PsychGrad2011

I took it, and I think it was a huge waste of time. I spent a lot of time studying for it and consequently did not have as much time to work on my research and statement of purpose. None of my schools required it, and none of them had data on the average scores of their admitted students, so even though I think I scored pretty well I was reluctant to send the scores to the schools. If you are a psychology major and you have a high in-major GPA, that should be enough information for the schools.

When you were accepted into the program, did they tell you you are guaranteed funding for a certain number of years? If so, you aren't likely to lose funding, but either way I would be shocked if you were kicked out of the program. I suggest thinking about the things that went wrong and trying to figure out why they happened and how you can do better in the future, and go into the meeting ready to talk about how you can do better. They may have already made a decision, but you can still give it your best shot!

This is a complicated question, but I will tell you what I have learned (and other people may say I am dead wrong!) I would say that PhD programs in I/O psychology are easier to get into. For one thing, I think there are fewer applicants and therefore less competition, but I have also seen schools where they take a proportionally higher number of students into the I/O program. However, these programs weed out a lot of students with comps/quals. At my undergrad university, about half of the I/O grad students did not pass their comps and ended up leaving with a masters. With a masters in I/O psychology you can still get an awesome job, especially if you are looking for something outside of academia. I haven't seen any social psychology programs where many students leave with just a masters, most of them tend to take fewer students but see them all through to getting their PhDs. If you are dead set on getting a PhD, you can probably succeed in either area. If your interests are between social and I/O, it's probably a good idea to apply to programs on both sides.

They will look at both your overall and in-major GPA, but in-major matters more. However, most good schools do not place a lot of importance on GPA or GRE scores - if you are below a certain level you're probably not going to be accepted unless there is something outstanding in your application, but above that level it just means your application is going to be considered.

Your GPA seems a little low, but the real problem I see with your application is that you do not have any presentations or publications. You will be competing against many applicants that have been to conferences, so it puts you at a disadvantage when professors are deciding who to interview. Taking statistics courses is a good idea and will definitely help you out once you get to grad school, but since many people do not have the opportunity to take courses in SPSS as undergrads you will be required to take statistics anyway once you start your program. It's really hard to figure out where to apply, and I honestly don't have any good advice besides try applying to schools with a range of selectivity. I don't know of any social psych masters programs in the US, but if you don't feel confident about PhD programs I would recommend working as a research assistant for a year to buff up your application. Good Luck!

It's hard to tell exactly what schools are looking for, but I think you could be a strong applicant. Your grades are a little low, but your GRE scores will be fine. You should definitely focus on research over teaching, or do both if you can handle it! Your presentations and publication are going to be the strongest point in your application - it is very rare for undergraduates to publish articles by the time grad school applications are due. The only thing to keep in mind is that Columbia and NYU are great schools in great locations, and as such they get TONS of applications every year. To really set yourself apart from other candidates you need to have research interests that match not only what professors are currently working on, but where they are hoping to take their work in the future. Good luck!