Help?!

[BnTAcT]

So I'm waitlisted at Mizzou in the Cognition and Neuroscience program where the POI is interested in similar things to me but it isn't a great match because I am more interested in abnormal aging and neuro-imaging but he doesn't do neuro-imaging and he does healthy aging research. I also have two potential job offers in the neurology departments at the University of Miami and WashU. The WashU position doesn't really provide me with the research experience (its a psychometrician job) so I wouldn't get to really improve my skills and I probably wouldn't get published but the lab is really well known and the UMiami position is still with neurodegenerative diseases but not specifically Alzheimer's but I would have the opportunity to learn a lot of new skills and its a research job. If anyone has any advice on what route makes the most sense if I want to apply to graduate school in the next two years, which position is best or if I should just take the Mizzou graduate school's position if it's offered. PLEASE HELP

[psychology_student_]

I would for sure take Mizzou's offer if it's offered. And if it's not offered would then go to the UMiami research position second, and then the WashU psychometrician job third.  Just curious, why did you apply to Mizzou for that POI if you don't think it's a good match?  If he/she (the POI) was like somehow assigned to you (don't know how the Cog and Neuro program works) then it's more than likely you could possibly slip into an assistantship somewhere down the road (maybe not your first year necessarily, but maybe going into your second year) working in a lab or part of a different professor's grant that would be more of a match for you. I know Columbia, MO has a lot going on as far as their med school, VA, and clinical program (in addition to their cog/neuro program) so I bet you'd be able to find the mentors/support you'd need to carry out the independent research you desired.

[BnTAcT]

13 hours ago, personallycentered said:

I would for sure take Mizzou's offer if it's offered. And if it's not offered would then go to the UMiami research position second, and then the WashU psychometrician job third.  Just curious, why did you apply to Mizzou for that POI if you don't think it's a good match?  If he/she (the POI) was like somehow assigned to you (don't know how the Cog and Neuro program works) then it's more than likely you could possibly slip into an assistantship somewhere down the road (maybe not your first year necessarily, but maybe going into your second year) working in a lab or part of a different professor's grant that would be more of a match for you. I know Columbia, MO has a lot going on as far as their med school, VA, and clinical program (in addition to their cog/neuro program) so I bet you'd be able to find the mentors/support you'd need to carry out the independent research you desired.

I applied because we have similar research interests at the time I was applying but my interests have changed a bit since then.

[1996kayden]

I was offered a spot to a program last cycle. A combo of research interests, a poor funding offer, and a commute from hell led me to turn it down. I took a job as a lab manager studying vision development in children with eye tracking. Not exactly my main interests, but it helped me build programming and eye tracking skills and strengthened my application. It was hard to turn down an offer when I had been told "all you need is one yes", but I am SO glad I did. Even though over the year I realized the research interests of the offer I turned down were more on point than I thought, I am still glad. This cycle I had many interviews and multiple offers. It's a hard choice, but if you are set on a population and/or a method, and the PhD offer doesn't offer that, then I would consider turning it down and taking a job that will strengthen your application. 

Also, after the year working, I applied to different schools my second cycle because my research interests changed some. Two schools who rejected me last time accepted me this time under a different PI.