Applying to same school as post bacc RA position

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I am starting (very early) at looking for post bacc RA positions. I am very interested in underachievement among gifted adolescents, which does not seem to be a big research area.

I know beggars can't be choosers, but of course I am hoping to find something that is at least involved with adolescent research.

Duke of course has TIP which would be a fantastic research experience. I live in NH so I am close to some great child research centers, (Harvard, Yale, etc).

Now my question is....if I were able to finagle my way into my dream research position, would it hurt my chances at all if I were to apply to the same program affiliated with that research?

Thanks!

I could see it working either way. I am post masters, and intend on applying to a clinical program where I have been doing some research. The way I want to see it, the faculty member I want to work with knows me well, I have gotten to know the program and students, and am already familiar with the research I'd like to simply continue doing as a student there. I'd be happy to hear other opinions on this though, and am curious if there are unwritten rules about this type of thing.

Originally Posted by NHPilot

I am starting (very early) at looking for post bacc RA positions. I am very interested in underachievement among gifted adolescents, which does not seem to be a big research area.

I know beggars can't be choosers, but of course I am hoping to find something that is at least involved with adolescent research.

Duke of course has TIP which would be a fantastic research experience. I live in NH so I am close to some great child research centers, (Harvard, Yale, etc).

Now my question is....if I were able to finagle my way into my dream research position, would it hurt my chances at all if I were to apply to the same program affiliated with that research?

Thanks!

I'd imagine it might vary from program to program. My gut reaction is that no, it shouldn't hurt your chances, and might actually help by getting you exposure to the faculty working in your research area (assuming you do a good job there, of course). The "academic incest" situation usually comes into play when applying for grad school at the same institution where you attended undergrad, and even then it doesn't hold universally.

If anyone here has experience with Duke directly, they might be better able to provide you a more specific answer.

I did this, but not at Duke or any of the Ivy League schools you're thinking of. I worked for 2 years as an RA in a psychiatry department, then applied to and was accepted by the clinical psych program at the same university. Even though I wasn't in the psychology department, I think my experience as an RA gave me a huge advantage. I went to a lot of talks given by the clinical psych faculty, involved myself in poster sessions and research conferences at the university, and used my psychiatry boss as a reference (in general, networking/knowing someone is great for grad applications). Based on my experience, I don't see how it could work against you.

I don't think it would hurt your odds. In some places, it helps.

I really think this would help your chances. If you're sure about your interests, pursue it, and show the people who are interested in the same thing that you're good at doing this, then I say that of course you have a step up than other applicants.

Building up good rapport goes a long way - of course, it just needs to be maintained

Thanks for all the replies!!...I am now scouting out the different labs in the Boston area!