To Honors or Not to Honors

[mjr2013]

A little background:

Psychology major transfer student with Junior standing at HYPSM.
Hold AAS in Mental Health/Social Work from previous college.
GPA: 3.84, Psych GPA: 3.96
GRE: Studying and taking this summer into fall
Ideal: PhD Clinical Psychology for Fall 2020
Research Experience: Working in lab since Fall 2017, have a draft of a paper from an independent project that is slowly coming together. Really want to get this published, and PI thinks it's possible. Would be first or second author with PI... Started in new lab Winter 2019, plan to stay here until Spring 2020, hopefully get a good project here as well, just entry level tasks thus far... Worked in policy lab Fall 2018 in Law School on research project in area of interest that will be published also... Independent project completed last summer, presented last fall.

The conundrum:

In Summer 2018 I did an independent project in my home state of Michigan. It went pretty well, and I presented on it at an undergraduate symposium hosted by my university. My advisor was in the School of Education. The majority of the work I have done independently has been under the supervision of professors in the Psychiatry Department and School of Ed. I don't have a lot of contacts in the Psychology Department, just professors who I've had in the past or interacted with.

This summer, I want to do another independent project in Michigan. I'd like for it to be an Honors Thesis, but tbh I just want to get into a Clinical Psych PhD, I don't care how it happens. The Honors Thesis requirement, both for honors and for honors funding, is for your advisor to be in the Psychology Department. I've contacted five different professors in the Psych Department, and while all have been really nice, all feel it's either too far removed from their expertise (worth mention is there is no clinical program here), or that they don't have the time to devote.

How feasible would it be to conduct the research this summer, without funding, and try to get it published afterwards? Or should I keep trying, with professors I now don't even know, to try and find one who will take pity on me and work with me?

Thanks in advance.

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[psydstudent2020]

I would do an honors thesis if you can. It helped me when applying to programs

 

[deleted343839]

If I understand correctly, you have two finished (or close to finished) projects that could result in publication. I would focus on getting these published rather than starting a new project. It will probably take longer than you think. Also, consider submitting these projects as presentations to national-level conferences if the cost of attending a conference is within your means.

 

[Justanothergrad]

I second what MamaPhD said.

Put those projects into products, there are a variety of national conferences scattered around the country you may be able to consider. Ask your mentor about any potential fits and if you get stuck we can always offer some as well. The more products the better and the thesis wont get there nearly as fast so I would focus my time on existing research (it gets weighed more to have products in review or presentation than to have a thesis which has not gotten there in my experience)