When Is A Good Time To Start Applying?

[JackD]

Well i am getting close to that time when i need to start applying. I am hoping to get into grad school for the fall of 2009 semester. Clearly it is still too early to apply but many of the schools that i want to apply to say they have a deadline of getting an application in around early January. However, i obviously shouldn't wait until then to actually send my applications out, so i wonder, when is the best time to get my applications out?

Perhaps it is a bit early to be worrying about such a thing, of course i don't expect it to be for a few months yet, but i just want it in the back of my mind. Better to find out now, instead of waking up one day and realizing that i have missed the boat . I want to be ready to strike when the time is right but i am still unsure when that time actually is.

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[shock-me-sane]

I would say shoot for the beginning of December. Get all your letters, PS and everthing else worked out way ahead of time. I spent a fortune overnighting applications. So you can wait and not have it be a horrible thing (i.e. inteviews), but it is incredibly stressful.

Are all your deadlines in January? Mine ranged from Dec 1 to Jan 15th

 

[erg923]

For now, just make sure you have all your ducks in a row for the process. You should have you list close to finalized and you should have your LORS set up. Make sure they have a good couple of months to write the letters. I gave my LORs the forms and such in Sept. Start working on your personal statement soon. I think alot of apps are submitted online now days, which is great. Start digging into all the app forms in the early fall as well. If your deadlines are in early Jan, I would really have everything ready to go around Thanksgiving. In actuality though, as long as they get the stuff before the deadline, its all good. But obviously, don't wait till the last minute...thats just common sense. Getting them in a little early leaves room for error if something gets lost or doesn't arrive. Thats why I think thanksgiving is a good goal to aim for if all your deadlines are Jan 1st or 15th.

 

[shock-me-sane]

^you appear to be way better on the time management thing than I. listen to erg!

 

[deleted176373]

Well i am getting close to that time when i need to start applying. I am hoping to get into grad school for the fall of 2009 semester. Clearly it is still too early to apply but many of the schools that i want to apply to say they have a deadline of getting an application in around early January. However, i obviously shouldn't wait until then to actually send my applications out, so i wonder, when is the best time to get my applications out?

Perhaps it is a bit early to be worrying about such a thing, of course i don't expect it to be for a few months yet, but i just want it in the back of my mind. Better to find out now, instead of waking up one day and realizing that i have missed the boat . I want to be ready to strike when the time is right but i am still unsure when that time actually is.

You want to have it all wrapped up by Thanksgiving. That way you can insure that all the materials are there before the deadlines... believe me, the LOR's will be the most stressful followed closely by lost transcripts and GRE's.

Getting 3-5 Ph.D. letter writers to get your application LOR's in on time is much like herding cats. Start NOW with LOR's and getting professors to write them. Provide them an easy way to do all the letters (usually about 10-15 of them.) I provided stamped envelopes and all relevent materials. I also provided all forms in a digital format as well.

Make it easy and provide a sheet with deadlines to send letters by. I would normally have the "deadline" two weeks prior to the real deadline and I had 4 letter writers for each institution... Which came in handy and saved my bacon more than once due to lost and late letters.

Mark

 

[JockNerd]

Well i am getting close to that time when i need to start applying. I am hoping to get into grad school for the fall of 2009 semester. Clearly it is still too early to apply but many of the schools that i want to apply to say they have a deadline of getting an application in around early January. However, i obviously shouldn't wait until then to actually send my applications out, so i wonder, when is the best time to get my applications out?

Perhaps it is a bit early to be worrying about such a thing, of course i don't expect it to be for a few months yet, but i just want it in the back of my mind. Better to find out now, instead of waking up one day and realizing that i have missed the boat . I want to be ready to strike when the time is right but i am still unsure when that time actually is.

I forget what sort of programs you're applying to, but if it's PhD/Uni-based PsyD then now would be a good time to cut your potential list down to the definites by seeing what profs are going to be taking students. I'd do that this week, pretty soon everyone is going to be rushing for APA, then classes start. Then you can give out LORs early and give the writers plenty of time.

 

[cara susanna]

Now? I was told that if you ask too early before the deadline, they'll forget.

And do you mean find out which profs are taking students by emailing?

 

[JockNerd]

Now? I was told that if you ask too early before the deadline, they'll forget.

And do you mean find out which profs are taking students by emailing?

I didn't mean give the lors out now... just to be ready to. Now is a good time to contact profs and get that done, then organize everything for the profs and give them a package in maybe late sept or august.

Yes, email them all. If a prof isn't taking a student and you apply to that school, it's a wasted application.

 

[cara susanna]

Okay, thanks.

What type of email is best to send? Just say who you are, that you are interested in applying, and asking if they're still taking students? Or do you need to elaborate more?

 

[JackD]

I forget what sort of programs you're applying to

Actually, i am going for non-terminal maters programs. My GPA is pretty good but i don't feel confident enough to jump straight to doctoral programs. I realized my calling kind of late, so i also don't have some of the recommended "must haves" for applying. I am playing things pretty conservatively. Get my foot in the door at a grad school then move on from there.

 

[erg923]

This is exactly what I did as well. I was pretty competitive out of undergrad, but just didnt make it, so I accepted one of my masters program back ups. It makes for a longer road, because even if the doctoral program accepts some of your classes, it seldom shortens your time too much. (2 years for the masters, then another 6 for the doctorate),It was worth it in the end though, as I came into my doctoral program with some experiences and real world perspective of the field that my classmates did not have.

 

[JackD]

even if the doctoral program accepts some of your classes, it seldom shortens your time too much.

Well, from what i have been told, some schools have it where the masters degree runs parallel to the early years of the doctoral programs, so you can transfer smoothly into PsyD work, you don't really lose a step. That probably only works if you stay at the same university for the entire span of graduate work though. However, i do think there are some schools where you can go from masters to doctoral in the same amount of time as if you went straight from bachelor's to doctoral. But if it does take a few years longer, i don't care, i'm in no rush to get out of college.

Although it does seem like a person who went from masters to doctoral would have an advantage over those who went straight to doctoral, since you can do practicum work while earning a masters degree.