Question about my chances for a PhD program

[galipettes]

Sorry for posting one of these topics, but I was just feeling really discouraged and nervous.

So here are my credentials-

major: honors in Psychology minors: French, Environmental Policy

my cumulative gpa: 3.198 (not including current semester's coursework)

major gpa: 3.724

I took my GREs twice and did not do so well...

I was above the 80th percentile for verbal and writing the first time around, 70th percentile the 2nd.

My quantitative scores are horrendous... 30th &50th percentiles.

I have research experience with 3 different labs, one cog sci, one developmental, and one person/soc psychology.

I'm still doing research in the personality/social lab and doing an honors thesis right now.

I feel like my grades are so sub par that I don't have a chance of getting in anywhere.

I have corresponded with a few POIs but I'm not sure if that means anything.

The schools I'm applying to, I know some are complete reaches but I don't know if they're all reach schools...

Northwestern, Boston College, UMD-cp, Northeastern, UC Davis.

All for a social/personality phd.

I apologize in advance for my long post!

[antikantian]

This might not mean much since I'm not in a psychology PhD program, but my research does cross-over into social psych, and I know a few people from undergrad that applied to psych programs. At any rate, to be blunt, both your GPA and GRE are low, as you say. I would really suggest that you apply to MA programs and really excel, so you can demonstrate that you can do PhD-level work and then apply to PhD programs. I know a few people who overcame low u-grad stats via this method.

Yeah, it kind of sucks that a lot of PhD admissions are stats-based during initial rounds, but committees don't really know you, and they can't look at every single app holistically. You could potentially be the greatest psychologist to have ever lived, but grad committees need to not only assess your skills in a particular field, but also your ability and desire to professionalize. I know a few really brilliant people who weren't able to complete graduate school because they weren't committed enough to the discipline as a profession. I'm not saying this applies to you, since I don't know you; I only say it generally. MA work will really go a long way towards demonstrating both of these factors.

[bellefast]

I hate what you are feeling. I feel this too. I am not in your field but research goes a long way. More often than not many people do not have much research experience and you need to focus on that and on stating that the best way possible. I don't focus too much on GRE and GPA mine is bad too but rather I work on stuff I can fix such as writing samples and research, that said, apply to MA programs as well. Good Luck

[galipettes]

well, it's too late to start applying to MA programs right now... My grades do show an upwards trajectory, so I'm hoping that they'll see the steady improvement? Honestly, I just did so poorly my freshman year but my other semesters, I have been on dean's list and such... i don't know.

[LCBucky]

Agreed with everyone....worry less about GRE scores and GPA and more about the other positive qualities you bring to the table in the end, GRE scores and GPA are not THE deciding factors

[watson]

I'm in the social psych PhD program at Northwestern. We have people here who got worse grades than you, but they are the exception to the rule and usually took a year off to work in a lab full time or as a lab manager. You've already applied to at this point just wait and see. However, in the mean time, start planning for the future in case you don't get in (and honestly your research experience has way more pull than the grades once you pass the first cut...your GPA is enough to keep you in the running, its the GRE scores that are a bit low). If you don't get in this year, retake the GRE and study like hell. DO NOT APPLY TO MASTERS PROGRAMS. The sad truth of it is that getting a masters in this field does NOT help you at ALL unless you weren't a psych major in undergrad. All the schools you listed will make you redo the MA/MS anyway as part of the PhD program and it won't get you out of school any faster (plus it is a huge amount of money). If you don't get in, try to find a full-time position in a lab as an RA or lab manager (I happen to know at least one social psych lab at NU is currently looking for applicants for a lab manager position...)

[galipettes]

I'm in the social psych PhD program at Northwestern. We have people here who got worse grades than you, but they are the exception to the rule and usually took a year off to work in a lab full time or as a lab manager. You've already applied to at this point just wait and see. However, in the mean time, start planning for the future in case you don't get in (and honestly your research experience has way more pull than the grades once you pass the first cut...your GPA is enough to keep you in the running, its the GRE scores that are a bit low). If you don't get in this year, retake the GRE and study like hell. DO NOT APPLY TO MASTERS PROGRAMS. The sad truth of it is that getting a masters in this field does NOT help you at ALL unless you weren't a psych major in undergrad. All the schools you listed will make you redo the MA/MS anyway as part of the PhD program and it won't get you out of school any faster (plus it is a huge amount of money). If you don't get in, try to find a full-time position in a lab as an RA or lab manager (I happen to know at least one social psych lab at NU is currently looking for applicants for a lab manager position...)

Thank you! that was a really helpful response. I know that my quantitative scores really brought me down and the change in the test format took me off guard. Does it not matter that I have been a RA for 3 years & conducting my "own" research?

[watson]

It will certainly help, and that is actually why I think it was good that you applied this cycle--other than your quant score you have a pretty good score-set with that amount of research experience. If you had killer letters of rec and a killer statement of purpose then you stand a shot--but as you know there is no good way to predict chances of getting in because so much depends on luck, finances of your POI, and personal fit. From what I can tell by the way my POI looks at applicants, your scores would put you in the "maybe" pile--the one that gets a closer look at letters and essay. Since you have good research experience, if your letters/essay rocked you stand a chance. I will say though that GPA and GRE scores matter less if you take a year or two off and do full-time RA/LM duties, so even if you don't get in this year, your chances improve a lot in the next cycle.