Kai819 Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Hi there, This is the first time I am ever using this site, so here I go. I'm planning to apply to about 7-10 graduate schools in hopes for a phd in social/personality psych. However, my gpa is a 3.40. I have about 2-3 years of experience in research on personality. I will take the gre in a month, and I'm pretty confident in my letters of rec and my statement. Can anyone give me a realistic opinion on my chances? I know I don't have a 3.8+ but I've heard that doesn't matter much as long as you've got a good application as a whole. However, I've also heard gpa is used to weed people out. help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokePsych Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Just go for it! Is it over all 4 years or the last 2? Some schools only look at the GPA of your major or last two years (and some don't). In the end, evaluation is pretty holistic anyway. Sure there may be cut off scores, but its often a combination of GPA and GRE, as well as experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kai819 Posted October 10, 2017 Author Share Posted October 10, 2017 3 minutes ago, Psygeek said: Just go for it! Is it over all 4 years or the last 2? Some schools only look at the GPA of your major or last two years (and some don't). In the end, evaluation is pretty holistic anyway. Sure there may be cut off scores, but its often a combination of GPA and GRE, as well as experience. The past two years is my research experience. Going to present a poster at a conference this year too. I'm just worried about the GRE.. I'm not good at standardized tests! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokePsych Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 I mean last two years of your degree But experience can be very helpful as it shows motivation and passion I'd say Oshawott 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan B. Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 I would say depends on the schools you are applying and overall fit with your research interests and the faculty whom you wish to study under. Also, make sure you really study for the GRE. I am also not great at standardized tests and retake mine soon. I got average scores my first try, but I need REALLY great scores to get into the school I really want (Berkeley). I have a masters (3.7 gpa), 5 years clinical experience, a year research assistant (stanford and UCSF) and 2 independent research presentations, and I am still really nervous I may get denied because of my GRE scores Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokePsych Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 Logan B. You do realize that last year the average GRE score for social psych at berkeley was 155 for each section (http://psychology.berkeley.edu/students/graduate-program/faq-gpa-gre-toefl). I'm probably fucking the GRE next thursday. Did not have enough time to prepare and I can feel a flu coming up. Decided to just focus on the rest of my application which I believe is very strong. Not gonna be able to improve my maths a lot in a few days now anyway. Plus am asking my references to emphasize my amazing English skills. As a non-native speaker I heard this helps haha. I'm just emphasizing my GPA (3.9/10), soon-to-be-published manuscripts, stats knowledge (meta-analysis, factor analysis, some cool regression techniques, qualitative data), and how my thesis and majority of research I've done the last 2 years fits to my topics I want to work on. As well as some other life experiences if they're related (e.g., those programs with a cultural psych background, how I lived in Asia for some time etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan B. Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Psygeek good idea! Yeah I realize the average scores last year were not incredible... so lets hope they don't place too much emphasis on it! I think that could help us out here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokePsych Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 After all, GRE is only one out of many parts of the application you know. Sure it may help to improve some less than amazing scores, but never underestimate the rest At least their average scores sorta make me hopeful that even with a less than amazing GRE schools accept people Which schools are you applying other than Berkeley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan B. Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 Berkeley and Stanford are schools that are doing research the most similar to my interests. I know it's not good to only apply to a couple (and two VERY competitive schools at that) but I'm staying open minded and think if not this year then spend the next year doing more research. I've been meeting with Stanford faculty because I'm an RA at the emotion lab and they encourage me to apply next year instead and sound confident I can get in if I get my scores up... so who knows. Either way I don't have the luxury of spending a bajillion hours studying for the GRE because I've been juggling a full time job as a supervisor, two research assistant positions, GRE, and application materials. Plus I'm looking for a new job because the company is doing unethical practices sooo ALOT going on. I am hoping the fact that I have a lot of clinical experience, I am a little older than most (29) and have a masters in psychology with a good gpa will help bolster my application. Your application sounds pretty solid! I wish I had publications but only a master's thesis and my own undergrad research, both which I presented on at conferences. I am also emphasizing my travel experience, as I took a year off to travel and be an intern abroad in a psychiatric unit... I think travel experience is worth mentioning, so great that you are also highlighting that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokePsych Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 (edited) Meh, I'm applying to just 6 so don't worry. Maybe another 7th and 8th one in the bunch depending if I have time for them (probably not - ASU is super annoying with applications and the location doesn't appeal to me at all). Most of them are very competitive. I'm also applying to Stanford - but different lab (Hazel Markus <3 Jeanne Tsai <3 I love all things cultural psych haha) I'm also going to give it another shot next year otherwise - and will probably try to get some more experience in the mean time. But its nice you know the faculty! That never harms (unless they dislike you or are not very impressed by you - this happened to a friend of mine who spent half a year at Harvard's neuro department and then they were like mehh). And your experiences look great I also didnt have at much time as I wanted for the GRE. I worked full time May + June + working on my thesis so there was absolutely no way to spend any hours on it. Then July I worked part time and was still busy with thesis, needed to gain my energy back after being exhausted, but tried to study here and then. August still working part time and helping my bf move to a different country (visa issues), tried to study but constantly things kept showing up that needed to be taken care of. September was horrible as I needed to work more at my part time job, spend some time abroad, and well... tried to spend time but again not enough. I'm just lucky with publications - right people right time! One I was asked to help out. The other one is just having the best supervisor in the world atm (although I don't think I can learn a lot from him anymore - we've been working closely for two years. And our interests only partly overlap). Am also happy supervisor gives me the lead on the paper - although honestly it has been my idea + work really. I'm still stressed out about the whole application process. Still need to work on my statements! Ugh.. I'm constantly lost and second guessing myself. I'm mainly mentioning my time abroad as part of my narrative about my interest in cultural psych (i.e. I liked it so much I wanted to experience it and thats why I moved to Asia for a year and am living there again now. I just want to learn about different cultures and take it very seriously). I used it to mention how it shaped my academic interests (i.e., either about how I"m from a very horizontal culture and was amazed by the instant hierarchies in Asian societies, or mention about the emotional expressiveness that is fairly absent here - and how that lead to questions and the topic of my PhD). Edited October 29, 2017 by Psygeek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan B. Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 ahhhh I did just as horrible on my GRE as the first time. 150 verbal, 145 quant, and 4 writing. Well whatever, turning them in and focusing on my other materials! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokePsych Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 14 minutes ago, Logan B. said: ahhhh I did just as horrible on my GRE as the first time. 150 verbal, 145 quant, and 4 writing. Well whatever, turning them in and focusing on my other materials! *virtual hug* That's the right attitude! Just go for it! GRE's are only one part of the application I'm happy Im done with the GREs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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