Accepted by 1 program, not in love

[1996kayden]

(Reposting in the psych forum for additional opinions)

So I was accepted off the waitlist to the one Developmental Psych PhD program I got an interview at (CUNY Grad Center). The research interest isn't an exact match, but I could probably shape it enough to be okay with it and I would gain skills in tech that I need (eye tracking). 

My main issues are that the stipend is crap for living in NYC ($26k, though with savings I have I would be very able to supplement this) and that the classes are at the center in the middle of NYC and the lab is on Staten Island. The first thing anyone tells me when I mention this is the horrible commute (often 2 hours each way when the subway and ferry cooperate) and that there's no good place to live that's in the middle of those two locations. I also have a car and am terrified of figuring out how to have a car in the City. If the research was exactly my interest I would be more willing to look past these issues.

I feel like if I took a year or two off and did more relevant research to my interests and gained experience in eye tracking and neuroimaging I could get into a better program with closer research interests.  I don't really know CUNY's ranking/prestige, but I gather it's not fantastic (insight on this would be appreciated). One of my main hesitations is that I don't have a job currently that would allow me to get more experience in those technologies (though I do have a job and could continue to support myself after graduation this May) and I am hesitant to reject the offer without a research job in place. I did receive an email today about a possible post bac through the NIH, so that might be an option...

I also don't want to be the jerk who keeps the program and the waitlist waiting until the April 15 deadline. But there's no guarantee I'll know about a job by then...

I had an interview for a post bac fellowship that I LOVED the research for (and just found out I didn't get the position) and after seeing a program I love, I feel like I'd be settling for this PhD program. I don't want to get a year or two into it and realize I don't like the decision I made.

Advice?

Edited March 16, 2018 by 1996kayden

[PokePsych]

When reading this, it seems like you already made your decision and you're just looking for others to confirm this. Follow your gut - there's always next year. I personally don't believe in a linear path to life (although I'm also actively wandering around the globe a bit but OK).

You can always volunteer in a lab for the time being.

[Timemachines]

8 hours ago, Psygeek said:

You can always volunteer in a lab for the time being.

I did this for a while with a side job while I figured out what I wanted to do. In my case, I had a really weak undergraduate GPA and no independent research so I did a one year masters with that exact purpose at a very research productive uni. Id say don't settle. This will be several years of your life...when you're stuck in the middle of the proverbial PhD tunnel and its too late to turn back, but you can't quite see your way out yet, these feelings will be amplified exponentially.

[oddity]

10 hours ago, 1996kayden said:

(Reposting in the psych forum for additional opinions)

So I was accepted off the waitlist to the one Developmental Psych PhD program I got an interview at (CUNY Grad Center). The research interest isn't an exact match, but I could probably shape it enough to be okay with it and I would gain skills in tech that I need (eye tracking). 

My main issues are that the stipend is crap for living in NYC ($26k, though with savings I have I would be very able to supplement this) and that the classes are at the center in the middle of NYC and the lab is on Staten Island. The first thing anyone tells me when I mention this is the horrible commute (often 2 hours each way when the subway and ferry cooperate) and that there's no good place to live that's in the middle of those two locations. I also have a car and am terrified of figuring out how to have a car in the City. If the research was exactly my interest I would be more willing to look past these issues.

I feel like if I took a year or two off and did more relevant research to my interests and gained experience in eye tracking and neuroimaging I could get into a better program with closer research interests.  I don't really know CUNY's ranking/prestige, but I gather it's not fantastic (insight on this would be appreciated). One of my main hesitations is that I don't have a job currently that would allow me to get more experience in those technologies (though I do have a job and could continue to support myself after graduation this May) and I am hesitant to reject the offer without a research job in place. I did receive an email today about a possible post bac through the NIH, so that might be an option...

I also don't want to be the jerk who keeps the program and the waitlist waiting until the April 15 deadline. But there's no guarantee I'll know about a job by then...

I had an interview for a post bac fellowship that I LOVED the research for (and just found out I didn't get the position) and after seeing a program I love, I feel like I'd be settling for this PhD program. I don't want to get a year or two into it and realize I don't like the decision I made.

Advice?

 

It sounds like you'd be settling for this program, which isn't a good way to start graduate school. 5 years is a commitment and if you're not going to be happy there, you shouldn't go! I don't know too much about CUNY, but I visited last year and decided not to apply because I didn't have a great sense of it for what I wanted to do. Also, it seems like funding in general (not just the stipend) is limited, which could hold up your research. My main concern was that the job placement didn't seem very good for academic positions after graduation. Prestige and ranking count for something, but it seems like who you're working with matters most. Does your PI have a good record with their students?

On the other hand, yes, the commute to Staten Island is annoying, but depending on where you live it might not be quite 2 hours. Brooklyn might be a good option in between the two campuses, depending on which train you're off of. I also know people who drive into Staten Island for work, which is faster but tolls are a bit expensive. 

I took several years off to lab manage and this really helped gain the research experience I needed for grad school. A lot of PIs also look for students who have taken more time to immerse themselves in research. It's hard to do this fully as an undergrad because of classes and even if you do an independent project, you see so much more of the process working in a lab out of school. I started off volunteering (because I had no research experience) and working a side job to support myself. It's not ideal, but this eventually turned into a full-time position. Also, if you end up volunteering/working at a place you're interested in going to grad school at and you prove yourself to be a good researcher, your chances of being accepted there are much higher because it's less of a risk for the faculty if they know how you work. 

On another note, what kind of research are you interested in? I know an incoming professor who is looking for a lab manager...

 

[clinicallyindependent]

I think more than just the research, it has to be sustainable for 5 years. Its great that you have savings, but is it sustainable for the 5+ years of the commitment? With the budget, will you be willing to room with someone? ( As I'm hitting my late 20s, I can't imagine having a roommate)  Having a car in the city is tough, with alt parking, unless you are willing to pay for a garage (that will cost as much as rent in some places) you'll be amassing parking tickets. Unless it was your top program of choice, and really exited you might be stuck in a limbo after a year or two and it'll become really hard. I do know someone in the program (not developmental) with affiliation with Brooklyn that doesn't place the program too highly & the commute is really really bad, so staten island can't be that great either. If your interested, send me a PM and I can help get you in touch. Just remember, although it is a very important and tough decision, its not the end of the world. It's pretty clear from what you shared that the program, fit, budget, lifestyle isn't going to be good for you. Just don't settle on a program just of an acceptance!  Good luck!!

[Yiyu Liu]

I totally agree with the comments above. 5-6 years is a commitment and you definitely want to make your time count. I think our research interests are very similar. I'm also a development psyer and I do eye tracking. As far as I know, CUNY is not that a good option if you're super ambitious and hunt for a tenure-track job. You should really consider what kind of training you'll get for graduate study. I'm currently a third-year International student. But I committed a summer and a winter holiday in a great lab in US. That's where I learned those really advanced and cool eye tracking skills. This summer I'll goto another great lab in US to do an independent eye-tracking study. I'll not talk about those labs in detail.

However, if you finally decide not to goto CUNY and would like to get more experience, feel free to PM me and I'll share the information of those labs with you.