A Chat with Uma
A Chat with Uma
Uma R. Chatterjee, M.S., MHPS
25. From College Dropout to Graduate Student: Navigating Graduate School Applications & Admissions as a Nontraditional Student
1 hour 39 minutes Posted Sep 21, 2023 at 8:48 pm.
) Intro & overview of episode
) Update: ⁠Video + event recording repository⁠ of many past events
) UPCOMING EVENT: Hosting IOCDF's Community Conversations Tues. 9/26, 7 ET
) EVENT REPLAY: Co-hosted IOCDF's Community Conversations with Tom Smalley
) EVENT REPLAY: IOCDF Diversity Roundtable on Suicide Prevention with Dr. Darlene Davis Goodwine, Krista Reed, & Erika McCoy
) UPCOMING EVENT: Online IOCDF OCD Conference 2023 & ticket giveaway!
) Brief background from my undergraduate degree & considering next steps
) Applying to grad school the first time
) Starting my masters degree in neuroscience
) The wide range of evaluations & judgments I received due to my unprecedented, non-traditional academic path
) How and why I decided to apply to Neuroscience Ph.D programs, in spite of the odds; How I "broke the rules" of the typical application process
) How I specifically chose schools, programs, and mentors as a non-traditional student
) How I "broke the rules" in navigating disclosure + talking about my non-traditional path as an applicant
) Recommendation letters:
) Ph.D Interviews: how they went, how I navigated disclosure, the results of my applications, closing out the episode
0:00
1:39:35
Download MP3
Show notes
On episode 25 of A Chat with Uma, I share my full journey of applying for graduate school as a non-traditional student with a very divergent & complicated academic + personal history. I share my experience in full detail of applying for clinical psychology Ph.D programs earlier on in my academic journey, and how + why I ultimately chose to pursue my masters in neuroscience. I discuss how vastly different my experience was as a student whose path was so divergent from anyone around me, and the resulting confusion about my future & chances due to having no basis + reference point about my own journey. I explain how I navigated the ambiguity of applying to Ph.D programs with my unique journey, and why I ultimately decided to try. I speak at length about every detail of my application experience as a non-traditional student: including disclosure in personal statements, my CV, internet/social media "outing," recommendation letters, interviews, and more. This episode serves to provide evidence & hope that pursuing academic endeavors as a non-traditional student with a divergent past IS possible. I share all of my advice, empowerment, experiences, and honest reflections from my experiences in the hopes that others feel valid & hopeful about forcing their own paths with their unique lived experiences.
Topics Discussed (+ timestamps):
(
(
00:07:48) Update: ⁠Video + event recording repository⁠ of many past events
(
00:10:18) UPCOMING EVENT: Hosting IOCDF's Community Conversations - Tues. 9/26, 7 ET
Link to attend
(
00:11:35) EVENT REPLAY: Co-hosted IOCDF's Community Conversations with Tom Smalley
Link to watch
(
00:12:23) EVENT REPLAY: IOCDF Diversity Roundtable on Suicide Prevention - with Dr. Darlene Davis Goodwine, Krista Reed, & Erika McCoy
⁠Link to watch⁠
(
00:14:08) UPCOMING EVENT: Online IOCDF OCD Conference 2023 & ticket giveaway!
Register here
Email for ticket giveaway: [email protected]
(
Contextual episodes:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠01. My Full Story: 0 to 26⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
02-04. My Mental Health Journey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 1⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 3⁠⁠⁠⁠
(
Psychology Ph.D programs & my neuroscience M.S. program
How & why I chose the neuroscience M.S.
The major influence my non-traditional path played in this application cycle
(
My extremely unique experience as a non-traditional student
The prescribed, typical path around me vs. my very divergent path
Confusion around what was possible for my future
(
(
(
(
Statements & essays
My CV
My exposure & disclosure on the internet + social media
What I shared vs. what I didn't share
(
How I chose recommenders
How I asked recommenders
How I shared my history/past with them
The resources I created to optimize my chances as a non-traditional student
(
Connect with me!
My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Support my work: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠
Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠