Finding "matching schools" first? Do I stand a chance?

[mess]

Hello, 

 

I'm thinking of applying to developmental psychology phd programs this fall but I'm really worried about my current qualifications and finding matching schools. I've been on the web for past few days trying to search for a "matching/suitable school" before getting my hands on the SOP. My plan is to find few schools that would match my current gpa/gre score and then narrow them down by looking up to see if the professor's interest match mine. Do I even stand a chance at applying to a phd program? I feel very lost. Any input would be extremely helpful.  

 

Here's my qualifications

 

GPA: 3.3/4.0 at a well ranked liberal arts school 

GRE: 162V, 159Q, 4/6 (I might take it again this October) 

Worked in two University Lab for a little over a year but no publications. 

Volunteered at a local autism center for a little less than a year. 

Various teaching experience with children  

 

 

 

[PsychGirl1]

What I would do, if those are going to be your stats when you apply... may be a bit more tedious than other people's approaches:

Get one of those Psych Program books that list all of the programs and their stats (they have those for dev psych, right?). I used 2 for clinical psych for mine. Then go through and look at representative stats for each program, as well as info about each program, and start a spreadsheet where you list all the programs that look interesting and you might be a good fit. For example, if the average GPA is 3.9/4.0 and the GRE scores are significantly higher than yours, it would be a stretch program- but that doesn't mean you shouldn't apply if it will still be a great fit. If it's a so-so fit, take it off your list. Then once you have a list of programs (mine was probably 100 long), read about each program in-depth and the professors/research, and start narrowing down from there. Then when I had a shorter list, I ran it by some people in my field, and took off a few programs/profs and added a few based on feedback.

 

To be honest, I think stats are less important than fit- it becomes quite obvious on an interview whether or not it will be a good fit. I got interviews at more competitive schools that were better fits, and no interviews at less competitive schools that weren't. So this is really the most important process. Don't be scared to apply to some schools that have better stats than yours, but be realistic in the number you apply to (ex. don't apply to 3 programs and expect to get in).

 

Good luck!

[Guest |||]

Applying is of course sometimes a bit of a gamble.  If we knew whether or not we would be accepted we wouldn't have to pay those pesky application fees for places where we know we stand no chance!

 

Your stats could easily get you into certain schools, 50/50 split for other schools, and an unlikely acceptance for others still.

 

My advise wouldn't be to first look at where you can and cannot be accepted, but first find schools you like, people you can work with, programs that fit.

 

It will do you no good to work the other way round and find schools you can be accepted into based on stats, only to find no supervisor you are interested in, a lousy program, or a school you would otherwise never attend.

 

Once you have some sort of list of schools you are interested in, consider looking into their stats, how they weigh grades, gre score, research, etc.  Consider contacting the person you wish to work with, sometimes a word to a professor can be a aid in applications.  Importantly, ask if they will be accepting new students or not - you might have perfect statistics, but if the supervisor isn't accepting new students, that is the unfortunate situation of having nowhere to go within the school.

[PhDplease!]

I agree with PsychGirl and NicholasCage, I too am a little nervous about my chances of being accepted because of my stats. I believe a good approach would be to first find schools that you have the best fit with, regardless of the "caliber" of students they usually admit. I would then use other important criteria to narrow my list such as funding availability, work done at the institution and environment. I would compare my stats with previous classes only as the final criterion because if the fit is amazing and an applicant has the ability to succeed an admissions committee would do themselves a disservice if they do not consider that student. Granted stats are used to predict ability, but experiences can also lead to valid conclusions about ability such as research experiences, letters from references and internships.