Hello, Folks!
I am a current undergraduate psychology student, and I’m wondering what you think my chances are at getting into Stanford for graduate school. I will graduate my current school (University of Washington Tacoma) Spring 2018 and plan to apply for Stanford’s Ph.D. program in psychology to begin Autumn 2018. If I don’t get accepted right away, I am prepared to continue applying for 3-4 years in a row. I hope to strengthen my application with each attempt if I don’t make it the first time.
Here are some of the things I’m doing to better my chances. Since I’m a junior, I still have some time to work on my resume. So I’m open to suggestions on how to increase my odds!
- My current GPA is a 4.0, but I have only completed one quarter so far at UWT. My former school was a community college, which I finished with a 3.46. Although my GPA there was quite low, there is an explanation that makes a difference beneath the surface. I took college classes at my community college while I was in high school (2010-2012). I was quite unprepared and didn't do very well there. However, right after high school graduation, I joined the army for 21 months. I returned to school after leaving the military to finish my degree in January 2015, and graduated December 2015, raising my GPA from 2.0 to 3.46. I retook nearly all of the classes I did poorly on in HS, receiving mostly A and A-'s and only one B. I continue to get straight A's since leaving the military, so I'm hoping my HS history hasn't ruined my chances.
- I served in the U.S. Army as an Intelligence Analyst for 21 months before receiving a concussion while deployed, and I am now a disabled veteran. I am able to attend school because the VA is paying for up to a Master's degree. Using this benefit along with Stanford's Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, I will have guaranteed funding for the program.
- I am in my school's Global Honors program, which will be listed on my degree as a minor in Global Studies. This program requires me to keep a 3.5 GPA minimum and complete a senior capstone. My psychology program does not require a capstone, which is why I decided to join a program that would be more of a challenge.
- I plan to present at an honors conference in April 2017. My research is about Carol Dweck's mindset theory. Dweck is a current professor at Stanford, and my dream is to work with her as a Ph.D. student. All of my projects and papers relate somehow to Dweck's work, when relevant.
- A benefit of the Global Honors program is the opportunity to apply for fellowships to attend conferences often. I plan to present at a minimum of 3 conferences in 2017, and I also plan to earn a fellowship to study abroad in South Korea. I am currently looking into programs that apply to my major. If I don't go to South Korea, I will go somewhere where I am able to take psychology courses or conduct research.
- I have been nominated by two separate professors for fellowships in the first quarter I've been attending UWT.
- I will be a research assistant for two quarters at UW Seattle in a psychology lab about stereotypes, identity, and belonging. The primary investigator and post-doctoral researcher running the lab both graduated with a Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford, so I may be able to have them write my letters of recommendation.
- I have been volunteering at my local youth center, Community Youth Services (CYS), for nearly two years. By the time I apply for Stanford, I will have 4.5 years of this experience. At CYS, I volunteer in the juvenile diversion department as a member of the Community Accountability Board (CAB). I speak to adolescents and their parents with 2-3 other volunteer board members. We determine a contract of accountability for the youth as an alternative to court.
- I was a TA for two quarters for my psychology professor from my community college. I assisted in grading quizzes and exams, I attended class daily, and held study groups with students.
- I have not yet taken the GRE, but I have already started studying.
- I received an A in statistics, and although my school does not offer any high-level statistics classes, I am planning to write some letters to get this changed at my school. Since the psychology field is starting to focus more on statistics and research as I advance in my studies, I believe our school should offer a higher level statistic class for psychology majors. Hopefully, I will be able to make this change in my school and advance in this subject as well.