PsychGirl1

I buy Kate Spade diaper bags. While I don't have a baby, they work like a charm for school :-D I find the investment worth it since they last FOREVER, but if you sign up on their website they also do somewhat frequent "sample sales"- if you move quickly, you can get purses for like, 25% of their normal price when that happens.

Agree with lypiphera- I worked as a RC in interventional cardiology before going back to school for Psychology. A bachelor's actually puts you in the perfect position for RA or RC positions, so I'm not sure why you would think you were under/overqualified. Any FT research experience is likely beneficial, and you'd be able to continue volunteering in your lab. Also, you only mentioned asking at your lab- what about other labs at the university? What about in depts besides psych that are still somewhat related to what you want to do? (Business, econ, whatever you're actually interested in- you haven't said). "Now that I am taking classes finding employment is more difficult because I cannot work 9-5."- Why wouldn't you be taking night or online classes? I think finding related employment should be your top priority compared to taking classes. "All of the interviewers have said they were impressed with my interview and resume but unable to offer me a position and would keep in touch if anything comes up"- I would follow up with these interviewers and ask them what advice they have for you and what things you can improve in your CV, cover letter, or interview. They aren't ever going to say anything ruder than this, and very rarely does this mean they will actually be in touch. You can also try contacting them at a later date and asking if any openings have come up, if you want to be proactive about it.

I wear nice black wedges and switch into flip flops if I'm walking far. Flats are fine as long as they are a nice material and look professional.

Agree with Bren2014. I'd take a week off from thinking about this, then get a piece of paper and come up with a plan of action. "I just want to find employment and unless you have a graduate degree (at least a master's), you cannot get a job in the Human Factors field"- this isn't my field, so I don't know this is true. But I am sure you can look for an RA/RC position in a somewhat related field where you can gain research experience and some knowledge that is possibly related. For example, I googled human factors quickly and saw things about productivity- what about a lab that studies something like the impact of stress and productivity? Or behavioral economics? Or decision making? These things seem at least somewhat related to what you might want to do, and it will give you strong LORs, research experience, and while they don't pay more, it's probably more money than you'd earn at a mediocre restaurant job. Make your cost of living as low as possible, and put yourself on a payment plan for your loans. As far as finding a job, work with your school's career office. Make sure your resume, cover letters, etc. are being proof read by multiple people. Do practice interviews with people. Email professors at local universities asking if they have any positions open, and ask them to keep you in mind for any that would open up. Also mention that you would be interested in volunteering if they don't have positions open. It's a great way to make connections, and may be worth the trade-off for the income from your second job- especially if it leads to a higher paying job down the line. Also, just sending out resumes to listings will only go so far, and probably only work if you're in the top 1% of the pile. (For example, I helped pick the RC who replaced me- we had doctors, nurses, people with master's degrees applying, etc.- but half of their resumes were illegible, they didn't bother submitting cover letters or they were horribly written, or the interview was horrendous). Some MA and MS programs are funded, but yes, they are still quite competitive. Some are unfunded but offer scholarships to defray the cost and it is possible to hold jobs while in them that also improve your CV (TA'ing, graduate assistant, assessor, research assistant). Keep in mind your loan repayments are put on hold if you continue your schooling FT. Also, with an MS degree, you will have an easier time finding a job and will get paid more than with a BS degree. If you're not entirely sure that you want to go on to a PhD program or you might want to work for a bit to pay off all your loans before entering PhD programs, it could be a good option. In general, I guess what this rambling post is trying to say is: stop being overwhelmed, develop a good plan of action, and think long-term. Your loans don't all have to get paid off right this second. Find a good balance between everything that will manage to open doors down the line. Work smarter, not harder, and utilize all the resources around you.

Oh I have another suggestion! Fear of public speaking is actually quite easily treated- and actually, virtual reality exposure therapy has become more and more common for public speaking. They can have the people in the audience make different expressions, talk during your speech, roll their eyes, not pay attention, etc.- and can set it up so that you have cue cards, no cue cards, a written speech, etc. It has been shown to be quite effective in treating public speaking and also sounds really freaking awesome (although, I'm biased since I study psych!). Regular exposure therapy is quite effective as well (phobias are like, the easiest thing to treat, relatively). It could be worth it to see someone in your area who specializes in anxiety disorders or phobias and work on it this summer, so that you will be very confident starting the fall.

Agreed. Don't rush this. I'm 26 and finally entering a PhD program in the fall. Through the extra years, you will strengthen your CV and continue to develop experiences, professionalism, and maturity. Next application cycle, if you are determined to apply then, you could apply to both MS and PhD programs, or schools that have both. I went the MS route and it worked out well for me and I loved it. Otherwise, I'd get a job as a research assistant for at least 2 years and then apply. With more publications and posters, more research experience, and stellar GREs and LORs, you will be set. While working, you can also take some grad classes at night (look at Harvard Extension School or similar programs if there aren't any physically near you) to show that you can ace grad-level courses, or volunteer nights/weekends in a second lab that has interesting research. I'm going to be totally honest and say the admissions cycle is pretty crappy and exhausting- it just wears on your emotionally. Everyone I know (including myself) went through multiple breakdowns, including questionning their future in the field and their passion and drive. I think I spent 30 minutes crying in my lab's bathroom one day, and when I told my friends applying, they had all done the same thing at some point. I wouldn't apply until you feel more confident and have a decent chance at the programs you really like. This is your CAREER- the goal shouldn't be to have that PhD after your name as fast as possible. Consider every experience you collect as an asset. More research experience now in diverse areas as well as your area of interest = research will be easier in grad school, you can likely get more publications, do more interesting and involved studies, have a better reputation, and overall kick grad school's butt. Getting posters and publications now = you will know what's up once you hit grad school and your PI doesn't give you much guidance. Some professional experience will help you handle the environment and relationship with your PI. I know I'm a little bit unique in thinking like this, but I just think about how I'm probably going to be working until I'm what, 75? That's 50 more years. I'd rather have a great and interesting foundation that will support me in whatever direction I end up going over those 50 years, then rush something just because I wanted to get in a program NOW. Just some things to think about :-D

Yeah... the problem is that electronic application management is expensive. For example, at the school I am at now, the application process goes through the general Admissions department, and the departments can't change aspects of the application process. For psych departments who receive ridiculously high numbers of applicants who want to customize their application process (ex. let people specify what faculty members they want to work with on an application, ask them specific Psychology questions such as career goals, etc.)- the options are basically to invest in a very expensive online management program supported solely by the Psych department, or to try to come up with some sort of addition to the main application process. (ex. have people fill out forms and send in separately). If they choose the latter, then the question becomes how to effectively and efficiently merge and store data collected from multiple sources, for a large number of applicants. There's really no easy solution to things like this, and for programs with a large number of applicants, they likely don't care how burdensome it is for applicants to apply by submitting things through various channels, since they figure the ones who are the most organized and who want to attend the program the most are going to be the ones who actually follow through. For the record, I still think the processes suck and they should invest in an online management program- just explaining why that doesn't seem to be happening for most psych depts :-D

Anyone living in a house and looking for another roomie come August? I don't really want a roommate in my tiny cohort (so much could go wrong there), so I'm looking at either microscopic studios or shared houses- but know minimal people in the area, and even studios are expensive. I'm interested in Silver Spring, Rockville, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, DC, etc.- as long as it's safe and within 0.7 miles of the red line, I'm there :-D. PM me if you're interested in talking more and seeing if I'd be a good fit!

I usually wear some sort of simple black cotton dress and a cardigan, and carry a nice purse. I often see people in full blown suits and jeans and anywhere between. I would say that the pants/skirt with a non-matching blazer look seems to be fairly common at the conferences I've gone to. I'd just aim for "business casual" and try not to stand out too much on any clothing item, and you'll be set :-). If I were you, I'd just bring some sort of semi-nice black flat/wedge/low heel that you can walk in, a few business casual skirts and tops (or a few business casual dresses), and a blazer. Also, maybe one "nicer" outfit for going out with people after talks or at night. As far as style, it's hard to say- I tend to go for the pencil skirt with a tank and a sweater or casual dress look. You mentioned leggings- I would probably not wear leggings, but I'd wear tights or bare legs- if that gives you an indication of "style".

Yeah, it's a really crappy situation and I'm really sorry that you're in it. You did all that could reasonably be expected of you, and it's definitely not your fault. I'd be quite offended about the callous reaction, even if I hadn't had tracking on my application. At the place I'm finishing up my master's, they get about 650 applications for the PhD program. I imagine that it's hard to care too much about any one applicant when you have THAT many applicants emailing you constantly about things that are usually not important or their own fault. I could see how the assistant/coordinator could be burnt out by this late in the app cycle. That being said, there is no excuse for it, and if I were you, I'd likely not apply next year. And as much as it's lame to hear (as opposed to getting an interview/offer), their mistake cost them the chance to have a great candidate in their program, so their loss and they can shove it :-D

THIS. I expected this thread to go a very different direction than it did. Bummer.

I am petrified of public speaking... but frankly, grad school will make you get over it (great exposure therapy!). The way I handled it, was I just told everybody in my cohort I was petrified of public speaking and asked them to give me honest feedback when I was done. The first few presentations, I literally just wrote out all my notes and basically read off of them. By the end of a year and a half, I'm now comfortable giving presentations with minimal notes as long as I'm sitting down :-). Giving presentations while standing up is my next area to work on. Some people say it helps them to know that it is MUCH less obvious that you're nervous than you think. For example, if you were videotaped giving a presentation where you felt you were quite nervous and shaky, it would be much less obvious than you would expect. When you point this out to people, they often improve in their public speaking. It didn't help me so much, but just a helpful fact to pass on :-D

I took a few night classes. The first one was a little overwhelming ("how do you write a literature review?? i forget!!") but after that it was easy to get in the swing of things.

Easiest squares to live in: Porter, Davis, Harvard, Central, Kendall. As long as you are near the T or near a MIT shuttle route, you will have a fast commute to campus. The longest part would be walking to the T from wherever you live. There is also the #1 bus that just runs up and down Mass Ave and stops at 77 Mass Ave, so that gives more areas to live in, including areas of Boston, as well. When looking at apartments, just keep Google Maps and the MIT shuttle maps open and figure out how you would get back and forth. If you have a bike, you would probably have more cheaper options available to you. And consider what is most important- do you want to be near bars/restaurants? Do you want to be as close as possible to public transportation? Do you want to be as close as possible to grocery stores or markets? I went to MIT undergrad and also lived in Central Square for a year and a half afterwards... feel free to PM me if you have any questions. :-D

That probably makes it worse... they probably have a much higher volume than some other schools.

Yes, I've heard of these sorts of things happening before... admissions and psych departments are not really known for their organization throughout this whole process. It sucks, but it looks like you already have at least one acceptance, so I wouldn't stress out too much. If a school is unorganized enough to lose your application and then doesn't try to proactively apologize or fix the situation the best they can, then you don't really want to go there.

Do they know that they messed up? I'd send them your confirmation and ask if there was any way your app could be reviewed, even though it's so late. For my apps that didn't track everything online, I followed up a few weeks after the deadline to make sure they had everything. One school didn't answer but everybody else did.

I think it's more helpful in knowing who is taking a student (I didn't apply to a few places based on their replies) and which professors answer their emails :-D.

Ah got it. Weird/interesting! I'd probably follow up with the coordinator in 1-2 weeks... that gives time for people who were extended an offer to reject it. Good luck!

Share interest. This will help you in learning about the area you're interested in, research in that area, as well as building connections in your field. Some programs the debt might be worth it, others not. I'd still consider programs, regardless of funding/price, apply, and then see how things go and if you can make it work. But that's just me... that's what I did, and it worked out well for me.

Sounds like a great decision! Congrats!

Anyone hear about their status post-interview?

Which one did you end up picking???

I'd look at the curriculum to make sure you won't want to die (ex. you take 6 courses a term or something ridiculous), and that generally, the courses are in line with your interests. While most of the emphasis should be on your research, I think you can learn useful things in courses that can then influence your research interests or ideas. I'd also make sure if there is anything you are missing in your foundation, that you will be able to take a course or two in that. Should the curriculum be the major deciding factor in your decision, though? Probably not. If you equally liked two programs, would it maybe play a role? I'd say yes :-D

Anyone hear from Albany Clinical or Columbia Counseling post-interview? I know they hadn't send out acceptances as of 1-2 weeks ago.