WAMC: What Are My Chances

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I am currently a junior at university, and I am planning on going into Clinical Child Psychology. I have a major in Psych and a minor in Health Systems Management, which is hospital management and was planning on working in a hospital either during or before graduate school. I will be applying to MHA, PSY.D and PH.D programs in the upcoming year.

I want to just gauge my options here because I know for a fact that my GPA isn't the strongest. Personal problems freshman year and then I was Pre-med before doing my Psych major which didn't help my GPA at all. Lots of C-'s, C's, and B's, until Chem destroyed my sophomore year GPA. Switched to Psych and HSM and I've been on an upward trend since, but it's not a competitive GPA. 2.44 cum and 2.97 psych gpa. This fall semester should raise both to 2.9 cum and 3.0 major.

I have two years of research experience where I have worked in the same lab in visual cognition with an amazing professor who would be willing to write a letter of rec.

I am good at speaking and such, and know I have to do well on the GRE. I worked in a school and did a job at a summer camp for hands-on child experience. I was wondering what I should start looking into to strengthen my application as I would really like to practice hands-on clinical psychology, like seeing patients and such
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Hi, I'm prospective PsyD student trying to find a good fit based on my qualifications, which are as follows:

BA in Psych and Philosophy from UW - Madison, 3.15 cumulative GPA.
*** This is obviously a weak point, but there are mitigating circumstances. My freshman year I was enrolled in Chemical Engineering and ended up suffering some emotional problems in addition to realizing the program was not for me. I failed out, took a year off and then returned to pursue psych, and within the department my GPA is 3.78. I will need to prove to admissions officers that my entry into a PsyD program will not result in another 'false start', but I think I can do this.

GRE:
800 math
730 verbal
5.5 analytical
770 Psych subject test

Experience:
10 years in Early Childhood Education
2 years as PCW for adults with mental disabilities
3 years as researcher in Cultural Psychology lab on UW - Madison campus, I'm not credited as an author but I'm acknowledged in the paper, additionally I'm receiving a recommendation from my mentor who is now a PhD and professor. (The other two recs are from my bosses.)

I graduated in 2010, and have had several years to determine what I want to do. I'm hoping that my advanced age (I'm 28) will count in my favor by evidencing that I'm not interested in messing about but rather will take my studies seriously.

The programs I'm considering are:

PGSP (this is the dream, of course. Do you think I've got a shot at all?)
Loma Linda (I heard some good things, seems better than Alliant)
Alliant SF and SD (Can't be sure it's worth the tuition, but I'm applying anyway to keep my options open.)
UC Denver
Antioch in NH
Loyola in MD

The last three are largely to keep my options open. I would like to be in Northern California but will attend the best program to which I am accepted. I am finding it very challenging to determine which programs represent a good fit, and any advice or information you guys have would be greatly appreciated.

Of course the biggest question is WAMC re: PGSP?
 
Hello all,

I am thinking about eliminating Widener's PsyD program from my list because, according to the Insider's Guide, over 300 apply and 50 get in. Here are my stats:
GPA: will be 3.6 when I graduate, psych will be 3.8
GRE: 152 V & 148 Q, 4.0 Writing (300 combined)
Was second investigator on two studies and am currently in the process of collecting data for my own. However, no posters and no pubs.
My research interest is personality disorders, but I am interested in researching almost anything as long as it is related to severe mental illness.
Worked on a crisis hotline and accumulated over 600 hours, but for some reason only half of the hours made it to my official transcript because my supervisor doesn't answer her phone. I am currently a Guardian Ad Litem volunteer and in an organization at my school as Secretary, but that's about it.
Do you guys think I have a shot?
Also, I wanted to ask another question. Are undergraduates "allowed" to do research on personality disorders? The faculty at my school tell me I'm not, but I see other undergraduates on here who say they did...

Thank you!
 
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crazypsychstudent said:
Hello all,

I am thinking about eliminating Widener's PsyD program from my list because, according to the Insider's Guide, over 300 apply and 50 get in. Here are my stats:
GPA: will be 3.6 when I graduate, psych will be 3.8
GRE: 152 V & 148 Q, 4.0 Writing (300 combined)
Was second investigator on two studies and am currently in the process of collecting data for my own. However, no posters and no pubs.
My research interest is personality disorders, but I am interested in researching almost anything as long as it is related to severe mental illness.
Worked on a crisis hotline and accumulated over 600 hours, but for some reason only half of the hours made it to my official transcript because my supervisor doesn't answer her phone. I am currently a Guardian Ad Litem volunteer and in an organization at my school as Secretary, but that's about it.
Do you guys think I have a shot?
Also, I wanted to ask another question. Are undergraduates "allowed" to do research on personality disorders? The faculty at my school tell me I'm not, but I see other undergraduates on here who say they did...

Thank you!
Click to expand...

Mod Note: Merged this post into the WAMC thread.

To answer the first question--your GPA and research experience look/sound fine, but the GRE is unfortunately a bit low and likely to present an obstacle for grad school admissions. You can see how you stack up against the recently-admitted Widener students to gauge how competitive you'll be, although I'd also suggest you check out Widener's (and any program's to which you're applying) outcome data to see how their students fare on internship matching, passing the EPPP, and licensure rates.

For the second question--I don't see that being involved with personality disorder research would be markedly different than involvement in study of any other topic(s). It's mostly a matter of what you actually want to do with the study. If there's any clinical component or the opportunity for liability on your/the POI's part (e.g., if you're using questionnaires that assess for suicidality or significant emotional distress and are working with "high risk" populations, such as folks with borderline personality disorder who have multiple prior self-harm attempts), I could see why they might balk.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
Mod Note: Merged this post into the WAMC thread.

To answer the first question--your GPA and research experience look/sound fine, but the GRE is unfortunately a bit low and likely to present an obstacle for grad school admissions. You can see how you stack up against the recently-admitted Widener students to gauge how competitive you'll be, although I'd also suggest you check out Widener's (and any program's to which you're applying) outcome data to see how their students fare on internship matching, passing the EPPP, and licensure rates.

For the second question--I don't see that being involved with personality disorder research would be markedly different than involvement in study of any other topic(s). It's mostly a matter of what you actually want to do with the study. If there's any clinical component or the opportunity for liability on your/the POI's part (e.g., if you're using questionnaires that assess for suicidality or significant emotional distress and are working with "high risk" populations, such as folks with borderline personality disorder who have multiple prior self-harm attempts), I could see why they might balk.
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Thank you for your reply. Do you think my GRE scores would get me weeded out from most PsyD programs? Also, when I asked my professor about doing personality disorder research, he said we would need a clinic. Would I really need a clinical population to do this? I thought I could give a questionnaire to see what cluster people are in.
 
crazypsychstudent said:
Thank you for your reply. Do you think my GRE scores would get me weeded out from most PsyD programs? Also, when I asked my professor about doing personality disorder research, he said we would need a clinic. Would I really need a clinical population to do this? I thought I could give a questionnaire to see what cluster people are in.
Click to expand...

And if they are in a "cluster," are you going to offer them treatment? Not that quesationaiires dx personality disorders, but still...

There are ethics associated with working with clinical populations. If there is not an existing infrastructure for addressing clincial concerns/treatment/crisis, then you are going to be out of luck as an undegrad.

And I would def retake the GRE if I were you.
 
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If you are doing personality disorders research, you would need a clinical population. If you use a non-clinical sample, then you are pretty much just studying normal variations in personality structure.

And I would agree with others, if you are working with the clinical population, you need some infrastructure set up to handle clinical problems should they arise. And this is a population where these things arise more often. If I were a faculty advisor, I would also not offer this to undergrads, way more hassle then payoff.
 
WisNeuro said:
If you are doing personality disorders research, you would need a clinical population. If you use a non-clinical sample, then you are pretty much just studying normal variations in personality structure.

And I would agree with others, if you are working with the clinical population, you need some infrastructure set up to handle clinical problems should they arise. And this is a population where these things arise more often. If I were a faculty advisor, I would also not offer this to undergrads, way more hassle then payoff.
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Then how would I be able to ever match with a POI without any research in their field?
 
Most people volunteer and work in a lab that is already doing established research. It doesn't necessarily have to be in their field, but it helps to be related in some way. This is why some people take a year or two off before grad school a lot of the time. They find the work they are interested in and work in that lab. That aside, any research experience can be helpful, so you can always join a lab at your school that is doing something you find interesting, even if it isn't exactly what you want to do in grad school.
 
crazypsychstudent said:
Then how would I be able to ever match with a POI without any research in their field?
Click to expand...

If are ultimately intersted in personality disorders, why have you not, or why dont you now, get involved with lab at your school that is research personality constructs in some way. This work would obviously be relevant to a graduate faculty who is researching disorders of persoanlity.
 
Sgt_Pepper55 said:
Gonna try posting again and see if I can get some feedback.

Background: I'm a senior Psychology Major looking at (almost exclusively) dual-emphasis PhD programs in Clinical Psychology for Fall 2016. I am taking a year off to work on my weak research experience. My details include planned stuff of course. My research interests are (loosely) developmental psychopathology, and substance abuse.

My second choice would be PhD programs in Counseling. Although my preference would be working in psychopathology, I've heard from (licensed psychologists, and sdn members) that Counseling psychologists in the right setting don't differ all that much from Clinical. Plus I don't find it financially wise to take on significant debt for a PsyD.

Cumulative GPA (expected at graduation): 3.60 (note First year was rough, and I did most of the pre-med coursework)
Psychology GPA (expected at graduation): 3.84

GRE: I haven't yet taken it, but have a lot of time to prepare. I'm mainly concerned about my research experience

Research by application time:
- 1 year undergraduate research in a developmental lab focusing on family and children (sleep apnea, alcohol usage etc).
- 1 year as paid RA in a lab dealing with substance abuse treatment programs.
- Working on possible poster presentation.

Clinical experience:
- 1 semester as intern for a counseling center working under a clinical psychologist who also deals with substance abuse.

Letters of Rec:
- I have quite a few Psych faculty who'd be glad to write me a letter. Yet after talking to the directer of my University's Clinical program and being told "for my lab, letters only contribute to the application if they are bad", I'm not going to rely on these to make up for other areas.

A few extracurriculars that won't be too meaningful on the application. Psi Chi officer, volunteering in community, etc.

A taste of schools I'm looking at:
-U of L
-UK (my undergrad school)
-University of Tennessee
-Indiana-State (Funded, more research oriented Psy. D)
-Cincinnati
- Northern Illinois


I'm no stranger to the application process. I've read studies, books, and I've spoken with MANY faculty and current grad students. That being said I'm not sure if it's even worth applying to mid-level clinical programs with only 2 years of research, no publications, and less than stellar GPAs. My GRE would have to be pretty good as well, and I haven't even taken the actual test yet (took some practice tests that probably weren't representative of the real test).

I've heard stories of much better applicants not getting in anywhere, and while I didn't see their personal statements, letters of rec or CVs, it's still a disheartening notion.

I'd just like some feedback on where I stand, and anything else I should be doing.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Update:

I've had suggestions to look at post-bacc (unpaid) opportunities for my year off including research work, and post bacc classes.One person has suggested the possibility of delaying graduation for a year. However that seems kind of silly to me.

Would it not be better to attend a masters program (the ones I'm looking at have similar tuition to my undergrad school), where I can likely do more intensive coursework, more research, and actually be a counselor by the end of it? Although students entering with a masters are less common, I would suspect it to be a disadvantage necessarily. In fact, if the correct opportunities are utilized, it could be an advantage.

I don't see how delaying graduation would be a wise decision, when I could gain admission to a terminal masters program, and then apply for Ph.D. schools.
 
erg923 said:
If are ultimately intersted in personality disorders, why have you not, or why dont you now, get involved with lab at your school that is research personality constructs in some way. This work would obviously be relevant to a graduate faculty who is researching disorders of persoanlity.
Click to expand...
We don't have a lab like that at my school, but I am currently collecting data on narcissistic personality traits and subjective well-being. Do you think this is relevant experience for POIs?
 
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Sgt_Pepper55 said:
Update:

I've had suggestions to look at post-bacc (unpaid) opportunities for my year off including research work, and post bacc classes.One person has suggested the possibility of delaying graduation for a year. However that seems kind of silly to me.

Would it not be better to attend a masters program (the ones I'm looking at have similar tuition to my undergrad school), where I can likely do more intensive coursework, more research, and actually be a counselor by the end of it? Although students entering with a masters are less common, I would suspect it to be a disadvantage necessarily. In fact, if the correct opportunities are utilized, it could be an advantage.

I don't see how delaying graduation would be a wise decision, when I could gain admission to a terminal masters program, and then apply for Ph.D. schools.
Click to expand...

I did a master prior to my Ph.D. It worked out well for me (although it cost money) but its not the most effiencent route. Its better to work after graduation for a year in paid research oriented position. If you have sufficient ressearch experience from undergrad, then working a full time clincially oriented job (case manger, psych tech, psychometrist, etc) wouldnt be bad either.
 
erg923 said:
I did a master prior to my Ph.D. It worked out well for me (although it cost money) but its not the most effiencent route. Its better to work after graduation for a year in paid research oriented position. If you have sufficient ressearch experience from undergrad, then working a full time clincially oriented job (case manger, psych tech, psychometrist, etc) wouldnt be bad either.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'd agree that a paid RA position would be the ideal. Though I've heard they are difficult to find,much less obtain. Of course, I wouldn't be limited to one University in the area, and I've already been in talks with potential employers.
 
WAMC?

I was arrested when I was 18years old and still in high school. With out the specific details of how things unfolded, I will say that my record will likely show that I was found guilty of two misdemeanors: 1) possession of a medication without a prescription (a lesser offense), and 2) possession of paraphernalia (marijuana pipe). I was not found guilty of a felony, and I have not been in any trouble since that time, its now been 5 years. I'm now 23 years old, and a lot more mature.

Additionally, my scores reflect this period of my life (FYI I didn't really turn my life around until is about 20); my transcripts are littered with F's and repeats. However, the change in my life, wellbeing, and my academic career has been substantial. I now hold a 3.4 GPA, research and teaching experience, excellent letters, and a slightly less than average GRE scores.

My real concern is the arrest record. I want to disclose this if I have to, because I don't want to get nailed for not doing such. So, I have many topics for threads of a different day. For now, WAMC, with two misdemeanors at the age of 18?

Thanks,

The New Guy
 
Hello,

I applied to the masters program in Psychology in Education at Columbia teachers College.

I have a 3.49 cumulative GPA. I also have a 3.19 major GPA. I went to a solid university and have research, clinical, volunteer, and leadership experience.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could tell me what they think my realistic chances are with these stats.

Thank you very much for your time.
 
wonderboy123 said:
Hello,

I applied to the masters program in Psychology in Education at Columbia teachers College.

I have a 3.49 cumulative GPA. I also have a 3.19 major GPA. I went to a solid university and have research, clinical, volunteer, and leadership experience.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could tell me what they think my realistic chances are with these stats.

Thank you very much for your time.
Click to expand...

Mod Note: Merged into the WAMC sticky
 
Hello All,

I applied to a masters program in psychology in education at Columbia teachers college. I have a 3.49 cumulative GPA and 3.19 major GPA. I come from a solid university. I have a good amount of honors/awards, research experience, clinical experience, community service, and leadership experience.

Do you think I have a chance at getting in with these stats?
Thank you for your time.
 
I'm sorry my post was redundant didn't realize it was merged to this thread. Thank you!
 
So I decided on pursuing graduate study in Psychology towards the end of my undergrad, so no research experience right now. With that in mind, I'm applying to Master's programs and PsyD programs. I am sort of testing the waters...if accepted to a decent PsyD, I will certainly consider going. However, I still haven't made up my mind between an extra two years of school (in a Master's program), or a significant student loan debt (PsyD). If I opt for the Master's program first, I will be pursuing a PhD in either Clinical or Counseling Psychology after that, and the Master's will be intended to give me time to gain research experience and (in some cases) allow me to get an LPC license. But, I guess all of this is contingent upon whether or not I am accepted...so, here are my stats:

GRE: 161V (87th percentile, 620 old scale) 162Q (83rd percentile, 780 old scale) 5.0A (93rd percentile)

GPA: 3.02 - Cumulative (I know...), 3.95 - last 60 hours. GPA has a significant upward trend, with several F's and a lot of C's in the first two years.

Research Experience: None currently, applying for several research assistant positions, but no luck so far

Clinical Experience: ~1 year volunteering for a Crisis Hotline, 2 years of counseling within the Church

LOR: Should have three great letters

Schools:

Wheaton College - PsyD
Rosemead - PsyD
Widener - PsyD
Spalding - PsyD
George Fox - PsyD

North Carolina Central University - Master's in Clinical Psychology
Wake Forest University - Master's in Psychology
North Carolina State University - Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
University of North Carolina - Master's in Rehabilitation Counseling and Psychology
Teacher's College, Columbia University - Master's in Psychology: Spirituality Mind Body
UNC Greensboro - Master's in General Experimental Psychology


...WAMC?
 
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I've been doing a lot of research lately - and feel my chances are very poor.

I am more curious as to know what my next steps could be to better my chances.

Graduated Cum Laude 2012 with BA in Psych GPA 3.87

I don't have research experience - hoping to apply to a more counseling related PHD program like the one offered at AZ State University, or NYU as I ultimately would like to have my own private practice that is more positive / holistically involved.

I tried to get a Psych related job when I graduated but the results were dismal. I have tutoring and counseling experience from my undergrad and I've nannied before - but otherwise have been working for a small start up company in creative production for the past year. I do not have any ties to past professors for recommendation letters . . .

I've always loved Psychology and want to make a positive impact on others lives.

I know right now I'm at the short end of things and probably have a lot of work to do before applying -

Any advice for steps I should take before taking the plunge?
 
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corndog56 said:
Schools:

Wheaton College - PsyD
Rosemead - PsyD
Widener - PsyD
Spalding - PsyD
George Fox - PsyD

...WAMC?
Click to expand...

If I were you, I'd reconsider Rosemead and George Fox. Terrible match rates, and I have yet to see a halfway decent application for internship from there.
 
I am applying to a breadth of both more/ less competative funded clinical psych PHD programs. All of them are a strong research match.

I'll start off with my worst stat: GRE: V152, Q149, AW5.0. My scores improved from the last time I took the GRE (which is almost saying nothing). Both rounds I studied rigorously so I am worried about my potential to seriously improve my score, although I have not ruled out studying for it and taking it again if I do not get in this round.

B.S Psychology: cum GPA 3.8, major GPA 4.0 at a state university

-2 years support group facilitator
-2 years volunteer research assistant in a human development lab
-1 year volunteer research assistant in a clinical psych lab
-full time paid summer intern for a clinical psych clinical trial
-2 professional posters
-senior thesis
-currently volunteering in another clinical psych lab
-3 excellent LOR's, all PHD's

I am worried that my GRE scores are so low that my application won't even be looked at. Has anyone else been in a similar boat and had success?
 
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A_Different_Student said:
WAMC?

I was arrested when I was 18years old and still in high school. With out the specific details of how things unfolded, I will say that my record will likely show that I was found guilty of two misdemeanors: 1) possession of a medication without a prescription (a lesser offense), and 2) possession of paraphernalia (marijuana pipe). I was not found guilty of a felony, and I have not been in any trouble since that time, its now been 5 years. I'm now 23 years old, and a lot more mature.

Additionally, my scores reflect this period of my life (FYI I didn't really turn my life around until is about 20); my transcripts are littered with F's and repeats. However, the change in my life, wellbeing, and my academic career has been substantial. I now hold a 3.4 GPA, research and teaching experience, excellent letters, and a slightly less than average GRE scores.

My real concern is the arrest record. I want to disclose this if I have to, because I don't want to get nailed for not doing such. So, I have many topics for threads of a different day. For now, WAMC, with two misdemeanors at the age of 18?

Thanks,

The New Guy
Click to expand...

I can't speak for your situation exactly, but I had a misdemeanor (shoplifting) on my record when I applied to PhD programs. Most applications will only ask about felonies. However, at least one school asked about misdemeanors and gave a space to give an explanation. I told the story and said that it was many years ago and doesn't represent who I am now. I ended up getting accepted to that school, so evidently they didn't think it was a big deal. My advice is to be honest and forthcoming. Your crime was pretty minor in the grand scheme of things and it doesn't sound like you've had any run-ins with the law since then, and I imagine this would be taken into account. Hopefully it won't make any difference for your chances.
 
My case is a little off-center, as my GPA and GRE scores are not stellar by any means, but I have what I believe is better than average research and community experience for someone just turned 21, and I've so far aced all three of my seminar classes - Abnormal Psychology, Motivation and History of Systems of Psychology. I'll also be taking seminars in Cross-Cultural and Developmental Psychology before the end of the school year and should ace those as well.

Part of the issue with my GPA is that I took a number of classes through a community college as part of Running Start, a program in Washington State that allows you to have such classes count for both high school and college credit. Those grades don't get to have their GPA included in my four-year college GPA, though almost all of them were transferable to my four year college. The other part is that I have two Cs in Psychology classes - one as a result of a friend dying suddenly the day before the final (did much better the second time I took the class), the other being surprised with a big chunk of work as local preparation for a summer class in China which was not on the pre-application syllabus, which took up most of my time.

Bachelors of Science - General Psychology
Bachelor of Arts - Chinese Language
Time to accomplish: Four years
Cumulative GPA (Summer 2014): 3.28
GRE - Verbal: 153
GRE - Quantitative: 155
GRE - Analytical: 4.2 (....the joys of ADHD......)
GRE Psychology Subject exam - I haven't received the score back yet

By graduation in June 2015, I will have three years research experience. I am a senior researcher for a project regarding young children and families, where I supervise, train and assist five other undergraduate students. I am also a head researcher regarding a project regarding assessing the value of DBT for subjects having gone through it. I had first billing and presented on a poster presentation for the WPA event in Portland earlier this year, and am included in a poster presentation that will be presented in 2015 at the Association for Women in Psychology.

I will also have two years experience as a facilitator for adolescents that have suffered the loss of a family member, having acquired two certifications (The Doughy Center-Facilitator Skills; Stewards of Children Certification) and working on a third.

My research professor, another that specialties in baby development and a third that specializes in cognition and memory have all agreed to write me letters of recommendation. I also will be receiving a letter of recommendation from where I am a facilitator.

I am also considered moderately to highly fluent in Mandarin, with training not only at my university, but also in Beijing and Kunming. (I am Caucasian and have no East Asian background in my family.) I chased this second degree because it seemed to help me deal with my ADHD - I can interpret and retain images exceptionally well, but symbols not as well (though I've worked very hard to counteract this issue). Chinese character retention comes relatively easy for me with a little study. I was tutoring for a time, but quit after my friend's passing and the resultant bad final to focus more on my coursework.

In general, I want to benefit undeserved populations as much as possible through creating a bridge between therapy and research. One specific area of interest is working with adolescents from bilingual immigrant families, preferably where the primary language is Mandarin. I have a strong interest in research to determine optimal therapeutic methods for these adolescents in particular and their families in general. Another area of interest is the impact of emotion regulation in infancy on anxiety, ADHD and the eating disorders of adolescents, specifically determining unique risk and protective factors that would lead to lower rates of these highly prevalent disorders. A third area of interest is the potential risk and protective factors regarding father-specific impact on children’s development.

I am considering applying to a large number of clinical psychology programs. It might look scattershot at first glance, but these programs have professors working one way or another in at least one of my areas of interest above.

Boston University
California - Berkeley
Delaware
Harvard
Hawaii - Manoa
Northern Illinois
Ohio State
Oregon
Ottawa
Penn State
Simon Fraser
Southern Illinois - Carbondale
U Denver (PhD)
U Loyola-Chicago
U Mass - Amherst
U Victoria
University of Washington
UCLA
York
Utah
Waterloo
Wayne State
Windsor

I would appreciate an honest assessment of my chances of being accepted to any of these programs. I know that my research professor would love for me to apply to the school's Mental Health Counseling or Experimental Psychology masters programs, but that isn't my preference at this time.
 
palamedes said:
My case is a little off-center, as my GPA and GRE scores are not stellar by any means, but I have what I believe is better than average research and community experience for someone just turned 21, and I've so far aced all three of my seminar classes - Abnormal Psychology, Motivation and History of Systems of Psychology. I'll also be taking seminars in Cross-Cultural and Developmental Psychology before the end of the school year and should ace those as well.

Part of the issue with my GPA is that I took a number of classes through a community college as part of Running Start, a program in Washington State that allows you to have such classes count for both high school and college credit. Those grades don't get to have their GPA included in my four-year college GPA, though almost all of them were transferable to my four year college. The other part is that I have two Cs in Psychology classes - one as a result of a friend dying suddenly the day before the final (did much better the second time I took the class), the other being surprised with a big chunk of work as local preparation for a summer class in China which was not on the pre-application syllabus, which took up most of my time.

Bachelors of Science - General Psychology
Bachelor of Arts - Chinese Language
Time to accomplish: Four years
Cumulative GPA (Summer 2014): 3.28
GRE - Verbal: 153
GRE - Quantitative: 155
GRE - Analytical: 4.2 (....the joys of ADHD......)
GRE Psychology Subject exam - I haven't received the score back yet

By graduation in June 2015, I will have three years research experience. I am a senior researcher for a project regarding young children and families, where I supervise, train and assist five other undergraduate students. I am also a head researcher regarding a project regarding assessing the value of DBT for subjects having gone through it. I had first billing and presented on a poster presentation for the WPA event in Portland earlier this year, and am included in a poster presentation that will be presented in 2015 at the Association for Women in Psychology.

I will also have two years experience as a facilitator for adolescents that have suffered the loss of a family member, having acquired two certifications (The Doughy Center-Facilitator Skills; Stewards of Children Certification) and working on a third.

My research professor, another that specialties in baby development and a third that specializes in cognition and memory have all agreed to write me letters of recommendation. I also will be receiving a letter of recommendation from where I am a facilitator.

I am also considered moderately to highly fluent in Mandarin, with training not only at my university, but also in Beijing and Kunming. (I am Caucasian and have no East Asian background in my family.) I chased this second degree because it seemed to help me deal with my ADHD - I can interpret and retain images exceptionally well, but symbols not as well (though I've worked very hard to counteract this issue). Chinese character retention comes relatively easy for me with a little study. I was tutoring for a time, but quit after my friend's passing and the resultant bad final to focus more on my coursework.

In general, I want to benefit undeserved populations as much as possible through creating a bridge between therapy and research. One specific area of interest is working with adolescents from bilingual immigrant families, preferably where the primary language is Mandarin. I have a strong interest in research to determine optimal therapeutic methods for these adolescents in particular and their families in general. Another area of interest is the impact of emotion regulation in infancy on anxiety, ADHD and the eating disorders of adolescents, specifically determining unique risk and protective factors that would lead to lower rates of these highly prevalent disorders. A third area of interest is the potential risk and protective factors regarding father-specific impact on children’s development.

I am considering applying to a large number of clinical psychology programs. It might look scattershot at first glance, but these programs have professors working one way or another in at least one of my areas of interest above.

Boston University
California - Berkeley
Delaware
Harvard
Hawaii - Manoa
Northern Illinois
Ohio State
Oregon
Ottawa
Penn State
Simon Fraser
Southern Illinois - Carbondale
U Denver (PhD)
U Loyola-Chicago
U Mass - Amherst
U Victoria
University of Washington
UCLA
York
Utah
Waterloo
Wayne State
Windsor

I would appreciate an honest assessment of my chances of being accepted to any of these programs. I know that my research professor would love for me to apply to the school's Mental Health Counseling or Experimental Psychology masters programs, but that isn't my preference at this time.
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Hi, So while looking at your application.. I think you are good at every school you listed except Harvard and University of Washington. Quite frankly, If you sent money there, I think it would be a waste of your time applying- not to be harsh- just telling you the truth. University of Washington both require at least greater than a 3.5 and 160's for your application to be EVEN reviewed. I think you have an excellent chance- but seeing as my step-mom got her PhD in clinical psych from University of Washington and my brother- his from harvard, they can attest to that. I DO think you'll have a great chance at all the others- UCLA Is good, but I know that they look at the wide range of things of applicants than harvard or Washington.
 
I'm going to apply for a Ph.D in either School Psychology, Educational Psychology or Counseling Psychology. I have a Master's Degree with a 3.95 and my GRE is 143V 150Q 4 on the Writing. I have did the culminating project. What are my chances of getting into Michigan State, Central Michigan University, Ohio State University, the rest of the Big 10, SEC schools?
 
myself111 said:
I'm going to apply for a Ph.D in either School Psychology, Educational Psychology or Counseling Psychology. I have a Master's Degree with a 3.95 and my GRE is 143V 150Q 4 on the Writing. I have did the culminating project. What are my chances of getting into Michigan State, Central Michigan University, Ohio State University, the rest of the Big 10, SEC schools?
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My Master's is in Educational Psychology.
 
I am starting to really freak out about my chances as deadlines are approaching. It has taken so much money and time to apply and I will be crushed if I am not accepted to at least one program. Here are my stats:

GPA 3.81
GRE: V-163 Q-158 A-4.0

I graduated magna cum laude with departmental and university honors in 2010 and was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa. During undergrad I worked in 4 different labs (all for 1-3 years), did an honors thesis, and participated in a paid and very competitive summer research program at UCLA which resulted in a publication (4th of 5 authors). After graduation I was a paid project coordinator for 2 years. I also worked in a psych hospital for 2 years during undergrad. I have 5 first-author posters as well as a minor in statistics.

Here is where things get questionable - As I was starting the application process I found out that I was pregnant and put everything on hold. Now 4 years after undergrad I am applying (with a 2 year old at my side). I am working in a lab and doing an independent project, but am worried admissions committees will see the two-year gap on my CV and get suspicious. In my statement I just attributed it to "family circumstances."

I am applying to clinical Ph.D. programs at:
UNC-Chapel Hill
UT Austin
Arkansas
Maine
Virginia
Purdue
Ohio State
Penn State
UMass Amherst
Delaware

Think I have a shot at one of these?
 
I am no expert (and honestly don't know GRE scores without percentiles reported), but as long as you have a letter writer that is recent (i.e., post-family-circumstances-gap), you should get looked at. That is a good amount of experience, and life happens.

ginger13 said:
I am starting to really freak out about my chances as deadlines are approaching. It has taken so much money and time to apply and I will be crushed if I am not accepted to at least one program. Here are my stats:

GPA 3.81
GRE: V-163 Q-158 A-4.0

I graduated magna cum laude with departmental and university honors in 2010 and was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa. During undergrad I worked in 4 different labs (all for 1-3 years), did an honors thesis, and participated in a paid and very competitive summer research program at UCLA which resulted in a publication (4th of 5 authors). After graduation I was a paid project coordinator for 2 years. I also worked in a psych hospital for 2 years during undergrad. I have 5 first-author posters as well as a minor in statistics.

Here is where things get questionable - As I was starting the application process I found out that I was pregnant and put everything on hold. Now 4 years after undergrad I am applying (with a 2 year old at my side). I am working in a lab and doing an independent project, but am worried admissions committees will see the two-year gap on my CV and get suspicious. In my statement I just attributed it to "family circumstances."

I am applying to clinical Ph.D. programs at:
UNC-Chapel Hill
UT Austin
Arkansas
Maine
Virginia
Purdue
Ohio State
Penn State
UMass Amherst
Delaware

Think I have a shot at one of these?
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I was hoping someone could give me an opinion on whether I would be a competitive candidate for a developmental or developmental psychopathology PhD program. I'm especially interested in U Vanderbilt's program, where they have a lab focusing on developmental disabilities. I don't plan to apply until next year, but there wasn't a forum for that yet.

I did apply for the same programs in 2008, the year I got my BA, but I wasn't admitted.

The good:

I have my bachelor's in psychology, with a 3.94 GPA (4.0 in psych) and wrote an Honors thesis with original research in developmental psych. I also had biological research experience before that, and was the research assistant for a professor in a summer project in another country. I also did an internship at a youth treatment facility during another summer. After my bachelor's, I worked for a large hospital as a research assistant for 3 years and got my master's in special education (3.96 GPA). I have taught for a large school district for 4 years, in multi-intensive special education. I know I could get very supportive letters of recommendation from any of these experiences.

The bad:

I've never been published. I have been out of school for 6 years now. I need to retake the GRE (I got a 13-something last time, around 700 verbal and 600 quantitative) and I plan to study for about 5 months this time.

Can anyone give me an honest opinion about my chances here? I'm afraid my lack of recent research experience and published work will be a detriment. Also, is there anything I could do to improve my chances?

I would appreciate any feedback.
 
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As probably everyone currently applying has, I have officially gotten to the nervous wreck phase. Here's my summary. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

GPA: 3.1 (failed out at 18 for not attending - went back at 22 and now making Dean's List, honors orgs, etc. & hoping they don't kick me to the curb from GPA alone)
GRE: 157 V (74%) 150 Q (40%) 4 AW (56%)
I have four years of research experience, two of those years I designed and ran my own studies. I've presented posters twice. No publications.
My letter writers: A) supervisor (assistant professor) from one of the years I designed a study B) supervisor (post-doc + signature of other supervisor who is a research faculty member) from the other year I designed a study C) tenured professor I took 3 grad level statistical analysis and research method classes from

Applying to social psychology programs: Nebraska, Illinois at Chicago, USC, UCSD, Minnesota, UC Santa Cruz, Clark, Colorado Boulder, Nevada at Reno. (Also applying to political science: UC Merced, Stony Brook, Nebraska)

So, what are my chances?
 
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Hi everyone!

I'm kinda new to this so if I'm missing something I apologize! I'm a junior at a large public research university and I'm seriously looking into clinical PhD programs. Here are my stats:

Psychology Major
Sociology Minor
Criminal Justice Certificate
Foreign Language: American Sign Language
Departmental Honors


Cumulative GPA: 3.783 (probably will increase after this semester)
Major GPA: 3.89

2 Research Assistant positions. One is in psychotherapy, and another is involving sex offenders (possible publication !) I will also be doing an undergraduate honors thesis.

As of right now I have 0 presentations and 0 publications although I may have a publication coming later on next year! I also have not taken the GREs yet. I have also been a Resident Assistant on campus for 2 years, involved in Student Government, and a substitute teacher at my hometown. Last semester I worked as an intern at an adoption agency.

I plan on applying to (mostly) equal emphasis clinical PhD programs with some specialization in forensic psychology OR with faculty members with research interests in that field. My current list includes these schools:


-----John Jay College of Criminal Justice ( I'm aware it is not APA accredited :[)
-----Fordham University
-----Drexel University
-----University of Arizona
-----University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
-----University of Nebraska Lincoln
-----Sam Houston State University
-----Texas Tech University (**Counseling Psychology)
-----University of North Texas
-----George Mason University
-----Fairleigh Dickinson University

Does anyone have any advice in how else I can better my chances of getting into grad school? Or does anyone have any advice on other schools I might want to consider given my interests?
 
I don't have much advice, as I'm still an undergraduate. I will say however that the clinical program at Nebraska is outstanding. The faculty at UNL are amazing, the program recently received a national award, and the students in the program are nothing but great. I know there is more to consider when looking at graduate schools, but atmosphere can be important - so this is my random person on the internet telling you that Nebraska is an unbelievably supportive environment moment. You can take it or leave it. :)

Also, get involved in something that makes you different. Nebraska seems to love the quirky people. I'm sure some schools don't mind the cookie cutter productive students, but I think having that one "oh, that's different..." thing on your resume will help at a lot of places, not just UNL.

Nice guy said:
Hi everyone!

I'm kinda new to this so if I'm missing something I apologize! I'm a junior at a large public research university and I'm seriously looking into clinical PhD programs. Here are my stats:

Psychology Major
Sociology Minor
Criminal Justice Certificate
Foreign Language: American Sign Language
Departmental Honors


Cumulative GPA: 3.783 (probably will increase after this semester)
Major GPA: 3.89

2 Research Assistant positions. One is in psychotherapy, and another is involving sex offenders (possible publication !) I will also be doing an undergraduate honors thesis.

As of right now I have 0 presentations and 0 publications although I may have a publication coming later on next year! I also have not taken the GREs yet. I have also been a Resident Assistant on campus for 2 years, involved in Student Government, and a substitute teacher at my hometown. Last semester I worked as an intern at an adoption agency.

I plan on applying to (mostly) equal emphasis clinical PhD programs with some specialization in forensic psychology OR with faculty members with research interests in that field. My current list includes these schools:


-----John Jay College of Criminal Justice ( I'm aware it is not APA accredited :[)
-----Fordham University
-----Drexel University
-----University of Arizona
-----University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
-----University of Nebraska Lincoln
-----Sam Houston State University
-----Texas Tech University (**Counseling Psychology)
-----University of North Texas
-----George Mason University
-----Fairleigh Dickinson University

Does anyone have any advice in how else I can better my chances of getting into grad school? Or does anyone have any advice on other schools I might want to consider given my interests?
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I am currently a junior at university, and I am planning on going into Clinical Child Psychology. I have a major in Psych and a minor in Health Systems Management, which is hospital management and was planning on working in a hospital either during or before graduate school. I will be applying to MHA, PSY.D and PH.D programs in the upcoming year.

I want to just gauge my options here because I know for a fact that my GPA isn't the strongest. I'd just like feedback on if I should focus on working out of college and then applying to clinical programs after? Personal problems freshman year and then I was Pre-med before doing my Psych major which didn't help my GPA at all. Lots of C-'s, C's, and B's, until Chem destroyed my sophomore year GPA. Switched to Psych and HSM and I've been on an upward trend since, but it's not a competitive GPA.

2.44 cum and 2.97 psych gpa. This fall semester should raise both to 2.9 cum and 3.0 major.

I have two years of research experience where I have worked in the same lab in visual cognition with an amazing professor who would be willing to write a letter of rec.

I am good at speaking and such, and know I have to do well on the GRE. I worked in a school and did a job at a summer camp for hands-on child experience. I was wondering what I should start looking into to strengthen my application as I would really like to practice hands-on clinical psychology, like seeing patients and such.
 
Hi all!! I'd be incredibly grateful for some feedback!

I'm looking for a funded clinical PhD, preferably with a specialization in neuropsychology and very preferably in the North East US.

GRE
V: 168; 98%
Q: 158; 71%
AW: 5.5; 98%
-I can re-take these as there were some topics in Q that I just didn't study and believe I could do much better, if that's necessary.

Undergrad
Ivy League school
3.4 overall, 3.0 science

Post-Grad schoolwork
I've done a Masters in Psychology and am doing a Masters in Neuroscience in the UK (two one-year programs) and have high marks (equivalent to 3.5-4.0).

Research
limited & unrelated undergrad scientific research
4k word research thesis during first Masters
8k word research thesis using neuroimaging in second Masters
I haven't published but have been an author on a presented paper and may have 1 or 2 things published by the time I apply.

I should have at least two very strong academic references. I have a few years of experience volunteering/ working on crisis lines.

I'm worried about my GPA. I had no direction at all in college and didn't do amazingly well. But do I need to do more to offset it? I could stay on in the UK and do a PhD in non-clinical brain research, but if I'm getting impatient about delaying clinical study, which is what I really want to do, and I miss the US, but I have no sense of how competitive I'd be, especially having lived abroad for a few years

Please help!! Thank you so much!!
 
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Hey guys, would just like to know what you guys think of me as a candidate.

I'm only applying to one program, John Jay's Clinical PhD. program(i am aware it is not APA accredited)

GRE:
V: 161; 87%
Q: 155, 60%
AW: 5.0; 93%

Undergrad:
Stony Brook University, B.S in Psychology and Sociology(Double major)
3.78 cumulative GPA(Last two years, 4.0), 4.0 science, 3.9 PSY, 4.0 SOC

Research:
No publications, working on honors thesis and will publish by graduation
2 years as a research assistant in both psych and sociology research labs
Psychology honors program, designing own research experiment and writing a master level thesis as an undergraduate

Recommendations:
Two strong recommendation letters from prominent members of Stony Brook's psychology faculty

Extracurricular:
Resident Assistant
NYPD
Part time job(working with computers and technology) for 3+yrs
Teaching Assistant experience for 1yr+
Psi Chi Member

Basically I'm interested in researching the effects of mental illnesses on police officers and the relationship between these effects and violent behaviors.

Also I am an African-American male, first generation.

What do you guys think my chances are?
 
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Hi, everyone. Here's my situation: I'm currently a junior in college at a state school with a major in Psychology and a minor in Biology. My GPA is a 3.8 and I'm the honors program. Next semester, I will begin work on my honors thesis. As you can see, I do very well academically. What I lack is research experience. This summer I hope to find an unpaid internship to gain experience in the field.

My dream is to be accepted in a clinical psychology program right out of undergrad. I have yet to take the GRE, but do intend to hire a tutor and I am confident in my test-taking abilities. I'm not sure how the GRE works, but I did score an 1860 on my SATs with no prior training/classes.

I am interested in working with adults who have personality/mood disorders. My top 2 schools are Suffolk and Boston University, both of which have professors researching in this area.

In your opinion, do I have any chance of getting into either of these programs right after undergrad (assuming I do a decent job on the GRE and gain some experience either in a lab or as an intern this summer)? Would it benefit me to look into a Masters in Counseling to complete in the meantime in the event that I don't get into either PhD program?

I am an academic at heart and I love being in school. I am very committed to obtaining a PhD. My fear is that my lack of experience will prevent me from getting in. I do not want to waste money on a Masters degree if it will be terminal and unhelpful towards getting into a PhD program later on.

I appreciate any advice I can get! Also: I'm only 20 if that makes any difference.
 
BostonPsych715 said:
Hi, everyone. Here's my situation: I'm currently a junior in college at a state school with a major in Psychology and a minor in Biology. My GPA is a 3.8 and I'm the honors program. Next semester, I will begin work on my honors thesis. As you can see, I do very well academically. What I lack is research experience. This summer I hope to find an unpaid internship to gain experience in the field.

My dream is to be accepted in a clinical psychology program right out of undergrad. I have yet to take the GRE, but do intend to hire a tutor and I am confident in my test-taking abilities. I'm not sure how the GRE works, but I did score an 1860 on my SATs with no prior training/classes.

I am interested in working with adults who have personality/mood disorders. My top 2 schools are Suffolk and Boston University, both of which have professors researching in this area.

In your opinion, do I have any chance of getting into either of these programs right after undergrad (assuming I do a decent job on the GRE and gain some experience either in a lab or as an intern this summer)? Would it benefit me to look into a Masters in Counseling to complete in the meantime in the event that I don't get into either PhD program?

I am an academic at heart and I love being in school. I am very committed to obtaining a PhD. My fear is that my lack of experience will prevent me from getting in. I do not want to waste money on a Masters degree if it will be terminal and unhelpful towards getting into a PhD program later on.

I appreciate any advice I can get! Also: I'm only 20 if that makes any difference.
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You are correct to be mindful of the importance of research experience. The PhD is a research-focused degree, and thus experience and evidence of potential for success is necessary for a successful application. I would encourage you to attempt to gain some experience as soon as possible, and you may want to see if you can gain acceptance ot a research lab in the Spring, rather than waiting until the summer.

Is there a good reason you are so committed to beginning directly out of undergrad? Unfortunately I am not sure you will have the time to gather high quality experience by the time you would be applying. Most applications will be due mid-late fall, giving you no more than the summer and early part of the fall to gain experience, which is not often enough time to gain a quality experience. While exposure to the research process is great, it is often the experiences that take time which will both be the most beneficial and show the experience you gained, such as being involved in a conference poster or presentation, or eventually a publication of work. Also considering other parts of the application, a professor will not be able to write the strongest letter after just a couple months of observing your work.

While its certainly not impossible to gain good experience in a short amount of time, clinical psychology PhD programs are highly competitive and it is likely many other applicants will have multiple years of experience.
 
Hey y'all. I posted in this thread a few months ago, but after solidifying some things I figured I would give it another shot. :)

GPA: 3.89 cumulative, graduated summa cum laude (but completed degree online.)
GRE: 165 V/161 Q/ 5 AW
no pubs/presentations, but author on a paper submitted to a conference
2 years RA experience with a non-profit
2 awesome/1 strong LOR (2 PhDs, 1 MS Psych)
AmeriCorps for 2 years in a capacity very similar to my research interests

I've already applied for this year, but any advice for me if I don't have any offers this cycle? I'm thinking I will look into an RA position in a psych lab, as I feel like my grades and GRE scores are strong and I don't know that I would necessarily benefit from going the masters route first. (plus there is the $$$ issue of doing it that way).
 
Hopeyhope, the GRE scores are strong, looking good there. Sounds like the letters are good. The GPA is good, some schools may be turned off by the online courses, but may overlook that somewhat with the GRE scores being a strength. I'd say the weak point is no real research product. If you didn't get any offers this year, getting some more research where you could get a poster or possible tertiary authorship on a pub would be big.
 
Thanks WisNeuro, I appreciate your feedback. Is that likely something that could be accomplished in a paid research assistant position?
 
Theoretically yes, just depends on where they are at with data collection/analysis and how much the investigators include research assistants on research product. Varies a lot lab by lab. Also, paid research assistant positions are hard to come by these days.
 
WisNeuro said:
Theoretically yes... Also, paid research assistant positions are hard to come by these days.
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Based on my back-up plan research, I can certainly agree with you on that point. So, may I ask what you might do in my position? (I'm certainly not opposed to working a job in some tangentially related capacity and volunteering in a lab, as this is what I have already been doing.)
 
I would just be up front with lab professors when inquiring about research assistant positions, asking about opportunities to be involved with posters and publications, what's expected, etc. It doesn't have to be full-time. Even getting involved as a volunteer 10 hours a week is good as long as there are some tangible benefits that come from it.

If you are already in a lab, I would ask about getting more involved with the poster presentation stuff, or if the data that you are working on is publishable, asking about possible opportunities there.
 
Thanks WisNeuro, that makes sense. I wasn't sure if it would be looked down upon to be forward when inquiring about opportunities for posters and pubs, so I appreciate the advice.

I am currently involved in a research department of a non-profit dealing with children's mental health. I have had a variety of responsibilities here that will easily translate to a psychological lab setting, so I am hoping that the programs I applied to see it the same way. (I actually just got an e-mail that the proposal we submitted was approved for a presentation at a children's mental health conference next spring.) However, if I don't receive any offers this cycle I am going to try to transfer the time to a more traditional psych lab.

Thanks for your advice, WisNeuro. I appreciate the feedback.
 
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