Applying for the 2007-2008 Year?

[irish80122]

They better take undergrad institute into consideration, dammit. If I've mortaged my soul and several pounds of flesh to Sallie Mae for the next couple of centuries for nothing, there will be a reckoning! I'm not sure on whom, but heads will roll! And I'll bite their ears off first.

As someone who is more than $100,000 in debt as we speak... AMEN!!!

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[kestrelcry]

Good lord, that's bloody awful! I really hope that's not just on undergrad.

 

[irish80122]

Good lord, that's bloody awful! I really hope that's not just on undergrad.

Oh yes it is the FAFSA score wasn't good to me so I have no scholarship money. Oh well, I will pay it off sometime...maybe. I just may never retire is all.

 

[Salsybabe]

Just curious if anyone's contact their people for LOR yet. I'm having the hardest time getting in contact with my advisor this summer. I'm not in the area, but he is since he's teaching a class. I like my advisor as a person and know he would write me a good LOR, but I need to hear him say he will do it. I'm also worried that he might not have the LORs in time for the application process. He's one to procrastinate and isn't very reliable because he has a lot going on. Any advice? I have other professors, but he's someone I could use a good LOR from.

 

[irish80122]

Just curious if anyone's contact their people for LOR yet. I'm having the hardest time getting in contact with my advisor this summer. I'm not in the area, but he is since he's teaching a class. I like my advisor as a person and know he would write me a good LOR, but I need to hear him say he will do it. I'm also worried that he might not have the LORs in time for the application process. He's one to procrastinate and isn't very reliable because he has a lot going on. Any advice? I have other professors, but he's someone I could use a good LOR from.

I asked my advisor about when to ask for LORs and she said to wait until about a month before the due date so that way they still have a month to do them but also it is pressing enough that it can't just go in the pile on the desk. I don't know, it sounds a bit late to me and I am going to solicit more opinions on it, but that is what she said. Any other opinions on the board?

As for your professor, I would stick with him (I have two that are going to be like that) and just check in with him as much as necessary to make sure that he is progressing. It is a pain, but it is worth it to have your best LORs out there!

 

[Psyclops]

My recommendations for LORs: Have someone that agrees to write it, make sure they will write you a good one, meaning make sure they say they will wirte you a positive one, don't have someone do it who doesn't know you well. Once you get three of these people (maybe 1 more if you feel the need) put together a packet for them and give that to them at least 1 month prior to the mail date, so if you want your letters to be in by dec 1st, you should give these packets to your writers by 10/15/2006, that way they can go in the mail by 11/15 with time to get htere beofer 12/01/06. Here is what to include in the packet: 1 copy of your transcript from every secondary education institution, 1 copy of your GRE scores, a copy of your SOP (a general one), A list of all the schools to which you are applying and the faculty with whom you want to work there, 1 filled out LOR form from every school (not all will have these but most will) attached by paper clip to an addressed stamped envelope. The only thing a professor whould have to do is fill out the professor part of the questionnaire (you should have already filled out there return address), write the letter, put them in the envelope and drop them in the mail. Trust me this is all to your benefit! You will ensure that everything is doen right, they have minimal things to screw up, it is courteous they will appreciate it and will do a better job. Don't worry about schools that ask for the LOR to come in the large packet with eveything else!, They have to accept them directly from the professor. Don't worry about the ones who want it submitted online, they have to accept it in writing as well. In addition to everything else your professor will have the added confidnece of knowing htat the letters will never be in your hands. And it will be easier for you to just shoot them an e-mail asking, did you send them out yet? Once thye say yes, a big part is taken care of.

 

[ktwallis]

where did you find out which UCLA professors are accepting for 2007? i can't find it anywhere on their website...

 

[joetro]

I seriously doubt the professors themselves, at UCLA or really most places, even know yet. So much changes. Don't worry about it now, and start contacting people in late September and beyond, IMO.

 

[smrt_n_frndly]

My recommendations for LORs: Have someone that agrees to write it, make sure they will write you a good one, meaning make sure they say they will wirte you a positive one, don't have someone do it who doesn't know you well . . .

I could not agree more! Having undertaken LOR for both MA and Ph.D. programs I can definitely say professors really appreciate an extremely organized and considerate student! Also, perhaps you don't have to be this blunt but I asked all my recommenders if they could write me an excellent LOR without any hesitation. Luckily, they all said yes, but if not I would have someone else who could have. You really don't want a professor ranking you as "recommended with reservations" on their evaluation sheets!

I also found it really helpful to have on expanding file with a folder for each school and all their deadlines, addresses, and necessary materials (how many transcripts, GRE reports, etc.) on the front. I also made a spreadsheet of the deadlines, addresses, and potential mentors and reasons why for each school and included it in my LOR packet for my recommenders so if they happened to know personally the person I was applying to work for they could add more personal touches to the letter. I'm sure this all sounds pretty anal but better to be organized than scrambling to get everything in last minute!!!

 

[deleted106747]

My recommendations for LORs: Have someone that agrees to write it, make sure they will write you a good one, meaning make sure they say they will wirte you a positive one, don't have someone do it who doesn't know you well. Once you get three of these people (maybe 1 more if you feel the need) put together a packet for them and give that to them at least 1 month prior to the mail date, so if you want your letters to be in by dec 1st, you should give these packets to your writers by 10/15/2006, that way they can go in the mail by 11/15 with time to get htere beofer 12/01/06. Here is what to include in the packet: 1 copy of your transcript from every secondary education institution, 1 copy of your GRE scores, a copy of your SOP (a general one), A list of all the schools to which you are applying and the faculty with whom you want to work there, 1 filled out LOR form from every school (not all will have these but most will) attached by paper clip to an addressed stamped envelope. The only thing a professor whould have to do is fill out the professor part of the questionnaire (you should have already filled out there return address), write the letter, put them in the envelope and drop them in the mail. Trust me this is all to your benefit! You will ensure that everything is doen right, they have minimal things to screw up, it is courteous they will appreciate it and will do a better job. Don't worry about schools that ask for the LOR to come in the large packet with eveything else!, They have to accept them directly from the professor. Don't worry about the ones who want it submitted online, they have to accept it in writing as well. In addition to everything else your professor will have the added confidnece of knowing htat the letters will never be in your hands. And it will be easier for you to just shoot them an e-mail asking, did you send them out yet? Once thye say yes, a big part is taken care of.

This worked really well for me and I think the professors appreciated the organization and clarity. I would recommend Psi Chi's writeup on how to get letters of recommendation. http://www.psichi.org/pubs/articles/article_75.asp. My only difference from what you did was that I had professors sign across the back seal and give the letters back to me. They didn't mind since the sign on the seal made it pretty much impossible for me to read (although two of them enclosed a copy for me to read anyway). The reason I did this is that I could be assured that the letters got mailed. Somebody I knew had an ongoing issue with a professor who said he mailed the letters out but a few of his schools didn't receive them - it was tricky, though, because some of his schools did receive the letter, so he never knew if the professor had sent them or if they got lost in the mail. What I did eliminated that headache. A difference from what Psi Chi recommends that I did also was I asked professors over e-mail. They were difficult to locate, being so busy, and they preferred to be kept in touch with via e-mail. I think that this depends on the professor, though, so go by whatever your situation is.

 

[Psyclops]

That sounds great too. The only reason I suggest giving them to professors is that often times grad hopefuls ask for one extra letter to a school they don't intend to apply to just to see what their writers said. This is kinda on the underhanded side of things. Although it might be justified if you had any reason to believe a professor might be trying to screw you over. But let's not add paranoia to our neuroticism.

Anyway, the point is profesors know that trick and will appreciate the total reliquishment of cantact.

 

[soaringheights]

Here are a few tips I found on the psychology page of an Ivy league university:
Essays that capture my attention are ones that develop ideas, propose experiments, point to holes in the literature, and do these things with passion and excitement. These very general comments, which will certainly not capture every advisor’s perspective, or even the majority, can be distilled to a few essential ingredients, presented below as questions:
• Why continue on with your education? Why do you need to learn more? What skills, theories, and knowledge do you lack?
• What are the kinds of discoveries and theories that sparked your interest in the chosen discipline?
• In graduate school, what kinds of questions do you hope to address? Why do you think that these questions are important? Given the set of questions that you will focus on, what kinds of methods do you hope to apply? What skills do you bring forward as you enter graduate school and which skills do you hope to acquire?
• What holes do you see in the current discipline [big picture stuff]? In what ways do you think that they can be addressed during your graduate career?
• What kind of graduate environment are you looking for? Are you particularly keen on working with one faculty advisor, and if so, why this particular person? If you are leaning more toward a cluster of advisors, as well as the department more generally, why? Hint: faculty are engaged by students who have read some of their work, have thought critically about it, and wish to develop some of the issues addressed. Further, it helps with admissions to have one or more faculty championing your case.
Essays that have the above ingredients are truly informative. They tell each faculty member why the candidate wants to go to graduate school, what problems they hope to tackle, what skills they bring, and which skills they hope to acquire. Following this format is, of course, not a ticket of admission, but it will certainly make your application more interesting and informative.

 

[Ratch1980]

That sounds great too. The only reason I suggest giving them to professors is that often times grad hopefuls ask for one extra letter to a school they don't intend to apply to just to see what their writers said. This is kinda on the underhanded side of things. Although it might be justified if you had any reason to believe a professor might be trying to screw you over. But let's not add paranoia to our neuroticism.

Anyway, the point is profesors know that trick and will appreciate the total reliquishment of cantact.

I think that if the recommenders know you well enough to write you a rec, they should trust you! All of my recommenders gave me a copy of their letters to review prior to sending it out. They wanted me to read them to make sure everything they said was correct.

 

[Quynh2007]

I'm meeting with a professor I want to work with this weekend to talk about the clinical program etc. I'm really excited because I'm hoping that being able to put a face to my [future] application will help and hopefully allow this professor to advocate for me. Are there any advice or suggestions I should do? how do you guys suggest I should dress? casual---business, etc. anything would be helpful, i just want to make a very good impression!

 

[joetro]

I'd recommend treating it like a real interview; so dress formal. But that's just me. Good luck.

 

[Nelle]

I'm meeting with a professor I want to work with this weekend to talk about the clinical program etc. I'm really excited because I'm hoping that being able to put a face to my [future] application will help and hopefully allow this professor to advocate for me. Are there any advice or suggestions I should do? how do you guys suggest I should dress? casual---business, etc. anything would be helpful, i just want to make a very good impression!

I visited the professor (and school) who was my first choice last fall and found it very helpful. I got in. I did not dress up completely formal, but I came straight from work, so I was wearing business casual anyway (slacks and a button down shirt). Like Joetro said, you should treat this like an interview. You may not have the same experience as me, but if I were you I would prepare myself for a few typical interview questions like why do you want to come here, why clinical psychology, tell me about your experience etc. My formal interview earlier this year actually ended up being a less formal interview than my initial visit. I hope it goes well for you.

 

[Quynh2007]

thanks everyone for your help! I'm so excited now, and I really think I have a good chance to go there. The professor is also helping me in my applications now, willing to read and comment on my Personal statement (SOP), and giving a lot of good advice. He's so mellow but also expects a lot, and I know that I would be very comfortable working with him and learning from him. We talked for 2.5 hours at Starbucks (so nothing formal), and it is just a lot of . He only recommended me retaking the GRE if I want to improve my financial aid (the higher the score, the more $$), so I will do that, but he's going to write a letter for me to explain my verbal 580. Lastly, an advice that he told me that I think my fellow applicants and lurkers may appreciate in regards to GRE. He said that schools expect good verbal and writing skills from their people, that the Quant is much more important than the Verbal. So for those that did well in Quant, but not so great in Verbal, just make sure you come across very well in your writing through your SOP. Hope that helps!

 

[ktwallis]

He said that schools expect good verbal and writing skills from their people, that the Quant is much more important than the Verbal. So for those that did well in Quant, but not so great in Verbal, just make sure you come across very well in your writing through your SOP. Hope that helps!

you just made my day. i only have a 620V but I have a 720Q and i'm a good writer so I'm confident that my pub and personal statement will reflect that. thank you!

 

[irish80122]

you just made my day. i only have a 620V but I have a 720Q and i'm a good writer so I'm confident that my pub and personal statement will reflect that. thank you!

You still have a very good score though. Would you like to trade me for my 550V 790Q? I think one way or another we will all be fine....I hope at least. If not, it all works out for the best somehow.

 

[Sorg1123]

you know, I was thinking of retaking the GRE just to boost my writing score up from 4.5, but thought I'd just write a kick ass personal statement instead! thanks for the encouragement