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

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congrats on the back up plan! that must be nice to have to fall back on :)

deadmau5 said:
I was recently accepted to a excellent back up program and I plan to defer admission to September, so I've dropped down to 5 applications, mostly in Ontario, and I'm going to focus strongly on these applications in getting them all perfect. I decided to not really go out of province this year, except for one good school, because I believe there is quite a bit of bias to selecting people from the same province for programs, at least in Canada (except for this one school).

Ryerson (Both but prefer Clin over Psyc. Science)
Waterloo (Clin, 2nd pref Cog)
UofT (psych with collaborative neuroscience and clinical extension)
Concordia (Clin)
York (Clin, 2nd pref Brain, Behav, and Cog Sci)

All due by Dec 15th and then, I'm taking a good vacation. 3rd time applying and I've worked extremely hard over the past year, especially the last 6 months. Good luck to all!

If anyone wants to talk about Ontario schools, send a PM.
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Haha - me too! I have 2 applications left to finish (they require a writing sample). But there is a section in the Insiders Guide and Getting In about interviews for those of you who are ahead of us .

Student4Life0 said:
Preparing for interviews? lol I haven't even sent all of my apps out. I am going to wait until I find out where/if I get interviews to worry about preparing..
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FWIW I don't think that applying to more places is always better. I thought the same thing when I heard people applying to 20+ programs. But that is a lot of apps to handle and I know it must be difficult for some people to find that many really good matches. I think if you found 9 good program matches, then you have done a good job :)

Student4Life0 said:
i have to admit that i am beginning to regret only having 9 programs :/ i see how many everybody else has, and i feel that perhaps 9 was not enough. oh well...a bit too late for buyer's regret now.
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I don't mind doing it on the Where we're Applying to thread. I already have a list of programs where people are applying, so I'd be happy to update it when we start getting interviews if no one else wants to do an interview thread.

deadmau5 said:
is/are any user(s) brave enough to commit to an "interview" thread like last year? its always insanely helpful yet heart-attack-inducing at the same time!

see: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=679923&highlight=accepted/rejected
for example
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Just FYI: Historically, being the interview invite thread manager is considered "good luck"--every invite thread manager so far (n=4, I think) has gotten into a top choice program.

It should probably be its own thread named the 2010-2011 PhD/PsyD Interview Invite thread or something similar. If one of you wants to start it, go for it! :)
 
Done - I figure I can take all the good luck I can get :laugh:

Let me know if you have any suggestions!

futureapppsy2 said:
Just FYI: Historically, being the interview invite thread manager is considered "good luck"--every invite thread manager so far (n=4, I think) has gotten into a top choice program.

It should probably be its own thread named the 2010-2011 PhD/PsyD Interview Invite thread or something similar. If one of you wants to start it, go for it! :)
Click to expand...
 
the thought of worrying about interviews is making me sick :/ i am going to send out 3 more apps today, but still have 3 that i probably will not send out for a couple of weeks. for those that have early december deadlines...when do you usually begin to hear back from schools?
 
Student4Life0 said:
the thought of worrying about interviews is making me sick :/ i am going to send out 3 more apps today, but still have 3 that i probably will not send out for a couple of weeks. for those that have early december deadlines...when do you usually begin to hear back from schools?
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Last year, the earliest people heard was the second week of December (Dec. 14th or so; there was one "outlier" who heard Dec. 7th, I believe). Invites typically go out from then until the end of February, with a few going out in early March. Interviews themselves are typically from Jan. 15th or so to the first Friday in March, again with a handful of later outliers. The time it takes to hear back can really vary; I heard from some programs as early as a week after the deadline, and others took 6 weeks or more. Also, some programs send out multiple waves of invites.

Good luck, everyone! :luck:
 
Hey all,

So I am wondering if anybody can relate/offer some advice. I have sent in 6 of my 9 applications, and I am having some serious anxiety/regret/jitters/rumination..not even sure what to call it. When I left the post office, I felt relieved and excited. I thought to myself "Now all that's left to do is wait!" It turns out that the waiting may even be worse than the actual applying! I find myself going over things in my head..over and over again. Wondering "was everything on the app perfect?" "is my CV good enough?" "will I get an interview?" "where will I be next year?" "what if I get all rejections?" Essentially, I am driving myself crazy! I realize how silly it is to have these worries..there is absolutely nothing that I can do to change what has been sent in. I even go as far as looking at online apps that have already been sent in, and proof reading them to make sure they sound good. What a waste of time! Is anyone else feeling anything close to this...?
 
Student4Life0 said:
Hey all,

So I am wondering if anybody can relate/offer some advice. I have sent in 6 of my 9 applications, and I am having some serious anxiety/regret/jitters/rumination..not even sure what to call it. When I left the post office, I felt relieved and excited. I thought to myself "Now all that's left to do is wait!" It turns out that the waiting may even be worse than the actual applying! I find myself going over things in my head..over and over again. Wondering "was everything on the app perfect?" "is my CV good enough?" "will I get an interview?" "where will I be next year?" "what if I get all rejections?" Essentially, I am driving myself crazy! I realize how silly it is to have these worries..there is absolutely nothing that I can do to change what has been sent in. I even go as far as looking at online apps that have already been sent in, and proof reading them to make sure they sound good. What a waste of time! Is anyone else feeling anything close to this...?
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You are definitely not alone. I have been doing the same sorts of things. I also am very nervous about where I sent my transcripts. I got a letter from one of the graduate admissions offices saying they didn't receive it (I had it sent to the psych department, so they needed another copy). As the deadlines approach, I fear that I will have made many similar mistakes and that my applications will be considered incomplete because of it. I worry that my personal statements were too general and all sorts of other silly and trivial things.
However, I also realize that I cannot change what I have submitted and that I worked diligently not only on my applications, but on my preparation for this throughout my undergraduate studies. For now I guess we have to trust ourselves and what we have worked hard to accomplish thus far. If all goes well, we won't have to reassess this trust on April 15th.
 
WJPSYCH said:
You are definitely not alone. I have been doing the same sorts of things. I also am very nervous about where I sent my transcripts. I got a letter from one of the graduate admissions offices saying they didn't receive it (I had it sent to the psych department, so they needed another copy). As the deadlines approach, I fear that I will have made many similar mistakes and that my applications will be considered incomplete because of it. I worry that my personal statements were too general and all sorts of other silly and trivial things.
However, I also realize that I cannot change what I have submitted and that I worked diligently not only on my applications, but on my preparation for this throughout my undergraduate studies. For now I guess we have to trust ourselves and what we have worked hard to accomplish thus far. If all goes well, we won't have to reassess this trust on April 15th.
Click to expand...

I hope you're right. This is a very stressful time. Although I have 9 programs, there are really only 6 that I would be THRILLED to go to. I worry that I will feel like a failure if I don't get accepted to any of these. I just don't want to wait a month and a half to know!! :/

Oh well, I suppose I will grow habituated to the anxiety/uncertainty within a few days and all will return to normal..I hope...
 
+1

I have been wondering if I made any errors in the materials I sent in, if I sent everything to the correct place, etc. Some of the programs updated my online status awhile ago indicating that they received transcripts from my various schools and other programs don't seem to have anything of mine yet. I don't understand why since I sent it around the same time :scared:. I am going to have to call soon to see if that is accurate or if perhaps they haven't updated their system.
 
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I just sent in my online app to Widener's PsyD program. The website states that there is a $75 application fee. However, I hit "submit" and the application submitted without ever asking for payment. I am confused...when/where do I send payment? Has anyone else encountered this with Widener?
 
Definitely don't wait until the last minute to call and find out what's going on with schools that say they don't have your materials! When I applied last year, I had assumed that one of my schools had my GREs and transcripts since another school had both (I ordered everything together) but when I called on Dec. 11 they didn't! They eventually found my transcripts that day and I ended up scanning my GRE score report and then requesting an official score report from ETS.

ClinChildPsy13 said:
+1

I have been wondering if I made any errors in the materials I sent in, if I sent everything to the correct place, etc. Some of the programs updated my online status awhile ago indicating that they received transcripts from my various schools and other programs don't seem to have anything of mine yet. I don't understand why since I sent it around the same time :scared:. I am going to have to call soon to see if that is accurate or if perhaps they haven't updated their system.
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FuturePhD2 said:
Most programs use GRE as a weed-out to determine who to interview, so if you get an interview, you shouldn't have to explain the low GRE scores (unless asked, but I don't think that's common). What I've seen suggested in the past is to have one of your LOR writers address that in their letter so that it's explained at the outset. Once you get the interview, you can assume you're fine on paper and they're just trying to see who is the best fit at that point.
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Yes, I know the GRE is a time management tool more than anything, but the one and only interview I got last year (and in the past 4 years) said that they "just couldn't overlook my GRE scores". I was essentially taken off the waitlist because of my GRE scores and someone else was picked. (I was invited only because my mentor really pushed for me and pleaded with the committee to hear me out)

I feel like my accomplishments far out weigh my GRE scores-what are the chances that my file will be looked at. Last year I was told that I had far more research experience and publications than the rest of my fellow interviewees and that I interviewed great, but all of that seemed to be overshadowed by my GRE's. It's just frustrating to be told (after asking for feedback) that your qualified to be in this program and you are a perfect fit, but we just can't have scores like that on our record. Suppose it's political!
 
since i had plenty of copies of my gre scores (they send you one whenever you order as confirmation), i photocopied it and sent it to every school. same thing with my transcript, I had an extra copy lying around so I scanned it and sent it to most schools. just in case. at least they have something to look at, if it so happens that your official stuff doesn't show up for one reason or another.
 
deadmau5 said:
since i had plenty of copies of my gre scores (they send you one whenever you order as confirmation), i photocopied it and sent it to every school. same thing with my transcript, I had an extra copy lying around so I scanned it and sent it to most schools. just in case. at least they have something to look at, if it so happens that your official stuff doesn't show up for one reason or another.
Click to expand...

Yes, I handled (am handling) it the same way. I scanned everything in and made 30ish copies of it. I am basically putting a copy of all my transcripts and GRE scores into every application packet that I am sending, so if one school needs materials submitted to both the psych department and graduate school, they get at least have a copy of it. In addition, whenever I can, I even upload the scanned copies.

It's really hard to keep track of everything because each schools has different requirements in terms of what needs to be submitted to each department. What I also found to be helpful that if possible (i.e. without additional cost) I would order transcripts from each school attended to be sent to the schools and to me. That way I am able to put those in my application package in case the schools lose the transcripts...

Oh man, I can't wait for this to be over.
 
Yet another reason to double check with the university: When I called to check that a university had received all of my transcripts, they told me that there were also transcripts for schools I have never even heard of. It turns out there is another woman applying to the program with my same first and last name (though a different middle initial) and all of her information was included in my file! They are going to try and fix it. Hopefully, this other woman will not show an incomplete application!
 
Just submitted all of my December apps! Now I only have 4 left! Graduating in 2.5 weeks! Can't wait for all of this to be over!!!! Now I just have to find a job with a B.S. in Psych......
 
amk22 said:
I had been in contact with one of my POIs who originally said they'd be taking students. However, I contacted this person recently and they said they weren't looking to take students next fall after all. This school that this POI is at has a great program and is one of my top choices. There is actually another person at this program who does work that I'm very interested in besides the person I've been in contact with. My mentors kind of advised me not to as he's a big shot and they were concerned about how much time he'd have to devote to mentoring a student. Looking back I should have just gone for it and contacted this person anyway.

What I'm wondering is should I just apply anyway to work under this other guy? I've already sent my transcripts and GRE scores so I'd only be saving on the application fee. Any suggestions are much appreciated!
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Absolutely. What's one more application fee?
 
Hey thanks for coming to help :)
I searched the forums first in order not to waste anyones time. I was/am more interested in the PsyD however there are fewer of thoses programs and like many of you have all said funding with them is an issue. This has caused me to open my options to PhD programs. I am more open now to doing research and running experiments. However, i am still geared/interested in mainly the Clinical aspect.

That being said do any of you know of any really well balanced PhD programs even maybe geared more towards the clinical side?

Im not asking for anyone to go out of their way but if you attend any of the schools below is it balanced?
If you have heard anything about the schools any info would be great.
If there is a school in the mid to north east that is balanced please let me know so that i can add it. THANK YOU

so far my list goes:
1. Rutgers U-PsyD-nm
2. LIU-PsyD-nm
3. UHartford-PsyD-nm
4. American U
5. Boston U
6. Clark U
7. Uconn
8. Howard U
9. The New School
10. URI
11. St Johns U
12. Syracuse U
13. Temple U
14. Drexel U
 
There are two professors whom I've emailed and never received a response. I know this is not unusual but it's bugging me as I'm sure it probably bugs everyone who doesn't hear from a professor with whom they're interested in working. I'm interested to know whether the two specific professors to whom I'm referring don't respond to applicants generally or whether, for some reason, they're not responding to me but they've responded to other people. I realize the more likely scenario is the former where they just don't respond to applicants but I just wanted to put this out there in case the latter is the case.

So, have any applicants for Clinical PhD programs received responses from Julie Wargo Aikins at U of Connecticut or Karen S. Budd at DePaul U?
 
SpiritBender said:
Hey thanks for coming to help :)
I searched the forums first in order not to waste anyones time. I was/am more interested in the PsyD however there are fewer of thoses programs and like many of you have all said funding with them is an issue. This has caused me to open my options to PhD programs. I am more open now to doing research and running experiments. However, i am still geared/interested in mainly the Clinical aspect.

That being said do any of you know of any really well balanced PhD programs even maybe geared more towards the clinical side?

Im not asking for anyone to go out of their way but if you attend any of the schools below is it balanced?
If you have heard anything about the schools any info would be great.
If there is a school in the mid to north east that is balanced please let me know so that i can add it. THANK YOU

so far my list goes:
1. Rutgers U-PsyD-nm
2. LIU-PsyD-nm
3. UHartford-PsyD-nm
4. American U
5. Boston U
6. Clark U
7. Uconn
8. Howard U
9. The New School
10. URI
11. St Johns U
12. Syracuse U
13. Temple U
14. Drexel U
Click to expand...

I would scratch BU, Temple, UConn, and Drexel from your list, as those programs are much more research-oriented than it sounds like you are looking for.

I might consider adding Catholic U and GW to the list. Fairleigh Dickinson might also be a good option. Of course, even for these more balanced programs, it still boils down to there being a strong match between you and the program/faculty (especially if they admit based on a mentor model).
 
Thank you LM02 that advice is greatly appreciated! I might leave Uconn though because i am considering geriatrics and i hear their program is very strong in that area.
 
ST3 do you mean New School only takes students that have "a" masters degree or they only take students that have "their" masters degree?

Because i am working on my MA right now at a different uni ill have to cross it off if they want me to start again lol..
 
ST3 thank you very much! i would have wasted my time and money with that road i will cross it off.
 
Have a friend at Fordham - they are perhaps a bit more research-focused than some on your list, but I think are worth looking at.

Though I will add - if you are unwilling to repeat the master's, you may need to eliminate a large number of schools. It is often hit or miss whether you have to repeat your master's. It usually depends on the quality of your thesis, whether or not it is in the same area, where your master's is from, etc. Of course, if new school doesn't fund their master's students (I don't think they do?) that is a bit of a different scenario, but I just wanted to make it clear that if you plan on pursuing the PhD, there is a good chance you will have to repeat a fair bit of the work.
 
Hi Uhoh,

We must have similar research interests:) I heard back from Budd, but not from Wargo-Aikins.

--J




UhOh said:
There are two professors whom I've emailed and never received a response. I know this is not unusual but it's bugging me as I'm sure it probably bugs everyone who doesn't hear from a professor with whom they're interested in working. I'm interested to know whether the two specific professors to whom I'm referring don't respond to applicants generally or whether, for some reason, they're not responding to me but they've responded to other people. I realize the more likely scenario is the former where they just don't respond to applicants but I just wanted to put this out there in case the latter is the case.

So, have any applicants for Clinical PhD programs received responses from Julie Wargo Aikins at U of Connecticut or Karen S. Budd at DePaul U?
Click to expand...
 
Thank you ollie
I dont mind repeating some work i just hope not the whole degree though 40k down the drain? i guess not its not wasted if it gets me into a better PhD program though..i looked at Fordham they seemed really focused on research but ill take another look at them right now.
 
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!
Click to expand...

At my dept, when stuff begins rolling in they start a file... Once the file is complete they move it to a completed cabinet for evaluation. Bottom line, call when you think they should have everything and verify... do this at least 2 weeks prior to the deadline so you can correct any issues.

Mark
 
Hi everyone,

I am a student at LIU Brooklyn (PhD) and I just wanted to let you all know that our deadline for applications is now January 5, 2011. If you would like more information about the program, you can head on over to our website at http://www2.brooklyn.liu.edu/psych/phdprogram/index.html

Best of luck on applications.
 
MODNOTE: Just a friendly reminder, please post all program application topics/questions/information in here and not in the main forum. If people are applying, they will be checking this thread.
 
SpiritBender said:
Thank you ollie
I dont mind repeating some work i just hope not the whole degree though 40k down the drain? i guess not its not wasted if it gets me into a better PhD program though..i looked at Fordham they seemed really focused on research but ill take another look at them right now.
Click to expand...

I can't speak to Psy.D. programs, but I can say that with the vast majority of Ph.D. programs, coming in with a master's essentially means:

1) If you have a thesis, as has been said, you will need to submit it to your program, at which point they will determine whether or not to accept it

2) If they do not accept the thesis, or if you went through exams rather than completing a thesis, you will have to write a (new) thesis

3) A relatively small number of your intro-level classes (e.g., intermediate stats, social psychology) may be waived; you may need to provide syllabi from these classes to your program so that they can determine if the material covered was comprehensive enough to allow you to be exempt

4) You will not be given credit for any upper-level classes, including all psychopathology- and psychotherapy-related courses; if you are exempted from various intro classes, you may need to make up the credits elsewhere (e.g., by taking advanced stats rather than intermediate stats)

All in all, a masters degree generally doesn't save you much (if any) time, but it can spare you from having to complete a thesis in your doctoral program. Also, it will have allowed you to get a feel for graduate-level coursework and the associated heightened expectations.
 
AA thank you! im getting amazing feedback from all of you thanks. the comments you made about the thesis were interesting. my program doesnt end in a thesis it ends with a comprehensive review any ideas on what that will look like?
 
I got credit for 32 credit hours worth of my master's program. It's saving me about a year.
 
PrisonPsych said:
I got credit for 32 credit hours worth of my master's program. It's saving me about a year.
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I'm sorry if I already missed this, but is your program a PhD or PsyD program? I am applying to both, and I have noticed that the PsyD programs are far more willing to take a higher number of credits. IUP takes quite a high number, I can't remember off the top of my head how many, but it may have been around 30. This would be ideal for me, since I am coming in with a masters.
 
Hi everybody! I found this place yesterday (why didn't I find it three months ago!) as I was working on my statement of purpose for a December 15 deadline. I've got it to where I'm more or less happy with it, so I was wondering if I could get somebody (or multiple somebodies) to helpfully tear it apart so I can go back to being stressed about it. I've got a couple of people helping me with this already, but they aren't familiar with the psychology grad school process so it isn't as helpful as it could be.
 
SpiritBender said:
AA thank you! im getting amazing feedback from all of you thanks. the comments you made about the thesis were interesting. my program doesnt end in a thesis it ends with a comprehensive review any ideas on what that will look like?
Click to expand...

I've only experienced the thesis route myself, so I'm not fully sure what masters-level comps would look like. However, I'd imagine it's pretty much a final exam on steroids--a written or oral exam during which all previously-learned material is fair game. That's essentially what our comps were like in my doctoral program (along with a 25-page case presentation).
 
SpiritBender said:
AA thank you! im getting amazing feedback from all of you thanks. the comments you made about the thesis were interesting. my program doesnt end in a thesis it ends with a comprehensive review any ideas on what that will look like?
Click to expand...

Is this an MA program that you are refering to? I am in an MA program and we had comps at the end of our first year. If one did not pass the comps, they would be kicked out of the program. Of course, they were given one more try to pass :)

The comps consisted of 3 questions: 1 assessment, 1 psychotherapy, and 1 psychopathology. It was all written, and we were given 4 hours to complete it. We were not told much more than that, which resulted in wide spread panic of my class furiously studying everything that we could for weeks! Looking back though, it was a breeze.

GL!
 
Hey S4L yes i am refering to a MA program i dont have too much information im a first semster MA student but my programs website says:

PSY 695 Comprehensive Review (2)
Students receive an intensive review of the core areas in psychology covered in the student's curriculum. Students are examined on their knowledge of each area following its review in class sessions. The average score resulting from these examinations represents the grade for the comprehensive examination.

This thread kind of got away from me please allow me to be selfish and bring it back:

Do any of you know of any really well balanced PhD programs even maybe geared more towards the clinical side?

Im not asking for anyone to go out of their way but if you attend any of the schools below is it balanced?
If you have heard anything about the schools any info would be great.
If there is a school in the mid to north east that is balanced please let me know so that i can add it. THANK YOU

so far my list goes:
1. Rutgers U-PsyD-nm
2. LIU-PsyD-nm
3. UHartford-PsyD-nm
4. American U
5. Boston U
6. Clark U
7. Uconn
8. Howard U
10. URI
11. St Johns U
12. Syracuse U
13. Temple U
14. Drexel U

Im in the middle of changing it up as we speak the order isnt right because of feedback im getting i would like it to be atleast 12 programs
 
:)
 
Last edited:
futureapppsy2 said:
Just FYI: Historically, being the interview invite thread manager is considered "good luck"--every invite thread manager so far (n=4, I think) has gotten into a top choice program.

It should probably be its own thread named the 2010-2011 PhD/PsyD Interview Invite thread or something similar. If one of you wants to start it, go for it! :)
Click to expand...

I know it was a "lucky" experience for me (I did it the year people were applying to start in Fall 08) and I believe the person before me got into one of his top choices too :) Good luck! It was definitely a fun experience :) (plus, you hear about all the interviews the moment invites go out! The hardest part for me was waiting until I could finally post my own invites on the thread! :p)
 
Since when? I thought apps were due December 1st? Does this mean that they didn't receive enough applications? Do tell! ;)


Lankadragon said:
Hi everyone,

I am a student at LIU Brooklyn (PhD) and I just wanted to let you all know that our deadline for applications is now January 5, 2011. If you would like more information about the program, you can head on over to our website at http://www2.brooklyn.liu.edu/psych/phdprogram/index.html

Best of luck on applications.
Click to expand...
 
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