How did you decide where to apply - what factors did you use? How...

[scienceisbeauty]

How did you decide which schools to apply to?

How narrowly did you define your research interests when looking for professors?
Did you take climate into consideration?
Distance?
Safety of school location?

I'm particularly interested in the first question re how narrowly or broadly you wanted to match with a professor in terms of research interests...


Help would be so muchly appreciated 😛

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[RayneeDeigh]

Basically I looked for anybody doing research with criminal populations and applied everywhere that I could conceivably imagine myself living. I ended up with about 13 schools and was accepted to the one in the least desirable place with the most amount of fit as well as the most desirable place with the least amount of fit, and I chose the former. Didn't take climate into consideration since I chose the prairies of Canada over California, and safety of the location never crossed my mind since I knew I'd end up in the suburbs either way and would be working with criminals no matter where I went.

 

[Ollie123]

I didn't really go for narrow or broad. Basically I went for whether I thought my interests and potential future directions lined up with theirs. In some cases there was susbtantial overlap, in other cases it was somewhat more tangential but still fit well. I didn't get that many interviews compared to some though, so take that into consideration.

Climate and distance were total non-factors for me. Grad school was just too freakin important for me to let something like that get in the way. At the worst, I figured I'd get to broaden my horizons and I pride myself on being highly adaptable to most any situation😉 As it turns out I ended up in sunny Florida, but if the best school for me had been in Maine, I'd have gone there without a second thought.

Safety was a minor concern, only so far as making sure there were options to BE safe. I didn't come across any schools where that wasn't the case, some just required more caution than others. I ended up applying to Temple, which is arguably in one of the roughest areas of any school in the country if that tells you anything. Its not ideal, but as long as I can LIVE in a safe area (I'm not sure there's any city in the US where that isn't possible), I didn't think that should get in the way of my education either.

 

[deleted176373]

How did you decide which schools to apply to?

How narrowly did you define your research interests when looking for professors?
Did you take climate into consideration?
Distance?
Safety of school location?

I'm particularly interested in the first question re how narrowly or broadly you wanted to match with a professor in terms of research interests...


Help would be so muchly appreciated 😛

You are going to find that what we used may not be the same criteria that you will want to use.

For instance, being that I grew up just outside of NYC and in NYC for much of my childhood, safety was never even a concern. I, possibly naive in my thinking, feel very safe just about anywhere. Some men and women don't feel that way in areas that appear "unsafe".

Distance wasn't a concern either... Although I would have preferred to remain near my spouse, it wasn't a critical factor that couldn't be resolved through other means.

Climate, once again, I had preferences, but not a big driver for me.

I did not narrow my focus, but rather expanded it to include research areas outside my primary interests. I added PTSD and other trauma related disorders to the areas of primary interest that I already had.

Really what you are looking for is professors who interest you and provoke your desire to pursue their lines of research. Sometimes this can be a very specific area of interest, other times you might find yourself with many different avenues that look equally attractive as I did.

This is going to sound a bit sappy, but you should let your heart guide you a little here. You want to find programs that you would be happy to be a part of, especially in the case of the Clinical Ph.D. programs where you really are in the role of developing as both a scientist and practitioner. This is not an easy path, you want to be proud of your association with your program, happy that you are a part of something YOU care about. Without that you will find yourself less happy at the end of the day. It's hard enough when you are in a supportive environment... an unsupportive one can be a miserable experience.

Good luck,

Mark

 

[JockNerd]

I first looked up everyone who did work in my primary research area, which isn't very many people (maybe 10 all told). I had a secondary, much more popular research interest too, and bolstered my initial prof contact list to something like 30 or 40 using that. Cut everyone who wasn't taking a student, then applied to all the primary research area profs and filled the rest with secondary research area profs who I thought I could be happy with. Ended up applying to 13 places.

I applied primarily to US schools even though I lived in Canada. Distance was inconsequential.

I preferred to avoid very large cities (NY and LA size), and that worked out fine because no one I liked worked in those places.

I'll say I didn't consider climate, but I ended up in Florida.

 

[scienceisbeauty]

See the only problem I'm having really right now, is that actually ...2 problems...

I think I have minor SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) ... [self-diagnosed though] and so I'm really thinking that if I go to a place where it's usually always dark and rainy (like Vancouver) - I'll be unhappy... you know? Thus in a way, climate does matter...don't want to be a glum chum

Then, I'm a Canadian wanting to applying to US schools. Things I am finding are a bit more difficult...UCLA has this thing on their website about if you're not a US citizen... you have to prove to the US Consulate that you have enough $$ to come here... etc.
Maybe it's just there... I dunno.

*I have to emphazise though* I am most interested in places where I feel like I fit well research wise. I'd rather be sad by weather than sad by not liking what I'm researching! EXCEPT I DON'T KNOW whether to discount a person with whom I have a 1/2 research fit (I like all their research except 1 or 2 things) or keep them ...

 

[JockNerd]

Then, I'm a Canadian wanting to applying to US schools. Things I am finding are a bit more difficult...UCLA has this thing on their website about if you're not a US citizen... you have to prove to the US Consulate that you have enough $$ to come here... etc.
Maybe it's just there... I dunno.

To apply to US schools if you're Canadian, you're supposed to submit proof of having enough funds to "not be a burden on society." It's a governmental rule, not a school one, and you'll be asked about it anywhere you apply.

Things are a bit different for Canadians than for citizens of other countries, though. We don't have to visit the consulate. You'd submit a signed letter from your bank (or your parents' bank).

I've heard this can be got around in funded programs, though. My forms when I crossed the border said my school was giving me all the money I'd need to meet requirements; I gave a letter to the schools I applied to but I don't think I really needed to, and they never asked for it at the border. You might want to email someone in the international student office at schools you're interested in to find out specifics.

 

[scienceisbeauty]

Ok, from the schools...where did you put the note explaining GPA conversion? How here, getting an 80 is just as prestigious as obtaining a 90 in the states. Both 90 and 80 = A - ... and my school is tough!

 

[NeuroNeuro]

I spent months on the computer looking at practically every university's website and reading up on the faculty. I had pretty specific research interests so it wasn't too hard for me to narrow it down to ~20-25. Then I discussed that list with two of my undergrad faculty advisors who helped me narrow it down.

I did not consider safety, weather, or location when deciding where to apply. I applied to 10 (I think) schools and interviewed and got into 4. That was when it got tough! I ruled out 2 schools but had a really hard time deciding between the last 2. Both of the advisors had very similar research interests as I do, so that wasn't an issue. I ended up then being more critical of things like tenure vs. assistant professor, reputation of the program, former students' success rates, weather, location, etc. It was a tough choice, but I know I made the right one now 🙂

Good luck!

 

[shock-me-sane]

I too spent quite a bit of time looking at schools, specifically professor interests and made a list. I then made an attempt to contact them to find out if they were going to be accepting students for the following year. I got great responses from some, none from others and found out some weren't accepting students. After eliminating those that weren't accepting students, I then went over the school stats of accepted applicants.

I picked out dream schools, reaches and realistic choices. I narrowed my list down to 15 (15-20 was suggested by my advisor). At the last minute (3 schools with Jan 15 deadlines) I decided not to apply to a few as I was already getting interview invites and they were less of a match for me.

After interviews I got somewhat picky. My first interview was a dream school and I remember thinking this is where I want to go. I got into a couple, but ended up going with my gut. This was based on my advisor, strength of the program, location and overall funding.

Keep in mind that no where is a sure thing. I got into a few really strong reach program (for my stats), rejected off the bat for other reaches, rejected by "sure things" later on.

Apply broad, but don't limit yourself geographically. And get a light box if you get in somewhere with less than stellar weather.

 

[PinkSoil]

Well, location was important to me since my husband and I bought a house in March 2007... so it was pretty much a done deal that I was only going to apply for schools in and around Philly.

Since that was a given, the most important thing became finding a school with a psychodynamic orientation.

Another important factor for me was finding schools that would look at me as "whole" and not just throw out my application after looking at my standardized test scores (I took both the GRE and the MAT and did crappy).

All things considered, I ended up applying at only one school-- the same school where I received my Masters degree. Luckily, I got in! This worked out beautifully because I get to transfer 30 credits and skip the 1st year of the program.

 

[PinkSoil]

Safety was a minor concern, only so far as making sure there were options to BE safe. I didn't come across any schools where that wasn't the case, some just required more caution than others. I ended up applying to Temple, which is arguably in one of the roughest areas of any school in the country if that tells you anything. Its not ideal, but as long as I can LIVE in a safe area (I'm not sure there's any city in the US where that isn't possible), I didn't think that should get in the way of my education either.

Although Temple is technically located in one of the roughest parts of Philly (North Philly), the campus itself is one of the safest places in the city. It literally looks like daytime at night because it is so well lit. That entire stretch of Broad Street is good bc it is taken up by Temple and the hospital, as well. I agree that living in a safe area, for those who aren't living on campus, can be a concern with schools like this. There aren't many places that are safe in N. Philly, but there are plenty of places in the city that are wonderful and have easy access to Temply by public transportation. I'm glad that you looked at all of the options and didn't let it get in the way of your education. I love my city and I think that people need to consider all of the options before turning away from situations like this.

 

[myelin]

When I was fresh out of my bachelor's degree, I really wanted to get out and away from my home state so location of the school was a big factor. I wanted to go to a place where there was a ton of things to do close by. Little did I know that I'd have very little time to enjoy those things.

Now I'm in a MA program and I'll be applying to PhD programs this fall. My first criteria is school/program fit with research fit being a close second. From there, I consider geographic location.

So, when looking at schools, first I ask myself, how do I match up with the students who were admitted to that school (looking at the full disclosure data). Second, I see if their program matches what I'm looking for which is a scientist-practitioner model with a mid to heavy focus on neuropsychology. Third, I look at the faculty members of that program and see if there is a research interest fit. If there is, I create a file in my cabinet and file their information as a school I'd like to apply to.

In the time that I've been in the MA program, I've narrowed my research interests quite a bit. In the beginning I knew I wanted to do something with neuropsych. Now I know the exact area of research that I'd like to pursue and have sought out professors that specifically have those interests.

 

[Sarahanne]

I narrowed down my list by research interest. I decided not to let location keep my from applying to programs with the best fit. If you are interested in a specific sub-discipline, sometimes the APA divisions will list specific programs that offer this emphasis. For example, child psychology and pediatric psychology divisions have a downloadable excel sheet that lists programs that offer specialized training in this area. However it is not very extensive, so don't use it solely to guide you in what schools you apply to. Also, if you have a mentor or faculty member in your area of interest, often times they can suggest programs to look at based on people they know in the field or faculty members at specific schools.