Curious about applying to two different programs with two different interests...

[sje]

I recently overheard two fellow undergrads talking about where they were applying to grad programs and what not, and one of them was saying that she had two different main areas of research interest and so she was applying to some programs with one area and some other programs focusing on the other. They aren't really that similar (forensic anthro and genetics), so I was just curious... is this looked down upon? I was under the impression that you should be applying to programs with at least your general field nailed down.. am i wrong?

[MJordano]

Maybe there's a career she has in mind that utilizes both genetics and forensics. Many programs are interdisciplinary or allow you to have a concentration in different areas. Perhaps the genetic programs she's interested in allow you to take coursework related to forensic pathology?

Many psych programs are also interdisciplinary. Whether you apply to one program at one school as opposed to a different program at the other has a lot to do with the faculty you are interested in working with. I'm interested in cognitive neuroscience and cognitive psych questions across the lifespan (especially in the elderly). I'm applying to cognitive psych programs, cognitive neuro programs and developmental programs with faculty that address issues related to cognitive and language development.

[Eigen]

I applied to several different programs with different interests. The applications were very different (to highlight different things), and I chose different letter writers for each.

Some of our best applicants (most competitive) the last couple of years have been applying not just to different subfields, but different fields entirely- Biophysics, Chemical Biology, Molecular Biology, for instance.