YellowSubmarine
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Everything posted by YellowSubmarine
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Hi! Former UW undergrad/future grad student here. Just throwing in my two cents about renting in Madison. Personally, I've had bad experiences with JSM and wouldn't rent through them again (didn't give us back our security deposit, slow with maintenance issues, etc), and their properties are a little pricey. You can find a lot of places just browsing through Craigslist (although you have to sort through the summer sublets). I'd also recommend padmapper.com, and then cdliving- they seem to cover a fair amount of what's available. As far as where to live... I live on the East side (in the WIlly st area) and love it. I can't imagine living anywhere else. I've found that a lot of grad students live in the Willy St area, and then also on the other side of E. Washington near Tenny Park and James Madison Park. Other areas that seem to be popular for grad students are the Vilas area (south of Regent st), and then the west side (anywhere between University ave by the hospital - called Old University - and then all the way to the Hilldale Mall area). I've always felt pretty safe in Madison, but I guess the places I'd avoid looking for housing are further south (anywhere much past the Hospitals on Park st), or very far east. I think there are a couple threads around here comparing the areas; the forums at city-data.com are also a great way to read up on what the different areas of Madison are like, and where you think you'd be happiest.
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I was put in a similar situation with Columbia... I'm choosing a state school instead of incurring $100,000 in debt. Starting salaries are not high enough to rationalize paying that much for a masters degree, in my eyes. I also spoke with several practicing therapists about this issue- and the impression I got was that most patients don't really care where you got your degree from. Of course, quality of training is hugely important- but I don't think you'll have to worry about potential clients deciding not to see you because you didn't go to an Ivy League school. My recommendation would be to talk to professionals in the field - people working in similar areas/with similar clientele that you hope to someday work with as well. See what they have to say. I know it's a tough choice to make- best of luck to you.
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Editing on 3/29 to add: I still haven't heard from NYU yet, either- I did call them as well but they just told me that all letters should be sent out by the end of the week (via email). Beyond that... From what I understand, NYU's counseling program gets a lot of applications each year, and also accepts a fair amount of people into the program. That might be good news, if you are actually on a waiting list; there are more people to turn down spots. And because most schools have an April 15th deadline to notify, you should hear pretty quickly. I'd hang on until you actually get some sort of official correspondence from them- it sounds like your phone call didn't give you too many answers. What were they able to tell you?
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No word for me. Ah well. Was it a mass email?
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Congrats, SassyChica! Which track did you get accepted into (school, community)? I've got a basic understanding down about the mental health and wellness program at NYU (very multicultural/diversity oriented, leads to licensure, etcetc) but I don't know anything about the Hunter program so I can't really help compare/contrast. I'm not sure what exactly you're looking for looking for (other than cost/curriculum/what the program leads to)- have you tried emailing the department to get specific questions answered? They may also be able to put you in contact with a current student in the program, which may be helpful as well. Angelwinks: I heard a few weeks back about TC scholarships/funding. I got an email letting me know how much they were offering me; there's also a link on their application website. Perhaps it's different for people who they actually give funding to and not just loans but I'd try logging onto their website, or maybe giving them a call. It's been more than a month since they notified people so it may be worth a try.
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Nope- I haven't heard anything. I'm still waiting on half my schools, though (the March 1st application deadline is ridiculous). It looks like they started notifying people around mid-March last year, so it should be any day now. I've got a quick question.... I'm going out to visit a school (that I'll likely attend), and I emailed asking if there was any way I could sit down and meet with someone, as I had a bunch of questions about assistantships, etc. I didn't hear back, so I called and left a voicemail a week later. I'm from out of state and I've already asked for time off of work for the long weekend... I'm getting really frustrated. Is sitting down with an advisor from the program a really unusual request? Should I go about this in a different way?
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I've got a quick question about housing as well. I'm pretty sure I'm going to UMN this fall, and I'm ideally hoping to save some money on rent by finding a roommate or two. In the city where I'm at now (which is much more of a college town I guess) it's easy to find roommates on Craigslist, etc. I'm not finding that to be the case at UMN. I glanced over the MN Daily newspapers but for some reason most of the ads seemed to be for nearby colleges... Does anyone know of other sites out there that might be helpful? If anyone here is looking to save some money and split rent next fall, let me know.
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Disallusioned14, If you know that these labs are currently looking for RAs, I would wait a week or two longer and then maybe begin to worry (it's spring break/midterm season, so allow extra time). However, if you're just inquiring as to whether or not they have any RA positions available, it's unfortunately not uncommon for professors to not answer at all, especially at larger universities. As an undergrad looking for a position I remember not getting any replies from several labs, and working as a lab manger now I have my doubts as to how many emails my professor replies to. Keep your feelers out for positions in other labs (and other cities/universities- this thread is a really cool resource), and best of luck with the position you're applying for
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Ugh, I just got my Columbia TC financial aid information today. The Columbia TC financial aid link has been broken on the website for months now but from everything I can find out, tuition alone is more than $40,000/year (plus living costs in NYC- yikes). They offered me loans to cover all of my tuition but I don't want to leave grad school $100,000 in debt. I'm still waiting to hear back from a few other programs (come on, NYU!) but it looks like it's state school again for me. If anyone else is thinking they're going to Minnesota CSPP in the fall, let me know! We can party. And by party I mean discuss the best areas to live/funding and assistantship opportunities/etc etc.
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Freaking out about status change....need some insight
YellowSubmarine replied to kiwikat's topic in Psychology Forum
Take some deep breaths. Check the mail in a day or two. Try to focus on the things around you and get your mind elsewhere for a little bit- and not so much on refreshing the page over and over again on your application. Things will be okay -
I definitely relate to a lot of your post. I applied to a few PhD programs- albeit only ones that would automatically consider my application for the masters program if i was rejected - and didn't get into any. One thing to keep in mind: while I know this isn't true across the board, most counseling PhD programs I looked at were mostly admitting people who already had their masters degree. This is my personal understanding (the problem is that everyone seems to have a different opinion on the matter, which is fascinating and frustrating): If your ultimate goal is to practice (and not do research or teach), then a terminal masters program is a good way to go. If you don't want to rule out a PhD (for whatever reason- you feel like it will give you an edge in getting a job in private practice; you'd like to teach someday; assessment; research; etc etc), then it wouldn't hurt to find a masters program where a large percent of the students go on to PhD programs. And do research while you're studying there. It can be hard in this process not to let your grad school search dictate your self-worth- I know I spent so much time and energy (and money!) on these ridiculous applications. But your working definition of success is a good one
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So I think most of us in here are applying to masters programs. But there's a notification thread around here that seems to be aimed more towards PhD programs, and there's also a great resource on the Student Doctor Network forums: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=872308 I'd check that, and see if your program shows up. And, depending on when their application deadline/interview dates are, it might not hurt to call and ask. Best of luck
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If it's at all helpful, I live a state over (in WI), so it probably just went out on Friday or so... Don't stress out! Because of tuition reciprocity between Wisconsin and Minnesota, MN is probably my cheapest option (and it's a great program)- it's definitely my most realistic choice right now. Where else did you apply? And a general question for everyone on here: what questions have you guys been asking the programs you've being admitted into? I've been trying to keep a list of questions to ask advisors/financial aid people/current grad students (if I can talk to any).
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Yes- I got an acceptance letter yesterday afternoon (although my application status hasn't changed and I haven't gotten any emails, etc). Any word for you?
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Has anyone heard from Northwestern?
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Congrats on the interview invite, musiclovepsych! Best of luck at the interview. Pokeyoaks: Yes! I did apply at Minnesota (School of Ed). I got rejected from their PhD program a few weeks ago but as far as I know I'm still being considered for their masters program. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Have you heard anything?
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I also got an email last week from Columbia saying that they were no longer offering federal subsidized loans. Which seems a little wacky. I just got waitlisted at UW-Madison. Not the greatest but I'm not surprised. When I look around at other forums, people seem to know how high up on waitlists they are. Is it kosher to email and ask that sort of thing?
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I'm curious about how others are approaching financial aid as well. I applied for aid at most of the schools I applied to (and filled out the FAFSA), but I have a feeling I'm going to be limited to an in-state school if I get into one. I can't find an estimate on tuition at Columbia TC anymore but I remember it being steep, and that they're not great with giving out loans (I'm still waiting on a financial aid package)... I'm not expecting to make enough once I graduate to justify spending that much on my masters degree. I've found a few loan repayment programs, which I might end up applying for once I graduate. Sadly, I'm still paying off undergrad loans. Sarah, if we all end up at Columbia we should totally save some money and find an apartment in NY together.
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Also joining the Columbia TC party Congrats on Columbia and Boston!
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I'm so jealous of all of you, hearing back already from programs! I applied to a few counseling PhD programs just to see what would happen (only the ones with automatic consideration for the masters program), and got rejected straight out from all of them- it's been a waiting game for me since then. But none of the MA programs I applied to even have an interview process... It's going to be a long month. = /
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Thanks, everyone. Yeah, I'm aware that sucking at math definitely isn't an extenuating circumstance. Some of my applications are a little vague in that portion (and just say, "if your grades and/or test scores are not strong, and you'd like to provide an explanation, please do so here"), so I figured it might be worth asking. Sounds like the best route is to leave that blank.
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How low should GRE scores be, do you guys suppose, to make them worth noting on an application? I'm considering noting mine- my "extenuating circumstance" being that I really suck at math, and that math isn't important to my career- although I'm not sure how much this will help me. I think that the rest of my application is pretty strong, but my GRE score is mediocre at best (159 verbal, 147 quant). Is this worth trying to explain away on my applications (particularly if I don't have anything more to say than "I really hate circles and I really hate squares and I really really hate triangles... don't make me find their areas), or should I just let it be?
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Please take all of my advice at face value- I'm only just applying to schools right now, and these are the impressions I've gotten as I've gone through the process. If anyone out there has anything to add (or, in particular, any corrections), please jump in. First off, yes... PhD programs in counseling are competitive. I've noticed that a lot of them tend only to admit students who have already gotten their masters degrees. However, there are exceptions to the rule. One of the best resources on this, I've found, are books like these ones: http://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Graduate-Programs-Counseling-Psychology/dp/1606234633 They're able to quickly tell you what the stats of the students admitted were, how many only had undergraduate degrees, and how many had their masters, etc. Some of the info can be off, but it's a good starting place. Masters programs are generally unfunded and are therefore more expensive than PhD programs (which tend to be funded); they're still competitive, but tend to admit more students than the PhD programs to, and seem to be the route that a lot of people take in this degree- I'm not sure. Depending on your career goals, there are many ways to go into the field of counseling/therapy - clinical psychology, social work, PsyD's, etc. All programs are varying in length, price, and competitiveness. I'm also not sure if you're still in school, taking time off, etc. but it sounds like you're on the right track as far as extracurriculars. From what I understand, programs normally look for undergraduate research experience, volunteer experience, etc. If you're still in school, the best advice I can give is to find opportunities where you can really get to know your professors- this can be hard at big universities but it's worth it if they can vouch for you and write you great letters down the road. Good luck!
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Pathetic GRE scores, no time for retake
YellowSubmarine replied to Vanilla Tea's topic in GRE/GMAT/etc
I'm very much in the same boat as you- I took the GRE over the weekend, got almost the exact same scores (147 quant, 159 verbal). Most of my programs don't seem to put a ton of weight on GRE scores (they don't ask for a minimum score, etc), but it's still really stressful knowing how mediocre my scores were (particularly my quantitative, ugh). The best I can tell you is that middle-of-the-road GRE scores probably won't kill your application if the rest of it looks really good. I'm also hoping that schools may not be putting as much emphasis on the GRE this year because of the big transition it's gone through (no way to compare scores, students have a difficult time preparing, test scores tend to go down every time the test goes through a big change like this, etc). And yes, I do think the people who hang out on this board have unusually high scores- they have to. Not everyone can be scoring in the 85th percentile and above (which seems to be the trend, scrolling through some of the posts). Best of luck to you. -
If you search around here and around other forums, there are a ton of threads about the programs, with a wide range of responses. They're two of the most popular programs to apply to, it seems. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-511501.html Personally, I haven't talked to anyone in any of the programs but I'm sure if you call the programs you'd be able to get the names of a few students in the school to talk to (or you could do the research yourself, find a few in a fb group and message them, etc). I'm working on the applications for both programs right now, myself... Is it true that neither of them need GRE scores? That just seems strange.