WAMC
Not being graduated, I am just posting this to put some feelers out- so thank you for reading!
Education
Rising 4th year
B.S. in Psychology with a Focus in Global and Transnational Engagement
Small liberal arts college. The school is well known among the hippies I meet.
GPA 3.95 (recieved a B in molecular bio/genetics)
19 years old-- not mentioning that to be an ass but to emphasize that I am open to taking time between undergrad and grad to improve.
Research Experience
7mo (>1.5yrs by the time I graduate) in a Behavioral Neuroscience lab (not at my college). It’s a well-established, productive lab (PI has published 150+ studies over his life) and I am currently heading a study with another student. For the project, we will be traveling to another college to learn techniques to bring back to the home lab. Students who make a significant contribution get their name on the paper and it should be at least under review by the time I graduate.
1 conference paper presentation on the experience of young people in intentional communities.
7mo in historical research, using GIS to create maps demonstrating racial residential patterns of the college town. This is something I am being paid for and will likely be fruitless as far as getting my name on anything, but I think I can get an LOR out of it, and I like helping the professor I work with. Remote work.
To complete an honors thesis on the role and function of the early trans internet. I may change this to fit my research interests better..
On the advisory board of a PhD dissertation concerning trans wellbeing, gender dysphoria, and suicidality via Zoom w/ Texas Tech’s clinical psych department.
Attending (but not presenting) a developmental psychobiology conference & (separate) evolutionary psychology conference come November. Doubt that matters.
Clinical Experience
Camphill volunteer for 5 months, meaning I lived as a part of an intentional community supporting and living with adults with intellectual disabilities. I worked alongside them, administered medicine, consider them friends, etc.
Sexual Health and Family Planning intern along the US/Mexico border for 3 months (cut short by pandemic), where I adapted a program concerning chronic care (diabetes population) to the needs of a state organization. I got to shadow MDs, PAs, and a psychiatrist in the process.
LORs
I expect two very good LORs from my psych professor and the neuroscience PI, and one good, maybe somewhat flat LOR from the history prof. Just a personality thing.
My college also provides ‘narrative grades’ next to our letter grades on our transcripts written by professors, all of which have been positive. Sometimes too nice.
GRE
Have not taken it yet. I am historically terrible on standardized testing. Hesitant to even drop the $400 for Magoosh & the test but likely will.
SOP
Working on it. In the past I have received positive feedback on my writing.
Scholarships
I have received 2 scholarships, one being need-based and one being because an alum liked me when I interviewed with them.
Research Interest
General: Psychobiology, trans populations, CBT.
Specific: I am very interested in any program that has any form of evolutionary psychopathology involved or would be encouraging (or tolerant!) of involving evolutionary concepts into my dissertation. I am big Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, Robert Wright fan, and it would be a dream to find the right fit. I have even fiddled with the idea of applying to an evolutionary psychology phd program, but the idea of teaching as a career is not something I entirely jibe with. We'll see.
Programs that I am interested in
Suffolk University (produced a grad who heads one of the leading resources in evolutionary psychopathology)
Binghamton University (Also good with this stuff, has a neurophysiology department who is involved with the EP movement)
Rutgers (has made appearances EP movement)
Other than that, I’m still coming up with other schools/advisors. These are def reach schools.
Future Plans
Talking to people? Attending conferences? Trying to get a poster with the study with the behavioral neuroscience thing I'm doing? Not sure! Please say words!
As always, thank you in advance for your feedback!