2010-2011 PhD/PsyD Interview Invite thread

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Hi all! Received an invite for clinical psychology PhD program at Oklahoma State University today via email from DCT. The interview weekend is Feb. 19. :)
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Congrats to everyone who has already gotten interviews!!
 
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Hey folks,

I'm just wondering how reliable the invite dates in terms of looking at dates from last year as a gauge for this year. It seems that many schools have deadlines mid December, so getting invites out before winter break is highly unlikely. For the few schools that had December 1st deadlines, the possiblity that everyone gets together and sends out invites before winter break is more likely, HOWEVER, my current school has a totally different winter break school than they did last year. So schools that sent out invites on the 20th or thereabouts could possibly be on break already.

I say we keep this thread updated and keep our minds and hearts open. :)
Basically, don't use last year to decide what is happening for this year. Use real life "empirical" data like real people who get real invites.

That should save you some craaziness.
 
Congrats to all those who received interviews today! Just updated list.
 
Kent State Interview. If you don't mind e-mailing me your POI that would be greatly appreciated as I just sent my stuff in December 15 and am starting to worry now.
 
phdhopeful2011 said:
Kent State Interview. If you don't mind e-mailing me your POI that would be greatly appreciated as I just sent my stuff in December 15 and am starting to worry now.
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Ditto. And same goes for the florida state person ;)
 
Has anyone else noticed that as the waiting period for interviews stretches out, you can kind of tell what your top choice schools are by how much you don't want to see their names listed? All of the schools I applied for were pretty much equal in my mind at the time of application (with a few location preferences), but now I have two or three distinct tiers in my mind. What's really surprising, to me at least, is that a school I wasn't so excited about at first (due to location :)) is now one of my top three schools.... Of course, I'm expecting the ranking to change again once I go for interviews! :xf:
 
I have to say I'm supremely thankful for this thread, and the link to last year's as well. I feel a lot less panicked, and less of an urge to stalk my mail and email, though I still feel like I should be available for phone calls at all times!

Also, remember that if you're getting an email from your POI that some profs just run on different schedules, so don't get discouraged if your school was listed already!
 
Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology just sent out invites for 1/22 via e-mail
 
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Is this for Ph.D. or Psy.D? Let me know and I can add it to main list! I just updated the main list with the other PMs I recently received.

phdapplicant11 said:
Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology just sent out invites for 1/22 via e-mail
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person who heard from UCSB....any chance I could get some details like how you heard? I'm sorta freaking out that I haven't heard from them...
 
One of my top choices sent out their invites the day before Christmas Eve last year. I have been on pins and needles all day! :scared: Despite obsessivly checking my e-mail every other minute, I haven't heard anything yet. I just want to hear back already!!!
 
I am still working on 2-3 applications that have later due dates. As I am reading these posts, I started to realize that I may have made a mistake by sending applications in late. For instance, I sent in my Uconn online application on their due date Dec 1st. I checked with the department today and they emailed and said that they are processing hundreds of applications and mine is not processed yet. However, someone here has already received invitation from this school. It's hard not to feel a little panic. I am wondering if actually applications are being processed and reviewed on a rolling basis. So early applications have much more advantages than those got in by due dates??

I hope I have known this earlier. :( I have also applied to Uoregon and FSU but heard nothing. Is it appropriate to email your POI and ask for status? :scared:
 
EverHopeful said:
One of my top choices sent out their invites the day before Christmas Eve last year. I have been on pins and needles all day! :scared: Despite obsessivly checking my e-mail every other minute, I haven't heard anything yet. I just want to hear back already!!!
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which one?
 
I applied to both USC and Stonybrook...and have heard nothing from either one yet. Since others have already heard, does this pretty much mean I should take that as a rejection?
 
newyorkmissouri, I'd say give USC and Stonybrook a couple of days from the day that the first interview invite was posted to extend an interview invitation to you. If you don't hear from them within a couple of days from when they sent out their invites, then typically you can consider it a rejection. Don't feel bad, there are two schools that I applied to on the list so I know that I've already been rejected! You only need one. :)

newyorkmissouri said:
I applied to both USC and Stonybrook...and have heard nothing from either one yet. Since others have already heard, does this pretty much mean I should take that as a rejection?
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are you serious?
I think probably it's sent out by rolling basis right? And/or professors work on different schedules.
I think those who received the invites applied early.
Uconn haven't even processed mine but at the same time they said that they are processing several hundred applications now.
I guess the real round is coming some time in January.
Although I am not happy about that too but i can't take it as rejection when it's not even reviewed. On their website they said that they will review everything before making final decisions. So i am hoping that I still have some chance.

UhOh said:
newyorkmissouri, I'd say give USC and Stonybrook a couple of days from the day that the first interview invite was posted to extend an interview invitation to you. If you don't hear from them within a couple of days from when they sent out their invites, then typically you can consider it a rejection. Don't feel bad, there are two schools that I applied to on the list so I know that I've already been rejected! You only need one. :)
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UhOh said:
newyorkmissouri, I'd say give USC and Stonybrook a couple of days from the day that the first interview invite was posted to extend an interview invitation to you. If you don't hear from them within a couple of days from when they sent out their invites, then typically you can consider it a rejection. Don't feel bad, there are two schools that I applied to on the list so I know that I've already been rejected! You only need one. :)
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I don't think that's necessarily true at all. Last year some of the schools I applied to this year had very discrepant days where they sent out invites (like some in early January, some at end of January). If the poster heard directly from the POI, I'd say if you don't hear for two weeks or so I'd consider that a rejection. If they got a mass/not-personalized email from the DCT, I'd say that's a rejection straight off the bat.
 
I can only speak for Stony Brook, but everything there is handled on a POI-specific basis. And even then, I wouldn't take not hearing as a rejection.

Just to put things in perspective, the earliest applications went in less than a month ago - at the same time that professors are slammed with the end of the semester, grading papers and exams, and shepherding grad students through things like masters defenses (and even dissertation defenses!). And let's not forget the research (manuscripts, manuscript revisions, and manuscript reviews) that gets pushed to the side during the end-of-semester crunch - those often get resurrected after the dust settles, and require immediate attention. While some departments or individual faculty members are on the ball, most are just trying to wrap up a very busy time of year. I know, when I was in grad school, the faculty didn't even look at grad student applications until after the new year (despite a 12/1 deadline).

Plus, it's probably time to get used to delayed gratification anyway. Most things in our field work that way. That grant submission that went in in October? You get your score in March. That manuscript that you submitted 3 months ago? Yep, you still haven't seen the reviews. That internship application you submitted in October? Too bad, match day isn't until the end of Feb. Just think of this process as good training and your first introduction to academia!

In short, it sucks to wait, but there is NO need to panic or start contacting departments to check your status! Good luck!
 
LM02 said:
I can only speak for Stony Brook, but everything there is handled on a POI-specific basis. And even then, I wouldn't take not hearing as a rejection.

Just to put things in perspective, the earliest applications went in less than a month ago - at the same time that professors are slammed with the end of the semester, grading papers and exams, and shepherding grad students through things like masters defenses (and even dissertation defenses!). And let's not forget the research (manuscripts, manuscript revisions, and manuscript reviews) that gets pushed to the side during the end-of-semester crunch - those often get resurrected after the dust settles, and require immediate attention. While some departments or individual faculty members are on the ball, most are just trying to wrap up a very busy time of year. I know, when I was in grad school, the faculty didn't even look at grad student applications until after the new year (despite a 12/1 deadline).

Plus, it's probably time to get used to delayed gratification anyway. Most things in our field work that way. That grant submission that went in in October? You get your score in March. That manuscript that you submitted 3 months ago? Yep, you still haven't seen the reviews. That internship application you submitted in October? Too bad, match day isn't until the end of Feb. Just think of this process as good training and your first introduction to academia!

In short, it sucks to wait, but there is NO need to panic or start contacting departments to check your status! Good luck!
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Thanks so much for your post. This has been the best advice/post I've ever read on SDN. I am not so nervous, but regardless this puts things into perspective especially when I look at some of those schools already up there. I think patience will really help us all through this process and it will help us be able to enjoy the journey of graduate school. Thanks a bunch!!
 
I hate to be a naysayer on this, but I think if others have recieved an invite from a school and you haven't heard anything, you probably won't.

The reason I say this, is because applications are usually forwarded to the psychology deptartment and all the faculty come together at one time and review the top applicants. The comittee has to agree on each person, regardless whether they are that person's POI. The reason for this is because there is a lot of use for grad students in grad school-- a certain prof might be interested in someone to advise, another might think they would make a good TA, another might want them for an RA position. Grad students need funding, and often their funding comes from other sources than the POI (not always, and this is for clinical PhD). Faculty members also OFTEN leave sadly, leaving their grad students scrambling to find a new advisor if they don't want to go to the profs new school or don't get admitted to the other school-- so an applicant has to be able to work with more than one POI in the advent their advisor leaves at some point. It also doesn't make any sense that there is a revolving review thing because I know the faculty members have to agree on everyone offered admission, and they do this at one time-- profs don't come together to review each new batch of applications. Someone weeds out the definite "nos" and the rest go to the comittee for further weeding. For schools in which the POI does make a personal call, I would think they would all do this at the same time or have an agreed upon day to have this done by, usually soon after they meet. The reason for this, is if one prof wants Sue first, then Nancy, and both Sue and Nancy aren't interested or can't attend the interview weekend, then another prof can invite a potential student. So faculty need to know who is coming to interview weekend and how many, so each prof gets a fair shake at selecting the best/ most candidates they can/ their school affords them to do.

So unfortunately, if you haven't heard from a school and others have, I'd take that not to necessarily mean you want be offered admission at some point, just that you didn't make the first round and aren't going to be asked to the interview weekend. You won't know FOR SURE if you are admitted until you receive a rejection letter.

At one school I worked at (a huge research top psych school), the profs have to divey up how many offers they can make, and therefore, if a student after the interview declines, and so does all the other student's a prof offered admission to, then another prof may have another grad student OR the prof can select someone from the wait-list (GRANTED that student has been approved by the comittee). I don't know if the committee makes an invite pile, a wait-list pile, and a rejection pile, or how they do it, but I don't understand how or why a POI would offer an interview invite to anyone without having that person approved by the committee. I also don't understand why a POI would want to offer admission to anyone until they have seen all the applications. This is because interview weekends are very expensive for the schools, and they can't just invite people who they think sounds interesting, there are limits on how many can attend, just as there is a cap on how many grad students a school can afford to fund each year.

I'm sorry to be an ******* on this. There is always a chance, and everyone may know different ways schools do things. But if I saw my school listed as sending out invites and I didn't receive one, I'd take that as a rejection based on how I know applicants to be selected and how faculty members/ admissions comittees do things.
 
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Thanks for all of your advice on this. I also recently found out that my last recommender didn't get his in until Dec 22nd (while the rest of my app was in by the due date). I have a feeling this may have disqualified me but cest la vie, what's done is done.
 
Actually, this varies dramatically by school. So while it's true that a lot schools will notify all on the same day, it is also true that several won't. I graduated 5 years ago, and I actually have several close friend's who are on faculty at many of the schools to which you're all applying (I work in a med center, so I deal more with intern/postdoc admissions). We actually talk about this stuff (at conferences, over a beer, what have you), and you'd be surprised how varied the process can be from program to program.

Also, sometimes faculty jump the gun on a particularly strong candidate while they continue to sort through the rest of the applications. For example, a friend of mine was actually offered admission to BU (clinical PhD) *before* the interview weekend, because he was highly sought after. Everyone else had to interview, however... given how early it is in the game, I would caution against catastrophizing.
 
zoistaffy said:
So unfortunately, if you haven't heard from a school and others have, I'd take that not to necessarily mean you want be offered admission at some point, just that you didn't make the first round and aren't going to be asked to the interview weekend. You won't know FOR SURE if you are admitted until you receive a rejection letter.

I'm sorry to be an ******* on this. There is always a chance, and everyone may know different ways schools do things. But if I saw my school listed as sending out invites and I didn't receive one, I'd take that as a rejection based on how I know applicants to be selected and how faculty members/ admissions comittees do things.
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Yes, stranger things happen, but in general, this is how it works. When you've gotten the rejection letter, that's not always the end either. I was rejected post interview and am attending that very same school, and I was offered admission before the interview weekend at another school... so there is some variance in the process... it's a crazy time for you guys and gals. Enjoy it.

Mark
 
Last year, most of my schools didn't notify applicants until late January and even late February. Needless to say...I'm in hell!
 
I agree some of what you said but I have doubts on a couple points.
From my contacts with secretaries, I think they usually forward the files to POIs and POIs would review them. I truly don't know whether the invites have to be reviewed by all committee as the committee cannot meet like every day. I am a little doubtful that interview invites need to be reviewed by committee. But I do agree that admissions must be reviewed by all committee. However, even if it's true that the invites have to be reviewed by all committee members, they can still have several meetings. The first bunch may have gone out and they may review the second bunch. As far as I know, if Uconn is saying that they are still processing a lot of applications, I doubt that the review is done already (but someone has received invite).

Plus, I think there should be more reports here if invites have all gone out, and it should not be just 1 or 2 invites from a school. I mean since invites in general go up to around 30, I think at least five people will visit this cite and report it? ;)

Maybe it's a little too self-fulfilling, but this may be what keeps me sane.


zoistaffy said:
I hate to be a naysayer on this, but I think if others have recieved an invite from a school and you haven't heard anything, you probably won't.

.
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As a previous poster mentioned, everything I have heard directly from previous PIs or where I have friends involved in the clinical psychology ph.d. application process leads me to believe that it truly varies by the school. One school where I worked with a PI had a process that tried to let every faculty pull in their favorite candidate (so if one student rejected faculty X's invite, then faculty member Y would give his/her first choice an invite) while another school where I worked left the decisions almost exclusively up to the discretion of the PI (i.e. - if the PI *really* wants you, they can "pull" you in). Since this was directly from PIs, I figure that the application process really does just depend on the program.

I'm not quite sure how the committees play into this process, other than to confirm the applicant's invite. It is certainly a confusing process for most programs, but i wouldn't count yourself out until you receive the rejection. In previous years, some programs have had second round invites... Good luck:luck:



bluebluesky said:
I agree some of what you said but I have doubts on a couple points.
From my contacts with secretaries, I think they usually forward the files to POIs and POIs would review them. I truly don't know whether the invites have to be reviewed by all committee as the committee cannot meet like every day. I am a little doubtful that interview invites need to be reviewed by committee. But I do agree that admissions must be reviewed by all committee. However, even if it's true that the invites have to be reviewed by all committee members, they can still have several meetings. The first bunch may have gone out and they may review the second bunch. As far as I know, if Uconn is saying that they are still processing a lot of applications, I doubt that the review is done already (but someone has received invite).

Plus, I think there should be more reports here if invites have all gone out, and it should not be just 1 or 2 invites from a school. I mean since invites in general go up to around 30, I think at least five people will visit this cite and report it? ;)

Maybe it's a little too self-fulfilling, but this may be what keeps me sane.
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+1. I'm trying to be patient but really can't wait for mid-January! It's really hard to hear about other invites, but hopefully we will both hear something good soon!


Student4Life0 said:
Last year, most of my schools didn't notify applicants until late January and even late February. Needless to say...I'm in hell!
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"Plus, I think there should be more reports here if invites have all gone out, and it should not be just 1 or 2 invites from a school. I mean since invites in general go up to around 30, I think at least five people will visit this cite and report it? ;)"

You have to understand, that not everyone that has recieved invites uses this forum, updates it, or even knows about this forum. Of all the people I know who have/ are applying to PhD programs, I am the only one that even uses this forum (I've since shared with others, and now they are nervous)!

My point is, is if two people have received invites and updated this forum, that is A LOT considering how few people overall use this site.
 
ClinChildPsy13 said:
As a previous poster mentioned, everything I have heard directly from previous PIs or where I have friends involved in the clinical psychology ph.d. application process leads me to believe that it truly varies by the school. One school where I worked with a PI had a process that tried to let every faculty pull in their favorite candidate (so if one student rejected faculty X's invite, then faculty member Y would give his/her first choice an invite) while another school where I worked left the decisions almost exclusively up to the discretion of the PI (i.e. - if the PI *really* wants you, they can "pull" you in). Since this was directly from PIs, I figure that the application process really does just depend on the program.

I'm not quite sure how the committees play into this process, other than to confirm the applicant's invite. It is certainly a confusing process for most programs, but i wouldn't count yourself out until you receive the rejection. In previous years, some programs have had second round invites... Good luck:luck:
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The committee definitely has to agree on everyone invited for an interview, for the reasons I listed in my prior email-- all grad students willl be working with other faculty in other capacities and therefore must be a good fit with more than one person. Interview weekend is more for the POI to decide who they feel is most suited for their line of research, faculty do not meet all 30 or what not candidates so meeting afterwards to decide who to admit doesn't make sense. A POI might have a student meet with a few other faculty to get a second opinion however, but usually, after the interview weekend, the POI will meet with their grad students, others they feel confident on their opinion, and offer admission without going through a committee (for the most part). On the front end, all applicants have been approved by the committee before they are ever invited to come visit. However, secretaries may forward applications to POI's (or everyone if more than one POI is listed), and the faculty may put all the applications they "like" out there for review. I don't know how the 200 plus applications gets weeded down-- I'm sure there are a million different methods schools use.
 
It does make me quite insane by looking at this threat alone.
I don't know if it does more positives or negatives.
Anyway...I skimmed through the data from last year. If the dates reported were accurate (meaning not the dates they reported on this web but the dates they actually received the invites), that means some program does send the invites all out at once but some send them on a few different dates. For the program that sends out all invites at once, the invites are usually sent out by DCT, which was also relatively later than other schools. Those sent out by POIs tend to vary by dates and were sent slightly earlier than mass sending by DCT by other schools. So it is possible that all invites need to be screened by all but they may meet in different time or the POI can send out invites as they are going through applications. As far as if they truly need to notify everyone before sending the invites I am not sure how this works out, as there are constantly applications coming in (by deadline). Do they just not review any more? I bet they may have set up a system than meeting all the time (such as forwarding applicant's materials to committee by emails) or just set up a few meeting dates?

That being said, I think if it's consistent with last year, FSU may have already sent out all invites, which does make me disappointed.

zoistaffy said:
The committee definitely has to agree on everyone invited for an interview, for the reasons I listed in my prior email-- all grad students willl be working with other faculty in other capacities and therefore must be a good fit with more than one person. Interview weekend is more for the POI to decide who they feel is most suited for their line of research, faculty do not meet all 30 or what not candidates so meeting afterwards to decide who to admit doesn't make sense. A POI might have a student meet with a few other faculty to get a second opinion however, but usually, after the interview weekend, the POI will meet with their grad students, others they feel confident on their opinion, and offer admission without going through a committee (for the most part). On the front end, all applicants have been approved by the committee before they are ever invited to come visit. However, secretaries may forward applications to POI's (or everyone if more than one POI is listed), and the faculty may put all the applications they "like" out there for review. I don't know how the 200 plus applications gets weeded down-- I'm sure there are a million different methods schools use.
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In answer to your question, yes, those were the dates the invites were actually received by the invitee (I specifically asked if it wasn't clear in the PM).

Also, I agree that every program does invites a little differently, and some do the invites in whole batches while others don't. American, for example, has had two separate rounds of invites and interviews for at least the past two years. Generally, the chance of invites being sent en masse is greater if the email is from a central figure (e.g., DCT, program director, admin assisstant) than if they are from an individual POI, but even this is not 100% for every program.

I know this is a really stressful time, but do try to relax! Early rejections/ non-invites don't necessarily spell doom- I was the first person on SDN to get a rejection last year, but still received plenty of invites and multiple offers in the end. Interview invites go out through the middle to end of February, so there's plenty of time yet. Plus, IMHO, grad school is MUCH more stressful than the application process, as hard as that may be to believe!

Good luck, everyone! :luck:
 
I just want to add to the chorus that the admissions process really varies drastically school by school, as does how the invites come out. For example, my school, despite being a mentor-model, strong research program, uses a committee process where at least 2 members read every application, and these members may or may not be your POI or related to your subject of interest. The committee meets probably 4 or so times to evaluate apps, and each time, reviews about 1/4 of the applications, and they go into no, maybe, or yes piles. The yes's start getting invites after the 2nd or 3rd meeting. However, being reviewed in the 4th meeting is just the luck of the draw! It means the secretary randomly put your file there, not that you're less qualified. After all are reviewed, they go through the maybe pile again in another meeting and finish making decisions. So, people have been invited roughly a month apart, and it mostly has to do with what order the secretary uses, which is pretty random, as far as I can tell. So, don't give up hope at all....it's still really early to hear.
 
It is possible that you just haven't heard yet from the school. Some schools send out e-mails a few at a time while others do it all at once. I know several people were notified before I was last year and I still received an invite from the school. Granted I was quite nervous for several weeks but it does happen.

Also, do you think we'll hear anything until after Jan 3 when schools reopen from break? I'm on pins and needles!
 
This is my third (and final) time applying to PhD programs (I will have to choose a different career path if it doesn't work out this time). I'm trying to stay positive, but I have an anxious/nervous/negative attitude already. I know that I most likely won't receive interview invites until at least the second week of January, but yet I'm on this website obsessing already. I keep telling myself, and I'm telling all of you as well, you don't have to worry until you don't hear anything by the second week of February. By then, even the slow schools are usually done with invites. TRY TO STAY POSITIVE :) (that's what I keep telling myself).
 
Has anybody heard from John Jay or University of Arizona yet?
 
:( Nope, sorry. Has anyone heard from UCLA or Cal?
 
ClinChildPsy13, I just want to let you know that I dig the way you're updating the thread with the bold "new as of (date)" headings. That makes it much easier to see what's up! Thanks again for taking on the responsibility of this thread! :)
 
I can't help but check this thread even though I know I'm only making myself nervous...like now I'm worried about UConn :(
 
Thanks! I can't take credit for the updating idea - someone on this forum suggested the "new as of (date)" and I agree that it does make things easier to see quickly!

Hopefully we'll all have some invites to add in the coming weeks :D

UhOh said:
ClinChildPsy13, I just want to let you know that I dig the way you're updating the thread with the bold "new as of (date)" headings. That makes it much easier to see what's up! Thanks again for taking on the responsibility of this thread! :)
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Received interview invite to Mass. School of Professional Psychology clinical PsyD program via email on 12/23. Interview for 3rd weekend of January.
 
SomedayClinPhD said:
also, who heard from UConn? Anyone else?
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I heard from my POI (UConn) on Dec 21st--she just asked me how much Spanish I spoke and if I was interested in childhood autism. Strange.

Haven't heard from ANY OTHER OF THE 13 SCHOOLS. And while reading this thread is informative, it is definitely anxiety-provoking. Dang.

Good luck everyone :)
 
DocPsychGirl said:
This is my third (and final) time applying to PhD programs (I will have to choose a different career path if it doesn't work out this time). I'm trying to stay positive, but I have an anxious/nervous/negative attitude already. I know that I most likely won't receive interview invites until at least the second week of January, but yet I'm on this website obsessing already. I keep telling myself, and I'm telling all of you as well, you don't have to worry until you don't hear anything by the second week of February. By then, even the slow schools are usually done with invites. TRY TO STAY POSITIVE :) (that's what I keep telling myself).
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Same here, DocGirl (3rd time--did you mention that in your SOP? Haha, I did). Good luck.
 
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