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beantownpsych,

Yeah junior year really hurt my gpa because I was taking physiology, biomedicinal chemistry and physics together. I came into jr year with a 3.62. Schools wouldn't take into consideration the fact that I am a pharmaceutical sciences major when looking at my gpa? A 3.3 is considered good in my major at OSU.

I can't speak for other schools, but I applied to OSU's clinical program last year after many nice emails from my POI. She even gave me great feedback after I wasn't offered an interview. She told me the way OSU does their funding is mainly through University Fellowships and they require a 3.6 overall GPA. While they do accept students with lower GPAs, it is rare due to funding issues. In my case, I had a 3.2 (Engineering-physics major to start) with 1300 GRE, years of experience, and even a first authored paper, but was still denied. She claimed that she thought I was extremely competitive, but they had 20 other people with identical stats without the lower GPA. Unless you have something that would really stand out, then it might be tough going at Ohio State (maybe others as well).

One other piece of advice is to contact your POIs about your GPA being a barrier to admission. After a few emails with a POI from EMU, I asked her about my situation and she stated that there would be no issue in making it past the first cuts with my stats (I also increased my GRE by 90 points).

Best of luck!

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beantownpsych,

Yeah junior year really hurt my gpa because I was taking physiology, biomedicinal chemistry and physics together. I came into jr year with a 3.62. Schools wouldn't take into consideration the fact that I am a pharmaceutical sciences major when looking at my gpa? A 3.3 is considered good in my major at OSU.

What's your primary research interest? The only way I could see some less competitive schools looking past the GPA is if you can tie the intersection of your major and psych directly to your future research interests in your personal statement. Your Pharm Sciences major does help you stand out from the many many applicants with a Psych major. That being said a lot of applicants come in w/ classes in physics, organic chem, biochem, physiology etc on their resume so I'm not sure taking those classes excuses the junior year GPA. And like someone else here mentioned a lot of schools use GPA cut-offs because of regulations regarding university funding.

I wish I could be more positive in my assessment of your chances, but my advice is still to delay, ace your next two semesters of classes and apply after you graduate. Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck!
 
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Ok, this isn't strictly a WAMC question, but I just took the GREs and it said 750-800 estimated score in both sections.

Thanks everyone for the tips and tricks!
 
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Hi all, any input would be helpful, so TIA!

I am applying to PsyD schools for next year. I graduated Ug in 06 with a pretty low gpa- maybe around 3.1/3.2. I graduated from a MA counseling program in 09 with a 3.9 gpa. I was a RA for two professors for four semesters, so I have some research experience, and one publication, although not really in my main areas of interest.

I have been working as a therapist in an RTC for the past two years- 10 months with dual diagnosis inpatient adolescent females, and the rest of the time in the day treatment with middle school boys (mainly trauma, ODD, but overall a mixed bag). It's a heavily CBT program, I use some solution focused techniques as well. I do group, individual and family work. I also have been volunteering at the grief center here- I help run support groups, I am on the volunteer training/support committee and I am the resource coordinator for families. I did three semesters of internships in grad school at a grief center- very Rogerian and expressive arts based.

I took the new gre and got a range (i don't remember exactly- but appx V 540-630, Q 620-710)
 
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What's your primary research interest? The only way I could see some less competitive schools looking past the GPA is if you can tie the intersection of your major and psych directly to your future research interests in your personal statement. Your Pharm Sciences major does help you stand out from the many many applicants with a Psych major. That being said a lot of applicants come in w/ classes in physics, organic chem, biochem, physiology etc on their resume so I'm not sure taking those classes excuses the junior year GPA. And like someone else here mentioned a lot of schools use GPA cut-offs because of regulations regarding university funding.

I wish I could be more positive in my assessment of your chances, but my advice is still to delay, ace your next two semesters of classes and apply after you graduate. Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck!

I am actually interested in autism research and has proven to be a niche field so that is why I am applying to a lot of top programs. I actually have a 3.2 junior gpa if I include my summer classes that I took, which is a little better.
 
I am actually interested in autism research and has proven to be a niche field so that is why I am applying to a lot of top programs. I actually have a 3.2 junior gpa if I include my summer classes that I took, which is a little better.

Top programs will look at a 3.0 and a 3.2 the same way, they will view both as not high enough. You are overestimating your chances at programs that admit 2-5% of applicants.
 
Your GPA is unfortunately going to prevent your app from getting looked at at a number of these programs. You will also want to strongly consider getting that verbal GRE up as well.

How high can you get your GPA if you do well this year? If you can get it closer to a 3.4 you might be able to squeak into a few more lists. Would you be willing to go to a masters program to show you can get a high GPA? Pursuing full-time research might also be viable, provided the lab is well-known and well-connected enough. Also, I know autism/IDD grad students who took a year to work in clinical (eg group home) settings and that served them well.


Hi! I'm applying to clinical psych PhD programs for the fall of 2012.

The schools that I am currently looking at are (some may be a reach..)
University of Florida
University of Miami (FL)
South Carolina
Alabama at Birmingham
Auburn
Ohio State
Vanderbilt
UC Berkeley
SDSU
University of Central Florida
Georgia
Kentucky

Overall GPA: 3.44
Last 2 years GPA: 3.0
Psych GPA: 3.93

I will be getting my Honors BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Ohio State (I took OChem, Biochem, Physiology etc which explains my lower overall gpa). My minor is psychology; I have approximately 35 psych hours and will be taking 2 more courses before graduation

GRE: I took the new one, so my score ranges are
470-570V (not as high as I wanted)
750-800Q

By the time I graduate, I will have
* 2 years experience as a lab coordinator/research assistant in a social psychology lab
*1 year experience with a clinical psychologist (health psych focus) with a poster at a health psych conference
* 1 year experience in in a behavioral neuroscience lab, where I will be completely in charge of conducting a study that already has a grant.

Other qualifications:
Chapter President of a sorority/have attended multiple leadership conferences as a result
Volunteer at Children's Hospital (1 year)
Volunteer at OSU's Nisonger Center- working with women who have autism (~1 year)
Clinical Research Intern at a pharmaceutical company

I will have 5 very strong recommendation letters, 3 from my research, one from a psych professor, one from the VP Pharmaceutical Research at the company I work for.

Any advice on how to be a stronger applicant/am I a good applicant would be appreciated! Thank you!:)
 
Hi
I am an international student from Korea.

Those are my stats.

- GRE: Verbal: 720 Math: 740 (Total: 1460/1600) Writing: 4.0
- GRE Subject: going to take this October

- GPA (Waseda University, Japan): 4.0/4.0
- GPA in Arizona State University (Exchange Student): 3.87/4.0

_TOEFL: 112/120

- Dean's list every semester
- Scholarships (total: approximately $27,000 USD)

- 3 strong recommendation letters

- 1 international conference poster (first author)
- 1 presentation (2nd author)
- Graduation Thesis
- 1 paper is going to be submitted in October


- One and half years of research experience in 3 different labs
(One in Medical School in Korea, and two in Arizona State University)


I am looking forward to applying for those schools..

U Penn
Yale
Duke
Emory
UNC Chapel Hill
University of New Mexico
U of Arizona
ASU
University of Miami
Florida State
University of Florida
University of Nevada, Reno
San Diego State
Washington State


What do you think guys?
 
I'm glad someone finally said this! The OP has a CV like many applicants but presents himself or herself like they are the greatest psychology applicant minus an aberrant GRE score.


Anyway, just echoing other posters. Yes, you most certainly need to retake the GRE. If you have time to come on here and boast, you have time to study.

best of luck to ya

Atthe time I wrote this on impulse to "vent" after my low score, Iwasn't familiar with the competition comparisons out there or how this siteoperates behind who the responders are to my posts. All I knew was what Iaccomplished (or didn't)- not how it compared to others. Obviously now that Iknow, it humbles me. But I'm still confident- I'm taking the GRE again andemphasizing my undergrad publications as my strengths. If I don't make it, I'llapply next year
 
Hi all, any input would be helpful, so TIA!

I am applying to PsyD schools for next year. I graduated Ug in 06 with a pretty low gpa- maybe around 3.1/3.2. I graduated from a MA counseling program in 09 with a 3.9 gpa. I was a RA for two professors for four semesters, so I have some research experience, and one publication, although not really in my main areas of interest.

I have been working as a therapist in an RTC for the past two years- 10 months with dual diagnosis inpatient adolescent females, and the rest of the time in the day treatment with middle school boys (mainly trauma, ODD, but overall a mixed bag). It's a heavily CBT program, I use some solution focused techniques as well. I do group, individual and family work. I also have been volunteering at the grief center here- I help run support groups, I am on the volunteer training/support committee and I am the resource coordinator for families. I did three semesters of internships in grad school at a grief center- very Rogerian and expressive arts based.

I took the new gre and got a range (i don't remember exactly- but appx V 540-630, Q 620-710)

I am thinking of applying to (all psyd)
Wright state
Xavier
Virginia Consortium
Denver U
George Washington
Loyolla Maryland
Our lady of the lake (back up)
And maybe a couple others, not sure.

Ultimately I'd like to join the military (hpsp) and do work with trauma/ptsd/maybe tbi and am interested in neuro.

WAMC would you think? I am planning on retaking the gre when I am eligible in Nov.


I applied to Denver last year and was accepted, your low GPA in undergrad might hurt you but your master's will take care of that. I'm estimating a very high probability you will at least be invited to interview with Denver and most likely be accepted. I can't really speak for your other school choices. Your GREs are fine for most PsyD's. Good luck!
 
Hi
I am an international student from Korea.

Those are my stats.

- GRE: Verbal: 720 Math: 740 (Total: 1460/1600) Writing: 4.0
- GRE Subject: going to take this October

- GPA (Waseda University, Japan): 4.0/4.0
- GPA in Arizona State University (Exchange Student): 3.87/4.0

Great stats although I didn't apply to top tier schools so I can't give you any personal experience regarding how your qualifications will measure up. I am curious though, how do you plan on paying for travel expenses internationally from Korea to multiple possible interview dates in the states? I know that my 4 interviews bit a huge chunk of change out of my checking and spilled over onto credit cards. Will programs that fund interviews pay for international students to visit?
 
Thank you so much for your feed back!

I am actually currently staying in Arizona State University and I will be staying here until next May... so I guess I don't really need to spend thousands of dollars for my interview.

By the way, I have a quick question. If you get an interview offer from a university do they usually cover the traveling expenditure for you?
 
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Normally from my experience and colleagues experiences, no. Now, well funded programs that are really interested in you I've heard them covering expenses. I would definitely say it is not the norm though.
 
Hi
I am an international student from Korea.

Those are my stats.

- GRE: Verbal: 720 Math: 740 (Total: 1460/1600) Writing: 4.0
- GRE Subject: going to take this October

- GPA (Waseda University, Japan): 4.0/4.0
- GPA in Arizona State University (Exchange Student): 3.87/4.0

- One and half years of research experience in 3 different labs
(One in Medical School in Korea, and two in Arizona State University)


I am looking forward to applying for those schools..

U Penn
Yale
Duke
Emory
UNC Chapel Hill
University of New Mexico
U of Arizona
ASU
University of Miami
Florida State
University of Florida
University of Nevada, Reno
San Diego State
Washington State


What do you think guys?

You have excellent numeric stats (GPA, GRE) but you have a super tier-I list, and I'm not sure if you have enough research experience for most of those programs. What kind of medical research did you do? What sort of tasks did you do? What is your research interest area?

I know that at least half of those programs tend to lean heavy towards people with at least a year or 2 of full-time research experience post-undergrad -- that's why I ask.

(Also, most places won't pay for your interview expenses.)
 
Hi
I am an international student from Korea.

Those are my stats.

- GRE: Verbal: 720 Math: 740 (Total: 1460/1600) Writing: 4.0
- GRE Subject: going to take this October

- GPA (Waseda University, Japan): 4.0/4.0
- GPA in Arizona State University (Exchange Student): 3.87/4.0

_TOEFL: 112/120

- Dean's list every semester
- Scholarships (total: approximately $27,000 USD)

- 3 strong recommendation letters

- 1 international conference poster (first author)
- 1 presentation (2nd author)
- Graduation Thesis
- 1 paper is going to be submitted in October


- One and half years of research experience in 3 different labs
(One in Medical School in Korea, and two in Arizona State University)


I am looking forward to applying for those schools..

U Penn
Yale
Duke
Emory
UNC Chapel Hill
University of New Mexico
U of Arizona
ASU
University of Miami
Florida State
University of Florida
University of Nevada, Reno
San Diego State
Washington State


What do you think guys?

San Diego State state on their website that they will only fund international students for a year (or something along those lines).
 
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You have excellent numeric stats (GPA, GRE) but you have a super tier-I list, and I'm not sure if you have enough research experience for most of those programs. What kind of medical research did you do? What sort of tasks did you do? What is your research interest area?

I know that at least half of those programs tend to lean heavy towards people with at least a year or 2 of full-time research experience post-undergrad -- that's why I ask.

(Also, most places won't pay for your interview expenses.)


Thank you for your comment.
I know some of the universities that I listed are top-tier but I have a pretty strong fit with the professors.

I don't think my research experience is enough but I would say that the quality of research experience that I have is very good.

I researched in a Medical School in Korea with one clinical psychology faculty member and it was about Mindfulness based stress reduction program.

We collected data from the subjects who participated this program and did lots of analysis.

Currently I am writing a paper for the other independent project and running lots of other analysis such as Structural Equation Modeling for longitudinal data set.

Well, I guess I definitely don't have a long research experience because I did not take a year off (I am currently senior) but I think my research experience is not bad.. since most of the things I did in the lab was not just entering data.


By the way, I am not still sure whether other programs that listed are still regarded as top tier program,
ex) University of New Mexico, University of Nevada, Reno , Florida State, University of Florida etc..


Anyway, thank you again!
 
As a fellow international student, I would probably remove San Diego State from the list since they clearly state on their website that they will only fund international students for a year (or something along those lines, it's been a while since I looked it up). I would at least take an extra look on their website and email them to ask about different possibilities as an international student.

Thank you so much for your valuable information.
I actually thought they were paying all the tuition for the international students.

Actually, I cannot afford to cover all the tuition if the university doesn't pay..

I saved a lot of time thanks to your comment!
 
Thank you so much for your valuable information.
I actually thought they were paying all the tuition for the international students.

Actually, I cannot afford to cover all the tuition if the university doesn't pay..

I saved a lot of time thanks to your comment!

Actually, I just looked at their website and I can't find it anymore so I would email the school to ask about the likelihood of them admitting international students due to the extra cost and see what they say.
 
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Since someone proposed I could potentially get into a PhD over on the MA board, I figured I should ask... I'd like my PhD in Clinical. I was originally considering MA/MS first, apply to PhD afterwards, but I'm open to applying to PhD now if it's not a waste of my app fees.


GRE - taking it in 2 weeks, but my practice scores before studying were:
V-570
Q-650
(however, I scored a 1380 on the ETS practice test software they have. I realize the scores have changed, but they still give estimates like this for now)

Undergrad GPA:
3.21

Psychology GPA:
3.32

Relevant course work:
Quant Methods I (A) & II (A)
Research Methods (A)
Abnormal Psych (A-?)
Writing in Psych (A)
Senior Honors Thesis (A)
etc.

Research experience:
2.5 years in one lab, one semester in another (I'm back in this lab as a post-undergrad)
Honors Thesis - working on getting it published, it's already published online but not yet in a journal
"Research" internship

Work experience:
Work in a clinical setting (supported living sites, a group home, and crisis unit with individuals afflicted by various mental health statuses)

Notable whatnots:
Active volunteer with hospice
Former president of a student organization / board member of others
Still doing research with a lab
Graduated with Departmental Honors
Made Dean's List 3-4 times


Downfalls:
Mediocre GPA
Scattered bad grades (particularly in one semester in "hard" sciences)
A couple withdrawals early in undergrad
I did poorly in Quant I the first time, re-took the class & got an A
 
Since someone proposed I could potentially get into a PhD over on the MA board, I figured I should ask... I'd like my PhD in Clinical. I was originally considering MA/MS first, apply to PhD afterwards, but I'm open to applying to PhD now if it's not a waste of my app fees.


GRE - taking it in 2 weeks, but my practice scores before studying were:
V-570
Q-650
(however, I scored a 1380 on the ETS practice test software they have. I realize the scores have changed, but they still give estimates like this for now)

Undergrad GPA:
3.21

Psychology GPA:
3.32

Relevant course work:
Quant Methods I (A) & II (A)
Research Methods (A)
Abnormal Psych (A-?)
Writing in Psych (A)
Senior Honors Thesis (A)
etc.

Research experience:
2.5 years in one lab, one semester in another (I'm back in this lab as a post-undergrad)
Honors Thesis - working on getting it published, it's already published online but not yet in a journal
"Research" internship

Work experience:
Work in a clinical setting (supported living sites, a group home, and crisis unit with individuals afflicted by various mental health statuses)

Notable whatnots:
Active volunteer with hospice
Former president of a student organization / board member of others
Still doing research with a lab
Graduated with Departmental Honors
Made Dean's List 3-4 times


Downfalls:
Mediocre GPA
Scattered bad grades (particularly in one semester in "hard" sciences)
A couple withdrawals early in undergrad
I did poorly in Quant I the first time, re-took the class & got an A

I'm sorry to say but your GPA and GRE scores are too low to make it past the majority of school's cutoffs. You would probably be fine in some of the lower tiered schools, but those are the ones that come with poor reputation and high tuition rates (no funding). If you really want a quality Clinical PhD program I would definitely suggest completing an MA/MS in Clinical or Experimental and then applying to PhDs.
 
OK so here's my situation.

GPA is currently a 3.23, Psych GPA is in the 3.4-3.5 area. Mostly Bs, but one C in a genetics course. This low GPA is due to me originally being pre-med and the fact that I am graduating with my undergrad degree a whole year early. As such, I didn't get some of the freshman-level "padding" grades that I could've because I got college credit in high school from AP tests. Double-edged sword, I know.

Took the GRE yesterday :)eek:) and am very anxious to get my scores back. I feel like I did pretty well on the essays, which was odd because I didn't expect to do incredibly or anything. Anyway, the score range the test gave me immediately after was: 550-650V, 710-800Q. I don't really know what to expect for the actual scores, though. The ranges are quite broad.

Other relevant information: I will have two semesters of research with the personality dept at my university and one semester of research with the cognitive dept under my belt when I apply. Nothing published but I will be doing some writing in my honor's program this semester, so something may come of that. That will be after I apply though. I intend to graduate cum laude in May, as well. I just don't know if graduate programs will recognize my graduating with honors in three years as being to my merit or simply as an excuse for my less-than-average GPA.

One other thing I'm concerned about is my LORs. I should be able to get one strong one from a professor, and one decent one from another professor, but for the third I simply don't have another person to ask from the university. I was going to ask for a letter from someone at church who was, incidentally, heavily involved with the psychology program at a neighboring school (not a professor, but still integral to the dept) and I know he would write me a glowing one. I just don't know that it is appropriate for this situation. Thoughts?

I'm currently planning to apply to several clinical psych Ph.D programs (Psy.D programs are simply much too expensive; I am applying to Baylor's program but... well let's be honest. That won't happen. :laugh:) I think my number one might be U of Illinois at Chicago? Not sure. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone. :)
 
If you really want a quality Clinical PhD program I would definitely suggest completing an MA/MS in Clinical or Experimental and then applying to PhDs.


Should they be specifically Clinical or Experimental MA/MS programs? Most of the schools on my theoretical application list fall into that, but a few (Boston U, Rutgers, SUNY Buffalo) are "General." I know those schools have good reputations in their PhD programs, but is it a bad idea to apply to them if the degree is a Masters in "General" Psych?
 
Thank you for your comment.
I know some of the universities that I listed are top-tier but I have a pretty strong fit with the professors.

I don't think my research experience is enough but I would say that the quality of research experience that I have is very good.

I researched in a Medical School in Korea with one clinical psychology faculty member and it was about Mindfulness based stress reduction program.

We collected data from the subjects who participated this program and did lots of analysis.

Currently I am writing a paper for the other independent project and running lots of other analysis such as Structural Equation Modeling for longitudinal data set.

Well, I guess I definitely don't have a long research experience because I did not take a year off (I am currently senior) but I think my research experience is not bad.. since most of the things I did in the lab was not just entering data.


By the way, I am not still sure whether other programs that listed are still regarded as top tier program,
ex) University of New Mexico, University of Nevada, Reno , Florida State, University of Florida etc..


Anyway, thank you again!

Your research experience isn't bad! The problem is that odds are other applicants' research will be better. It's very much a crapshoot. In any given year, 10-20 quality applicants -- all with great fit -- can be on a professor's shortlist. If a professor has a choice between several stellar applicants, odds are they would choose one with more research experience over one with perfect "numbers". Two other things to consider are how well connected your recommenders are and how many publications you have. At very research-heavy schools, all other stats equal, who you know and how much "evidence" you have for your research productivity can really make you shine.

I'm not saying you won't get in, just that there are no guarantees about getting in. I'm just trying to point out that there will be a fair number of other applicants who also have great stats. At some point, there is no difference between a 1350 GRE and a 1450 GRE - but there is a difference between 1.5 years of research experience and 4.

If you do get in - great! If you don't, I think after a year or two of full-time research experience, you will be an outstanding applicant.
 
OK so here's my situation.

GPA is currently a 3.23, Psych GPA is in the 3.4-3.5 area. Mostly Bs, but one C in a genetics course. This low GPA is due to me originally being pre-med and the fact that I am graduating with my undergrad degree a whole year early. As such, I didn't get some of the freshman-level "padding" grades that I could've because I got college credit in high school from AP tests. Double-edged sword, I know.

Took the GRE yesterday :)eek:) and am very anxious to get my scores back. I feel like I did pretty well on the essays, which was odd because I didn't expect to do incredibly or anything. Anyway, the score range the test gave me immediately after was: 550-650V, 710-800Q. I don't really know what to expect for the actual scores, though. The ranges are quite broad.

Other relevant information: I will have two semesters of research with the personality dept at my university and one semester of research with the cognitive dept under my belt when I apply. Nothing published but I will be doing some writing in my honor's program this semester, so something may come of that. That will be after I apply though. I intend to graduate cum laude in May, as well. I just don't know if graduate programs will recognize my graduating with honors in three years as being to my merit or simply as an excuse for my less-than-average GPA.

One other thing I'm concerned about is my LORs. I should be able to get one strong one from a professor, and one decent one from another professor, but for the third I simply don't have another person to ask from the university. I was going to ask for a letter from someone at church who was, incidentally, heavily involved with the psychology program at a neighboring school (not a professor, but still integral to the dept) and I know he would write me a glowing one. I just don't know that it is appropriate for this situation. Thoughts?

I'm currently planning to apply to several clinical psych Ph.D programs (Psy.D programs are simply much too expensive; I am applying to Baylor's program but... well let's be honest. That won't happen. :laugh:) I think my number one might be U of Illinois at Chicago? Not sure. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone. :)

Unfortunately most top tier programs won't look past your 3.2 GPA even with pre-med. I currently attend a middle tier program and even in this interview a professor asked something like: "You have great letters speaking to your strong academic skills, why does your GPA not line up with that?" I had a 3.5. (3.7 Psych GPA). I had similar GRE as you, 2 years of research experience(also no pubs), 2 years of clinical experience, had research interest matching the faculty and I didn't even get an interview at UIC. I only say this because I see a theme of people overestimating their chances and shooting for programs where they don't make an initial cut. Definitely apply broadly because there is a chance something will stand out with your app and you could swing something unexpected, but applying broadly also means include more than a few safety schools.
 
Thank you for your comment.
I know some of the universities that I listed are top-tier but I have a pretty strong fit with the professors. Anyway, thank you again!

I would concur with PsychPhDStudent, your schools are almost all top tier and you are running a significant risk of zero acceptances by not including more safety schools.
 
I am currently finishing an MA program in clinical psychology, with a thesis and clinical practicum, after completing a BA degree in performing arts. This was a career change for me, and I am in my mid-30's.

My undergraduate GPA is 3.49, with a psychology GPA of 4.0 (including prereqs that I took outside of my BA, for admissions to the MA program). My graduate GPA so far is 3.94 (due to two "A-" grades), based on approximately 48 graduate credits.

My two GRE scores are both 1180 combined, with the highest V/Q scores totaling 1210.

For research experience, I have about one semester as a research assistant at my school. After that, I traveled across the country to volunteer in a lab for 6 months at a research-heavy university that was my exact research interest--I volunteered approximately 10-20 hours per week supervising undergrads, performing research SCIDs, interviewing participants heavily, and recruiting (it was a population I have experience with in my current career).

As a result of that experience, I coordinated my own study with my mentor there, and maintained responsibility for the conceptualization of the study, IRB application, supervising undergrad RA's, data collection all on my own, with the help of a few RA's (N=100+; an intervention study), database management, and now data analysis. I have just submitted my first abstract for a conference poster/paper from that study (first author, obviously), planning to submit another this semester, and starting to write the manuscript for publication.

My master's thesis will be defended by October, and I have one poster (first author) from that project. I may work to submit a manuscript from the thesis, but this is all based on my advisor's availability, quite frankly. We'll see...:rolleyes:

Clinically, I'll have 900 hours of master's practicum experience, making me license-eligible in most states, by next summer.

Without getting into detail of my research or clinical interest area, these are the places I'm planning to apply (all will have a good match):

Univ. North TX (Clinical Health)
Univ. New Mexico (Clinical)
UT Austin (Counseling)
New Mexico State (Counseling)
IIT (Clinical)
Texas Women's Univ. (Counseling)
UNLV (Clinical)
Univ. Nevada Reno (Clinical)
Pepperdine (PsyD)
Univ. Louisville (Clinical)

I'd like to shoot for the JDP at SDSU/UCSD or ASU, but I know those are a stretch. There's a particularly good research match at ASU, however.

I know my GRE scores are low, so please don't tell me to take it again--I won't. I'm applying with these numbers. And this is my last year applying--I applied to two practice-heavy programs last year (one PhD and one university-based PsyD), and I was told I didn't have enough clinical experience for the PsyD program. After this year, I'm moving on with my life if I don't get into a PhD program. I'm getting too old for this!

So, with that said...What do you think?
 
I am currently finishing an MA program in clinical psychology, with a thesis and clinical practicum, after completing a BA degree in performing arts. This was a career change for me, and I am in my mid-30's.

My undergraduate GPA is 3.49, with a psychology GPA of 4.0 (including prereqs that I took outside of my BA, for admissions to the MA program). My graduate GPA so far is 3.94 (due to two "A-" grades), based on approximately 48 graduate credits.

My two GRE scores are both 1180 combined, with the highest V/Q scores totaling 1210.

For research experience, I have about one semester as a research assistant at my school. After that, I traveled across the country to volunteer in a lab for 6 months at a research-heavy university that was my exact research interest--I volunteered approximately 10-20 hours per week supervising undergrads, performing research SCIDs, interviewing participants heavily, and recruiting (it was a population I have experience with in my current career).

As a result of that experience, I coordinated my own study with my mentor there, and maintained responsibility for the conceptualization of the study, IRB application, supervising undergrad RA's, data collection all on my own, with the help of a few RA's (N=100+; an intervention study), database management, and now data analysis. I have just submitted my first abstract for a conference poster/paper from that study (first author, obviously), planning to submit another this semester, and starting to write the manuscript for publication.

My master's thesis will be defended by October, and I have one poster (first author) from that project. I may work to submit a manuscript from the thesis, but this is all based on my advisor's availability, quite frankly. We'll see...:rolleyes:

Clinically, I'll have 900 hours of master's practicum experience, making me license-eligible in most states, by next summer.

Without getting into detail of my research or clinical interest area, these are the places I'm planning to apply (all will have a good match):

Univ. North TX (Clinical Health)
Univ. New Mexico (Clinical)
UT Austin (Counseling)
New Mexico State (Counseling)
IIT (Clinical)
Texas Women's Univ. (Counseling)
UNLV (Clinical)
Univ. Nevada Reno (Clinical)
Pepperdine (PsyD)
Univ. Louisville (Clinical)

I'd like to shoot for the JDP at SDSU/UCSD or ASU, but I know those are a stretch. There's a particularly good research match at ASU, however.

I know my GRE scores are low, so please don't tell me to take it again--I won't. I'm applying with these numbers. And this is my last year applying--I applied to two practice-heavy programs last year (one PhD and one university-based PsyD), and I was told I didn't have enough clinical experience for the PsyD program. After this year, I'm moving on with my life if I don't get into a PhD program. I'm getting too old for this!

So, with that said...What do you think?

I am a TWU student, and your stats are fine for our program - what are your research interests and career goals?
 
I am a TWU student, and your stats are fine for our program - what are your research interests and career goals?

Well, I have a graduate certificate in women's studies, and clinically my practicum is with survivors of sexual violence. Research-wise, my experience and interest is in psychoneuroendocrinology, stress, depression/anxiety, women's health (especially pregnancy/postpartum), and MBSR. I do not want solely a clinical career. I enjoy research and I really enjoy teaching, but I'm also interested in being an advocate for women's health. TWU sounds great to me, as are many of the ones on my list. I assume they have a bit of a feminist twist, right? What's that like in Denton, TX?!
 
So, with that said...What do you think?

I think you're competitive for the clinical programs you listed. UCSD/SDSU might be a stretch but you're list is well put together in my opinion so why not tack it on?
 
Should they be specifically Clinical or Experimental MA/MS programs? Most of the schools on my theoretical application list fall into that, but a few (Boston U, Rutgers, SUNY Buffalo) are "General." I know those schools have good reputations in their PhD programs, but is it a bad idea to apply to them if the degree is a Masters in "General" Psych?

I've only really had any experience with clinical or experimental ones so I don't know about the general ones. I would suggest checking in to how successful the applicants from those general programs are at getting in to doctoral programs.
 
Unfortunately most top tier programs won't look past your 3.2 GPA even with pre-med. I currently attend a middle tier program and even in this interview a professor asked something like: "You have great letters speaking to your strong academic skills, why does your GPA not line up with that?" I had a 3.5. (3.7 Psych GPA). I had similar GRE as you, 2 years of research experience(also no pubs), 2 years of clinical experience, had research interest matching the faculty and I didn't even get an interview at UIC. I only say this because I see a theme of people overestimating their chances and shooting for programs where they don't make an initial cut. Definitely apply broadly because there is a chance something will stand out with your app and you could swing something unexpected, but applying broadly also means include more than a few safety schools.

Thank you for the feedback! I very much appreciate it. Do you have any recommendations as to any measures I can take that might help me in my applications? I know it's awfully late. Or suggestions for a back-up plan maybe? I am very anxious that I won't get into any programs this cycle simply because of my GPA.
 
Thank you for the feedback! I very much appreciate it. Do you have any recommendations as to any measures I can take that might help me in my applications? I know it's awfully late. Or suggestions for a back-up plan maybe? I am very anxious that I won't get into any programs this cycle simply because of my GPA.

Are you a senior this year? If so I would strongly consider delaying your application one cycle and do as many of the following as you feasibly can:

1. Get a 4.0
2. Continue getting research experience. Get something published with your name on it.
3. Find some way to do clinical-ish(like crisis hotline) volunteering; get a LOR from someone who supervised you doing clinical-ish things.
4. Find specific faculty you want to work with and tailor each of your next cycle apps toward each one.
 
Well, I have a graduate certificate in women's studies, and clinically my practicum is with survivors of sexual violence. Research-wise, my experience and interest is in psychoneuroendocrinology, stress, depression/anxiety, women's health (especially pregnancy/postpartum), and MBSR. I do not want solely a clinical career. I enjoy research and I really enjoy teaching, but I'm also interested in being an advocate for women's health. TWU sounds great to me, as are many of the ones on my list. I assume they have a bit of a feminist twist, right? What's that like in Denton, TX?!

You *can* end up with a research career coming out of TWU (I'm on an academic track myself), but you definitely have to seek out extra research opportunities on your own - beyond your thesis and dissertation, the required research is minimal. There is definitely a feminist "twist" - our focus is on diversity and sexuality issues and we're actually required to "minor" in this. Your more "hard science" interests may be difficult to do here, as most of our professors are much more interested in women's issues and counseling psych research. It is definitely a small program where everyone knows everyone. Denton is an oddity - it's very much a college town (UNT is here as well), so it's more liberal than much of the surrounding area. PM me if you have more specific questions - I'll be glad to answer them!
 
Hey gang,

So this will be my 3rd attempt at applying. I applied straight out of undergrad (looking back it was foolish) but last year as well.

GRE: 710 V, 730 Q, 4.5 W
Psych GRE: 750
GPA: 3.78 from top-tier university

Did research in some labs as an undergrad.

After college I did 2 years as the RA/coordinator of an NIH-funded R01 clinical trial under a well-known psychiatrist at a major medical center/famous psychiatric institute. I have very robust experience from this—diagnostic interviewing, data management and analyses, IRB correspondence, protocol writing, etc.

I've got 3 terrific letters of rec, and a good personal statement that has been edited by two clinical psych professors and an editor at a major literary magazine (friends of mine).

A few presentations (one not in clinical psych, though one in psych and I presented at a hospital psychiatry grand rounds)
A few publications (again, one not in psych, but another in psych including a co-authored book)

What I lack is specific research experience in child/adolescent work which is the research I'm interested in (though I did do time as an interviewer administering diagnostic interviews to children of Sept 11th first responders, and worked for a bit in an infant language lab as an undergrad). I also don't personally know any POIs with whom I would like to work, so I am missing those connections.

I know that all of this is relatively competitive, but then where have I gone wrong? How is it that I got only one interview last time out of 9 schools (albiet almost all of them top-tier programs, which will be competitive no matter what)? I just don't know what else to offer!
 
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Hey gang,

So this will be my 3rd attempt at applying. I applied straight out of undergrad (looking back it was foolish) but last year as well.

GRE: 710 V, 730 Q, 4.5 W
GPA: 3.78 from top-tier university

Did research in some labs as an undergrad.

After college I did 2 years as the RA/coordinator of an NIH-funded R01 clinical trial under a well-known psychiatrist at a major medical center/famous psychiatric institute. I have very robust experience from this—diagnostic interviewing, data management and analyses, IRB correspondence, protocol writing, etc.

I've got 3 terrific letters of rec, and a good personal statement that has been edited by two clinical psych professors and an editor at a major literary magazine (friends of mine).

A few presentations (one not in clinical psych, though one in psych and I presented at a hospital psychiatry grand rounds)
A few publications (again, one not in psych, but another in psych including a co-authored book)

What I lack is specific research experience in child/adolescent work which is the research I'm interested in (though I did do time as an interviewer administering diagnostic interviews to children of Sept 11th first responders, and worked for a bit in an infant language lab as an undergrad). I also don't personally know any POIs with whom I would like to work, so I am missing those connections.

I know that all of this is relatively competitive, but then where have I gone wrong? How is it that I got only one interview last time out of 9 schools (albiet almost all of them top-tier programs, which will be competitive no matter what)? I just don't know what else to offer!

You are competitive for top-tier schools, but are not a shoo-in apparently. This is the boat so many applicants sail in. Did you apply to 7 of 9 top tier? If so that is clearly the issue. Are you willing to attend a program that is lower tier? If so you should apply to 3-4 top tier, 3-4 middle tier, 3-4 safety. If what you want is an acceptance, I honestly think it's really that easy. If it's top tier or bust, then you have to know there's a substantial chance of bust. It sucks but I'm sure you're well aware of the crazy 2-4% acceptance rates at those programs.
 
You are competitive for top-tier schools, but are not a shoo-in apparently. This is the boat so many applicants sail in. Did you apply to 7 of 9 top tier? If so that is clearly the issue. Are you willing to attend a program that is lower tier? If so you should apply to 3-4 top tier, 3-4 middle tier, 3-4 safety. If what you want is an acceptance, I honestly think it's really that easy. If it's top tier or bust, then you have to know there's a substantial chance of bust. It sucks but I'm sure you're well aware of the crazy 2-4% acceptance rates at those programs.

Yeah, they were certainly mostly in the top-tier range.
Yale, Harvard, BU, Rutgers, Fordham, Penn State, U Wash, UVa, Stony Brook, Vanderbilt.

I interviewed at UVa and was a first alternate on the waitlist, but the person above me accepted and stayed. Bummer!

I really hope that you're right and that it's a matter of schools. I will do what I can to apply more broadly this time for sure.
 
Hi! I'm applying to clinical psych PhD programs for the fall of 2012.

The schools that I am currently looking at are (some may be a reach..)
University of Florida
University of Miami (FL)
South Carolina
Alabama at Birmingham
Auburn
Ohio State
Vanderbilt
UC Berkeley
SDSU
University of Central Florida
Georgia
Kentucky

Overall GPA: 3.44
Last 2 years GPA: 3.0
Psych GPA: 3.93

I will be getting my Honors BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Ohio State (I took OChem, Biochem, Physiology etc which explains my lower overall gpa). My minor is psychology; I have approximately 35 psych hours and will be taking 2 more courses before graduation

GRE: I took the new one, so my score ranges are
470-570V (not as high as I wanted)
750-800Q

By the time I graduate, I will have
* 2 years experience as a lab coordinator/research assistant in a social psychology lab
*1 year experience with a clinical psychologist (health psych focus) with a poster at a health psych conference
* 1 year experience in in a behavioral neuroscience lab, where I will be completely in charge of conducting a study that already has a grant.

Other qualifications:
Chapter President of a sorority/have attended multiple leadership conferences as a result
Volunteer at Children's Hospital (1 year)
Volunteer at OSU's Nisonger Center- working with women who have autism (~1 year)
Clinical Research Intern at a pharmaceutical company

I will have 5 very strong recommendation letters, 3 from my research, one from a psych professor, one from the VP Pharmaceutical Research at the company I work for.

Any advice on how to be a stronger applicant/am I a good applicant would be appreciated! Thank you!:)

I would suggest replacing a 2-4 of these: Ohio State, U. Florida, U. Miami, South Carolina (if Chapel Hill), Vanderbilt, and Berkeley... with some less competitive schools. It will greatly increase your probability of acceptance; every one of those schools probably decreases your overall chance of acceptance by 7% or so (given the number of schools on your list) as compared to many other schools; they frequently reject people with essentially perfect stats; I use semi-colons so it's less obvious that i'm making run-on sentences.
 
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Hey gang,

So this will be my 3rd attempt at applying. I applied straight out of undergrad (looking back it was foolish) but last year as well.

GRE: 710 V, 730 Q, 4.5 W
Psych GRE: 750
GPA: 3.78 from top-tier university

Did research in some labs as an undergrad.

After college I did 2 years as the RA/coordinator of an NIH-funded R01 clinical trial under a well-known psychiatrist at a major medical center/famous psychiatric institute. I have very robust experience from this—diagnostic interviewing, data management and analyses, IRB correspondence, protocol writing, etc.

I've got 3 terrific letters of rec, and a good personal statement that has been edited by two clinical psych professors and an editor at a major literary magazine (friends of mine).

A few presentations (one not in clinical psych, though one in psych and I presented at a hospital psychiatry grand rounds)
A few publications (again, one not in psych, but another in psych including a co-authored book)

What I lack is specific research experience in child/adolescent work which is the research I'm interested in (though I did do time as an interviewer administering diagnostic interviews to children of Sept 11th first responders, and worked for a bit in an infant language lab as an undergrad). I also don't personally know any POIs with whom I would like to work, so I am missing those connections.

I know that all of this is relatively competitive, but then where have I gone wrong? How is it that I got only one interview last time out of 9 schools (albiet almost all of them top-tier programs, which will be competitive no matter what)? I just don't know what else to offer!

How many publications are "a few"? 2? 3? 7?
 
You *can* end up with a research career coming out of TWU (I'm on an academic track myself), but you definitely have to seek out extra research opportunities on your own - beyond your thesis and dissertation, the required research is minimal. There is definitely a feminist "twist" - our focus is on diversity and sexuality issues and we're actually required to "minor" in this. Your more "hard science" interests may be difficult to do here, as most of our professors are much more interested in women's issues and counseling psych research. It is definitely a small program where everyone knows everyone. Denton is an oddity - it's very much a college town (UNT is here as well), so it's more liberal than much of the surrounding area. PM me if you have more specific questions - I'll be glad to answer them!

Thanks for the insight. I received a reply from a potential POI at TWU within the last couple of days, and she reflected this same information. It kinda stinks that the research opportunities are not an automatic, but that's the awkward place I find myself in--not smarty-pants enough (or with enough free time to volunteer my life away to get experience) to be competitive for a hard-science program, but that's where my interest and experience so far is. Although I am actually considering applying to women's studies PhD programs, if I can get the health/mental health piece in there, so TWU might just be satisfying. Maybe I will fit in better with other folks who, perhaps, are more comfortable with t-tests and correlations due to lack of sufficient training in stats!

Thanks again. I'm going to apply to a big range of programs, see what happens & how I like those where I am interviewed/accepted, and take it from there. If no acceptances or there isn't a good fit, then I shall move on with life as is.
 
Yeah, they were certainly mostly in the top-tier range.
Yale, Harvard, BU, Rutgers, Fordham, Penn State, U Wash, UVa, Stony Brook, Vanderbilt.

I interviewed at UVa and was a first alternate on the waitlist, but the person above me accepted and stayed. Bummer!

I really hope that you're right and that it's a matter of schools. I will do what I can to apply more broadly this time for sure.

I'm not trying to be rude, but you were playing powerball. Look for good mentors at middle tier programs. A good mentor is worth something to you. A US News ranking is worth the # of magazines that issue sells.
 
Hey gang,

So this will be my 3rd attempt at applying. I applied straight out of undergrad (looking back it was foolish) but last year as well.

GRE: 710 V, 730 Q, 4.5 W
Psych GRE: 750
GPA: 3.78 from top-tier university

Did research in some labs as an undergrad.

After college I did 2 years as the RA/coordinator of an NIH-funded R01 clinical trial under a well-known psychiatrist at a major medical center/famous psychiatric institute. I have very robust experience from this—diagnostic interviewing, data management and analyses, IRB correspondence, protocol writing, etc.

I've got 3 terrific letters of rec, and a good personal statement that has been edited by two clinical psych professors and an editor at a major literary magazine (friends of mine).

A few presentations (one not in clinical psych, though one in psych and I presented at a hospital psychiatry grand rounds)
A few publications (again, one not in psych, but another in psych including a co-authored book)

What I lack is specific research experience in child/adolescent work which is the research I'm interested in (though I did do time as an interviewer administering diagnostic interviews to children of Sept 11th first responders, and worked for a bit in an infant language lab as an undergrad). I also don't personally know any POIs with whom I would like to work, so I am missing those connections.

I know that all of this is relatively competitive, but then where have I gone wrong? How is it that I got only one interview last time out of 9 schools (albiet almost all of them top-tier programs, which will be competitive no matter what)? I just don't know what else to offer!

Hmm your scores are generally very good although I think the 4.5 might be a problem for some schools. I saw the list of schools you applied to last year and agree with other people on this forum that you need to add less competitive schools. I am wondering a bit about the publications though because just by stats alone I would think you'd get more than 1/9 interviews (even given the highly competitive programs you applied to). Were the publications peer-reviewed? presentations at national/international conferences? Was the book published by a recognized publisher (e.g., Oxford, Guilford etc...)?
 
Hi there Samusb,

I feel as if you have gotten pretty good feedback from before regarding the book. :) Like people say, your stats are really good. Like mentioned before, the book might not be that beneficial since it isn't peer-reviewed, but if you apply to a range of programs you should definitely get in somewhere (and I still think that you have a chance at the top top programs as well, sometimes it just comes down to luck, so I would definitely keep those, but also add some less competetive ones that still match your research interest well)! Good Luck applying again! :luck:


Hey gang,
I'll be applying this December, to a host of mostly research-heavy PhD clinical programs (Yale, UWash, BU, Rutgers, Harvard, UVA, etc).

I've been a RA/study coordinator the last year and a half at a major psychiatric research facility, within a pretty famous clinic and with a well-known supervisor (though he's better known in psychiatry than clinical psych). Good research experience and some clinical in terms of diagnostic assessments and the fact that it's a clinical trial. Also worked in several other labs as an undergrad.

I've got 1 paper (in an undergrad research journal) and 1 presentation as an undergrad in pharmacology
Also second-authored a book that my team put out- it's self published, though
Am presenting grand rounds at a hospital in a week
Hoping to have at least one more paper (first author) submitted to a major journal by application time- wouldn't likely be published until much later, but at the very least "submitted for review"?

GRE: 710 V, 730 Q, 4.5AW
GRE Psych: 750
Undergrad GPA top tier university 3.78; psych 3.7; last 2 years 3.97.

Should have 3 strong letters of recommendation.

Thoughts? I'm just wondering in terms of the programs I'm applying to, cuz they're, you know, not easy to get in to. I guess it's mostly fit now. Thanks!

The one thing that might raise eyebrows at the schools you're applying to is the lack of non-undergrad-journal publications and presentations from your RA work, but the submitted manuscript should help with that. When you say the book is "self-published," what does that mean? Will it have an ISBN, be available for sale, etc.?

Thanks! The book is self published through a company called Lulu. It does have an ISBN and is now available on Amazon- it's just that it didn't have to go through the normal gamut of the publishing world, which makes it sound like a non-peer-reviewed journal in my mind. It's a really good book, but since it's self published it could just have easily been a collection of erotic poetry.

Because the book isn't peer-reviewed, it probably won't help you that much, but IMO, it's probably still worth having on your CV just to show you've been a contributor to your lab's products.

Like I said, your profile seems pretty strong otherwise! :luck:
 
Yeah, they were certainly mostly in the top-tier range.
Yale, Harvard, BU, Rutgers, Fordham, Penn State, U Wash, UVa, Stony Brook, Vanderbilt.

I interviewed at UVa and was a first alternate on the waitlist, but the person above me accepted and stayed. Bummer!

I really hope that you're right and that it's a matter of schools. I will do what I can to apply more broadly this time for sure.

Those are pretty top-tiery. I would apply to twice as many. I'm serious. It's a numbers game.
 
Those are pretty top-tiery. I would apply to twice as many. I'm serious. It's a numbers game.

Is it really a number's game, though? Merely applying to 20 programs doesn't necessarily increase my chances. I'd have to significantly change the kinds of programs.
-----
Thanks for all the great input, everyone! The book of course was not peer-reviewed and my presentations were all more internal things- grand rounds at a hospital, for example. So while a book and a grand rounds pres ought to be well received, I will have to attempt to add what I can to the portfolio. The paper in the pipeline will be in a very good journal if we get our way.

I still just wish I had had more than 1/9 interviews for the sake of a morale booster. Definitely most of my programs were top tier, but I also felt that my matches with POIs were clear and good, and it would have been nice to at least have seen a nod towards an interview. My goal was never to apply to US News schools. I would never trust their rankings on anything. The list came from schools that were well regarded and known for good research and turning out good students and profs that would have been excellent matches for what I hope to study.

We'll see how things go this round.
 
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Is it really a number's game, though? Merely applying to 20 programs doesn't necessarily increase my chances. I'd have to significantly change the kinds of programs.
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Thanks for all the great input, everyone! The book of course was not peer-reviewed and my presentations were all more internal things- grand rounds at a hospital, for example. So while a book and a grand rounds pres ought to be well received, I will have to attempt to add what I can to the portfolio. The paper in the pipeline will be in a very good journal if we get our way.

I still just wish I had had more than 1/9 interviews for the sake of a morale booster. Definitely most of my programs were top tier, but I also felt that my matches with POIs were clear and good, and it would have been nice to at least have seen a nod towards an interview. My goal was never to apply to US News schools. I would never trust their rankings on anything. The list came from schools that were well regarded and known for good research and turning out good students and profs that would have been excellent matches for what I hope to study.

We'll see how things go this round.

Whoops didn't realize you had posted about the book/presentations earlier. Unfortunately internal presentations & articles/self-published books don't really 'count' for much at research heavy institutions. You'll be up against people who have national/international presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles on their CV. I also think it may also be that while you perceive a solid match with profs at those institutions because of what you want to study, they might not see it that way given that your past research in a different area. Given what you've written I'd definitely add some lower tier programs. While your stats alone will get you past the first round, your research productivity is probably not competitive enough to gain an interview at many of the programs you listed.
 
I also think it may also be that while you perceive a solid match with profs at those institutions because of what you want to study, they might not see it that way given that your past research in a different area. Given what you've written I'd definitely add some lower tier programs. While your stats alone will get you past the first round, your research productivity is probably not competitive enough to gain an interview at many of the programs you listed.

Agree 100% with the above, they will likely be having to sift through 50-70 people with solid stats that profess a perfect research match. If they are the kind of mentor that is looking to produce a 'mini-me' they'll heavily weigh what you've done in the past.
 
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