2009-2010: The Numbers (# of applications, interviews, acceptances, etc)

[deadmau5]

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Have you done any full time research work? Is your publication first-author? How about GREs...do you think you could raise them? Just the few ideas that occurred to me that might make you more competitive. I'd recommend not immediately reapplying this fall -- 2 years might give you time to really boost the credentials.

Not full time, which is why I intend to do the thesis over the summer to help with both of those first points. I spent 2 years doing that accepted publication, but it was P-T. I spent 1 summer doing that other pub. Also the GREs - they may not seem high for the U.S., but they are pretty good for Canadian schools (I will not be applying to U.S.). I considered retaking, but I believe they are okay. I still intend on applying again right away, I've already applied twice. I understand a lot of it is based on numbers, but I've gotta try one more time. Thanks a lot though.

 

[AlaskanJustin]

So this is a preliminary of the map, (like half of them inputted) but you can already see some interesting patterns.

Just so you get it, the brighter (red) the more people for that particular x,y pair. So on the x axis are criteria such as GPA etc and on the y axis are things like acceptances.

The scales can be found here (0-5 scales): http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Aaa7BtfLZL3SZGZ4Mng5YzZfNWRndDdqOGdo&hl=en

And the image of the heat map is found here: http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/695/heatmapgradtest2nof8.png

The way the "heat" was generated was placing the number of people that fall within a certain x,y pattern, so for instance if a person has a GPA scale score of 4 and an acceptance scale score of 2, then at that point (4,2) I place a number of 1, the more people at that given x,y pair the higher the number and therefore the brighter the heat signal.

I have many more to add so it will be even more interesting! Just wanted to give a preliminary for it.

J

***Note: To zoom in on the imagine, press control +++ etc and it zooms in

 

[AlaskanJustin]

So this is a preliminary of the map, (like half of them inputted) but you can already see some interesting patterns.

Just so you get it, the brighter (red) the more people for that particular x,y pair. So on the x axis are criteria such as GPA etc and on the y axis are things like acceptances.

The scales can be found here (0-5 scales): http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Aaa7BtfLZL3SZGZ4Mng5YzZfNWRndDdqOGdo&hl=en

And the image of the heat map is found here: http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/695/heatmapgradtest2nof8.png

The way the "heat" was generated was placing the number of people that fall within a certain x,y pattern, so for instance if a person has a GPA scale score of 4 and an acceptance scale score of 2, then at that point (4,2) I place a number of 1, the more people at that given x,y pair the higher the number and therefore the brighter the heat signal.

I have many more to add so it will be even more interesting! Just wanted to give a preliminary for it.

J

***Note: To zoom in on the imagine, press control +++ etc and it zooms in

Also note this is an early version of it, I will add rows and columns to separate each category for easier visualization and clean it up etc... just wanting to see if you guys think its cool and worth the effort

J

 

[Jezebel09]

Also note this is an early version of it, I will add rows and columns to separate each category for easier visualization and clean it up etc... just wanting to see if you guys think its cool and worth the effort

J

Thanks Justin!!!

I think it is very cool, and I greatly appreciate that you are taking the time to do this for us and future SDNers. : )

 

[school psych]

Hello, I'm new and representing school psychology 🙂

1) Area: School psychology (5 PhD, 3 PsyD, 2 combined PsyD)

2) # of applications submitted: 10

3) # of interview invites: 9 (attended 6, 1 phone, withdrew 2)

4) # of waitlists: 1

5) # of rejections: 1 pre-interview

6) # of acceptances: 5
(Still waiting to hear from 1 more school about my status)

7) GRE score: 640 V, 630 Q (it could be the other way around; not 100% sure), 4.5 A

8) GPA: 3.5 cum, 3.8 psych

9) Years of clinical experience: 2 semesters fieldwork in field of interest + 2 years in special education

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 2 semesters research in field of interest

11) Information about publications, presentations: None

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)
I got into my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice schools. I'm finding it very difficult to make a decision. I think it helped that I really had an idea of what I wanted to do in the future, and I have several research ideas that I would like to pursue. Only one school told me that they didn't like that I was so focused.

 

[Chenelsea3]

1) Area: Clinical Psych (neuropsych emphasis)

2) # of applications submitted: 17

3) # of interview invites: 7 (attended 6, withdrew 1)

4) # of waitlists: 4

5) # of rejections: 10 pre-interview

6) # of acceptances: 3 (accepted to one from off the waitlist, withdrew from the other 3 waitlists before hearing back)


7) GRE score: 680 V, 760 Q , 5.5 A, 800 psych

8) GPA: 3.3 cum, 3.9 psych

9) Years of clinical experience: 7 summers at a camp for special-needs kids, 1 summer at child inpatient unit of hospital, 1 year of research in psychiatric hospital

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 2 years undergrad, 1 year full-time

11) Information about publications, presentations: 3 poster presentations, no pubs

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?) I got into my second choice school right away but waited and got into my first choice off the waitlist. I didn't really have a third choice since my 2nd choice told me at the interview I pretty much had it. I had applied last year to 5 schools and not gotten any interviews-- I think that what helped me was a) applying to a ton of schools and b) be really really clear with yourself what you are interested in-- more than just a specific population. My first year applying I knew I wanted to work with a certain group, but this year I have really realized what aspects of clinical disorder I am really interested in studying, and that helped me better identify programs with a good fit for me.

 

[jnine]

yeah i think it's cool too!

so, assuming that higher scores/more experience (etc.) leads to more invites/acceptances (etc.), one would generally expect a within-category rightward and downward increase in "heat"?

(sorry if that sentence doesnt really make sense.)

Also note this is an early version of it, I will add rows and columns to separate each category for easier visualization and clean it up etc... just wanting to see if you guys think its cool and worth the effort

J

 

[AlaskanJustin]

yeah i think it's cool too!

so, assuming that higher scores/more experience (etc.) leads to more invites/acceptances (etc.), one would generally expect a within-category rightward and downward increase in "heat"?

(sorry if that sentence doesnt really make sense.)

Well I would argue that in general GPA and clinical experience dont correlate well at all... same with GRE, it appears that at a certain point around 1250ish there is no longer a relationship (kind of like the cutoff theory would predict). So in my opinion from this limited sample, GRE and GPA both have a cutoff range (although GPA a lot less clear) while clinical experience has little to no relevance.

Now when you get to Research experience and publications I think its pretty black or white, and the trend you mention holds true. In many cases (and I hope to do these analyses at some point) the overlap is fascinating, where its clear that research (sometimes alone) makes up for the lack of any or all the other categories.

Should be more clear once we get a somewhat final plot though.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Psyched2525]

Well I would argue that in general GPA and clinical experience dont correlate well at all... same with GRE, it appears that at a certain point around 1250ish there is no longer a relationship (kind of like the cutoff theory would predict). So in my opinion from this limited sample, GRE and GPA both have a cutoff range (although GPA a lot less clear) while clinical experience has little to no relevance.

Now when you get to Research experience and publications I think its pretty black or white, and the trend you mention holds true. In many cases (and I hope to do these analyses at some point) the overlap is fascinating, where its clear that research (sometimes alone) makes up for the lack of any or all the other categories.

Should be more clear once we get a somewhat final plot though.

Thanks for looking!

I suppose I'm an outlier. 🙂 Thanks for doing this.

 

[Cigolon]

-

 

[Psyched2525]

[/QUOTE] info? the only thing that matters is your GRE imho.[/QUOTE]

Ha Ha. I feel your pain. My third time applying as well and I have very similar stats as you. I interviewed at a school that rejected me post interview due to my low GRE scores. I felt like saying, "if you're going to base everything on the GRE-then why did you invite me for an interview?" It makes me feel that my CV is no competition for my GRE's. We have to raise our GRE scores-it's the UGLY HARD TRUTH.

 

[mas810]

1) Area: school, clinical, counseling, other: Clinical with a health emphasis

2) # of applications submitted: 11

3) # of interview invites: 3

4) # of waitlists: not sure

5) # of rejections: 10 (8 pre interview, 2 post interview)

6) # of acceptances: not sure (waiting on one school which also happens to be my top choice)

7) GRE score: 1210 general (500V,710Q), 4.5 writing

8) GPA: 3.5 undergrad (3.8 psych), 3.89 masters

9) Years of clinical experience: 2 years (1 year in hotlines, 1 year at a residential facility), have also done summer camps for those with terminal illnesses for two years and for those who are cognitively impaired

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): a semester in undergrad and a year working with a psychiatrist who was studying depression

11) Information about publications, presentations: none

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)
Apply to schools where I have a better fit, Apply to a wider geographic area and get more research experience

I know one mistake I made was only applying to the philadelphia and nyc area. However, I was wondering what other things I might need to work on. I'm trying to get more research experience as we speak but should I also work on getting those nasty gres up? What about taking the psych gres?

 

[teo3099]

.

 

[jnine]

wow, cool. future applicants take heed 🙂

Well I would argue that in general GPA and clinical experience dont correlate well at all... same with GRE, it appears that at a certain point around 1250ish there is no longer a relationship (kind of like the cutoff theory would predict). So in my opinion from this limited sample, GRE and GPA both have a cutoff range (although GPA a lot less clear) while clinical experience has little to no relevance.

Now when you get to Research experience and publications I think its pretty black or white, and the trend you mention holds true. In many cases (and I hope to do these analyses at some point) the overlap is fascinating, where its clear that research (sometimes alone) makes up for the lack of any or all the other categories.

Should be more clear once we get a somewhat final plot though.

Thanks for looking!

 

[McClinas]

Deleted

 

[hamsterpants]

It's difficult to get a sense of what a program or lab is like from their website, and actually visiting made a huge difference for me.
I would also like to stress how insanely competitive these programs are. I know this comment is ubiquitous on this forum, but it is very true and worth mentioning again! And not to downplay my accomplishment or other's acceptences, but there is just so much luck involved. If you are fortunate enough to beat out the dense field of 250 or so applications to get an interview, you then are pitted up against 4-6 equally qualified individuals for usually one spot. I had one POI tell me that it was so hard for him to make a final decision: he felt like "a kid in a candy store." And even if you have an outstanding, knock-it-out-of-the-park interview, sometimes the professor is just looking to take his/her lab or research in a slightly different direction which fits better with what another candidate offers. The fact of the matter is that there are countless deserving, highly-qualified, and impressive applicants that don't receive ANY offers from year to year. You need to have that unique combination of experiences, talent, and luck for you to succeeed! So the moral of this diatribe is that you should apply to many programs (in my case 16), but remember, you only need 1 !

so true!

 

[sioren]

1) Area: Clinical PhD (roughly equal emphasis of research and clinical training though tending towards more research)

2) # of applications submitted: 12

3) # of interview invites: 1

4) # of waitlists: 1

5) # of rejections: 9

6) # of acceptances: 0 (so far, keeping my fingers crossed!)

7) GRE score: 1340 general (660V,680Q), 5.5 writing, 710 Psychology GRE

8) GPA: 3.43 undergrad (3.56 last two years)

9) Years of clinical experience: 2 years in an inpatient psych unit. 6 months in a children's hospital/university hospital.

10) Years of research experience:

Undergrad: Three years of experience with one lab, two (concurrent with the first one) with another lab, wrote a thesis and presented it at an undergraduate conference. Two summer research experiences in psychiatric and neuropsychological research.

Post-grad: Two years in a psychiatry department at a large university

11) Information about publications, presentations: Co-author on one peer-reviewed paper, presented posters as first author at two undergraduate conferences and one professional conference. Co-author on another recent presentation at a professional conference.

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle.

I'm not really sure I've done very well. I suppose the only difference from the last cycle is that I have one interview and one place where I'm wait-listed. I think I applied to a broader range of schools this time. On that note, I would have been glad to go to any of them without hesitation. They were all really fitting exactly what I was looking for in a program. I really tried my best to follow the advice I was given by my advisers and the feedback I received during my first round. The feedback I've received from most programs this round hasn't been all that helpful.

 

[SoCal88]

1) Area: all clinical except on applied behavior analysis

2) # of applications submitted: 7

3) # of interview invites: so far, 3

4) # of waitlists: 1

5) # of rejections: 2 (no interview invite)

6) # of acceptances: one, so far!

7) GRE score: dont exactly remember, in the 400 or 500's for each section, writing 5.0

8) GPA: 3.2 (psych)

9) Years of clinical experience: 1 year

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): one undergard class

11) Information about publications, presentations: none

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)
i got an interview at my first choice school (hope to get in!), and into my second choice!

 

[nypsychny]

1) Clinical

2) # of applications submitted
11
3) # of interview invites
7
4) # of waitlists
2
5) # of rejections
4-pre interview...one of them lost my recommendations, and I did not bother sending back
6) # of acceptances
4-have not heard from 1 yet
7) GRE score
GRE 510V, 750Q, 4.5Writing...Subject 510
8) GPA
different undergrad field...so did a masters in psych(GPA 3.65)
9) Years of clinical experience
6 months part time in a homeless center
10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research)
Masters part time research 1.5 year
11) Information about publications, presentations

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)
Got into my first choice!

 

[ltj999]

1) Area: school, clinical, counseling, other:
Clinical (14 last year clinical PhD & social PhD, 12 this year PsyD, PhD clinical and social)

2) # of applications submitted
26 total last and this year

3) # of interview invites
2 last year, 4 this year (1 declined due to same date as other school)

4) # of waitlists
1 last year

5) # of rejections
alot... lol

6) # of acceptances
2(so far)

7) GRE score
1140 (600v 540Q) & 6 out of 6 for ana. writing

8) GPA
3.6 overall 3.8psych

9) Years of clinical experience
about 2 (1/2 internship in undergrad, 1/2 current full time job as a case manager for an outpatient center)

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research)
3 (2 1/2 undergrad, finished paper after gradation)

11) Information about publications, presentations
1 pub, 3 presentations

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)
Spoke honestly about my true change in heart from research to clinical practice with current job. Applied smarter to programs that I fit with, rather than programs I WANTED to fit with. Laid it all on the line with the interview and was totally honest about my self and I think they appreciated me being so genuine.

 

[deleted315242]

1) Area: school, clinical, counseling, other:
Clinical Ph.D

2) # of applications submitted
12

3) # of interview invites
2

4) # of waitlists
0

5) # of rejections
10 pre-interview

6) # of acceptances
2

7) GRE score
610V 640Q 670Psych

8) GPA
3.40 undergrad, 3.97 masters in psychology

9) Years of clinical experience
1 year internship

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research)
1 year internship working in area of interest

11) Information about publications, presentations
1 publication, 3rd author; 5 posters

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)
I got into my first choice, which was wonderful. For me, I believe the key was knowing that my fit with my program of choice was very good and making that very clear in my SOP. If I was honest, I'd say the majority of the schools on my list didn't match my interests that well and I wasted a lot of time and money pretending I could somehow fake that in my SOP. Looking back, a good handful were right to not take me and luckily the one that really mattered did.

 

[SerotoninStorm]

1) Area: Clinical Ph.D. (Neuropsychology emphasis)

2) # of applications submitted: 11

3) # of interview invites: 4

4) # of waitlists: 2 (initially 4; one ultimately rejected me and one offered an acceptance post-interview)

5) # of rejections: 6

6) # of acceptances: 2

Still waiting to hear back from one school post-interview.

7) GRE score: 720V (98%), 700Q (71%), 780 Psych (98%)

8) GPA: 3.48 (Double majored in Psych and Biology; 3.83 Psych, 3.36 Bio)

9) Years of clinical experience: 2 years as clinical research coordinator at a neurology/neuropsychology lab at a medical school working with substance abusers

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 3 years undergrad (all in basic biology), 3 years full-time professional (1 in basic biology, 2 at medical school doing clinical work)

11) Information about publications, presentations: 1 publication as 2nd author in Journal of Neuroscience; 2 posters presented as 1st author at a medical school annual research symposium

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)
I had 2 schools tied for 1st choice (Univ. of Illinois Chicago and SDSU/UCSD) and I got into one of them (UIC). I feel that having a precise match of research interests with my POI at UIC and having established a dialogue with her via email months in advance really helped me get in to this program. I have spent the past two years conducting and presenting research in her area of expertise (neuropsychological deficits related to substance abuse) which also helped quite a bit.

One bit of feedback I got from the interview I was rejected from, I view as critical: I was told that although I seemed like a promising candidate, it wasn't very clear who I wanted to work with in the shcool and they had chosen to go with people with more specifically stated research goals. I had listed 2-3 POIs at this school and tried to appear open to working with all of them, and thus they weren't sure how I really was going to fit in to the school. At some schools (e.g. U Alab. Birmingham, where they actually have you do a first-year lab rotation) this may be seen as a good approach, but I think in the majority of schools they want to have a very clear idea of how you are going to fit in and what you can do for them. There may have been a time when people could afford to be more general but I think the field is so competitive now that POIs can afford to hand-pick someone who seems exactly motivated to fit into a mold they have in mind. At UIC there was only one professor I was interested in working with, and I think this ended up inadvertedly being a huge boon to me, because I wasn't able to hang myself by appearing too diffusely interested. I recommend that people choose their prospective POIs months ahead of time and establish an email dialogue with them (ask if they are taking students for example) and then aggressively tailor their application to match with that person (unless the school explicitly favors a more diffuse approach e.g. UAB). You can almost always exercise more latitude once you are actually *in* the program, but you have a huge hurdle to mount in selling yourself to fit their exact needs first. Also, don't bother applying anywhere that you don't have a *very* strong match in research interests, the interviewers will be able to tell.

 

[Buzzwordsoldier]

1) Area: clinical psych (PhD and PsyD)

2) # of applications submitted: 10 -- four Phd, five PsyD, and one general MA tied to PhD program

3) # of interview invites: 2, both PsyD

4) # of waitlists: none

5) # of rejections: eight plus one transfer of application from PhD program to MS program which also turned me down

6) # of acceptances: One PsyD, one MA

7) GRE score: 710V, 720Q, 4.5AW

8) GPA: 3.15 UG (3.56 last two years), 3.46 Grad.

9) Years of clinical experience: 16.5 years with multiple positions writing treatment plans, performing assessments, conducting individual, group and family sessions, as well as administering programs.

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): One, graduate.

11) Information about publications, presentations: Zip

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)

Got interviewed by my first and second choices of PsyD programs, and after the interviews I switched their ranking. To be more competitive for admission to PhD programs, I'd need to redo my graduate studies -- the surest way to improve my GPA, get more research experience, possibly publish, and get academic LORs.

What seemed to work was resolving to be completely transparent about my interests in critical psychology as well as my experiences as a dissident professional. I had to buck some of the advice most people take as bedrock in order to stay true. I think I'm going to like the results.

 

[katciao]

1) Area: school, clinical, counseling, other: Other (health/social) PhD

2) # of applications submitted: 4

3) # of interview invites: 2

4) # of waitlists: 2

5) # of rejections: 2

6) # of acceptances: 1 (from waitlist)

7) GRE score: 780 (quant), 770 (verbal), 5.0 (AWA)

8) GPA: lower than I'd like to mention (undergrad--electrical engineering and math); 4.0 (math teaching cred); 3.4 (grad--finance); near 4.0 (undergrad/grad psych)

9) Years of clinical experience: 0

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 2 years (undergrad/grad) + 1 year (professional-statistical)

11) Information about publications, presentations: 1 pub, 1 presentation, 1 thesis in progress

12) Other applicants to my programs had higher grades and more direct research than I did. I knew that I had to do everything in my power to make myself a serious contender. I read everything I could to prepare for interviews: POIs' articles (5-12?), POIs' books, POIs' grad students' articles, POIs' colleagues' work, etc. Then I created research models (flow chart-like diagrams) that either extended POIs' current models of behavior, for instance, or created models from scratch in which I incorporated POIs' beliefs and showed possible extensions of POIs' work. I created four models for the four interviews I knew that I would have at the last school to interview me. Time consuming, but probably well worth it considering I was accepted to a school with an acceptance rate of approx. 3%. I think that the professors at that school could envision me working for them from what I literally brought to the interview. I would recommend, in many cases, bringing to interviews a one-page model or outline of the work one might likely do for a POI. That way, the POI has something to remind him or her why he or she likes you--and, in cases where not every professor can get a grad student that year, can show it to his or her colleagues when it comes time for professors to champion the cause of their favorite applicant!

 

[katciao]

Should I bother applying the fourth time? Anybody on here that has applied that many times?

30 sounds young to me! I was accepted into a PhD program with funding in my mid-forties! The most important question most likely is "Can you raise your GRE score?" As a math teacher, tutor of the SAT, GMAT and GRE, and a psychology student, I probably think more than the average person does about what causes anxiety in people taking these tests. How much time have you spent studying for the GRE? How have you studied for it? Did you study on your own, in a course, with a tutor? Which prep materials did you use? Do you tend to feel anxiety of other types or just anxiety surrounding standardized tests? Have you tried anything (e.g. mindfulness (meditation), CBT, EMDR, anxiolytics) to reduce your anxiety and deal with traumatic test situations, if you've had them? I can tell you what has worked for my students and me. Feel free to PM me.

Best wishes!

 

[soupy]

1) Area: School Psychology

2) # of applications submitted - 14 (10 phd, 4 psyd)

3) # of interview invites - 12 (8 phd, 4 psyd). Actually did 7 in person (4 phd, 3 psyd) and 2 phone (1 phd, 1 psyd). Turned down 3 phd interviews.

4) # of waitlists - 3 post-interview (1 phd, 2 psyd). I withdrew from 1 of the psyd waitlists. And I'm not sure if either of the other two will turn into acceptances yet. I think the 1 psyd one probably will, and the phd one probably won't, but we'll see.

5) # of rejections - 2 pre-interview (both phd). 2 post-interview (both phd).

6) # of acceptances - 4 post-interview (2 phd, 2 psyd)

7) GRE score - V-580, Q-750, AW-5.0. Psych subject test-750.

8) GPA - 3.8 overall, 3.9 psych.

9) Years of clinical experience - Not sure if it really counts, but during my 4 years as an undergrad I did a work study job that placed me in classrooms in a public elementary school. Basically I worked as a teacher's aide. I would help demo lessons, and then I would work one-on-one or in small groups with the kids that needed more assistance. I got really lucky and placed in classrooms that were integrated, so half the kids had special needs and the other half were general ed kids. So I got some good experiences from that.

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research) - While I was an undergrad I volunteered as an RA my junior year in a social psych lab. I did some basic coding and data entry, nothing too exciting. My senior year I completed an honors thesis in the same lab, so I had a little more control over what I was doing. After I graduated, I also worked as a full-time paid RA on schizophrenia studies, which I've been doing for about a year and a half.

11) Information about publications, presentations - No publications. I had 1 poster presentation at an Undergrad Research Conference. Don't think anybody cared much about that, though.

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)

This is a good question. I've had a pretty successful application cycle, and I'm not really sure why I've been so lucky because I think my stats are rather average. I did go to a well-known school for my undergrad. It's not ivy league, but it's definitely got a good reputation, so maybe that helped get my foot in the door at some places. I think my research experiences probably helped, too. I don't have any pubs or great posters or anything, but even without that, I think my experiences stood for themselves and really showed that I can handle many different aspects of research, whether that's analyzing data, going to clinics to recruit patients, or conducting some neuropsych assessments. I think working four years in the NYC elementary school helped, too. Since my research experiences didn't involve working with children, working in the schools showed that I can work effectively with kids. Plus, I got a chance to talk to the school psychologist at the school and she let me observe an IEP and things like that, so I definitely knew what I was getting into when I chose this field. But, other than that technical stuff.. I think what also might have helped me is the fact that I didn't really get nervous for interviews. I felt I was able to think pretty clearly throughout and have good conversations with the professors interviewing me.

I'm not exactly sure where my top choice is, so it's hard to answer that question. I wound up waitlisted at the program that really impressed me the most, however it would be tough for me to go there, as it not geographically convenient (i.e. would have to be apart from my boyfriend). I got accepted into another program that I also loved, is a good research fit, and very ideal geographically. Plus, I am nominated for a fellowship there to boot. So, I'm very happy with that. Not sure where I would choose to go if I get accepted off the waitlist at the other school, though.. that would be a super tough decision!

 

[PsychHope]

Getting into a PhD program straight from undergrad can happen. Don't lose hope!

 

[PsychApps2009]

1) Area: Clinical Ph.D.

2) # of applications submitted: 16

3) # of interview invites: 13 (withdrew from 2)

4) # of waitlists: 3 (withdrew from 2, rejected from 1)

5a) # of rejections: 6 (2 pre & 3 post-interview; and 1 from waitlist)

5b) # unknown: 1 (assume rejection as no interview).

6) # of acceptances: 5

7) GRE score: 680 (quant), 710 (verbal), 5.5 (AWA), 730 (psy)

8) GPA: 3.74 overall / 3.9 psych

9) Years of clinical experience: 0 (though assessment experience from full-time RA position)

10) Years of research experience: 3 years undergrad. (in two labs), 2 years full time RA

11) Information about publications, presentations: 2 pubs (+1 in progress), 6 posters, 1 undergraduate thesis

12) Most of my top programs ended up not taking students or not being a good fit. For example, 1 of my pre-interview and post-interview rejections (and my pre-interview unknown) were because the professor ended up not taking students. The other 2 of my post-interview rejections were at places that were not good research matches at all. I'm very happy with my results, however, and feel my research background is what worked for me (in terms of my publications, thesis, and various research awards as an undergrad). I also had a very specific area of research interest and noticed that I had the best results at places where the POI was focused in on that area too.

 

[water808]

1) Area: Clinical Ph.D. (mostly health psych emphasis, one geropsych program)

2) # of applications submitted: 11

3) # of interview invites: 3

4) # of waitlists: 2

5) # of rejections: 9

6) # of acceptances: 1 (off of the waitlist)

7) GRE score: 660V (94%), 710Q (73%), didn't take Psych (which unfortunately meant I had to cut some great schools off of my list!)

8) GPA: 3.61 (Double majored in Psych and Business; 3.87 Psych, 3.93 Business)

9) Years of clinical experience: 2 1/2 years as clinical research coordinator at a psychiatry/neuropsychology lab at a VA Hospital affiliated with a university medical school studying Alzheimer's disease; the clinical experience gained was mostly neuropsych assessment and intake interviews. (I also listed this below in research experience.)

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 1 year in undergrad (part-time in 2 different psych labs), 2 1/2 years full-time professional (see above)

11) Information about publications, presentations: listed as a co-author on a presentation at an international conference

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?): I thought I had good stats (GRE & GPA), but I think I could have tailored my research match to faculty a bit more... like someone in the above post said, things have gotten so competitive that POIs basically want to hand pick someone devoted to their research. I was applying mostly to health programs, but perhaps didn't connect my current research as well as I should have to my future interests. Additionally, I named 2 or 3 POIs at some programs, which might have made my interests too broad. Also, I didn't establish contact with all of the schools ahead of time, and what's posted on the website isn't always the most accurate reflection of current faculty research!

Also, there were some GREAT programs that I didn't apply to because I missed the registration deadline to take the Psych GRE this year (e.g., UCSD, Utah, etc), so I missed out there. I've gone back-and-forth about applying for a couple of years and finally realized psych is my passion and it's what I want to do, but I didn't decide to apply until mid-October! Therefore I had major work to do to meet the 12/1 deadlines of most schools!

I feel like I could learn from this experience and get in to better programs next year, but I'm glad I don't have to! I got in to what was my top choice after interviewing, so I'm happy!

 

[futureapppsy2]

Just a reminder to everyone to please update their "numbers" as the process comes to a close.

 

[Sunshine3710]

1) Area: Clinical PhD

2) # of applications submitted 6

3) # of interview invites 1

4) # of waitlists 1

5) # of rejections 5 - but one school didn't receive my application until after the deadline... oh well.

6) # of acceptances 1 (from waitlist)

7) GRE score 670 Q, 650 V, 720 Psych. I don't remember percentiles, but I know my Verbal was MUCH higher than my Quantitative even though the actual score was lower.

8) GPA 3.52 Overall UG, 3.87 Psych

9) Years of clinical experience 1 year at a Suicide and Crisis Hotline

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research) 1 year undergraduate Research Assistant

11) Information about publications, presentations None, but part of my research experience included a hypothetical experiment (hypothetical because the person who was supposed to write the computer program for us bailed on us). I did not do a thesis.

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?) There was one school that I should not have applied to because it wasn't a good fit - I knew it at the time, but for some reason I still applied... I should have used that money/time/energy for another application. I got in to my "middle" choice school, and I am perfectly happy with the outcome. Besides the one school I mentioned earlier, I only applied to schools that I really wanted to attend and that fit my research interests.

However, if I had to do the whole process over again, I would have started much earlier, probably in June or July. I would have had 2 or 3 back-up letter writers. I also would have better tailored my statement to express more clearly express how my research interests fit each schools program - I think working on several statements at one time was a bad idea.

I'm sure my applications would have been stronger if I had more long-term research experience, but in the end, I got in to a program that I'm happy about, and in retrospect, some of the more research-heavy schools to which I applied might not have ended up being the best choices for me in terms of clinical training.

Like so many people have said on this forum, it only takes one... but my advice to future applicants is to be absolutely sure that you truly want to attend every school to which you apply, and that you are a good fit (different than wanting to be a good fit). That way, if you end up being accepted to just one program, it will still be a good choice for you.

 

[CounselingGirl]

1) Area: PhD Counseling

2) # of applications submitted: 10

3) # of interview invites: 5 (completed 3, withdrew from 2)

4) # of waitlists: 3

5) # of rejections: 5 (all without interviews)

6) # of acceptances: 3

7) GRE score: 590 verbal, 620 quant

8) GPA: 3.87

9) Years of clinical experience: 9 months volunteering at Crisis Center hotline

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 1.5 years of being a Research Assistant in 3 labs

11) Information about publications, presentations: No pubs/presentations, no honors thesis

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle.

I had a few unique qualities. I double majored in Psychology and Fine Art. I also held several leadership positions in honor societies.

 

[nycpsych24]

1) Area: Clinical PhD

2) # of applications submitted: 10

3) # of interview invites: 5 (although one school that I was accepted to didn't do interviews)

4) # of waitlists: 3

5) # of rejections: 4 w/out interview; 1 post interview

6) # of acceptances: 3 (one off of waitlist)

7) GRE score: 600 verbal, 720 quant, 5.5 writing, 730 psych

8) GPA: 3.83 overall; 3.98 Psych

9) Years of clinical experience: 7 months volunteering at Crisis Center hotline; a CBT training course; one summer of assessments with adolescent substance abusers exposed to trauma (as part of research study)

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 3 summers as a full time RA, w/ part time during the year as an undergrad. Additionally, worked as a RA for one year in a lab at my undergrad institution; 2 years full-time research administration position at a medical hospital/psychiatric institute after undergrad

11) Information about publications, presentations: 1 pub (second author), with another one on the way. One presentation at an international psychology conference (I was the main presenter); Undergraduate honors thesis

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle.

Fit is huge. My fit wasn't good at any of the schools that I didn't receive an interview at. I was restricted by geography (I am married to a medical student who can't move cross country with me) so I ended up just applying everywhere withing commuting distance and disregarding fit. Thankfully, I did have a good fit at the 3 schools I did get in to and was able to choose my #2 school. Very happy overall, especially since i knew my chances were decreased due to the limitations I set for myself in applying.

 

[PsyDHokie]

1) Area: Clinical PsyD/PhD and Counseling PsyD

2) # of applications submitted: 10

3) # of interview invites: 5 (Went to 4 and Declined 1)

4) # of waitlists: 0

5) # of rejections: 2 w/o interview; 0 post interview; Have not heard back from 4 programs.

6) # of acceptances: 4 (every interview I attended)

7) GRE score: 560 Verbal, 530 Quant, 5 Writing, Didn't take Psych (Second try at General GRE's... First try 430 Quant., 450 Verbal, 4.5 Writing. YIKES!)--- Once I broke 1000 I decided not to take them again before reapplying.

8) GPA: 3.2 overall and 4.0 Psych (Undergrad); 3.63 (M.S. Clinical Psychology)--- Low Undergrad GPA due to starting out in another major and switching my Junior year.

9) Years of clinical experience: One semester, the semester I was working on my application. My master's program requires us to do a year long practicum/internship. I attended some workshops on CPT and Psycho-Drama

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 1.5 years of Qualitative research in the Human Development Department at my undergraduate institution. My undergraduate institution is very big on research and is pretty well known for it. I worked on a few articles for journals that are still in the works. I also TA'ed a course while an undergrad.

11) Information about publications, presentations: Worked on two publications during my undergraduate years, but they are still in the works.

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle: I applied to one PsyD program right out of undergrad and did not get in, but I did get into a few Master's programs. I went into a Master's program that has a big focus on Clinical work and excelled in my academics. I applied again after finishing my first year in my Master's program and got into the PsyD program I applied to as an undergrad + a few more. I was pleased with having my Master's because most of the programs transferred credits, one required to have a Master's, and one actually waived my first year.

If you want interview tips, have other questions, or want to know which programs I applied to and got into just PM me.

 

[tpink]

1) Area: school, clinical, counseling, other: Clinical

2) # of applications submitted: 6 (PsyD)

3) # of interview invites: 4: 1 in person, 1 over the phone, canceled other 2 after getting into my first choice.

4) # of waitlists: 0

5) # of rejections: 1 post interview, 1 pre-interview

6) # of acceptances: 1

7) GRE score: General: lower than I would like to say, GRE Psych: 640

8) GPA: 3.2 (undergrad) 3.5 (grad)

9) Years of clinical experience : 2.5 years: interned at psychiatric center during undergrad, 2 externships during grad school; currently working full-time as case worker with individuals with dual diagnoses of axis I disorders and substance abuse

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 1 semester, during grad school

11) Information about publications, presentations: 0

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?): Be confident in what you've accomplished academically or vocationally (even if it's not reflected in the "numbers). I did not do well on my GRES, which was a blow to my confidence during the application process. I decided to continue to apply, and highlighted my strengths and clinical experience, and ending up getting 4 interviews! (I was hoping for at least 1). The experience as a whole was an emotional roller coaster, but I am ecstatic with my choice (1st) and managed to get ammmaazzzing funding!!! In the end; I'd do it again; but probably with a glass of wine along the way. lol 🙂

 

[steffsays]

1) Area: Clinical PhD/PsyD (1 Counseling PhD)

2) # of applications submitted: 14 (5 PsyD, 9 PhD)

3) # of interview invites: 7 (4 PsyD, 3 PhD)

4) # of waitlists: 2 (both PhD)

5) # of rejections: 7 (all pre-interview...6 PhD, 1 PsyD)

6) # of acceptances: 5 (4 PsyD, 1 PhD)

7) GRE score: 2nd time = 740 Quant, 610 Verb, 5.0 Writing...1st time = 570 Quant, 680 Verb, 5.0 Writing...Psych GRE = 750

8) GPA: M.A. (different field) = 3.86, B.A. = 3.48, Psych = 3.9

9) Years of clinical experience: 3 years as a teacher, 1 year volunteer E.R. rape crisis counselor/advocate, 6 mos at center for homeless LGBT youth

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 1 1/2 year part-time & 1 year research fellowship (also part-time)

11) Information about publications, presentations: no publications, no psych presentations (2 in another field)

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?): With no publications & limited research experience I was not as appealing to PhD programs as PsyD's. Also, I wish I had tailored my personal statements more to each program. In the end I got in to a PhD program that was not a top choice before interviews, but was my 2nd or 3rd choice post-interview...and I know it's somewhere I will get a great education and be happy. 🙂

 

[andes]

I don't know if this point has been made elsewhere (probably yes) but I wanted to point something out, that I didn't quite realize when I was frantically calculating and recalculating my .001% odds of being accepted for clinical Ph.D. programs.

Some people reject interview invites, and get rejection letters as a result. I remember thinking, jeez, 5/350 seems like pretty bad odds, but the truth is -- not that it's great odds or anything -- some of the 345 people who have been "rejected" kind of made that decision for themselves by turning down an interview offer in the first place.

Just a thought 🙂

 

[psyvagabond]

1) Area: school, clinical, counseling, other:
Clinical PsyD
2) # of applications submitted
3

3) # of interview invites
3 (one interview invite turned down)

4) # of waitlists
1

5) # of rejections
1

6) # of acceptances
1- my top choice!!!


8) GPA
3.66

9) Years of clinical experience
1 1/2 years behavior therapist & 1 year mental health counselor

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research)
2 years undergrad

11) Information about publications, presentations
none

 

[shiva1008]

Hey... I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for contributing their stats. I have often wondered about this, being an analytical type of person as I'm sure many of us are. It really gives a clear picture, in terms of probabilities, of what you would need to get in.

 

[PhDToBe]

1) Area: Clinical PhD

2) # of applications submitted: 11

3) # of interview invites: 3

4) # of waitlists: 2 (One to a school whose interview I did not attend)

5) # of rejections: 8

6) # of acceptances: 2 (Took myself off of a waitlist at one school)

7) GRE score: I can't post, because I don't want my b/f to know ; it's above 1200

8) GPA: B.S. = 3.92, Psych = 4.0

9) Years of clinical experience:
at the time of submitting applications:
-almost two years working PART-TIME at a psych hospital on all units
-5 months volunteering at a clinic for the underserved, but doing more clerical work than clinical
-had just started working part-time at a youth shelter/crisis hotline, but most of my programs didn't know about that
-a few months of identifying mitigating factors in death penalty cases
-had just started receiving some basic training on administering and scoring tests

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research):
at the time of submitting applications:
- a summer and 2 semesters in one lab (undergrad)
- 1 semester in another lab (undergrad)
- 1 semester in a 3rd lab (after undergrad)

11) Information about publications, presentations:
- 1 presentation at undergrad school
- 3rd author on a poster presentation
- 2nd author on a paper submitted to a conference
- 1st author on encyclopedia entry (under review)
- 2nd author on encyclopedia entry (under review)
- 2nd author on a pub (in prep)
- 5th author on a paper submitted to a conference

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?):
I got into my my top 2 choices, but I think this could be biased because I stopped looking into schools where I was rejected, but I know I had a good match with 2 profs at 2 other programs, so those would have been top choices, too.

-Last year I only had one letter from someone I did research with, and no presentations, less pubs, etc.
- I moved to another state to obtain more research and clinical experiences, which I think profs liked
- I have hands-on experience with death penalty cases (my subfield is forensics / psych-law)

-Also, I know others have said this, but only apply to schools you would actually attend!
- I applied to a couple programs with profs who focused on trauma and doemstic violence (secondary interests), but did not hide in my personal statement that forensics was my main interest. Needless to say, I did not receive interviews at any of those schools. I did not want to lie, but was just desperate to get in somewhere.

 

[Nihl]

1) Area: Clinical (PhD)

2) # of Applications: 18

3) # of interview invites 4

4) # of waitlists 2 (maybe 3, they never responded)

5) # of rejections 16

6) # of acceptances 0

7) GRE score 700 Q 660 V 4.5 W 750 Psych

8) GPA 3.4 Psych 3.5 J/S 3.7

9) Years of clinical experience: 1 volunteer for Psychiatric Research, 1 art therapy program Project HOME

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research) 2 years Alzheimer's, 2 years Lupus (more medical research)

11) Information about publications, presentations: 1 second author, 3 acknowledgements

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle.

Honestly, everything seemed pretty random. I was wait listed at 1 rather good school and not even wait listed at 2 'safe schools'. I think I interview very well and was told so. Unfortunately, no one has given me anything but positive feed back. I'm hoping to work on my Personal Statement and get... 2 more years clinical research before I apply again I suppose. I hope that 2 years spent in non-research/academia didn't hurt my application. I ran into some financial difficulty and took a great opportunity to release my transcripts. I had hoped it wouldn't seem like I was fickle as it was directly intended to go to graduate school sooner. I would love some one to look at my Personal Statement. My only help has been from more medical researchers/MDs and their ideas of statements has been different from what is suggested for clinical.

 

[Brussell]

1) Area: school, clinical, counseling, other:
Counseling Ph.D.

2) # of applications submitted
11 Ph.D programs, 1 masters program

3) # of interview invites
4 total (withdrew from one)

4) # of waitlists
1 (withdrew)

5) # of rejections
7

6) # of acceptances
2 Ph.D., 2 masters

7) GRE
V:570, Q:680, A:5.0

8) GPA
3.66

9) Years of clinical experience
2 months as a youth care counselor at a residential treatment center

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research)
1 semester undergrad for a sociology lab
2 semesters undergrad for a psychology personality lab

11) Information about publications, presentations
none

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)
I didn't get into my first choice school, but I am happy with my decision as to where I am going. If I had to do it again, I would definitely try and get a paper published or do a presentation. I think that would have pushed my application a little further. Also, coming from undergrad straight to Ph.D., I don't have a lot of the experience that others did. But my experience at the residential treatment center really got me into my final school, so that experience DID help a lot.

 

[StressFest2010]

1) Area: Clinical Ph.D.

2) # of applications submitted - 10

3) # of interview invites - 2

4) # of waitlists - 2

5) # of rejections - 8

6) # of acceptances - 2

7) GRE score - 620 on both Ver and Qua

8) GPA - 3.98 undergrad, 3.8 grad

9) Years of clinical experience - 3.5 (1.5 years as ABA therapist, 2 years conducting group therapy and assessments)

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research) - 5 (honors thesis, various research projects in undergrad, master's thesis)

11) Information about publications, presentations - 0 pubs, 3 poster presentations at psychology conferences

12) I was accepted to my first choice school this year and will be completing my master's in Clinical Psych this summer. I was rejected from 10 Ph.D. programs out of undergrad which led to my decision to go ahead and pursue the master's degree. Although there is a lot of debate as to whether or not this is beneficial, I found it to be extremely helpful and significantly bolstered my application. I was able to conduct an independent thesis, complete a very rewarding practicum with a variety of clinical experiences, and really hone my interests. These interests were a very good match with the faculty member I will be working under. I recommend considering a terminal master's program as I feel it greatly enhanced my applications to Ph.D. programs. Just my two cents.

 

[Jezebel09]

This is the information for an SDNer who wishes to remain anonymous:

1) Area: school, clinical, counseling, other: School PhD and PsyD

2) # of applications submitted: 22 (20 PhD and 2 PsyD)

3) # of interview invites: 19 (17 PhD and 2 PsyD; one school didn't interview). Attended 7 in-person and 9 by phone (one did phone interviews only); declined 3 invites (1 PhD and 2 PsyD); withdrew from 6 post-interview (I received a rejection letter from one after I had sent in my withdrawal email)

4) # of waitlists: 2 (accepted off one with a university fellowship; withdrew from one)

5) # of rejections: 2 pre-interview; 5 post-interview (6 if you count the one I withdrew from before being rejected)

6) # of acceptances: 4 (one without interview) plus one "I would have accepted you but I got a job offer from another university" (take that as you will)

7) GRE score: 1250 (590 V; 660 Q; 5.0 AW); Psych GRE: 750

8) GPA: 3.78 (psych and social work double major, bio minor)

9) Years of clinical experience: 2 years facilitating psychoed/intervention-y groups for undergrads referred for mandated substance misuse intervention

9a) Child experience: 1.5 years of volunteering at a children's science education center on weekends (1 year at interview time); partial summer of volunteering in a therapeutic preschool and also volunteering at children's science summer camps

9.5) Teaching experience: 3 semesters TA for freshman honors course; 1 semester proctor for Intro to Psych; 4 semesters teaching internship seminar for undergrad psychology interns; 1 semester teaching freshman social science course (instructor of record)

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research):
-7 semesters biomedical psychopharm research (undergrad)

-5 semesters in undergrad in various psych department labs; none of it child/adolescent-related, including 6 months in area of interest (different from below)--2 semesters in Area A, 2 in Area B, 2 in Area C (would be three but the labs been dormant this semester), 3 in Area D

-1.5+ years paid undergrad RA in area of interest combined with Area C

-Independent paper (Area A/ed psych)

-Undergrad thesis (related to clinical work)

-Honors undergrad thesis (area of interest/ed psych)

-PI on a project (area of interest/ed psych) with a professor at another university (non-grant funded; undergrad)

11) Information about publications, presentations (all in area of interest except the two ones at the local undergrad conference):

-One peer-reviewed article (3rd author)

-2 articles under review (one since accepted; one in revision and resubmission, 5th and 2nd author respectively)

-2 more manuscripts in prep

-2 presentations at local undergrad research conference; one, on my (non-Honors) undergrad thesis, won an award

-Poster (1st author) and presentation (2nd author) at national conference

-Poster (1st author) at large regional conference

-Presentation (1st author) at national undergrad research conference

-Presentation (3rd author) and poster (4th?) author at APA--though I don't think these were on my CV when I applied

-a few non-referred local presentations

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)

Well, I didn't rank my schools throughout the process, so it's difficult to say if I got into my 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice. I will say only one of the schools I was rejected from post-interview would have been a top contender for me (though I also quite liked the school I was almost admitted to), and I was very, very happy with three of four schools I was admitted to (I was ambivalent about the 4th due to the fact that it is not yet[?] APA-accredited--it seemed to be a very research oriented program, so I don't know how much it is a priority for them).

I think what helped me was my research experience and the fact I could talk about it well --perhaps my SOP, too. What hurt me was probably my very minimal child experience (especially compared to my fellow interviewees) and lack of child/adolescent research experience. Also, I think I defined research "fit" while legitimately and within reason--I would have been legitimately happy to work with any of the people I applied to work with--rather broadly, and while that was enough to get me to the interview stage, it wasn't necessarily enough to get me an offer. That being said, the schools I was admitted to were all very clear, strong research matches, and I'm happy with how things ended up. 🙂

 

[ohladyluck]

1) Area: Clinical PhD
2) # of applications submitted: 13
3) # of interview invites: 6
4) # of waitlists: 3 (my top 3 choices)
5) # of rejections: 10 (I withdrew one app before the final decision)

6) # of acceptances: 2. I was accepted into both after spending a brief yet agonizing time on both wait-lists. Both were my #1 and #2 choice schools!

7) GRE score: 1230 Total; 570 Q, 660 V, 4.0 Writing; 660 Psychology GRE. I'm certain I would have received many more direct acceptances (and not been wait-listed first) if I had a higher score.

The GRE is VERY important. But it doesn't have to be everything! as long as you're above the "cutoff" for the program.

8) GPA: 3.3 Undergraduate (non-Psych), 3.8 ? Grad terminal MA (Psych)

9) Years of clinical experience: 6 months (volunteering in a very clinical environment, but mainly administrative duties for myself)

10) Years of research experience: (undergrad. versus full-time research): During undergrad I worked on 2 psych research projects (for 6 months and 2.5 years, respectively); during graduate school I worked on another 2 projects (for 8 months and 2 years respectively). The research topics for each project were closely related.

11) Information about publications, presentations: Nope. But I think there will be many in my future!

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle:

This was my second attempt applying to Clinical Psychology programs. Having gone through the process once before, gaining more research experience after, and highlighting a focused research interest helped me in my second attempt. Also, I was also not limited/scared by location or prestige at all in the places I applied to; I applied *anywhere* where there was a great match.

I felt hindered in this process by a lower GRE score. However, I spent considerable time and effort on all other parts of my app (really rehearsed for interviews, several drafts of personal statement, PS tailored to each school, etc.) I think that given the constraints (non-psych undergrad, low GRE) I played my cards right and am INCREDIBLY fortunate to have been accepted into my top 2 choices, both fully funded programs.

Fit is very important!!! My research experience is directly related to the research I'll be doing. My application package made it clear that there was high congruence between my research experience and interests -- and my fit with the PhD program and future research project. I think this part is what really helped me get in.

 

[Casey407]

1) Area: Clinical Psy D

2) 5 applications (Roosevelt University, MSPP, Chicago School, University of Hartford, LaSalle University)

3) 4 interview invites - turned one down. 2 in person, 1 over the phone.

4) 0 waitlist

5) 1 rejection - pre-interview

6) 3 acceptances

7) GRE: 400 V, 640 Q, AW 6.0, Psych 700

8) GPA 3.6, 3.85 psyc

9) Years of clinical experience: 8 months - suicide crisis prevention line

10) Years of research experience 1.5 years of research, project lead for 6 months.

11) Information about publications, presentations: no publications (one in progress). no presentations.

12) Got into my top choice.

 

[jonathansmith86]

1. Clinical Psych
2. 5 applications submitted.
3. 2 Interview invites (only attended one)
4. One waitlist that became a rejection for a PsyD, one waitlist that became an acceptance into a masters program.
5. 4 rejections
6. 2 acceptances (1 PsyD, 1 masters)
7. 1250 GRE; 710 Psych GRE
8. 3.01 GPA (so there's hope for everyone)
9. Two years of clinical experience
10. No research
11. No publications.
12. This was my second year applying to programs. Last year I only applied to Spalding University and got an inteview, but got rejected. This year I applied to Spalding, The Chicago School, Xavier Univ., Massachusetts School, and Univ. of Indianapolis. I got rejected outright by Spalding, waitlisted by Xavier, rejected for the PsyD at Univ. of Indy but waitlisted and later accepted for the masters program, invited for an interview at The Chicago School and The Massachusetts School, and accepted at the Chicago School. I ended up not going to the interview in Massachusetts because I got into the Chicago School, which was my first choice based on the program. Spalding was my first choice overall because I live in Louisville and was trying to avoid moving, but The Chicago School's program is a better fit. I think the most important thing is to acknowledge your shortcomings and work to supplement them. In my case I knew my GPA wasn't going to be good so I started vounteering and eventually parlayed the volunteer position into a paid job. The Chicago School's interview format helped me too: It was a one-on-one interview with a faculty member and it lasted 45 minutes. It gave me the opportunity to explain my GPA and also focus on my strong points. Spalding's interviews were three 15 minute interviews, so I felt like I had to spend most of the time in each one justifying my GPA and didn't get to discuss anything else.

 

[bmedclinic]

1) Area: clinical

2) # of applications submitted: 7

3) # of interview invites: 2

4) # of waitlists: 2 (one without an interview)
5) # of rejections: 6 (2 post-interview)

6) # of acceptances: none, yet

7) GRE score: V: 590 Q: 740

8) GPA: 3.71

9) Years of clinical experience: 1 (volunteering at a preschool)

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): 2 (I worked in 3 different labs total)

11) Information about publications, presentations: none

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. :

Make some more changes to my statement of purpose. The strengths I listed were not the same as the ones that I talked about in the interview.

I've also heard that programs prefer applicants who aren't coming straight out of undergrad.

I talked very easily about my research, I was prepared in my interviews. They complimented me on my understanding of the central research construct (children's play), my letters of recommendation (that they really enjoyed working with me), and the fact that I seemed thoughtful in my responses to questions and their answers to my questions, and followed up in a manner that segued well, as opposed to just spewing word vomit all over the room.

I also applied to fewer programs than I was advised (I was told 10-15). But I only applied to programs that had a good faculty match in research. Even if I liked the program, if there was no POI for me, I didn't "stretch" my interests to try to fit in...

Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?: my interviews were at my #1 and #2.

Wow. Your post stuck out to me because it looks like virtually EVERY undergrad I dont know that didnt get in. Its a shame, because I bet like those I know, you have a lot to offer. Stick with it; you'll get in.

BTW, last year my program interviewed a guy who reminds me alot of what you have above, and I think he was 14 or 15 (we interview 15 each year) on virtually everyone's list. He spent the last year working with 1 faculty member, and this year, he rejected US even though we were his #1 initially. After the interviews, everyone had him in their top 3 or so (out of 15 applicants). He rejected us and had two really great programs to choose from. So with his story, I'm saying you too can do that. Get some good clinical research experience. In that guy's case, from what I understand, he went into that faculty member's lab and just took a ton of initiative and ultimately had a very successful post-bac research project. I dont know if thats what you want to do, but I thought 1 success story would cheer ya up!

 

[clinicalpsych89]

1) Area: Clinical Psychology PhD

2) # of applications submitted: 9 (UCLA, University of Georgia, Northwestern, University of Utah, Marquette, Clark U, Yeshiva U, George Mason, University of Memphis)

3) # of interview invites: 7 (UCLA, Georgia, Utah, Marquette, Clark, Yeshiva, Memphis)

4) # of waitlists: 3, all resulting in rejection (Georgia, Marquette, Clark)

5) # of rejections: 3 (UCLA post-interview, Northwestern and Georgia Mason without interview)

6) # of acceptances: 3 (University of Utah!!, U of Memphis, and Yeshiva)

7) GRE score: 1440 (780 Q, 660 V)

8) GPA: 4.0

9) Years of clinical experience: 1 year (1 semester working in state psychiatric hospital, 1 semester working in dual-diagnosis treatment center)

10) Years of research experience (undergrad. versus full-time research): All undergrad - 3 semesters as RA in 2 different labs, currently conducting independent Honors project in area of interest

11) Information about publications, presentations: None!

12) Give any relevant information that you think helped you to do well this cycle or that you feel you could improve on for the next cycle. (Also of interest might be: Did you get into your 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice school?)

Tips:
- Go in person to every interview that you possibly can (if money permits). Do not think that because you got a lot of interviews you are a shoe-in. Every interview is important and at worst will prepare you better for the rest.
- I think that I did well in the application process but that the one thing that hurt me most was coming straight out of undergrad. A lot of people say this is not a bad thing but I think that when you go to these interviews there will be people that have the same GPA, GRE scores, etc. as you and they also happen to have another couple years of research experience outside of undergrad. I don't think it is impossible to get into grad. school straight out of undergrad (it ended up working out well for me) but I found myself justifying myself at every interview for why I was just as well prepared as the next person. My advice if you are considering whether to apply straight out of undergrad or not is to do whatever you think feels right and that you are prepared for but know that if your GRE scores and GPA are not nearly perfect and if you haven't gotten adequate research experience while in college it may be a very difficult process so do not get too discouraged.
- Stay with a grad student on interviews and go to as many of the planned events as possible because it indicates your interest in the program. Don't forget you are interviewing the whole time even though the grad students do a great job of making you feel completely at ease while you are staying with them or hanging out outside of interviews!
- One thing that I found surprising was that all seven interviews were MUCH more laid back than expected. Some professors ask more difficult questions than others but I never felt like I was being grilled or made to feel uncomfortable. Most of them were more interested in having a conversation and allowing you to ask questions!
- Never get over confident! The places where I was most sure I would be accepted ended in waitlists and the places where I was most sure I would be rejected ended in acceptances (including my first choice school that I will be attending in the fall!) - Sometimes professors (I'm sure not purposely) may even hint at giving you an offer only to place you on the waitlist. This happened to me at more than one school. This process is crazy and at many times arbitrary. It may seem like you have done everything perfectly and taken advantage of every opportunity possible and still are not getting interviews/offers but it will eventually work out! I also know plenty of people who had to reapply a second or even third time and I think that will turn out well also because then you get a year to get the experience that everyone else seems to already have!
- Do not choose schools based on "reputation" (at least not as the number one criteria). For Clinical PhD programs, people are not lying when they say that research fit should be your number one priority. Also keep in mind that the "best" programs have pros and cons (some but certainly not all have a much more competitive and stressful environment than I am comfortable with).
- Really pay attention to how well all the graduate students get along and get to know the other interviewees. I was surprised at each interview at how the applicants all really seemed to get along and didn't seem to be wishing bad things for each other. These people will be your cohort!
- Enjoy it!! REALLY I know that people told me this and I ignored it because of the stress but you are getting to fly around the country, meet new people who you will probably come across again at conferences or other universities down the road, and have some pretty cool experiences. If you are having fun and maintaining a professional and classy attitude, you will look better to the programs and you will be able to look back no matter what the outcome with no regrets!

 

[Psych2011]

whoops