Fall 2014 Applicant Thread!

[Socrates1]

ergh. Behavioral neuroscience here.

GPA: 3.3

GRE: 168 V 148 Q 5 W

Second author on one paper that's almost ready to submit, got a paper presentation and a few posters.

Couple years as a research assistant in a biopsychology lab.

My GPA sucks because my transition to college freshman year was rocky. Hopefully this won't matter because after freshman year my grades are much better and my cumulative goes up.

My GRE wasn't so hot because my brain had a blue screen of death in the first math section. I did much better on the second one, but the first one was pretty ugly. I've always been a terrible test taker. My adviser said that the GRE is kind of a horrible joke that isn't that important and she can mention in my LOR that my GRE won't reflect my ability. I know it's really late, but I'm going to retake it. I know I can get a better Q score just from being used to the testing environment.

I've got 2 LOR's locked in, meeting with the prof I hope for my third this week. He's been on sabbatical so he wasn't checking his email as much.

This whole application process is horrible.

Oh, and just for fun, while applying I'm also working 40+ hours a week for a nonprofit that has no problem throwing us employees under the bus in its pursuit of "the mission".

Edited October 21, 2013 by Socrates1

[tingski]

Hi, I wonder how much importance do the admission committee place on analytical writing scores. I got 164 for the verbal, 162 for the quantitative, and a sad 3.5 for the writing. Should I retake the GRE? Im planning to apply to PhD programs in social psychology and developmental. 

[psychgurl]

Hi, I wonder how much importance do the admission committee place on analytical writing scores. I got 164 for the verbal, 162 for the quantitative, and a sad 3.5 for the writing. Should I retake the GRE? Im planning to apply to PhD programs in social psychology and developmental. 

I think you're fine, especially if your statement of purpose is well written. I know that from what I've seen, Quant is the most important followed by Verbal followed by Writing. I'm not familiar with the new scoring system, but your Verbal seems high, right? That should be fine. 

[gellert]

Good god, I'm so behind.  Still haven't started my SOP.  Too focused on job + NSF app at the moment.  I'm sure analysis paralysis isn't helping much.

 

Anyone else in the same boat?

[gellert]

del. stats for anonymity

Edited October 22, 2013 by gellert

[StatsNerd]

Good god, I'm so behind.  Still haven't started my SOP.  Too focused on job + NSF app at the moment.  I'm sure analysis paralysis isn't helping much.

 

Anyone else in the same boat?

 

I haven't started mine either and I have a Nov 15th deadline. I'm finishing up a master's program so I have a thesis, TAing, classes, and a part-time job that eat up most of my time. I'm hoping to start a draft of my SOP in the next couple days...

[gellert]

I haven't started mine either and I have a Nov 15th deadline. I'm finishing up a master's program so I have a thesis, TAing, classes, and a part-time job that eat up most of my time. I'm hoping to start a draft of my SOP in the next couple days...

 

Oh good, that's a relief to hear.    I'm insanely busy too with my lab manager job, so it's hard to find the time, you know?

 

By the way, if it's not too much of an imposition, can you take a glance at my stats in the post above your reply and let me know what you think?  I'm probably being hyperanxious but a little validation-seeking never hurt anyone.

[StatsNerd]

Oh good, that's a relief to hear.    I'm insanely busy too with my lab manager job, so it's hard to find the time, you know?

 

By the way, if it's not too much of an imposition, can you take a glance at my stats in the post above your reply and let me know what you think?  I'm probably being hyperanxious but a little validation-seeking never hurt anyone.

 

I think your stats sound very competitive! I understand it must be hard after your experience applying right after undergrad, but it sounds like you've really improved your application since then. I also transferred schools in undergrad and had some medical withdraws as well. I came to an experimental master's program to get more research experience, raise my GPA (4.0 now, yay!), and hopefully make the gaps in my undergrad record less of an issue.

 

 

I'm feeling like I should have spent more time connecting with POIs overall... I didn't bother emailing profs who stated clearly on their website they were taking students. I'm a pretty shy person and didn't want to add to their probably already overflowing inbox. One POI in particular specifically said on her website NOT to email her though, so maybe I made the right choice? I have a friend applying to PhD programs in a different area and she's been having all these lengthy phone chats with POIs, so I feel kind of bad in comparison. I don't think that's normal though, especially in areas that get so many applicants each year. I swear though every day she's telling me about how she spoke with yet another POI on the phone and how great their connection was. Meanwhile I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs anxiously freaking out about what little contact I have had with a few POIs. 

[gellert]

I think your stats sound very competitive! I understand it must be hard after your experience applying right after undergrad, but it sounds like you've really improved your application since then. I also transferred schools in undergrad and had some medical withdraws as well. I came to an experimental master's program to get more research experience, raise my GPA (4.0 now, yay!), and hopefully make the gaps in my undergrad record less of an issue.

 

 

I'm feeling like I should have spent more time connecting with POIs overall... I didn't bother emailing profs who stated clearly on their website they were taking students. I'm a pretty shy person and didn't want to add to their probably already overflowing inbox. One POI in particular specifically said on her website NOT to email her though, so maybe I made the right choice? I have a friend applying to PhD programs in a different area and she's been having all these lengthy phone chats with POIs, so I feel kind of bad in comparison. I don't think that's normal though, especially in areas that get so many applicants each year. I swear though every day she's telling me about how she spoke with yet another POI on the phone and how great their connection was. Meanwhile I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs anxiously freaking out about what little contact I have had with a few POIs. 

 

Nice to see someone else in a similar boat.  Fingers crossed for both of us!  

 

There are some people I didn't email, either.  Primarily because I didn't have anything particular to say/ask, and I didn't want to flood their inboxes, really.  I only emailed POIs that either knew my current PI well, or for whom I had relevant questions about their work.  I feel a little bad about not emailing more people, but in the end I don't think it will hurt, whereas I think the conversations I had with the other POI + the networking will only help.

[natfilm]

very reassuring to hear that others haven't started their SOP's yet! I also have a Nov. deadline and kinda freaking out - but guess we are in the same boat!

[ldspsych]

Hello everyone! I haven't started my SOP yet either, still trying to decide if I should retake the GRE but probably not going to... I have a quick question, I'm applying to a few PsyD's, should I email faculty or people there? I'm really not sure what to say if I were to write them, they are not research based programs so I'm not sure... anyway, any help would be great.... good luck!

[Socrates1]

Just updating since I retook the GRE

 

169V

151Q

 

Don't have writing, but I got a 5 last time and think I did quite a bit better, so I'm pretty confident I'll get a decent score.

 

Not stellar, I know, but I added a point to verbal, and my quant is reasonably improved, considering timed math exams are the bane of my existence. My LoR writers say they plan on addressing that anyways to the effect it isn't really reflective of my abilities.

 

I'm almost glad it's too late to contemplate retaking the test. Two GRE's cost me a lot of money and stress. Now I have moderately better scores and no choice but to go with that.

[BeingThere]

Just got my Psych Subject GRE test score. 93rd percentile so I think it's decent. Two of the schools I'm applying to require it and one strongly recommends it. One of those schools state that it is a key consideration in admissions decisions. Hopefully this will help me!

[tingski]

Hi, a question about the resume/CV -- do you put the non-credit (audited) courses you take, at universities from which you did not receive any degree from? Moreover, if you're asked to give a psychology-related talk in non-academic settings (e.g. community centers) do you list them down as well? Thanks!

[BeingThere]

Hi, a question about the resume/CV -- do you put the non-credit (audited) courses you take, at universities from which you did not receive any degree from? Moreover, if you're asked to give a psychology-related talk in non-academic settings (e.g. community centers) do you list them down as well? Thanks!

 

I didn't list my coursework on my CV, but I've seen others' with a section for "relevant coursework".  I would leave audited courses off, but if you gained any skills from those courses you could list them under "skills" or whatever heading you choose for that.  IF you do list the audited courses, of course you want to clearly notate that you only audited them.

 

If you gave a talk about a psychology topic, you could list it but I don't know if it would mean much. Depends on how big a deal it was.  I gave a talk about research at an event on campus but I'm not going to list it because a) it wasn't a big deal, and b.) I have enough actual research presentations to list that I feel adding that would be padding. 

 

Hope that helps.

Edited October 29, 2013 by Bren2014

[ThePsychStudent]

For those of you that haven't finished your SOPs yet--don't worry! It will go more quickly than you think, especially if you give it to a bunch of people to edit. Mine went muchhhhh faster than I thought it would.

 

I am working on my applications, and one of the schools I am applying to is Simon Fraser. In their application, it asks about awards and distinctions. I have a couple of Psi Chi awards I will be including, but I was wondering what other types of awards they might be looking for in this section. Would this include financial aid awards in college, honors distinctions, etc.? It has a section for amounts, which makes me think that they are looking for monetary awards and distinctions, but I might just be reading into it too much...

[Cpsych92]

I would list everything, honors, awards, scholarships, any and everything.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Clark83

[C_Chattra]

Anybody applying to HGSE EdM in Human development and Psychology or EdM in Preventive Science and Practices?

[Cpsych92]

I am applying to PhD Clinical Psychology programs and am trying to narrow my list down to 10. Would anyone care to share where they are applying to? This whole process is so nerve wrecking!

[SportPsych30]

Sometimes, I get so excited that I'm not applying to Clinical programs. Good luck to everyone out there who is, I hope you also found a split second during your undergrad to have some "fun" 

[natfilm]

On 11/5/2013 at 9:37 PM, CKirb83 said:

I am applying to PhD Clinical Psychology programs and am trying to narrow my list down to 10. Would anyone care to share where they are applying to? This whole process is so nerve wrecking!

 

Sure this is where I'm applying to:

 

 

Northwestern University - Feinberg School of Medicine,

City University of New York,

Columbia Teachers College,

Long Island University, Brooklyn

Fairleigh Dickinson University

American University

WashU

Emory

[Cpsych92]

I know I am going to apply to

 

University of Alabama 

University of Tennessee

University of Florida

South Florida

Auburn 

University of Alabama - Birmingham 

than I have about 7 others I had looked at. I am not sure about Alabama or Tennessee. Is anyone else applying there? They seem very competitive, how do you determine if a school is very competitive? 

Edited November 6, 2013 by CKirb83

[tingski]

I know I am going to apply to

 

University of Alabama 

University of Tennessee

University of Florida

South Florida

Auburn 

University of Alabama - Birmingham 

than I have about 7 others I had looked at. I am not sure about Alabama or Tennessee. Is anyone else applying there? They seem very competitive, how do you determine if a school is very competitive? 

 

If you're applying to clinical programs, usually the schools would always put up the admissions statistics from the previous years on their websites. You will find information on how many applications they received, how many are offered admissions, how many matriculated, and their average GPA/ GRE. 

[tingski]

I'm finding that a lot of the schools I am applying to do not require a writing sample, but I'm nervous about not submitting them. Would not submitting a writing sample hurt my application in any way? Does anyone know how much admissions committees usually weigh writing samples (those that do not require them) if I submit them, and if I SHOULD submit a writing sample if my GRE scores are 170 verbal, 165 quantitative, and 4.0 (AARRGGHH) writing? I'm not a very strong writer (especially under a timed condition) and I'm afraid that submitting a writing sample when it's not actually required could hurt my application instead of balancing my GRE writing score. 

[Cpsych92]

I would only submit exactly what they ask for. My GRE scores are absolutely pitiful, embarrassing actually. I wondered if I even had a pulse when I took it. My combined score is 292, horrid. The schools I am applying to do not have a GRE cutoff but most suggest a combined of 300. I consider myself to be a very skilled writer and only received a 4.0. I am just trying to make it up with my CV. I have 4 posters and 2 publications. I have also completed graduate level work as an undergrad (psychology) with a 4.0. My psychology GPA is a 4.0 and at my current institution my GPA is a 3.87 but overall a 3.73 (I transferred in and had a bad semester due to divorce, it is a wonder I didn't drop the semester all together, at this point I am wishing I had. I can't retake anything though because I received at least a C in all the courses). 

 

I would just concentrate on beefing up your CV and showing your writing ability there (and with your sop). I am not a fan of the GRE and I think in some cases it is not an accurate predictor of success, there are exceptions, just show you are one! I would trade you scores BTW, I don't think yours are bad (pending how competitive the programs you are applying to are and if they have a cutoff)

Edited November 8, 2013 by CKirb83