WAMC: What Are My Chances

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Hey Everybody!

I am a semester a way from graduating (psych B.A.) and plan on applying to clinical programs for fall 2015. Any advice on what I should do for the next 6 months or what I have already done is really appreciated!

GPA: 3.37 (Obviously, very low for grad school but I haven't gotten anything lower than an A- in my last 4 semesters)
Psych GPA: 3.73
GRE V: 160/610/84%
GRE Q: 156/720/ 64%

I just took the GRE with 1 week of study and I know I could increase at least 3 points in Quantitative section.
I don't plan on taking the subject test because of the breadth of coursework I have taken as an undergraduate.


-Research Experience: 1.5 years as a Research Assistant. No publications or presentations but I've worked pretty closely with all the members of the lab and I know I have at least 2 awesome rec letters coming my way.
-Clinical Experience: 1 Semester of volunteering with a Mindfulness based intervention for low income kids.
-Other skills: I have some programming skills and I am taking additional coursework in order to become more desirable.

-My ultimate goal is to be a clinician but I do have a passion for research. I am particularly interested in the use of Mindfulness-Based interventions in high-stress population and those who suffer from PTSD.

-My top ten schools:

Suffolk University
Eastern Michigan University
University of Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
University of Memphis
Kent State University
University of Colorado (new trauma concentration)
Virginia Consortium Program
University of Tulsa
West Virginia University
Indiana University of PA (PsyD.)

My GRE is at least 2 points above the combined average (V+Q) GRE scores for all of theses schools. Is this enough to balance out my low GPA?


Thanks for any comments!
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rkitc003 said:
Hey Everybody!

I am a semester a way from graduating (psych B.A.) and plan on applying to clinical programs for fall 2015. Any advice on what I should do for the next 6 months or what I have already done is really appreciated!

GPA: 3.37 (Obviously, very low for grad school but I haven't gotten anything lower than an A- in my last 4 semesters)
Psych GPA: 3.73
GRE V: 160/610/84%
GRE Q: 156/720/ 64%

I just took the GRE with 1 week of study and I know I could increase at least 3 points in Quantitative section.
I don't plan on taking the subject test because of the breadth of coursework I have taken as an undergraduate.


-Research Experience: 1.5 years as a Research Assistant. No publications or presentations but I've worked pretty closely with all the members of the lab and I know I have at least 2 awesome rec letters coming my way.
-Clinical Experience: 1 Semester of volunteering with a Mindfulness based intervention for low income kids.
-Other skills: I have some programming skills and I am taking additional coursework in order to become more desirable.

-My ultimate goal is to be a clinician but I do have a passion for research. I am particularly interested in the use of Mindfulness-Based interventions in high-stress population and those who suffer from PTSD.

-My top ten schools:

Suffolk University
Eastern Michigan University
University of Wisconsin
University of Memphis
Kent State University
University of Colorado (new trauma concentration)
Virginia Consortium Program
University of Tulsa
West Virginia University
Indiana University of PA (PsyD.)

My GRE is at least 2 points above the combined average (V+Q) GRE scores for all of theses schools. Is this enough to balance out my low GPA?


Thanks for any comments!
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I don't think you'd be competitive for UW Madison as their successful applicants tend to have a year or two of full time research assistant gigs. Their goal is to train career researchers, not clinicians. Honestly, it sounds like they'd be a bad fit compared to the rest of your list, which seems to consist of more balanced programs.
 
cara susanna said:
I don't think you'd be competitive for UW Madison as their successful applicants tend to have a year or two of full time research assistant gigs. Their goal is to train career researchers, not clinicians. Honestly, it sounds like they'd be a bad fit compared to the rest of your list, which seems to consist of more balanced programs.
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Looks like they revised it to UW-Milwaukee. It's a very balanced program, although they'd probably like to see a poster or two coming out of undergrad. You're pretty much right at the mean for the GRE, but the GPA is a bit below the avg. If you can get anything research wise ( on a poster or something) it'd be great, but it's not make or break. I'd say you have to go in with a pretty good plan of the kind of research work you want to do and play up your clinical work. It'd probably help if you have an interest in learning PE for PTSD as Cahill is a former colleague and was trained by Foa.
 
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Hey everyone. I am a senior at a fairly large Mid-West University interested in obtaining a PhD in different types of programs. There isn’t necessarily one program that is my main interest, thus I’m planning on applying to multiple programs. I would like to be a college professor when I grow up.


GRE Verbal: 150 :(
GRE Quant: 155
GRE Writing: 4.5
Psych GRE: Haven’t Taken Yet
GPA: 3.73
Psych GPA: 3.8


Research Assistant for 2 years in an emotion and memory lab
Currently no posters but did present a lecture at a housing conference on the psychology of motivation. I should have at least 1-3 posters by the end of the fall however. In addition I am working on my Senior Honors Thesis this year.
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 am confident I'll be able to get good LORs.

Interested in the following programs.

University of Maine – Clinical
East Tennessee State University – Experimental
University of North Dakota – Experimental
University of North Dakota – Clinical
University of Alabama – Cognitive
University of Manitoba – Brain and Cognitive Sciences
University of Mississippi - Experimental
Texas Christian University – Experimental
Texas Tech University – Experimental
University of Minnesota Twin Cities – Personality, Individual Differences, and Behavior Differences
University of Kentucky – Experimental
Claremont Graduate University – Applied Cognitive
Claremont Graduate University – Applied Social
Carnegie Mellon University – Social/Personality
Syracuse University – Experimental

What are my chances? Should I retake the GRE to try to get my scores up or do you think my stats are good enough to have a decent chance at these programs?
 
I think you'd be competitive for UND. Keep in mind that you can work with experimental faculty as a clinical student.

And, thanks for pointing that out, WiscNeuro, Milwaukee makes much more sense!
 
cara susanna said:
I think you'd be competitive for UND. Keep in mind that you can work with experimental faculty as a clinical student.

And, thanks for pointing that out, WiscNeuro, Milwaukee makes much more sense!
Click to expand...

Thanks Cara Susana. I really appreciate the input. Do you think I'd be competitive or have a chance at any of the other programs I listed? Do you see my GRE scores as something that would hinder my chances. Thanks again.
 
AlexJ06 said:
Thanks Cara Susana. I really appreciate the input. Do you think I'd be competitive or have a chance at any of the other programs I listed? Do you see my GRE scores as something that would hinder my chances. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I can't comment on GRE since I'm totally unfamiliar with the new score system (do you have your percentiles?) I also am not sure about the other schools since I didn't apply to them. One I did, but I didn't get an interview, so I can't tell you what's competitive there. ;)
 
cara susanna said:
Honestly, I can't comment on GRE since I'm totally unfamiliar with the new score system (do you have your percentiles?) I also am not sure about the other schools since I didn't apply to them. One I did, but I didn't get an interview, so I can't tell you what's competitive there. ;)
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The verbal is the 45th percentile equivalent to a 450 old scale and quant is 60th equivalent to a 700 in the old scale.
 
Hrm... I was told that 1200 old scale was what you should shoot for. I had a 1240 and I felt like it limited me at a lot of places.
 
Hey everyone! I am looking to apply this fall mostly to PsyD programs. I am currently in a masters of mental health counseling program and I will graduate July 2015. I was curious where you all think I stand in the applicant pool, if I have a shot a PhD programs, and if you have any suggestions to increase my chances. I would appreciate any feedback!

Stats
Undergrad GPA: 3.3 Overall, 3.5 Psych, 3.7 Last two years
Graduate GPA: 3.86
GRE: 150/150, 3.5 (I plan to retake these)
Psych GRE: I not many PsyD's require these for their application. Would it still be worth taking?

Clinical Experience
1 semester long internship working in a partial outpatient unit for teenagers
1 semester long internship for private practice psychologists working with autistic and ADHD children.
My current practicum site (1 year of experience) is at an APA accredited internship site where I work in community mental health and primary care settings.

Letters of Recommendation
Three glowing letters of recommendation

Research
1 year individual research project through my stats and methods class

Schools (All PsyD)
Rutgers
PCOM
LaSalle
Widener
Loyola
James Madison
U of Denver
Indiana State
Florida Institute of Technology
 
NJD32 said:
Hey everyone! I am looking to apply this fall mostly to PsyD programs. I am currently in a masters of mental health counseling program and I will graduate July 2015. I was curious where you all think I stand in the applicant pool, if I have a shot a PhD programs, and if you have any suggestions to increase my chances. I would appreciate any feedback!

Stats
Undergrad GPA: 3.3 Overall, 3.5 Psych, 3.7 Last two years
Graduate GPA: 3.86
GRE: 150/150, 3.5 (I plan to retake these)
Psych GRE: I not many PsyD's require these for their application. Would it still be worth taking?

Clinical Experience
1 semester long internship working in a partial outpatient unit for teenagers
1 semester long internship for private practice psychologists working with autistic and ADHD children.
My current practicum site (1 year of experience) is at an APA accredited internship site where I work in community mental health and primary care settings.

Letters of Recommendation
Three glowing letters of recommendation

Research
1 year individual research project through my stats and methods class

Schools (All PsyD)
Rutgers
PCOM
LaSalle
Widener
Loyola
James Madison
U of Denver
Indiana State
Florida Institute of Technology
Click to expand...

I can only speak to PhD programs, as I ended up not applying to any PsyD programs way back when, so I'm not as familiar with their recs. The overall and Psych GPAs will likely be a bit lower than the average applicant, but probably not to the point of getting you auto-cut from most mid-tier places. Plus, the graduate GPA may help with that issue. The real sticking point would be the relative lack of "extracurricular" (i.e., non-coursework related) research experience. To be truly competitive, you'd probably need another year or two of RAing in a psych lab.

Again, I'm not familiar with Psy.D. programs, but if you can up the GRE scores, I'd imagine you'll get interviews with probably a few of those listed.
 
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Hello everyone. I am new to this site and I'm just looking for some advice for applying to clinical psychology Ph.D programs. I am a senior psychology major and I have a few programs I am looking at applying to thus fall. I have a few questions that I would like some feedback on. My questions are:
1. Is it bad to have more research experience than clinical experience?
2. How much research experience do you need to have to be selected as a potential student?
3. Does being in honor socities and other extracurricular activities around campus matter to faculty members admitting students?

I'm a little nervous about the process and would really just like some answers Thanks!
 
I've got a GRE question...I made a 162 on the verbal and like a 140 on the quantitative. I started missing large chunks of school in middle/high school and eventually "left" high school, which led to me never taking anything above Algebra 1. I took College Algebra and Statistics in my undergrad but made C's in both. Neither were particularly difficult, I just have a history of high stress/lack of motivation/avoidance when it comes to math, given my spotty background and interest.

I absolutely have the ability to do as well in math; when I was younger there wasn't much difference between the two on my standardized testing scores, just the personal bull**** put me way off track (not with reading/writing, though, because I did a lot of that on my own). I actually made a perfect score on the GED's math section because I received some free tutoring from a friend, lol.

I'm starting a Masters program this month and after my 2-3 years here, I plan to apply for PhD programs. Am I going to need to take it over again, after studying more math? I did attempt to study my first time around, but I've never been good at learning math on my own. Maybe I should find a tutor or take a class or something, while I have a little bit of time? My main school is Duquesne and I know they aren't nearly as interested in quantitative as most schools will be, but even then there's screening concerns, and I don't want to put all my eggs in the Duquesne basket either.

Thoughts? Undergrad GPA/quantitative research experience isn't great either, although I hope to bolster those things while doing my Masters. I do have some experience working in a mental health clinic.
 
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A Quant score of 140 on the new scale is the 8th percentile. Unfortunately even if you had stellar research experience and a solid GPA, many PhD programs will undoubtedly consider this a major red flag. Given your stated individual difficulties with studying math, you may consider enlisting some outside help like a tutor to find out how you can perform up to your ability.
 
I was able to raise my quant score through the Kaplan Math GRE workbook and private online tutoring by Princeton Review. Granted, my quant score was still pretty low even after I raised it (44th percentile, IIRC). Still, it helped!
 
cara susanna said:
I was able to raise my quant score through the Kaplan Math GRE workbook and private online tutoring by Princeton Review. Granted, my quant score was still pretty low even after I raised it (44th percentile, IIRC). Still, it helped!
Click to expand...
Seconding the Kaplan Math GRE book! I found that GRE math is mostly about "tricks" rather than actual math, per se, and once I learned those, my quant score really improved.
 
I've been waffling on whether or not I should throw my hat into the ring on this thread but I guess it's better to know. My application just feels so thin to me in comparison. I'm looking mainly at balanced clinical doctorate programs, but a couple that are research leaning and a bunch of masters.

GRE:
V: 158 (78th perc)
Q: 150 (40th perc)
W: 4.0 (56th perc)
My biggest question is will these scores automatically rule me out? The nearest testing center to my university is a three-hour drive away and I don't have a car. It's unlikely that I'll be able to retake it.

GPA: 3.80
Psych GPA: 4.0
One year of RA experience (and a second year starting this fall), third authorship on a poster at a university-wide presentation
Confident that I'll have three strong LORs

I won't be able to apply to all of these, but they're top on my list to consider.
Doctorate: U of Notre Dame, U of Louisville, UNC-Greensboro, U of Kentucky, U of West Virginia, Central Michigan U, George Mason U, U of Tennessee-Knoxville, U of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Masters: Villanova U, Wake Forest U, Western Carolina U, Eastern Kentucky U, Virginia State U, Ball State U, UNC-Wilmington, Western Kentucky U

Of course research match is an important factor, but the research I've been doing in my RA position--while enjoyable--is only vaguely related to my interests. Could that be a problem in establishing that I'm a match? Would I be better off focusing my applications on masters programs and only applying to doctoral ones on a prayer?
 
I'm still doing a lot of research but I want to gauge general competitiveness.

GRE:
V: 167 (97th percentile)
Q: 162 (84th percentile)
W: 4.0 (56th percentile)
I'm currently studying to take the psychology subject test.

GPA: 3.50 (UCSD)
Psych GPA: 3.76

Experience
Kind of eclectic, Unfortunately no papers or presentations.

9 months as an undergraduate RA in a language production lab
18 months as an RA in a vision perception lab
9 months as a Clincal assistant in executive mental health, OCD, and pain clinics.
3 months internship at a the center for human development.
2 month internship at local hospital doing organizational development.

I'm also about to begin (next week) a one year masters program in mental health through the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of public health. I'm not sure how important it will be since I'll only be a month or three into it when applications are due.

Letters of rec: Pretty solid. One from the language lab, one from the clinic and hopefully one from hopkins.

Target schools: funded, research focused PhD programs.
UCSD/SDSU JDP
Minnesota (Twin Cities)
Michigan (Ann Arbor)
U of Washington
USC
Northwestern
U of Virginia
U of Maryland (college park)
U of Colorado (boulder)

Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
Cameron Hays said:
I'm still doing a lot of research but I want to gauge general competitiveness.

GRE:
V: 167 (97th percentile)
Q: 162 (84th percentile)
W: 4.0 (56th percentile)
I'm currently studying to take the psychology subject test.

GPA: 3.50 (UCSD)
Psych GPA: 3.76

Experience
Kind of eclectic, Unfortunately no papers or presentations.

9 months as an undergraduate RA in a language production lab
18 months as an RA in a vision perception lab
9 months as a Clincal assistant in executive mental health, OCD, and pain clinics.
3 months internship at a the center for human development.
2 month internship at local hospital doing organizational development.

I'm also about to begin (next week) a one year masters program in mental health through the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of public health. I'm not sure how important it will be since I'll only be a month or three into it when applications are due.

Letters of rec: Pretty solid. One from the language lab, one from the clinic and hopefully one from hopkins.

Target schools: funded, research focused PhD programs.
UCSD/SDSU JDP
Minnesota (Twin Cities)
Michigan (Ann Arbor)
U of Washington
USC
Northwestern
U of Virginia
U of Maryland (college park)
U of Colorado (boulder)

Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Writing GRE score seems a bit low but most professors will not care about this. The lack of presentations or papers resulting from your experience may be a problem, especially given the research-heavy list of schools you are looking at applying to. The master's degree (and a poster or something produced out of it which I'd recommend doing) may be helpful for next year, but too late for this year I'd think. Given the caliber of schools you are applying to I might consider seeing if I could add one or two to the list.
 
Hi all,

I will be applying to Clinical and Developmental Psychology doctoral programs this fall.

I have a B.S. in Neuroscience and minor in Psychology, and my undergrad GPA was 3.2.
I am completing a Master's in Clinical Psychology, and my current GPA is 4.0.

I am worried about how my undergraduate GPA will affect my applications.

Any thoughts?

Thanks :)
 
mssunshine90 said:
Hi all,

I will be applying to Clinical and Developmental Psychology doctoral programs this fall.

I have a B.S. in Neuroscience and minor in Psychology, and my undergrad GPA was 3.2.
I am completing a Master's in Clinical Psychology, and my current GPA is 4.0.

I am worried about how my undergraduate GPA will affect my applications.

Any thoughts?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Mod Note: Merged this into the WAMC thread.
 
mssunshine90 said:
Hi all,

I will be applying to Clinical and Developmental Psychology doctoral programs this fall.

I have a B.S. in Neuroscience and minor in Psychology, and my undergrad GPA was 3.2.
I am completing a Master's in Clinical Psychology, and my current GPA is 4.0.

I am worried about how my undergraduate GPA will affect my applications.

Any thoughts?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

My thoughts are that you've done all you can do to "remedy" the slightly below-average (relative to other doctoral program applicants) undergrad GPA; after all, you can't do much better than a 4.0 in a masters program. Also, if your interests are aligned with neuroscience at all, having that as a background will likely be at least a slight plus.

However, in the end, a lot more is going to hinge on other factors--GRE, research experience and productivity, strength of rec letters, and fit with the programs to which you're applying. A 3.2 may throw up a yellow flag at some of the top-tier programs, but in general, probably won't present a significant obstacle at most programs if your other numbers and experiences are solid.
 
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Hi everyone! I've done quite a bit of browsing on the site, and I'm excited to participate.

So, I will be applying to Clinical Psychology PhD programs this fall. I have a 3.8ish cumulative/3.9 psych GPA (4.0 my last two years) from Arizona State... A's in all psychology and stats courses, will graduate Summa Cum Laude (I don't know if they care but...)

165 Verbal/161 Quant on the GRE (haven't received writing scores yet)

Now, my research experience is a little different- I was a distance student, so I didn't have the opportunity to do the typical on campus research lab type stuff. So, I sought out a national non-profit that has been recognized by the White House, and have been volunteering in their research department for almost two years now. I have done a lot of scoring of assessments/boring data entry type things, and am currently assisting on a research project for a big-deal national conference. I have gotten a TON of experience doing this, and have had the ability to participate in the real nitty-gritty, if you will. BUT, I'm concerned because it seems more social work related, although what I have actually been doing is writing the proposal, helping to clean up/analyze the data, utilize SPSS, etc which is all completely relevant to psych. Also, the paper/proposal for the conference will be completed by then, and my name will be on that also (likely 4th out of 7 or so.. the people before me all have PhD or Masters.)

I have clinical experience serving as an AmeriCorps member for two years at an urban non-profit social services agency; I worked in women's shelters and social services agencies running therapeutic support groups, and facilitating parenting classes/group therapy for mother's recovering from addiction in out-patient rehab.

I also have a ton of volunteer service that isn't directly related to psychology, but I'm super passionate about incorporating advocacy into the work I do.

Now, I know ASU isn't an amazing school and I don't have any publications and my research experience is not the norm. BUT I KNOW that I will succeed on this path and I want it SO bad.

I'm planning on applying to University of Memphis, UT Knoxville, Ole Miss, University of Alabama, University of Kentucky, East Tennessee State University... Basically, schools in the southeast

So, after that novel.... WAMC?
 
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AcronymAllergy said:
My thoughts are that you've done all you can do to "remedy" the slightly below-average (relative to other doctoral program applicants) undergrad GPA; after all, you can't do much better than a 4.0 in a masters program. Also, if your interests are aligned with neuroscience at all, having that as a background will likely be at least a slight plus.

However, in the end, a lot more is going to hinge on other factors--GRE, research experience and productivity, strength of rec letters, and fit with the programs to which you're applying. A 3.2 may throw up a yellow flag at some of the top-tier programs, but in general, probably won't present a significant obstacle at most programs if your other numbers and experiences are solid.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the reply! This definitely relieved a lot of my worries.

I'm currently a student in a MS in Clinical Psychology program.

GRE (last August)
V: 164 (93 percentile)
Q: 160 (78 percentile)
W: 4.5 (80 percentile)

Research:
- Almost done with my master's thesis, should be defending early October.
- Poster at APS, RSA conferences
- Oral presentations at school psychology forum and regional psychological science conference
- Upcoming assistance in ATSA conference
- Copy editor for a small journal

Other:
- President of Psi Chi at my university
- TA for research methods

I'm planning on applying to clinical and developmental psychology programs. I applied to a few tier 1 schools and wasn't very successful. Definitely will spread out in terms of programs and locations. What are your thoughts? Thanks again!
 
mssunshine90 said:
Thank you so much for the reply! This definitely relieved a lot of my worries.

I'm currently a student in a MS in Clinical Psychology program.

GRE (last August)
V: 164 (93 percentile)
Q: 160 (78 percentile)
W: 4.5 (80 percentile)

Research:
- Almost done with my master's thesis, should be defending early October.
- Poster at APS, RSA conferences
- Oral presentations at school psychology forum and regional psychological science conference
- Upcoming assistance in ATSA conference
- Copy editor for a small journal

Other:
- President of Psi Chi at my university
- TA for research methods

I'm planning on applying to clinical and developmental psychology programs. I applied to a few tier 1 schools and wasn't very successful. Definitely will spread out in terms of programs and locations. What are your thoughts? Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Definitely spread the apps out, given that much of it can end up being a numbers game with some luck of the draw thrown in (after all, most programs will only have 5-10 spots to offer). The rest of your numbers look solid, though, and your research experience (assuming you have some general lab work outside of your thesis) also seems fine. Overall, when I glance things over, there certainly don't seem to be any glaring holes or red flags.
 
Hopeyhope said:
Hi everyone! I've done quite a bit of browsing on the site, and I'm excited to participate.

So, I will be applying to Clinical Psychology PhD programs this fall. I have a 3.8ish cumulative/3.9 psych GPA (4.0 my last two years) from Arizona State... A's in all psychology and stats courses, will graduate Summa Cum Laude (I don't know if they care but...)

165 Verbal/161 Quant on the GRE (haven't received writing scores yet)

Now, my research experience is a little different- I was a distance student, so I didn't have the opportunity to do the typical on campus research lab type stuff. So, I sought out a national non-profit that has been recognized by the White House, and have been volunteering in their research department for almost two years now. I have done a lot of scoring of assessments/boring data entry type things, and am currently assisting on a research project for a big-deal national conference. I have gotten a TON of experience doing this, and have had the ability to participate in the real nitty-gritty, if you will. BUT, I'm concerned because it seems more social work related, although what I have actually been doing is writing the proposal, helping to clean up/analyze the data, utilize SPSS, etc which is all completely relevant to psych. Also, the paper/proposal for the conference will be completed by then, and my name will be on that also (likely 4th out of 7 or so.. the people before me all have PhD or Masters.)

I have clinical experience serving as an AmeriCorps member for two years at an urban non-profit social services agency; I worked in women's shelters and social services agencies running therapeutic support groups, and facilitating parenting classes/group therapy for mother's recovering from addiction in out-patient rehab.

I also have a ton of volunteer service that isn't directly related to psychology, but I'm super passionate about incorporating advocacy into the work I do.

Now, I know ASU isn't an amazing school and I don't have any publications and my research experience is not the norm. BUT I KNOW that I will succeed on this path and I want it SO bad.

I'm planning on applying to University of Memphis, UT Knoxville, Ole Miss, University of Alabama, University of Kentucky, East Tennessee State University... Basically, schools in the southeast

So, after that novel.... WAMC?
Click to expand...

Quick answer--things look good to me. While the research experience may not be directly in line with what you'd like to do down the road, "in the trenches" work in things like scoring and data entry often looks the same across most labs. So long as you can cogently explain your current interests (and with bonus points if you can tie your experiences in to that), I personally would be surprised if you didn't land at least a few interviews, assuming you applied to the requisite 12-15 or so programs.
 
Hey folks. Handy site you've got here, I've learned plenty just by skulking around.

I'm coming from a strange place psychology-wise. I graduated with a 3.77 GPA double-majoring in History and Literary Arts, with Honors in Literary Arts, from an Ivy League school, and only have 5 full classes of psych (general, cognitive-abnormal, personality, statistics, and decision-making, GPA here 3.75) under my belt. I was a TA for a semester of introductory psychology during which I taught sections and was briefly (one semester) a research assistant at a mindfulness lab while in undergrad, though I left after I discovered the lab was generally disrespected by even the school's own mindfulness psychology department. Outside of college, my research/clinical experience is:
  • data entry for a bioinformatics group in high school
  • data collection (door-to-door interviewing), data entry, QC and management with a population health survey for 4 months
  • emergency department scribing, currently ongoing, with more than 1000 hours of clinical work following doctors around three EDs and doing the paperwork for a menagerie of cases, including a sizable number of mental-health cases, on both adult and child populations
  • and for the last four months, a research assistant looking at the linguistics of doctor-patient interactions with a school of public health. I've been told there's little chance that I'd be included on any research papers these folks put out within the next year, so I'm SOL in that regard.
I have promises of glowing letters of rec from the psych professor I TA'd under (we've had multiple meetings over the years and she's a genuine friend now), one of my PIs in the public health job, and the head doctor at the ED scribe gig. My GRE scores are
  • Verbal: 165 (95%)
  • Quantitative: 158 (71%)
  • Writing: 5 (93%)
and I'm taking the Psych subject GRE at the end of September just as a "look a humanities major can totally relearn this stuff while holding down a full-time job" proof to myself and anybody else that raises their eyebrows at the notion of a non-psych major looking to get a doctorate.

I'm now looking to apply to Counseling PhD programs, the list now being--
  • U Iowa
  • U Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Ball State
  • Columbia
  • NYU
  • SUNY Albany
and one PsyD program (Baylor, because it's funded like whoa). I've been looking for programs with a good balance between research and clinical training, and would happily take recommendations as to others that provide good funding and fit in with what I want to study. My research interests right now are social-justice and medically oriented, with specific focuses in depression, anxiety, and suicidality in sexual minorities and patients with chronic illnesses. A big crossover here would be the psychological problems and coping mechanisms of transgendered individuals undergoing their transition and psychological problems and coping mechanisms in the HIV-positive population. That's the dream, at least.

As the thread suggests, what are my chances? I know I'm kind of coming from left field with my background so I really have no idea what to expect, and figured there'd be none better to ask than the grizzled veterans over here.

EDIT: Also, in terms of end-point, I have a dream to practice in conjunction with a primary care doctor's practice or in a hospital while performing research on those populations. I also enjoy teaching and talking to folks-- I did a bunch of theater through high school and college-- so I could see myself doing teaching as well, though that's not as concrete a desire.
 
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AcronymAllergy said:
Definitely spread the apps out, given that much of it can end up being a numbers game with some luck of the draw thrown in (after all, most programs will only have 5-10 spots to offer). The rest of your numbers look solid, though, and your research experience (assuming you have some general lab work outside of your thesis) also seems fine. Overall, when I glance things over, there certainly don't seem to be any glaring holes or red flags.
Click to expand...
Appreciate your response! My master's program isn't big on research, and it's pretty tiny (e.g., 10 students total in my cohort, 11 faculty), so I haven't gotten to do a lot of lab work. I have a few minor projects with two different professors outside my thesis though. Undergraduate lab work... since I wasn't a psych major, not much psych research; I did some research assistant work for one psychology study though.

As you mentioned, the numbers game is really what it comes down to it seems. I'm nervous because I'm sure there are many even more qualified students out there, and it's gonna be a tough round of applications again.
 
I know this has been answered time and time again, but apparently the search function on here hates me and tells me no results no matter the keywords I use.

When is it best to contact a POI to put your name out there and ask if they think they will take a student this coming cycle assuming the applications are due Dec. 1st? And ones whose applications are due Nov. 15th?
 
mewtoo said:
I know this has been answered time and time again, but apparently the search function on here hates me and tells me no results no matter the keywords I use.

When is it best to contact a POI to put your name out there and ask if they think they will take a student this coming cycle assuming the applications are due Dec. 1st? And ones whose applications are due Nov. 15th?
Click to expand...

I'd say probably a couple weeks after the semester starts, so mid- or late-September, perhaps. That way, the funding situation should've hopefully been figured out, and the craziness that can be the start of the fall term has largely passed.
 
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mewtoo said:
I know this has been answered time and time again, but apparently the search function on here hates me and tells me no results no matter the keywords I use.

When is it best to contact a POI to put your name out there and ask if they think they will take a student this coming cycle assuming the applications are due Dec. 1st? And ones whose applications are due Nov. 15th?
Click to expand...

I've been sending them out over the past few days. I've heard back on all of them except one and have received definitive "yes, I'm accepting a student" or "no I'm not" for all responses. Would also be fair to wait for the first couple weeks of the semester to be over and things to settle down.
 
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Crowfeathers said:
Hey folks. Handy site you've got here, I've learned plenty just by skulking around.

I'm coming from a strange place psychology-wise. I graduated with a 3.77 GPA double-majoring in History and Literary Arts, with Honors in Literary Arts, from an Ivy League school, and only have 5 full classes of psych (general, cognitive-abnormal, personality, statistics, and decision-making, GPA here 3.75) under my belt. I was a TA for a semester of introductory psychology during which I taught sections and was briefly (one semester) a research assistant at a mindfulness lab while in undergrad, though I left after I discovered the lab was generally disrespected by even the school's own mindfulness psychology department. Outside of college, my research/clinical experience is:
  • data entry for a bioinformatics group in high school
  • data collection (door-to-door interviewing), data entry, QC and management with a population health survey for 4 months
  • emergency department scribing, currently ongoing, with more than 1000 hours of clinical work following doctors around three EDs and doing the paperwork for a menagerie of cases, including a sizable number of mental-health cases, on both adult and child populations
  • and for the last four months, a research assistant looking at the linguistics of doctor-patient interactions with a school of public health. I've been told there's little chance that I'd be included on any research papers these folks put out within the next year, so I'm SOL in that regard.
I have promises of glowing letters of rec from the psych professor I TA'd under (we've had multiple meetings over the years and she's a genuine friend now), one of my PIs in the public health job, and the head doctor at the ED scribe gig. My GRE scores are
  • Verbal: 165 (95%)
  • Quantitative: 158 (71%)
  • Writing: 5 (93%)
and I'm taking the Psych subject GRE at the end of September just as a "look a humanities major can totally relearn this stuff while holding down a full-time job" proof to myself and anybody else that raises their eyebrows at the notion of a non-psych major looking to get a doctorate.

I'm now looking to apply to Counseling PhD programs, the list now being--
  • U Iowa
  • U Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • Ball State
  • Columbia
  • NYU
  • SUNY Albany
and one PsyD program (Baylor, because it's funded like whoa). I've been looking for programs with a good balance between research and clinical training, and would happily take recommendations as to others that provide good funding and fit in with what I want to study. My research interests right now are social-justice and medically oriented, with specific focuses in depression, anxiety, and suicidality in sexual minorities and patients with chronic illnesses. A big crossover here would be the psychological problems and coping mechanisms of transgendered individuals undergoing their transition and psychological problems and coping mechanisms in the HIV-positive population. That's the dream, at least.

As the thread suggests, what are my chances? I know I'm kind of coming from left field with my background so I really have no idea what to expect, and figured there'd be none better to ask than the grizzled veterans over here.

EDIT: Also, in terms of end-point, I have a dream to practice in conjunction with a primary care doctor's practice or in a hospital while performing research on those populations. I also enjoy teaching and talking to folks-- I did a bunch of theater through high school and college-- so I could see myself doing teaching as well, though that's not as concrete a desire.
Click to expand...


One major weakness that might hurt your application is that you have no long-term research experience. This means that you've likely never seen a project from (mostly) beginning to end, even if it didn't result in publication.
 
Alright, that's good to know. Would you suggest finishing this project before applying, meaning I'd apply for Fall 2016 instead?
 
I got a new job so this is a little updated. Less than stellar GRE scores but I don't know if I can go through that again (spent all summer last year studying and it cost me a lot of time and money). I have factored in what my stats will be by the time I aply

Education: BA, Psychology (minor in sociology) with Honors from a well respected big ten school
Scores:
GPA: 3.94 overall, 4.0 Psychology
GRE: 158 V (78th percentile); 154 Q (57th percentile); 5.0 writing (93rd percentile)

Research Experience:
  • Honors Thesis including a defense and poster presentation
  • 4.5 years working as an RA
    -2 years working in a social development lab
    -1 year (3 summers) working in a molecular genetics lab
    -1 year working in an adolescent substance use lab (current new job.. could do 2 or 3 years if i wanted)
    1 semester working in a social cognition lab
Publications:
  • I am 5th and 6th author on 3 publications published in a top tier journal (impact factor 14.98)
Presentations:
  • Honors thesis poster presentation event
Other Experience:
1 year: Helped with an autism camp
1 year: crisis problem response team on campus
1 year: Mental health awareness group on campus
LORs:
3 Very good letters from tenured professors who are very respected in their field each from a different lab.

I am not sure what type of programs I am going to apply to, but I am thinking of development or social psychology. Let me know how my stats look!!!! thanks. Also what are your opinions on re-taking the GRE. I would loooovveee for it to just be over and me move on with everything else. All three of my advisors said that my stats should be fine and out way the average GRE scores but I thought I would ask.
 
Hi! I'm having a difficult time gauging my competitiveness for schools. I'm wondering whether to hold off on applying to doctoral programs to get more research experience/etc or if I'm in okay standing already.

Education: BS, Psychology, magna cum laude from a major university

Test Scores:
GPA: 3.79 overall, 4.0 Psychology
GRE: 164 V (93rd percentile); 159 Q (74th percentile); 4.5 writing (80th percentile)
I will most likely not be taking the GRE subject test.

Research Experience:
  • 2 years working as a paid, part-time RA
    - both years on a community-based research project studying volunteering/wellbeing/physical health
  • Currently looking for more paid research work, have an interview with the state department for a couple different studies.
Publications:
  • I am the 6th author on a publication currently under review at Plos One.
Other Experience:
1 year: peer-counseling internship at a local women's community center (crisis hotline work and awareness-raising event organizer)
6 months: certified rape crisis counselor
For the past year, I've been working in the nonprofit sector at an org focusing on mood disorder awareness and stigma reduction. In this position I've developed a database of facilities and service providers encompassing my entire state and have been the direct assistant to an LICSW in a diagnosis and referral setting.

LORs:
1 excellent letter from a professor that I worked under on a research project, two others TBD. Thinking about asking around in my professional networks. I was a nontraditional student working multiple day jobs to put myself through night school in undergrad, so it was difficult to make lasting/meaningful contacts throughout school. Most of the people I became closest with were actually guidance counselors and academic advisers who helped me find ways to stay in school (aka afford it).

Another sub question I have is: do I reveal that information to potential schools (either in my personal statement or during the interview process)? I don't want to temper my successes with a sob story, but I did have to work extremely hard to make it through undergrad and faced many different road blocks that the average student did not. I also definitely feel like my GPA would've been higher if school had been my main/sole focus

As for graduate schools I'm interested in:
I would like to study under a professor doing work with nondominant cultural groups (i.e. LGBTQ, latino/black youth, etc)
My top choice school, and the only school I'm 100% sure I'd like to apply to, is NYU's Steinhardt School for Counseling Psych (although I'm primarily interested in clinical programs).

Other schools I had in mind: (all clinical programs)
Temple University
Drexel University
UT Austin
The New School for Social Research
UMass Boston
CUNY
 
Hi. I'm preparing to apply for Social Psychology Phd this year and although I do have a list of programs I want to join, I'm not really sure about my competitiveness. I know that whether my research interests fit is the most important factor in choosing the program but as there are more than a few of those, I'd love to have some ideas about my chances. These are my stats:

BS in Psychology, double major in media communications
International student but grew up in English speaking country so my English is quite fluent. (IELTS overall 8.0)
GPA: 3.73 out of 4.0
GRE: Verbal 168 Quant 165 Writing 4.0
Research Experience:
3 months in a social psyc lab in a well-respected school (summer intern)
8 months in social psyc lab in my current university (Research assistant)
8 months in social neuroscience lab in my current univ. (But I worked for these two labs at the same time (until now) and I'm wondering if that would look bad on the paper)
6 months RA in human performance lab in my current univ. (This one also overlaps with others in time so I was thinking of not writing this one -as it doesn't really fit with my research interests anyways)

No poster or presentation experience!!


I know that social psyc programs are really competitive and I am completely lost right now.
I will try my best to write SOPs and have recommendation letters as good as possible but
is it still too much to expect to get in Social Psyc programs in UPenn, Michigan or Berkeley?
Please give me some ideas which level of programs I have some chances of getting admission.
Thank you so much.
 
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AcronymAllergy said:
Quick answer--things look good to me. While the research experience may not be directly in line with what you'd like to do down the road, "in the trenches" work in things like scoring and data entry often looks the same across most labs. So long as you can cogently explain your current interests (and with bonus points if you can tie your experiences in to that), I personally would be surprised if you didn't land at least a few interviews, assuming you applied to the requisite 12-15 or so programs.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much AcronymAllergy! I appreciate your input. Unfortunately I won't be applying to 12-15 programs (probably about 7-8) but I'm hoping it will be okay since I'm applying in a much less competitive region.
 
Hi everyone and thanks for your feedback in advance. I am a senior at Tulane and am applying to clinical psych phd programs this fall. I'm not really sure of my competitiveness so any feedback would be super appreciated.

BS in Psychology, double major in jewish studies and music minor
Overall GPA: 3.92 out of 4.0
Psychology GPA: 3.9
GRE: Verbal 165 Quant 159 Writing 5.0 haven't taken the subject test yet
Research Experience:
8 months of research experience in a translational research lab focusing on cancer treatment. includes various CITI training, IRB applications, interviewing vulnerable populations and SPSS experience
Working on paper on findings to hopefully send to journals in the next 6 months
2 poster presentations and most likely 1-2 more to come this semester before applications are due
I am in the process of training to become a crisis counselor & may get involved with Boys Town this semester.
LOR: I will have 2 very strong letters, not sure about the 3rd
I have had leadership positions in various religious organizations and my sorority
Psi Chi inductee
Mortar Board Honor Society member
I'm looking at child clinical psych programs and I also have a lot of various experiences working with children.

Some of the schools I am thinking of applying to (all PhD), still need to finalize the list and shave it down a bit:
Case Western Reserve
Univ. Central Florida
Univ. Florida
Univ. Florida State
Univ. Houston
Kent State
Univ. Maryland
U Miami, FL
Miami U, OH
Rutgers
Univ. South Carolina
Univ. South Florida
Temple
UVA Curry School of Education
Virginia Commonwealth
 
Hey everyone, I have a bit of an unusual situation, and was looking to see how competitive I would be for a Clinical Psych program. Here are my stats:

BSc in Psychology: 3.59cumulative; 3.88 in Psychology courses
BN in Nursing: 3.2 cumulative (accelerated track program, so not as many courses)
cumulative gpa: 3.44

I have almost four years of working as an RN in Mental Health, and have fortunately happened to have worked in an advanced practice (Nurse Clinician) position for over two years (we get to do provisional diagnoses, etc.). I have not written my GRE's yet.

I did a one year independent thesis project (it was a 499 course, A+ both semesters) but have no publications, and did not do an Honors degree. I have done a few poster presentations, but I went on to Nursing and gave up on the Honors degree.

I wanted to get an idea if I have a chance in hell before writing my GREs. I also have a wide range of voluneer activities, and tons of extra curriculars (sports, etc.). Also, from working in the field, I am confident that I can get some really good reference letters. The only problem is my non-psych courses really bring down my overall GPA; for some reason I just get Psychology, but not other things :p. I am planning on applying to some of the least competitive programs out there, with the biggest criteria being anyone that would accept me and preferably somewhere south and near the ocean (I'm in Canada, want to move to the US; ideally Florida or California :) ). Anyways, just looking for a general idea. Thanks!
 
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Hello everyone,

I have looked through the various posts that exist here already about GRE score related matter but would still like to put this question out there since I am very concerned. So at the moment, I am in my senior year and am preparing my applications for PhD/PsyD programs in clinical psychology. I have collected extensive clinical research through interning/volunteering in special education schools, English assistance programs for Romani communities in Rome, Italy, the Shuar community in Ecuador, and in urban settings of Bangalore India and Ho Chi Minh City. I also volunteered for quite a while with an Anti Trafficking organization where I mainly helped with basic counseling, mentor ship, recreational activities etc. I have also gathered lots of research experience by interning at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, research on social issues and how they are related to mental health in Vietnam, Ecuador, Italy, and India. Right now, I am writing my own study focusing on counseling and human trafficking. I am studying at St. John's University, NY and have an overall GPA of 3.9 and a major GPA of 4.0. I have also received an honor as one of the best students of my department. But now comes the bad side of it all...I have taken the GRE and scored very low. Quant. 148/Verbal 155/Writing 5.5 (Okay, the writing score is actually very decent but Quant is a nightmare). My Subject Test GRE score is fine though (760). I am definitely planning on retaking the GRE but I am very bad at Math (except Stats which am I am very decent at) and also, since I was raised for most of my life in Germany, not very accustomed to Standardized Tests. I did horrible on my SAT back then as well although that did not later reflect my college success. Now the question is: Is there any chance I will still get an interview with GRE Scores of, let's say, 158 Verbal and 153 Quant? I am obviously not going to apply to Harvard or Columbia...I am not living in an illusion..
My plan is to apply to the following schools:
- Adler School of Professional Psychology
- CUNY City College
- Loyola University, Chicago
- De Paul University
- St. John's University
- University of Toronto
and Antioch University, New England.

Do you believe there is any chance I could at least get an interview with any of these with such horrible GRE scores? Or should I try to study in England or Germany to get around GRE scores? I am just very nervous and frustrated right now!

I appreciate any comments!

Thank you in advance,

Sarah
 
Thanks for the heads up. I should mention that I am primarily looking at Psyd prorgams, not PhD, if that helps. The nursing experience I figured would help because it's on job experience in mental health, and it showed that I was placed into an advanced practice role with relatively little experience (typically Nurse Clinicians require 5 years experience, I got into my job with just over 1 year). I would go anywhere that would accept me, and being that research isn't important for me, I believe that is a fair statement. Any other thoughts?
 
It's not that I have no interest in research, it's just not the main reason that I want to get into the field. My goal would be get my credentials, and then realistically focus on clinical for the rest of my career. I want to work with people and help them directly, not research them, if that makes sense.
 
josephineangeli said:
Hello everyone,

I have looked through the various posts that exist here already about GRE score related matter but would still like to put this question out there since I am very concerned. So at the moment, I am in my senior year and am preparing my applications for PhD/PsyD programs in clinical psychology. I have collected extensive clinical research through interning/volunteering in special education schools, English assistance programs for Romani communities in Rome, Italy, the Shuar community in Ecuador, and in urban settings of Bangalore India and Ho Chi Minh City. I also volunteered for quite a while with an Anti Trafficking organization where I mainly helped with basic counseling, mentor ship, recreational activities etc. I have also gathered lots of research experience by interning at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, research on social issues and how they are related to mental health in Vietnam, Ecuador, Italy, and India. Right now, I am writing my own study focusing on counseling and human trafficking. I am studying at St. John's University, NY and have an overall GPA of 3.9 and a major GPA of 4.0. I have also received an honor as one of the best students of my department. But now comes the bad side of it all...I have taken the GRE and scored very low. Quant. 148/Verbal 155/Writing 5.5 (Okay, the writing score is actually very decent but Quant is a nightmare). My Subject Test GRE score is fine though (760). I am definitely planning on retaking the GRE but I am very bad at Math (except Stats which am I am very decent at) and also, since I was raised for most of my life in Germany, not very accustomed to Standardized Tests. I did horrible on my SAT back then as well although that did not later reflect my college success. Now the question is: Is there any chance I will still get an interview with GRE Scores of, let's say, 158 Verbal and 153 Quant? I am obviously not going to apply to Harvard or Columbia...I am not living in an illusion..
My plan is to apply to the following schools:
- Adler School of Professional Psychology
- CUNY City College
- Loyola University, Chicago
- De Paul University
- St. John's University
- University of Toronto
and Antioch University, New England.

Do you believe there is any chance I could at least get an interview with any of these with such horrible GRE scores? Or should I try to study in England or Germany to get around GRE scores? I am just very nervous and frustrated right now!

I appreciate any comments!

Thank you in advance,

Sarah
Click to expand...

Mod Note: Merged into the WAMC thread.
 
psycscientist said:
If all you want to do is therapy, then you should get a Master's degree. Doctoral study in psychology is about much more than just training for direct service delivery. If you don't understand the research and science of psychology (i.e., by learning how to do it and how to consume it), you are not going to be an effective psychologist. Going to a program with low standards is not going to provide you with adequate training.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the information. But for a better understanding - First of all, the schools that I listed...For instance, both Loyola and St. John's are very decent schools. Secondly, I do want the research part and I already earned lots of experience in the research field to make sure this is really what I want.
Third, I asked whether I should then rather study in Europe because they do not require a GRE! In fact, a lot of universities in Germany and, for instance, England, have a great amount of excellent clinical psychology programs! So I really just wanted to know whether any program takes students with low GRE scores when all the rest looks pretty good. And that doesn't mean that no good university accepts students with only high GREs since many studies have proven that the GRE hardly predicts anything and is only utilized because they have not found a better standardized test so far...
 
josephineangeli said:
I am so sorry :) I actually realized that after submitting as well but it was too late! When I clicked on the alert, it actually showed me that comment!!
Click to expand...

I believe United11's comment was directed at you, and was moved over here when I merged the two threads. I would agree with what that poster mentioned--you can check the average credentials of incoming students at the programs in which you're interested to see how you stack up, which could give you a ballpark idea of how competitive you'll be. And as United11 mentioned, having a strong research/mentor fit is going to be crucial; perhaps more so than all the "numbers" combined.

Searching the forums for the schools you've mentioned could also give you an idea of others' opinions of, and/or experiences with those programs.
 
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