FAQ for Graduate Applicants

Thank you for your interest in joining the CANlab at UC Berkeley! We know the application process can feel overwhelming, so we’ve put together this FAQ to address some of the most common questions we receive. Our goal is to be as transparent and fair as possible with all applicants. Please read through the information below before reaching out; it will help clarify the lab's policies and give you a sense of how best to prepare your application. For more information on applying to the UC Berkeley Department of Psychology, please visit the department's admissions site.

Are you accepting students for the Fall 2026 application cycle?

Yes! I am accepting students in the UC Berkeley Department of Psychology through both the Clinical Science and Cognitive Neuroscience areas. I am also open to co-mentoring with PIs in different areas.

I am still in undergrad or am just finishing up my degree. Can I apply?

At this time, I am not considering applications from individuals directly out of undergrad. If you are still completing your degree, and really want to come work with us at UC Berkeley, then the next best step is to focus on gaining professional, full-time research experience through an RA or lab manager position, in a relevant field (i.e., psychology, neuroscience, and in some cases data science/engineering). Of course, other labs/programs have different expectations, so if you are intent on applying this year, those programs might be a better fit, and we will wish you the best of luck!

Can I meet with you before I apply?

Unfortunately, no. To ensure fairness to all applicants, I cannot offer individual meeting to prospective students before applications are submitted.

Can you review my application materials before I submit them?

I am not able to provide feedback on application materials before they are submitted. However, rest assured that I carefully review every application I receive!

Can you comment on whether I’m a good fit for the lab?

I can’t provide individualized guidance on fit before the application process. The strongest way to demonstrate potential fit is by clearly describing your research interests, experiences, and goals in your application, and how they relate to the lab’s work/interests. Fit is assessed holistically during review.

How does this process work?

The deadline for applications is determined by UC Berkeley and the department (this year, November 17). We will receive the full application packets a few days later, and will review all of them in detail. At that time (likely late November/early December), I will reach out to 10-20 top applicants to schedule 30-minute zoom interviews. Once these are complete, I will invite a small subset of those individuals to the formal interviews, which will be scheduled for the Spring semester. Note that Berkeley’s graduate program in psychology has an acceptance rate of ~1% in clinical science, and ~2-4% for other areas, so we expect this to be a highly competitive process. If you are not selected, please keep in mind that this doesn’t mean you are not an awesome human or an excellent candidate! It just means that other people might have been a better fit for our program/lab based on their qualifications, experience, or interests.

Are you looking for full-time research assistants?

We do hire full time research assistants from time to time, usually when one of the current RAs goes to grad school! For example, we expect to hire someone new this spring/summer. When we are hiring, applications will open through the Berkeley employment portal.