I want to go to graduate school (help/need advice)

Graduate School
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<p>Hello everyone. So, this is my first time ever posting, and boy, do I need help. I want to go to graduate school and I want to get into a Ph.D program. Personally, I think I just need reassurance/some other synonymous word to would hopefully make me feel better. </p>

<p>For starters, I don't think I am ready, nor qualified to even get into graduate school, but I don't really know much about it. I am the first in my family to ever go to college, so I have a lot riding on my shoulders. </p>

<p>Here are my specs:
Undergraduate - University of Connecticut
Major(s) - Psychology, Cognitive Science
GPA: Psych- 3.813, CogSci- 3.825, Overall- 3.553 <<all gpa subject to change.
GREs: Haven't taken, but I predict V:400-500, Q-630ish, and AW:4-5?
3 Semesters of Undergraduate Research
NSF Summer Internship in Compassion</p>

<p>As for my GPA, I didn't try my first year simply because I was homeless and had a pretty crappy life all around. I am a minority, and a dirt poor one at that. I am alive today because I made the right decisions and got lucky when it came to not dying.</p>

<p>Personally, I want to go into a Ph.D program in the neuroscience of morality/emotion/intuition/affective neuroscience.</p>

<p>The schools I am considering are the following:
Stanford
Harvard University
Yale
Columbia
Cornell
University of Chicago
UC-Boulder
Brown
UMass
Boston College</p>

<p>I know I am aiming high, but hey -- a boy gotta dream, right? Anyways, I really hope someone could give me the low-down and/or some advice and/or words of encouragement and/or a hug.</p>

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<p>Oh, I forgot to mention I am pursuing a BS and not a BA</p>

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<p>You can certainly get into a good graduate program. The ones you list may be a bit of a reach but if you talk to your professors and research mentors, they can give you suggestions as to what other programs might be good fits for you. Of course you should apply to a couple of the ones you list, just have other options available to you.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Where do you suggest my cut-off should be? Is there a chance for me to get into any of the top schools I listed?</p>

<p>The main reason why I picked these schools is because of the professors that do research in morality and other abstracts that lack neurobiological foundation, or tangible evidence for such.</p>

<p>Thanks for the “good luck!”</p>

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<p>I’ll be frank, you need high GRE’s for any of those schools…you can contact their depts, but even at a place like UCLA (which not top top top rated) the average quant and verbal hovers around 700 in both categories…</p>

<p>your gpa is not stellar…especially the overall…</p>

<p>Have you considered getting a terminal MA first? I think this may boost your chances to get into a graduate program, especially if you write a thesis in proposed area of study for your Ph.D…It will also prepare you a lot more overall and you can sharpen your GPA to something more reasonable…</p>

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<p>I figured I would need high GREs for these schools. I wanted to give my current “specs” if you will to see what I would need to do. If I study hard enough, I can most likely break 700 in Q and maybe a 550 in V (Verbal being my hardest category). </p>

<p>As for my gpa, I still have a year to go. My first year gpa is about a 2.9; the gpa of my last two years (overall) is a 3.8. My excuse for my first year is valid (in my opinion of course) and by the time I graduate, I should have a 3.65. The only way I can break a 3.7 overall is by retaking certain classes (which I don’t have the time nor money to do anyway).</p>

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<p>Of the ones you list, the ones you are most likely to be admitted to are </p>

<p>UC-Boulder
UMass
Boston College</p>

<p>You still will need excellent GRE scores though. The others are longshots. The fact that you have a good GPA in your final years will make a difference for some of these schools but the letters of recommendation also need to be strong and personal (not just a professor you had a class from once).</p>

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<p>Well thanks kind sir – I really appreciate it. I am going to study really hard for the GREs. I know I’ll do fine on the quantitative section, and I might be able to break a 700. For the verbal, I am aware I will struggle, simply because I don’t read much. I don’t read for pleasure like most people-- I like to gain my knowledge through social interaction and such (I’m weird, I know). Nonetheless, I have a book for the GREs, and I’ve been studying, so hopefully when the time comes, I’ll be ready.</p>

<p>As for the statement of purpose, I am a pretty good writer, so I am sure I’ll be fine there. For the letters of recommendation, I have a handful of faculty/advisors/mentors I can ask, so I think I’ll be fine there too. My main concern is simply the fact that I am new to this and have no predecessors with ample knowledge of graduate school.</p>

<p>Once again, I thank you.</p>

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<p>Dude - what about all the foreign people that get into HYPS and whatever relevant top schools for their subjects whose families also know nothing about the arcana of US grad admissions? What about all the kids whose parents have stopped at a BA or got a professional degree? What about basically anyone who’s doing this for themselves for the first time? It’s not like because you’re first gen you somehow intrinsically have no chance.</p>

<p>UConn is an ok school. Surely given your research and GPA, you can find a professor who can advise you re admissions far better than anyone on this forum? You’re certainly luckier than someone applying from an overseas U where knowledge about the specifics of grad admissions may simply be unavailable.</p>

<p>You know, just saying, you’re not at all in a position to complain.</p>

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<p>“I don’t think I am ready, nor qualified to even get into graduate school”</p>

<p>Well, first of all, don’t think that you’re not qualified. Grad school can kind of be a crap shoot - no one can actually tell you if you’ll get in before you apply. In my opinion, you don’t have any glaring red flags, but there are definitely stronger applicants than you. Pick your schools wisely and write an excellent statement (which can be hard to figure out how to do). Or get stellar recommenders with big connections.</p>

<p>Second, it is my strong belief that you should go to grad school when you want to go to school. Don’t do it just because that’s the long-term plan or you don’t know what else to do. There’s no harm taking some time off and working before you go back to school. Then you have time to decide what you really want - a 5+ year commitment is a big decision. Often times applicants with work experience are preferred. However, everyone is different and some people are much better suited to go straight from undergrad to grad school. That’s a decision you need to make.</p>

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<p>I feel really bad. Where do I complain? If I really did, then I am sorry, really. As for not being in a position to complain, I think being poor, homeless, and family-less in American counts for something when it comes to trying to make something of my life (however, this is highly opinionated). </p>

<p>I am not here to argue anything though, I just figured I could get help from my online peers.</p>

<p>“I don’t think I am ready, nor qualified to even get into graduate school”</p>

<p>If I don’t know how something will be, then I think it is far to say I don’t know if I am ready, nor do I know if I am qualified. I don’t have a list of my competition. I don’t know about their family lives, so I think it is okay and honest to state that. But as I said before, I am here for help.</p>

<p>With that being said, thanks everyone! I did end up talking to my research mentor, and he helped me out a ton. I don’t want to have one perspective though, which is why I wanted to hear from more than 1 person.</p>

<p>Hopefully that is acceptable.</p>

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<p>As sad as your story is, you’re coming off bit trollish(is that even a word?) looking for acceptance and pity. The simple fact is not everyone’s life is awesome, fantastic and superfalifragilisticexpialidocious. Except the damn Australians, their one happy bunch. Everyone I know who are successful and come from an impoverished background have a no-********, if-i-can-live-in-the-middle-of-a-warzone-i-can-ace-this-test kind of mentality. Which is something your going to have to learn to do. If you don’t think you can do it, you won’t. Rarely are there people in a grad program who don’t think they belong there. At least for the programs I’ve attended. Stand up for your self and stop doubting.</p>

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<p>Talk to more than one prof. Talk to them often. In many cases, getting into grad school is very much about your profs backing you, especially if they have contacts at other schools. Grad school admisisons isn’t like undergrad, where some team outside the dept basically decides your fate. Their profs have/can have more say. Next, you have to identify a research topic- not your final one, but somewhat more narrowed down than what you wrote. Not the subsets of neuro, but the actual work you are proposing to do. Again, talk to current profs for this support. And, really, you should be working through those profs to get a year or two of solid real world work experience to show your commitment and maturity.</p>

<p>Most juniors don’t have a good idea of all this. so, if you are truly intrigued, get that help within your dept.</p>

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<p>In addition, the fact that you think you’re not ready is the biggest red flag in your whole application</p>

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<p>If you’re not ready, take some time off.</p>

<p>Your GPA is high enough - your 3.5 cum is adequate and your psych and cog sci GPAs are very high, so you should be fine… Your GRE scores need to be higher - you need to get them to a 1200+ to be competitive for neuroscience programs. So practice with the POWERPrep program and some books so you can get that verbal up to the 600 range.</p>

<p>If you can get more research, that would be ideal. Many people aiming for the schools you are aiming for take 2 years after college to do more research as a lab coordinator or paid research assistant in a lab.</p>

<p>PM me if you want more info - I’m actually in Columbia’s psychology department. I think if you want to do affective neuroscience, you’d be very happy here! Don’t worry about being first-gen - I’m first-gen as well, and an African American woman. I’m the only one in the department, lol, but I love it here. It’s a very friendly, collegial, collaborative department. People are willing to help you out, and the program is flexible.</p>

<p>I will say here, it’s important to contact professors ahead of time and make sure that they are taking students, because you have to get admitted into a lab or two with someone willing to sponsor you. We usually take 6-10 students a year.</p>