Hunting for a Program, I'm STUCK. help please.

[Shady G]

How do I find out about programs? and what they consist of?

My question I've had since 10th grade is why do Republicans and Democrats think differently? 

~How can one group of liberals ignore science when it comes to vaccines and critique conservatives for the whole climate change is a myth thing.

~How do these seemingly-neat categories come to be, 

~What holds them together,

~How can we educate ourselves to stay as true to ourselves without falling for fallacies that effect the lives of SO many people outside of ourselves.

 

Here's what i'm working with:

•  Sociological honors research project on church member's (of a single church) beliefs
• 3.774 gpa after transfer at UCLA
• 3.8-3.9 at SMC (I had one F that I retook)
• readings, and hundred of hours of podcasts on the subjects of interest listened to
• 2 years ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) experience working with an autism spectrum population

Here are my worries:

• I did my undergrad in Gender Studies and Sociology
• I'm missing basic psych classes
• I have not done research in 2 years
• I don't have a decent writing sample
• Haven't touched the GRE yet

 

Advice? tips? Who can I talk to? Which schools should I be looking at?

 

 

 

 

~ Georgiy

P.S. I would love a program that includes the core ABA classes, so I can do them the first two years getting a Master's and continue on with a PhD transferring the classes as part of the same program.

[IR44]

You might look at schools with faculty who specialize in political psychology. Are you looking specifically at political science  PhD programs? I imagine you are because you posted in the political science forum, but it makes a big difference if you aren't. You don't have to be a political scientist to explore the kinds of questions you're asking, you could also do it from a sociological, etc perspective. Since you have experience in sociology, this might be a good option. In terms of writing sample (and SoP), you need to be able to convey that you understand what political science research actually is. I'd recommend reading some leading journals-- even if the articles aren't directly relevant to your field. I'm not overly certain which schools you should be specifically looking at, but I'd recommend looking at the US News rankings and going from there. Look at faculty pages and read CVs, work to get an understanding of what core faculty work on. Even if you put together a strong application, it may not matter if you apply to places that aren't strong in your area. Finally, if you're planning on applying this cycle, you really should start looking at GRE preparation. I had a 34 on the ACT in reading and have an above average vocabulary, and I still got an underwhelming score on the verbal in my first diagnostic test. It takes practice and perseverance, but a strong score can really help your applications. 

[deutsch1997bw]

1. If you have a paper from a class that is somewhat decent, but not quite there yet, ask the professor that taught the class if he or she would be willing to give you comments on how to improve it for you writing sample.

2. I really echo this poster's comments with respect to the GRE. I scored above 30 on the reading portion of the ACT, as well. When I took a practice diagnostic test, I received a low verbal score. However, after studying I am in the 160 range and have until the end of August to keep studying. I hope to get a 167+ on this section. It is a test that you can learn to take and, importantly, do well on.

1 hour ago, IR44 said:

Finally, if you're planning on applying this cycle, you really should start looking at GRE preparation. I had a 34 on the ACT in reading and have an above average vocabulary, and I still got an underwhelming score on the verbal in my first diagnostic test. It takes practice and perseverance, but a strong score can really help your applications. 

3. Do you have any quantitative training? Programming skills?

4. Don't worry about your major (Gender Studies and Sociology). You're fine.

5. Don't worry about not taking psychology classes in undergrad.

6. Insofar as specific programs go, check out Ohio State and the University of Minnesota. Both are strong in political psychology.

[dagnabbit]

Honestly, I think that you should start by seeking guidance from your former professors. GradCafe is very helpful regarding certain aspects of the application process (GRE studying tips, SOP advice, Interview advice, etc), but not so much when it comes to something as major as choosing a field of study. Sure, we can list all of the best places to study political psychology, but we can't really tell you whether you should be studying political psychology or not. You should contact a professor who knows you and knows your work and have a conversation with them regarding your research interests and how to best pursue them.