Evaluate my app!

[swisnieski]

Hi all, hoping I could have my general qualifications for grad school evaluated. I'm a psychology major at a small public liberal arts college on the east coast, interested in pursuing a doctorate in social/personality or cognitive psych (not my first choice but it seems to be where all the resources are):

UGPA: 3.71 (psych-only 3.8, last two years 3.75)

Verbal GRE: 740

Quant GRE: 720

AW GRE: 4.5 (very disappointed )

I am anticipating publication of my senior thesis results in an undergraduate research journal sometime in the next few weeks. I'm also working as a research assistant for two professors simultaneously and have worked as one in a previous semester for the departmetn chair. I am an attached tutor (my school's equivalent of a TA) for a stretch-model introductory English course in which I basically teach for 50 minutes a week, and I tutor psychology, statistics, and writing at my school's academic support center. I expect, at the least, a VERY strong letter of recommendation from my department chair, a very good letter from my undergraduate advisor, and at least a good solid letter from the other professor for whom I am serving as a research assistant (but with whom I've never had any classes).

I'm applying to the following schools, in rough order of awesomeness of grad program: Yale, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Washington University in St. Louis, Johns Hopkins University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Maryland, Rice University, and Florida State (there's a brilliant professor there I'd like to study under).

Feedback would be much appreciated.

[cogneuroforfun]

Your stats look good, 4.5 AW doesn't matter. Depending on exactly what you want to study, cognitive might be a better area to apply to just because social likely gets more applicants for fewer spots (though that might be different for a specific program). You seem to be in good shape.

[shai]

That's a really impressive application you got ! What are your research interests ?

[swisnieski]

That's a really impressive application you got ! What are your research interests ?

Thanks... I'm worried the AWA score looks unimpressive to some of the better schools (I thought I blew that section outta the water) and that my research/teaching experience isn't competitive enough.

My senior thesis was on vengefulness and forgivingness, but at the grad level I'd really like to do some work on romantic attachments and the psychology of romantic break-ups.-

[grad101]

4.5 AW isn't too bad. I got that too. If you look at the interpretation of those scores on the back of your score report, you will see that its evaluation is pretty good (not the best--but still good).

[rogue]

It seems like a lot of schools pretty much disregard the AWA score anyway. As long as it's not completely incongruous with your verbal score (like, say a 750V/2.0AWA), it probably doesn't matter.

[shai]

My senior thesis was on vengefulness and forgivingness, but at the grad level I'd really like to do some work on romantic attachments and the psychology of romantic break-ups.-

That sounds interesting. I'm actually applying to the same schools as you are, but with weaker application material. I'm counting on schools liking my statement of purpose and maybe taking into account the fact that I'm a bit older and have been through some unique life experiences (compared to average american students).

However, I am glad that we are not into the same research interests, because if I was in an application commitee I would accept you and not myself !

[cheesethunder]

where you lookin at vivian zayas at cornell? if not then you should!

[NoleGirl]

Thanks... I'm worried the AWA score looks unimpressive to some of the better schools (I thought I blew that section outta the water) and that my research/teaching experience isn't competitive enough.

My senior thesis was on vengefulness and forgivingness, but at the grad level I'd really like to do some work on romantic attachments and the psychology of romantic break-ups.-

Sorry, I suppose I'm a little late (this is my first post on here and I overlooked the date)...

I was just wondering who is the professor you're speaking of at Florida State? Fincham? Baumeister? Maner?

Edited May 7, 2010 by NoleGirl

[juilletmercredi]

Don't pursue a program just because that's where "resources" are. I mean if there are legitimate connections between your interests and cognitive psychology, then by all means, get into it. But if you're really a social/personality person and you have no interest in cognition, then drop it. By no interest I'm not talking about workable interest and viable connections or even the potential; I'm talking about zero. Best case scenario you get rejected from all of the cog programs; worst case scenario, you get accepted into one and end up miserable there.

If you are interested in blending social and cognitive, and if there are any common interests with professors, consider Columbia - here you get a general PhD in psychology and you have the opportunity to "specialize" informally by working in labs with people. There are several students here who bridge social/personality research and cognitive psychology research. Working with more than one person is more the rule than the exception here. If you're interested in couples and close relationships my advisor, Niall Bolger, is pretty big in the world of couples research and has done a lot of research on stress in relationships.

Edited May 10, 2010 by juilletmercredi