2009-2010 Clinical/Counseling Psych Programs Rejection Thread

Started by PrisonPsych
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futureapppsy2 said:
Hi,

I know schools tend to give "soft rejections" (i.e., silence) at the interview invite stage, but do they ever do this at the post-interview stage? One of my schools interviewed on Jan. 15th, and I still haven't heard anything about my post-interview status, which worries me.
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I think it varies quite a bit by program and how much bureaucracy the POIs must overcome before they can notify their first-choice applicants. One program promised to keep me well informed of rejection/waitlist/acceptance and expect to hear about being in one of these categories within 3-4 weeks of the interview. Another said that I should hear something in 6 weeks or less.

One program told me they are quick and upfront about rejecting interviewees who they felt were a poor match, I don't know if this is common. I doubt many applicants are going to commit to a school before mid-March, so I imagine spending 1-2 months on a waitlist (with or without program notification) is common.
 
clinicalpsyapp said:
Did you receive an official Vanderbilt rejection, or are you just assuming because the interview is this weekend? Also, official UF rejections were received over the weekend... if you didn't get one then you might be waitlisted 🙂. My POI for SDSU/UCSD said invites should be going out today, so don't count them yet either.

Just a little encouragement for you 😀. Are you interviewing at Evanston or Feinberg?
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Did he/she say how the invites for SDSU/UCSD were going out-- email, snail mail, phone call, etc?
 
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childpsych479 said:
To whomever received the rejection from Vanderbilt or the OP, how did you receive it? I'm just wondering if it was from a POI after inquiring about your status or on the online application?

Thanks.
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++ Yes if you're not too shy, please let us know. Was it the POI or the department, thanks.
 
Hey thanks for the encouragement! I can't tell you how much it is needed right now. I got a semi-official rejection from Vanderbilt; I emailed the DCT and asked what the status of my application was because I hadn't heard anything and interviews were fast approaching, and they wrote me back telling me I wasn't going to be considered. They did say very nice things about me but said that they had other candidates who were a stronger fit. Psychologists shoot you down with a smile, I'll give them that.

I'm interviewing at Feinberg. Haven't heard anything from UF or SDSU/UCSD yet but I will be overjoyed if I do, so thanks for the hope! I'm a little concerned because I'm going neuro and supposedly those are the people who already got contacted by SDSU according to the invite thread.

Good luck to you with this whole process.
 
WantCalm said:
How do you know you'll be back next year? You said it was your #1, but not your only.
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Ha, ha very true. It just is not looking real good at this point, but still waiting to hear back from a few schools. I guess it is not set and done till April 15th.
 
I just wanted to peek in here and say that I totally remember the pain that you guys are all going through. I was in the same boat exactly 3.5 years ago, and the stress can get to ridiculous levels. Hang in there, and stay confident!

Just to reassure some of the people who are going through the whole "I'm not good/smart/experienced/whatever enough" self-blame stuff, your rejections may not necessarily have anything to do with how talented you are. Not to say that lower GREs/GPAs relative to the applicant pool or program cutoffs can't knock you out of the running early, but there are a slew of other crap-shoot factors that can weed you out, some of which you may never actually find out about.

For instance, I had a professor at one university flat out TELL me that he couldn't take me because he was taking another student out of "owing a buddy [prof at another university] of his a 'favor.'" (!!!) I guess I was so shocked at his honesty at the time that I didn't get too upset about it. He could have just as easily lied and given me the whole, "We get three hundred applications and have three slots" canned response. This sort of buddy system and even good-ol-boy nepotism are most assuredly NOT just things of the past.

Once on the inside, I've also noticed that a fair number of people in my current program had inside "connections" that are rarely spoken about openly. Two current students' fathers are psychologists who are buddies with certain faculty here. Another student's mother worked closely with the student's current mentor in a research setting in the past. Two others met their current mentors through buddy-buddy Ivy-League introductions at conferences. It made me angry to learn about this sort of thing since neither of my parents were psychologists with "connections," nor was daddy golfing buddies with the dean.

This also isn't to say that lots of people don't get in without any connections- of course they do. I did. But a lot goes on behind closed doors that you never hear about, especially if you are still on the "outside" so to speak. Academia can be every bit as much of a close-knit, buddy-buddy, incestuous world as big business. There are lots more possible reasons for being rejected, so don't be too hard on yourselves.
 
futureapppsy2 said:
Hi,

I know schools tend to give "soft rejections" (i.e., silence) at the interview invite stage, but do they ever do this at the post-interview stage? One of my schools interviewed on Jan. 15th, and I still haven't heard anything about my post-interview status, which worries me.
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I've interviewed at 2 schools so far and one of them was extremely transparent in telling us their process. They even told us the date they'd call the people they wanted to accept. I didn't get a call that day and assumed I was waitlisted or rejected. A few days later I received a call from a professor and an official email from the grad school with my acceptance.

The other school where I interviewed seems to let the professors do as they please. Hopefully I'll hear soon!

Illuminist's words are very wise. On one of my interviews there was a girl interviewing with one of my POIs who had worked in his lab for years and knew all of his students well. No one said "she'll be accepted over you" but I was not surprised when I wasn't invited to work with him.
 
University of Minnesota (Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology Program) Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology

Rejection via mail

2nd formal rejection on my birthday, sad.
 
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jin5472 said:
University of Minnesota (Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology Program) Ph.D. in Counseling

Rejection via mail

2nd formal rejection on my birthday, sad.
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Happy birthday!

If it makes you feel any better, we're all getting rejections here. An invite would be a great b-day gift. Be patient!
 
Illuminist said:
I just wanted to peek in here and say that I totally remember the pain that you guys are all going through. I was in the same boat exactly 3.5 years ago, and the stress can get to ridiculous levels. Hang in there, and stay confident!

Just to reassure some of the people who are going through the whole "I'm not good/smart/experienced/whatever enough" self-blame stuff, your rejections may not necessarily have anything to do with how talented you are. Not to say that lower GREs/GPAs relative to the applicant pool or program cutoffs can't knock you out of the running early, but there are a slew of other crap-shoot factors that can weed you out, some of which you may never actually find out about.

For instance, I had a professor at one university flat out TELL me that he couldn't take me because he was taking another student out of "owing a buddy [prof at another university] of his a 'favor.'" (!!!) I guess I was so shocked at his honesty at the time that I didn't get too upset about it. He could have just as easily lied and given me the whole, "We get three hundred applications and have three slots" canned response. This sort of buddy system and even good-ol-boy nepotism are most assuredly NOT just things of the past.

Once on the inside, I've also noticed that a fair number of people in my current program had inside "connections" that are rarely spoken about openly. Two current students' fathers are psychologists who are buddies with certain faculty here. Another student's mother worked closely with the student's current mentor in a research setting in the past. Two others met their current mentors through buddy-buddy Ivy-League introductions at conferences. It made me angry to learn about this sort of thing since neither of my parents were psychologists with "connections," nor was daddy golfing buddies with the dean.

This also isn't to say that lots of people don't get in without any connections- of course they do. I did. But a lot goes on behind closed doors that you never hear about, especially if you are still on the "outside" so to speak. Academia can be every bit as much of a close-knit, buddy-buddy, incestuous world as big business. There are lots more possible reasons for being rejected, so don't be too hard on yourselves.
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this is SO true. i feel inside connections are responsible for a large percentage of acceptances. also, many schools are big on diversity...so they accept more minorities/people with disabilities. it really should be based on fit, experiences, and grades. but this is the real (unfair) world...
 
PhDToBe said:
this is SO true. i feel inside connections are responsible for a large percentage of acceptances. also, many schools are big on diversity...so they accept more minorities/people with disabilities. it really should be based on fit, experiences, and grades. but this is the real (unfair) world...
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We need more diversity in psychology--for many reasons.
 
happyinpsych said:
We need more diversity in psychology--for many reasons.
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I am guessing (hoping 😀) that the students accepted through connections are probably as qualified as other applicants. We all know there are more qualified people than spots in top schools, whether it is at the grad level or undergrad. If I was a professor I would be wary of accepting someone just because of who they know if they weren't at all competitive.
 
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"Non diverse" (white) applicants also study diverse topics. I am interested in topics that do not only concern my ethnicity/race. Many of the minority applicants study only their own ethnicity, which is fine...but do you think it would be frowned upon if a white person was ONLY interested in studying white people?

I am all for diversity, but can anyone really say (truthfully) they would not be pissed if the found out they had a better fit, more experiences, and a higher GPA/GRE than a minority who was accepted over them? To me, those three attributes (fit, experience, grades/scores) should be the most important, and often it doesn't seem like it works that way. And that's how it goes in the job market.

I'm not trying to have a big debate over this topic, because I don't have the time, and because my opinion of this is not going to change how the system operates, anyhow...and because it is my opinion. The fact that people believe there needs to be more diversity in psychology will not change my opinion that it is unfair if lesser quality minority applicants are accepted over higher quality white ones. And NO I don't think white people are better/more intelligent/etc.
 
PhDToBe said:
"Non diverse" (white) applicants also study diverse topics. I am interested in topics that do not only concern my ethnicity/race. Many of the minority applicants study only their own ethnicity, which is fine...but do you think it would be frowned upon if a white person was ONLY interested in studying white people?

I am all for diversity, but can anyone really say (truthfully) they would not be pissed if the found out they had a better fit, more experiences, and a higher GPA/GRE than a minority who was accepted over them? To me, those three attributes (fit, experience, grades/scores) should be the most important, and often it doesn't seem like it works that way. And that's how it goes in the job market.
Click to expand...


While I personally find this statement a bit offensive, I don't want to start a debate, however- I think it is important to highlight that (a) there are systemic reasons why (within the US) ethnic, racial, and gender minorities are underrepresented in fields, particularly in higher (doctorate) education & therefore (b) do not have the same opportunities to reach academic achievements that would put them on par with majority ethnic, racial, and gender groups.
 
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MPHandPsych said:
While I personally find this statement a bit offensive, I don't want to start a debate, however- I think it is important to highlight that (a) there are systemic reasons why (within the US) ethnic, racial, and gender minorities are underrepresented in fields, particularly in higher (doctorate) education & therefore (b) do not have the same opportunities to reach academic achievements that would put them on par with majority ethnic, racial, and gender groups.
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Beautifully said MPHandPsych! 👍


I can safely say that when it comes to this issue, the consensus among most minorities I've spoken to who are trying to break into the field is that if they do not look out for their culture, no one else will. That and also, having someone who is a member of a certain culture gives greater insight and a unique perspective into said culture than an outsider (this goes for all races and ethnicities). The field of psychology is woefully non-diverse, as has been said a million times. Looking at the stats, are you seriously trying to tell me that that is an accurate representation of those who have what it takes to make it in this field? Speaking as a minority (in more ways than one), I too am struggling just as much as the next person to get an acceptance into the school of my choice so implying that schools are more or less 'handing out' acceptances to less qualified minorities comes off as a tad bit disparaging and condescending.

Didn't mean to get all 'soap-boxy), it just needed to be said.
 
🙁 I got the official rejection e-mail today from my POI at UTAustin. I went to the interview this past weekend and I was soooooo sure that I was first choice. Ugh... Gotta keep movin I suppose.
 
I received an email from the University of Alabama at Birmingham regarding my application. I was not invited for an interview, but apparently my application is still under consideration until all slots are filled. I guess I'm taking this as a rejection. This was for the Clinical Medical/health psychology program.
 
psydwannabe said:
beautifully said mphandpsych! 👍


I can safely say that when it comes to this issue, the consensus among most minorities i've spoken to who are trying to break into the field is that if they do not look out for their culture, no one else will. That and also, having someone who is a member of a certain culture gives greater insight and a unique perspective into said culture than an outsider (this goes for all races and ethnicities). The field of psychology is woefully non-diverse, as has been said a million times. Looking at the stats, are you seriously trying to tell me that that is an accurate representation of those who have what it takes to make it in this field? Speaking as a minority (in more ways than one), i too am struggling just as much as the next person to get an acceptance into the school of my choice so implying that schools are more or less 'handing out' acceptances to less qualified minorities comes off as a tad bit disparaging and condescending.

Didn't mean to get all 'soap-boxy), it just needed to be said.
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ditto!
 
PhDToBe said:
"Non diverse" (white) applicants also study diverse topics. I am interested in topics that do not only concern my ethnicity/race. Many of the minority applicants study only their own ethnicity, which is fine...but do you think it would be frowned upon if a white person was ONLY interested in studying white people?

I am all for diversity, but can anyone really say (truthfully) they would not be pissed if the found out they had a better fit, more experiences, and a higher GPA/GRE than a minority who was accepted over them? To me, those three attributes (fit, experience, grades/scores) should be the most important, and often it doesn't seem like it works that way. And that's how it goes in the job market.

I'm not trying to have a big debate over this topic, because I don't have the time, and because my opinion of this is not going to change how the system operates, anyhow...and because it is my opinion. The fact that people believe there needs to be more diversity in psychology will not change my opinion that it is unfair if lesser quality minority applicants are accepted over higher quality white ones. And NO I don't think white people are better/more intelligent/etc.
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Sometimes, being a member of a minority does work against you. I've had it happen quite often where people question whether I can/should be a psychologist, because of my ethnicity and gender. It's quite disturbing. I've realized recently that at the university where I work, there is a very small percentage (<10%) of minorities working in mental health research; while, nearly half of the molecular lab division consists of minorities. I think the most startling thing I ever experienced was when someone said flat out during a job interview that they had never hired a male research assistant in their lab. Needless to say, I didn't get the job. Definitely made me feel like it was a lesson in futility. So advantages and disadvantages abound!
 
Wow! Some people use at least an ounce of class when being gender-ist or anything else-ist. That was just harsh. A mentor of mine always tells me that 'there are times in your life when being a minority (gender, ethnicity, anyhow) will definitely work against you so whenever you find a time when you can gain from whatever it is that held you back at some point, capitalize the heck out of it' 😀
 
TBIdoc said:
I received an email from the University of Alabama at Birmingham regarding my application. I was not invited for an interview, but apparently my application is still under consideration until all slots are filled. I guess I'm taking this as a rejection. This was for the Clinical Medical/health psychology program.
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Received the same.
 
I certainly feel financially-stricken people should receive some type of assistance or incentive to apply to any type of graduate (and undergraduate) programs, but it seems like 85% of the minorities I know who are going to benefit from being an ethnic minority in this process were adopted and/or raised in America without experiencing any or very little of their ethnic culture. How can these people have an insight on their ethnicity, when if they were raised in America, they know about as much about their native culture as a White person raised in America?

And it must be of some help to people's applications, as ethnic minorities on several threads (but I am assuming mostly the WAMC one) post that they're an ethnic minority.

Also, some minorities don't even want to study in the area of their ethnicity, and get in just to bring "diversity" to the program. I am not considered an ethnic minority, and I wish to do research and clinical work with ethnic minorities, but that doesn't help MY chances.

And last, one of my advisors, an ethnic minority, even says that being a minority is extremely helpful and that they are passed through even with lower scores. This makes sense for non-native English speakers on the verbal section, but the advisor has said that they can even get lower scores on the math section...And he knows what he is talking about, as he is a big name in his field.

I do not wish to offend anyone, and I sincerely apologize for doing so, but it is true that, whether it is your OPINION that psychology needs more diversity, it is easier for ethnic minorities to get into the programs.
 
PhDToBe said:
I but it seems like 85% of the minorities I know who are going to benefit from being an ethnic minority in this process were adopted and/or raised in America without experiencing any or very little of their ethnic culture. How can these people have an insight on their ethnicity, when if they were raised in America, they know about as much about their native culture as a White person raised in America?
QUOTE]


I just want to point something out to you: What we've come to know as the American culture is basically mainstream, white culture. African Americans, Mexican Americans, etc. who were born and raised in America often come from cultures very different from the mainstream, white culture.

Please don't equate culture solely with foreign-born individuals.
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Speaking of diversity, ethnicity, and being foreign- Why is it that immigrants or first born generations are unable to identify themselves as such? For instance, if you are socially classified as white, yet were not born here than how do you make that known on an application. Ugh so unfair.
 
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psychadelics said:
Speaking of diversity, ethnicity, and being foreign- Why is it that immigrants or first born generations are unable to identify themselves as such? For instance, if you are socially classified as white, yet were not born here than how do you make that known on an application. Ugh so unfair.
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I have a dual citizenship, so when they had 2 places to note citizenship, I put both.
 
Hey phdtobe –

I appreciate individuals with strong convictions; however, the more you post, the more it seems that you feel this is an "us v. them" issue. Even as a white female, I find some of your implications offensive.
I would like to know where you are gathering your information in order to make such bold statements. Working in a center with quite a large internship program and a mainly minority clientele, I can tell you that less than a handful of individuals identifying with ethnic minorities walk through our doors – and that’s including applicant interviews as well as current interns. In your words, I am not trying to start a debate, but would appreciate you discontinuing this tirade and focusing your efforts on more productive discussions.
I'm sure you are a very bright individual who will contribute much to the field and wish you the best throughout this process.

Samantha
 
According to the director of admissions, Vandy received 600 applications this year and will make 25 offers. The amount of offers is average, but the amount of applicants is steadily rising. They formerly averaged 300 applications per year. Thus, those reapplying and those applying for the first time must ramp up efforts to remain competitive. The average GRE scores have risen to 650V and 700Q. He said clinical in particular tend to use them as "weed-outs" more than the other programs.

None of this info will be published for a while; so I hope this serves as a privy gauge for the SDN members interested in Vandy’s programs. Good luck.
 
happyinpsych said:
I just want to point something out to you: What we've come to know as the American culture is basically mainstream, white culture. African Americans, Mexican Americans, etc. who were born and raised in America often come from cultures very different from the mainstream, white culture.

Please don't equate culture solely with foreign-born individuals.
Click to expand...


+ a million! You could be born and bred here in the U.S and still have a completely different culture from the mainstream. I am a foreign born individual and have lived here for about 6 years and I know people from the same country as me who were born and bred here but are even more 'my-cultured' than I am. its all a matter of what kind of community/family system you are raised in.

@PhD, I am really hoping that I misunderstood you statement. If it turns out that I didn't: WOW! you need to realize that in this scenario, it has nothing to do with being financially stricken! Financial woes are not just limited to minorities, you know. I think that everybody who is trying to get a PhD right now is financially stricken in some way, shape or form (especially in Psych). Its understood you didn't mean to offend, neither do we (or at least I) mean to attack you. It just seems like you are bit uneducated/underexposed to these issues and you do not have the proper frame of knowledge to back up your statements and convictions. Just next time, be a little more aware of your audience. If you brought this up to a group less inclined to be civil or censor themselves, this conversation might have gone a different way.


That being said, this is not really the thread for this discussion so let's just try to move on (I can already see T4C's bunny charging at us, LOL).
 
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I don't know why we are debating this, aren't whites going to be the minority in the US by 2030-2040? 😀 (just kidding)
But really, I do believe things will really change by the time the next generation turns our age. Hopefully for the better!
 
So, I haven't heard from any schools at all (except for the "Your application is complete" emails). No interview invites or rejections, and all but one of my schools are listed on the Interview thread, and I'm seeing that a few of my schools are being mentioned on Grad Cafe from people who have gotten rejections. When I check my status on the on-line apps, they either don't say anything except that the application is complete, or they say the application has been sent to the department for review... I'm taking the silence from these schools as "soft rejections", and so as a back-up plan I have contacted some research labs in my area about possibly volunteering or working in their labs, and also, no response. I actually had to send a test email to myself just to make sure my email is working properly... :shrug: Every time someone asks me, "So, have you heard from any schools?" I just want to SCREAM.

Ugh, sorry, I just needed to vent. 🙁
 
Sunshine3710 said:
So, I haven't heard from any schools at all (except for the "Your application is complete" emails). No interview invites or rejections, and all but one of my schools are listed on the Interview thread, and I'm seeing that a few of my schools are being mentioned on Grad Cafe from people who have gotten rejections. When I check my status on the on-line apps, they either don't say anything except that the application is complete, or they say the application has been sent to the department for review... I'm taking the silence from these schools as "soft rejections", and so as a back-up plan I have contacted some research labs in my area about possibly volunteering or working in their labs, and also, no response. I actually had to send a test email to myself just to make sure my email is working properly... :shrug: Every time someone asks me, "So, have you heard from any schools?" I just want to SCREAM.

Ugh, sorry, I just needed to vent. 🙁
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Oh yeah, been there... Have you tried contacting schools directly? I've heard some people got some responses that way.. even if it's not great news, at least you'll know one way or the other...uhhh.. I hate it when schools make you wait and wait and wait...
Good luck ! :luck:
 
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Hopeiswaning said:
Really thoughtful rejection email from Temple DCT today, 2/5 (clinical)
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I love your screen name. Very, very few things on this forum make me laugh, and it made me laugh aloud. : )

Good luck with your remaining prospects. Hope may be waning, but it is not lost.
 
I have 2 interviews, two official rejections, and four unofficial rejections ( I emailed my POI).

I know I should be happy about the interviews but I feel sad that it is "all over".

and both my interviews seem to be pretty competitive ( 5/6 people for every slot).

I kinda wish I hadn't emailed my POIs so I would still be hopeful. Oh well, not sure I could have afforded more interviews anyway.


+pity+
 
hamsterpants said:
I have 2 interviews, two official rejections, and four unofficial rejections ( I emailed my POI).

I know I should be happy about the interviews but I feel sad that it is "all over".

and both my interviews seem to be pretty competitive ( 5/6 people for every slot).

I kinda wish I hadn't emailed my POIs so I would still be hopeful. Oh well, not sure I could have afforded more interviews anyway.


+pity+
Click to expand...

It's not all over. It's just beginning! Get energized and ready to compete at those two interviews! 5 or 6 competitors per slot? You can handle that. Those are not overwhelming odds. How many people did you beat out to get into those interviews?
 
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