2010-2011 Psychology PhD/Psy.D. Application Thread

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Psychology 76

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Based off futureapppsy2's suggestion, I decided to create a thread just for those going through this years application process. I changed the title somewhat to include all of those applying to different psychology programs (clinical, counseling, I/O psych, social psych, cognitive, neuroscience, ect).:)

I've been on this site since freshman year and it's scary to actually be going through what I've read about for 3 years but it'd be nice to talk to others going through the same thing at the same time!
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I'll start off, I always knew this would be my busiest semester with schoolwork AND graduate school stuff (not even including the work, the stress of it all is killer).

I'm starting to run subjects for my honors thesis tomorrow which will mean I'll have significantly less time and more stress. Hopefully, I can keep up my studying for the GRE and prepare apps in the meantime!
 
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I'm sure that many will be able to relate.

I have never been so exhausted. I am in my second year of my MA clinical program, while also juggling a 20 hr/wk practicum, RA duties, and part time job. When I have a free hour, I pour all of my energy into my 10 applications. I am broke, and this process is costly. On top of all of it, I pray that I even get into a program. My anxiety is at an all time high.

That being said...I truly believe that it will all be worth it once I am accepted into a program that I deem a good fit. Fingers crossed....

Exhausting. And I know you can all relate!
 
Student4Life0 said:
I'm sure that many will be able to relate.

I have never been so exhausted. I am in my second year of my MA clinical program, while also juggling a 20 hr/wk practicum, RA duties, and part time job. When I have a free hour, I pour all of my energy into my 10 applications. I am broke, and this process is costly. On top of all of it, I pray that I even get into a program. My anxiety is at an all time high.

That being said...I truly believe that it will all be worth it once I am accepted into a program that I deem a good fit. Fingers crossed....

Exhausting. And I know you can all relate!
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I am in the same boat with juggling practicum, thesis, a job and the application process. I am just ready for the GRE to be over! It will all be worth it!

Come on April 15th! Ha ha!
 
thelittleowl said:
I am in the same boat with juggling practicum, thesis, a job and the application process. I am just ready for the GRE to be over! It will all be worth it!

Come on April 15th! Ha ha!
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haha I say that all of the time!
 
Speaking of the gre...any thoughts on how late it can be taken and have scores make it by dec 1st?
 
question... do MOST programs require an applicant to apply for assistantships when they apply, or after admission? i am almost done with most of my applications, but have not filled out even one assistantship request. i am assuming that this comes after/when i am accepted...?
 
Student4Life0 said:
question... do MOST programs require an applicant to apply for assistantships when they apply, or after admission? i am almost done with most of my applications, but have not filled out even one assistantship request. i am assuming that this comes after/when i am accepted...?
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I've filled out a lot of mine as well and have only had 1 or 2 assistantship forms to fill out. I believe it is rare, however you may be asked to fill one out after being accepted to the school of your choice :)
 
By the way... I'm glad to know I'm not the only one feeling a bit more stress than usual this semester.

I'm looking forward to the next 6 months or so and I believe it will be a great story to tell someday.

Good luck to everyone.
 
I just gave one of my letter writers their packet of recommendation goodness and should be distributing the other two in the next week. Between this and studying for the Subject GREs in a couple of weeks, I feel like application season is actually here!
 
Glad I'm not the only one running around crazy.

Like someone else said, I expected this last year, especially this semester, to be busy but it has been insane!

Between classes, my honors thesis research, studying for the GRE exams and my 3 part time jobs I don't know how I make time to each or sleep!

Just really hoping this is all worth it in the end!
 
Im actually writing this from my awful bar job...something has to help pay for apps! I have to admit that I am so stressed and nervous about applying and not getting in anywhere. I read about everyone elses accomplishments and pubs, and I feel, well...completely inadequate. Anyone else feel this way? I am applying to 2 balanced phd clinical, a few phd counseling, and 5 psyd. I have a 3.9 in my MA clinical program, 3.45 undergrad, 1200 GRE, 660 subject, 4 LOR (3 strong) and iv been an RA in 2 profs labs. My clinical practica is at a research site that is part of an ivy league. It is a clinical practica, but I will be published as an author on a treatment manual. Just not in time for apps :(. As you can all see, my experience is more clinical in nature. No posters, no pubs. Do I have a chance in hell???
 
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Student4Life0 said:
Do I have a chance in hell???
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You are stressing too much. Yes, you have a chance, you have a very good chance. I felt completely inadequate after my first round of apps where I got in NOWHERE, because I was overconfident.

You need to pick your programs that you are applying to carefully, but you should be able to secure a dance partner.

Mark
 
Markp said:
You are stressing too much. Yes, you have a chance, you have a very good chance. I felt completely inadequate after my first round of apps where I got in NOWHERE, because I was overconfident.

You need to pick your programs that you are applying to carefully, but you should be able to secure a dance partner.

Mark
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Thanks for the advice. I wish I were a little more confident! It's just scary when I see how many hundreds of applicants there are to these programs.
 
Wow, does anyone else forget to eat?? I've been up all morning re-writing my personal statement...one for PsyD programs, and one for PhD programs. I just realized it's almost 2 and I'm starving! This process is great for weight loss, as well as premature gray hairs! I never envisioned that it could be this much work...
 
Student4Life0 said:
This process is great for weight loss, as well as premature gray hairs! I never envisioned that it could be this much work...
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I'll second the gray hair part! I recently had my hair cut and my hairdresser was oddly excited to see that I had a gray hair while I had to keep myself from hyperventillating! :laugh:

I was expecting the workload, but mentally preparing yourself and actually doing it are two very different things... I tried to get as much work done over the summer (i.e. researching programs and contacting POIs) but working on personal statements, studying for the psych GRE, thesis, lab, work, and classes are slowly killing me!

It's comforting to know we're all in the same boat.

Good luck guys!
 
So is everyone having luck contacting POIs? Is it typical that they respond?
 
Student4Life0 said:
So is everyone having luck contacting POIs? Is it typical that they respond?
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Been hit or miss for me but generally they have been responding. The curt Yes or No replies bug me a bit though ( i know they have lots of these types of emails but still).

Most of the profs I've contacted have responded. One thing that has been troubling me is that a couple POI's just stopped replying even though we had good correspondence. One really liked my CV and wanted to meet but I told him that it would be hard for me to get there during the semester and he never replied. Do profs really expect students to just drop everything for a non-interview visit? It was 900 miles away lol
 
Psychology 76 said:
Been hit or miss for me but generally they have been responding. The curt Yes or No replies bug me a bit though ( i know they have lots of these types of emails but still).

Most of the profs I've contacted have responded. One thing that has been troubling me is that a couple POI's just stopped replying even though we had good correspondence. One really liked my CV and wanted to meet but I told him that it would be hard for me to get there during the semester and he never replied. Do profs really expect students to just drop everything for a non-interview visit? It was 900 miles away lol
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WOW you got an offer for a non interview visit?? I'm jealous! I do agree that it would be difficult to travel so far. I emailed a POI and he responded asking for my CV/PS/GRE/GPA. After I sent it all over, he said that he would look for my app. I have just started contacting people, so I feel very excited about this. However, I'm not sure if perhaps this is the typical response to most solid applicants.
 
I'm applying to half PsyD programs and half balanced PhD programs. I've emailed 1 PsyD prof, who didn't respond (probably because it's not a strict "mentor model" i'm guessing), and 7PhD professors, 5 of whom responded. Most of them just thanked me for expressing interest and said that they looked forward to reviewing my application. This process actually is making me reconsider to applying to one school because my POI informed me that he solely conducts research with adults, while I'm more interested in adolescents and younger adults.

I have a question for you guys about the Psych GRE. I didn't register in time for the Oct 9th test (stupid, I know), and now I'm planning on showing up and hoping to take it as a "stand-by." Has anyone had any success doing this? Also, I haven't started studying yet...how long do people normally spend studying for it?
 
Hopefulhokie said:
I'm applying to half PsyD programs and half balanced PhD programs. I've emailed 1 PsyD prof, who didn't respond (probably because it's not a strict "mentor model" i'm guessing), and 7PhD professors, 5 of whom responded. Most of them just thanked me for expressing interest and said that they looked forward to reviewing my application. This process actually is making me reconsider to applying to one school because my POI informed me that he solely conducts research with adults, while I'm more interested in adolescents and younger adults.

I have a question for you guys about the Psych GRE. I didn't register in time for the Oct 9th test (stupid, I know), and now I'm planning on showing up and hoping to take it as a "stand-by." Has anyone had any success doing this? Also, I haven't started studying yet...how long do people normally spend studying for it?
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In regards to the Psych GRE...I have no idea about the stand by idea, but I can tell you how I studied. I spent quite a while studying, probably close to two months. I would try to spend about an hour/day at least a few times per week. I bought the Kaplan book and I would go chapter by chapter. My score was in the upper 600s...not fantastic, but I believe this is adequate. Good luck, I hope you are able to take it on Oct 9!
 
I'm happy you guys and gals are getting some positive responses on your POI communication!
 
Don't worry! I contact 7 Ph.D. Profs who I am interested in working with. Luckily all have gotten back to me, but it did take some of them a week or two.

Best of luck to everyone going through this process. I look forward to hearing updates about your success!
 
Just one more week until the Oct 9th Subject GREs! :scared: Is anyone else super nervous?
 
Yes! I'm super nervous for the psych GRE, especially because I just started studying...yesterday!!!
 
Hopefulhokie said:
Yes! I'm super nervous for the psych GRE, especially because I just started studying...yesterday!!!
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I'm not really that nervous, however my pre-test scores have been much lower than I wanted them to be. However, only 2 of my programs are requiring it so I'm not going to stress over it. I do plan to read an intro to Psych book this week and brush up on some study materials from areas I have not had classes... then I'll just hope for a good score.
 
GreenPsych said:
I'm not really that nervous, however my pre-test scores have been much lower than I wanted them to be. However, only 2 of my programs are requiring it so I'm not going to stress over it. I do plan to read an intro to Psych book this week and brush up on some study materials from areas I have not had classes... then I'll just hope for a good score.
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Yeah, only 4 of my schools require it, so I'm just hoping to get at least in the mid-600s. My original plan was to read an Intro Psych text, but now I'm just mainly depending on a prep book because I just don't have the time. I'm taking my first practice test tomorrow so we'll see how that goes.. I hope my procrastination doesn't screw me over! I'll be so glad when I'm officially done with standardized tests and can finally start working on my personal statements and more important stuff!
 
How much does race/ethnicity/culture play into the application process?

I'm an Indian male [born here, but parents are from India] interested in becoming a psychologist. I don't really see many individuals like me in the psychology field.

Is it an advantage? Nothing?
 
adsekhon said:
How much does race/ethnicity/culture play into the application process?

I'm an Indian male [born here, but parents are from India] interested in becoming a psychologist. I don't really see many individuals like me in the psychology field.

Is it an advantage? Nothing?
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I would guess it will make you a strong candidate for minority scholarships/fellowships... that is if your other stats are up to par.
 
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adsekhon said:
How much does race/ethnicity/culture play into the application process?

I'm an Indian male [born here, but parents are from India] interested in becoming a psychologist. I don't really see many individuals like me in the psychology field.

Is it an advantage? Nothing?
Click to expand...


All other things remaining equal, your background would be seen as a positive. (However, like the poster noted above, you have to meet and/or exceed a program's criteria for admission (and have to do a solid interview and have a good fit with a mentor and/or the program). Good luck.
 
EverHopeful said:
Just one more week until the Oct 9th Subject GREs! :scared: Is anyone else super nervous?
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Super nervous doesn't begin to cover it...Just finished taking a practice test (Kaplan book) and my score is not quite where I need it to be.

I'm going to study from an intro book and then take the ETS practice test since I feel like that's more reliable.
 
EverHopeful said:
Just one more week until the Oct 9th Subject GREs! :scared: Is anyone else super nervous?
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SO nervous! I've been "studying" since about a month ago. And even though I know its right around the corner and I should get my butt in gear, pesky little things like thesis and applications seem to get in the way, somehow :rolleyes:.

It really is a vicious cycle.
 
Unfortunately my schedule has been so busy, I haven't been able to visit SDN but I just wanted to stop by and wish everyone the best of luck! :luck:
 
There must be an easier way to do this. Many of the applications and recommender forms are in PDF. I rather type on them and save and print them or email them, because it will look way neater than handwritten. I don't seem to be able to though. I only have Adobe Reader.

I've tried a site that changes the documents from PDF to a rich text or doc format, but the formatting is off and everything I type, I have to delete spaces, change underlining, etc., basically making an already time consuming process like moving in quicksand.

I'm sure there is a better way and thought I'd ask you guys how you are handling this.
 
I hand wrote mine, and I'm definitely not the only one. Print neatly in black ink. Use block letters if that helps. I promise that it's not going to make or break your application.

Alternatively, you could buy Adobe Acrobat. :)
 
justme08 said:
There must be an easier way to do this. Many of the applications and recommender forms are in PDF. I rather type on them and save and print them or email them, because it will look way neater than handwritten. I don't seem to be able to though. I only have Adobe Reader.

I've tried a site that changes the documents from PDF to a rich text or doc format, but the formatting is off and everything I type, I have to delete spaces, change underlining, etc., basically making an already time consuming process like moving in quicksand.

I'm sure there is a better way and thought I'd ask you guys how you are handling this.
Click to expand...

I had this same issue. You can download a free version of a PDF viewer that includes the typewriting feature here: http://www.tracker-software.com/
I have used it on about half a dozen applications thus far and it works really well.
 
thewesternsky said:
I hand wrote mine, and I'm definitely not the only one. Print neatly in black ink. Use block letters if that helps. I promise that it's not going to make or break your application.

Alternatively, you could buy Adobe Acrobat. :)
Click to expand...

You obviously haven't seen my handwriting:laugh:
 
I have some experience as a research assistant for two projects as an undergrad, but unfortunately no publications. Nonetheless I'm currently revising my CV to send to POIs. (Applying to research-oriented neuropsych programs).

Nonetheless I'm wondering what else is appropriate to include short of:
education
scholarships/honors
nature of research experience
affiliations/related campus positions
references

Is there anything else that a recent graduate/undergraduate would place on a CV? Most of the samples I've been able to read are those of doctoral students and PhDs. Nonetheless there are some skills and experiences I have where if I included them I'm not sure if it would look like I'm trying to pad my CV, or if it might make me stand out in some way:

-Experience preparing reports at an engineering firm (Might demonstrate technical writing abilities, might be irrelevant?)

-Experience with PCR, preparing neuronal cultures, immunoblots (I would imagine that most applicants to a neuropsych program would be exposed to this, but I'm not entirely sure. A lot of my target programs do have a lot of cross-disciplinary research with their neuroscience departments.)

As of now I'm of the opinion I shouldn't include this information and that it might harm me and make it look like I'm grasping at straws. But I'm not entirely sure, and wouldn't want to leave out anything that might help.
 
justme08 said:
There must be an easier way to do this. Many of the applications and recommender forms are in PDF. I rather type on them and save and print them or email them, because it will look way neater than handwritten. I don't seem to be able to though. I only have Adobe Reader.

I've tried a site that changes the documents from PDF to a rich text or doc format, but the formatting is off and everything I type, I have to delete spaces, change underlining, etc., basically making an already time consuming process like moving in quicksand.

I'm sure there is a better way and thought I'd ask you guys how you are handling this.
Click to expand...

I use PDF fill... it cost some money, 20 bucks, but it is well worth it.

http://www.pdfill.com/
 
BiopsychStudent said:
I have some experience as a research assistant for two projects as an undergrad, but unfortunately no publications. Nonetheless I'm currently revising my CV to send to POIs. (Applying to research-oriented neuropsych programs).

Nonetheless I'm wondering what else is appropriate to include short of:
education
scholarships/honors
nature of research experience
affiliations/related campus positions
references

Is there anything else that a recent graduate/undergraduate would place on a CV? Most of the samples I've been able to read are those of doctoral students and PhDs. Nonetheless there are some skills and experiences I have where if I included them I'm not sure if it would look like I'm trying to pad my CV, or if it might make me stand out in some way:

-Experience preparing reports at an engineering firm (Might demonstrate technical writing abilities, might be irrelevant?)

-Experience with PCR, preparing neuronal cultures, immunoblots (I would imagine that most applicants to a neuropsych program would be exposed to this, but I'm not entirely sure. A lot of my target programs do have a lot of cross-disciplinary research with their neuroscience departments.)

As of now I'm of the opinion I shouldn't include this information and that it might harm me and make it look like I'm grasping at straws. But I'm not entirely sure, and wouldn't want to leave out anything that might help.
Click to expand...

You might consider clinical experience, work history (if relevant), and professional org memberships if applicable.
 
BiopsychStudent said:
-Experience with PCR, preparing neuronal cultures, immunoblots (I would imagine that most applicants to a neuropsych program would be exposed to this, but I'm not entirely sure. A lot of my target programs do have a lot of cross-disciplinary research with their neuroscience departments.)
Click to expand...

For neuroPSYCH, not really. Straight up neuroscience programs might pay attention to this more.
 
Just wanted to say good luck to those taking the GRE Subject Psych test this Saturday.

I am in the process of completing my final quick review this morning!
 
I hope everyone did well on the Subject Test today!!

I luckily did not have to take it :)

Question about sending GRE scores though:

I know you can send 4 GRE scores for free on test day. Does it matter if your application is submitted when you send the scores? It seems like a lot of parts get of the application get sent at different times and I was just wondering how that all worked.

Thanks!
 
Psychology 76 said:
I hope everyone did well on the Subject Test today!!

I luckily did not have to take it :)

Question about sending GRE scores though:

I know you can send 4 GRE scores for free on test day. Does it matter if your application is submitted when you send the scores? It seems like a lot of parts get of the application get sent at different times and I was just wondering how that all worked.

Thanks!
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I do not have a definite answer to this, but I have been opening my graduate school application and then requesting it.
 
GreenPsych said:
I do not have a definite answer to this, but I have been opening my graduate school application and then requesting it.
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It'll get sent. They should save it even if it's the first thing to get there.
 
Midterms are down... psych gre down... time for another round of serious application work! I'm hoping to get most of the paper work done for my 22 schools by the end of October. How is everyone else doing?
 
GreenPsych said:
Midterms are down... psych gre down... time for another round of serious application work! I'm hoping to get most of the paper work done for my 22 schools by the end of October. How is everyone else doing?
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Eh..doing pretty good. All GRE stuff done and sent, got 3 LOR folders out to my letter writers, personal statement done, most of the application paperwork for my 9 schools is done. just need to finish up a few pieces of paperwork and get transcripts sent out. just feeling hesitant about my 4th letter writer and my practicum...things aren't going as well as they could be. it is getting too late in the game to get a new site, but now i am not so sure if i should count on my site supervisor as a letter writer. stress! other than that, things are on track!
 
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