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Honestly, if you're interested in clinical, I can't imagine that they would see your science grades as relevant- at least not more relevant than your other, much better grades. Your GPA is great, and you have a lot of experience, so I really wouldn't worry as much as you are! If you were going into a career in health psych, neuro, biopsych, psychiatry, or the other more science-based aspects of this field, it might be a little more worrisome, but I think that you've displayed that you're a great student and just didn't do well in your first major. I'm currently a psych MA student but did my first five majors as a music student! My first semester as a psych major was a little rough because I was working full time, and so I explained this very briefly in my personal statement to make sure that I wasn't represented in the wrong way (which might be a good idea for you, too- just don't dwell on your weaker points more than necessary). Also, after that semester, my grades were pretty much the same as yours- 3.8 overall, 4.0 in my major- and I got accepted to five of seven schools. Two professors even found my music background to make me a more interesting applicant. So basically, don't worry too much- do well on your GREs, write a great personal statement, and get strong recommendations, and you shouldn't have a problem.

1) Funding- Do they help master's students out at all? 2) Research interests- Is there a professor or lab in the school's department who does research that relates to your interests? 3) Location- Is the school near people that you know, or near a town or city that has the amenities that you need? 4) Ph.D. programs- Does the school have a Ph.D. program in your field, or would you need to go to a different school after finishing your master's? The schools that I found and applied to that offered funding to MA students and had professors who did what I do were Brandeis, The New School, Wake Forest, William & Mary, and Boston College. Boston University and NYU don't offer any funding for master's students, but I applied there as a Plan B.

Yes, you definitely do. I'm a master's student in psychology and for every school that I applied to, I specified a few professors that I would like to work with, and didn't apply to schools that didn't have a PI whose research was very related to mine. Additionally, now that I'm in the program, I'm in my PI's lab and work exclusively with him on my thesis.

Hi everyone, I'm halfway through getting my master's in general/experimental psychology with a social/developmental research focus, and I'm realizing more and more as time goes on that my interest lies in writing about psychology rather than designing and running experiments. I never expected to get a degree in research and come out realizing that I love writing, but that's by far the most consistent piece of feedback that I'm getting from my professors (that I'm a great writer). Frankly, though, this is exciting for me, because writing has always been one my greatest loves since I was very young, and I would love to find a more creative job within psychology. I love my field but am not feeling a career in clinical psych, research, or teaching... Is it possible to work as a psychology writer? My ideal job might be writing well-researched books on specific topics, or being the token social/developmental psych writer at a magazine like Psychology Today- in other words, writing pieces that are both based on relevant scientific research (as I will have a degree in this) while potentially being of interest to non-scientists. Is that a real thing? Does anyone have any ideas for places that I could work? And do you think additional schooling in writing, rather than just psychology, would be required?

Agreed- it is very, very rare to find a master's in psychology, especially clinical psych. Top-tier schools often don't offer terminal master's degrees, and this is even rarer within clinical psych. If you already know what you want to do and where you want to go, talk to an advisor about the possibility of applying to Ph.D. programs.

I honestly don't know how that section is graded. I felt like my writing sections were pretty decent, and I've always been a good writer... but I also ended up with a 4. However, that didn't cause me any problems- I got into five of seven of my programs.

After all of this discussion and shopping, I decided to make a blog in the same vein as What Would a Nerd Wear to chronicle my outfits every day. I feel like having pictures to look at regarding what other students are doing around the country can be super helpful- it was for me over the last few months. If anyone's interested in following me, you can find it at http://intellect-fashion.tumblr.com .

I can relate. I lived in the city for the last four years, and my boyfriend and I just moved into an apartment together in the suburbs. While I'm sure that things will get better once school starts in a week and a half, this summer has been rough for me because all of my friends live in the city and have full-time jobs. I was feeling really lonely with my boyfriend gone all day, and I always get anxious and depressed just because I'm bored and lonely when I'm not in school. I found that it helped just to be around people in public places, even when I wasn't necessarily interacting with them- shopping helped, for instance, or taking pictures while walking around pretty places. It helped to use up some of my overabundant free time, while exposing me to minimal social interaction. I also made an effort to visit my family and friends whenever possible, and to talk on the phone a lot more than I usually would. I also kept the TV on or listened to music or podcasts while doing chores around the house, which made me feel a little less alone because it made me feel more connected to the outside world. If chronic loneliness is an issue for anyone, I would highly recommend the book "Lonely" by Emily White. I just finished reading it, and it opened my eyes to the widespread issues with loneliness that many people are secretly struggling with in today's superficially well-connected society. Really interesting and informative.

I bought mine from here: http://www.etsy.com/people/chicleather. Mine's just plain leather, but I was looking for a really sturdy, professional yet stylish messenger bag with room for my laptop. This person has some yellow ones: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Adeleshop?ref=seller_info

You guys make me feel better about eyeing boots that cost $250. It's true- if I find a pair that I like, I will wear them every single day from fall to spring (which is like, September to May in Boston). I'm being more frugal with clothes because they just don't need the same ability to take wear and tear that shoes do- my school is a hilly campus, and I know I'll be doing a lot of walking. Also, pretty sure that I just found an eBay seller that sells my boots for about $100 less than DSW, in almost every size and color... SCORE. And GreenePony- good for you for sewing things yourself! That's impressive.

Just spent the last week amassing my grad school wardrobe, which I've been having a ton of fun with. Starting my master's in a month has provided the perfect motivation to start dressing more like an adult, while still maintaining my style and personality. I found the blogs What Would a Nerd Wear (whatwouldanerdwear.blogspot.com) and Academic Chic (academichic.com) particularly inspiring. What worked for me was to look through these blogs and make a list of the things that I needed- versatile boots, scarves, cardigans, tights, skirts, etc.- and then to shop the sale racks at all of my favorite stores as well as places like T.J. Maxx and Marshalls (which I appreciate so much right now). I'm splurging on a great pair of boots (eyeing these ones, in multiple colors: http://www.dsw.com/s...tegory=cat20173) and a great messenger bag (just bought one from here: http://www.etsy.com/people/chicleather), because I know I'll wear them every day. Looks like my daily apparel is going to consist of knit tops, scarves, cardigans, leather boots or flats, and nice jeans- can't wait! Focusing on looking the part has helped me to put my anticipation about school starting toward a worthy cause- it's easier to set aside the nerves and antsy-ness when you're busy getting ready. Anyone else have favorite stores to find grad school clothes at?

This time last year, I was in the middle of making a giant spreadsheet comparing every school that had a psychology master's program in all of the areas that might influence my decision in order to help narrow my list down to the schools that I ended up applying to. What can I say, I'm going into research! I was also taking summer classes and gearing up for the most stressful academic year of my life: GREs and other application stuff on top of five classes per semester and a research assistantship (which I was also looking for this time last year). I had no idea that I would be accepted to five out of seven of my schools, and offered scholarships at several of them! If only I could have known that I had nothing to worry about. Now, I just finished up my final two college classes and am sitting on my couch in my new apartment with my boyfriend, preparing for the start of my rigorous one year master's program. Really, really excited.

Not for the Psychology MA program, just so you know, bazingafriedrice. But definitely for Ph.D. programs. Additionally, NYU offers NO merit-based scholarships for MA students.

I can verify ALL of this. September 1 is absolutely crazy, and the only way around it is to either find the rare apartment that has a different move-in date (the likelihood of which is astronomically higher outside of the city), or to try to arrange something with the old tenants. For instance, I just moved from Beacon Hill to Natick, and in order to avoid the September 1 craze and to be moved into my new apartment before grad school starts in the fall, I had my realty company contact the new tenant and ask if he would be interested in moving in two months early. Thank GOD, he was able to move in on July 1, and I even got out a few days early so that he could start moving his stuff in because my new apartment complex has monthly leases that don't all start in September because it's a commuter area rather than a student-heavy area. And indeed, the landlords don't clean the apartments in between- it's totally up to both the old and new tenants. It's expected that the old tenant will clean thoroughly before they leave, but you can't rely on that- expect to clean your old apartment when you move out, and then your new apartment when you move in. If you don't clean your old place and the new tenant complains, you could lose a portion of your security deposit, so that helps to keep people somewhat accountable. Also, DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY try to book a U-Haul waaaay ahead of time, as it is true that all of the ones in the city get booked at least two months (if not more) in advance of September 1 and the days on either side of that date. In other words, if you know where you're moving, book right now- do not put it off!! The September 1 moving disaster definitely requires a lot of planning ahead and coordinating between tenants, because it's pretty impossible to not overlap. The best way to go about this is to try to get the contact info of the new tenants if you're moving out, or vice-versa. With my apartment when I lived in Allston (Allston Christmas is real! but beware!), the new tenants and I exchanged contact info when they were viewing my apartment- none of them could move in during the day because of work, so I allowed them to start moving in the night before, while I had my stuff all packed up and ready to move during the day the next day. It's necessary to arrange with the new tenants a time when one of you can be moving out, so that the other isn't trying to move in at the same time. If your realty company or landlord won't give you the new person's contact info, they can also serve as a go-between for you to work something out. It does work out every year, somehow. My major take-home point for surviving it is to plan ahead, in as much detail as possible. This includes: -Reserving a UHaul months in advance -Figuring out who is helping you move (including someone who feels comfortable driving a truck through the city) and making sure they won't ditch you last-minute so that you can get out as quickly as possible -Getting the contact information of the new/old tenants, and working out moving times (NOT on September 1, if possible- is it possible for one of you to move some of your stuff a day or two early?) -Cleaning the apartment for the new tenant, beginning BEFORE the day of the move -Having everything packed up and ready to go BEFORE September 1

Hi, I just graduated from college and am starting a psychology master's program this fall because, just like you, I wanted to figure out exactly what I wanted to do and get some experience before applying to Ph.D. programs. Five of the seven schools that I applied to offered funding to master's students (which was surprisingly hard to find, as you're experiencing as well!)- these were Brandeis (the school that I ended up going to), Wake Forest, The New School for Social Research, Boston College, and William and Mary. BC and W&M both fully fund accepted students. Brandeis doesn't offer 100% funding to anyone, but does give at least 25% to the students that they accept via grants. NSSR and Wake Forest both offer funding, more if they want you more, particularly Wake Forest. I got 100% and a TA position at Wake Forest (all based on merit) and 50% at Brandeis (half merit, half grant) and NSSR (all based on merit). So basically, it is possible to find schools that help master's students out if you do decide to go. I'm strongly considering taking a year off between my M.A. and Ph.D. to get some work experience and, frankly, relax. My program is condensed into one year, so I can't imagine applying to Ph.D. programs while doing a one-year master's. However, my goal is to strengthen my Ph.D. application with whatever I end up doing during that year. It can be really rough to try to find jobs in psychology without a master's degree at the very least, so if I were in your position, I would worry that I wouldn't be able to find any relevant work to spend my time on during that year off. If you're not going to be able to do anything that will beef up your resume during that year, it might not be worth taking time off. On the other hand, since you will likely be paying for at least half of your master's, it might not be worth doing a terminal MA program just because you don't know what exactly you want to do yet- that might not be the best use of your money. Either way, you have some things to figure out- good luck!