psychgurl

I think the biggest thing to remember is that this is your career and it's your responsibility alone to take control of it--not your advisor, lab, etc. You mention many reasons for not excelling: no one asked you if you wanted to do a poster presentation (why didn't YOU ask?), your thesis is too short because of everyone else (could it be because you slacked off your first few months?), advisor gives you negative feedback (I don't think it's unreasonable for a draft to go back and forth 3-4 times). It's pretty obvious that no one's first draft if their best draft. period. Personally, I wouldn't want an advisor who was happy with a first draft...isn't that what they're there for?? constructive criticism?? also, why not take control of the feedback you get--keep a journal of things that your boss points out to you so you don't keeping the same mistakes again and again. and as for the miscommunications--why not take meeting minutes and send them to your advisor right after the meeting? then you can reference what you talked about.

What's more likely--jacking up your AW score during a retest or having your verbal/quant go down? I wouldn't risk retaking it, personally. If you really did score in the upper 90th percentile on both quant and verbal, adcomms will probably be interested in you. Have you called that department you referenced above and ask them how important it really is? Or have you spoken to profs you're interested in working with? That could help clarify things for you.

What social science exactly? I applied to psych phd programs and the general was consensus was anything 4.5 or higher was totally fine.

I would retake it if you can. The scores (mostly just the quant) seem a bit low to me. The rest of your application looks really strong. However, what if some profs don't even look at the rest of the app if the GRE scores don't meet a certain threshold? I think if you shot for 75th percentile-80th percentile quant you'd be all good. Just my hunch of course. I'm not sure how each program goes about evaluating applicants. Good luck

I only have class Tues-Thurs as well (I'm a first year). I don't feel like it really matters in my department--in fact, most grad students don't have classes on Fridays from what I can tell. I have a very full schedule the days I'm on campus, and I'm keeping up with my classes and research. I think that's what counts most.

If you are interested in 100 different professors, perhaps you should try to pinpoint and narrow your research interests a bit. I am not sure what research topic would be a great fit with even 25 different programs. I actually regret applying to 10 different programs because I felt like I was stretched too thin. I think it would be a better use of your time putting out 7 or 8 excellent applications than 10 good applications. Make sure that every application is a compelling case for why the program is perfect for you, and why you're perfect for them. Good luck all!

you'll be fine- make sure your statement is well-written to put any fears to rest.

I don't think you'll realistically need much more than 4-6 weeks to find a place in Chicago. I think lm0324 had a good strategy. You have to go apartment hunting with a checkbook in hand basically, ready to sign that day. That's how I got my place. Just set up about 5-10 showings in one day. If you find something you like don't hesitate to put a deposit down. ALSO, check the bed bug registry before you sign!!!! http://bedbugregistry.com/ You could also try using apartment people or chicago apartment finders.. I've personally never used them, but I've heard that you should low-ball your budget because they will show you apartments just over your budget to increase sales...

I got in and had a less than stellar record for my first year and a half (around 3.0). I switched majors and did much better. My intuition is that it shouldn't affect your chances nearly as much as junior/senior GPA. good luck.

I retook the GRE to boost my verbal score. I had a very high math score and was worried about losing ground on that if I focused on verbal. I actually boosted BOTH my verbal and math scores. And we're not talking a few points...we're talking like from 70th to 85th percentile in verbal (big difference IMO). I have a feeling that if you invested more time in studying for the math section your score would improve dramatically. And then you wouldn't be as nervous for applications. I'm just playing devil's advocate though. Good luck!

Hi, Take my insight for what it's worth, as I haven't even started grad school. I have to do a first year project that I have started planning out with my adviser, though. What I want to do is look to see what the underlying mechanism is behind a social phenomenon. The only thing is that no one has done work in this area. First, I am going to run a "quick and dirty" experiment on mturk for a couple weeks just to make sure I can demonstrate that a random sample will even do the social phenomenon using my study materials. If I find that they do (and I hope they do!), then I will run a "study 2" during the school year that is more in depth to try to isolate my hypothesized mechanism. This will optimize the chance that I get more than negative findings. Perhaps you could do this? Pilot an idea first that can be quickly tested, then build on that?

I hated writing my statement. I would work on your past achievements paragraph(s) first. Just do it and see what happens--it will probably be better than you think. And you'll feel much better about having written something. Also, you'll be able to use a lot of the content for all your statements...you really only have to tailor the specific research focus paragraphs if you're applying to schools all in the same general area. Good luck!!!

ANDS!: I agree with you that I don't need most of specs. I just love the size! Sooo thin and sleek...if only. I'll stick to the current gen for cost reasons. I can't justify the price for a lighter laptop.

sigh...i'm too poor for the retina model. but boy, is it tempting! i currently have a 13-inch macbook. the small screen size is starting to drive me crazy. but...do i really have money for a 15-inch (non-retina display)? is the 15-inch even worth it for just the added screen size?? any thoughts, anyone? (no anti-mac rants, please! i'm hooked on macs!) i would jump on the retina display model if i had the money, though!!!

I had the same 3 writers do recommendation letters for all 10 of my schools. Send them a spreadsheet with all programs, due dates, descriptions of POI's/programs. Most programs have electronic recommendation submission systems. This means you'll enter their emails in your electronic application, and they will receive emails from each school's application system. If a school only accepts hard copies of the letters, they usually require a cover letter. Provide this cover letter and postage to your writers if this is the case. To make sure you get the best letters possible, also provide a transcript, resume, a draft of your personal statement/description of long-term career goals, and anything else that you want them to address that isn't easily communicated in the rest of your application. It takes awhile to compile all of this info, but I think it's worth it. And you also come across as more organized and responsible, which is always a plus!

I just applied to work in a social perception psych lab that I found interesting my junior year of undergrad. I honestly didn't even put much thought into it...I just knew I wanted to be a research assistant ASAP. I switched labs (to a body image lab) once I had to critically think about what I wanted to do for my OWN research project. That might help you...let's say you had to conduct your own research. What questions would you ask? Finally, after graduation, I naively thought I wanted to do clinical psych (I can't even articulate for you my reasoning.. lol). To test the waters, I worked in a clinical environment full time...I've worked here 3 years now. I learned really quickly that clinical applications of psych weren't my true passions...I applied to social psych programs fall 2012. I also did a TON of research reading manuscripts to get a feel for exactly what my research interests were...after all, in undergrad I kinda jumped around a lot. That's how I pinpointed my research interests for grad apps...just read a lot and see what gets you excited. What kind of articles are you excited to talk about with your friends? What articles make you raise a lot of follow-up questions?

I would consider myself pretty dating-savvy, but I visited an online dating site (OkCupid) after I felt like I was just in a dating rut. The nice thing about OkCupid is that you have to answer questions about yourself in order to see how other users answered those questions. Some of the questions are really personal, like religion, sexual preferences, drug use, etc. The wonderful thing is that those are exactly the questions that are usually deal-breakers, and OkCupid gets those out of the way immediately! You can also specify what's mandatory in a partner (e.g., I don't want to date a smoker, and that is mandatory), and then it will filter out all those people. There are literally hundreds of questions to answer. And it matches you on various dimensions, presented as "percentage match" I believe. I ran into a couple creeps on the site, but I also met my current boyfriend of almost two years on there! I think if you go into it thinking it's just for fun (not for a serious relationship), you will have a great time. Also, doing the "date talk" online is good practice for you. Good luck!!

Instead of vaguely defending yourself maybe you could enlighten us and clear this up. How did you ask for help? The way I'd handle it if I wasn't part of a clique would be to propose a study session at a coffee shop to go over that concept, emailed to the whole class perhaps. Maybe frame it as a great way to clear up other people's questions as well (this is what ktel was alluding to I think). And people gravitating toward the "stars" in the class: first of all, how would you even know who the stars are? I had no flippin' clue about who the stars were past high school. It's about gravitating toward agreeable people IMO. Establishing a relationship doesn't mean finding your best friend in this class....or "true" friendship, whatever that means. It's about just forming alliances with people who are agreeable and helpful. I mean, really, it's great to talk to a study buddy for years into the future because you realize you're soulmates. But most of my study buddy's were cool people who made the class more endurable...and people who I don't necessarily keep in touch with now. Best of luck...I think just chilling out and slapping a smile on your face will do you loads of good in this situation.

This is a little excessive, given that the OP has a cognitive science background. I found the most annoying part to be the physiology stuff. I only used Kaplan, and I did well. I think I had a really strong background in psych to start with, though. I think that the other posters are correct in saying to use a variety of prep books and refer to a textbook only when a concept doesn't make sense. good luck...the psych gre is a royal pain in the butt.

Get a summer job...? Often, there are TA/RA positions open for summers (though these are limited). If not, get a summer job just like if you were in undergrad... I noticed you are coming from Asia. Are there any loans you can take out? Or special fellowships you can apply for to increase your funding?

Is this program on the Chicago campus? I work on the Chicago campus, and unless you don't have a budget I don't see how it could work for a student. The studios around here (Gold Coast/Streeterville) go for $900-$1300+. Also, cars in the city mean added expenses...a spot could cost you $100/month on top of rent. Also, street parking sometimes requires a city permit depending on the neighborhood. Why not try Wrigleyville, Lakeview, or Lincoln Park?

I have lived in Evanston for the past 7 years and am familiar with Roger's Park as well. I think it depends on your comfort level, Eliz, in response to living alone by Morse. I think that living as far east as possible (near Sheridan, the major road) would increase safety...but that would also entail walking further to the el. I personally wouldn't do it...I'd prefer to be closer to the Loyola stop or in Evanston. And you also say you won't be traveling in the middle of the night, but when it gets dark at 4:30pm in the winter, do you really want to feel not that safe every time you walk home from the el? http://chicago.every...ark/?only=crime --you can compare the crime reports to Evanston and see if you think there is a difference...I do consider it to be unsafe and wouldn't recommend this area to my girlfriends who are living alone. Also keep in mind that the further away from campus you go in Evanston the cheaper housing gets. I live in southeast Evanston and my bang for buck is much better than the dumps on Ridge/Noyes by campus. Look on Hinman or Judson around Dempster or south of Dempster...you may be surprised by good deals. For everyone thinking about living in Roger's Park- beware of bed bugs! PLEASE check this link before signing a lease and take note of all the bed bug reports in Roger's Park. I had a friend who went through hell for months because there was literally an infestation of bugs in his bed, his walls, you name it. He had to throw out a ton of his belongings. Pay a little extra to avoid this issue and have landlords who are proactive about pests! http://bedbugregistr...7.658870870968/

Hi Quirky, I would compare your "gray" feelings for your program to the rest of your life, the things you used to enjoy for recreation. I have a suspicion that nothing really brings you satisfaction and happiness at the moment because of your recent breakup. If this is the case, keep in mind that these diffuse feelings of depression don't really stem from the program. I would try your best to hang in there. I struggled with depression & anxiety during undergrad and totally understand what you're going through: feeling trapped, lonely and isolated, like you're not who you used to be. The good news is things only go up from here. Keep talking to your counselor and try your best to surround yourself with people who care about you. Exercise is also key...it will give you a sense of motivation, purpose, and accomplishment (and endorphins!). Hope you feel better soon!

I didn't apply to developmental programs, but do you satisfy the psychology course requirements for all the programs you want to apply to? If you didn't major in psychology in undergrad, some programs may require some psych coursework, or at the very least, a good score on the psychology GRE subject test. Also, what is your GRE score for the general test? I'm not sure what this equates to on the new scoring system, but when I applied 1350+ on the GRE was desirable to be competitive. Other than that, your work experience looks fantastic. Clearly you can conduct research, which is a big part of what I think they're looking for... good luck!

As others have said, I'm very sorry this happened to you. It's basically an applicant's worst nightmare. You are now wiser, though, and learned a few lessons the hard way (i'm reiterating them for the benefit of all on this forum, especially 2013 applicants): 1. No matter what it seems like, I think it's pretty much always the case that programs mean more to applicants than applicants mean to programs. They probably did have fierce competition for that fellowship. Unfortunately, they have many "all-star" applicants to choose from and applicants only have a few (at best) programs to choose from. For this reason, I think it's safe to say that enthusiasm shouldn't be read into until you have a hard copy of your award/offer in front of you. 2. Financial aid could be a fuzzy area: what do programs GUARANTEE and to WHOM (everyone? some?) How many years? Some programs guarantee 1 year and then "unofficially" say that they have never denied funding anyone for subsequent years...ask around and see if this is true...ask this in interviews... get it in writing if possible WITH THE OFFER! It's strange to me that the financial award wouldn't be made with the offer. Though maybe I'm wrong. 3. Sometimes people are just shady. Even professors. Again, I feel your pain. I would be outraged. But this is a forum where people learn from each other, so I'm just pointing out these lessons for others to weigh in and hopefully for all of us to learn something from this.