Recommendations for Graduate School-- Where to Get From?

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Hi, I'm in my mid-30's, I haven't had much luck in the workforce, so I'm going back to school to earn my masters in experimental psychology. I'm hoping that way, I can work with some professors, get on research studies and such and it'll lead a better path for me to get a decent career going.

Problem is, I graduated undergrad back in 2003, and I've asked for recommendations from my professors, no luck-- I didn't exactly do great in my last year. Not bad, but not great. During that time I was suffering from really bad depression. I even asked my old college basketball coach (still don't know how I played sports-- I'm clumsy as hell) but she brushed me off big time.

I took 2 graduate courses in 2006 at the school where I'm applying-- as a special student and earned B's in both courses although I didn't try hard enough.

I pretty much don't know a lot of people and certainly no one qualified to give me a decent recommendation. I can't afford to take courses again as a special student in the spring, I need financial aid.

Any advice? I thought about talking/sending a letter to the Dean of the graduate school explaining my circumstances, but not quite sure.

I feel really bad that I have no one to vouch for me although I'm very capable. My IQ scores are well over the 100's, my highest was about 123, not a genius but capable.

Talking to your dean would be a good start. if you see a psychologist, I'm sure they could vouch for you and they would appear as credible sources. sorry your teachers are blowing you off, you may not need all those sources so i would double check with admissions counselors or disability services to check up on it. good luck to u

I know it's not quite the same but I had a similar predicament applying to grad school.

I went to a HUGE university and no professors would have even remembered me (and if they did it wouldn't have been that fondly, I had a B+ average but I was stoned sometimes and occasionally didn't show up). FYI I graduated in 05 and applied for fall 09, not quite as big a gap but still substantial.

The thing is, when you say you "haven't had much luck in the workforce", what does that exactly mean? Any jobs you have had could be references as long as they are current or ended well. My references were a.) an old family friend who I worked for part-time for a year or so, b.) my current supervisor at the time, who I'd also worked for for maybe a year, and c.) the "coup de grace" (sp? ) a buddy of mine who was in a very good law school at the time but had no academic or professional contact with me since middle school.

"Qualifications" are relative.

Granted, I only got into 1 out of 6 schools I applied to (and was wait listed at one other), but I applied to some pretty competitive programs and at least I got one to take a chance on me. One is all it takes.

Also what kind of experimental psych are you looking at (like, in short, are you trying to work with rats or people?), and how much is geography an issue?

I know a fair amount about programs in the midwest and west coast US, if that is in your zone and you have any questions.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the responses, I really appreciate them as I REALLY want to get back into school.

I'm looking to work with young children and their cognitive abilities, in research studies. I won't rule out working with animals because other than children, I don't like working with people all that much. Amazon_television-- I'm not quite sure about relocating, however each year I say I'm going to move, but never made much effort. But with the right program AND if I can get into it, I don't mind looking more into it.

I've worked several jobs but none relating to experimental psychology or psychology for that matter. The jobs I've had, I've resigned, but not quite sure if I could go back and get recommendations. I worked at world renown university as a filing clerk for two years, several childcare jobs and a job working with deaf children.

The program requires 2 recommendations and added this: "Letters commenting on research experience are particularly useful". I go to the health sciences library pretty often and enjoy reading research articles from journals. They also require a written statement. I suppose I can try to sway them?

I don't see a psychologist-- just a psychiatrist. On that note, I can probably track down the person (who was an MA psychology associate under a psychologist) that tested me.

I'm even studying now to take the Psyc GRE test for next month, although no GRE is required, not even the standard GRE test.

More feedback please!! Thanks!!

I imagine it looks pretty good if you take the psych GRE when it's not required (although the general GRE probably would carry more weight--are you taking that as well?)

I took the psych GRE (twice actually) though it wasn't required for any programs I applied to because I didn't get my undergrad degree in psych and wanted to show I could still pull my weight and I will say I thought it was pretty difficult. If you can smoke that test it will look very good, but even if you get an average score it still looks pretty good as most people taking it are Ph.D applicants.

I don't remember what my exact scores were, it was around 600 the second time which was very close to average (I think it was like the 48th percentile, better than the first time but not by much).

Hi again.

Thought about taking the general GRE but thought the psyc GRE would carry more weight. Hmmm, I'd have to check into that. Thanks for the suggestion. Were you able to get into school with your psyc GRE scores?