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Well, I would say good for me because it does not seem so competitive. I also really do like the warm weather as well. You have to take into consideration the weather as well as the program. It looks like a good program in a very nice city with warm weather.

So, we have to factor in "sunny warm weather", but not six figure debt loads and career crippling training outcome deficits?

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So, we have to factor in "sunny warm weather", but not six figure debt loads and career crippling training outcome deficits?

I'm also still really so much debating between doing a Psych. D or a PhD. Thing about a PhD is that it is very hard to get into. They literally will toss applications that have a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.0 Psychology GPA. They only want those who have a 3.9-4.0 overall GPA and a 4.0 Psych GPA in a PhD. I have also been looking into applying to a few masters programs. When applying to a PhD, they never take into consideration that you made a difference in a research lab or that you scored close to perfect on the GRE. It's all about GPA only.

And pretty much, your saying that NSU is probably better than Midwestern? 10% for an internship is very low. 50% is much higher. If I went to NSU, I would have a higher chance of getting into an internship. My other Psyd choices are GWU in DC, FIT in Melbourne (trying to avoid going there), Palo Alto University in San Jose, and Midwestern Chicago which is the same as the Phoenix Campus.
 
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The average match rate across all doctoral programs (clinical/counseling) is 75% or possibly a hair higher in the past few years. The 75% figure should be the absolute minimum someone should consider, as not matching to an APA-acred. internship will significant limit employment opportunities for a clinician's career. Working in the VA (largest single employer of psychologists) as well as a host of other places are not allowed/able to hire someone who didn't graduate from an APA-acred. program and APA-acred. internship.

As for those other programs…all equally or more expensive.

GWU…their internship match rate is also hovering around 50%…not good.
FIT…better, except for last year. They are averaging 80%-90%, though last year's rate was 67%.
PAU….67% to 100% match rate, and the rates are trending up. Nice #'s…but $43k+ (tuition only!) per year.
Midwestern….not even worth mentioning. Horrible numbers.
 
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. When applying to a PhD, they never take into consideration that you made a difference in a research lab or that you scored close to perfect on the GRE. It's all about GPA only.

And pretty much, your saying that NSU is probably better than Midwestern? 10% for an internship is very low. 50% is much higher.

Where on earth have you been getting your information? That is the opposite of true. Someone with a 3.5 GPA and significant substantive research experience beats out the person with a 4.0 every single time.

NSU is probably a better choice than Midwestern. In the sense that a bad choice is better than a terrible choice, but that's about it. I personally would not consider either a viable option. If I were you I would go for a funded master's, make sure to do very well there so your master's GPA mitigates your somewhat below average (but not terrible) undergrad GPA. This way you could attend a good school and graduate with zero/minimal debt and lots of job prospects, instead of tons of debt and fewer job prospects. I don't often recommend the master's route, but low GPA with otherwise great credentials is pretty much the best reason to do it.

Ironically, FIT (which I'm unclear why you are trying to avoid) is probably the best among them. But again, we're generally not talking about good programs ). PAU and NSU are not the "worst" that you will find, but its not exactly the best option. When you factor in the fact that you are going into debt instead of getting paid to attend...neither seems a good option. I still would be very hesitant to recommend FIT, though I think its equal or stronger than the other and (I think?) somewhat less expensive.
 
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When applying to a PhD, they never take into consideration that you made a difference in a research lab or that you scored close to perfect on the GRE. It's all about GPA only.

This is patently false. Please dont spread bad information for applicants.

You really need a better understanding of this field/profession before you even attempt to apply to any of these programs. Please take a look at this website and return with questions.

You are talking to Ph.Ds (mostly) on this board, so please trust that we know more about pretty much all of this than you do at this point.
 
And pretty much, your saying that NSU is probably better than Midwestern? 10% for an internship is very low. 50% is much higher. If I went to NSU, I would have a higher chance of getting into an internship. My other Psyd choices are GWU in DC, FIT in Melbourne (trying to avoid going there), Palo Alto University in San Jose, and Midwestern Chicago which is the same as the Phoenix Campus.

Why on earth would someone spend 15o,ooo dollars to have a 50% chance of actually working successfully in this profession? Is your money and your career that low on the priority list?! If so, why would you bother with even doing this in the first place? This makes absolutely no sense to me.
 
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I'm also still really so much debating between doing a Psych. D or a PhD. Thing about a PhD is that it is very hard to get into. They literally will toss applications that have a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.0 Psychology GPA. They only want those who have a 3.9-4.0 overall GPA and a 4.0 Psych GPA in a PhD. I have also been looking into applying to a few masters programs. When applying to a PhD, they never take into consideration that you made a difference in a research lab or that you scored close to perfect on the GRE. It's all about GPA only.

And pretty much, your saying that NSU is probably better than Midwestern? 10% for an internship is very low. 50% is much higher. If I went to NSU, I would have a higher chance of getting into an internship. My other Psyd choices are GWU in DC, FIT in Melbourne (trying to avoid going there), Palo Alto University in San Jose, and Midwestern Chicago which is the same as the Phoenix Campus.

As other have said, it is distinctly the opposite. GRE is weighted more heavily than GPA. It is a better predictor. Also, they weight research contribution more heavily than GPA most places as well. Also, anything lower than 70-80% accredited match rate should be considered unacceptable.
 
..but…but…THE WEATHER.

I'm currently surrounded by snow, so I get it. Trust me, I'd rather palm trees, but that isn't in the cards at the moment.

However, training and being able to earn a living wage are also kinda important.
 
Why on earth would someone spend 15o,ooo dollars to have a 50% chance of actually working successfully in this profession? Is your money and your career that low on the priority list?! If so, why would you bother with even doing this in the first place? This makes absolutely no sense to me.
He wants people to call him "Dr", isn't that enough? Who needs a job when you are a Dr.
 
I got the information that PhD's rely strictly on GPA only from other students in my school. They have told me that it's all about GPA. Them and some others too that I have met. Thank you so much for correcting me. You guys are starting to become a big help. The main reason I've been wanting to go to NSU in the first place is because of the warm weather. I do hate the cold weather so much. It's the worst. I live in a city where it's hot in the summer and mild-severely cold in the winter. I am wanting to go to a city where it's warm all year long.

As for FIT, I am wanting to avoid Melbourne because it's a very tiny city with nothing to do. No entertainment or anything. The only social life is at FIT. More or less, it's like Lubbock, TX. I want to go to a huge mega city. I live in a city that gives out a small town vibe. However, I never ever took into consideration that some schools are very bad. I thought you could get a job in any school you go to, well except Argosy. I may consider PAU, since it seems like a good school and it's in San Jose, which is somewhat of a mega city. That, or if a PhD is easier to get into, I might go for that. I am currently involved in a research lab. The grad students in that lab told me if I want to do a Psych.D, I have to volunteer.

I am sorry if I spread false information. I was just stating what others have told me.
 
If I decide to do a PhD, these are my choices in order:

1. ASU Phoenix, AZ
2. SMU Dallas, TX
3. UH Houston, TX
4. UT Austin
5. U of A Tucson, AZ

Are any of these schools going to guarantee me a job?
 
Nothing will guarantee a job in this field...ever. However, your odds are decidedly better attending one of those schools than your previous list. If nothing else, simply because they will provide a much higher likelihood of obtaining an APA internship so many job settings won't immediately be closed to you - and it opens the door to positions that require research skills, which the other institutions are far less likely to provide you with. Midwestern I would argue is on par or even a step down from Argosy.

That said, I really cannot emphasize enough that you are going about this completely the wrong way. This is a serious undertaking and things like "I want warm weather" or "I want a mega city" are pretty poor reasons to pick a program. They are generally looking for pre-professionals with a very clear idea of what they want to do (though some flexibility in goals is expected and even encouraged). Schools have extremely different missions and you will often be expected to know what you want to do even to a level of "I want to focus on cognitive models of depression" so "Austin seems like a cool place" isn't going to fly at interviews regardless of what kind of credentials you have. That isn't to say happiness shouldn't be taken into consideration when deciding where to apply - it absolutely should. However, you seem to have a very superficial understanding of the realities of the field and virtually no understanding of the admissions process at present. I say that not to offend, but just to caution you against making rash decisions right now. We frequently see posters here (and I suspect most of us who teach see it in our undergrad students as well...I know I did frequently) who are focused on "getting in." Often they have virtually no idea what they want to do beyond "therapy sounds cool and I like talking to people...I could do that", they know that undergrad degrees in psychology are worth very little on the job market and just want to get INTO a graduate school however they can. It is a recipe for disaster. Poor quality schools prey on these people, saddle them with tremendous amounts of debt, graduate folks with severely limited job prospects and most importantly...a great number of folks who probably aren't qualified to be in the field in the first place. Basically what I'm trying to say is...take your time. Its better to take an extra year (or 2...or even 5) then it is to rush into the first program to offer you admission in a cool place and then discover 3 years in that you probably aren't going to be able to do what you wanted to do in the first place.
 
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After reading these posts, I am probably now considering doing a PhD instead of a Psych. D. A PhD from what it looks like will guarantee me a job in the future. And I would have more of an advantage because if I have research skills, I will stand out. My first choice for a PhD would be ASU. It's close to my hometown and my faculty mentor used to teach at ASU. He can probably help me get in. I used to think unrealistic thoughts that if I performed well in his lab, he would call and get me in, but then a grad student told me that the closest that will come to that is a compelling letter of recommendation that will blow their minds away.

What your talking about sounds so much like what my faculty mentor told me. He told me not to say things like that in an interview. I will tell you, I do want to eventually either provide therapy to children or do something children oriented in Psychology. This is my first semester working in a research lab. I am halfway through my junior year of undergrad. I plan on applying to grad schools next fall. So in an interview you can't say, "I want to work with autistic children and I really like Phoenix?"
 
After reading these posts, I am probably now considering doing a PhD instead of a Psych. D. A PhD from what it looks like will guarantee me a job in the future. And I would have more of an advantage because if I have research skills, I will stand out. My first choice for a PhD would be ASU. It's close to my hometown and my faculty mentor used to teach at ASU. He can probably help me get in. I used to think unrealistic thoughts that if I performed well in his lab, he would call and get me in, but then a grad student told me that the closest that will come to that is a compelling letter of recommendation that will blow their minds away.

What your talking about sounds so much like what my faculty mentor told me. He told me not to say things like that in an interview. I will tell you, I do want to eventually either provide therapy to children or do something children oriented in Psychology. This is my first semester working in a research lab. I am halfway through my junior year of undergrad. I plan on applying to grad schools next fall. So in an interview you can't say, "I want to work with autistic children and I really like Phoenix?"

16223551 said:
Are any of these schools going to guarantee me a job?

I really dont know where you get the idea that a degree or a program "guarantes a job?" Not in the universe I exist in. Thats all you. Your training, and the reputation of your training, can sure hamper your ability to even ge to the interview though.

You have a B average. Thats a hard sell to a ph.d program no matter how much a former professor "likes" you. If you struggled to barely make Bs in undergrad, then you will likely fail some of the more intense and complex classes in a ph.d curriculum. They really wont want to gamble on that. Attrition makes program look bad and wastes program time and resources. Moreover, are you fit with the program and his/her lab? I have not heard one word from you that suggests that you need really a doctorate in order to do what you want to do (therapy with children in PP or in the schools?). ASU is a clinical science training model and will only admit students who show a substantial track record AND interest in academic clinical psychology.

Please note you will be working 45-60 hour weeks, sometimes more during your phd tenure. Lets just say you will be inside, alot...
 
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Hello Wonderful People,
Thank you for volunteering your time to help us out! I really appreciate it! Here I go:
Schools I want to get into: Balanced PhD/The best Psy.D.
Rutgers Psy.D.
Baylor
LIU-Brooklyn
Wichita Sate
University of Tennessee
etc.
I am looking for balanced programs. I have research interests in psychotherapy research and personality disorders. Professionally, want to be a clinician and conduct research in psychotherapy or personality disorders. I am primarily interested in being a clinician that is thoroughly trained in research. My POI's are either in psychotherapy research, personality disorder research, or psychotherapy research with personality disorders.
STATS
GPA 3.8 general/3.9 psychology
GRE: Currently studying
My experience
  • 2 years of clinical research while I was an undergraduate. As a result of this experience I presented a poster (1st author). The research was on treatment research, specifically, the efficacy of cognitive re-modifications. It is not the exact same research as my POI's, but it's somewhat related. During the two years I completed a thesis on abnormal personality traits and cognitive biases. Excellent LOR
  • 1 year of research in Social Psychology. I researched self-control. I presented one poster as a result of this experience. (1st author). Excellent LOR
  • 2 months internship in neuroscience research. I was included in a poster presentation (3rd author)
Clinical Experience
  • 2 years of experience at a suicide hotline while I was in undergrad. I answered the hotline and supervised.
  • 5 months of clinical experience in in crisis counseling. I am currently employed full time in crisis counseling.
  • I am concerned because I was not able to secure a full time RA position after graduation. I applied all over the USA and did not get an interview. I was told that RA positions are difficult to get because most labs have internal candidates applying. The lab I was involved in had no openings and their partner labs did not have available positions either. I am concerned that I may lack research experience when compared to other applicants and that I may be viewed as too clinically oriented because I am working full time in crisis counseling. Am I overthinking this?
  • Another concern I have is that my poster presentations where not at regional conferences. They were at an undergraduate presentation day. Are poster presentations presented at your university psychology department considered less valuable than posters presented at conferences?
Thank You!
 
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I really dont know where you get the idea that a degree or a program "guarantes a job?" Not in the universe I exist in. Thats all you. Your training, and the reputation of your training, can sure hamper your ability to even ge to the interview though.

You have a B average. Thats a hard sell to a ph.d program no matter how much a former professor "likes" you. If you struggled to barely make Bs in undergrad, then you will likely fail some of the more intense and complex classes in a ph.d curriculum. They really wont want to gamble on that. Attrition makes program look bad and wastes program time and resources. Moreover, are you fit with the program and his/her lab? I have not heard one word from you that suggests that you need really a doctorate in order to do what you want to do (therapy with children in PP or in the schools?). ASU is a clinical science training model and will only admit students who show a substantial track record AND interest in academic clinical psychology.

Please note you will be working 45-60 hour weeks, sometimes more during your phd tenure. Lets just say you will be inside, alot...

I have also considered a Masters. Either an M.A. or an M.S. The reason I struggled was because I was not prepared at all for college. It took me 2 years to reach the same level of academics of the other students. I went to a tiny private school that never prepared me for college. Teachers let you turn in work weeks late, gave you passing grades so you won't look bad, and let everyone graduate. We did not even have a state test. I was so unprepared for college. The first 2 years were awful. I got one D, a few C's, a few B's and a few A's. It sucks so much. I killed most of my chances. Everyone else I am competing with has a better academic background. I am trying to make up for it by being in a lab and scoring really high on the GRE. What makes matters even worse is that D was in a lower division Psychology Class. 2 C's are in upper division psychology classes. The rest were in core classes. I did get an A in Intro to Psych and a B in Stats and in Abnormal. I am so worried I won't even get into any grad school. All my friends are all moving out and going to grad school and I'm worried I'll be stuck here for life. That or I'll be forced to go to a school that won't even get me a job.

Idk how else to make up for this. My friend told me I have to do research and score high to make up for my crappy GPA. I am getting better though. I'm not so bad like I used to be.
 
Before you worry about HOW to get in, you might want to consider why you are intent on a doctoral degree. Nothing you have said about what you want to do in the future would require a doctorate. It's not only about having the research experience and academic scores. It's also about fit. You need to have a well-articulated reason for applying to the schools you are applying to that is based on your research interests (they need to be specific, demonstrate that you are informed, and they need to match with a faculty member where you are applying) and future career goals. It doesn't sound like you have this solidified, so I don't see how you can make the decision that a doctorate is the right path for you at this point.

Like I said, I've been also thinking about getting a Masters? I just want to know the difference between an M.A. and M.S. Is an M.S. the same as a BS? Do you take Biology Classes as well as Psychology Classes?
 
M.S. degrees are generally experimental Master's that are meant to prep someone for a Ph.D. program. They typically don't lead to a path to licensure.

I may apply to both MS' and MA's. Also, I was thinking about what you all said about some Psyd's being very bad in some schools and how I won't get a job if I go to a low ranked school. So I am going to revise my list.

PAU and FIT for sure I am keeping. I am taking out the rest. What is the percentage at UC Berkeley in which I can get into an internship and a job? What about John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill? Long Island University? Baylor?
 
UC Berkeley's program aim is to produce researchers, so they'd be a bad fit based on the other programs you mentioned. I'm sure their match rates are 90%+ as all of the UC's I"m familiar with offer stellar programs (albeit mostly research based).

JFK…very expensive ($33k+ /yr) and horrible APA-acred. match rates…7-15% the last bunch of years. Most likely many/most of their students didn't want to leave the area so they applied to local sites and when they didn't match they took non-acred. sites so they could graduate.

Baylor is excellent. It is one of the top 3 Psy.D. programs in the country. Despite being wait-listed there, I still highly recommend them. :D

LIU….pretty good training from what I've seen, though their tuition is nuts ($47k/yr). They offer partial funding…though I'm not sure of the breakdown, as they only list total funding for each yr. Their match rates are pretty good 70%-80%+. Cost is the big issue w. them. I know someone who lived w. family and still came out 6-figures in debt.
 
UC Berkeley's program aim is to produce researchers, so they'd be a bad fit based on the other programs you mentioned. I'm sure their match rates are 90%+ as all of the UC's I"m familiar with offer stellar programs (albeit mostly research based).

JFK…very expensive ($33k+ /yr) and horrible APA-acred. match rates…7-15% the last bunch of years. Most likely many/most of their students didn't want to leave the area so they applied to local sites and when they didn't match they took non-acred. sites so they could graduate.

Baylor is excellent. It is one of the top 3 Psy.D. programs in the country. Despite being wait-listed there, I still highly recommend them. :D

LIU….pretty good training from what I've seen, though their tuition is nuts ($47k/yr). They offer partial funding…though I'm not sure of the breakdown, as they only list total funding for each yr. Their match rates are pretty good 70%-80%+. Cost is the big issue w. them. I know someone who lived w. family and still came out 6-figures in debt.

If UC Berkeley has a Psyd, why is it research based? I thought all Psyds have no research at all. So pretty much, it's just a PhD, but they call it a Psyd. JFK for sure I will not even apply to. Baylor is in my home state, so I may have a chance of getting into Baylor. LIU I may consider. However, living in NYC is very stressful, but on the other hand, you don't have to drive. It's like living in London or in Paris where you can take the metro all over the city.

What about the Alliant Schools? Like Alliant Sacaramento or Alliant Los Angeles?
 
PAU and FIT for sure I am keeping. I am taking out the rest. What is the percentage at UC Berkeley in which I can get into an internship and a job? What about John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill? Long Island University? Baylor?

Did we not just go over this? Taking out 3 times your yearly salary for a degree program is financially irresponsible at best and illogical/irrational at worst.

You do not have the stats (nor the commitment to academics/research career) to be competitive at program like Berkeley.
 
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If UC Berkeley has a Psyd, why is it research based? I thought all Psyds have no research at all. So pretty much, it's just a PhD, but they call it a Psyd. JFK for sure I will not even apply to. Baylor is in my home state, so I may have a chance of getting into Baylor. LIU I may consider. However, living in NYC is very stressful, but on the other hand, you don't have to drive. It's like living in London or in Paris where you can take the metro all over the city.

What about the Alliant Schools? Like Alliant Sacaramento or Alliant Los Angeles?

PsyD. programs still have students do a dissertation. The word psychology literally means "the (scientific) study of mind." Research is the cornerstone.

Doctoral programs do not care where you are from, so "homestate" has no impact here. Baylor is private school anyway, s in-state or out-of-state status is not an issue for them anyway.

Please do a search on here for program specific discussions. You need to rethink and research this field and issues more anyway, as you are clearly woefully under informed about programs, training models, admissions, etc.
 
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PsyD. programs still have students do a dissertation. The words psychology literally means "the (scientific) study of mind." Research is is the cornerstone.

Doctoral program do not care where you from, so "homestate has no nearing here. Baylor is provate school anyway, so that in-state or out-of-state status an issues for them anyway.

Please do a search on here for program specific discussions. You need to rethink and research this field and issues more anyway, as you are clearly woefully under informed about programs, training models, admissions, etc.

I know psyds are very expensive, but I want to have options when I apply for grad school. I don't want to get all rejection letters only. I'm even worried I won't get asked to go for an interview. UC Berkeley is very competitive. I don't even know if I would have a chance at even getting an interview if I apply there. I know I screwed up so bad by first 2 years, but don't some schools look at the last 60 hours? I mean, do they make a big deal if I screwed up Intro to Biology or some core classes that I won't even need?
 
I was actually referring to "The Wright Institute" in Berkeley. I got it confused with UC because it's on the edge of the campus. Sorry for the confusion. I have a feeling their match rate is very high at The Wright Institute.
 
Why don't you just look and see? No need to guess.
 
I'm also still really so much debating between doing a Psych. D or a PhD. Thing about a PhD is that it is very hard to get into. They literally will toss applications that have a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.0 Psychology GPA. They only want those who have a 3.9-4.0 overall GPA and a 4.0 Psych GPA in a PhD. I have also been looking into applying to a few masters programs. When applying to a PhD, they never take into consideration that you made a difference in a research lab or that you scored close to perfect on the GRE. It's all about GPA only.

And pretty much, your saying that NSU is probably better than Midwestern? 10% for an internship is very low. 50% is much higher. If I went to NSU, I would have a higher chance of getting into an internship. My other Psyd choices are GWU in DC, FIT in Melbourne (trying to avoid going there), Palo Alto University in San Jose, and Midwestern Chicago which is the same as the Phoenix Campus.

TOTALLY disagree. I applied with a 3.5GPA, high GREs, NO PSYCH GPA nor Psych GRE (was a different major in college), and an intensive independent project. I'm sitting on 2 offers, and got way more interviews (all from top-tier schools). I suspect people worry more about their odds than they should. Please don't let others deter you from applying.
 
TOTALLY disagree. I applied with a 3.5GPA, high GREs, NO PSYCH GPA nor Psych GRE (was a different major in college), and an intensive independent project. I'm sitting on 2 offers, and got way more interviews (all from top-tier schools). I suspect people worry more about their odds than they should. Please don't let others deter you from applying.
You guys are lucky in the US..there is no way someone is getting into a Canadian accredited program with a 3.5GPA..if you don't have at least 3.7, you're not getting in, and even then you are a weaker candidate.
 
Pure GPA is a terrible metric really. It doesn't predict much once you are over a threshold. Plus, with grade inflation at many of the top universities, it becomes even more meaningless. GRE's, while not a great predictor of some outcomes, still do demonstrably better than GPA, probably because they are a decent proxy for intelligence. Which, is why most programs weigh the GRE more heavily.

I believe there was a pretty good Psych Bull. meta analysis about this back in 01. Interested parties should check it out.
 
Pure GPA is a terrible metric really. It doesn't predict much once you are over a threshold. Plus, with grade inflation at many of the top universities, it becomes even more meaningless. GRE's, while not a great predictor of some outcomes, still do demonstrably better than GPA, probably because they are a decent proxy for intelligence. Which, is why most programs weigh the GRE more heavily.

I believe there was a pretty good Psych Bull. meta analysis about this back in 01. Interested parties should check it out.
I would tend to agree, but at Canadian schools they really look for everything. You also tend to need a really good GRE.
 
You guys are lucky in the US..there is no way someone is getting into a Canadian accredited program with a 3.5GPA..if you don't have at least 3.7, you're not getting in, and even then you are a weaker candidate.
Fair enough…but…Canada. I mean…you know…it's….;)

Nah, I love Canada. I wish we the APA would be as stringent as the CPA.
 
Pure GPA is a terrible metric really. It doesn't predict much once you are over a threshold. Plus, with grade inflation at many of the top universities, it becomes even more meaningless. GRE's, while not a great predictor of some outcomes, still do demonstrably better than GPA, probably because they are a decent proxy for intelligence. Which, is why most programs weigh the GRE more heavily.

I believe there was a pretty good Psych Bull. meta analysis about this back in 01. Interested parties should check it out.

A while back, like in the beginning of my junior year, a professor told me that they would rather take someone with a 3.1 GPA who took very hard classes that were hard to even pass with a C over someone who has a 4.0 and took easy classes and passed with an A. I've taken some really hard classes, very hard. But others told me it's GPA only that they look at. I think I will listen to you guys because you guys seem to know more what your talking about. It just sucks that I got a D and 2 C's in some Psychology classes, but I can tell you now it will be all A's from here on out. Also, do you recommend I take the Psychology Subject Test? Also, do the Texas Public Schools give the opportunities to Texas Residents? I want to go to Arizona if I decide to do a PhD, which is very close to where I am. I am hoping Arizona Schools don't just give AZ residents a chance and not outsiders.
 
Also, what is the difference between going to a school that offers a track in child psychology and a school that does not offer it? I want to hopefully become a child psychologist in a school setting or private practice. Would it make a big difference if I went to a school that does not offer it? I have other choices, but NSU is my #1 dream graduate school. Thank you

Based on your posts, you do not have a good grasp on doctoral training for psychology. There is a great deal to learn before applying, so when you have some time you should check out http://psychologygradschool.weebly.com which covers a lot of the basics of programs, the difference in training models, average costs, average salaries, etc.
 
Fair enough…but…Canada. I mean…you know…it's….;)

Nah, I love Canada. I wish we the APA would be as stringent as the CPA.

Canada also has way more qualified applicants for medical school, but simply will not make room for them. There is a lot of focus on supply-demand. I prefer this. I think that a degree should basically guarantee you a job, especially when you are putting in as many years as we do.
 
I am hoping Arizona Schools don't just give AZ residents a chance and not outsiders.

Most quality programs have an applicant pool that is national (and often international). Different than undergraduate, the likelihood of a state university taking mostly in-state students does not really apply.

*edit to add*

In regard to grades and "hard" classes, etc….most programs have plenty of qualified applicants to choose from, so differentiating "hard" classes and majors from others really isn't a big factor. The GRE is more of a factor because of grade inflation/suppression.

Though more importantly…the field should only take the best of the best. I don't say that to be snobby, I say that as a clinician who regularly is tasked w. making some very serious decisions every day that can greatly impact a patient's life: capacity evaluations, suicide risk assessments, etc.
 
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Canada also has way more qualified applicants for medical school, but simply will not make room for them. There is a lot of focus on supply-demand. I prefer this. I think that a degree should basically guarantee you a job, especially when you are putting in as many years as we do.

I 100% agree. I know the scale (# of programs, states v. providences, etc) is different down here, but we could learn a lot from better quality control. The medical schools here had the Flexner Report, which cracked down on junk programs. I really wish psych could have the equivalent. Come on Carnegie Foundation…help a field out!
 
Also, do the Texas Public Schools give the opportunities to Texas Residents? I want to go to Arizona if I decide to do a PhD, which is very close to where I am. I am hoping Arizona Schools don't just give AZ residents a chance and not outsiders.

I addressed this is my previous post to you (see quote below). Im not sure if you are paying full attention to some of these posts because numerous people have, on numerous occasions/posts, stated that you are woefully underinformed and too naive about the field and realities of doctoral-level training to even attempt applying right now.

Doctoral programs do not care where you are from, so "homestate" has no impact here. Baylor is a private school anyway, s in-state or out-of-state status is not an issue for them anyway.

Please do a search on here for program specific discussions. You need to rethink and research this field and issues more anyway, as you are clearly woefully under informed about programs, training models, admissions, etc.
 
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I 100% agree. I know the scale (# of programs, states v. providences, etc) is different down here, but we could learn a lot from better quality control. The medical schools here had the Flexner Report, which cracked down on junk programs. I really wish psych could have the equivalent. Come on Carnegie Foundation…help a field out!

I think you Americans take that "freedom" thing a bit too far. Ie "Who's to tell me that I can't do brain surgery just because i didn't go to medical school??!? It's my god damn right as an American to perform surgery in the way I find fit! MERICA!


jk :p
 
I think you Americans take that "freedom" thing a bit too far. Ie "Who's to tell me that I can't do brain surgery just because i didn't go to medical school??!? It's my god damn right as an American to perform surgery in the way I find fit! MERICA!


jk :p

I'm totally with you…unless you try and take away my guns, then it's GO TIME w. 'Merica's Top Hat! :laugh:
 
You guys are lucky in the US..there is no way someone is getting into a Canadian accredited program with a 3.5GPA..if you don't have at least 3.7, you're not getting in, and even then you are a weaker candidate.

This is not entirely true, and could cause future Canadian applicants to misunderstand their chances-- So I want to clarify. While Canadian clinical psychology Ph.D. programs are very competitive, many of them DO NOT have hard cut-offs based on GPA. My overall undergraduate GPA was 3.3 (probably 3.8 or 3.9 for psych classes), but with an upward trend and low grades mostly confined to physics, calculus, and chemistry courses in my first 2 years of undergrad. This kind of a profile (or other profiles with an upward trend and/or a good Psych GPA) is not necessarily a death sentence. That said, I made up for my undergrad GPA in other areas (1420 GRE; honours thesis plus volunteer research experience; experimental psych M.A. degree; two submitted manuscripts) by the time I was accepted.

So from my experience-- and from talking to other graduate students-- People with lower GPAs (e.g., 3.5) and other exceptional aspects to your application do get offers... And sometimes many offers. That said, I agree that someone coming straight from undergrad with a 3.3, no upward GPA trend, and little research experience is unlikely to be successful in their applications that year at Canadian programs.
 
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This is not entirely true, and could cause future Canadian applicants to misunderstand their chances-- So I want to clarify. Canadian clinical psychology Ph.D. programs are very competitive, many of them DO NOT have hard cut-offs based on GPA. My overall undergraduate GPA was 3.3 (probably 3.8 or 3.9 for psych classes), but with an upward trend and low grades mostly confined to physics, calculus, and chemistry courses in my first 2 years of undergrad. This kind of a profile (or other profiles with an upward trend and/or a good Psych GPA) is not necessarily a death sentence. That said, I made up for my undergrad GPA in other areas (1420 GRE; honours thesis plus volunteer research experience; experimental psych M.A. degree; two submitted manuscripts) by the time I was accepted.

So from my experience-- and from talking to other graduate students-- People with lower GPAs (e.g., 3.5) and other exceptional aspects to your application do get offers... And sometimes many offers. That said, I agree that someone coming straight from undergrad with a 3.3, no upward GPA trend, and little research experience is unlikely to be successful in their applications that year at Canadian programs.


No you are right. Plus, quite a few Canadian uni's look only at your last 2..so a 3.5 cgpa is meaningless if you have a 3.8 in the last two.
 
More or less, it's like Lubbock, TX.

Hey now. :mad:

I think TTU students are pretty happy with a fully-funded program with great research experience; being the only game in town for pracs in psycho-oncology and internal medicine, hospitals, assessment; very handsome professors; and in a place with super low cost of living. And a great rec pool.

But I suppose beaches are reason enough to toss that for six figure debt.
 
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