Lisa44201

Get over the age thing, says the 33/y/o/female with two kids. Yes, there are careers outside of traditional academia; with a CogPsych specialty, you're open to AMCs (medical centers) as well as academe. What is it that interests you about Cognitive?

At best, I would stay out of the situation with the first-year's. The other applicant may actually know how to behave professionally, and you'd be standing up for someone whose behavior suggests she is not serious. Her actions at that meeting may not define her as a person, but they do define her as a student. I would tell her in very straightforward terms that she seriously hurt her chances by behaving rudely in that group meeting; that is probably one of the kindest things you could do for her, as she may not be aware that that behavior is not acceptable. As far as the post-doc is concerned... man, the snarky part of me wonders if, if you understand enough Mandarin to know what she's saying, if you'd be able to snipe back?? Probably not very professional, either. Have you ever spoken to the post-doc? Not a what's-your-problem conversation, but maybe making a distinct point of saying hello when you see her?

Other than the whole losing $13k thing, it makes you look like flaky professionally. You commit to one school, you attend classes (someone else loses a spot because you took it?), then you leave because you didn't really want to go there in the first place.

Ask your professors.

If you use your personal statement to explain why your grades are not stellar, what information does a POI have to determine whether or not you'd fit into his/her lab? You will not be the only applicant who has dropped out / failed out of college the first time around for valid reasons beyond their personal control. I'm not trying to de-legitimize your situation; however, other applicants will use that same space in their personal statements to explain why they are a good fit for a particular lab. Any space you use to explain your past takes space away from describing what you will do in the future.

Unfortunately, these two sentences are not compatible; they are required to adjust your financial aid if you have other funding, like the fellowship; they did not do anything wrong. So you have a fellowship for this semester; have you done any work related to it? If not, another option is to contact your supervisor at the fellowship and ask if he/she can write a letter stating you have not been working this semester. You should also find a copy of your fellowship contract which states it applies to years one through four only. They are absolutely allowed to do this; technically they have not made a mistake. The error lies in this fellowship, not with the Financial Aid department.

The Kaplan review book worked for me. Get one with practice tests, and just keep at it. I believe you need to submit the scores from all the parts of the GRE, not just Quant & AW. I'm guessing you have already taken the TOEFL (and, based on what you've written here, probably gotten a good score); my guess (and I don't know for sure, so don't hold me to this), is that AdComs will notice the TOEFL score in your admissions packet, and take into account the fact that you are testing in a language that is not native to you. Yes, I would still apply to that university. I would also apply to a few others, just in case you don't get into that one.

Yes. This is a busy time of year for testing centers, so tests are filling up fast.

Apply anyway. I would not e-mail more than twice.

The ETS website states it takes approximately 10-15 days for the computer-based test. http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/faq/?viewfaq=faq6

That's because the OP was trying to disguise homework as a legitimate research question. FWIW, Part C is incorrect on questions 1-4, and I have major issues with Q1 Part D.

Great news about your nephew! Normally I don't support addressing academic difficulties in your SOP.... but admittedly yours are outside the realm of what we encounter here. Can you address those deficiencies briefly? As in, one or two sentences. I'd suggest writing an outline of your SOP - if including that information throws off the overall theme of your SOP, leave it out.

At this point you should have a spreadsheet typed out detailing which programs you're applying to, when the deadlines are, how they want the application (online vs mail), if there is a supplemental application for the psych department (varies), how your letter writers are supposed to submit their information (mail vs online), and basic details on the SOP (content & length). Please name a program that requires more than three letters. I've heard of four, very rarely, in other disciplines. I have never heard of five. ..... I don't think you're a troll; that said, you seem to be unfathomably clueless as to the grad app process in general. Do you even have a research interest? POIs?

It doesn't seem like the PA studies are really relevant for your Psychology apps. So no, don't mention it. Different schools will have different lengths for the SOP. Sometimes that's two pages, sometimes that's three pages, sometimes that's 500 words. Check the program requirements. Your SOP should explain why you are a perfect fit for XYZ program and Dr. Awesome's lab. That's it.

4-5 letters? You do realize if a program asks for three, they're going to throw out the other two, right? Sending in more letters than what is asked for does not work in your favor - if anything, it's a sign you can't follow directions.

Please call your counseling center today. They should have someone on call; if they do not, remember you can go to the ER if you need to see someone before Monday. Going to the ER does not necessarily mean they'll admit you, either - you stand a good chance of getting a 'script to start you on the path to getting better sooner. Those students are not more important than your health, whether that's mental or physical. I do not think it's unprofessional for you to leave now: you are clearly having a hell of a time with things, and that takes priority. If someone gets diagnosed with cancer and has to leave mid-semester, that person would not be called unprofessional for doing so. Serious mental health issues are no different. You can apologize for the inconvenience, but do not for a second apologize for leaving to take care of yourself.

B's are borderline in many psych programs; in my Masters program, two Cs and you were done. Also, if you're an undergrad taking and getting a B in grad quant courses, you are well ahead of a great many undergrads, and a few grad students, as well.

I think your stats make you competitive somewhere, for sure. There are folks who would trade their right arm for your GRE scores, and your research experience shows you can definitely do research. The fact that it hasn't all been social psych is really your only weak point, and I would think the rest of your stats more than make up for that. If you can explain your interests in social psych in your SOP, you should be okay. Just make sure you have all the prerequisite courses you need for the various places you're applying to.

Now. Or tomorrow.

You're doing a whole lot of blaming other people when stuff doesn't go according to plan. The grad school application process is stressful, I know, I've done it (twice), but you need to take responsibility. Whose fault is it going to be if you don't get in? Are you going to blame it on a letter writer, especially if you opted to not see it? (As in, I knew that prof said to opt out of looking at it so he/she could write a bad reference! And everyone on Grad Cafe must be collaborating with that professor, because they all said the same thing!). Let me give you a clue: grad school is work. Lots of work. If you don't do well on a test in grad school, you work your a** off twice as hard, you don't complain that you were distracted, or it was unfair, or anything else. Especially in psych - there is no easy subfield of psychology. Get a grip. If you want it, you work for it, you don't whine for it.

I have never heard of asking someone to sign a letter that someone else wrote, but it sounds patronizing to the person who actually wrote the letter to have that signature be not good enough.

Applying early will not give you a better chance of getting in, just like applying later will not hurt your chances. As long as it's all in by the application deadline, you're fine.

Get a letter from both.

You're needlessly worrying It's not a problem to get a letter from outside the department; as long as you've got at least one from bio, I think the other two can speak to different aspects of you as an applicant.

If your TOEFL scores are good, I wouldn't worry too much about GRE scores. I would think your TOEFL would carry more weight than the Verbal portion of the GRE, given you're a non-native speaker.