Thanks so much for offering to answer questions, and I wish you the best of luck this time around. I am definitely a bit overwhelmed by the process. If you don't mind my asking, what happened at the interview/at which school? I am already feeling nervous about the interviews (and that's assuming I even get any!)
oh, and about me:
Did not go to an Ivy undergrad, but went to "Most Selective" (U.S. News & World Report Top 25 National Doctoral institution); graduated 2007
Undergrad GPA: 3.9; Psych GPA: 3.95
Have a Masters in Clinical Psychology (MA GPA: 4.0)
2 years research, 2 years Clinical
1370 GRE, 750 Psychology GRE
1 publication (1st author)
Thanks so much again, Jenni!
Hi Olivia! No problem whatsoever, i would love to help - alumni of this process last year were such a help to me. let me preface my story with a disclaimer that this story is *rare* even to those who had interviewed with the same prof the years before. also, pardon my attempt at anonymity - i dont want to insult anyone outright.
I interviewed at one of the top clinical programs as ranked by US News, and I was THRILLED. The first day we were required to be at the program was mostly a get-to-know-you session for current grad students, faculty, and the program in general. I really loved the program, except for the issues about funding that the majority of grad students agreed with, and the condition of the psychology facilities - for a top-notch school, i expected much more. the next day was interview day. we had 4 face-to-face, back-to-back interviews. my first interview was with a grad student and it went just as i expected. i explained my research experience and why i was interested in the lab i was applying for, the second was with the DCT of the program whom I just LOVED. she was so nice, i wouldve loved to work with her on my clinical work. the third interview was with my POI. I was super excited to speak with her in person after months of correspondence by email. i had read a stack of her pubs and had so much to ask her, etc. i sat down and she said tell me what your research interests are. since we had discussed this previously i felt confident to really get into the nitty gritty of potential ideas. she stopped me in the middle and asked me to design a study for her using one of my ideas. i was amusingly challenged and i just chugged along trying my best to give her informed, insightful points. it took a few prompts from her, but we finally finished our study design and she seemed to be satisfied. she then took a graph from her desk and placed it in front of me and asked me to 'analyze the graph and explain what mechanism was driving the curve. i had to stop myself from nearly laughing out loud at how absurd i thought this was - to waste precious interview time testing my research skills under highly stressful conditions. after that was done she asked me a few questions that she didnt let me finish answering before she cut me off and started listing the other programs to which, she felt, i should have applied. i realized, at that point, that she was technically rejecting me during my interview. i tried to reaffirm my interest in her lab, but she nodded and smiled and walked me to the door. i had interview #4 with another grad student, but we spent most of the time discussing the intricacies of my POI. After much thought, the program was most definitely not for me, and i definitely would never want to work for that POI. I wasnt disappointed with my rejection, I was disappointed that I didn't get any other interviews.
I hope this helps, but please don't let it make you anxious about your potential interviews, because I KNOW this was a fluke. the rest of the applicants for the program said their interviews with their POIs were pleasant - one, who did end up getting an offer and accepting, said she and her POI discussed how dog-friendly the area was. And, when I spoke with the other grad students in my POI's lab, they said their interview was nothing like that.
Moral of the story: if the lab is a good fit, your interview will go well, and you'll get in. if you feel uncomfortable, you probably shouldnt go.
And as for your credentials, and of course I'm not on any selection committees, so take this with a grain of salt, but you seem like a stellar candidate. my advice would be to take time and really focus on the people to whom youre applying. match really is everything. i THOUGHT i was doing a good job last year with regards to match, but looking back, i couldve done better, and hopefully did, this year!
feel free to ask any other questions!
