Psychology PhD Interviews + Stats

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fallen625

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I thought it might be a good idea for people to post their stats (ei - GPA / GRE / Research Experience and Interests / etc) like they do in the What Are My Chances forums followed by the interviews they have received.

I don't know if this is appropriate to ask or if people would feel comfortable giving this information, but I thought it might be helpful for those of us who are applying in the next cycle. It would be really helpful for me to know the kind of students that schools that I am interested are interviewing.

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I agree.

I actually emailed someone from here last week who was invited for an interview to the PhD program I'd really like to get into eventually. I asked the same information you just mentioned. So yeah, maybe it would be a nice service if some people felt comfortable to share with us...
 
I thought it might be a good idea for people to post their stats (ei - GPA / GRE / Research Experience and Interests / etc) like they do in the What Are My Chances forums followed by the interviews they have received.

I don't know if this is appropriate to ask or if people would feel comfortable giving this information, but I thought it might be helpful for those of us who are applying in the next cycle. It would be really helpful for me to know the kind of students that schools that I am interested are interviewing.

I think that's reasonable for people who have already accepted and are finally decided on which programs they will be attending, prior to the interview completion, not so much. What I think is more useful is what it took to get in, which is actually provided by most schools.

I would caution you on the statistics though, and here is why:

In my case I had a 4.0 GPA from my institution (some previous CC courses from 10 year prior dropped my overall GPA to 3.91), I had a 1300 GRE, and two years of research experience, an undergraduate thesis, one poster, and one credited publication as a supporting author.

I applied to 15 schools and got 2 interviews from lower tier funded Ph.D. programs (1 phone interview and 1 in person interview) and 0 acceptances.

No changes in statistics, applying the second year to 27 programs, I had 14 interview offers before I began pulling my app from programs that had not extended offers, attended 8 interviews (including some top tier programs) and was accepted at 3 moderately competitive institutions.

Nothing had changed on my stats, but there was one MAJOR change. I reworked my statement of purpose. Sometimes your stats don't tell the whole story, as a matter of fact I believe the SOP is probably the most important thing in your package once you make it past the general cut.

M
 
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I would caution you on the statistics though, and here is why:

In my case I had a 4.0 GPA from my institution (some previous CC courses from 10 year prior dropped my overall GPA to 3.91), I had a 1300 GRE, and two years of research experience, an undergraduate thesis, one poster, and one credited publication as a supporting author.

I applied to 15 schools and got 2 interviews from lower tier funded Ph.D. programs (1 phone interview and 1 in person interview) and 0 acceptances.

No changes in statistics, applying the second year to 27 programs, I had 14 interview offers before I began pulling my app from programs that had not extended offers, attended 8 interviews (including some top tier programs) and was accepted at 3 moderately competitive institutions.

Nothing had changed on my stats, but there was one MAJOR change. I reworked my statement of purpose. Sometimes your stats don't tell the whole story, as a matter of fact I believe the SOP is probably the most important thing in your package once you make it past the general cut.

M


Mark- thank you for sharing your experience. I think this information is very helpful for all of us looking to apply.

If I may prod a little and ask what feedback or resources did you use to rework your personal statement? Going further than that, what was your goal in doing this (i.e. making it more personal, making research goals more clear, etc.)?

Thank you.
 
I would be happy to post my stats after interviews have been completed and all invitations extended (I just think it would be more useful then). Along with Markp, I would say the SOP is so much more important than I initially thought. This may be especially true when applying to top-tier, fully funded, super research heavy programs because everyone has perfect test scores, tons of experience, and good GPAs. I slacked on my SOP and am now regretting it... I have nearly perfect test scores, two 1st and three 2nd author pubs in the works, great recommendations, and five years research experience (1 year full time), buuut my SOP wasn't particularly tailored to each school and I didn't spend much time discussing research ideas, specifics, fit with the program, etc. I know interview season is just getting started, but I feel I would be better off if my SOP made anyone want to actually meet me.

(I have received invites at some amazing top-tier schools, but that doesn't mean I'll get in... so I'll let you know in March!)

Best of luck!!
 
I would be happy to post my stats after interviews have been completed and all invitations extended (I just think it would be more useful then). Along with Markp, I would say the SOP is so much more important than I initially thought. This may be especially true when applying to top-tier, fully funded, super research heavy programs because everyone has perfect test scores, tons of experience, and good GPAs. I slacked on my SOP and am now regretting it... I have nearly perfect test scores, two 1st and three 2nd author pubs in the works, great recommendations, and five years research experience (1 year full time), buuut my SOP wasn't particularly tailored to each school and I didn't spend much time discussing research ideas, specifics, fit with the program, etc. I know interview season is just getting started, but I feel I would be better off if my SOP made anyone want to actually meet me.

(I have received invites at some amazing top-tier schools, but that doesn't mean I'll get in... so I'll let you know in March!)

I didn't spend a lot of time in my SOP discussing research ideas either. I think it's kind of a double edged sword doing that. On the one end, you definitely want to show you are knowledgeable about an area you want to spend 5-7 years on, but on the other end, you don't want to sound like you're locked into a specific idea. Most PIs have multiple grants going on, and multiple studies/ideas happening all at once. These ideas may or may not be published on their websites, and often, current studies are not published yet. So if you propose a research idea and tailor your whole SOP to just that one topic, you're taking the risk of getting rejected simply because you appear too narrow minded.

With that said, I think the interview is where you should be able to propose a research study or idea if asked.

Edit: I'm not advocating writing whatever gets you in. IF you ARE locked into just one idea, then you should do your research and find a good match, and write that in your SOP. I wrote about my interest in neuroscience even at programs that didn't seem to have an immediate neuroscience presence from what I can tell online. Could I get rejected because my interest doesn't match with the PI? Yes, there's a huge chance. But I'd rather not match and get rejected than to get accepted at a place that isn't a match. After all, you're spending years on these programs, the least you can do is make sure you are excited about your area of study.
 
I personally think it's also important to remember that it is about how THEY think you match to them. How you spin it probably won't matter, because you'll have no idea how they frame that elusive "match" and how that fits with your own idea of match either. As an applicant, you're totally at the mercy of the POI and/or admissions committee, in combination with who you are competing with. You never know how all of it will blend to result in an interview/admissions offer. I think all you can do is apply, do your best to show your interests and who you are, and wait. If you have done all of the basic things to prepare (good grades, GRE score, research experience), it becomes a game of chance, largely.

ETA: OP, I am not sure how likely it is that any applicant will post all of their stats and interview offers on a public forum. This is a really sensitive time, and I personally wouldn't want POIs or admissions committees finding my posts (which could readily be identified by those stats) online. Waiting until after offers are made would be smart.
 
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Thank you everyone for your input. Although initially I thought interviews might be better because they take out interview performance out of the picture, I agree with everyone that it makes more sense to wait until interviews (for acceptances). Thank you everyone!
 
While this is not ideally what you're looking for, if you go to Grad Cafe and look for the entries that have little red diamonds next to the decision and date, hover your mouse over the diamond and it gives you that applicant's stats.

Other than that, perhaps you could search the WAMC thread and PM members who posted their info and ask them how they fared.
 
Mark- thank you for sharing your experience. I think this information is very helpful for all of us looking to apply.

If I may prod a little and ask what feedback or resources did you use to rework your personal statement? Going further than that, what was your goal in doing this (i.e. making it more personal, making research goals more clear, etc.)?

Thank you.

I called the schools I interviewed at and really attempted to press them why I wasn't getting interviews, very vague in regards specifics followed with, "You weren't a good fit". Which left me scratching my head saying, WTF. My mistake was writing what others thought would get me in and what I perceived I was expected to write to gain admission.

So the next round, I stopped letting other people tell me what was expected in my statement and really was very honest about my interests and my goals (which included some pretty selfish goals). I was less altrustic and more genuine in my statement. I took a lot of time in self reflection and consideration, but the difference between the two statements was pretty obvious when you put them side by side.

So yes, I clarified alot, I was unashamed about my financial and career aspirations, and I told a story about what led me into psychology.

M
 
Mark - I recall you posting a personal statement somewhere in the forums before. Would it be too much to ask to share the before and after SOP over PM? I think it would be very helpful. I am trying to get a head start working on my SOP, and I am very nervous about the whole thing and not sure on how to approach it.
 
Mark - I recall you posting a personal statement somewhere in the forums before. Would it be too much to ask to share the before and after SOP over PM? I think it would be very helpful. I am trying to get a head start working on my SOP, and I am very nervous about the whole thing and not sure on how to approach it.

I wish I kept some of the before and afters I have helped others edit. I believe that I've helped quite a few people with clarifying their SOP's far better than I ever did for myself.

Below are the letters in question (I tried to keep it small), both are poorly written, but the second was much better than the first. It's a tad bit embarrassing to share them since my writing has improved significantly since 2006.

Here is a sample similar to the letter that got me my interviews. I don't have copies of the exact letters, but these were both drafts similar to what got sent.

Example 1: The Letter that didn't work very well!


Dear Indiana University Graduate Admissions Committee,

Two years ago, I probably would not have been able to identify my academic goals or ambitions. I knew that I wanted to go back to school to pursue my bachelors degree but that was about it. One of my first classes at the University of Texas at San Antonio was a course in abnormal psychology and almost immediately I was hooked on psychology. After taking a few more classes in psychology and researching the field I was convinced that there were two areas of primary interest to me; experimental and clinical psychology. It was quite clear that a research oriented clinical program was the type that fit me best.

There are few programs like Indiana University's that are heavily biased towards the research-oriented curriculum that I want to pursue. My educational goals are simple: To find and excel in the best research oriented program I can find and a program that encompasses the type of research I wish to pursue. The word best is a relative one; to some it means the publication volume or the grants held by an institution. To me, it means a program that will provide me the research skills and clinical background to make me a successful researcher in the area of sexual dysfunction and issues related to intimate relationships.

My career objectives include a strong desire to conduct research, in particular, to the treatment outcomes and in some cases etiology of various conditions related to sexual dysfunction and complications in the area of intimate relationships. While I wish to remain heavily vested in the research arena, I do not believe that research can exist in a vacuum and any good researcher should be engaged in both therapeutic and educational endeavors. I hope to be able to use my research findings to give back to the clinical community and provide options for treatment and diagnosis. To this end, I hope to secure a post-doctoral position that will allow me the freedom to conduct extensive research in the above stated areas.

I am applying to the program at Indiana University because there is no other program quite like it in the country. The strong research orientation of the program fits my needs and my desire to conduct research in the field of human sexuality. The Kinsey Institute offers the opportunity to conduct my studies in an atmosphere of understanding where human sexuality is not vulgar but rather an intrinsic part of the human experience. I know that the Kinsey Institute and Indiana University offer an opportunity that would be invaluable in shaping the direction of my career. This is possibly the strongest reason I have for applying to the clinical psychology program at Indiana University.

I believe that I have the credentials and life experience to be an exceptionally strong candidate for the clinical psychology program at Indiana University. I was fortunate enough in my relatively short undergraduate career to participate in several research studies and to be completing an undergraduate thesis comprised of original data that I am collecting to study the implications of acculturation and alcohol comparing Anglo-American and Mexican-American men and their involvement in sexual assault.

Prior to pursuing my undergraduate education I had a wide range of experiences, while some of these may not be directly related to clinical psychology, they are valuable skills that have served me well in my undergraduate career. The combination of skills listed in my resume combined with the work that I have done in completing my undergraduate studies provides a skill set that should provide the foundation needed for successful completion of your program.

In closing, I believe that Indiana University offers me the best environment for academic and career success in the field. I look forward to discussing this more closely with the faculty regarding my candidacy for attending the graduate program in the fall of 2006.

Example 2: The letter that got me into graduate school!

Statement of Purpose

Many people do not get a second chance to refocus their life and pursue the challenges and rewards that are offered by both undergraduate and graduate training. I was fortunate in that not only did I get that chance but I was able to take advantage of it. My decision to pursue my Ph.D. was made early in my undergraduate training at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

My previous work while not directly applicable to the field of clinical psychology still has served me well in my undergraduate studies. Part of that previous work includes nine years in the United States Air Force which has shaped my work ethic and taught me valuable lessons. I learned that nearly any reasonable goal and even some unreasonable goals are attainable with hard work and a desire to succeed.

I did make one serious mistake during my undergraduate education, and I believe without explanation could jeopardize my success in securing a position in a research oriented program like the University of Alabama. In an effort to complete my undergraduate studies quickly I tested out of 50 credit hours of core course work, completed 12 credit hours of work, and transferred in 29 credit hours from other institutions all during my first abbreviated summer semester. This resulted in my being classified as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior all in the same semester. It wasn't until I discussed graduate education with one of my professors that I realized my mistake. In the short time I had left I crammed in as many research opportunities as I could. It wasn't until the end of the first semester that I realized that to be a competitive candidate for graduate school I would need research, publications, and an honors thesis along with strong GRE scores and a strong GPA in order to be successful.

With the goal of a doctoral degree in mind, I joined the honors college program in order to more closely work with my professors. Working closely with researchers had a tremendous impact on me and made me a much more competent student and researcher. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to engage in independent study in order to learn and participate in conducting contemporary research. That experience helped make my decision to pursue clinical psychology and drove home the importance of the research and statistical method classes I had been taking. One of the most educational experiences I had was being involved with the startup of the Dating Young and Adult Drinking lab at the University of Texas at San Antonio. As a result of this experience I chose to write my honors thesis on the involvement of alcohol in sexual assault among Anglo-American and Mexican-American men. Despite lengthening my undergraduate studies through joining the honors college, I still was going to finish my studies in 5 semesters and only 3 semesters after deciding to pursue clinical psychology.

The reason I am applying to the University of Alabama is to work with clinical faculty there. I believe that my research interests are congruent with Dr. Beverly Thorn and I would be honored to be selected for the fall 2007 class by the committee. My undergraduate work has focused on women's issues and on substance abuse, despite this focus on women and gender studies, my research interests are quite broad. Specifically, I am primarily interested in chronic pain research. The military community and veterans communities alike pose unique challenges to the clinical health psychologist and these settings are perhaps among the most challenging settings for today's clinical psychologist. Additionally the multimodal treatment options that exist today call for a psychologist well versed in a health psychology specific curriculum such as that offered by the University of Alabama.

After graduating I plan to secure an internship with one of the branches of the Military as a clinical psychologist. The reason is simple and somewhat selfish. I love working with the people in the military and I would be able to secure a full retirement package in 11 short years. The unique situation that I am in means that I can devote myself to working with people who suffer from chronic pain as a result of combat or occupationally induced injuries. My prior military service makes me well suited to returning and understanding the patients that I hope to treat in the future. The health psychology field in particular seems well matched to the environments that military officers find themselves working in and the Department of Defense even sponsors its own program in clinical health psychology in recognition of this need throughout the military.


Hope that helps.

Mark
 
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I wish I kept some of the before and afters I have helped others edit. I believe that I've helped quite a few people with clarifying their SOP's far better than I ever did for myself.

Below are the letters in question (I tried to keep it small), both are poorly written, but the second was much better than the first. It's a tad bit embarrassing to share them since my writing has improved significantly since 2006.

Here is a sample similar to the letter that got me my interviews. I don't have copies of the exact letters, but these were both drafts similar to what got sent.

Example 1: The Letter that didn’t work very well!


Dear Indiana University Graduate Admissions Committee,

Two years ago, I probably would not have been able to identify my academic goals or ambitions. I knew that I wanted to go back to school to pursue my bachelors degree but that was about it. One of my first classes at the University of Texas at San Antonio was a course in abnormal psychology and almost immediately I was hooked on psychology. After taking a few more classes in psychology and researching the field I was convinced that there were two areas of primary interest to me; experimental and clinical psychology. It was quite clear that a research oriented clinical program was the type that fit me best.

There are few programs like Indiana University’s that are heavily biased towards the research-oriented curriculum that I want to pursue. My educational goals are simple: To find and excel in the best research oriented program I can find and a program that encompasses the type of research I wish to pursue. The word best is a relative one; to some it means the publication volume or the grants held by an institution. To me, it means a program that will provide me the research skills and clinical background to make me a successful researcher in the area of sexual dysfunction and issues related to intimate relationships.

My career objectives include a strong desire to conduct research, in particular, to the treatment outcomes and in some cases etiology of various conditions related to sexual dysfunction and complications in the area of intimate relationships. While I wish to remain heavily vested in the research arena, I do not believe that research can exist in a vacuum and any good researcher should be engaged in both therapeutic and educational endeavors. I hope to be able to use my research findings to give back to the clinical community and provide options for treatment and diagnosis. To this end, I hope to secure a post-doctoral position that will allow me the freedom to conduct extensive research in the above stated areas.

I am applying to the program at Indiana University because there is no other program quite like it in the country. The strong research orientation of the program fits my needs and my desire to conduct research in the field of human sexuality. The Kinsey Institute offers the opportunity to conduct my studies in an atmosphere of understanding where human sexuality is not vulgar but rather an intrinsic part of the human experience. I know that the Kinsey Institute and Indiana University offer an opportunity that would be invaluable in shaping the direction of my career. This is possibly the strongest reason I have for applying to the clinical psychology program at Indiana University.

I believe that I have the credentials and life experience to be an exceptionally strong candidate for the clinical psychology program at Indiana University. I was fortunate enough in my relatively short undergraduate career to participate in several research studies and to be completing an undergraduate thesis comprised of original data that I am collecting to study the implications of acculturation and alcohol comparing Anglo-American and Mexican-American men and their involvement in sexual assault.

Prior to pursuing my undergraduate education I had a wide range of experiences, while some of these may not be directly related to clinical psychology, they are valuable skills that have served me well in my undergraduate career. The combination of skills listed in my resume combined with the work that I have done in completing my undergraduate studies provides a skill set that should provide the foundation needed for successful completion of your program.

In closing, I believe that Indiana University offers me the best environment for academic and career success in the field. I look forward to discussing this more closely with the faculty regarding my candidacy for attending the graduate program in the fall of 2006.

Example 2: The letter that got me into graduate school!

Statement of Purpose

Many people do not get a second chance to refocus their life and pursue the challenges and rewards that are offered by both undergraduate and graduate training. I was fortunate in that not only did I get that chance but I was able to take advantage of it. My decision to pursue my Ph.D. was made early in my undergraduate training at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

My previous work while not directly applicable to the field of clinical psychology still has served me well in my undergraduate studies. Part of that previous work includes nine years in the United States Air Force which has shaped my work ethic and taught me valuable lessons. I learned that nearly any reasonable goal and even some unreasonable goals are attainable with hard work and a desire to succeed.

I did make one serious mistake during my undergraduate education, and I believe without explanation could jeopardize my success in securing a position in a research oriented program like the University of Alabama. In an effort to complete my undergraduate studies quickly I tested out of 50 credit hours of core course work, completed 12 credit hours of work, and transferred in 29 credit hours from other institutions all during my first abbreviated summer semester. This resulted in my being classified as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior all in the same semester. It wasn't until I discussed graduate education with one of my professors that I realized my mistake. In the short time I had left I crammed in as many research opportunities as I could. It wasn't until the end of the first semester that I realized that to be a competitive candidate for graduate school I would need research, publications, and an honors thesis along with strong GRE scores and a strong GPA in order to be successful.

With the goal of a doctoral degree in mind, I joined the honors college program in order to more closely work with my professors. Working closely with researchers had a tremendous impact on me and made me a much more competent student and researcher. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to engage in independent study in order to learn and participate in conducting contemporary research. That experience helped make my decision to pursue clinical psychology and drove home the importance of the research and statistical method classes I had been taking. One of the most educational experiences I had was being involved with the startup of the Dating Young and Adult Drinking lab at the University of Texas at San Antonio. As a result of this experience I chose to write my honors thesis on the involvement of alcohol in sexual assault among Anglo-American and Mexican-American men. Despite lengthening my undergraduate studies through joining the honors college, I still was going to finish my studies in 5 semesters and only 3 semesters after deciding to pursue clinical psychology.

The reason I am applying to the University of Alabama is to work with clinical faculty there. I believe that my research interests are congruent with Dr. Beverly Thorn and I would be honored to be selected for the fall 2007 class by the committee. My undergraduate work has focused on women's issues and on substance abuse, despite this focus on women and gender studies, my research interests are quite broad. Specifically, I am primarily interested in chronic pain research. The military community and veterans communities alike pose unique challenges to the clinical health psychologist and these settings are perhaps among the most challenging settings for today's clinical psychologist. Additionally the multimodal treatment options that exist today call for a psychologist well versed in a health psychology specific curriculum such as that offered by the University of Alabama.

After graduating I plan to secure an internship with one of the branches of the Military as a clinical psychologist. The reason is simple and somewhat selfish. I love working with the people in the military and I would be able to secure a full retirement package in 11 short years. The unique situation that I am in means that I can devote myself to working with people who suffer from chronic pain as a result of combat or occupationally induced injuries. My prior military service makes me well suited to returning and understanding the patients that I hope to treat in the future. The health psychology field in particular seems well matched to the environments that military officers find themselves working in and the Department of Defense even sponsors its own program in clinical health psychology in recognition of this need throughout the military.


Hope that helps.

Mark

Thanks, Mark. This was incredibly helpful. The 2nd essay is a huge improvement over the first one, and I can see how that one would be a lot more successful. It is really good to have both to have an idea on what to do and what not to do.
 
Thanks, Mark. This was incredibly helpful. The 2nd essay is a huge improvement over the first one, and I can see how that one would be a lot more successful. It is really good to have both to have an idea on what to do and what not to do.

Like I said, pretty embarrassing, but if it helps people out, it was worth posting.
 
I called the schools I interviewed at and really attempted to press them why I wasn't getting interviews, very vague in regards specifics followed with, "You weren't a good fit". Which left me scratching my head saying, WTF. My mistake was writing what others thought would get me in and what I perceived I was expected to write to gain admission.

So the next round, I stopped letting other people tell me what was expected in my statement and really was very honest about my interests and my goals (which included some pretty selfish goals). I was less altrustic and more genuine in my statement. I took a lot of time in self reflection and consideration, but the difference between the two statements was pretty obvious when you put them side by side.

So yes, I clarified alot, I was unashamed about my financial and career aspirations, and I told a story about what led me into psychology.

M

Thank you very much. Your posts have been very helpful!
 
I thought it might be a good idea for people to post their stats (ei - GPA / GRE / Research Experience and Interests / etc) like they do in the What Are My Chances forums followed by the interviews they have received.

I don't know if this is appropriate to ask or if people would feel comfortable giving this information, but I thought it might be helpful for those of us who are applying in the next cycle. It would be really helpful for me to know the kind of students that schools that I am interested are interviewing.
I think this has been done from year to year - see this really helpful thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=904134

("The Numbers")
 
While this is not ideally what you're looking for, if you go to Grad Cafe and look for the entries that have little red diamonds next to the decision and date, hover your mouse over the diamond and it gives you that applicant's stats.

Other than that, perhaps you could search the WAMC thread and PM members who posted their info and ask them how they fared.
Any reviews for combined PhD at Utah state
 
Read your SOP ,

Pretty impressive are you in one health psychology program .Am keen on joining one , kindly share your experience

Thanks
 
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