Prospective Graduate Students

What I'm looking for in a Graduate Student

Research Focused Career Path

First and foremost, it is crucial to emphasize that Purdue is a Clinical Science Training Program. This means that our focus is on producing clinical psychologists who will develop an expertise in conducting and analyzing scientific research. As I mentioned in the Getting into Grad School section, there are a large number of paths to choose from when applying to grad school. The path that we offer at Purdue - and in my lab - is one that is designed to prepare students with the statistical, methodological, and critical thinking skills to produce high-quality research. This does not mean that every one of our students goes on to become professors or researchers, but our training is focused on giving all of them the tools to do this. Again, the main factor for anyone considering applying to work with me is whether that sort of training is the right fit for their career goals. Students who ultimately see themselves spending a large part of their professional lives working directly with patients as a therapist are likely to find other programs that are much better fits for that goal.

Successful applicants to my lab are those who can articulate their interest in a research focused career in clinical psychology and particularly make the case why they want a training program like Purdue. 

A Specific Match with my Research Interests

Beyond the general alignment with our reasearch-focused training goals, the second major factor that I'm looking for in a potential student is the match between their research interests and the type of research that we are already doing in my lab. The best place (besides this website -- Research) to learn about the research we have done -- and will continue to do -- is by reading the papers that we have written. You can find many of those on Google Scholar or in your library, but if there is one you can't locate, you should email and I'm happy to share copies of them. At the broadest level, our lab studies dimensional models of personality. Within that, we use the Five Factor Model of personality as a basis for understanding personality pathology. The idea is that when traits are too extreme they become problematic. I am particularly interested in understanding how otherwise adaptive traits, such as conscientiousness, can reach levels where the traits start to impair functioning. This might take the form of being so diligent about work that it interferes with other spheres of life, such as relationships. Similarly, it is usually adaptive to consider decisions carefully, but we are interested in understanding when this level of deliberation can impair people's ability to get things done in a timely manner. 

As our website states, a more recent extension -- that you won't find in the published literature -- is in understanding the unique risk factors for mental health problems and suicide among farmers. If this is an area that specifically interests you, please email me and I'm happy to tell you a bit more about the opportunities at Purdue. 

Overall, when I read applications I look primarily to determine if students are excited to ask and answer these types of questions. If you can see yourself working on research like this during your career, you should absolutely apply! Successful applicants are able to articulate their own research interests and show how those interests overlap with the interests of myself and the broader lab. 

Intellectual and Personality Qualities

Like any other application process, I am ultimately looking for applicants who most persuade me that a) they are a great fit with my lab and our training mission AND b) are well positioned to have success within our program and beyond. That latter portion should be directly addressed in the application materials. Success in this program and as a researcher is facilitated by intelligence and intellectual curiosity. We are seeking to integrate complex ideas and this involves thinking creatively. Thus, it requires that students have the intellectual capacity, as well as the curiousity and fascination, to enjoy puzzling on these questions and trying to develop ways to answer them. 

In addition, one of the main qualities of successful students are those who have the drive to keep pushing forward. Graduate school is long and that motivation and determination to answer the questions and keep going is a key to success. 

The type of work we do requires advanced statistical skills to analyze data. This will be a formal part of our training in the program and in the lab. As such, the ideal applicant will be able to demonstrate a reasonably strong aptitude for math and working with numbers. 

Similarly, a fundamental part of the research process is communicating the results and findings with others. This primarily happens through written publications so the ability to write clearly and concisely about complex and technical ideas is a major marker of success in our program. Those applicants who can demonstrate a strong writing ability will be looked upon favorably. 

Finally, this program -- like life -- is about working with people. Applicants need to be able to get along well with others, work on teams, and have the sort of interpersonal skills to succeed in research and in the clinic. 

How Can I demonstrate that I have Those Qualities? 

First, it must be emphasized that all applications will be read thoroughly and evaluated holistically. I personally read the application of every student who applies to work directly with me as their primary mentor. Holistic evaluation means that all of your materials are considered as part of the evaluation and that there are no cutoffs (e.g., GPA or GRE) or required criteria that singlehandedly eliminate or advance a candidate. All aspects of each applicant's materials are considered cumulatively to determine those that are best positioned. 

In terms of the intellectual and academic preparation, this will be indicated by things on an academic transcript such as Overall GPA, GPA in psychology courses, performance in math or statistics courses. It can also be indicated by scores on the GRE. The GRE is optional for admission to Purdue so students need not submit scores (or have taken the test). As a researcher who is an expert in measuring psychological concepts, I put value in GRE scores as one indicator. I am aware of concerns with the validity of GRE, but in my read of the research all other indicators (GPA, personal statements, past research experience) are equally, if not more, problematic (see Woo et al., 2023 for a summary). Thus, I welcome GREs from those who believe those scores showcase their abilities. For those without GRE scores, it is also fine for those applicants to find another way to demonstrate those capababilities. 

Another marker that is often seen as a benefit is prior research experience. This is worth elaborating on, as some will view research experience, a master's degree, or even research publications, as criteria for admission to graduate school. This is NOT the case. I have taken students into my own lab from a variety of backgrounds. Some straight from undergraduate degrees, some from master's programs, and others who had a year or more of full-time research experience after college. All are valid paths. Again, the burden falls on the applicant to make the compelling case that they have the preparation and motivation to succeed in this program. My job is to use the data that each applicant provides to make predictions about their future performance in our program. Past research experience, particularly when it is related to the research we do in our lab, is highly useful for making that prediction as it gives me confidence that the student is genuninely interested in and committed to that research. But, it is certainly not the only way to demonstate that commitment. Similarly, research experience in undergraduate honors' thesis, master's thesis, or first-author scientific publications are helpful indicators, but are not required. 

The primary place within the application where students can demonstrate their intellectual curiosity, fit with my lab, and motivation is within their personal statement. This is an opportunity for the applicant to make the case for "why Purdue?" and specifically "why this lab?" I read those materials carefully to understand how that applicant articulates their fit into my lab. 

Conclusion:

As noted here, applications are considered holistically and there are many factors that influence the selection process. I what to emphasize again that no single criteria or factor supercedes others. I communicate these considerations here to give potential applicants a better idea what I'm looking for. I hope that this transparency will provide a more equal playing. I also hope that gives students the opportunity to craft their application materials in a way that makes their best case. Students should provide information that they think most clearly demonstrates their own capabilities and experiences.