repatriate

Because I am in a field that involves human subjects research, it is common for graduate students to dress somewhat professionally--or at least neatly--any time they are at work. When they won't be near subjects, students might get away with a t-shirt, but this is less common.

I use Papers, which is for Mac only. It has great sorting and search features and integrates with several search engines. Plus, if you get the iPhone/iPad app you can sync your library and have your PDFs with you.

Have you decided on a field of psychology (clinical, counseling, social, developmental, cognitive, etc.)? That would help anyone who might give advice.

You may not have access to the system yet. This is the problem I encountered in attempting to use my new school's online resources; I can login but am prevented from using any library resources until I start my program. If you think you should already have access, you can try calling the library and asking about authentication for offsite use (or try searching for it on the library's website). I know one of the common UK authentication systems is Athens, but I completely forget what's used in the US.

I agree with Cogneuroforfun that your previous psychology coursework will be considered and that taking the psychology GRE may be a good way to demonstrate competence, even to programs that do not require it. You may want to call programs and ask a few questions, or see if their websites have FAQs where they list the kind of background they look for in students. I don't know that you'd need a full masters degree before applying, though. Many program websites will list which classes are required or strongly recommended for admission. If you don't see that information listed, call the program office or write to someone and ask. Since you won't be applying for a couple of years, you can take undergraduate or graduate classes as a non-degree seeking student (assuming you can afford them and have the time) to bolster your application. If you have trouble getting or finding this information, look at what the basic (non-elective) requirements are for undergraduate degrees in psychology. Because you went to a good school for your degree and have proven that you are capable of that level of work, you can take additional classes at a cheaper or less rigorous school so long as you do well in them. I was an English major and graduated with 15 credits in psychology and then took another 8 after graduating at a local university that catered to working adults. As for your age, I think it is common for there to be slightly older students in psychology programs. I am 27 and finishing up my masters, and a few of the PhD students here are my age or older; I'll turn 28 shortly after I start my PhD program in the fall.

I'll cast another vote for Timbuk2. I got a small Swig (the older ballistic fabric, which is now reduced in price) at the beginning of the academic year, and I love it. I live in a very rainy city and walk everywhere, sometimes up to 10 miles a day in the rain. I've never had a problem with my belongings getting wet or damaged, and I see almost no wear on the bag, despite daily, sometimes abusive use. To give you an idea of what it holds, today it was as full as it gets, and I toted around: 8 books, 13" laptop (with cables), stack of printouts, bottle of water, and various personal effects (cell phone, wallet, office supples, etc.) with it all organized and accessible. It also collapses down quite a bit when I carry less, and I don't find that my things are banging around. The straps are wide set, which is very nice for women. My complaints are that it lacks a waist strap, so the weight is all on the shoulders and back, and that the padding on the bottom of the laptop compartment is tube-shaped, and it is possible to insert the laptop so that it slides to one side or the other and isn't as well protected.

If you are interested in pursuing this, you may want to look into your school's policy regarding changes to the syllabus, if one exists. A syllabus isn't a legally binding contract, but your school may have a policy regarding major changes to course requirements late in the course. Then again, it may not, as these things vary from school to school. Still, be wary about going to head-to-head against a prof with administrators. You can end up just making yourself look bad to everyone involved.

I use Papers for Mac and iPhone to organize and sync my PDFs. It's not the best app for reading PDFs (no highlighting and a bad note-taking implementation), but it's a very good library program. And with the iPhone app, I can always read my PDFs wherever I am, or bring up references in arguments.

I think that your intuitions about what being on the waitlist means are pretty spot on. If you weren't qualified, they would have rejected you outright, etc. As with everything else about grad school, the individual department may matter most in deciphering the meaning of a waitlisted status, but here is my experience: I was waitlisted at one program and later accepted. When I visited the school, the program chair told me (completely unsolicited) that the reason I was waitlisted and not selected over the other candidates who were admitted was that I didn't have as good a fit with the program faculty as a whole and I had only mentioned one of them in my SOP. They still wanted to recruit me, but this was an important concern for this faculty group because they are very collegial and are all collaborators. I don't know if that story is of any value, but I wish you the best luck with your current waitlist.

I accepted my offer at UIUC yesterday. I've set up a google group for anyone who is interested in maybe organizing some get-togethers in the fall with other new grad students. http://groups.google.com/uiuc2010/ I'll be working on my PhD in social psychology. Glad to see there's another psychology student here! I'm sure we'll run into each other in the psych building!

Oi, thanks! Somehow, I completely lost my ability to read forums today, I guess. I totally missed the page counter at the bottom; I thought it was odd there were so few threads for this year!

I accepted my offer at UIUC yesterday. Anyone else starting this fall? I've set up a google group for anyone who is interested in maybe organizing some get-togethers in the fall with other new grad students. http://groups.google.com/uiuc2010/ I'll be working on my PhD in social psychology. Looking forward to hearing from others!

I was an English major in undergraduate and am now in psychology. Although many psychology programs are research-oriented, there are several subfields that will be able to place you into a great career, and many of them consider non-psychology majors. A brief list of some psychology subfields that can lead to great careers (more here): Clinical: mostly deals with mental disorders but can be found in al kinds of settings from hospitals to private practice and with many different kinds of specialties (by age, by disorder, etc.) Industrial/Organizational: many I/O psychologists find rewarding work in human resources, Counseling: similar to clinical but typically deal with more short-term or "non-clinical" (i.e., not a disorder in the DSM) disturbances (e.g., family counseling, marriage counseling, etc.) Child Counseling/Clinical: There are programs that specialize in the treatment of children School: Work with children in a school setting who have learning and behavioral disabilities Psychometrics: Psychometricians can work in test design (educational, vocational, etc.); e.g., ETS, the Princeton Review, etc. all need psychometricians (or hire them from research contracting firms) Educational: Educational psychologists can find work as curriculum developers The type of degree you'd need (Ph.D./Psy.D. vs. M.A./M.S.) will depend on your career goals and on the field. For example, clinical psychology requires a doctoral degree, but school psychologists typically require only a master's level degree. The fantastic thing about a lot of these fields is that there is a strong demand for them, and the skills are fairly portable. Although programs will consider non-psychology majors (and English specifically), they look well on applicants' having certain standard psychology classes (e.g., social, abnormal, biological, etc.). If you have some electives left, taking some psychology classes can be a good way to find out if you enjoy it and to meet the pre-reqs. You can always call a program and ask how they view non-majors and if there are any classes you can take to make yourself a better candidate.

Thanks, again. That makes sense.

Thanks! That's good to know. I might go for the slacks if it is cold/windy. Yes, it is a PhD program (in OB). I was just nervous about it because the faculty photos seemed more formal than those in the other types of departments I applied to.

I was admitted to a business school and am heading there next week to visit. This is not an interview and not a school-organized visit day for multiple students but a visit I arranged with them after being invited to do so. I've spent my entire academic career in humanities and social science departments, so I have no clue what the dress standards are in B school. (FWIW, I was admitted to study things totally not business-related.) Is is a neat skirt and top with plain black pumps good enough? Could I get by in slacks? I do have a skirt suit I could dry clean and wear, but I assume that would be over the top for a non-interview visit. Am I right?

Thanks again, moralresearcher. I guess I'll resign myself of hope for ASU. Voidintent, I don't know anything about developmental at ASU, unfortunately, but I wish you luck!

Alright; thanks. I was so calm until this point, but I guess I can wait some more.

Thanks! Oi, I hope I know before then; I was hoping to make my final decision by mid-March. If I called the grad secretary, do you think she would tell me if I am on the waitlist, or should I just not bother her?

Thanks, moralresearcher! Like I said, I'd pretty much written ASU off given the date, so I won't be crushed if I don't get an interview, but I'll admit that my hopes did get up a little bit when I heard via someone else that I would.

I just noticed an ASU social post on the results board. Congrats to the poster! Care to share your POI or when the interview is? (Feel free to PM.) Best of luck with your interview!

If you feel like you should write to them, why not just let them know that you received the offer of admission, feel honored by the opportunity, and consider them an excellent choice but that you plan to take a few more weeks to make a careful decision and will let them know as soon as you are able.

Thanks! That helps to put my mind at rest. I guess different programs could have different dates, but I imagine no invitation by now suggests none at all, if the interviews are this month.

I applied last year, and I heard nothing from them and my status was "in review" well into March, when a rejection letter came. That's what I was expecting to happen this year, as well--until I heard this rumor. Maybe they still are reviewing apps.

Has anyone heard from ASU? They seem to typically call/email in late January based on the results page, but I heard through the grapevine that I might be getting an interview. I had written them off as a possibility based on previous years and the couple of results posted so far this year, but now I am a little curious. So if you have any information, especially about the social program, I'd be very grateful if you'd deign to share!