Thoughts on my application

[alexmar2014]

Hey guys,

 

 

So I am applying to psychology Ph.D programs for the fall of 2016. However, I graduated from a good school in 2014 with a 3.4 GPA in economics and minored in math. I got 160/160 on my GRE. The thing is I do not have any formal research experience in psychology. I am trying to volunteer in a lab this summer, but this is where I lack. Also, I recently left my economics Ph.D program because it was simply not that interesting. Psychology has been a hobby of mine for a long time so I figure why not do something I enjoy. I am interested in social psychology mostly and plan on applying to programs primarily in the western US. What do you guys think? Any suggestions on where I have a chance, assuming there are faculty whose interests match mine? If you guys also have any ideas as far as good programs I may not know about, that would also be appreciated! Here are places I plan on applying so far:

 

U of Oregon

UC Boulder

U Washington

UC Davis

UT Austin

Edited July 2, 2015 by alexmar2014

[avidman]

Hi alexmar2014,

 

When it comes to grad school admissions, research experience matters (like, it really matters). It is good that you are trying to volunteer in a lab, but I don’t think that will be enough. From what I have heard, in order to “prove” yourself to the grad admissions committee, you’ll need good quality experience (not necessarily any publications, but more than a summer’s worth I believe). You will also need to take the Subject GRE test for Psychology. For that test, you need to get a borderline max score, since the test is relatively easy in the sense that most candidates who take it do very well.

 

For psych programs, I think a 3.5+ is the normal, so with anything less, you’ll need to make up for it in other domains and such. As for your GREs, your math school is better than most psych applicants, but your verbal is just average for the top schools (especially for social psych).

 

As for the school selection, you picked some tough ones to get into (especially U Oregon). The good thing is that you are graduate school material in economics, and social psych and economics go hand in hand.

 

ALL OF THAT SAID, I do think you have a good shot if you play your cards correctly.

 

Here are my tips:

• Do well in the Subject test, and I mean really well.
• Try to get a jam-packed summer’s worth or more for psych experience.
• Apply to programs or talk to professors that incorporate economics to their research, as it will help bridge the gap with your credentials (again, social and econ mesh well).
• Networking borderline supersedes all, so if you can find someone in a program that LIKES you, then you will have an edge on all of the other appliants.
• Your GRE scores are good. I don’t think you should bother retaking.
• Having a math minor will help with stats, which is important.
• If you have any technical skills (programming, task administration, etc.), make sure they shine in your resume. Otherwise, acquire some.
• It may be worth considering more/other schools, since you picked a tough batch.

 

Best of luck!

[FinallyAccepted]

Before you start, you will want to make sure you know what specifically within social psychology you'll want to study, and having experience with research could help narrow that down for you. Make sure that you are picking places to study based on the fact that your research fits there.

 

Realistically, you'll want to cast a wide net of places that you have a good research fit, because there's always the possibility that you have fit with a professor who doesn't end up taking students for funding reasons lowering your pool of places to apply. I don't know how similar econ PhD programs are to psych PhD programs but that'll be one of the most important things for your successful application.

 

Social is super competitive. I believe (don't quote me as I'm not yet there) that CU-B Social took 2 new students this year. 

[alexmar2014]

Before you start, you will want to make sure you know what specifically within social psychology you'll want to study, and having experience with research could help narrow that down for you. Make sure that you are picking places to study based on the fact that your research fits there.

 

Realistically, you'll want to cast a wide net of places that you have a good research fit, because there's always the possibility that you have fit with a professor who doesn't end up taking students for funding reasons lowering your pool of places to apply. I don't know how similar econ PhD programs are to psych PhD programs but that'll be one of the most important things for your successful application.

 

Social is super competitive. I believe (don't quote me as I'm not yet there) that CU-B Social took 2 new students this year. 

 

Thanks a lot for the help. I am looking at social programs all over and many have really cool research going on, but how can I get research experience now? I left my econ Ph.D program in March. What made you successful at being accepted at CU-B?

[FinallyAccepted]

Thanks a lot for the help. I am looking at social programs all over and many have really cool research going on, but how can I get research experience now? I left my econ Ph.D program in March. What made you successful at being accepted at CU-B?

 

 

I have a Masters in General Psychology, and while I didn't specifically ask them why they chose me over others (don't need them reviewing that decision too much...  ), that might have been part of it. This was also my second year applying to PhD programs. So you might not be able to immediately jump to another PhD program, you might even start looking to volunteer to work in someone's (who you'd like to work with) lab. Before I was accepted this year I was starting to apply to lab jobs for next year because I knew that I probably needed more research experience and the possibility of a publication to be a competitive applicant if I tried again for year 3.

[Mastershaakti]

This is all good advice. From someone who changed their research interests/discipline during my mid-masters to social psych, I might be able to offer unique insight to what you will face. First, be very careful approaching POIs with your econ background. The fields may be similar, but their not really that similar. For instance, most economic theories view human decision-making as rational whereas social psychologists tend not to share the same optimism. Moreover, some academics are snobs when it comes to field prestige as they believe their field or method to be somewhat superior (or at least more interesting) to another. This isn't a blanket statement, but you'd be wise to "feel-out" each POI's position on this before making or acting on any type of assumptions. In similar vein, make a compelling case of why you wish to switch disciplines regardless of how your POI feels. At the end of the day, they will be taking a big risk on selecting you over other equally (or sometimes more) qualified candidates. Generally, they would rather not waste their time and resources on a student who will drop-out because you become disinterested in the discipline or research, which is apparently what you're doing with economics. Lastly, the most important aspect in the process of finding a good "fit" (assuming you have multiple offers on the table), is going with a mentor/advisor whom you will be able to best work with, as the working relationship with one's mentor tends to be the strongest predictor of graduate school success. I hope this information helps with your application process. Good luck!

Edited July 10, 2015 by Mastershaakti

[mb712]

This isn't really fair to you, but it seems like a lot of social psychologists just get annoyed with economists and economist theories specifically, at a higher degree than annoyance with theories from other disciplines. I would echo the post above, be careful how you approach things.

[decima.tion]

I was also a former econ PhD wannabe (never finished my application cycle because I panicked and realized I couldn't find POIs because I didn't want to do any of the research currently going on in the field!) What area of Social Psych are you most interested in? With your econ background, you would be a great match for I/O Psych if you haven't considered that before.

[_kita]

Social psychology is one of the most competitive programs in psychology to get into. They're looking for fit, so, in your case, it will be tricky to prove it with minimal/non-existent research experience. You may want to narrow your choices are really find out the best way to market yourself. I suggest looking at maybe some I/O programs as well, and see if they're research interests you as well. They have a social element, but would help demonstrate a link. There's also some research in economic decision-making, etc.