avidman

So, while I am totally being a hypocrite, I think it is kind of funny that we are all actively participating in this forum when really, we should be doing HW/research/etc. Kinda runs counter to the prototype of those who really deserve the award, don't ya think? EDIT: Downvoted for a comment that I myself am committing? Oh, the sensitivity.

I suppose we can focus on our March Madness Brackets while we wait.

Thanks for the positive comments everyone. Although my university is pretty good, not many people apply/get awarded the NSF GRF in my field, so I was worried that if someone got the award recently in our department/lab, the reviewers might be like "Oh, well we gave a student from this university last year, so skip it." Looking at the statistics on awarded students, the top schools seem to get the most awards (maybe the students are better? idk). Based on the low frequency at my school, I can't help but be worried. Nonetheless, phew.

Here is a worry of mine. What if someone in my lab got the award last year? Does that mean that my chances of winning are less so because of inherent biases? Or is it the case that reviewers are objective people who will look past that?

Thanks for the replies =). I am glad to know that it is possible.

Just out of curiosity, for those who got accepted into PhD programs with a sub-3.0 gpa, how much did money play a role? I guess what I mean is this - I can't imagine someone with little financial resources managing to get into a good PhD program with a sub-3.0 gpa without a master's. And in order to get a master's (in the US specifically), the student would typically have to pay out of pocket. Some master's programs offer awards and such, but again, a low undergrad gpa would probably get in the way of that. Anyway, I am just curious. I don't mean to offend anyone, but coming from someone who has been poor since birth, I can't imagine ever getting into a good PhD program if I had done poorly in undergrad. =/

Stanford's Center for Compassion And Altruism Research And Education has quite a bit on mindfulness, as it is a core component in compassion. I went to their conference back in 2012 and met a ton of great people. The site has a list of events and people, so check that out.

Hi alexmar2014, When it comes to grad school admissions, research experience matters (like, it really matters). It is good that you are trying to volunteer in a lab, but I don’t think that will be enough. From what I have heard, in order to “prove” yourself to the grad admissions committee, you’ll need good quality experience (not necessarily any publications, but more than a summer’s worth I believe). You will also need to take the Subject GRE test for Psychology. For that test, you need to get a borderline max score, since the test is relatively easy in the sense that most candidates who take it do very well. For psych programs, I think a 3.5+ is the normal, so with anything less, you’ll need to make up for it in other domains and such. As for your GREs, your math school is better than most psych applicants, but your verbal is just average for the top schools (especially for social psych). As for the school selection, you picked some tough ones to get into (especially U Oregon). The good thing is that you are graduate school material in economics, and social psych and economics go hand in hand. ALL OF THAT SAID, I do think you have a good shot if you play your cards correctly. Here are my tips: Do well in the Subject test, and I mean really well. Try to get a jam-packed summer’s worth or more for psych experience. Apply to programs or talk to professors that incorporate economics to their research, as it will help bridge the gap with your credentials (again, social and econ mesh well). Networking borderline supersedes all, so if you can find someone in a program that LIKES you, then you will have an edge on all of the other appliants. Your GRE scores are good. I don’t think you should bother retaking. Having a math minor will help with stats, which is important. If you have any technical skills (programming, task administration, etc.), make sure they shine in your resume. Otherwise, acquire some. It may be worth considering more/other schools, since you picked a tough batch. Best of luck!

Well it sounds like a pretty cool program. Back to the GPA bit, something like that makes plenty of sense. Unfortunately, admission committees have a tendency of not looking twice at any application from an applicant with a psychopathology (or signs of it). I would like to hear what other people have to say about that, but from what I have heard, mentioning or indicating anything like that in an SOP can only hurt you. That said, I think you have a chance with the right GRE scores, great LORs, some networking, some technical skills (programming helps), and some luck. Anyway, best of luck!

Here is my advice: - Get 165+ on both sections of the GRE - See if you can network with people in the departments you are interested in. Basically, if they like you, the GPA won't matter that much as long as your other credentials looks good. - Maybe consider getting into a master's program and try to get a high GPA to offset the undergraduate gpa. Out of curiosity, why did you get a low GPA? I mean, I know that may sound strange, but if the reason is understandable, then maybe you will have a better chance vs. a reason that isn't so great (decided not to study because reasons). Grad schools have the pick of the litter when it comes to admissions. Since you are operating on a busted leg (low GPA), you have to make it up and (quite frankly) be better than your competition in other domains. Otherwise, you won't have much of a chance. On a positive note, I like your optimism. EDIT: Also, please don't take this the wrong way, but Cognitive Science ≠ Cognitive Psychology. While Cognitive Psychology is a ramification of the domain of psychology in general, cognitive science is the union of a bunch of different domains (Anthropology, Philosophy, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Psychology, Linguistics, etc).

Sand Storm *Put your hands up in the air*

Sorry, after hearing that I am a bit in awe. Did you every receive feedback as to why you were rejected? Based on your creds, you seem to be very competitive. That said, I have friends who on paper are less competitive than you and got into pretty good clinical programs (multiple in fact). Are you secretly a vampire (or something that would disqualify you from the admission pool)? @ Lady Grey Here is my advice to you: - Get research/clinical experience (most important imo) - Get 160+ on GRE for verbal/quant (if you can't, prioritize verbal) - Meet people. Networking is super important/often necessary in order to get into graduate school. At the end of the day, many people applying will have credentials similar to yours. When that happens, you have to rely on best of fit, luck, and networking. If there are conferences nearby and if you know about a person you want to apply to, go there and meet them. It helps. Anyway, good luck!

That is a good point. I have to pay about $2500 a year for health insurance through the university.

Your scores are pretty good (personally, I think they are very good). I know people who had lower scores get offers from multiple programs. If possible, what are your other "specs?" As you mentioned, sometimes (often really) luck plays a big role. Even if you are great, you may not be who they are looking for, etc.

Maybe it is different for some places, but the two offers I received included funding and such (and one of them included a fellowship) before I accepted. I ended up choosing the school that didn't give me a fellowship right off the bat (though I ended up getting a fellowship from that school anyway about a month after accepting). Both were for PhD programs, so maybe that makes a difference.