DBP

I'm also applying to labs that are "indirectly" related to my past experiences. They key is emphasizing how through other training, like course work or research assistantships, I've developed transferable skills that when combined with my desire to do XXX research will be an asset. Hope this helps! Best!

From what I've read, you'll need a lot more math background, either courses or extensive research to get into a decent applied math/statistics program. Consider the pool of people applying for these programs could be people who did entire undergrads in math, physics or engineering! If you are certain you want a general math/stats graduate program, I'd say you need at least 3-4 upper year math courses - which can be tough, even for math students. Speak to an academic adviser from the math department to find out what courses you COULD take given your background. I also suggest you talk to a AMATH/STAT prof about what would be the bare minimum. Also, what you learn in those courses (and in a masters in math) is VERY different from hands-on things you may have experienced. It will be useful, to give you a good theoretical understanding - but if you're looking for training opportunities to develop skills, I'd suggest you consider math-related programs. Don't be wary of "specializing", any programs related to math/stats even if not directly will be useful for future career prospects. Once you develop skills, even in biostatistics or quantitative psychology or even economics, those are transferable. Best of luck!

How many programs did you apply to? How do you feel the first interview went, have you thought about ways to improve for the next one(s)? Having a back-up plan is a good idea (and can be useful if the question comes up in an interview, "what will you do if you don't get in anywhere?"). This has been a helpful resource for me (note: Canadian-based but mentions opportunities in the US) - http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/ugrad/mainres.htm If you can obtain a position related to your field, that would be great; if not, embrace the opportunity to try a new field and develop the "flexibility in applying your skills/knowledge to new areas". Best!

When you send this inquiry, be specific. I would kindly phrase the email like, "if I could receive feedback on (insert number between 1-3) areas in which I could improve my portfolio/profile/candidacy/etc I would highly appreciate it" Key point is to ask for a CONCRETE reason and frame it in the email as improvement. But also remember, sometimes it comes down to numbers of applicants, so they might give you a silly excuse. I once got rejected from an on-campus job because I was "unapproachable", when I asked what actual indicators during the interview gave them this impression, I asked, "eye contact? attitude? posture? something I said?" they had no response. Clearly, a silly excuse if they couldn't back it up. Best of luck!

If you try to google the school's senate meeting minutes, there will generally be a listing of new hires. I second asking the current graduate students. Maybe even the exiting-POI? Also, this is a really risky situation! If I were you, I'd question the rationale of their policy (politely) and explain how ridiculous it would be for you to make a decision as important as this on their evaluation of the incoming-POI being similar to the person you'd like to work with. Is it too late to apply to the place where your POI is going? Maybe they'll accept a late application if you're keen on working with them! Best!

I suggest contact the department admin. If you're really eager, call rather than email. But be prepared for all outcomes! Best!

Think about this for yourself, research isn't particularly hard. The process of going through the motions can be trivial in some fields. Where lies the difficulty? And how will you overcome it? This will yield good material for this sort of question. Again, best!

I'd avoid the self-depreciating remark! I see this question not as an opportunity to boast my skills, but my knowledge of the program and the department. In past interviews, I've responded to questions like this by mentioning my commitment and intended involvement in specific training opportunities. Best of luck, it can be tricky to sort this one out!

Are you planning on doing a masters in Psychology? Have you considered Women's Studies? Sociology? Your interests are broad, but that's not a problem! The challenge is finding an advisor/program that would allow you to explore these interests deeply (while gaining research skills). I'm not familiar with this side of psychology, but suggest you read through faculty profiles and contact people who interest you! Another option, if financially viable would be to extend your undergraduate degree to do reading courses next year (think: mini-masters project!) or work part time while you do research on your own! Best of luck!

In my experience, taking a fifth year can be a great experience. However, if you are planning to apply for clinical psychology for the following year, remember to budget time in for he application process. It took much, much longer than I expected to craft my personal statement, tracking down referees and getting their advice,spending time researching potential advisors and contacting them! (On top of thesis and reduced fifth year course load!). Reading your degree plan seems like a lot! The advice I generally give to other students is to think carefully about what adding a credential to your degree will really add, what impression will graduate committees form when they note that you have a specializing in cognitive neuropsychology? Consider, do you really think they would base their decision off of a option like this? I'm guessing not, because specializations and minors are not regulated - not even within the same university! (For example, at my school for an Arts student to get a minor requires X courses, but for a Math student it would be X-2 courses). If the specialization isn't ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL, I would drop it. In my readings and discussions with mentors, everyone agrees that no one really cares what minors/certificates/etc you have (unless it's very unique, like your trilingual iBA). What do adcoms look for? I've been told that you take challenging courses and you do well in them. And I think that comes a lot easier when you take courses that interest you, when you are there "out of love, not duty". Regarding required coursework, I suggest investigating more programs? I haven't seen many with this requirement, and a very good friend of mine applying to clinical this year who is interviewing at UWaterloo, UWO, York and potentially UBC never took History of Psychology. Generally, if you have the requisite stats (with the psychology major), you'll have the required number and breadth of courses. Lastly, read papers, attend local conferences and read the research profiles of many, many professors! Courses are useful for learning about areas, but in finding your interests - I don't know if it'd be useful to do it though a course, the true interest (in my experience) piques when you see what people are doing now and you think critically about it and then one day you realize, "wow, I could see myself doing this for the next XX years of my life! this is a very important question for me to pursue" (and then you have to decide on a technique ,lol). Best!

Also, this isn't an easy situation to deal with - it can be very stressful and intimidating. I hope you stay confident during interviews knowing you triumphed over adversity (sounds cheesy, but sometimes us academics ought to congratulate ourselves!)!

My department also insists on reimbursement-only, but when I was explicit that I needed funds to get to a conference they offered me the money upfront. Assuming the interview isn't this weekend, so it doesn't look like a last minute excuse, I highly encourage you to be honest about your situation and ask for funds to cover the initial costs. I would say something along the lines of, "any advance would be highly appreciated to help offset the costs". As others have mentioned, if you have credit to use - do so! But if credit isn't an option, you should be honest and ask for help! Best of luck!

My friend, (actually friend not me!), in clinical has received interview invites for: UWaterloo (his interview was today), UWO (Feb 10th?) and York (TBA). As well as contact from a POI at UBC asking for a phone interview, likely a pre-screen. I haven't head from him whether the UWaterloo clinical interview was all applicants, or how many people were interviewed. Best of luck to everyone!

Last week, I received an (unofficial) invitation to University of Toronto's March Open House, like an interview but less formal.

I think you should email admission committee contact casually, perhaps something along the lines of: "sending in an updated CV and thanks again for interview invite". Also, if it does come up in-person avoid giving the full explanation about why you changed labs (i.e. you didn't know you were a credit behind, it's too far away, etc, etc) - it is justifiable to say that it conflicted with your course schedule and you found a different position. This suggestion is not about dishonesty, it's about clarity Best of luck!

I had a similar question on one my applications and decided to justify how I've already been preparing for a career in academia (teaching experiences, developing networking skills). Then I cited some of the professional development programs at the university that would help me prepare like "I intend to enrol in workshops offered by XXX to develop my XXX skills". Best of luck!

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1459

One of my mentors told me to keep in mind that a graduate school interview is not only for the faculty to evaluate applicants. We are also in a position to evaluate the program, the environment, the other applicants (our possible peers) and think carefully about whether it's a good fit for us. He said that keeping this in mind, and not being deluded by being wined and dined, will help me relax, be myself and fairly evaluate the schools I visit. (I am still super nervous!) Best of luck to everyone!

I'm not in a clinical applicant, but one of my best friends has applied to six schools and no word yet! I'll keep this forum posted. Best!

A few questions: What is motivating you to do quantitative psychology? Do you HAVE to graduate this year? If not, have you considering staying a few extra terms and taking a math or stats minor? If you've talked to a quant psych prof and he complained about inadequate training of his graduate students, ask him what courses would help you to prepare. I too made a transition into a "hard science and math" area by asking mentors what courses would be of most value for me. Everyone had different answers and for different reasons, but the main point is to take more math and enjoy it! Learn some programming: MatLab, R, Python, etc. This will be an invaluable skill for (1) getting research experience, (2) getting into graduate school and (3) doing good research. Best of luck!

I suggest connecting with graduate students are your school about their experiences (although, they may be slanted toward NJIT because they are there, lol). You can also look for resources online and try to connect with others, the gradcafe is a good place And when you find some places that are of interest to you, do not hesitate to contact the department! Best of luck!

Congratulations on your soon-to-be publication(s)! An impressive feat to accomplish as an undergrad while studying chem eng! I am not an engineer, but I go to a top engineering institution. Most people I know in the PhD program here have a wealth of industry experience, so taking time off before pursuing your doctorate may be a good idea to help lessen the effect of your GPA, make you a more experienced candidate and help you make better connections for your LORs (from what I have read engineering programs sometimes accept one of three references from a non-academic). When you consult with your adviser, hopefully she will see your ambition/potential and as you discuss graduate school concerns - she may be able to offer to write you a strong LOR. Otherwise, have you considered instructors? Or past employers? My suggestion is to find the schools you would want to go, regardless of your GPA, and look through faculty profiles. Email the profs with serious inquiries about their lab and expectations of students. Don't necessarily rely on "caliber" as a measure, if you read through the forums you'll find cases in which people get into their top dream school and get rejected from their safety schools. The graduate school admissions process is complicated and many factors play into it, don't let caliber scare you away! Best of luck!

The route to clinical psychology is very competitive. There may be some schools who will appreciate and praise your improvement, while others have rules and regulations regarding the GPA's of incoming students that will lead them to reject you. My best advice is to contact (perhaps phone call) graduate admins and ask about your situation, not whether you'll be accepted/rejected but whether you are a competitive applicant given your credentials and experience. Also, given that you are hoping to pursue a Psy.D opposed to a Ph.D, I am under the impression that there is less emphasis on the research experience. However, I do recommend you re-consider research - it's fun! You've paid your dues doing grunt work (something I think is a silly part of the process) but if you try to find another research position or approach a professor with a good research question, maybe you're interested in the etiology of anxiety? Or the influence of romantic relationships in depression? Etc? the research experience is fulfilling (and you may change your plans and pursue a PhD, lol). Best of luck!

I have a heading in my CV titled, "Academic Experiences and Activities". I briefly list relevant talks and workshops I have attended, making sure to note I was an attendee. Not sure how it is interpreted, but my mentors have never commented against the section. Best of luck!