Second Timer Blues

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Same thing happened to me last year at two schools. The first, one professor exclaimed during the interview, "oh this is so perfect, I'm so glad you're here!!", and I went over time with several professors. No offer.

School number 2; One professor I interviewed with who was not my POI said - I'll tell you right now, I want you in my lab, would you consider working for me instead? Or just collaborating? Later on I talked to my POI for over an hour, interview time alloted 30 mins. When she realized we were running late, she rushed me over to a professor she collaborates with and said, "oh you need to meet her, she'll love you!! you're perfect!!". Professor number 2 and I had a 90 minute chat. She told me when they'd be meeting as a group to make admissions decisions, and that if I didnt hear soon don't assume that that means I won't be getting an offer. ummm...no offer.

I thought both of these were flukes and have since gone over them in my head thinking I should have gotten some clue it wasnt going as well as I thought. I had an interview last week where my POI was equally enthusiastic; she told me she was so excited tomeet me and that my application was fantastic and then just let me ask her questions. I actually had to ask HER if she had any questions for ME near the end of the interview. When I wrote her a thank you email she replied just as gushingly, and said her grad students also thought I'd be a perfect fit for her lab. Given my past experience I was cynical about the interview, but after her email I thought maybe I should feel like I probably got in....now hearing that this is more common than I thought, I'm starting to get nervous....

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As I have posted before, a similar thing happened to me twice the last time I applied. In both instances, I was given more time with professors than the other candidates and the professors talked as though I was already admitted. Well, I think two factors came in play in my case: the economy (the schools may not have truly known how many students they could accept) and both POIs were new to the school (they may not have known fully how admission worked).

In retrospect, I am glad I did not get accepted to those programs, because I am happy to report that I got a verbal acceptance from a program that is a good fit for me and, in my opinion, is a better program than the others. (However, I am not going to reveal the name of the school until I receive the official letter. I still do not trust the system and I might jinx myself :scared:). So it may be in your best interest that you did not get accepted into that school (especially if the faculty intentional committed a major faux pas).

Good luck to all. I hope everything works out for everyone.

Josie,

Could you describe your verbal acceptance? I was highly encouraged by a professor a couple weeks prior to recruitment interview at University XYZ. A few times during my interview with him he expressed his wish that I choose his school. He mentioned the idea in my research proposal outline to the next applicant he interviewed. (I discovered this because this applicant, who is my friend and a "volunteer" member of his lab, asked me if idea ABC was mine.)

However, I don't have a good feel for whether I will get in or not. At this university, there are approx. 10 slots, 30 excellent applicants in the final pool, and 40 professors. Let's say that, as a result of impending retirement, full labs, etc., 10 profs don't want/need applicants. That leaves 30 profs who want/need students. Let's also say that each prof wants a different applicant. How does the university decide who gets in? Size of grants each prof has secured (as a measure of prof's ability to "support" a grad student)? Seniority? Results of arm wrestling contest between profs? Or something else?
 
Josie,

Could you describe your verbal acceptance? I was highly encouraged by a professor a couple weeks prior to recruitment interview at University XYZ. A few times during my interview with him he expressed his wish that I choose his school. He mentioned the idea in my research proposal outline to the next applicant he interviewed. (I discovered this because this applicant, who is my friend and a "volunteer" member of his lab, asked me if idea ABC was mine.)

However, I don't have a good feel for whether I will get in or not. At this university, there are approx. 10 slots, 30 excellent applicants in the final pool, and 40 professors. Let's say that, as a result of impending retirement, full labs, etc., 10 profs don't want/need applicants. That leaves 30 profs who want/need students. Let's also say that each prof wants a different applicant. How does the university decide who gets in? Size of grants each prof has secured (as a measure of prof's ability to "support" a grad student)? Seniority? Results of arm wrestling contest between profs? Or something else?

I meant something more than encouragement. My POI called me and told me that, of all of the students interviewed , I am one of the students that the department would like to admit for the fall. However, before I can get officially admitted, my application has to be approved by graduate admissions. Normally, graduate admission very rarely rejects a student that has been recommended by the department, except in extraordinary circumstances (i.e. no funding for international students, very low GPA that does not meet Grad Admission's standards). Most people would consider this an admit, but I am not until the letter is in my hand.

As far as figuring how a student is chosen, I can't help you there. I cannot figure out the "steps" to the "magical bee dance."
 
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All schools have a committee meeting and things could really change at that point.

So they might WANT to bring you in, but that meeting can sometimes drastically change it. Maybe that professor wanted to take 2 students, but there is only room for one b/c everyone else found 1 student.

It's really weird... basically things happen, decisions will seemingly disappear/be revoked/etc.
 
All schools have a committee meeting and things could really change at that point.

So they might WANT to bring you in, but that meeting can sometimes drastically change it. Maybe that professor wanted to take 2 students, but there is only room for one b/c everyone else found 1 student.

It's really weird... basically things happen, decisions will seemingly disappear/be revoked/etc.

Does anyone have an idea of how much time elapses between end of recruitment weekend and date of notification of acceptance?

I've heard of wait times of as little as two days for first draft picks at the last place I interviewed! Six days have passed, so I'm starting to think about Plan B (but still hoping that Plan A works out)!
 
Does anyone have an idea of how much time elapses between end of recruitment weekend and date of notification of acceptance?

I've heard of wait times of as little as two days for first draft picks at the last place I interviewed! Six days have passed, so I'm starting to think about Plan B (but still hoping that Plan A works out)!

I think it might be a little too soon to start thinking of Plan B. : )

Six days is nothing. I know of one person on this forum who waited at least 3 weeks to hear back.
 
lol I've already thrown everything into Plans B, C, D.

I have a supervisor willing to supervise me but my school won't bother to look at my application b/c of my grades.
 
lol I've already thrown everything into Plans B, C, D.

I have a supervisor willing to supervise me but my school won't bother to look at my application b/c of my grades.

Apparently, acceptance phone calls went out within a week of interview at the university I had hoped to get into (my last hope for the year). One of my friends got the acceptance phone call from the university to which we both applied and interviewed. I think that chances of getting off the wait list (if I'm even on it) are very low. I'm trying to decide what to do if I never get a PhD. I can't/don't want to go back to one of my old careers and don't see myself as a therapist, but without a PhD, I think that my chances of getting a full-time college teaching position or research position are slim to none based on the economy, supply and demand even in the best of times, etc. How do other people who never get accepted to PhD programs support themselves and their families while to at least some degree enjoy their work?

Thanks for any ideas!
 
Apparently, acceptance phone calls went out within a week of interview at the university I had hoped to get into (my last hope for the year). One of my friends got the acceptance phone call from the university to which we both applied and interviewed. I think that chances of getting off the wait list (if I'm even on it) are very low. I'm trying to decide what to do if I never get a PhD. I can't/don't want to go back to one of my old careers and don't see myself as a therapist, but without a PhD, I think that my chances of getting a full-time college teaching position or research position are slim to none based on the economy, supply and demand even in the best of times, etc. How do other people who never get accepted to PhD programs support themselves and their families while to at least some degree enjoy their work?

Thanks for any ideas!

Have you considered applying for a purely research PhD? That would make you competitive for a teaching or research position.
 
I think it might be a little too soon to start thinking of Plan B. : )

Six days is nothing. I know of one person on this forum who waited at least 3 weeks to hear back.

I agree. I've been waiting for over a month. This is certainly testing my patience. This is the last time I'm applying, so between waiting and thinking of what the heck I'm going to do if I don't get a PhD, I'm going crazy LOL.
 
Have you considered applying for a purely research PhD? That would make you competitive for a teaching or research position.

The programs I applied to were very research-oriented (some didn't even mention clinical, even frowning on the mention of the word). I hope to quickly pick myself up and, assuming the PhD route doesn't materialize this year, try again next year--to more than four competitive programs. Hope my family will go along with this idea!
 
The programs I applied to were very research-oriented (some didn't even mention clinical, even frowning on the mention of the word). I hope to quickly pick myself up and, assuming the PhD route doesn't materialize this year, try again next year--to more than four competitive programs. Hope my family will go along with this idea!


katciao, I could be wrong, but I think psychgirl77 was suggesting looking into other areas of psychology like social psychology or developmental psychology, etc. Another area of psychology might serve you just as well as clinical psychology considering you're interested in a research or academic career.
 
katciao, I could be wrong, but I think psychgirl77 was suggesting looking into other areas of psychology like social psychology or developmental psychology, etc. Another area of psychology might serve you just as well as clinical psychology considering you're interested in a research or academic career.

Yes, that's what I meant.
 
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katciao, I could be wrong, but I think psychgirl77 was suggesting looking into other areas of psychology like social psychology or developmental psychology, etc. Another area of psychology might serve you just as well as clinical psychology considering you're interested in a research or academic career.

I applied to social psych, health psych and other psych programs. I'm open to gerontology, as well. Thank you for asking.

If anyone knows how to find a paid research assistant/entry-level statistician's job, please let me know. Perhaps I can gain useful experience, do something fairly interesting, and pay the bills. Thanks!
 
Apparently, acceptance phone calls went out within a week of interview at the university I had hoped to get into (my last hope for the year). One of my friends got the acceptance phone call from the university to which we both applied and interviewed. I think that chances of getting off the wait list (if I'm even on it) are very low. I'm trying to decide what to do if I never get a PhD. I can't/don't want to go back to one of my old careers and don't see myself as a therapist, but without a PhD, I think that my chances of getting a full-time college teaching position or research position are slim to none based on the economy, supply and demand even in the best of times, etc. How do other people who never get accepted to PhD programs support themselves and their families while to at least some degree enjoy their work?

Thanks for any ideas!

What is your background? Do you have a master's degree? If so, in what?
 
What is your background? Do you have a master's degree? If so, in what?

Yes, MBA (worked in finance for a couple of years). MA Psych in progress. Also worked in education for several years. I like the idea of doing psych testing for a living (yet another reason to pursue a PhD in psychology), but for various reasons, I'm having a hard time convincing myself to jump back into the K-12 milieu. Otherwise, I might consider getting an EdD or master's in school psychology.
 
Yes, MBA (worked in finance for a couple of years). MA Psych in progress. Also worked in education for several years. I like the idea of doing psych testing for a living (yet another reason to pursue a PhD in psychology), but for various reasons, I'm having a hard time convincing myself to jump back into the K-12 milieu. Otherwise, I might consider getting an EdD or master's in school psychology.

I'm guessing that, if you don't get in anywhere this year, it is because you only applied to four competitive programs. (At least that is what I gathered from your earlier posts.)

Have you looked into working as a faculty member at a community college? Many community colleges have master's level faculty on staff. When you finish your MA in psychology, you could teach psych on at least a part-time basis.

Then, if you were still interested in a doctorate, you could apply again (only to a few more schools with some of them being less competitive).

I don't know about where you could get paid to get research experience.

Good luck! I hope you get in this year.
 
I'm guessing that, if you don't get in anywhere this year, it is because you only applied to four competitive programs. (At least that is what I gathered from your earlier posts.)

Have you looked into working as a faculty member at a community college? Many community colleges have master's level faculty on staff. When you finish your MA in psychology, you could teach psych on at least a part-time basis.

Then, if you were still interested in a doctorate, you could apply again (only to a few more schools with some of them being less competitive).

I don't know about where you could get paid to get research experience.

Good luck! I hope you get in this year.

I second the teaching idea. I'm currently an adjunct professor at University X teaching undergraduate psychology. It's a great way to gain experience teaching if that is something you want to do in the future. It's also a great lesson in educational psychology.

Good luck!
 
I second the teaching idea. I'm currently an adjunct professor at University X teaching undergraduate psychology. It's a great way to gain experience teaching if that is something you want to do in the future. It's also a great lesson in educational psychology.

Good luck!

Thanks, All, for your input and support. Psyched2525, did you get your adjunct position right after you earned your master's? In most parts of California right now with furloughs, hiring freezes, etc., it seems almost impossible to get a teaching position with just a master's. I wouldn't mind moving, but if I don't get a full-time position, family could suffer financially.
 
Thanks, All, for your input and support. Psyched2525, did you get your adjunct position right after you earned your master's? In most parts of California right now with furloughs, hiring freezes, etc., it seems almost impossible to get a teaching position with just a master's. I wouldn't mind moving, but if I don't get a full-time position, family could suffer financially.

I applied for the position about 3 years after getting my MA. One thing to note is that teaching at the MA level does not pay well. Your looking at 2000-2500 a semester. I personally didn't do it for the money (though it helped), I really wanted the experience, so I worked it in addition to my regular job. You can teach at the MA level at almost any community college nationwide. You can also try online undergraduate programs.

Hope this helps!
 
I applied for the position about 3 years after getting my MA. One thing to note is that teaching at the MA level does not pay well. Your looking at 2000-2500 a semester. I personally didn't do it for the money (though it helped), I really wanted the experience, so I worked it in addition to my regular job. You can teach at the MA level at almost any community college nationwide. You can also try online undergraduate programs.

Hope this helps!
Thanks for the information. For how many sections are community college profs at your school paid $2,000 to $2,500/semester? (I'm guessing one but don't want to assume anything.) Guess I better find a day job to supplement that income! I'll check out online programs. In which region (state) are you teaching? There are a lot of hiring freezes in California. I would like to find greener pastures but not sure that I want to split the family.
 
Well I've decided that I am going to apply for the third time. I am pretty sure I will also add a few med schools next year, b/c I will just have to do psychiatry overseas if I don't get in for clinical psych. I really want Clinical Psych.

I figure I can improve my grades in the summer by taking 5-6 classes, that way all my grades will be set for September. For one of those classes, I want to do an independent project, which seems to be an important factor in applications. I will also be applying for a research project at the hospital I work at now (which has a small funding scholarship added to it). It also allows me to present my findings at a poster session. It's going to be busy, but I am not going to be working (at my regular job) from May-September.

I think I have spent too much time/concentration on making money, working at my regular job and not enough time on school grades over the past few years. I have always worked part-time (10-30hours/week) at my job. My marks clearly reflect that. And although I have research experience, I completely put off doing a thesis at my school b/c we don't have clinical psych there. But I figure any independent study is better than nothing.
 
Hi,
I was rejected from all my programs, but rather than be sad I am trying to look forward and plan for next year. How early is too early to start pulling things together? I know that I want to take a GRE course to boost my scores, and write a stellar SOP, and get better letters of rec... but beyond that, I think making contacts earlier and having a finalized list of schools earlier (to give me more time per personal statement) would be beneficial.

How early would you reccomend emailing POIs to inquire about whether or not they are taking a new student for 2011? That's so far away...
 
Hi,
I was rejected from all my programs, but rather than be sad I am trying to look forward and plan for next year. How early is too early to start pulling things together? I know that I want to take a GRE course to boost my scores, and write a stellar SOP, and get better letters of rec... but beyond that, I think making contacts earlier and having a finalized list of schools earlier (to give me more time per personal statement) would be beneficial.

How early would you reccomend emailing POIs to inquire about whether or not they are taking a new student for 2011? That's so far away...

I know I contacted two professors last year during the summer months (I would error on the side of caution if you decide to do this and wait until end of July/early August). It really DEPENDS ON THE PROFESSOR, however. Some are very willing to even speak with you over the phone (both of mine did), while others do not want to be bothered at all so I would be careful.

One of the professors I did this with took special notice of my application and requested a time to speak over the phone after the actual interview invitation was extended. I think contacting the professors, but not too early and not too often, pays off. With that said, I was extended admission from a school where I didn't contact that POI until october and admission from another school where I didn't communicate with my POI at all prior to interviews.
 
Hi,
I was rejected from all my programs, but rather than be sad I am trying to look forward and plan for next year. How early is too early to start pulling things together? I know that I want to take a GRE course to boost my scores, and write a stellar SOP, and get better letters of rec... but beyond that, I think making contacts earlier and having a finalized list of schools earlier (to give me more time per personal statement) would be beneficial.

How early would you reccomend emailing POIs to inquire about whether or not they are taking a new student for 2011? That's so far away...

I started contacting professors in early September. I don't think I would contact them much earlier than that because it is less likely that they will have a accurate idea if they are taking a student or not. With that said, I was able to get my applications completely finished a month ahead of time. So I think contacting them at the end of August/beginning of September still leaves you plenty of time to get done early. (I did take my GRE in early August though, so I didn't have to worry about studying for that AND working on applications at the same time. It made life so much easier!)
 
I wanted to bump this thread for second (and third!) timers to share their experiences.
 
Sorry to be Debbie Downer here... but I needed a place to vent... as well as see if anything like this has happened to any one else.

As background, let me say that I assist HR on high-level interviews quite frequently at my place of employment (top-notch firm in the DC area working with govt. contracts) - in the past 6 months I've been one of the interviewers on at least 30 6-8 hour interview days (so I'd like to think I know what I'm talking about! haha).

So on to my gripe...

I went to interview at a school that was 2nd tier on my list but I was surprisingly impressed with the program. I had 3 interviews with POIs. The first was great (easy flow of convo, the POI seemed genuinely interested, but kept the language professional/giving nothing away) - nothing really to do cartwheels over but enough to feel pretty decent about. It's the other two that really troubled me.

I go out of my way to watch my language when I do interviews. I will not use language that would lead an interviewee to ever assume "they have it in the bag"... everything is instead framed hypothetically... "IF you come here" or "I see where you COULD...". Get my point? But these final interviewers definitely didn't follow that idea. The second in line, went on and on about how excited they were to meet ME (shouldn't it be the other way around? haha), how great of a fit they saw b/w my experience and their current work, even comments like "you are going to excel in this program!" The last interviewer was even worse. They went on and on about how my resume was the best they'd seen in the whole applicant pool, how well I'd fit in, and how they had put themselves on my interview list because THEY were really interested in working with me and utilizing my experience even though I didn't list them as a POI. Needless to say I left feeling confident... slightly freaked out and actually a tiny bit uncomfortable in the interviews... but confident. I even received emails from one of the professors thanking ME for coming, and another that replied to my thank you letter with more unnecessary praise and more "false hope language."

Acceptances went out and I didn't get one. I contact my POI who confirmed I was not on the list.

What gives? It almost felt like lies or a game of some sort. I know that programs are in turn trying to sell them selvs to the applicants - but this was like used-car-salesman-crazy!

Anyone else get bizarrely OVERLY positive interview feedback but no follow-through?

This just happened to me. It's so confusing and really knocked my confidence! There was no reason for them to act so excited / over the top. It was so much that I was feeling a bit worried that I might really let them down if I selected a different program after all. Weird.
 
This just happened to me. It's so confusing and really knocked my confidence! There was no reason for them to act so excited / over the top. It was so much that I was feeling a bit worried that I might really let them down if I selected a different program after all. Weird.

Same! I had interviews where my POI and I would go beyond research ideas and even talk about hobbies and other interests we had in common. I'm starting to doubt my social skills (especially my ability to read people)... why is this process so politely vicious?
 
I feel like I was just punched in the stomach after reading this thread :laugh:

I, for one, am trying to maintain a state of blissful ignorance, assuring myself that the phone systems must be going through a full revamping, and my POI would not want to use her cell phone to call me with an acceptance.

Seriously, though, what horrible stories. They have me very concerned as I also thought I did very well with an interview at my top choice, but thought I would have heard something by now.
 
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