WAMC: What Are My Chances

[mc625510]

Thanks in advance everyone for looking at my info.

So based on my research on
psyD programs and comparing them to phD programs I am more interested in getting a psyD than a phD, but I'm certainly not blind to the debt load of a lot of psyD programs so I am going to apply to a mixture of both psyD and phD.

My top schools right now are:

1. University of indianapolis (psyD)
2. Xavier (psyD)
3. Baylor (psyD)
4. Indiana state (psyD)
5. University of Cincinnati (phD)

Overall gpa- 3.65
Psych gpa- 3.75

GRE
Verb- 161 (87th percentile)
Quantitative- 156 (65th percentile)
Psychology subject test- tbd

Advanced stats (first course for phD students at my university, but undergrads can get permission to be enrolled with the grad students)

I'm currently in the honors program at my university and working towards finishing up my honors thesis early fall.

Over 100 hours volunteering during activity therapy at an inpatient psychiatric hospital.

I've been a research assistant for two years in an anxiety lab

I was promoted to lead research assistant in the lab this past year

I just took new research assistant job in a clinical health psych lab that is paid that is more of a supervising RA role

I'm a PSI CHI member and was treasurer last year and vice-president this upcoming year

I am the president of a suicide prevention organization on my campus and was Vice President last year

I have two good letters of recommendation and one very strong letter.

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[WisNeuro]

My top schools right now are:

1. University of indianapolis (psyD)
2. Xavier (psyD)
3. Baylor (psyD)
4. Indiana state (psyD)
5. University of Cincinnati (phD)

.

Out of those, really only Baylor and Cincinnati have consistently good match rates, I'd be wary of the others. Other then that, stats look good. I'd reconsider that debt load, write out the numbers. Most students are surprised at how much they actually have to pay per month, or they vastly overestimate their earning potential.

 

[Icculus8]

It sounds like you have a nice range of experiences and a bit of research experience, may I ask why you are more drawn to the PsyD?

 

[mc625510]

Out of those, really only Baylor and Cincinnati have consistently good match rates, I'd be wary of the others. Other then that, stats look good. I'd reconsider that debt load, write out the numbers. Most students are surprised at how much they actually have to pay per month, or they vastly overestimate their earning potential.

Thanks for the response!

I definitely agree that I need to map out the debt I would accumulate over the course of 4-5 years in a psyD program. I haven't checked the match rates of Indiana State for the previous incoming class, but I know they typically are full-funded. Funding will most likely be the guiding factor in my decision next year.

 

[mc625510]

It sounds like you have a nice range of experiences and a bit of research experience, may I ask why you are more drawn to the PsyD?

I guess what is most appealing about the psyDs programs I've been looking at is their curricula. Xavier and Uindy both offer concentrations that I am interested in (treatment of the severely mentally ill and adult assessment and therapy, respectively).

 

[WisNeuro]

I guess what is most appealing about the psyDs programs I've been looking at is their curricula. Xavier and Uindy both offer concentrations that I am interested in (treatment of the severely mentally ill and adult assessment and therapy, respectively).

I wouldn't look for this in the grad curricula per se. Where you will learn the most is on your clinical rotations, mostly externships in grad school. I'd look at those instead.

 

[trafficlight]

should I re-take the GREs?

I have a 3.85 from my current school, 3.5 if you include my last school (which was a science major). I *may* be published in time but if not I have 2 years research experience and several presentations.

I got a 157 verbal and 152 quant. Waiting to hear about writing. When I got these scores back, I thought quant specifically was pretty low but I just looked at a few disclosures from schools I want to apply to and it's pretty right on the money.

What do ya think, WAMC? (I think this is the appropriate place to put this)

 

[mewtoo]

It's been a while. I didn't get into a clinical phd program last time, so I've just finished up my first year of a MA in psychology and should graduate with an empirical thesis (which is in the area I plan on being in) completed next spring semester. Much of this wasn't on my application when I applied before. My lesser application did get me 1 interview at a clinical phd program.

Undergrad GPA (BS in psych, minor in biology): 3.3something
Undergrad psych GPA: 3.8something
Grad GPA (currently): 3.20
GRE: V: 161 Q: 148 A: 5 (probably will not retake. Think its at the point of diminishing returns.)

Awards (all from undergrad): Top scholar for the college of Liberal and Applied Arts (won $250 and did 15 min talk of research paper submitted at university conference)
Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher for the psych dept (Chosen as the top undergrad, basically, by the the entire dept)

Research Experience:
Will have thesis proposed and collecting data by time of applications
Research experience spanning from 2011-now in 3 labs (soon to be 4)
Paid research assistantship at my masters program
Will have at least 10 conference presentations by application time (2 to be presented in a few weeks, who knows if I'll submit more by application deadlines), one first author at an international conference, 5 first author posters at regional conferences, 2 not first author at international, 2 not first author at regional. I think thats all of them, hah.
One completed manuscript of my own study I did in undergrad, one manuscript in final stages, soon to be submitted to a journal as 2nd author.

Other: Was an officer in Psi Chi in my senior year. Reviewed abstracts for the Outstanding Researcher Award for the last SPSP conference

Potential schools I'm applying to (all clinical phd unless specified otherwise):
UNC Charlotte (Health psych)
Purdue
North Dakota State
Auburn (when applied last time was wait listed for an interview, obviously did not get it)
Kent State
Miami U
Ohio State
Rutgers (phd- dream mentor is here. I'm applying even though I prob don't have a chance in hell)
U of Alabama- Birmingham
U of Utah
U of Southern Mississippi
UCLA (health psych)
Boston U
UC Santa Barbara
Simon-Frazier U
George Mason U
Fordham U

I think that's everything... Please give me your honest opinion of my chances. I am very hopeful for this cycle. Here's hoping my hopes and dreams aren't crushed again, hahaha... :|

 

[thewesternsky]

should I re-take the GREs?

I have a 3.85 from my current school, 3.5 if you include my last school (which was a science major). I *may* be published in time but if not I have 2 years research experience and several presentations.

I got a 157 verbal and 152 quant. Waiting to hear about writing. When I got these scores back, I thought quant specifically was pretty low but I just looked at a few disclosures from schools I want to apply to and it's pretty right on the money.

What do ya think, WAMC? (I think this is the appropriate place to put this)

From what I can see, these scores are around the 70th percentile (verbal) and 50th percentile (quant) and correspond to a total score of 1220 on the old GRE. The old wisdom was that you needed at least a 1200 to avoid being passed over, so you're just there. If these scores are at or above the mean scores for incoming students at the schools you're interested in then I see no reason to re-take it. Your other stats seem good. Apply widely and you probably have an okay chance at a couple interviews. Good luck!

 

[thewesternsky]

Undergrad GPA (BS in psych, minor in biology): 3.3something
Undergrad psych GPA: 3.8something
Grad GPA (currently): 3.20

Why is your graduate GPA so low? My sense is that this may be a red flag for some schools... I'd suggest getting your letter writers to address this in their letters if possible.

 

[mewtoo]

Why is your graduate GPA so low? My sense is that this may be a red flag for some schools... I'd suggest getting your letter writers to address this in their letters if possible.

Just got B's in most of my classes. No C's in any of them or anything. On the border A/B, but as my school uses a straight scale that doesn't show. I shall get them to address it, especially since my gpa should go up during this next year (I'm done with all my core classes now).

Thinking about it now, I didn't include a 3 credit hour graduate course I took somewhere else which I received an A in, so it might be a smidgen higher. Same thing with my undergrad, that's what I graduated with but that didn't take into account transfers whom's grade did not affect my GPA at my university, but which I could take into account when applying.

 

[AlexJ06]

Hey everyone. I am a senior at a fairly large Mid West University interested in obtaining a PhD in Clinical Psychology. I am unsure if I should apply for admission for the fall of 2015 or wait a year to apply. The following are my stats.

GPA: 3.73 (Will be as high as 3.80 after graduation)
Psych GPA: 3.8 (Will be as high as 3.84 after graduation)
Research Assistant for 1 year, planning on getting on 1-2 labs this summer and stay on one during the school year
No publications or poster presentations (Hopefully will have at least 1 poster presentation this fall)
Working on my Senior Honors Thesis, will have it done in Fall of 2015 which will be after my applications would be due if I plan on applying this Fall.
Teaching Assistant for two semesters (Intro and Abnormal)
Psi Chi inductee, Student Psychology Association President
Involved in many student organizations
Resident Assistant for 3 Years
Psychology and Honors Double Major

I haven't taken the GRE yet, I am planning on doing well on it this summer.

I am confident I'll be able to get good LORs.

Interested in the following programs

Minnesota - Twin Cities
Wisconsin - Madison
University of North Dakota
Alabama
UConn
Delaware
Maine
Xavier

All in all what do you guys think? Does my lack of poster presentations/publications determent my chances of getting into grad school? With the information presented, would I stand a chance at all of getting into a program? Would I benefit from waiting a year to apply, work in labs, and apply the next fall?

 

[cara susanna]

Just FYI, some of the programs on your list are very different from each other. For instance, Minnesota is very research-oriented whereas North Dakota is more balanced. I'd think about whether you want a more balanced program or a more research-heavy one. On that same note, assuming that your GRE is okay, your credentials are good enough to apply to a more balanced program right now, but probably not a research-heavy one like Madison or Minnesota. Applicants to the research-heavy schools typically have a year or two full time RA experience.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Hey everyone. I am a senior at a fairly large Mid West University interested in obtaining a PhD in Clinical Psychology. I am unsure if I should apply for admission for the fall of 2015 or wait a year to apply. The following are my stats.

GPA: 3.73 (Will be as high as 3.80 after graduation)
Psych GPA: 3.8 (Will be as high as 3.84 after graduation)
Research Assistant for 1 year, planning on getting on 1-2 labs this summer and stay on one during the school year
No publications or poster presentations (Hopefully will have at least 1 poster presentation this fall)
Working on my Senior Honors Thesis, will have it done in Fall of 2015 which will be after my applications would be due if I plan on applying this Fall.
Teaching Assistant for two semesters (Intro and Abnormal)
Psi Chi inductee, Student Psychology Association President
Involved in many student organizations
Resident Assistant for 3 Years
Psychology and Honors Double Major

I haven't taken the GRE yet, I am planning on doing well on it this summer.

I am confident I'll be able to get good LORs.

Interested in the following programs

Minnesota - Twin Cities
Wisconsin - Madison
University of North Dakota
Alabama
UConn
Delaware
Maine
Xavier

All in all what do you guys think? Does my lack of poster presentations/publications determent my chances of getting into grad school? With the information presented, would I stand a chance at all of getting into a program? Would I benefit from waiting a year to apply, work in labs, and apply the next fall?

Moved to WAMC. Also, I agree with cara--Wisconsin-Madison and Minnesota have very different research-practice balances than North Dakota and Xavier (not sure where the others lie). Really think about what you want from a program, because you'll get a completely different grad school experience at Xavier (a PsyD) than Madison (a highly, highly research-focused PhD).

 

[futureapppsy2]

It's been a while. I didn't get into a clinical phd program last time, so I've just finished up my first year of a MA in psychology and should graduate with an empirical thesis (which is in the area I plan on being in) completed next spring semester. Much of this wasn't on my application when I applied before. My lesser application did get me 1 interview at a clinical phd program.

Undergrad GPA (BS in psych, minor in biology): 3.3something
Undergrad psych GPA: 3.8something
Grad GPA (currently): 3.20
GRE: V: 161 Q: 148 A: 5 (probably will not retake. Think its at the point of diminishing returns.)

Awards (all from undergrad): Top scholar for the college of Liberal and Applied Arts (won $250 and did 15 min talk of research paper submitted at university conference)
Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher for the psych dept (Chosen as the top undergrad, basically, by the the entire dept)

Research Experience:
Will have thesis proposed and collecting data by time of applications
Research experience spanning from 2011-now in 3 labs (soon to be 4)
Paid research assistantship at my masters program
Will have at least 10 conference presentations by application time (2 to be presented in a few weeks, who knows if I'll submit more by application deadlines), one first author at an international conference, 5 first author posters at regional conferences, 2 not first author at international, 2 not first author at regional. I think thats all of them, hah.
One completed manuscript of my own study I did in undergrad, one manuscript in final stages, soon to be submitted to a journal as 2nd author.

Other: Was an officer in Psi Chi in my senior year. Reviewed abstracts for the Outstanding Researcher Award for the last SPSP conference

Potential schools I'm applying to (all clinical phd unless specified otherwise):
UNC Charlotte (Health psych)
Purdue
North Dakota State
Auburn (when applied last time was wait listed for an interview, obviously did not get it)
Kent State
Miami U
Ohio State
Rutgers (phd- dream mentor is here. I'm applying even though I prob don't have a chance in hell)
U of Alabama- Birmingham
U of Utah
U of Southern Mississippi
UCLA (health psych)
Boston U
UC Santa Barbara
Simon-Frazier U
George Mason U
Fordham U

I think that's everything... Please give me your honest opinion of my chances. I am very hopeful for this cycle. Here's hoping my hopes and dreams aren't crushed again, hahaha... :|

Hey, good to see you again (also, Pokemon XY was awesome...)! : ) I agree that the low GPA from your masters program may hurt you--programs typically expect a 3.5+, and that GPA may raise some red flags. It shouldn't keep you out everywhere, though. Another thing that may hurt you is the fact you have so many posters/presentations, but no publications as of yet. Even though the publication process is long and capricious, I'd wonder why you haven't yet been able to turn at least one of those presentations into a publication yet. If you can get one accepted/in press by the time you apply, that should really help! Good luck ! : )

 

[AlexJ06]

Moved to WAMC. Also, I agree with cara--Wisconsin-Madison and Minnesota have very different research-practice balances than North Dakota and Xavier (not sure where the others lie). Really think about what you want from a program, because you'll get a completely different grad school experience at Xavier (a PsyD) than Madison (a highly, highly research-focused PhD).

Thank you and Cara Susanna for responding to my post. What are your thoughts about my lack of publications/poster presentations? Is it going to be a major hurdle?

 

[cara susanna]

I don't think it would be a problem at the balanced schools. It would definitely be a problem for the research-y schools like Minnesota.

 

[BiotoPsych]

Its been a long, long time since I've posted on this site, but I figured I could use some advice on my chances, hence this forum post. I'm currently finishing my masters in counseling psychology, and recently opted to go for a psy. d program instead of completing 60 credits and working towards an LCPC. Since my long term, eventual goal is to open my own private practice I figured obtaining a doctorate in a psy. d program would allow me to have more flexibility within the field in terms of possible other career paths, while my lack of research experience makes me a lesser competitive candidate for ph d. programs. My focus is on working with children with trauma and diversity issues within populations.

I was having a tough time deciding if I wanted to complete my master's and go into practicing therapy after completing my hours, or if I should work towards obtaining the doctorate (and the large amount of debt that comes with it). I was considering completing the 60 credit program currently offered at my school and then applying to schools in 2015, but that would push my timeline back a full year due to the extra semester the 60 credit program takes (compared to 48). I'll be 29 by the time I complete my master's with 48 credits, so time is fairly important given at some point I'd like to also try to find a gf, get married, and do all those other life stuff. But I digress. I appreciate any advice or tips, I've already picked up on a few browsing through this thread on my overall chances.

Here are my important stats:

Based off of my old GRE scores:

Verbal- 78th percentile
Math- 97th percentile
Analytical- 89th percentile
Subject- TBD

Undergraduate GPA (Biochemistry Degree obtained in 2008, if date/degree is important): 2.6 (Terrible)
Graduate GPA (Current): 3.97

Pertinent Experience post undergraduate:

1 year social work experience: worked with refugees establishing them within United States. Given own case load and supervised under case manager
2 years clinical experience at Kennedy Krieger: Inpatient staff implementing protocols with children diagnosed with severe autism spectrum disorder
2 years teaching experience as an Assistant Teacher: Teaching and implementing protocols with children diagnosed with assorted learning disabilities and behavior disorders (TBI, ADHD, autism spectrum, borderline, conduct, etc)
(Currently completing over the summer) ~300 hours of client contact conducting toy therapy with children with feeding disorders (with supervision)

Things I'm concerned about/lacking:
No publications
limited client contact hours
poor undergrad GPA

Schools I'm currently looking to apply to:

Psy. D Programs (Focused on East coast or West coast)

Loyola
GW
Rutgers
Florida Institute of Tech
Wright Institute
Pepperdine

Ph. D Programs
University Of Maryland College Park
Other East/West coast schools

 

[DIsco_Nap]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I am currently finishing my masters in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling and wishing to make the shift to clinical psych. I enjoy rehab counseling but I feel very limited in my ability to practice as a mental health counselor.

GRE:

Verbal - 163
Quant - 157
Analytical: 4
I do not wish to take the subject test.

Undergraduate GPA is a doozey. I have a degree in Psychology with a minor in biology. I finished cumulatively with a 3.41. My psychology GPA was a 3.75. The biology classes I took were the pre-medicine A&P, pathology, etc. A few B's there really dragged me down. My psychology focus was psychopharmacology (everything my university offered) and neurobiology. I spent one year in a behavioral neuroscience lab and was (and still am) very close with my PI. However, my masters program is not research oriented in the slightest so I will be two years removed from research upon applying to any clinical programs. I have no publications.

Graduate GPA is a bit better. 3.93 currently and I expect that to go up to ~3.95+ if I can manage another A+ in my last classes. My program is top ranked, and is both CORE and CACREP certified so I will finish with a CRC and the potential for temporary clinical mental health counseling licensure to get my contact hours etc. I am also fully funded in my masters through an academic based award. I am a member of Chi Sigma Iota (if that makes a difference, I never really knew if committees actually cared about academic groups like that) and a officer with my university's chapter of the American Rehabilitation Counselors Association. I will also graduate with a bit of clinical experience. I spent the last 4 months doing practicum work under two psychologists at a prison doing mostly assessment and crisis intervention. I will be spending the next year working with the local VA hospital which was a competitive placement. I will be in acute care, benefits, and be spending some time with a neuropsychologist. I went directly to masters from undergrad so all my clinical experience will be limited to practicum/internship hours. I have a very strong relationship with my program's faculty and expect pretty good letters of recommendation.

Honestly, I am most concerned about being seen as a risk moving immediately from rehab counseling to a clinical psych program. I would not trade my experience for the world and I hope that will translate well in my letter of intent as I have zero regrets not attempting to go directly into clinical. I am somewhat worried about my low undergraduate GPA but I have been a very strong performer in my graduate work with a very strong upward trend since my first day of higher-ed. My lack of research is also very troubling but I hope I will still be able to get my foot in the door.

I have a very strong interest in stress and coping as it related to chronic disease and disability. I also have interests in stress and coping in corrections settings as well. I absolutely loved my time at the prison but I am fairly confident I will get a new outlook on some things while spending time at the VA. Because of this, I have aligned myself with health psychology programs as I feel health psych is the best fit for me and my background. So the schools I am looking to apply to are

University of Kansas
University of Iowa
Virginia Commonwealth
Vanderbilt
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Arizona State (though I don't know if I have a strong enough match with faculty here)
East Carolina University
UNC - Charlotte

There are more, and I will likely thin this list out some/modify it going forward as I learn more about faculty and what not, but its a start. Thank you for your input!

 

[LN4395]

Hi everyone!
I am hoping to apply to some clinical PhD programs. Currently, I'm only a sophomore in undergrad but I want to start planning ahead. I made a list of things I know I can accomplish by the time of graduation. I was wondering if someone could tell me if these things would better my application or not.

Here's the list-
volunteer at a hospital for about 1 1/2 years
research certification with 2.5 years of research experience
certification from my university's global awareness program(achieved by studying abroad which I have my plans set in stone for and being proficient in another language) also along with that I am multilingual. I speak English, Japanese, a good amount of Turkish, and some Portuguese
double major in psychology and Japanese language and literature

These are the things I know I can have done. What else can I add to this list or how can I adjust it to better my chances of getting into a PhD program for clinical psych?
Thank you all so much!

 

[nessa34]

Don't worry about certifications. Time in a lab is good, but what you do with that time is more important- try to get involved in analysis, interpretation, and study design rather than just data entry. Present at conferences and try to earn authorship on publications if possible. Take lots of stats classes. And have fun and explore other things too! College is great like that.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

[LN4395]

Is taking more stats courses really that crucial?

 

[Icculus8]

Stats courses are potentially something that can make you stand out; it is a valuable skill to have. I definitely agree with Nessa though, making your research experience a valuable experience will be key. I don't know what a research certification is, so I am not sure of its value, but you will want to get involved with a research lab or two and try to get a more in depth experience, such as helping with a poster, or even conducting an honors/independent research project of your own. These are the types of expiences that will help you gain familiarity with the research process and will help to communicate your potential for success in a PhD program.

Volunteering at a hospital certainly won't hurt you at all, but from the faculty I have talked to, volunteer/pseudo clinical experience is generally not as important in the admissions process as research experience. There are also other factors like GPA and the GRE to keep in mind.

Its great that you are starting to think about this early on, it gives you time to gather many valuable experiences. May I ask why you are interested in pursuing a clinical phd? Do you know what type of career you would like yet?

 

[LN4395]

The research certification at my school requires an independent project and then a thesis and poster presentation. It sounds to be based on what you said that it's going to be pretty beneficial, no? I am definitely interested in seeing clients and doing teaching and research. All of these things a PhD will allow me to do.

 

[snowwoman]

Hi everyone,
I'm hoping to apply to a Psych/Neuroscience PhD program in 2 years (no masters). Haven't quite nailed which universities I'm applying to yet.
Undergrad CGPA: 88% (not sure what this translates to on the 4.0 system as my undergrad was in Canada)
GRE: Not taken
Research experience: 2 published papers (third author)
1 paper submitted (first author)
2 papers in prep (first author)
3 posters (first author)
2 conference papers (first author)
1 book chapter (second author)
Lab experience: 3 different labs in undergrad: 1 as volunteer, 2 for credit (did 4 terms for academic credit + senior thesis)
Full-time RA post-undergrad for 2 years
Research coordinator following full time RA for 1 year (same lab as full time RA-ship)
Teaching/marking assistant duties: Psych 100, and 2 sophomore level classes.
Also, I have also substantial experience doing IRB applications, both clinical and behavioural. I also have experience registering/coordinating trials on ClinicalTrials.gov Do these help my application?
Anyone have any suggestions about how to make my application stand out for grad schools and for fellowships?
Thank you for any and all help!

 

[futureapppsy2]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I am currently finishing my masters in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling and wishing to make the shift to clinical psych. I enjoy rehab counseling but I feel very limited in my ability to practice as a mental health counselor.

GRE:

Verbal - 163
Quant - 157
Analytical: 4
I do not wish to take the subject test.

Undergraduate GPA is a doozey. I have a degree in Psychology with a minor in biology. I finished cumulatively with a 3.41. My psychology GPA was a 3.75. The biology classes I took were the pre-medicine A&P, pathology, etc. A few B's there really dragged me down. My psychology focus was psychopharmacology (everything my university offered) and neurobiology. I spent one year in a behavioral neuroscience lab and was (and still am) very close with my PI. However, my masters program is not research oriented in the slightest so I will be two years removed from research upon applying to any clinical programs. I have no publications.

Graduate GPA is a bit better. 3.93 currently and I expect that to go up to ~3.95+ if I can manage another A+ in my last classes. My program is top ranked, and is both CORE and CACREP certified so I will finish with a CRC and the potential for temporary clinical mental health counseling licensure to get my contact hours etc. I am also fully funded in my masters through an academic based award. I am a member of Chi Sigma Iota (if that makes a difference, I never really knew if committees actually cared about academic groups like that) and a officer with my university's chapter of the American Rehabilitation Counselors Association. I will also graduate with a bit of clinical experience. I spent the last 4 months doing practicum work under two psychologists at a prison doing mostly assessment and crisis intervention. I will be spending the next year working with the local VA hospital which was a competitive placement. I will be in acute care, benefits, and be spending some time with a neuropsychologist. I went directly to masters from undergrad so all my clinical experience will be limited to practicum/internship hours. I have a very strong relationship with my program's faculty and expect pretty good letters of recommendation.

Honestly, I am most concerned about being seen as a risk moving immediately from rehab counseling to a clinical psych program. I would not trade my experience for the world and I hope that will translate well in my letter of intent as I have zero regrets not attempting to go directly into clinical. I am somewhat worried about my low undergraduate GPA but I have been a very strong performer in my graduate work with a very strong upward trend since my first day of higher-ed. My lack of research is also very troubling but I hope I will still be able to get my foot in the door.

I have a very strong interest in stress and coping as it related to chronic disease and disability. I also have interests in stress and coping in corrections settings as well. I absolutely loved my time at the prison but I am fairly confident I will get a new outlook on some things while spending time at the VA. Because of this, I have aligned myself with health psychology programs as I feel health psych is the best fit for me and my background. So the schools I am looking to apply to are

University of Kansas
University of Iowa
Virginia Commonwealth
Vanderbilt
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Arizona State (though I don't know if I have a strong enough match with faculty here)
East Carolina University
UNC - Charlotte

There are more, and I will likely thin this list out some/modify it going forward as I learn more about faculty and what not, but its a start. Thank you for your input!

Do you have posters/presentations at conferences? Manuscripts submitted? If not, that would be my biggest worry, especially for programs like Kansas, Vanderbilt, and ASU. I don't think coming from rehab will be a hurdle--what you want to do sounds very well aligned with rehab psych, and that can a lot of overlap research-wise with rehab counseling.

 

[SportsLover21]

Hi everyone!

Presented below is my current Undergraduate GPA @ the University of Michigan-Dearborn with all 90 credits attended at the university. Addtionally, note the university I attend is one of top five of Michigan's finest academic institutions.

What are my chances of getting into an Ivy League Social Psychology Graduate Program?

-Psychology GPA = 3.9

-Cumulative GPA = 3.65

-Current Research w/ head of psychology department

-Working as a student instructor for various psychology courses offered at the university.

-Letters of reccomendation will be easily obtained from numerous professors. I've gotten the highest scores on every exam for most psychology courses taken.

Thanks and much love!

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Hi everyone!

Presented below is my current Undergraduate GPA @ the University of Michigan-Dearborn with all 90 credits attended at the university. Addtionally, note the university I attend is one of top five of Michigan's finest academic institutions.

What are my chances of getting into an Ivy League Social Psychology Graduate Program?

-Psychology GPA = 3.9

-Cumulative GPA = 3.65

-Current Research w/ head of psychology department

-Working as a student instructor for various psychology courses offered at the university.

-Letters of reccomendation will be easily obtained from numerous professors. I've gotten the highest scores on every exam for most psychology courses taken.

Thanks and much love!

Mod Note: Merged into the WAMC sticky

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Hi everyone!

Presented below is my current Undergraduate GPA @ the University of Michigan-Dearborn with all 90 credits attended at the university. Addtionally, note the university I attend is one of top five of Michigan's finest academic institutions.

What are my chances of getting into an Ivy League Social Psychology Graduate Program?

-Psychology GPA = 3.9

-Cumulative GPA = 3.65

-Current Research w/ head of psychology department

-Working as a student instructor for various psychology courses offered at the university.

-Letters of reccomendation will be easily obtained from numerous professors. I've gotten the highest scores on every exam for most psychology courses taken.

Thanks and much love!

The GPA looks good; how long have you been conducting the research, what have been your primary responsibilities, is it related to what you'd ultimately like to work on in grad school, and has it resulted in any sort of output (e.g., posters, publications, etc.)? Also, it'll be tough to provide more information on your chances without knowing your GRE scores.

Also, keep in mind that Ivy League schools aren't necessarily the "best" when it comes to grad school, particularly in psych. You're going to want to make sure you have a solid research match with your potential advisor/mentor, as that'll likely end up being one of the most important aspects of your application, and will significantly affect your chances at pretty much any institution.

 

[WisNeuro]

Hi everyone!

Presented below is my current Undergraduate GPA @ the University of Michigan-Dearborn with all 90 credits attended at the university. Addtionally, note the university I attend is one of top five of Michigan's finest academic institutions.

What are my chances of getting into an Ivy League Social Psychology Graduate Program?

As AA said, GPA looks good. Do you have any posters of publications? Social is going to be more research heavy, so they'll want to see that you can do that. Grad schools will not look at UM-Dearborn teh same way that they will look at UM-Ann Arbor. Also, why the Ivy Leagues? Rank of school is largely irrelevant for grad schools. It's more about research interest fit than anything else. You need to be able to tell a story about why you want to be at a certain place (i.e., Dr.XXXXX does YYYY research. I'd like to study YYYY in the framework of ZZZ, etc." Lastly, your GRE scores will likely be weighted much heavier than your GPA. Grade inflation is rampant at universities and grad schools like the GRE as a better measure of overall ability.

 

[SportsLover21]

The GPA looks good; how long have you been conducting the research, what have been your primary responsibilities, is it related to what you'd ultimately like to work on in grad school, and has it resulted in any sort of output (e.g., posters, publications, etc.)? Also, it'll be tough to provide more information on your chances without knowing your GRE scores.

Also, keep in mind that Ivy League schools aren't necessarily the "best" when it comes to grad school, particularly in psych. You're going to want to make sure you have a solid research match with your potential advisor/mentor, as that'll likely end up being one of the most important aspects of your application, and will significantly affect your chances at pretty much any institution.

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my post. I'm currently conducting my first research opportunity on the effects of mimicry on attraction within varying cultures. I'm planning to attend another two full years at the university to conduct multiple research projects and finish my Biology and Psychology double major. In terms of choice of an ivy league graduate program, I just presumed those would offer the BEST available program for social psychology. It also helps that my mentor is the Social Psychology advisor/chair. I'm very fortunate to be offered an assistant position working directly under him. I attribute it to recieving the highest grade ever given in his course (you can imagine how seriously he takes courses and his level of excellence for exams) and my extremely personable personality Thoughts?

 

[SportsLover21]

As AA said, GPA looks good. Do you have any posters of publications? Social is going to be more research heavy, so they'll want to see that you can do that. Grad schools will not look at UM-Dearborn teh same way that they will look at UM-Ann Arbor. Also, why the Ivy Leagues? Rank of school is largely irrelevant for grad schools. It's more about research interest fit than anything else. You need to be able to tell a story about why you want to be at a certain place (i.e., Dr.XXXXX does YYYY research. I'd like to study YYYY in the framework of ZZZ, etc." Lastly, your GRE scores will likely be weighted much heavier than your GPA. Grade inflation is rampant at universities and grad schools like the GRE as a better measure of overall ability.

I completely understand, thank you very much. In your opinion, what are the BEST social psychology graduate programs in the country? I could easily ask my mentor but of course his decision is slightly biased as he just wants to compete with Ann Arbor haha In terms of the GRE, I'm confident in my abilities in performing exceptionally well. I've taken blind practice exams with zero studying and I have performed very well. I believe teaching Psychology Introductory courses to students has helped me tremendously in retaining the information for a lifetime Thank you in advance for your thoughts and recommendations.

 

[WisNeuro]

I completely understand, thank you very much. In your opinion, what are the BEST social psychology graduate programs in the country?

That's just it, you need to stop thinking about "the best school for XXXX" per se. You need to think about what specific area you want to study and find quality researchers looking at the same or similar things. Find the research that you like, read the research on that area, find the people who are doing the research that you are interested in. Apply to those places.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Agreed with WisNeuro--I don't know if there's any solidly reliable way to define the "best" schools for social psychology, in no small part because social psychology (like clinical, counseling, school, I/O, cognitive, developmental, etc.) as so many topics that are being studied. Your best bet (as WisNeuro said) is to start combing through research studies to start taking note of who's doing the type of work you're really interested in doing. If the prestige factor is a big component of your decision, you'll probably notice that you see a handful of names on publications over and over and over again; those are going to be the "prestigious" folks with whom to work, regardless of where they are (for the most part). HOWEVER, it's of critical importance that your research interests match theirs. To use a more clincally-oriented example, someone who's an amazing PTSD researcher might have next to nothing to offer a student interesting in neuropsychology or simple phobias, for example. And even within PTSD researchers, there's going to be a wide range of topics covered. This could be something to ask your current advisor as well (e.g., "who're the big names in the field when it comes to XXX").

Although when all's said and done, the cachet of your grad program doesn't matter nearly as much as what you do with your time while you're there. While advisor and program names can certainly open some doors in psychology, they don't automatically do so in nearly the same way as they do in some other fields. Rather, again, it's all about what you've done with your time, how you've networked (which is where the "name brand" can come in helpful), etc.

Having two+ years of research experience, combined with solid GRE scores and your current GPA, should make you a competitive applicant. You'll still want to apply broadly (e.g., maybe 10-15 programs across the country), though.

 

[Yossarian_C22]

Howdy, long time lurker, first time poster. Just finished up my GREs, and figured I'd dip my foot into the pool and see what people thought my chances were. Many, many thanks in advance for taking the time to give this a look. This is my second go around for applications after having a bad experience attending a Psy.D (which shall remain nameless), and I'm mildly jittery about landing in a better place come 2015. Looking to refocus and land in a balanced or research leaning clinical Ph.D, to focus on anxiety work. First, the numbers:

GREs
Verbal - 170 (99%)
Quant - 160 (78%)
Writing - 6.0 (99%)
Subject Test - 750

Undergrad GPA: 3.85, Psych GPA: 4.00
M.S in Experimental Psych from a well regarded Northeastern University, 4.00 GPA coming out of there.
2 semesters @ the aforementioned Psy.D, with a 4.00 as well.

Qualitative Experience:

Currently working in two labs, one under an anxiety researcher, and the other with a professor who does adolescent depression. 2 projects where I'm the lead author at the former lab, either of which has an outside chance of being under review or in press when applications roll around. Getting some valuable experience helping out with a meta analysis in the other, as well as dipping my toes into some imaging research. This being on top of the common RA duties that I'm performing at each.

Was employed for a little over a year delivering behavioral therapy to children w/ special needs (Autism, ADHD, Conduct Disorder, etc), both in an on the ground and supervisory role. While at that org, I also headed up their research division where I conducted treatment outcome research on the specific techniques used in delivering the therapy. Unfortunately, due to the fact that their data was poorly collected/handled in the years before I got there, this didn't yield anything of publishable quality.

While in my M.S, I worked in 5 different labs (some of which in a leadership role), and have experience in a 6th at the same place while an undergrad (degrees were from the same uni). The labs were pretty diverse, did everything from I.O, to Social, and Neuro/Cog work, but nothing clinical (not a faculty member there who specialized directly in that).

In total, managed 3 posters, but no formal publications. Some bum luck with thesis data/other projects that I put lots of time in not turning out the way we wanted. C'est la vie.

Tentative list of schools is as follows (in no particular order):

CU Boulder
UC San Diego
Temple U
Drexel U
UMass Boston
American U
Hofstra
U Maine
Northern Illinois
Toledo
Wash U in St. Louis
U Virginia
Boston U

Any and all opinions are much appreciated!

 

[prangella]

Hi all, I'm interested in applying to Clinical Psych PhD programs in the fall.

My top schools right now are:

1. University of Mississippi
2. University of Nebraska-Lincoln
3. Oklahoma State University
4. Washington University-St. Louis
5. Louisiana State University

Other schools include: University of Missouri (Mizzou), University of Cincinnati, Florida State University, University of Massachusetts, and University of Wyoming.

Undergraduate gpa- 3.75
Graduate gpa- 3.79

GRE (standardized tests are tough for me.. I've taken the GRE 3 times and still can't improve these scores)
Verb- 155
Quantitative- 154

I was in a psychopharmacology research lab for 3 years in undergrad. That's not necessarily what I'm interested in for the future, though. I was also a Resident Advisor in undergrad (which is a position that has helped me so much!)

I'm currently obtaining my Master's degree in Clinical Psych (at a state university) and will graduate next spring ('15). I will be doing a thesis, of course. I also have a Graduate Assistantship at our university's counseling center.

If you need to know anything else, please let me know.

Thanks so much for taking the time to help me out.

What are my chances?

 

[cardinalpsych]

Hello people! I'm planning on applying to Clinical Psych programs in the fall and just wanted to know WAMC.

I don't really have any top schools right now, but I'm interested in either ADHD or Parkinson's (more on that later). Possibly looking at UT-Austin, Colorado-Boulder, Purdue, among others...

I just got a BS in Psych from a well respected Big Ten school. I wrote an Honors thesis and graduated with University honors. My total GPA was 3.55 and my Psych GPA was 3.82. My lower GPA is from science classes (as much as I love them, I just couldn't get better than a 'B')

I'm not the best test taker (GREV - 152, GREQ - 156, writing - 3.5 (yeah, bad I know)). I'm not planning on taking it again as I have yet to improve on any practice tests I've taken. I hope this doesn't kill my chances...

I have research experience in 3 labs:

1) Working (just began last month) in a neuropsych lab under a hot-shot professor (and I really mean that - this is one of the most cited guys in the literature). Working with brain damaged patients and healthy comparisons; administering a variety of neuropsych tests; analyzing data; will eventually transition into a more prominent role once summer is over.

2) Worked (no longer in this lab) in a neurobiology of learning and memory lab for two years. Worked primarily on fear conditioning using rats. Wrote my Honors thesis and presented my work at two events, winning awards at both (Outstanding poster at one, and best undergrad poster at the other).

3) CogPsych lab for 2.5 years (still going strong). Worked on three projects (s0 far). Presented a poster at a neuroscience research day (third author).

• Going to be working with Parkinson's patients in an upcoming study. Will be administering variety of tests and analyzing data; will probably help write up the data once it's collected
• Going to be running an experiment with ADHD children. I made this experiment myself and professor thinks it's a great idea. Hope to collect data beginning this summer and into the fall semester and hopefully write up a manuscript (and probably present at a university event (if all goes well))

I'll have three great LORs (from the three professors whose labs I've worked(ing) in)
I will (most likely) be a TA for an upper-level Psych class this coming Fall semester.
I volunteered at a hospital for a year working with patients in the ECT unit.
I was a Psychology Peer advisor where i helped current/incoming psychology students.
I made my University's Dean's List five times and was a member of a bunch of Honors programs.
I worked at a day camp where I was a 1-on-1 with an autistic child and I had extensive experience working with children with ADHD.

So, based on that, any idea what my chances are? I'd really appreciate it if you guys could help me out! I'm already stressing out about this and it's only June

Thanks! - cardinalpsych

 

[sunflower27]

Greetings,
I am looking to apply to Counseling Psychology Ph.D programs for next fall (2015). I will be receiving my M.S. in Counseling Psychology from a private school in the midwest.

Undergrad Gpa: 3.77
M.S. Gpa: 4.0
GREQ: 148
GREV: 156
GREA:4.5

Undergrad Highlights:
In undergrad I worked at a research lab and while I was not mentioned as an author for my work, I did give a 20 minute presentation at a local research symposium. I was the president of Psi Chi, ran a food bank, and volunteered at many different organizations. I also did a 100 hour practicum at a local mental health agency.

M.S. Highlights
In my current program I am working with two professors on a research project as an assistant. I am also taking the lead with another student on a project we proposed to a professor. I am hoping to present some of the research I have been doing at the ACA conference in 2015. I will have a 100 hour practicum and 600 hours of internship in a local substance abuse treatment hospital. I am also working as the Vice-President of an organization in our Counseling Department that brings in speakers, plans our research exchange, and schedules additional trainings for our students to attend.

I am looking to apply at public schools throughout the Midwest. I realize that my GRE scores are not ideal, I have some issues with standardized tests. I am looking for perspective is on what my chances are with my current scores.

Thank you very much!

 

[dale.gribble]

This isn't my first rodeo, but quite a bit's changed (for the better) since I last applied, so I'm looking for both general feedback and specific advice as to what I can nail down to fill in any gaps over the next few months.

FWIW, last round was 2 years ago--got 3 interviews (New Mexico, Syracuse, and Virginia Commonwealth) and 1 offer. I accepted the offer and not soon thereafter got a call saying they actually couldn't have me because they only had enough funding for a certain number of students and, basically, my would-be advisor offered me up for sacrifice because he was "the faculty member who'd been there the longest, and wanted to give newer faculty members a chance to build their labs."

Anyway, for ease of interpretation things that haven't changed since I last applied will remain in black font, and I'll put things that will be new to my applications in bold red.

Current Gig:
Translational Research Coordinator at University of Minnesota. The lab is rooted in the Psychology department but houses students and research from the neuropsych and psychiatry departments. The research is translational cognitive neuropsych research, for the most part. Beyond the "other responsibilities as assigned" which essentially compose those of an assistant director, I'm the primary director of 3 research projects. One investigates retinal biomarkers of psychopathology, one investigates the nature of 'compulsive sexual behavior' where I serve as the consultant for the portion that examines the role of neurological cognitive and affective mechanisms of the behavior, and one is supervising grad and undergrad students who develop and parameterize new experimental tasks for the measurement of disruptions in cognition and the like (this also involves being able to operate a number of MRIs--we have quite a few at Minnesota, and no, I haven't used the one-of-two-in-the-world that we just got). I also provide clinical assessments (and supervise all other assessments because I'm the only one qualified to do so) for a national, multi-site clinical trial. There are other projects wherein our lab is a collaborating lab, and therefore I'm the contact, and usually the stats person. For all of the projects listed above, I'm additionally responsible for data collection and statistical analyses, be it in SPSS, R, SAS, or another method--it all depends upon the respective PI's preference.

Academic Stats:

• B.A. from U of Minnesota (UMN) in Psychology w/ a 3.36 GPA--BUT, a simple glance at my transcripts shows that the bad grades are concentrated in the 1st year of coursework & in completely random courses unrelated to my field, such as music production, etc.. It is what it is, but my last 2 years's & psych GPAs are both above 3.8.
• M.A. (non-terminal) from Minnesota State in Clinical Psych w/ a 4.0 GPA
• Clinical practicum @ Mayo Clinic, Rochester in dept. of psychiatry and psychology, behavioral health research program
• GRE is TBD--that is, my scores from before (560 V, 720 Q, and 5.5 A) are more than 5 years old, so I am retaking it again in a week. FWIW, last time I took it I had no no clinical or research experience (literally, NONE) and didn't study at all, so I'm confident in my ability for better results this time around.
• 3 outstanding LORs, to the extent that the accolades are hard to swallow (e.g., from a prolific researcher at Mayo, "he is one of the top two people--including licensed professionals--I have worked with in my entire career."

Experience:

• 1 [first-author] pub, should be at least 3 submitted/potentially in press by submission time
• 2 paper session (i.e., oral) conference presentations
• Numerous poster presentations; can't recall offhand how many
• 2 years research experience as leading grad RA of a sexual health lab
• 2 years research experience with Mayo (practicum turned job)
• 2 years teaching experience (taught undergrad stats independently--NOT as a TA, but as the sole teacher)
• 3+ (ongoing) years clinical experience (ranging from SCIDs and other standard assessments [a lot, as part of a multi-site nationwide clinical trial] to general ongoing behavioral modification plans in persons with illnesses ranging from schizophrenia to DDs to subclinical issues)

Proficiencies:

• Mac OS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android (both using & programming)
• Speak English, Spanish, & Italian
• SPSS, R, SAS
• Python (and therefore Psychopy), E-Prime (for whatever that's worth as time goes on...), AppleScript, various MS scripting techniques, HTML, some Java

I think that's it, or at least the highlights. Let me know if anything is unclear. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[futureapppsy2]

This isn't my first rodeo, but quite a bit's changed (for the better) since I last applied, so I'm looking for both general feedback and specific advice as to what I can nail down to fill in any gaps over the next few months.

FWIW, last round was 2 years ago--got 3 interviews (New Mexico, Syracuse, and Virginia Commonwealth) and 1 offer. I accepted the offer and not soon thereafter got a call saying they actually couldn't have me because they only had enough funding for a certain number of students and, basically, my would-be advisor offered me up for sacrifice because he was "the faculty member who'd been there the longest, and wanted to give newer faculty members a chance to build their labs."

Anyway, for ease of interpretation things that haven't changed since I last applied will remain in black font, and I'll put things that will be new to my applications in bold red.

Current Gig:
Translational Research Coordinator at University of Minnesota. The lab is rooted in the Psychology department but houses students and research from the neuropsych and psychiatry departments. The research is translational cognitive neuropsych research, for the most part. Beyond the "other responsibilities as assigned" which essentially compose those of an assistant director, I'm the primary director of 3 research projects. One investigates retinal biomarkers of psychopathology, one investigates the nature of 'compulsive sexual behavior' where I serve as the consultant for the portion that examines the role of neurological cognitive and affective mechanisms of the behavior, and one is supervising grad and undergrad students who develop and parameterize new experimental tasks for the measurement of disruptions in cognition and the like (this also involves being able to operate a number of MRIs--we have quite a few at Minnesota, and no, I haven't used the one-of-two-in-the-world that we just got). I also provide clinical assessments (and supervise all other assessments because I'm the only one qualified to do so) for a national, multi-site clinical trial. There are other projects wherein our lab is a collaborating lab, and therefore I'm the contact, and usually the stats person. For all of the projects listed above, I'm additionally responsible for data collection and statistical analyses, be it in SPSS, R, SAS, or another method--it all depends upon the respective PI's preference.

Academic Stats:

• B.A. from U of Minnesota (UMN) in Psychology w/ a 3.36 GPA--BUT, a simple glance at my transcripts shows that the bad grades are concentrated in the 1st year of coursework & in completely random courses unrelated to my field, such as music production, etc.. It is what it is, but my last 2 years's & psych GPAs are both above 3.8.
• M.A. (non-terminal) from Minnesota State in Clinical Psych w/ a 4.0 GPA
• Clinical practicum @ Mayo Clinic, Rochester in dept. of psychiatry and psychology, behavioral health research program
• GRE is TBD--that is, my scores from before (560 V, 720 Q, and 5.5 A) are more than 5 years old, so I am retaking it again in a week. FWIW, last time I took it I had no no clinical or research experience (literally, NONE) and didn't study at all, so I'm confident in my ability for better results this time around.
• 3 outstanding LORs, to the extent that the accolades are hard to swallow (e.g., from a prolific researcher at Mayo, "he is one of the top two people--including licensed professionals--I have worked with in my entire career."

Experience:

• 1 [first-author] pub, should be at least 3 submitted/potentially in press by submission time
• 2 paper session (i.e., oral) conference presentations
• Numerous poster presentations; can't recall offhand how many
• 2 years research experience as leading grad RA of a sexual health lab
• 2 years research experience with Mayo (practicum turned job)
• 2 years teaching experience (taught undergrad stats independently--NOT as a TA, but as the sole teacher)
• 3+ (ongoing) years clinical experience (ranging from SCIDs and other standard assessments [a lot, as part of a multi-site nationwide clinical trial] to general ongoing behavioral modification plans in persons with illnesses ranging from schizophrenia to DDs to subclinical issues)

Proficiencies:

• Mac OS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android (both using & programming)
• Speak English, Spanish, & Italian
• SPSS, R, SAS
• Python (and therefore Psychopy), E-Prime (for whatever that's worth as time goes on...), AppleScript, various MS scripting techniques, HTML, some Java

I think that's it, or at least the highlights. Let me know if anything is unclear. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Honestly, I think you'll be extremely competitive pretty much anywhere (and, as a KOTH fan, I love your username!

 

[dale.gribble]

Haha, thanks--I've been on a KOTH kick lately.

And thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. I also remain very paranoid because I've been told that before (though I've obviously got a lot more experience this time around) and been totally screwed and disappointed. Given how strenuous I know applications can be, I want this to be the last time I have to play the game!

 

[haloeffectx]

I was wondering if anyone who might have gotten in or knows someone that has gotten into this program could please post their stats? Or PM me?

I have a 3.2 undergrad gpa
3.8 graduate GPA (from Pepperdine)
320 GRE
No research
3 years of clinical experience at a helpline

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I was wondering if anyone who might have gotten in or knows someone that has gotten into this program could please post their stats? Or PM me?

I have a 3.2 undergrad gpa
3.8 graduate GPA (from Pepperdine)
320 GRE
No research
3 years of clinical experience at a helpline

Mod Note: Merged with the WAMC thread (the poster is asking about the Pepperdine Psy.D. program)

 

[WisNeuro]

I was wondering if anyone who might have gotten in or knows someone that has gotten into this program could please post their stats? Or PM me?

I have a 3.2 undergrad gpa
3.8 graduate GPA (from Pepperdine)
320 GRE
No research
3 years of clinical experience at a helpline

Would need to see the breakdown of GRE, verbal is usually held in higher standing. The lack of research hurts a little. The helpline is good, but diminishing returns in isolation. Pepperdine has concerning Match (71%) and EPPP Pass rates (75%). I wouldn't consider many schools below the 80% threshold for each.

 

[psychsd22]

Hi all, this might be long so I apologize in advance.
I looked into some of the other threads, but I do not see anyone with these questions, so I thought I would give this a shot.. I'm currently a senior about to graduate in the fall with my BA in psychology. I have tried to work really hard my last year on some independent research; last spring I was the primary investigator on a cognition experiment, and me/my group presented at our university symposium. I really want to present at some of the larger conferences. I'm trying to see if we could apply and see what happens. I also just finished writing a proposal for another independent research project gearing more towards clinical psych, so this is what I will be doing my last semester.

I am now looking into applying to clinical psychology PhD/ possibly Psy.D and I feel because I have not actually presented at larger conferences & do not have publications that I am not competitive enough. (This is what I keep hearing anyway). The psychology department at my university barely requires lab/directed studies, and it is nearly impossible to jump on any faculty research. (Which is why I spent months coming up with my own ideas, reading articles, etc.) I do have the 'research experience' and I have over a year of volunteer experience as well. My cumulative GPA is a 3.79 and my psych GPA is a 4.0 . I have not taken the GRE yet, and I am not feeling confident. I have taken practice tests and did not do as well as I hoped; mostly due to anxiety and stress. I was wondering if I should even bother applying for any doctoral programs? I'm aiming for a 150-160 on the verbal & Quant. If I do end up with low scores..does that ruin my chances of getting in? Sorry for the rambling, and I appreciate the time for whoever reads this.

 

[psychsd22]

Wow, just realized there is a whole large 'WAMC' thread for this and feel like a complete jackass. Sorry, I was completely oblivious. I'll try to move this over to that thread.

 

[dale.gribble]

See the last line if this is tl;dr for you. I was in a very similar situation to yours, so I tried to provide as much practical advice as I could.

1) Describe the rigor and nature of your independent research. From what you said and what one is left to infer, my hunch is that it wasn't as rigorous or guided as the type of research people are telling you that you should have. For instance, unless you were actually the primary investigator (in which case I would worry about the school you're going to and how its credibility might affect you), you'll want to be sure to use the correct terminology and similarly describe exactly how much work you did.
2) As far as conferences, obviously try for ones that are in the same arena as your project. That being said (at least the types of conferences I attend, which is specific to my specialties), by the time you apply you wouldn't have had the opportunity to apply for many conferences because I believe the majority of them are in the spring or summer. In any event, usually poster presentations are pretty easy, but they also don't boost your qualifications all that much. Paper presentations seem slightly random to me, such that if the organizers decide they have enough good papers to present within a coherent theme that's relevant to the conference's theme.
3) Sorry to say it, but in general GRE scores are one of the first mechanisms to narrow down applicants--so, unless you try and conquer that anxiety/stress as much as possible, you're never going to get the opportunity to explain that your scores would be higher had you not had significant anxiety. In any event, thank the heavens that (a) you're taking the revised version and (b) you can now choose which scores you end up sending.

Overall, you need to get all of the experiences people have been telling you about, and the weight they carry on your applications needs to be relatively balanced. In other words, someone with a bunch of publications and ****ty GRE scores or (even worse) amazing GRE scores but no pubs is going to seem suspicious and are much more likely to not make those last few cuts.

Also, be pushy until someone tells you to stop when it comes to seeking out research experience that is under the guidance of an esteemed mentor. Similarly, someone with 100% independent research looks fishy and probably wouldn't make some of those critical cuts. I got my BA at Minnesota and they required NO research (and I believe they still don't, from what my students tell me). As a first-gen student, I had no clue it was even relevant, let alone requisite for the career I wanted. When I graduated, I was relegated to working foot delivery at Panera in downtown Minneapolis in the middle of the summer--it was a ****ty, ****ty feeling. But I got into a Master's program which completely turned things around.

Now that I'm on the opposite end of things (for lack of a better phrase), my suggestion would be to not be afraid at all to ask, ask, ask, and ask for experience. People work in academia because they want to help people learn, and you'd be surprised how much what you're told at face value ends up not being reality. For instance, each semester I have at least 5 students come knocking on my door after meeting with my boss (their prospective mentor) and hearing "sorry, but no" and they ask me just about every question on earth to try and get into the lab. By mid-semester, we've usually added 4-5 students to the lab. As long as you can function on your own (to a respectively appropriate degree), it's not that difficult to take on new mentees.

Also, there's a lot of stuff now that you can do to boost your CV if you can't get someone to put you in their lab. Given all the free online courses, you could, for instance, learn Python coding and therefore how to construct experimental cognitive tasks. Same goes for the various stats programs out there. ****, create a blog where you just write your reactions to new articles or something--anything that shows initiative and your affinity for what you're doing.

HERE'S THE SUMMARY: Yes, you're not going to be very competitive for most doctoral-level programs, although that depends on what your GRE scores end up being. But keep up with all that you've been doing and don't stop seeking mentorship from a faculty member, and seek out anything else that might help your application. If you apply (and I recommend trying the process even if you think it won't be fruitful, just so you can get an idea of what it's like--just don't apply to as much as those who go crazy with apps), apply to some (good, non-terminal, junior-colleague modeled, and funded) master's programs. Contact profs of interest in advance (though not over the summer).

Hope that (novel) helped.

 

[psychsd22]

Thank you so much for your reply! It was very informative, and I realized I was being a bit vague about the research. Let me explain in a little more depth. I joined a visual cognition lab, and had a faculty member mentoring me on an independent study. I had two others working with me, but I was the principle investigator. Basically, I gave my mentor the proposal, wrote out all the methods, materials, procedure, etc. It got approved by the IRB and we ran participants, and we spent hours inputting data. Our mentor helped us analyze it, and we put it into a poster. (I'm still in the lab, and I will be joining another one in the fall) The lab I am planning on joining in the fall is geared more towards 'clinical'. But I do have a faculty mentor on this second research idea. I did the same thing, wrote him a proposal of what I want to do; we're now in the process of filling out an IRB application. (He is actually the one who keeps telling me to go straight into PhD)

I am trying to study as hard as I can for the GRE. I am definitely thankful I can choose which scores to submit. I am taking it in a couple of months, and I plan on taking it again if I am not happy with my scores the first time. I got the insiders guide, and that has been pretty helpful, but I guess I really won't know much until I get my GRE scores..

I'm sorry about your experience during your BA, and after you graduated. I'm glad everything has turned around for you though! Thank you again for replying.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Hi all, this might be long so I apologize in advance.
I looked into some of the other threads, but I do not see anyone with these questions, so I thought I would give this a shot.. I'm currently a senior about to graduate in the fall with my BA in psychology. I have tried to work really hard my last year on some independent research; last spring I was the primary investigator on a cognition experiment, and me/my group presented at our university symposium. I really want to present at some of the larger conferences. I'm trying to see if we could apply and see what happens. I also just finished writing a proposal for another independent research project gearing more towards clinical psych, so this is what I will be doing my last semester.

I am now looking into applying to clinical psychology PhD/ possibly Psy.D and I feel because I have not actually presented at larger conferences & do not have publications that I am not competitive enough. (This is what I keep hearing anyway). The psychology department at my university barely requires lab/directed studies, and it is nearly impossible to jump on any faculty research. (Which is why I spent months coming up with my own ideas, reading articles, etc.) I do have the 'research experience' and I have over a year of volunteer experience as well. My cumulative GPA is a 3.79 and my psych GPA is a 4.0 . I have not taken the GRE yet, and I am not feeling confident. I have taken practice tests and did not do as well as I hoped; mostly due to anxiety and stress. I was wondering if I should even bother applying for any doctoral programs? I'm aiming for a 150-160 on the verbal & Quant. If I do end up with low scores..does that ruin my chances of getting in? Sorry for the rambling, and I appreciate the time for whoever reads this.

Mod Note: Merged into the WAMC thread.

 

[bcliff]

Applying for '15-'16:

4 posters, 1 UG thesis, currently working on 3 manuscripts (1 just starting out, 2 are wrapping up)
4+ years research experience
Spent 1.5 years working as psychometrist for clinical psychologist
Interested (and have years of experience) in studying the relationships between stress and cognitive impairment in US military veterans (I want to mention CTE but don't want to get too specific)
3.48 UG GPA (essentially the same psych GPA) - Graduated cum laude with advanced and research honors
I also took 25 credit hours my last Spring and Summer terms (not sure if that's at all relevant)
GRE: 161V; 155Q; 4.5AW
Applying for NSF GRFP with a proposal related to aforementioned area of interest ^^^
Solid LOR's
Gave a couple guest lectures on a specific area of interest of mine (early college enrollment) as an undergraduate (listed as teaching experience on CV)
Editor for my UG's Psi Chi newsletter/Exec board member for my UG's Psi Chi chapter
Started college at 16, graduated at 19, took 3 years off to work in research/clinical positions - Now applying as a 21 year old

WAMC?