Social Psych programs?

[danzgymn86]

SO I know this isn't really school or counselling or clinical psychology which is what this forum is about, but I can't find anywhere to post about Social Psychology.

So basically, right now I am a Junior and am trying to figure out what to do after my senior year. I really like academic research. ...I'll be graduating with a BA in Psych with a Research Concentration (an option at my school).

I'm looking into Social Psych programs but I don't think my grades are good enough for a PhD program so I guess I will look at MA programs even though I don't want to do the MA first. After this semester, my cumulative should be around a 3.2 to 3.3 and my Psych will be a 3.7. GREs prolly won't be that great because my test taking skills suck. I'm much better at applied stuff.

For a class, I am currently doing a group research project (requirement) and if we get any results, my TA really wants us to do a poster out of it at a conference. But we may not get substantial results (just by looking at the preliminary info we have.)

I am working in 2 professor's labs for credit. One lab is Social and one is Clinical. By the time I graduate, I will have spent 1.5 years in each lab. I will be doing an independent study next year (my senior year)...I may turn it into two independent studies. However, I'd have to apply in December/Jan. and that leaves no time for me to have gotten a poster/publication or heck, even results out of it. Oh and it's on stigma and eating disorders. I'm also interested in out-group biases, stereotypes and body image. Oh and reconstructive memory and sports/performance. Those are kind of randomly thrown in there and not really tied in with the rest.

So I'm really just grasping at straws here and trying to get into programs. I think the 2 programs so far (but they are PhD, not MA, programs) that seem like the best matches for me (as far as prof's research interests) are Arizona and Kansas, --clear across the country for me. But I'm still looking at others. I don't want to go that far, but if that's where I get in, then I guess that's where I go...

Any input? What are my chances? Where else should I be looking/what else should I be doing?

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[irish80122]

I am not nearly as familiar with social programs but if you have a strong research match I think you will have a shot at some PhD programs. Your GPA may hurt you some, and some will depend on how well you can do on the GRE (don't write it off, it is a test you can study for) but it sounds like you have a good foundation in research and if you have a match that should take you far. If not, you always can apply to masters programs where match really isn't required. Good luck and I hope that helps some...

 

[hunter123]

Do you by any chance go to SCSU?

I didn't apply to social psych programs but for clinical, what seems to be the most important is the research 'fit.' My GPA is great, but my GRE's were only so-so. You can study for the GRE's though, and they are supposed to get easier after they change them. I don't know how it works for social psych, but if a Ph.D program will accept your master's degree and you won't have to make up that time, you should try to get into an MA program at a reputable school that fits your research interests and try to raise your GPA.

 

[danzgymn86]

No, I don't go to SCSU. What made you think that?

 

[hunter123]

SCSU offers a research concentration and I know a faculty member that is doing a research requirement and wants her students to present the findings as a poster at a conference if there are results. Plus, you said that AZ and KS are across the country (both are far from CT).