Advice for applying next year?

[ferguson_thecat]

Hello everyone! As many of you are probably experiencing, this cycle has been hellish. This is my first time applying to doctoral programs and I knew it would be hard and the programs are so competitive but I guess I didn't expect the emotional toll this would all take would be so dramatic. Anyways, I have been rejected from all programs except one where I was waitlisted and I'm not sure I would accept it if they offered it to me because it isn't funded so I am trying to prepare myself for another cycle and was wondering if anyone had any advice. My background: crappy undergrad GPA (2.8 I know, low right), 4.0 MS GPA (will graduate in April), been a TA/RA for all of graduate school, one first authored published paper, research experience: presented research in undergrad and my masters thesis. 

Here's the things I plan to do before now and then to beef up my applications. 

1) Presenting my masters thesis and my published research paper at my schools research conference. 

2) Possibly retake the GRE (really don't want to do this because it would be three times taking that god-forsaken test, and hoping the GRE will be cut anyways)

3) Attempting to publish my thesis and/or another research project this summer.

4) Working with my advisor on other research projects she is doing and/or get a job in the field for research experience.

5) Making personal statements better, applying to more schools, reaching out to POI's during the process 

Now these things sound all well and good but might be pretty hard to accomplish especially the publishing/research jobs, but does anyone have any advice on any other things I could be doing or if these things sound like they would get me at least more interviews? I know its super early (people haven't even accepted their 2021 letters yet haha) but if I don't try and plan I will wallow about all the rejections. I know a lot of people are in similar boats and with way more experience/research/application cycles than me so if others want to vent/share info for others too that would be a good! Just feeling lost and a little hopeless but trying to stay on top of it

  

[SocDevMum]

Research and publish! No one will care about your undergrad GPA now that you have a Masters, and the GRE will likely be going the way of the Dodo... focus on publishing and presenting your thesis and any works you can pull out of that, and getting more hands on experience with your advisor or other PIs, including second (third, whatever) authorship on papers. Also, revisit who you want to apply to - make sure you have amazing research fits, and that you are applying to programs that lead to the outcomes you want. This summer will be a great time to network, make connections and reach out to potential labs and PIs so they know who you are come the Fall application season

 

[Regression2theMean]

@SocDevMum 100% agree! 

The best way to improve your application is to make it clear that you (a) know what a PhD programs entails and (b) are able to do what a PhD program asks of you. The primary task is doing and publishing research! Publications and conference presentations will go a long way in proving you have the skills to do research.

Another component to consider is what makes YOU unique as a candidate. I've been hearing many faculty members saying they are frustrated with the "cookie cutter" applicants. They get a lot of applicants who have 3-5 years of lab/research experience with strong letters of recommendation and great GPAs. What they're starting to look for is all of that same experience + something special like volunteer experience, community service, diverse experiences, etc. For example, one applicant this year who received many offers had research experience, good GPA, etc. and had also worked as a part-time mental health emergency personnel during covid (which aligned with their research interests in mental health). The faculty were blown away by this experience (particularly how the applicant spoke about it during interviews) and this applicant really stood out! Think about if you have done (or could do) something in addition to your research that makes you an interesting applicant. This shouldn't be as high a priority as research experience but is something to consider. 

[EileanDonan]

12 minutes ago, Regression2theMean said:

Another component to consider is what makes YOU unique as a candidate. I've been hearing many faculty members saying they are frustrated with the "cookie cutter" applicants. They get a lot of applicants who have 3-5 years of lab/research experience with strong letters of recommendation and great GPAs. What they're starting to look for is all of that same experience + something special like volunteer experience, community service, diverse experiences, etc. For example, one applicant this year who received many offers had research experience, good GPA, etc. and had also worked as a part-time mental health emergency personnel during covid (which aligned with their research interests in mental health). The faculty were blown away by this experience (particularly how the applicant spoke about it during interviews) and this applicant really stood out! Think about if you have done (or could do) something in addition to your research that makes you an interesting applicant. This shouldn't be as high a priority as research experience but is something to consider. 

If I might pitch in my $0.02 - this feels like an ever higher raising of an already obstructively high bar. Many hopeful applicants are exceedingly fortunate to even be able to work full-time in related research, get three amazing letters, and amass various pubs and posters, especially with COVID now. Plenty are stuck trying to work full time in an unrelated job while balancing a few extra RA volunteer hours, much less able to do an Extra Special CV Thing on top of the above. In my local area at least, human services type experiences have been reduced due to the pandemic. This cycle especially has highlighted for many how ridiculously excruciating this process is for even highly qualified candidates, and if this kind of faculty expectation becomes de rigueur, then we're just going to continue moseying down the path of gatekeeping. Don't get me wrong, volunteering is fantastic for many reasons, but it seems that some faculty expect applicants to be superhuman in the face of narrowing opportunities.

[SocDevMum]

8 minutes ago, EileanDonan said:

If I might pitch in my $0.02 - this feels like an ever higher raising of an already obstructively high bar

You're not wrong. It's a million times harder to get into a PhD program now than it was 20 years ago, and it seems like the standards are only going to get higher. Personal opinion - we can thank the culture of unpaid internships for undergrads, and before that insisting every kid was a three-activity super star ? We have cultivated ridiculous expectations for the under 21 set and now it has trickled up to the doctoral level. I was most likely a barely average applicant - no big publications, from a small state school that wasn't an R1 or anything - but what set me apart was my life experiences that tied directly to my research focus.  So while I agree that it's unfair and a huge burden, I also agree with @EileanDonan, volunteering or a part time job in the field of interest would go a long way towards improving the chances for 2022.

[Regression2theMean]

8 minutes ago, EileanDonan said:

If I might pitch in my $0.02 - this feels like an ever higher raising of an already obstructively high bar. Many hopeful applicants are exceedingly fortunate to even be able to work full-time in related research, get three amazing letters, and amass various pubs and posters, especially with COVID now. Plenty are stuck trying to work full time in an unrelated job while balancing a few extra RA volunteer hours, much less able to do an Extra Special CV Thing on top of the above. In my local area at least, human services type experiences have been reduced due to the pandemic. This cycle especially has highlighted for many how ridiculously excruciating this process is for even highly qualified candidates, and if this kind of faculty expectation becomes de rigueur, then we're just going to continue moseying down the path of gatekeeping. Don't get me wrong, volunteering is fantastic for many reasons, but it seems that some faculty expect applicants to be superhuman in the face of narrowing opportunities.

I agree @EileanDonan that these expectations are probably unrealistic and a huge burden! 20 years ago, I don't think this would have even been on the radar but PhD applications have become immensely competitive so this is just what I've heard has been making some applicants stand out recently. I am in a competitive program (< 10% acceptance rate) so the experience here is likely different than in other programs. When faculty in my program start narrowing down applicants to the top 10%, it is like splitting hairs because 25-40% of applicants have all of the necessary research experience, GPAs, etc.. The faculty then start to look at what makes each candidate unique or interesting. This doesn't have to be human service volunteer experience but it could be. Unique experiences can be anything that makes someone stand out from the crowd like life experience, as @SocDevMum stated. These experiences also don't need to be things you're doing right now. I think that most people have something unique to their story (e.g., life experience, volunteering, work experience) but they vary in how they are able to articulate that in their application. I think that reflecting on what those unique experiences are for you and how to articulate them effectively (without going overboard) could make a big difference for the 2022 cycle. 

[Psyche007]

Being outward focused is great and all, but don't neglect the inward focus.

One thing you can always do is read. Read from a variety of sources (classic lit, philosophy, anything outside of psych). Be able to articulate your ideas, not just the knowledge you've accumulated from others, develop your vocabulary and view of the world. Examine the position of your rival theorists. Be able to explain the opposition to your work as well as or better than your 'opponents'.

I have met with a few applicants who are very experienced and polished. The ones who stand out communicate original thought or perspectives.

Try and get some honest feedback on how people perceive your intellectual and emotional development. Safest place for that is therapy, but failing that, find someone you trust who is interested in your professional development that isn't a risk of souring a personal relationship.

This topic comes up time and time again in discussion with faculty regarding the quality of applicants.

Edited March 11, 2021 by Psyche007

[Psyche007]

21 hours ago, EileanDonan said:

If I might pitch in my $0.02 - this feels like an ever higher raising of an already obstructively high bar. Many hopeful applicants are exceedingly fortunate to even be able to work full-time in related research, get three amazing letters, and amass various pubs and posters, especially with COVID now. Plenty are stuck trying to work full time in an unrelated job while balancing a few extra RA volunteer hours, much less able to do an Extra Special CV Thing on top of the above. In my local area at least, human services type experiences have been reduced due to the pandemic. This cycle especially has highlighted for many how ridiculously excruciating this process is for even highly qualified candidates, and if this kind of faculty expectation becomes de rigueur, then we're just going to continue moseying down the path of gatekeeping. Don't get me wrong, volunteering is fantastic for many reasons, but it seems that some faculty expect applicants to be superhuman in the face of narrowing opportunities.

This is why the removal of the GRE has an negative effect for individuals who, for a variety of legitimate reasons, haven't been able to accrue the types of experience you talk about. As long as the GRE submission remains an option, that's fine.

The grad school process of turning students into indiscriminant publication workhorses is damaging academia in general. The emphasis on quantity over quality is especially prevalent in the social sciences. Taking students fresh from undergrad and putting them into this environment perpetuates this issue. Spending time in the workforce can make one far less tolerant of this type of malarkey. Most academics I speak to acknowledge this issue but feel powerless to make changes, so it has to be generational change at the applicant level.

[expensiveswimmer]

Is it wrong to feel hopeless about this entire process? With the amount of people saying competition is only going to go up, I don't know if many people have the time or the energy to apply upwards of 5 times.

[EileanDonan]

3 hours ago, expensiveswimmer said:

Is it wrong to feel hopeless about this entire process? With the amount of people saying competition is only going to go up, I don't know if many people have the time or the energy to apply upwards of 5 times.

Hopelessness is a natural reaction to the absurdity and disorder of this process.

While I haven't quite given up yet, I'm terrified of not getting in this next cycle too. We all know the typical advice for making yourself competitive, but if you follow it to the letter and it still isn't sufficient to garner the attention of programs, how else is one supposed to react? What else is one supposed to do? At what point are you forced to acknowledge that the gates will never open for you, no matter how many moats you might have crossed just to arrive there? Of course this will vary between people, their resilience to the rejection. At this point, I feel like just getting accepted to a program will be the greater accomplishment, not completing one. If only the "powers that be" were seriously attuned to that sentiment (much less bothered to find ways of alleviating it).

In the meantime, I'm looking for a new lab job currently. I'm also now dedicating a good portion of my free time to developing a project that is entirely irrelevant to my career goals, but actually has a chance of achieving a small piece of fulfillment. If any of you take something away from this - don't let psych and grad school become your identity. It's too fickle.

[Psyche007]

5 hours ago, expensiveswimmer said:

Is it wrong to feel hopeless about this entire process? With the amount of people saying competition is only going to go up, I don't know if many people have the time or the energy to apply upwards of 5 times.

As I have posted elsewhere, the removal of the GRE will increase the number of unqualified applicants far more than qualified ones. The actual competition you might face probably won't be too much different, but it will be harder to differentiate yourself from the herd. Study for and take the damn GRE anyway and submit if you score well.

The quality of your personal statement will come into play. Unless you know your writing is strong, practice writing. Write anything: a poem, an article, a monologue about your favourite pet, whatever. Practice editing. Leave it alone for a few days and come back to it. Play with styles. Think about who you are and what you want to communicate to without spelling it out. Show, don't tell. Craft an engaging and persuasive personal story.

I enjoy mentoring and for whatever it's worth, I'm happy to answer DMs for potential applicants or give feedback on statement, time permitting. Do I know everything? Nope. Does everyone agree with my perception of what to work on? Nope. All I can say is that I'm happy to give an honest and thoughtful answer to any question I'm given. I had no guidance whatsoever for my own process, so I appreciate how lonely, confusing, and discouraging it can be. I'd like to help make it better.

[SocDevMum]

On 3/11/2021 at 11:19 AM, Psyche007 said:

Taking students fresh from undergrad and putting them into this environment perpetuates this issue.

Oh my gosh, so much THIS. I tell most of the young undergrads I mentor that they should really take at LEAST a year or two, get some experience under their belt, before applying for a PhD.  Or get a Masters, go out in the work force for 2-5 years and then apply. I know that our current economy makes this hard, I know that this is totally counter to what some advisors will tell you. But the person you are at 22 or 25 is not the person you want to spend the rest of your life being strapped to! The things that interest and motivate you at that age will change dramatically, and you need some time to get out and see what the actual world looks and works like before you can really begin to speak about what you want to study, what you want to change.

There's a reason that in many other countries, PhD candidates are in their 30s, 40s, 50s, compared to their early 20s here. I think they've got it right. I wanted to do Clinical Psych when I was a 20 yr old undergrad.  Then I took a job in business and had a first career working hands on with people.  I now know that I was never a great fit for Clinical Psych, and I would have been a miserable person if I had roped myself into that all those years ago. So, even though I am the oldest in my cohort, I have the benefit of knowing exactly what I don't want to do, and what I will and will not tolerate as far as unrealistic expectations. I can advocate for myself (and others) in a clear, concise, professional way that gets the message across.  I could never have done that as a 22 year old fresh out of undergrad. 

I am a firm believer that if you are meant to do something, the gates will open - when it's the right time. Not before. If it isn't this cycle, maybe it's next year. Or maybe it's in 3 years. Or maybe you are applying to the wrong kind of program, not the right research fit. If this cycle isn't it, you've been gifted with another 6 months to really examine yourself and your passions, and find ways to communicate that to others. Just make sure you are focusing on what really drives and fascinates you, because just getting the PhD will never be motivation enough to put yourself through the stress and pain of a 5-6 year PhD program, and PIs can read that in your statements and LORs.