Social Psych Programs/ Summer Volunteer?

[danzgymn86]

Okay, so, first background info:

I am a Junior at a large and pretty good state university and I want to apply to Social Psych programs in December/January. (It will be my senior year by then).
Here is some info:
- GPA by the time I apply: 3.35-3.4 (Because of business classes I took when I thought I was going to be a business major.)
- Major GPA by the time I apply: 3.7+ (Because of a C+ in one class).
- Research experience (by the time I apply)
--2 semesters in a Clinical Lab (Anxiety Disorders and OCD-Spectrum Disorders) as an RA. (5 credits total)
--1 semester in a Social Lab (Body Image/Eating Disorders/Stigma) as an RA. 3 credits total
--I am taking the above lab and turning it into an Independent Study for myself. So I won't technically be a part of the lab as an RA, I will be a part of the lab but just doing my own project. By the time I apply, I will have 1 semester (3 credits) of this done.
--My research methods class that was 4 credits. We had to do a group project and this will (according to my TA) hopefully be presented as a poster at a conference somewhere.

- GREs: Haven't taken yet, but I'm really worried because I suck at standardized testing. I only had an 1170 SAT. I have books for both General and Psych but I am not doing well on practice tests...


I am wondering if I should get even MORE research experience. (Besides the fact that I think it will help me, I truly like it.) So, I was thinking of volunteering in a Professor's lab this summer. I would be working a couple days a week close to home and, if I volunteered, I would be commutting 48 miles to school to volunteer. I don't think the commute will be bad, honestly.
Anyway, do you think I should keep getting more RA experience? It can't help, right? Also, since I am going to be stuck for a 3rd letter, I am hoping that I can work with someone new (not one of the professors I am currently working with) and hopefully get a letter from them? Has anyone volunteered maybe 1 or 2 days a week for a shorter period of time (one semester or one summer or something) and gotten a letter out of it?? Also, the thing is, I have the opportunity to volunteer with a professor based on a campus closer to my house but she is Clinical. Does it matter? Should I commute so that I can have the Social experience. I will have a letter from the Clinical prof anyway, so I am thinking I should try to commute here and find a Social lab to volunteer in a day or two a week?

So basically, I feel like I need to do anything and everything to counteract my relatively poor GPA. Because I was talking to a Social grad student who said she has sat on admissions committees here and she said you basically need a 3.7 if you want to go right out of undergrad but that RA experience matters a lot.

Also, as far as teaching experience...there isn't anything undergrads can do here except for co-teach/"mentor" a Freshman "introduction to the university" type class. I may be doing that or may not...depends on if my schedule fits their needs. I find out May 1. So if I do that, that would look good too I guess.

But I have no publications and my independent study would be nowhere near done by the time I apply in December/Jan.

Also, I am not in the Honors program...which my advisor makes that sound like the kiss of death.

Sorry this was so long. Basically I just need any input or ideas or anythinggg on what I can do to counteract my poor GPA!

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[spyspy]

If I recall correctly, you were looking for this stuff a while ago?

Either way, try to get more research if you can. It's funny...I've done all social research, but I want to go clinical. I'd love to have had your experiences thus far! Doing research this summer would help with your references, I agree. I would try to find something related to what you want to research, eventually. There is a little overlap between social and clinical, but it depends on the area. What do you think you might want to research eventually?

 

[danzgymn86]

Yes, about a month ago, I was looking at local hospitals and such but came up with nothing because I had waited too long.
Today, I was talking with a friend in class about summer and she said she was volunteering in her professor's lab over the summer. Then, I remembered that a while ago, my advisor said that a very small group of students will work in labs over the summer as volunteers and so it occurred to me that maybe I should do that too.
I will also be working a job or two at home so I would have to coordinate hours with that and such, but they are extremely flexible. It's at a Social Service agency where I have worked for 2 years. Unfortunately, I'm not going into that field so that experience won't help me one bit but it's a paying job...and then I guess I can try to find a professor to volunteer for with the rest of my time?

Oh, and I want to research stigma/others' perceptions of eating disorders and stuff. That is what my Independent Study next year will be on as well.

 

[KillerDiller]

Additional research will enhance your CV, there's no doubt about that. I think the question now becomes which of the labs--clinical or social--is doing work that is most relevant to what you will be applying to research. If the social lab is studying perceptions of feminism and the clinical lab is doing something with eating disorders, you may want to stick with the clinical lab. An additional letter of rec from someone who has supervised your research would be nice, but in my opinion when it comes to applications there is little that tops having solid experience in your chosen research program.

I suppose if all things are equal and the labs are doing work that is equally relevant to your research goals, than I would take the social lab. I would do this for the additional recommendation and not because the type of lab--social vs. clinical--makes a huge difference.

 

[JockNerd]

Danz-- you mentioned honours. Are you in Canada or the US? If you're in Can., it can be the kiss of death. Many schools won't even look at your application if you don't have an honours. If you're in the US, I'd suggest that you not worry too much about it-- honours is research, and is the only exposure many students have to that research. You've already got a lot of research under your belt, and that's what matters. Especially if you present that poster, your chances sound great. I agree with KillerD about the next steps.

 

[danzgymn86]

Yes, I am in the US. Honors basically is for people who had high SAT scores coming in (which I didn't). You don't do much except write one extra paper a semester and a thesis, basically. Even though I am not in the honors program, though, I am still writing a thesis next year.

As for the difference in labs...the Clinical is doing Anxiety disorders and OCD-Spectrum disorders...so it kind of fits in but not really.
I'd need to find a Social lab to join--maybe a person perception one--and I guess that'd work. I just need to find out if people need help/volunteers over the summer.
Another question...typically during the semester, RAs do a lot of running of experiments and such. But since there aren't really experiments being run here in the summer (not a big enough participant pool to choose from when the semester is not on) what would RAs be doing then??

 

[psychanon]

I would volunteer over the summer if you can find an opportunity, but if you can't I wouldn't sweat it too much. You sound like you have pretty good experience for a social applicant. Getting more in-depth experience in one lab is better than being in multiple labs. The independent project might be a good alternative to being in an honors program, if it yields a thesis type thing.

Don't stress out about having no publications. A lot of times people hear about how important pubs are, and they think they'll never get in because they have none. It's the opposite, though-- if you have one, then great-- it'll really help-- but you're not expected to have one, so you won't be penalized. Getting a publication as an undergrad is INCREDIBLY unusual, because it's very hard-- the peer review process takes about a year, and having the opportunity to produce something of publishable quality in time to submit it is very rare.