking. Are you wondering whether Stanford is overrated--whether its reputation is better than the way the school actually is? Or are you wondering why its reputation is relevant at all? Or something else? Personally, I am going to Stanford because it has a top program in my field where the professors have a very good fit with my research interests. And because I like the location. There is no conflict for me--it is a prestigious name, with a great ranking, and a program I'm really excited about. I don't know whether I've answered your question at all?

Haha, only East Palo Alto. I don't think there are any dicey areas of Palo Alto proper. But you can ask over in the City Guide thread if you're curious!

If you are still considering the schools with TAships (I'm not sure I've understood your post correctly), talk to the current grad students at those schools and see how they feel about TAing. If they think it's a pain, believe me, you will think it's a pain too, no matter how organized it is or what any of the profs say. Talking to the students is the only way to figure out what any of this stuff will mean to you as a student in the program, IMO.

I wouldn't say I'm second-guessing, but it was certainly a bit of an anticlimax to turn down the other schools and accept the offer. And I know I made the right choice. There was another program I was excited about but it wasn't even really close for me in the end. So I'm sure it would be much worse if I didn't feel quite so confident. I think what you're feeling is perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. Of course you will feel a sense of loss regarding the other programs you turned down. But you will be happy at the program you chose and a few years down the road you won't be able to imagine things going any differently.

Yay, Lorax!!! What kind of psych? I really love their social psych group--some great people. Would definitely have been one of my top choices if not for the location.

If you turn down UCLA this year and then reapply, I think you probably won't get in again.

I totally wish schools wouldn't do this too, but just wanted to point out it could be a silent waitlist rather than silent rejection.

Hooray Dukegirl! Congrats!!

I did them in bunches. Pulled out of 4 schools (declined offer/interview, withdrew app) when I got in to my top choice. That left 6. Eliminated 3 more, a few weeks later: withdrew from 2 where I had interviewed, and waited for the rejection from the other one (where I was indeed rejected). That left 3. One of those was clearly behind the other two, but I didn't withdraw from there quite yet. Then I made a tentative decision and waited until my last visit day. Finally, accepted the offer and emailed those last 2 schools...left with one! That entire process took just over a month. If your preferences are clear enough to eliminate schools as you go, I think it makes a ton of sense to do that. Waitlisted applicants at those schools will be grateful! But, as multiple threads on this board have discussed, if your preferences aren't clear, don't feel any pressure to let go of those options before you're ready. And definitely visit everywhere before you make decisions you're not completely sure about!

I can tell you that several students and professors here commute from a city about an hour away. They just have to be really on top of their time management, and it works out for them. I'm sure you will get some useful responses here from people with personal experience commuting as students, but it might be even more informative to email anyone you know in your prospective department and see whether there are people there who actually do commute and can tell you about it. My impression is that commuting is different everywhere and in every field.

Yeah, social. The letter is dated 3/6. Sorry to hear you didn't get in. My impression is that their funding was quite severely limited this year.

I emailed pretty much everyone who'd met with me and who'd organized my visits. Some people are also sending handwritten notes to POI and/or to students who hosted them. Just seems like a nice thing to do.

Hang out with me, DD! But seriously...since you'll be new to the area, I think there's a lot you could do if you have a car. Spend some time exploring the city (you don't even need a car for that) or perhaps take a roadtrip. Perhaps this won't work as well for people who are moving to the middle of nowhere, but around here there is plenty to do within driving distance. It's a gorgeous time of year--go to the beach! Go hiking! I don't know--all the stuff you won't have time for once you start your degree. Aside from that, I'm trying to figure out what to do with the free time, too. I figure I'll split it between playing computer games (to get myself really bored and excited for the quarter to start) and maybe doing some volunteering. Again, the idea is to look for things I won't have time to do for the next 15 years. If you're really eager to get started, you can always ask your future advisors for a reading list. Mine have already been kind enough to start putting one together for me.

Yikes. Sorry about that, guys. Sounds like the state of CA is really hurting...

I got a rejection from Harvard in the mail about a week ago.

Visiting will probably get you excited about starting grad school and the people at the program excited about having you there. So if you feel like you need to get excited, go! The weather in Palo Alto is BEAUTIFUL this time of year... Otherwise, I'm not entirely sure what the point would be, since you've committed to going there. Is the $800 for travel money alone? Have you thought of asking the program to connect you with a current student who might be able to host you for a couple nights?

Ah Ferrero...you're back!

We are already in the area close to my school but we are planning to look for a new apartment around July/August. My quarter starts the third week of September. I assume it will be harder to find a place at the beginning of September right before school starts. I think it also depends what kind of place you're moving to. In some places (like Chicago, I've heard), it's really important to see a place you're considering and learn about the neighborhood before you commit. In other places, it's harder to go wrong. If you are moving to the former type of place, it may be an even better idea to give yourself some extra time to get settled.

Visiting is an extremely important part of making this decision and sometimes it's out of people's control when they will get to visit (b/c the school has a particular visit weekend set, or whatever). Visiting can really change a school's place in the ranking, so dropping schools before one is done visiting is not always so simple.