I/O Applicants 2010!

[alexis]

Not sure if it helps, but an awesome book that my I/O faculty uses and I just ordered is Discovering Statistics Using SPSS by Andy Field (3rd ed.)

http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Statistics-Introducing-Statistical-Methods/dp/1847879071/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269460464&sr=8-1

[fuddy]

Hi guys! I hope the stress is starting to wind down for everyone.

I'm having a bit of a hard time choosing between TC Columbia and George Mason PhD programs, and would really love to hear any of your comments. At this point I think I'm leaning towards TC.

TC:

- Best fit for my research interests (I am very O); really felt like I belonged when I visited

- Only pays for tuition (and not even all of tuition after a few years), with no stipend. You can TA but that only makes 2-3 grand per semester. I have some money saved/am waiting to hear about a few external scholarships/can get a little help from my parents so would only have to take out a small loan if that. Also would have more time in general without having an assistantship/basically being employed there aka more independence

- NYC is really intimidating but also really exciting

- Though possibly not as prestigious in the academic field, I intend to do applied work and Columbia carries obvious prestige for trying to get a job.

- Liked the prospective students for my cohort

George Mason

- Good fit for interests

- Tuition + stipend

- Not as much a fan of Fairfax, but is close to DC

- I was really stressed/overwhelmed when I visited, but that could also be because it was my first visit

- Didn't really jive with the other prospective students for my cohort

- Requires that you TA and teach your own section of a class your first semester which really really freaks me out

Sorry so long - but so cathartic to write that all out! I welcome any comments and hope everyone winds up where they want to be!

[iopsych]

Hi guys! I hope the stress is starting to wind down for everyone.

I'm having a bit of a hard time choosing between TC Columbia and George Mason PhD programs, and would really love to hear any of your comments. At this point I think I'm leaning towards TC.

TC:

- Best fit for my research interests (I am very O); really felt like I belonged when I visited

- Only pays for tuition (and not even all of tuition after a few years), with no stipend. You can TA but that only makes 2-3 grand per semester. I have some money saved/am waiting to hear about a few external scholarships/can get a little help from my parents so would only have to take out a small loan if that. Also would have more time in general without having an assistantship/basically being employed there aka more independence

- NYC is really intimidating but also really exciting

- Though possibly not as prestigious in the academic field, I intend to do applied work and Columbia carries obvious prestige for trying to get a job.

- Liked the prospective students for my cohort

George Mason

- Good fit for interests

- Tuition + stipend

- Not as much a fan of Fairfax, but is close to DC

- I was really stressed/overwhelmed when I visited, but that could also be because it was my first visit

- Didn't really jive with the other prospective students for my cohort

- Requires that you TA and teach your own section of a class your first semester which really really freaks me out

Sorry so long - but so cathartic to write that all out! I welcome any comments and hope everyone winds up where they want to be!

My thoughts:

- If you plan on going applied you are really limiting your area of expertise by going to an O dominant program. (I am not completely aware of the expertise you obtain at TC, but if you can come out of a program saying you have expertise in selection, training, job analysis, methods, etc. and you also specialize in leadership and motivation (examples), you have a much more tangible skill set to potential employers). I am not trying to knock O, but as far as direct impacts on organizations O is still very theoretical, whereas I has very real value added.

- As far as teaching goes, I think everyone is nervous the first time they stand in front of individuals. I myself was thinking how can I be teaching people 2-3 years younger than me....You quickly find out despite the fact you know very little, you know much more than they do. I am an instructor of record for a class out of our area of expertise (social based class) and I am doing just fine. You realize everything you have learned can apply in other areas.

-The cohort thing could be a problem to consider...you will be spending a lot of time with them.

-If I were you and wanted to go applied I would go to George Mason. It carries a ton of prestige in the field and despite the fact you think TC carries with it the university prestige. I/O is a very small field and everyone in it knows GMU is a very good school. Also keep in fact you would most likely be in more debt at TC than at GMU.

- Keep in mind this is just my opinion, I would strongly suggest you consult with others (perhaps professors in the field, etc.). I hope this helps.

Edited March 25, 2010 by iopsych

[MissRyan]

Not sure if it helps, but an awesome book that my I/O faculty uses and I just ordered is Discovering Statistics Using SPSS by Andy Field (3rd ed.)

http://www.amazon.co...69460464&sr=8-1

Thanks Alexis! I scanned this book on Amazons book viewer, and it seems great-- also, I love the way it is written (humor in a stats book?? Amazing!!)

Thanks again

[mks483]

Akron, Maryland, and South Florida...what are their deals? No word yet and it's almost April! I'm sure that means its not good news, but still they should let us know soon I think.

Everyone know where they want to go yet? Or are they still undecided/up in the air like me?

[Jillybean]

Akron, Maryland, and South Florida...what are their deals? No word yet and it's almost April! I'm sure that means its not good news, but still they should let us know soon I think.

Everyone know where they want to go yet? Or are they still undecided/up in the air like me?

Usf sent me a no a few weeks ago.

Maryland has been mum

didn't apply to Akron

and I'm still in limbo as well

:-/

[fuddy]

My thoughts:

- If you plan on going applied you are really limiting your area of expertise by going to an O dominant program. (I am not completely aware of the expertise you obtain at TC, but if you can come out of a program saying you have expertise in selection, training, job analysis, methods, etc. and you also specialize in leadership and motivation (examples), you have a much more tangible skill set to potential employers). I am not trying to knock O, but as far as direct impacts on organizations O is still very theoretical, whereas I has very real value added.

- As far as teaching goes, I think everyone is nervous the first time they stand in front of individuals. I myself was thinking how can I be teaching people 2-3 years younger than me....You quickly find out despite the fact you know very little, you know much more than they do. I am an instructor of record for a class out of our area of expertise (social based class) and I am doing just fine. You realize everything you have learned can apply in other areas.

-The cohort thing could be a problem to consider...you will be spending a lot of time with them.

-If I were you and wanted to go applied I would go to George Mason. It carries a ton of prestige in the field and despite the fact you think TC carries with it the university prestige. I/O is a very small field and everyone in it knows GMU is a very good school. Also keep in fact you would most likely be in more debt at TC than at GMU.

- Keep in mind this is just my opinion, I would strongly suggest you consult with others (perhaps professors in the field, etc.). I hope this helps.

Thanks so much for your advice!

I'm hesitant to say that I would have really different job outlooks coming out of either program, because ultimately I personally don't want to be doing job analyses (or other very I things)as a career. I want to find something more O to do - organizational change/development, conflict resolution, training, diversity, who knows. TC is a really balanced program and it seems like I could find something I really like there. I also assume that some industry jobs are looking for applicants that are from various kinds of organizational fields, not just I/O, so they might not know exactly what academics in the field think in terms of rankings. Do you think that's wrong to assume? I guess I don't really know! I'm coming from an undergrad school with no I /O faculty so I've really just been trying to figure this out on my own. Thanks again for your comments, I really appreciate the input!

[iopsych]

Thanks so much for your advice!

I'm hesitant to say that I would have really different job outlooks coming out of either program, because ultimately I personally don't want to be doing job analyses (or other very I things)as a career. I want to find something more O to do - organizational change/development, conflict resolution, training, diversity, who knows. TC is a really balanced program and it seems like I could find something I really like there. I also assume that some industry jobs are looking for applicants that are from various kinds of organizational fields, not just I/O, so they might not know exactly what academics in the field think in terms of rankings. Do you think that's wrong to assume? I guess I don't really know! I'm coming from an undergrad school with no I /O faculty so I've really just been trying to figure this out on my own. Thanks again for your comments, I really appreciate the input!

No Problem. Like I said you very obviously know more about the particular curriculum at TC than I do, so that is good if it is balanced. You also may end up liking I, the last two areas of interest you mentioned (Training and Diversity) are I topics, haha. I was not suggesting that you would end up doing nothing but job analyses, I was simply saying those skills are extremely important to have and while you may not want to work at a job where that is all you do most jobs would prefer you have those skills in case a job analysis is ever needed, perhaps to develop a new selection or training system.

As far as industry, what are you looking for? Most individuals who work in applied settings either work in applied research, or as a consultant (whether that be internal or external) and all of them usually come from an I/O background, especially in external consulting, so I was not really referring to how academics would rank them. Keep in mind a lot of the large organizations (Microsoft, Chase, Bank of America, etc.) are represented at SIOP so the individuals recruiting from those types of organizations (if you wanted to go internal) are also familiar with the quality of programs through such conferences.

But you also have to weigh in your personal preferences, because you will be dealing with your cohort, the faculty, and the university for the next 4-5 years. That is a long time to be somewhere you do not really like. Good luck with the decision!

I was in basically the same shoes as you 3 years ago, did not have many contacts to talk to and knew no one going into the area, so I feel like I should come back and help out others now that I have some experience, so feel free to ask any more questions you have.

[OrgScienceGrad]

But you also have to weigh in your personal preferences, because you will be dealing with your cohort, the faculty, and the university for the next 4-5 years. That is a long time to be somewhere you do not really like. Good luck with the decision!

I agree... your "fit" with the people and culture can definitely affect your success in a program (hence why person-org fit is an important topic in I/O). Being strapped for cash isn't fun either, but if you're going applied you should be able to pay off any student loans pretty quickly after you graduate

I wish you luck as well!

[shamrock]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the site- a little late in the game I know. But I was wondering if anyone on here has gotten into the George Mason or George Washington PhD program? I got wait listed at both of those so I was just curious if I could get a sense of what my chances are at this point.

[ATJacks]

Has anyone accepted or rejected their offer to either BGSU or St. Louis University? Also, have people made their decisions of where they are going next year? I have not decided yet, and I feel like I am the only one.

[amiddleton]

I'll be joining the good folks at Appalachian State.