What is a good program fit for me!

[jaketarrence]

Hello!

 

I am currently a junior. I have been looking at a bunch of graduate school information and i feel like i am psyching myself out (pun intended).

 

I currently have a GPA of 3.6, with my previous transfer gpa of 3.9. I have only done two quarters at this university, so i should finish with a much higher gpa, pssoibly 3.8-3.9.

 

I am currently working as a research assistant for a prof in the sociology department. Our university's research programs for psychology all start int he fall.

 

I also have been working as an applied beahvior analyst/therapist for the past year. This deals with creating programs and tutopring social/life skills.

 

I KNOW i want to pursue a Ph.D.

 

I have been looking all across forums, and everyone is saying how compettive Ph.D programs are. I plan on doing a research based phd. I am still considering school counseling, but would prefer a research based program.

 

I am truly up in the air for what type of research i would like to do. I love developmental and social, almost everything about them.

 

Does anyone know of any programs that would be a good fit for me? Would i be a compettive applicant with my lack of pyschology based research, or does my ABA job make up for this.

 

I would love any and all advice. I am the first person in my family to go to a university, let alone graduate school. I have very few people to turn to for advice!

 

Thanks everyone! I am looking forward to your replies!

[PsychGirl1]

Figure out your interests first, then you can figure out what is a good program.

[jaketarrence]

I am more curious as to how i relate to other applicants, in general. I don't know how this relates to top notch programs vs lower programs. I am honestly just trying to find a program i am pretty much guranteed to get accepted in. I only have the finances to really apply for 5 places, and not getting in to any of them would be a reallllll bummer.

[Zencarrot]

Figure out your interests first, then you can figure out what is a good program.

 

This.

 

You are much more likely to be accepted into a program if your research interests match the faculty members you are applying to work with. Your GPA and GRE scores need to be at a high level, but these are something that every other applicant will have. If you want a better shot at admission (there is no such thing as "guaranteed" admission to a Master's or PhD program as far as I know!), you need to customize your application to the school and the faculty member you want to work with.

 

So in short, step 1 is to clearly define your research interests. Read literature, keep your eyes open on a daily basis for potential research questions, and keep working as an RA if you can. The more research experience you have going into a program the better. If that research experience is related to the research interests you outline in your statment of intent/purpose, then all the better. But do not let the topics you have pursued in the past (as an RA) restrict your future interests.

 

Hope this is of some help to you.

[clinicalpsychphd]

For a research-heavy program, research fit would be the most important factor in your admission. You can have stellar "numbers"(i.e. over 3.7) but if you do not have a good research fit with the advisor you are applying to, a student with lower gpa with a great fit can get accepted over you. Of course, higher gpa and gre scores will only make you more competitive, but I found that research experience and fit are the most important factors.

[PsychGirl1]

Agree with everyone else. I applied to 12 schools this cycle, and I got invited to interview at some very high-ranking schools, and some fairly low-ranking places didn't invite me to interview. However, everywhere I got invited to interview, I was excited about- and everywhere I didn't get invited, I didn't care. And after interviewing, when I felt like the fit was RIGHT- I got accepted. And when there were some things I was hesitant about- I got waitlisted. Somehow, the application cycle becomes this sort of speed dating round where you're still disappointed when the other person rejects you, but you also know that you didn't really like them either. Factors like mutual research interests with the prof, where the professor is taking their research/lab in the future, the program (clinical vs non-clinical, social, health, etc.), the school location, and the other students in the lab/program all play a role in the matchmaking process. Because of this, many people apply to 10-15+ programs and are lucky to get into one or two programs that are a great fit for them.

 

Honestly, this isn't something you rush. I'd take a few years off to do research, save money for application, and figure out your research interests and career goals.

[RubyBright]

It can be a little overwhelming at first, but a good way to figure out what types of research you're interested in are the program/faculty pages. For example, you might go to the website of a university you're interested in, find the developmental program, see which faculty are part of it, then look at the research each of them is doing. Or social, or whatever else you like as a broad field. What you're looking for is a professor whose lab is doing specific research projects that you would want to be a part of.

[ShiningInShadows]

I am more curious as to how i relate to other applicants, in general. I don't know how this relates to top notch programs vs lower programs. I am honestly just trying to find a program i am pretty much guranteed to get accepted in. I only have the finances to really apply for 5 places, and not getting in to any of them would be a reallllll bummer.

 

How you relate to other applicants is going to depend on who else is applying, not just the school. Maybe you should focus on yourself than getting in at all costs. If you aren't focusing on where you want to go with this then it's not going to do you much good, and it's pretty much guaranteed that if you interview some of the questions will be why you chose the school (more than a slam dunk admission) and why you want/what you want to do with your degree.

[BeingThere]

How you relate to other applicants is going to depend on who else is applying, not just the school. Maybe you should focus on yourself than getting in at all costs. If you aren't focusing on where you want to go with this then it's not going to do you much good, and it's pretty much guaranteed that if you interview some of the questions will be why you chose the school (more than a slam dunk admission) and why you want/what you want to do with your degree.

This.

 

In addition to ShiningInShadows, my suggestion is to get involved in psych research in the fall and put off applying for another year.  Get lots of psychology research experience.  This will accomplish two things:  1) you'll figure out what your actual research interests are, and 2) you'll be a more competitive candidate for psych PhD programs.

 

IF you get into a PhD program, you are going to spend 5 to 7 years of your life in a very intense environment.  You say you know you want to get into a PhD program, and presumably, you mean a psychology PhD program, but if you don't know what you want to research, then you're putting the cart before the horse.  It's like saying you want to get married.  It's a fine goal, but if you're not even regularly dating someone yet, it would be strange to go ahead and plan the wedding.

[JungWild&Free]

Everything everyone said above is right.  There's no way to recommend programs when you haven't narrowed down your interests.  There are a ton! 

 

But, in the meantime, the best way to be competitive in a "generic" fashion is to have a good GPA and a great major GPA, a competitive GRE score (which depends on the school's standards and the other people applying as someone mentioned above), and as much research experience as possible, preferably in your intended area.  I would suggest looking into the research going on at your school, maybe talking to some professors you might be interested in working for in the psych department and try out a lab in the psych department.  I am starting a Social PhD in the Fall and I worked in a Developmental lab as an undergrad.  It still counted as research experience, but it isn't nearly as relevant as working in the Social lab when you are applying for a Social degree.  It would make you the most competitive to have direct experience in your intended area. 

 

I think the next steps for you are to do a little lit searching about what is going on in your department, see what kind of stuff excites you and then apply to work in a lab or two, keep your grades up and make sure you nail the GRE.  If you haven't already, take a Developmental and a Social Psych course, you will start to realize what draws you in more.  Once you narrow down your interests, you'll be able to find the programs that are a good fit for you.  Making sure programs are a good fit is the best way to be competitive.

Edited April 25, 2013 by JungWild&Free