Graduating Senior... no research

[psychparker]

I'm graduating in May and will have a B.S. in psychology. I really want to go to graduate school but I know that my application will not be as strong as it should be/I want it to be. I have absolutely no research experience and I really would like to take a year to research before I apply to grad school.

Most of the things I've found in my search either require you to be an undergrad or have some sort of experience. How can I get involved in research after graduation? Are postbacc programs my only option?

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[brightness]

First, have you contacted all the professors in your psychology department regarding research opportunities? I emailed probably 12 and I found 3 professors who were looking for lab assistants. I ended up interviewing with them all, and 2 of them said they wanted me to work with them. Right now I work in a behavior analysis lab with rats/pigeons-not exactly the most clinically focused area, but it counts for research experience. It would surpise me if you wouldn't be able to find anything, even b*tch work.

I had a lot of luck contacting local zoos about summer research opportunities for college aged folks. Sort of bizarre, I know. I realize animal behavior may not be your field of choice; but it seems like it would get you in the door as far as general 'research experience' is concerned.

 

[djheater]

I was coming to post a thread about the necessity of research, and what constituted good experience.

What's the consensus on this question, what constitutes 'good' research experience on an app?

I'm interested in either a Social Psych PhD program or a very good School Psychology program. The research I've been offered is coding behaviors of children. Would a school psy admissions board think this was really good?

To the OP, I agree with pp, ask every psych PhD you've taken a class with in a personalized e-mail whether they have or know of any opportunities. Some won't respond but you'll probably get a few good responses out of it.

 

[Weimaraner]

I was in the same boat as you last year when I graduated..I realized how my lack of research would probably be a drawback as an applicant to School Psychology grad programs, so I decided to take this year off and gain research experience. I talked to professors that I knew to see if they needed lab assistants and filled out a few research assistant applications online. Have you looked online for research opportunities? Many of the labs at my undergraduate school had websites with links to an RA application.

The summer after I graduated, I helped a professor conduct a pilot study in a school. Last fall and currently during the spring semester, I am volunteering in a lab studying the social development of children (this lab typically accepts undergraduates who want to earn credit, but I was permitted to volunteer). I think that these experiences have definitely strengthened my chances of getting into graduate school..I applied to 8 programs and have received 4 interviews so far (and the other schools haven't extended interviews yet, so there's still a chance for those as well!).

Another benefit of taking a year off was the opportunity to really research graduate schools and figure out which ones would be the best fit for me. It also gave me the time to apply to as many schools as I wanted..I didn't have the time to do this during my senior year of undergrad.

I think that taking a year off to do research would definitely benefit you. I hope this helps and good luck!

 

[pointzerofive]

I second the above notion to contact your professors to see if they need help. I'd start with the ones that have research interests that interest you, then go on down the list. Email works great, but try to personalize each email as professors talk amongst themselves.

Research is what got me into my MA program with a low GRE/GPA. My advisor specifically told me that they were "suprised at the amount of research I had" and that the research is what got me in.

It helps to conduct research in an area that interests you, but if you can't find that, anything scientific will work. Try to not only get in on data collection, but also data entry and analysis. Use programs such as SPSS and SAS. Those are 2 basic tools of the behavioral sciences that look good on applications. Best of luck to you!🙂

 

[SingleGirl]

with a BS in psych you should be able to find actual employment as a paid lab assistant at a larger school (UNC, Duke, USC, UCLA, etc)

just browse their employment sections and start applying if you grad in May...

if you want to stay @ your current school, the other posters' suggestions of emailing professors is a smart idea

better late than never