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Your stats and experiences look great. Do a good job articulating your research interests in your Statement of Purpose, and I'd say you have a really good shot.
WAMC: What Are My Chances
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Your stats and experiences look great. Do a good job articulating your research interests in your Statement of Purpose, and I'd say you have a really good shot.
I'd like to know how possible it is for me to get into a Clinical/Counseling PhD program with a weak GPA but very strong research experience.
My undergrad GPA is 3.475. My psychology major GPA is 3.89. I double majored, and the grades from my other major dragged down my GPA. I was initially hoping that schools would be willing to only focus on my Psych GPA, but after doing more research, I feel like this is not a realistic expectation. I've never struggled with grades in psychology or statistics; it's always been my other major, which was quite brutal (i.e., exams where over 50% of the class failed) that I had difficulties with. Considering how difficult it was, I'm proud that I completed it and still proud of my GPA, all things considered. However, I know that I'm going up against people with GPA's in the 3.8-4.0 range. I did take one upper-level graduate statistics course and received an A, but I don't think this will hold much weight.
One thing that I do have going for me is research experience- I've been working full-time in psych research for 4 years now. I'm a co-author on 5 publications, and this fall I'm submitting 3 first-author papers for publication. I've presented papers at 5 conferences, including an international one. I'm a co-principal investigator of one research project with another research assistant, where we conduct our own research independently, without supervision (for the other projects I work on, the PI is always a research scientist with a PhD). I'm very comfortable with running analyses in SPSS. I've worked on about 20 different research projects, 3 of which I have been a key contributor on for over 3 years. The research topics vary greatly, so I usually have at least one overlapping research interest with at least one professor at the schools I want to apply to, and I feel confident in my ability to have an intellectual conversation on these topics (i.e., not just stating the research I've done but also asking thoughtful questions about the research the professor has done and ways I'd be interesting in continuing the research).
GRE scores: Verbal=160; Quant=162; Writing=5
Do I stand any chance with such a low UG GPA? I have no intention of applying to schools like Harvard/Columbia/UPenn- I'm focusing on schools that are less competitive (while still being funded), but I'm continually left feeling like I have no chance.
Any honest advice would be greatly appreciated.
My undergrad GPA is 3.475. My psychology major GPA is 3.89. I double majored, and the grades from my other major dragged down my GPA. I was initially hoping that schools would be willing to only focus on my Psych GPA, but after doing more research, I feel like this is not a realistic expectation. I've never struggled with grades in psychology or statistics; it's always been my other major, which was quite brutal (i.e., exams where over 50% of the class failed) that I had difficulties with. Considering how difficult it was, I'm proud that I completed it and still proud of my GPA, all things considered. However, I know that I'm going up against people with GPA's in the 3.8-4.0 range. I did take one upper-level graduate statistics course and received an A, but I don't think this will hold much weight.
One thing that I do have going for me is research experience- I've been working full-time in psych research for 4 years now. I'm a co-author on 5 publications, and this fall I'm submitting 3 first-author papers for publication. I've presented papers at 5 conferences, including an international one. I'm a co-principal investigator of one research project with another research assistant, where we conduct our own research independently, without supervision (for the other projects I work on, the PI is always a research scientist with a PhD). I'm very comfortable with running analyses in SPSS. I've worked on about 20 different research projects, 3 of which I have been a key contributor on for over 3 years. The research topics vary greatly, so I usually have at least one overlapping research interest with at least one professor at the schools I want to apply to, and I feel confident in my ability to have an intellectual conversation on these topics (i.e., not just stating the research I've done but also asking thoughtful questions about the research the professor has done and ways I'd be interesting in continuing the research).
GRE scores: Verbal=160; Quant=162; Writing=5
Do I stand any chance with such a low UG GPA? I have no intention of applying to schools like Harvard/Columbia/UPenn- I'm focusing on schools that are less competitive (while still being funded), but I'm continually left feeling like I have no chance.
Any honest advice would be greatly appreciated.
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I'd like to know how possible it is for me to get into a Clinical/Counseling PhD program with a weak GPA but very strong research experience.
My undergrad GPA is 3.475. My psychology major GPA is 3.89. I double majored, and the grades from my other major dragged down my GPA. I was initially hoping that schools would be willing to only focus on my Psych GPA, but after doing more research, I feel like this is not a realistic expectation. I've never struggled with grades in psychology or statistics; it's always been my other major, which was quite brutal (i.e., exams where over 50% of the class failed) that I had difficulties with. Considering how difficult it was, I'm proud that I completed it and still proud of my GPA, all things considered. However, I know that I'm going up against people with GPA's in the 3.8-4.0 range. I did take one upper-level graduate statistics course and received an A, but I don't think this will hold much weight.
One thing that I do have going for me is research experience- I've been working full-time in psych research for 4 years now. I'm a co-author on 5 publications, and this fall I'm submitting 3 first-author papers for publication. I've presented papers at 5 conferences, including an international one. I'm a co-principal investigator of one research project with another research assistant, where we conduct our own research independently, without supervision (for the other projects I work on, the PI is always a research scientist with a PhD). I'm very comfortable with running analyses in SPSS. I've worked on about 20 different research projects, 3 of which I have been a key contributor on for over 3 years. The research topics vary greatly, so I usually have at least one overlapping research interest with at least one professor at the schools I want to apply to, and I feel confident in my ability to have an intellectual conversation on these topics (i.e., not just stating the research I've done but also asking thoughtful questions about the research the professor has done and ways I'd be interesting in continuing the research).
GRE scores: Verbal=160; Quant=162; Writing=5
Do I stand any chance with such a low UG GPA? I have no intention of applying to schools like Harvard/Columbia/UPenn- I'm focusing on schools that are less competitive (while still being funded), but I'm continually left feeling like I have no chance.
Any honest advice would be greatly appreciated.
Your research and especially your publication record are outstanding, and I imagine that you'll be competitive at many schools. You might be someone who really benefits from connecting with a POI beforehand who will know to keep in eye out for your application, in case it is in danger of being screened out due to your GPA. Good luck!
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Chances and advice appreciated for a somewhat unconventional candidate!
GPA 3.75 from a respected college
Psych GPA 3.81
170 V 165 Q (don't know writing yet, just took it yesterday)
My psych undergrad major was pretty research focused. Upper-level classes were in research methods and labs in specific subjects that involved running, analyzing, and writing about an experiment of your creation. No publications or anything, though. I got an A in Research Methods and A- in Research Methods II.
For 5 years since undergrad, I have been working in other fields, nonprofit communications and project management (both in the education world). My research interests are related to education, so it wasn't totally out of left field, and I have done volunteer work with low-income students. Are my stats enough to make up for my post-college wanderings, or might those be a dealbreaker? I've been trying to get a job or even a part-time volunteer gig in the clinical world, but with no success. I will continue to tutor for a local nonprofit.
I expect to have good but not great recommendations (I didn't get close to or stay in touch with professors) and a pretty good story to weave together my passion for psychology since high school and why I didn't pursue it after graduation.
I am also applying to MFT programs, but I'm hoping I have a chance at a PhD program without having to hold off another year while I try to gain more experience.
PhDs I'm considering applying to:
Virginia Commonwealth University (clinical)
George Washington University (clinical)
George Mason University (clinical)
Colorado State University (counseling)
University of Denver (clinical child)
University of Washington (clinical child)
University of Maryland (counseling)
Anything I can do to stand out with what little time I have left before applying this winter? Thanks in advance.
GPA 3.75 from a respected college
Psych GPA 3.81
170 V 165 Q (don't know writing yet, just took it yesterday)
My psych undergrad major was pretty research focused. Upper-level classes were in research methods and labs in specific subjects that involved running, analyzing, and writing about an experiment of your creation. No publications or anything, though. I got an A in Research Methods and A- in Research Methods II.
For 5 years since undergrad, I have been working in other fields, nonprofit communications and project management (both in the education world). My research interests are related to education, so it wasn't totally out of left field, and I have done volunteer work with low-income students. Are my stats enough to make up for my post-college wanderings, or might those be a dealbreaker? I've been trying to get a job or even a part-time volunteer gig in the clinical world, but with no success. I will continue to tutor for a local nonprofit.
I expect to have good but not great recommendations (I didn't get close to or stay in touch with professors) and a pretty good story to weave together my passion for psychology since high school and why I didn't pursue it after graduation.
I am also applying to MFT programs, but I'm hoping I have a chance at a PhD program without having to hold off another year while I try to gain more experience.
PhDs I'm considering applying to:
Virginia Commonwealth University (clinical)
George Washington University (clinical)
George Mason University (clinical)
Colorado State University (counseling)
University of Denver (clinical child)
University of Washington (clinical child)
University of Maryland (counseling)
Anything I can do to stand out with what little time I have left before applying this winter? Thanks in advance.
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I was just wondering what my chances are of getting into any schools with these credentials.
I have an overall GPA of 3.8-3.9, but my GRE has been consistently giving my troubles.
GRE: 159 V and 147 Q, with AWA of 4.0.
I have had lab experience in an IO lab for about a year and over the summer I was working with a neuroscience lab. In the IO lab I got my name on three papers, and presented one of those papers at a poster conference at a convention.
I am currently working with kids with varying mental disabilities and closely with a boy with severe autism for behavioral modification.
I just want to know what are my chances of getting into any programs, or what the best track would be for achieving a ph.d in clinical psychology?
I have an overall GPA of 3.8-3.9, but my GRE has been consistently giving my troubles.
GRE: 159 V and 147 Q, with AWA of 4.0.
I have had lab experience in an IO lab for about a year and over the summer I was working with a neuroscience lab. In the IO lab I got my name on three papers, and presented one of those papers at a poster conference at a convention.
I am currently working with kids with varying mental disabilities and closely with a boy with severe autism for behavioral modification.
I just want to know what are my chances of getting into any programs, or what the best track would be for achieving a ph.d in clinical psychology?
Hi all,
I am currently trying to decide if I'm going to apply for admission to doctoral programs for Fall 2016 entry or if I should wait another year to apply. I am in the second year of a terminal masters program in general psychology. I have good and diverse research experience as a lab coordinator/student leader for my advisor's research project, I'm a research assistant at a psych department at an Ivy Leagues university and I will be a coauthor on a submission from that lab. I am hoping to have at least two first-author posters by the time I graduate and I will hopefully have completed my masters thesis. It may not seem like a ton of independent research experience, but one of the good things is that our research and the research I'm interested in involved at-risk populations, so I currently have research experience via my RA positions and grad coordinator positions working with single mothers with social information-processing deficits, homeless youth and families living in shelters, adolescents and young mothers involved in domestic violence situations, youth and families in the welfare system, and other at-risk youth living in adverse environments. Even though the aforementioned populations are not my exact population of interest, which is children and adolescents living with an addicted parent, I enjoy working with various at-risk groups and working with community partners to address the risks, protective factors and outcomes associated with them.
So with my research experience discussed, I will also really good letters of recommendations from my current mentor, the research mentor at the Ivy institution, and from my undergraduate research mentor; along with a strong undergrad GPA (3.5) and a current masters GPA of 4.0. I chose to do a masters program because I felt like I needed more research experience and at least another letter of recommendation. The only problem is that the program is unfunded, so I've started working teaching statistics at my university to get some extra cash. I'm paying out-of-state tuition so it gets pretty expensive and my department has little to no funding. I did manage to win a Dean's Achievement Scholar Award though, but I have to work a lot now since I'm unfunded.
My main problem is the GRE. I've taken the GRE twice and my score actually went down the second time! I keep scoring in the mid 150's for verbal and the mid-high 140's for the quant section. My best writing section was 4.5.
I'm planning on applying to the following universities/programs:
University of Washington (developmental psychology)
University of Oregon (developmental psychology)
University of New Mexico (clinical psychology)
Idaho State University (developmental psychology)
Arizona State University (clinical psychology)
University of Vermont (developmental)
University of Rochester (clinical)
Tufts University (Clinical/developmental)
University of Kansas (child clinical)
Stanford (PhD in Developmental and Psychological Sciences, offered through the School of Education)
University of California, Riverside (clinical)
What do you think? Should I cram to retake the GRE for a third time, or should I just go ahead with my current stats? I was hoping that my masters degree would help prove that I can do graduate level work and the fact that I got an A in graduate stats, an undergrad minor is statistical analysis, and the fact that I teach stats would address the low quant score. I know I'm aiming for some excellent programs (like UW and UO and ASU), so WAMC?
I am currently trying to decide if I'm going to apply for admission to doctoral programs for Fall 2016 entry or if I should wait another year to apply. I am in the second year of a terminal masters program in general psychology. I have good and diverse research experience as a lab coordinator/student leader for my advisor's research project, I'm a research assistant at a psych department at an Ivy Leagues university and I will be a coauthor on a submission from that lab. I am hoping to have at least two first-author posters by the time I graduate and I will hopefully have completed my masters thesis. It may not seem like a ton of independent research experience, but one of the good things is that our research and the research I'm interested in involved at-risk populations, so I currently have research experience via my RA positions and grad coordinator positions working with single mothers with social information-processing deficits, homeless youth and families living in shelters, adolescents and young mothers involved in domestic violence situations, youth and families in the welfare system, and other at-risk youth living in adverse environments. Even though the aforementioned populations are not my exact population of interest, which is children and adolescents living with an addicted parent, I enjoy working with various at-risk groups and working with community partners to address the risks, protective factors and outcomes associated with them.
So with my research experience discussed, I will also really good letters of recommendations from my current mentor, the research mentor at the Ivy institution, and from my undergraduate research mentor; along with a strong undergrad GPA (3.5) and a current masters GPA of 4.0. I chose to do a masters program because I felt like I needed more research experience and at least another letter of recommendation. The only problem is that the program is unfunded, so I've started working teaching statistics at my university to get some extra cash. I'm paying out-of-state tuition so it gets pretty expensive and my department has little to no funding. I did manage to win a Dean's Achievement Scholar Award though, but I have to work a lot now since I'm unfunded.
My main problem is the GRE. I've taken the GRE twice and my score actually went down the second time! I keep scoring in the mid 150's for verbal and the mid-high 140's for the quant section. My best writing section was 4.5.
I'm planning on applying to the following universities/programs:
University of Washington (developmental psychology)
University of Oregon (developmental psychology)
University of New Mexico (clinical psychology)
Idaho State University (developmental psychology)
Arizona State University (clinical psychology)
University of Vermont (developmental)
University of Rochester (clinical)
Tufts University (Clinical/developmental)
University of Kansas (child clinical)
Stanford (PhD in Developmental and Psychological Sciences, offered through the School of Education)
University of California, Riverside (clinical)
What do you think? Should I cram to retake the GRE for a third time, or should I just go ahead with my current stats? I was hoping that my masters degree would help prove that I can do graduate level work and the fact that I got an A in graduate stats, an undergrad minor is statistical analysis, and the fact that I teach stats would address the low quant score. I know I'm aiming for some excellent programs (like UW and UO and ASU), so WAMC?
I have similar GRE stats. I just wanted to say good job on getting your name on those papers. That will really help your application. The only thing with that might be that the papers were not in the area that you seem to be interested in (clinical psychology). Unless you can tie that in somehow?
Hello everyone,
I am currently very conflicted on whether or not I should spend a small fortune to fill out applications (again)! I really want to be accepted into a program but I feel like there are a number of barriers in my way.
I transferred to my undergrad from 6 different community colleges, at one point I attended 4 different schools at the same time. The impaction rate is crazy in Los Angeles and I wanted to finish community college as soon as possible. All of the colleges are in the same district so they transferred within each other, but I still have to send an individual transcript for each. After transferring, I completed my undergrad with only a 2.91 GPA. I then went on to complete my Masters in Counseling Psychology with a 4.0 GPA.
I have taken the GRE twice, with my scores fluctuating very little. My highest being 146 Q, 150V and 4.5 on the writing section.
I have noticed that the GREs and undergrad GPA are a weeding out tool, and I am concerned that there is no way I will ever be looked at because my undergrad GPA, which is now too late to change.
I had a 6 month internship at a mental health facility, facilitating group therapy sessions for children and adolescents. I worked for almost a year as a research assistant, finding articles and creating literature reviews, but I did not receive credit and they were not published. Currently, I work as a psychology professor at a private university in Los Angeles, obviously this is what I am most proud of and want them to focus on. My biggest concern is that this is going to be overlooked because of my undergrad GPA and GRE scores.
Can someone please give me insight, or what I can do to make sure they see that I am not my low scores?
Oh I should mention I want to apply to:
Texas A&M University (PhD Counseling Psychology)
Baylor University (PsyD Clinical Psychology)
Pepperdine University (PsyD Clinical Psychology)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (PhD Clinical Psychology)
University of Miami (PhD Counseling Psychology)
Georgia State University (PhD Counseling Psychology)
Emory University (PhD Clinical Psychology)
Texas Tech University (PhD Clinical Psychology)
Thank you in advance!
I am currently very conflicted on whether or not I should spend a small fortune to fill out applications (again)! I really want to be accepted into a program but I feel like there are a number of barriers in my way.
I transferred to my undergrad from 6 different community colleges, at one point I attended 4 different schools at the same time. The impaction rate is crazy in Los Angeles and I wanted to finish community college as soon as possible. All of the colleges are in the same district so they transferred within each other, but I still have to send an individual transcript for each. After transferring, I completed my undergrad with only a 2.91 GPA. I then went on to complete my Masters in Counseling Psychology with a 4.0 GPA.
I have taken the GRE twice, with my scores fluctuating very little. My highest being 146 Q, 150V and 4.5 on the writing section.
I have noticed that the GREs and undergrad GPA are a weeding out tool, and I am concerned that there is no way I will ever be looked at because my undergrad GPA, which is now too late to change.
I had a 6 month internship at a mental health facility, facilitating group therapy sessions for children and adolescents. I worked for almost a year as a research assistant, finding articles and creating literature reviews, but I did not receive credit and they were not published. Currently, I work as a psychology professor at a private university in Los Angeles, obviously this is what I am most proud of and want them to focus on. My biggest concern is that this is going to be overlooked because of my undergrad GPA and GRE scores.
Can someone please give me insight, or what I can do to make sure they see that I am not my low scores?
Oh I should mention I want to apply to:
Texas A&M University (PhD Counseling Psychology)
Baylor University (PsyD Clinical Psychology)
Pepperdine University (PsyD Clinical Psychology)
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (PhD Clinical Psychology)
University of Miami (PhD Counseling Psychology)
Georgia State University (PhD Counseling Psychology)
Emory University (PhD Clinical Psychology)
Texas Tech University (PhD Clinical Psychology)
Thank you in advance!
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I am currently applying to several Clinical PsyD programs in Chicago and am wondering if any of you can shed some light on what my odds of admission might be. My undergrad GPA is a 3.84. During my undergrad, I also worked fulltime, which left little time for research experience or volunteering. I did manage to volunteer once a week for about a year for a local non for profit agency catering to mentally ill members of my community. My fulltime employment has been in the healthcare field over the last 10 years. My GRE verbal was 157, quant 152, and analytical 4.0. My big concern is my lack of research experience. Do I still have a shot at PsyD admission?
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Mod Note: Merged into the WAMC thread
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Hello everyone! I'm new here and I'm not applying this cycle but probably the next cycle and it's time for anxiety about graduate school to fully set in!
I was curious what you guys think about my stats
I plan on applying to PhD counseling psychology programs primarily, maybe a few clinical, a few masters in counseling, and maybe some school psych.
My husband is applying to medical school so we are trying to figure out somewhere with programs that fit both of us and we are looking where he is getting interviews, etc.
STATS:
GPA: 3.7 / psych GPA: 3.8
GRE: not taken yet :/ (I realize that this is a huge determining factor so I have plans to take this soon...)
- working for several months helping code a new diagnostic tool used for at risk youth
- worked several months conducting experiments on stress in a "bio-feedback" study.
- Have worked 2 years in a level 1 Trauma Emergency center as a psychiatric technician (helping with literally anybody brought into the ER for "psych" reasons)
- I plan on doing more research next semester
- I volunteered for several months at the State Hospital.
Go ahead and be brutally honest with me- what are my chances?
Thanks
I was curious what you guys think about my stats
I plan on applying to PhD counseling psychology programs primarily, maybe a few clinical, a few masters in counseling, and maybe some school psych.
My husband is applying to medical school so we are trying to figure out somewhere with programs that fit both of us and we are looking where he is getting interviews, etc.
STATS:
GPA: 3.7 / psych GPA: 3.8
GRE: not taken yet :/ (I realize that this is a huge determining factor so I have plans to take this soon...)
- working for several months helping code a new diagnostic tool used for at risk youth
- worked several months conducting experiments on stress in a "bio-feedback" study.
- Have worked 2 years in a level 1 Trauma Emergency center as a psychiatric technician (helping with literally anybody brought into the ER for "psych" reasons)
- I plan on doing more research next semester
- I volunteered for several months at the State Hospital.
Go ahead and be brutally honest with me- what are my chances?
Thanks
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How feasible is it to specialize in neuropsych later in one's career if their original internship was not neuropsych and they did not complete a neuropsych track in grad school? Would they just have to find an internship, work site, or other sufficient neuropsych experience and then take the ABPP boards for neuropsych?
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Well, you can't do two internships, against APPIC policy. I guess you could either find a postdoc and work for a lot less money for 2 years, or you could cobble together some experiences to get the experience. Either way, you'd need to check with ABCN and see what they would find equitable training to coincide with Houston Conference Guidelines. It will not be easy though, especially with little to no neuropsych in grad/intern/postdoc. And, boarding is becoming more and more a necessity in the neuro field.
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..
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Hi,
Long-time lurker, first-time poster
I’m applying to several clinical psychology PhD programs, all based on my specific research interests and research and/or clinical experiences.
For the past three years, I’ve worked as a psychiatric technician, performing clinical interviews, neuropsychological testing, and other activities.
For the past two years, I’ve also been co-investigator on two research studies at work, though I don’t think they’ll make to publication in time for applications or interviews. I also completed several undergraduate research studies, but they were not published, though they made me quite experienced with research methodology and statistics, at least enough to be COI.
My Stats:
Overall GPA: 3.6
Psych GPA: 3.6
GRE Overall: 330
GRE Verbal : 170 (99%)
GRE Quant: 160 (78%)
GRE AWA: 4.5 (80%)
I’m applying to the following programs:
UW-Madison
Marquette University
Loyola University Chicago
Northwestern University
University of Illinois Chicago
Central Michigan University
IU-Bloomington
Notre Dame
University of Louisville
So, what are my chances?
Long-time lurker, first-time poster
I’m applying to several clinical psychology PhD programs, all based on my specific research interests and research and/or clinical experiences.
For the past three years, I’ve worked as a psychiatric technician, performing clinical interviews, neuropsychological testing, and other activities.
For the past two years, I’ve also been co-investigator on two research studies at work, though I don’t think they’ll make to publication in time for applications or interviews. I also completed several undergraduate research studies, but they were not published, though they made me quite experienced with research methodology and statistics, at least enough to be COI.
My Stats:
Overall GPA: 3.6
Psych GPA: 3.6
GRE Overall: 330
GRE Verbal : 170 (99%)
GRE Quant: 160 (78%)
GRE AWA: 4.5 (80%)
I’m applying to the following programs:
UW-Madison
Marquette University
Loyola University Chicago
Northwestern University
University of Illinois Chicago
Central Michigan University
IU-Bloomington
Notre Dame
University of Louisville
So, what are my chances?
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Looks great! Those are some fantastic GRE scores. Emphasize your research experiences if you can in your personal statement and on your CV. Do you have any conference presentations? It's too late to get pubs in before interview season, but you could submit a poster presentation and have it accepted for a conference potentially, if that's an area you're weak in.
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Thanks for the advice.
What do I do if I have research experience but it is not directly related to the research being performed by a POI? Do I have any chance in working with them, especially based on my existing stats? What about if I have clinical experience that is directly related to their work even if my research experience isn't? E.g. I noted that I have years of neuropsych clinical experience but I've never been directly involved with neuropsych research, would I still be competitive for a POI focusing on neuropsych or even a program with a neuropsych concentration or does my lack of research experience in that particular area rule me out for such a competitive discipline? Could I compensate for it with a good personal statement/statement of purpose?
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I think the important factors are to show that you're interested in their area of specialization and that you can do research. If your research isn't in that field, that's okay. As long as you can prove you know the basics of how to contribute to a research team, they can train you in the specifics of their lab. Most people don't choose their undergraduate institutions based on the psych research being conducted, so it's not uncommon for research prior to grad school to be largely unrelated to your future career. Your clinical experience and personal statement will show that you're interested in neuro.
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That sounds great, thanks for the help!
I'm interested in University of Kentucky's clinical program, especially their neuropsych concentration. Does anyone have any experience with or knowledge of the clinical program in general and the neuropsych concentration specifically?
Also, I tried looking at their admissions and outcome data, but they don't have GPAs, GREs, or other relevant data I could use to compare myself against admitted students. Does anyone know their data or could tell if my aforementioned data is competitive for their programs?
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Based on my aforementioned stats, would I still have a chance of getting into a PhD program that's a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (e.g. my aforementioned interest in University of Kentucky) without having any publications or presentations?
Would the research I have as a co-investigator and a really good personal statement and fit make up for it and make me competitive?
Would the research I have as a co-investigator and a really good personal statement and fit make up for it and make me competitive?
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Hello SDN,
I am applying to Clinical Psychology. I will re-take the GRE's for some schools.
GPA: 3.8
A's in all the pre-requisites, including statistics.
Psychology GPA: 3.9
Research Experience: 3 years and four months total
Interest: Looking for balanced (leaning a bit clinical) programs and I have research interests in psychotherapy process-outcome research and severe psychopathology. Looking for clinical training in CBT and psychodynamic as well as exposure to ethnic minorities, and underserved populations.
School
University of Detroit Mercy
What are my chances? Any feedback is appreciated.
I am applying to Clinical Psychology. I will re-take the GRE's for some schools.
GPA: 3.8
A's in all the pre-requisites, including statistics.
Psychology GPA: 3.9
Research Experience: 3 years and four months total
- 2.2 years in a clinical lab. Did an experimental honors thesis and presented a poster.
- One year at a personality lab and presented a poster.
- A couple of months in a cognitive lab. Was included in a poster.
- 400 volunteer hours as an undergraduate at the local crisis center.
- Post college: Been working full-time at the local crisis center working with the underserved and ethnic minorities in case management and counseling.
Interest: Looking for balanced (leaning a bit clinical) programs and I have research interests in psychotherapy process-outcome research and severe psychopathology. Looking for clinical training in CBT and psychodynamic as well as exposure to ethnic minorities, and underserved populations.
School
University of Detroit Mercy
What are my chances? Any feedback is appreciated.
Last edited:
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I have read a lot of posts on this thread and am looking for some opinions!
I am currently finishing up a Masters program in Psychology and am in the process of applying to both PhD and PsyD programs. My undergraduate grades are no where near what they need to be and I know that which is partially why I decided to pursue a Masters degree before applying to doctorate programs.
Undergrad GPA - 2.85
Undergrad Psych GPA - 3.0
Grad GPA - 4.0
GRE
Q - 151
V- 151
A - 3.5
I have never been very good at standardized tests and have taken the GRE three times with different levels of preparation each time and my scores barely changed.
None of the schools I am applying to require the GRE psychology subject test but some of them recommended it so I decided to take it. My score on the subject test was HORRIBLE I am actually embarrassed to post it but it was a 480. It is too late for me to take it again because applications are due in December. Since none of my schools required it would it make me look worse if I did not send the score since it is so bad?
List of schools I am applying to in no particular order:
Nova Southeastern
FIT
Georgia Southern
George Mason
Baylor
Tennessee State
University of Memphis
Loma Linda
Alliant International Los Angeles
University of South Alabama
I know a few schools on this list there is minimal to no chance of me getting in but I decided to apply anyway.
All the programs I am applying to are based off program design and a faculty member currently doing research in what I would like to do research in.
I have 3 recommendations from professors with PhDs and 1 from a professor with a JD and MBA
I am currently doing my externship hours (200) for my Masters program at a Methadone Clinic
Basically I would like to know what people think my chances of me getting into one of these schools are since I know my scores and grades are at the low end of the recommendations/requirements. I want to know if the schools can look past my undergraduate grades and see that I am more than that.
I am currently finishing up a Masters program in Psychology and am in the process of applying to both PhD and PsyD programs. My undergraduate grades are no where near what they need to be and I know that which is partially why I decided to pursue a Masters degree before applying to doctorate programs.
Undergrad GPA - 2.85
Undergrad Psych GPA - 3.0
Grad GPA - 4.0
GRE
Q - 151
V- 151
A - 3.5
I have never been very good at standardized tests and have taken the GRE three times with different levels of preparation each time and my scores barely changed.
None of the schools I am applying to require the GRE psychology subject test but some of them recommended it so I decided to take it. My score on the subject test was HORRIBLE I am actually embarrassed to post it but it was a 480. It is too late for me to take it again because applications are due in December. Since none of my schools required it would it make me look worse if I did not send the score since it is so bad?
List of schools I am applying to in no particular order:
Nova Southeastern
FIT
Georgia Southern
George Mason
Baylor
Tennessee State
University of Memphis
Loma Linda
Alliant International Los Angeles
University of South Alabama
I know a few schools on this list there is minimal to no chance of me getting in but I decided to apply anyway.
All the programs I am applying to are based off program design and a faculty member currently doing research in what I would like to do research in.
I have 3 recommendations from professors with PhDs and 1 from a professor with a JD and MBA
I am currently doing my externship hours (200) for my Masters program at a Methadone Clinic
Basically I would like to know what people think my chances of me getting into one of these schools are since I know my scores and grades are at the low end of the recommendations/requirements. I want to know if the schools can look past my undergraduate grades and see that I am more than that.
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1. I wouldn't worry about your uGPA, you proved your ability to handle graduate coursework. 2. Your scores are kind of low overall, however, schools can overlook that with strengths in other areas. What are your strengths in other areas? What's your research experience? Any presentations? Publications? What other clinical experience do you have? To balance those scores, you'll need major strengths in clinical experience (more than a year of volunteering) AND research experience, depending on the program.
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Hello SDN,
I'm new to the forum and have been informing myself by vetting through some of the older threads for a few weeks now.
I know this might be a long shot, but I assume SDNers would be more knowledgeable than myself regarding this matter so here goes:
I'm planning on applying to some of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D programs in the New York metropolitan area + New Jersey. I originally wanted to pursue a PsyD because of my wanting to become an astute clinician, but found the Ph.D to be preferable due to its greater marketability, prestige and emphasis on research and empirical methodologies. I'm also currently working on my MSW (again because of my wanting to become a psychotherapist) at Columbia university and have until May 2016 (a semester and a half) until I graduate. My considering a Ph.D was something I started contemplating for the past month; as a result, I have no actual research experience, except my taking Behavioral Statistics, Perceptual Psychology Laboratory and Social Work Research classes (which transferred over to my Masters prerequisites) and have done well in all of them. I have not yet taken the GRE's, but plan to do so early next year. I am 23 years old and I started grad straight after graduating from undergrad. Here are my grades:
-Undergrad Major at NYU Social Work and Psychology dual-major; GPA: 3.84/ Psych GPA 3.82
-Graduate Major at Columbia (graduating in May 2016): Social Work Advanced Clinical Practice: GPA: 4.0 (current)
-The BSW and MSW Social Work programs also require a supervised practicum (most often by LCSWs or SIFI certified MSW students) that demand 600 hours of hands-on practice which I have completed during my senior year at NYU, and am currently doing at Columbia at a private psychotherapy agency.
What are my chances? Is there any chance at all? If the likelihood is more than probable, I can study for the GREs, hope for a high score, and upon graduation hope for the best. If not, I would resume the more traditional route of working three consecutive years at a hospital/clinic/agency, and work towards my LC licensing.
I'm new to the forum and have been informing myself by vetting through some of the older threads for a few weeks now.
I know this might be a long shot, but I assume SDNers would be more knowledgeable than myself regarding this matter so here goes:
I'm planning on applying to some of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D programs in the New York metropolitan area + New Jersey. I originally wanted to pursue a PsyD because of my wanting to become an astute clinician, but found the Ph.D to be preferable due to its greater marketability, prestige and emphasis on research and empirical methodologies. I'm also currently working on my MSW (again because of my wanting to become a psychotherapist) at Columbia university and have until May 2016 (a semester and a half) until I graduate. My considering a Ph.D was something I started contemplating for the past month; as a result, I have no actual research experience, except my taking Behavioral Statistics, Perceptual Psychology Laboratory and Social Work Research classes (which transferred over to my Masters prerequisites) and have done well in all of them. I have not yet taken the GRE's, but plan to do so early next year. I am 23 years old and I started grad straight after graduating from undergrad. Here are my grades:
-Undergrad Major at NYU Social Work and Psychology dual-major; GPA: 3.84/ Psych GPA 3.82
-Graduate Major at Columbia (graduating in May 2016): Social Work Advanced Clinical Practice: GPA: 4.0 (current)
-The BSW and MSW Social Work programs also require a supervised practicum (most often by LCSWs or SIFI certified MSW students) that demand 600 hours of hands-on practice which I have completed during my senior year at NYU, and am currently doing at Columbia at a private psychotherapy agency.
What are my chances? Is there any chance at all? If the likelihood is more than probable, I can study for the GREs, hope for a high score, and upon graduation hope for the best. If not, I would resume the more traditional route of working three consecutive years at a hospital/clinic/agency, and work towards my LC licensing.
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I've seen many references to "tiers" of programs earlier in this thread and in others on this forum.
Is there any listing of these so-called tiers or is it based off of approximations of admission rates, EPPP average scores, publication and citation rates, or some other metric?
Is there any listing of these so-called tiers or is it based off of approximations of admission rates, EPPP average scores, publication and citation rates, or some other metric?
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Rankings and tiers are relative, and not all that helpful for certain things. I would say there is a minimum bar (i.e., accredited match and EPPP pass rates should be >80%). After that, it depends on what you want to get experience in, research and clinical wise, that should be determining where you want to go, not some ephemeral ranking. A school could be "Top 10" in the USN&WR, but if they aren't doing research that you care about and don't have clinical practica that relate to your career goals, that's a terrible choice.
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Ok, that's kind of what I thought, I just wasn't sure if there was something else I was missing.
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I somewhat asked this before but didn't get a response.
Would I still be competitve for a clinical science program (e.g. University of Kentucky) without any publications or presentations, based on my aforementioned stats, including a recent 800 (99%) on the psych GRE?
Can a strong match based on years of clinical experience and strong LORs make up for my research experience not being in that particular topic of interest (e.g. neuropsych) and not having publications and presentations or does it put me at too much of a disadvantage?
Would I still be competitve for a clinical science program (e.g. University of Kentucky) without any publications or presentations, based on my aforementioned stats, including a recent 800 (99%) on the psych GRE?
Can a strong match based on years of clinical experience and strong LORs make up for my research experience not being in that particular topic of interest (e.g. neuropsych) and not having publications and presentations or does it put me at too much of a disadvantage?
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It will be difficult for UK, especially for npsych. I've actually had a couple of their students as interns/postdocs over the years. They all had very impressive CV's research wise.
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As in pre graduate CVs or what they accomplished in Kentucky's program?
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Both. I'd say a publication is not a necessity, but I'd be surprised if they accepted a neuro person without at least a presentation somewhere.
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I wouldn't. I'd want to see at least a couple of presentations at a bare minimum. Involvement in research is part and parcel with foundational learning in neuropsych.
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You wouldn't be surprised? I think we're saying the same thing there.
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Sorry. I meant "I wouldn't....accept a person without at least a presentation."
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Ah, that makes much more sense. Yeah, I think I'd be hard pressed to say they'd even invite someone to interview without at least one presentation there.
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Hey guys, I'm applying to a Psy.D program in Fall 2016 but I want to know if my stats are good enough. If not what can I do to help my chances? I plan on taking my GRE's in the summer.
Overall GPA currently: 3.4
Psych GPA: 3.8
Lab experience: A year and a half by the time I apply.
I have a poster presentation in Spring 2016 for WPA. In addition, I will also be finished with my undergraduate thesis in Spring 2016. I'm a member of Psi Chi and two other honor socities. I've been on the Dean's list for Spring 2014, Fall 2014, and Spring 2015.
I have a minor in philosophy and have done study abroad. I'm also a statistics tutor at my university.
How important is getting clinical experience? Is my experience enough?
I've been volunteering for an online emotional support service for two years now. I'm looking to volunteer for CASA, to work with foster kids. I hold nursing assistant and medical assistant certifications but I'm not sure these are relevant.
I've been looking into these programs:
University of Hartford
Nova Southeastern University
Spalding University
Wright State University
Xavier University
La Salle University
Pacific University
Immaculata University
Overall GPA currently: 3.4
Psych GPA: 3.8
Lab experience: A year and a half by the time I apply.
I have a poster presentation in Spring 2016 for WPA. In addition, I will also be finished with my undergraduate thesis in Spring 2016. I'm a member of Psi Chi and two other honor socities. I've been on the Dean's list for Spring 2014, Fall 2014, and Spring 2015.
I have a minor in philosophy and have done study abroad. I'm also a statistics tutor at my university.
How important is getting clinical experience? Is my experience enough?
I've been volunteering for an online emotional support service for two years now. I'm looking to volunteer for CASA, to work with foster kids. I hold nursing assistant and medical assistant certifications but I'm not sure these are relevant.
I've been looking into these programs:
University of Hartford
Nova Southeastern University
Spalding University
Wright State University
Xavier University
La Salle University
Pacific University
Immaculata University
I can't speak to the other programs but I am 1st year at UDM and you seem like a great fit for the program on a lot of levels. Your GRE isn't great but for UDM it won't be a problem considering your GPA and your commitment to clinical work with underserved population. I would say your chances are great.
You will get plenty of psychodynamic exposure but there are a number of professors that are existential, CBT, or humanistic.
Also our clinic (which you would work in your 2nd year onward) is specifically geared toward underserved, minority, low SES population.
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you all may want to consult the data from this link: http://mitch.web.unc.edu/files/2013/10/AdmissionsRates.pdf. Also, be sure to check out the data here - http://clinicalpsychgradschool.org/accre.php
Hey everyone, I'm in the process of applying to Clinical Psychology PhD programs for the upcoming school year.
I'm very very nervous.. my stats aren't bad but I just don't feel like they're enough since the acceptance rates are very low. How great of a chance do I have at getting admitted to at least one school?
Overall GPA: 3.97
Psych GPA: 4.0
GRE: 160V, 161Q, 4.5 AW
Psych GRE: Haven't got my scores back yet but pretty sure they're horrible (not planning to send except required school-UMass)
Research experience: 1 year of experience in one developmental psych lab researching school readiness, 1 year experience in an Autism lab
I also presented posters at 2 conferences. Working to get a paper submitted to an undergraduate research journal.
Clinical experience: 1 semester speech and hearing clinic, 2 semesters in Alzheimer's care center
Teaching experience: Not sure if relevant, but I've been teaching music to children for about 3 years now (including children with neurodevelopmental disabilities)
LOR: Two great recs, one average
Schools I am applying to:
University of Rochester
Northwestern (Feinberg)
University of Pennsylvania
Virginia Tech
University of Virginia (Curry)
University of Massachusetts at Boston
Boston University
University of Connecticut
I'm very very nervous.. my stats aren't bad but I just don't feel like they're enough since the acceptance rates are very low. How great of a chance do I have at getting admitted to at least one school?
Overall GPA: 3.97
Psych GPA: 4.0
GRE: 160V, 161Q, 4.5 AW
Psych GRE: Haven't got my scores back yet but pretty sure they're horrible (not planning to send except required school-UMass)
Research experience: 1 year of experience in one developmental psych lab researching school readiness, 1 year experience in an Autism lab
I also presented posters at 2 conferences. Working to get a paper submitted to an undergraduate research journal.
Clinical experience: 1 semester speech and hearing clinic, 2 semesters in Alzheimer's care center
Teaching experience: Not sure if relevant, but I've been teaching music to children for about 3 years now (including children with neurodevelopmental disabilities)
LOR: Two great recs, one average
Schools I am applying to:
University of Rochester
Northwestern (Feinberg)
University of Pennsylvania
Virginia Tech
University of Virginia (Curry)
University of Massachusetts at Boston
Boston University
University of Connecticut
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These are some really tough (but great) schools. What's the quality of your research? Is this total 2 years volunteering one day a week undergrad? Or did you run a lab for two years full time post undergrad, actively planning, collecting, and interpreting data? Your stats are good.
Hello (again) everyone. I've posted here before but I wanted to get some more insight. I took the GRE again this morning for the third time. The first time my scores were average/below average. The second time I took it my scores actually went down (yikes) and today, my verbal section went down but my quantitative score went up by a marginal amount.
I'm in the process of applying to psychology PhD programs, mostly developmental but at least 2 or 3 clinical psych programs as well. My application list at present:
University of Washington (developmental)
University of Oregon (developmental)
University of New Mexico (clinical)
Arizona State (clinical)
University of Rochester (developmental)
University of Kansas (child clinical)
Idaho State Univ. (developmental)
Tufts University (child study and human development in Eliot Pearson)
Stanford Univ. (developmental and psychological sciences program offered through the school of education)
University of California, Riverside (developmental)
I have good research experience (poster presentation in the spring, I'm coauthor on a publication, and I'm working on another publication), awesome LoRs, some experience working with vulnerable populations, which is what I want to study, and a 4.0 Graduate School GPA, 3.5 undergrad GPA. I will have a masters thesis completed by the summer and my old statement of purpose was well-received by my undergrad mentor and letter writers (I know I need to either write a new one or expand/update the old one). My research fit with POIs is GREAT (POI at UC-Riverside all but accepted me when I emailed her to see if she was taking students. Of course she didn't know that my GRE scores were so below the cuttoff).
Do I still have some slim chance of being admitted to the aforementioned schools with the rest of application even with the low GRE scores or am I totally screwed?
I'm in the process of applying to psychology PhD programs, mostly developmental but at least 2 or 3 clinical psych programs as well. My application list at present:
University of Washington (developmental)
University of Oregon (developmental)
University of New Mexico (clinical)
Arizona State (clinical)
University of Rochester (developmental)
University of Kansas (child clinical)
Idaho State Univ. (developmental)
Tufts University (child study and human development in Eliot Pearson)
Stanford Univ. (developmental and psychological sciences program offered through the school of education)
University of California, Riverside (developmental)
I have good research experience (poster presentation in the spring, I'm coauthor on a publication, and I'm working on another publication), awesome LoRs, some experience working with vulnerable populations, which is what I want to study, and a 4.0 Graduate School GPA, 3.5 undergrad GPA. I will have a masters thesis completed by the summer and my old statement of purpose was well-received by my undergrad mentor and letter writers (I know I need to either write a new one or expand/update the old one). My research fit with POIs is GREAT (POI at UC-Riverside all but accepted me when I emailed her to see if she was taking students. Of course she didn't know that my GRE scores were so below the cuttoff).
Do I still have some slim chance of being admitted to the aforementioned schools with the rest of application even with the low GRE scores or am I totally screwed?
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How low is low? What are your scores from this morning?
This is going to be key because no matter how good all your other qualifications are, if your scores are so below their cut-off there isn't much you or they can do.
My best scores are 156V, 147Q, and 4.5 AW. Dismal, I know.
I am a senior undergraduate student right now, so that would be research I did for class credit a few hours a week. I would say I was more actively involved than most other undergraduates in my school, but it's probably not even close to the quality of work done by full-time post undergrad researchers
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Yea I don't think doing research for college alone is sufficient, IMO. There may be rare circumstances such as if you had a bunch of publications/presentations and had prior significant clinical experience and an unique life experience that may set you aside, but I don't know. I personally don't know of any programs that accepted anyone straight from undergrad. I think it's tough to commit to what you want to study, specifically, for the next 5-7 year without having significant experience doing it first. I think this topic has been posted on here before, so I know not everyone agrees with me. I just don't know of any direct admits, or even people 1 year removed from college. I don't know if that means don't apply though. If you do apply- you'll need to somehow link all of your clinical and research work together to make it seem like a clear and cohesive, planned out, path you took.
Just my opinion though. Sorry I'm not more helpful. You have a really solid foundation though and maybe in 1-2 years you'll be a strong candidate.
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is there a reason why you are not considering a PhD? Depending on your GRE scores, I think you have a chance. Unless, of course, you don't want to do research.
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Hi all! So my ultimate goal is to get my PhD in clinical, I'm just not quite sure which route to get there.
I will finish my 4th year this spring, and by then my cGPA will be a 3.3, and psych GPA 3.6, last two years GPA 3.6, incredibly strong upward trend taking full 20 unit/quarter
By spring I will have first in a publication, second in a poster presentation at my university as well as 1 year research assistant.
I have yet to take my GREs.
My question is should I take a fifth year at my university and do more research to offset my low gpa (although I wouldn't even be able to break 3.4 even if I stay a full fifth year). Do a research oriented masters such as CSU northridge's experimental masters (would I even be able to get in with my stats), or just take time off an attempt to get a job as a research assistant.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I will finish my 4th year this spring, and by then my cGPA will be a 3.3, and psych GPA 3.6, last two years GPA 3.6, incredibly strong upward trend taking full 20 unit/quarter
By spring I will have first in a publication, second in a poster presentation at my university as well as 1 year research assistant.
I have yet to take my GREs.
My question is should I take a fifth year at my university and do more research to offset my low gpa (although I wouldn't even be able to break 3.4 even if I stay a full fifth year). Do a research oriented masters such as CSU northridge's experimental masters (would I even be able to get in with my stats), or just take time off an attempt to get a job as a research assistant.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Hello Everyone,
I am new to this forum and I am hoping that you all could give me some advice on how to ultimately achieve me goal of getting into a Clinical Psych Ph.D program. I graduated from a Reptable public Unviersity in 2012 with a BA in Psychology. I will start with my Stats:
Undergrad GPA: 2.8, Psych GPA 2.6
GRE (Combined): 301
Unfortuantely in undergrad I was not serious about my Studies, which landed me with this horrible GPA.
I realize that I will have to take a LOT of steps in order to ever be competitive. I am thinking that I will apply to some Master's Programs and do extremely well in class, as well as do an awesome Master's Thesis.
I currently work for my alma mater full time in a position not related to Psych at all, and plan to try and reconnect with a lab that I did research with in undergrad (1 year) to see if I can do some volunteer work with them to bolster my MA program applications for Fall 2017.
My Question:
Other than increasing my research experience and retaking the GRE, is there anything else that I can do to put myself in the best position possible to be admitted into a Master's Program?
Also, Would it be worth it to apply to Master's programs Out of State if I would only be there for 2 years, or should I just apply locally so that I can keep my job in the meantime?
I am new to this forum and I am hoping that you all could give me some advice on how to ultimately achieve me goal of getting into a Clinical Psych Ph.D program. I graduated from a Reptable public Unviersity in 2012 with a BA in Psychology. I will start with my Stats:
Undergrad GPA: 2.8, Psych GPA 2.6
GRE (Combined): 301
Unfortuantely in undergrad I was not serious about my Studies, which landed me with this horrible GPA.
I realize that I will have to take a LOT of steps in order to ever be competitive. I am thinking that I will apply to some Master's Programs and do extremely well in class, as well as do an awesome Master's Thesis.
I currently work for my alma mater full time in a position not related to Psych at all, and plan to try and reconnect with a lab that I did research with in undergrad (1 year) to see if I can do some volunteer work with them to bolster my MA program applications for Fall 2017.
My Question:
Other than increasing my research experience and retaking the GRE, is there anything else that I can do to put myself in the best position possible to be admitted into a Master's Program?
Also, Would it be worth it to apply to Master's programs Out of State if I would only be there for 2 years, or should I just apply locally so that I can keep my job in the meantime?
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Your undergrad GPA is likely to be your biggest hurdle. Clinical Ph.D. programs are academically rigorous and highly competitive. Many courses will likely be "pass/fail" with a grade above an 80% required for passing. With an undergrad overall grade equivalent of 70%, you're really going to have to show that you can be successful academically before you will even be considered. The only route I can think of is to do an amazing job in an academically rigorous masters program, from which you can get some good letters of rec attesting to your new found, more serious approach to your education. That might keep your application from being discarded upon first read through. You will still be competing with other applicants who were very serious during undergrad and have the grades to show it. To overcome this, you'll need to be doing some research and other work in the field so that you can appeal to a specific mentor and get looked at on somewhat equal footing with other applicants with a demonstrated history of academic excellence. Just being honest- it's going to be a difficult route to overcome those GPAs. (I'm not fluent in "new GRE scores" so I can't comment on the competitiveness of your scores there, but that might also be a big issue).
Just curious- what makes you think an academically rigorous degree is the right path for you, giving your admittedly "horrible" performance in undergrad? You have a lot work to do to be competitive, and it will be a major investment of time, energy, and money/opportunity costs. Ideally, you can identify many things that are different about you, your environment, your life contingencies, etc. that make you think your future academic performance will be DRASTICALLY different from your past one, or else there might be better "investments" to make regarding your future education and career. I'm sincerely not trying to be discouraging here, but you self-identified something you were really bad at (academics) at a lower level (e.g. undergrad), and identify a goal that would require you being really good at the same thing at a much higher level. All things being equal, past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. You are going to have to demonstrate that all things are most certainly not equal. That is going to be your ticket to a masters program. You might have to take some undergrad courses, particularly in psych and statistics, and show that you have changed and you can perform well academically.
As far as worrying about moving out of state, your stat's are a major hurdle. Further limiting yourself based on geography is just another thing in the way. You're probably going to have to go "all in" if you want to make this work, so you should be looking to remove as many barriers as possible, rather than putting them up.
Just curious- what makes you think an academically rigorous degree is the right path for you, giving your admittedly "horrible" performance in undergrad? You have a lot work to do to be competitive, and it will be a major investment of time, energy, and money/opportunity costs. Ideally, you can identify many things that are different about you, your environment, your life contingencies, etc. that make you think your future academic performance will be DRASTICALLY different from your past one, or else there might be better "investments" to make regarding your future education and career. I'm sincerely not trying to be discouraging here, but you self-identified something you were really bad at (academics) at a lower level (e.g. undergrad), and identify a goal that would require you being really good at the same thing at a much higher level. All things being equal, past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. You are going to have to demonstrate that all things are most certainly not equal. That is going to be your ticket to a masters program. You might have to take some undergrad courses, particularly in psych and statistics, and show that you have changed and you can perform well academically.
As far as worrying about moving out of state, your stat's are a major hurdle. Further limiting yourself based on geography is just another thing in the way. You're probably going to have to go "all in" if you want to make this work, so you should be looking to remove as many barriers as possible, rather than putting them up.
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