Experiment proposal?

[Applemiu]

Hi all,

 

I am a Psych major, I will apply next year, but I've started to look at the process. I have a question: I have read that one of the best way to stand out as an applicant is to submit an experimental proposal to your POI. One of my professors said that's the way she got into Harvard. Now what's the best way to do that? When you contact your POI via email? Or in the SoP? What do you think? Has anybody done something like that?

 

Thank you!

[lewin]

I think emailing a proposal to your POI is a "too much, too soon" situation, like talking about how you really want to get married on a first date. A sentence or two in your email describing the ideas in which you're interested, in broad strokes, is probably fine though.

 

Pitching a study or two in your SoP also seems appropriate.

[PsychGirl1]

^ Agree, SOP and interviews seem like the appropriate times. On almost all of my interviews, I got asked the "if you could do any study you wanted right now, what would it be?" type of question. Having a baller response to that is a sure way to impress your POI :-D. Whipping out a 10-page typed proposal, not so much.

 

Then again, if you REALLY wanted to throw it in there, then maybe in the email to your POI, you could be like "I'm interested in studying XYZ, such as <one sentence study idea>." But then, you'll have to make sure it's a good and unique idea- it's probably safest to leave it out.

[Guest |||]

A research proposal is overkill, a sentence summary with your basic idea and means of getting there is excellent.

[Applemiu]

Thanks a lot for your advices! It's clearer now.