Applying to Graduate School for Lera's lab: Lera's FAQs

Thank you so much for your interest in my lab! I have assembled here a list of questions people frequently ask, and my answers. I hope this will be helpful to you!

  1. Will you be taking students this year?
  2. How do I apply?
  3. What should I do to prepare myself for graduate school?
  4. What do I need to do to get in?
  5. Can you tell me if I'll get in?
  6. OK, but what are my chances of getting in?
  7. I am not a psych or cogsci major, can I still apply?
  8. Do I need research experience to be accepted in graduate school?
  9. Do I need to take (insert name of test here) to apply?
  10. Can you tell me about the research projects you're working on now?
  11. Can I come visit your lab/do a department visit to see what it's like?
  12. Can I call you/set up an appointment to discuss my application?
  1. Will you be taking students this year?

    A: My lab is moving from Stanford to UCSD. If you are interested in applying to work with me starting in the Fall of 2013, please apply to the Cognitive Science Department at UCSD.

  2. How do I apply?

    A: All of the information you need to know is here and here. If you have any questions not answered by these websites, the best thing to do is email [email protected].

  3. What should I do to prepare myself for graduate school?

    A: You should get research experience (see question 8), and you should learn to program. Almost any research direction you might take in our lab will require you to write computer programs and think computationally (whether it's to create stimuli, run the studies, or analyze the data). Many of our studies these days need to run in a web browser. Here's a good set of skills to start with: MATLAB, R, JavaScript.

  4. What do I need to do to get in?

    A: The most important thing is to apply. Put together the best application package you can. The admissions committee is looking for people with an excellent academic record, demonstrated ability, and match in research interests. All parts of your application matter (grades, test-scores, essay, letters of recommendation, etc). So just put together the best application package you can, and apply.

  5. Can you tell me if I'll get in?

    A: The only way to find out is to apply. There is an organized admissions process conducted by an admissions committee. The committee considers all applications at the same time and makes its decisions. Admissions are done by the admissions committee, not by individual professors. So unfortunately, I can't tell anyone if they'll get in. There is just no way to know until the admissions process is complete.

  6. OK, but what are my chances of getting in?

    A: The competition is pretty tough. But don't worry about the numbers and just do your best to prepare yourself to apply.

  7. I am not a psych or cog sci major, can I still apply?

    A: Yes. We often accept students who do not come from a traditional psych or cogsci background. Lab members have come in with undergraduate degrees in English, Classics, Computer Science, History, Linguistics, Religious Studies, Symbolic Systems, and Opera.

  8. Do I need research experience to be accepted in graduate school?

    A. It is very rare for people to be admitted to our program without some research experience. Research experience is important for a number of reasons. First, it helps you figure out whether or not you really like research. Second, it helps us figure out whether or not you're good at it. Third, getting research experience is the best way to get contentful letters of recommendation. So, if you are thinking of going to graduate school, definitely try to get some research experience!

  9. Do I need to take (insert name of test here) to apply?

    A: If the application says you do, then yes you do.

  10. Can you tell me about the research projects you're working on now?

    A: Generally, the answer is here. If you would like to get a more detailed picture of what's happening in the lab, take a look at the talks & posters that lab members are presenting at conferences. We often present things at Cognitive Science, Psychonomics, Cognitive Linguistics, Cognitive Neuroscience, and VSS, among others. You can find a list of current Cognation citizens here.

  11. Can I come visit your lab/do a department visit to see what it's like?

    A: If you are selected by the admissions committee, you will be invited to our departmental prospectives weekend, where you'll get to meet all the folks in the department and spend time with the graduate students and learn a great deal about what we all do here and what life here is like. So, please apply, and if the admissions committee selects you, you will be invited. We can't really do department or lab visits otherwise.

  12. Can I call you/set up an appointment to discuss my application?

    A: In the interest of fairness, I ask everyone to just apply and go through the same application process. I do not set up special meetings or phone calls with folks before they apply because it would not be fair to all of the other people who apply who don't get a special meeting or phone-call. So, please just apply. The admissions committee looks forward to reading your application!