psychdork

Sorry everyone, didn't mean to completely vent here. It's just been a very long, rough day. Sigaba's post about being a prof's chew toy kind of resonated with me as I'm starting to feel that way with my advisor (I'm a masters student...). I've been through this before (the grad apps process) and we all will survive even if it doesn't feel like it now.

Background: A classmate applied to some of the same programs I did at the last minute. Classmate's application is not as strong as mine but still decent.
This was a conversation I had with a friend who knows this classmate. Friend is also applying to PhD programs this year but in a different specialty.

Me: "Classmate got accepted to *school-we-both-applied-to*. I haven't heard a thing. <insert expletives here>"
Friend: "Oh...did you hear she has a publication?"

Note: I didn't remind Friend that I too have a publication... Is it too much to ask for a "I'm sorry" or something of that nature?

Been a good week: got an acceptance and a fiancee

Happy birthday! My two acceptances came the two days following my birthday and it was the best present I could have hoped for! I wish the same for you!!

Hope you have a very happy birthday!

I will get accepted this week. Tuesday is my birthday so an acceptance would be the perfect present!

How about "I will get accepted, or I will smite someone," instead?

I will get accepted.
I will get accepted.
I will get accepted.

I will get accepted this week. Tuesday is my birthday so an acceptance would be the perfect present!

Background: A classmate applied to some of the same programs I did at the last minute. Classmate's application is not as strong as mine but still decent.
This was a conversation I had with a friend who knows this classmate. Friend is also applying to PhD programs this year but in a different specialty.

Me: "Classmate got accepted to *school-we-both-applied-to*. I haven't heard a thing. <insert expletives here>"
Friend: "Oh...did you hear she has a publication?"

Note: I didn't remind Friend that I too have a publication... Is it too much to ask for a "I'm sorry" or something of that nature?

Hey, I have a question about this. I'm probably paranoid, but if any of you have had a similar situation, please let me know.

I attended the a Comparative Literature Graduate Recruitment Day yesterday, and toward the end of the day the Graduate Recruitment Advisor took me into the hallway and said, "The department has decided to offer you an acceptance into the PhD program with a full funding package. The Graduate Division has approved your acceptance offer as well, so you should get the offer in email and postal mail soon."

I asked how soon, and she said the offer had to get routed one more time through the department, and then it goes back to the grad division and they send the offer to me. She couldn't give me a super-definite timeframe for these last steps, but she made it sound like it was no big deal, just a last round of "routing."

She congratulated me on the acceptance, shook my hand, etc.. so I'm accepted, right?

Sorry, I'm just beyond paranoid and obviously need reassurance. I guess I'll still be on the edge of my seat until I get the offical letter.

Glad to help.

On the up side, if it's any further help... I got Accepted!!! With Full Funding! So I don't know if any of the above things helped bring about this result but whatever I did, it worked!!!

I was told that I have an offer on the way for Penn State's Biobehavioral Health Program! I could seriously cry, considering how I was striking out elsewhere.

My situation is very similar to OnceAndFutureGrad's, this is my 2nd/3rd time depending on who you ask. My first round I applied to 5 programs and was waitlisted at 1 but ultimately rejected. I reapplied the following year (two years ago from the present day) this time to 8 phd programs and 1 masters program. I was waitlisted at 2 phd programs (including my first choice) but in the end I had to "settle" for the masters program. Now I'm going through my third round of applications, this time applying to 14 (I'm not messing around this time!).

With this all being said, it's not that there is something majorly "wrong" with my application. I have a great gpa, good gre's, excellent letters (or so I've been told), tons of research experience (including numerous presentations and publications) but it just hasn't been my year(s). It also doesn't help that due to the way everything is right now (and for the past few years) the schools that would usually take 5-7 students are taking 1 or 2.

It has not always been easy. I went to a really dark place halfway through the second round of apps when it became clear that I was not getting in anywhere (unlike my friends). I don't tell many people but I almost gave up on this twice, but in the end I realized that this is what I love and I'm going to work hard to get there. In some ways I really think that this has been a good thing. I am so much more confident in who I am and what I want as a career and getting rejected and having to reevaluate "the plan" is a big reason for that.

I've been much calmer this time around, however, at the same time I am really worried about what I'm going to do if I don't get in this time. I know I'll figure something out if this turns out to be the case, but right now I'm really hoping I will never have to have that talk with my advisor.

My situation is very similar to OnceAndFutureGrad's, this is my 2nd/3rd time depending on who you ask. My first round I applied to 5 programs and was waitlisted at 1 but ultimately rejected. I reapplied the following year (two years ago from the present day) this time to 8 phd programs and 1 masters program. I was waitlisted at 2 phd programs (including my first choice) but in the end I had to "settle" for the masters program. Now I'm going through my third round of applications, this time applying to 14 (I'm not messing around this time!).

With this all being said, it's not that there is something majorly "wrong" with my application. I have a great gpa, good gre's, excellent letters (or so I've been told), tons of research experience (including numerous presentations and publications) but it just hasn't been my year(s). It also doesn't help that due to the way everything is right now (and for the past few years) the schools that would usually take 5-7 students are taking 1 or 2.

It has not always been easy. I went to a really dark place halfway through the second round of apps when it became clear that I was not getting in anywhere (unlike my friends). I don't tell many people but I almost gave up on this twice, but in the end I realized that this is what I love and I'm going to work hard to get there. In some ways I really think that this has been a good thing. I am so much more confident in who I am and what I want as a career and getting rejected and having to reevaluate "the plan" is a big reason for that.

I've been much calmer this time around, however, at the same time I am really worried about what I'm going to do if I don't get in this time. I know I'll figure something out if this turns out to be the case, but right now I'm really hoping I will never have to have that talk with my advisor.

How is reading on the internet better than books in terms of analysis of the content? Two examples,

1) The ability to research inter-textual connections.
(Instead of having to go through tons of books)

2) The ability to speak with other users in the comment section.
(Instead of just writing an essay response, you can have real time conversations with many users and gather many thoughts and input)

Please help me find more so i can write my thesis for an english paper. Thank you!

I don't feel comfortable putting that much potentially-identifying information on the web linked to this account, but I can give you some vagaries!

1) GPA/GRE don't matter beyond a certain point, even for Ivy League schools. I'd say if you're above a 1350 GRE and a 3.5 GPA, don't worry about it, you'll make cutoffs. (You'd probably still get at least looked at with a 3.3 + GPA, but aim for 3.5 or over to be safe.) Keep in mind that there does exist a correlation between higher GPA/GRE and acceptance, but research experience is still the most important part of your application. It just so happens that there's ALSO a correlation between lots of good research experience, fit, and high GPA/GRE (because the type of student who would possess one is likely to possess the others as well). But I think if you're over 1350 + 3.5, truly stellar experience/SOP/LORs can get you in compared to 1500 + 4.0 with less stellar fit/experience.

2) Having publications is nice, but not mandatory (yes, even for an Ivy). I know there are members of this board who will claim you have to practically have two first-author pubs to get accepted, but fortunately, they're incorrect -- at least as far as straight-from-UG applicants go. What you want, bottom line, is to be exceptionally qualified given your other circumstances. So if you're straight from UG, yes, most of your competition will be publication-free. So wouldn't you think that HAVING publications under your belt would put you over the edge? (Again, not the 5+ publications some people here seem to be advocating -- I almost suspect trolling, haha -- but at least one paper and a poster or two.) Frankly, adcomms know how the publication system works for UGs, and they know that the fact your prof threw your name on the author list could mean nothing more than the fact that you existed and your prof is nice. Also, student journals aren't worth much. So the only publications that're going to make much difference are first-author posters that you presented at well-known conferences and first- or co-author publications at top journals with LORs which speak to you actually having contributed substantially to the idea and interpretation -- not just the grunt work or analysis -- of the paper. THIS can put you over the edge, but it's not going to be typical, not at all. This changes if you've been out of school for a while and have a Master's or paid RA experience. In this case, yes, I can see why people would say you need 5+ publications to be competitive ... because most people with that experience still won't have that kind of CV, and you want to be exceptional. POIs have no problem accepting students straight from UG, but you want to be so experienced and qualified that they think, "wow, if he/she did THIS much just in undergrad, imagine what he/she will achieve at our program!"

3) Research experience! Most of your competition, even at Ivys, will have experience limited to data entry and handing out questionnaires and coding video interactions. This will usually be 1-2 years worth, plus an honors thesis. Which, you know, that's great -- but if you want to stand out, you're gonna want more than that for an Ivy. Think 3 OR MORE years of experience designing and leading projects, working at every step of the process (from idea conception to implementation to procedure to analysis to interpretation to publication). This could be in UG or it could be as a post-bacc RA, but either way you want 3-4 years minimum of this kind of high-responsibility work. And you want LOR-writers who can speak to it. Just an honors thesis won't be good enough to be competitive (though it will certainly not hurt). You want that kind of involvement as a steady factor across your entire CV. The more directly relevant this work is to the research interests of your adviser, the better -- though you can spin just about anything into relevance.

4) SOP should be amazing, really identify your fit with the faculty, and show-but-not-tell. Work a narrative into it, using experiences to highlight your best qualities. Also acknowledge your weaknesses but then talk about how excited you are to learn more about whatever measure/topic is you're not yet totally-fluent in. Save talk about grade drops or poor tests scores for LOR writers. You want to use your SOP to talk about research ONLY. It'll sound a lot better in Tenured Prof of Awesome's letter than it will if you're trying to make excuses for yourself between Paragraph About Research Experience and Paragraph About Perfect Fit.

5) LOR writers should know you very, very well and be able to say more than just that you were a good student and got an A in their class. To be competitive at an Ivy, you want at least one letter-writer saying you are quite literally the best student he/she ever had, for X reasons, giving Y examples. The other two don't have to be quite as superlative, but if they are ... again, doesn't hurt.

6) Networking. At my school, my adviser only invited to interview people whose letter-writers were profs he knew personally. This obviously varies between POIs, but it's something to keep in mind. Even if you just talked to your POI for thirty minutes at a conference, check back in with them through email. Mention it in your SOP. Find out who they've worked with in the past and learn about THEIR research as well to show that you have a truly in-depth understanding of your field.

7) Other/EC Experience = unimportant. Icing on what should be, if you have #s 1-6, an already-flawless cake.


Source: I sat down for a nice long chat with my adviser, who is a department chair at a top psychology R1 institution and Knows Things.

The Human Resources people will probably interview you at some point. Even if they don't you can bet that they're talking to the other interviewers behind the scenes. Understanding what they're looking for gives you competitive edge.

-Do your research. Make sure you know about the company you're interviewing with.
-Take a couple of copies of your CV with you - even a skills sheet, so you can leave it if necessary. You might think you're 'being green' by re-using your Tesco carriers, but splash out on a nice folder to take your documents in - it gives a much better impression, and the paper won't get crumpled.
-Listen to your Human Resources interviewer and to yourself. Don't just say the first thing that comes into your head.
-Don't try and close the interview by asking for feedback. Even if you've got great vibes from yourr Human Resource interviewer .
-Remember - an interview is a time to sell yourself. You need to get ther Human Resource interviewer to buy into your brand, by convincing them that you can do the job, you will do the job well, and you're a great culture fit.
-Excellent communication skills help you deliver great personal impact. You need to impact on ther Human Resource interviewer by stirring up their emotions like no other candidate before you.
These are some common questions in the interviews
You must save their answers (may be the Human Resource interview you by telephone and you will not be able to think)
1. TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.
2. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION?
3. WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR US?
4. WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR US THAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN’T?
5. WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST ATTRACTIVE ABOUT THIS POSITION? WHAT SEEMS LEAST ATTRACTIVE ABOUT IT?
6. WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?
7. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A JOB?
8. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR DEFINITON OF THE POSITION FOR WHICH YOU ARE BEING INTERVIEWED.
9. HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION TO OUR FIRM?
10. HOW LONG WOULD YOU STAY WITH US?
11. YOUR RESUME SUGGESTS THAT YOU MAY BE OVERQUALIFIED OR TOO EXPERIENCED FOR THIS POSITON. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
12. WHAT IS YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE?
13. ARE YOU A GOOD MANAGER? CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES? DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE TOP-MANAGEMENT POTENTIAL?
14. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN YOU HIRE PEOPLE?
15. HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO FIRE PEOPLE? WHAT WERE THE REASONS, AND HOW DID YOU HANDLE THE SITUATION?
16. WHAT IMPORTANT TRENDS DO YOU SEE IN OUR INDUSTRY?
17. WHAT ARE THE FRONTIERS OR CUTTING EDGE ISSUES IN OUR INDUSTRY?
18. WHY ARE YOU LEAVING (DIDYOU LEAVE) YOUR PRESENT (LAST) POSITION?
19. IN YOUR CURRENT (LAST) POSITION, WHAT FEATURES DO (DID) YOU
LIKE THE MOST? LIKE THE LEAST?
20. IN YOUR CURRENT (LAST) POSITION, WHAT HAVE BEEN (WERE) YOUR FIVE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS?
21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR (FORMER) BOSS?
22. WOULD YOU DESCRIBE A FEW SITUATIONS IN WHICH YOUR WORK WAS CRITICIZED?

23. IF I SPOKE WITH YOUR (FORMER) BOSS, WHAT WOULD HE OR SHE SAY ARE YOUR GREATEST STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES?
24. CAN YOU WORK UNDER PRESSURE AND DEAL WITH DEADLINES?

You can send your CV to all the sites you know and famous
http://linkusgroup.com/ Such as
Or you can search the Google search engine

I woke up this morning to an e-mail from Jon Maner saying I had been accepted into FSU's social psychology program

I immediately accepted. I am speechless but so excited!!!

I know I keep posting this but has anyone heard from/know anything about Penn State, Indiana, or Iowa State? I'm not allowing myself to contact the programs until the second week of March so I'm relying on you all instead. :-)

voices... telling me..."check your email..."

I'm glad you posted your inspiring story, LadyL. I'm probably going to get a -1 for this, because I get a -1 every time I post, but the negativity on this board is really staggering. So it is good to see someone saying try, try again and that it isn't the end of the world if you don't make it the first time. I admit I have been negative here at times. But now that rejections are pouring in and people are getting really upset if nothing good is happening to them, I just can't say anything negative to others. Maybe about my own situation, to poke fun at myself, but not about others. I'm really glad you're showing people that even through rejection, you can make yourself an even stronger candidate than if you had been accepted in the first round. We all need to remember that our worth as individuals is not dependent upon what some faceless admission committee decides. Let's not all focus on being rejected and try to remember why we're doing this in the first place.

(So go ahead, hit the -1 please, I'm waiting.)

...please, please know that it is not the end of the world even if that does happen.

I am the who everyone thought would get in the first time and didn't after being wait listed at two programs. I got a job in my field and reapplied 2 years later, and same deal - wait list but no acceptance. It was crushing. I was mortified that I'd had to ask my mentors for letters twice and still hadn't gotten in. My family was supportive but obviously shared my disappointment. It sucked, I wanted to crawl in a hole and die for a few weeks after, but I picked myself up eventually and moved on.

I worked on publishing data. I was able to expand my skill set at my job, and pick up another mentor in the process. I applied again, this time to three times as many programs, of course spending three times as much money. I had to get special permission from one program to apply for a third time which made me feel like a big loser. I braced myself for not getting in anywhere and possibly changing careers.

Yesterday one of my programs emailed me. As I read the subject line my stomach dropped: my first rejection, here we go again.

And I was wrong. It was an acceptance with full funding from a school I'd visited and loved.

I got to do the jumping around screaming happy dance and got to hear how excited my parents were when I called to let them know. And I've gotten to re live the excitement every time I tell another co worker, friend, or family member *especially* the ones who know my history and how hard I've worked.

And the amount of satisfaction and relief I've felt in the past 36 hours outweighs the three YEARS where I was either applying or in between application periods, wondering if I was ever going to make it in my field. Wondering why I had such crap luck, applying last year as the economy fell apart, constantly wait listed but never chosen.

So whatever happens for you this year...if it's your first, second, third, fourth round or greater, just remember that it does not make you a loser, it is not a reason to give up, and if you keep at it it WILL happen for you.

9. Professional University-issued Family Spokesperson
Once your application is in, a trained public relations specialist is issued as your family's point of contact. All questions such as "Have you gotten word back?" or "Are you accepted yet?!" by uninformed parents, siblings and other relatives are now addressed directly to this spokesperson who will take as much time as needed explaining the hardships that you as an applicant are going through right now and suitable ways for them to support you.

Part of me would like to do this as well- completely disregard the idea of getting a PhD and then move on to other things. To be perfectly honest, I've spent a lot of my time lately looking into other options. But when it comes down to it, if you really want a PhD, you're going to stick with it, even if you do suffer the dreaded "Failed Application Year." I know that, even if I do get rejected from all the schools to which I applied, I'll be at it again next year. It doesn't please me at all to think of another spring spent cramming for tests and trying to thwart the GREs, another summer spent contacting potential advisers, another fall meticulously combing through SoP, requesting transcripts and test scores and LoR. But I know I will do, because I really do want a PhD.

Depressing to think about facing another year before grad school, but if it's something you actually want, you'll carry on and try again. If not... well, then, maybe it would be better to make the cut, say goodbye to the idea, and move on with your life.