advice, any help would be appreciated! Thx

[lurkernomore]

Hi, long time lurker, first time poster, But any advice would be appreciated!

Here is my situation:

mood: currently extremely depressed as i tanked the GRE and i'm a native speaker!

GRE V = 500, Q = 670

CGPA = 3.12
junior year GPA = 3.81
PSY GPA = 3.88

Basically the reason why my GPA is so low is because i tanked all my pre med classes (C-)

My dream is to either get into a clinical psy program (pHD) or become an MD, however, i know my situation is quite bleak.

I'm going into my senior year now, and i'm a double major in biology and psychology. I have previous lab research experience in maternal behaviour (1yr) and have negotiated an undergrad thesis for my senior year. I think i will have 3 solid reference letters.

My questions are: Should i even bother applying to programs with such a low GPA, and what can I do to mitigate this situation?

Thanks in advance!

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[shock-me-sane]

you may be able to sell your cumulative gpa in your ps. But the GRE is going to be a bit of a problem. My advisor told me that 1250 is the golden number for the GREs.

How is your research experience, LOR?

I got in with a cGPA of 3.3, but I did pretty good on the GREs and had awesome LOR and good research experience. I also had my double major (nursing and psych) work well for me, in applying to health psych clinical programs.

You show a nice upward trend which is good. I had a 1.7 from a year and a half of college, but kicked butt once I went back to school. I applied to 12, interviewed at 6 and got into 3, waitlisted at 3. I think psych programs are more forgiving that allopathic programs. It is really important for you to decide what you really want to do.

Good luck

 

[lurkernomore]

Hi SMS, thanks for your reply

Yes, i was really disappointed with my GRE yesterday. I attribute the main reason for my failure was the fact that i worked full time and started studying about a month ago, and only really studied hardcore for a week before the exam.

I think with a significant amount of effort I could pull out like a 650 V and a 720 Q. (I actually did not even practice a single Q question as my time was solely spent on verbal). i am just not sure that I want to retake it again, because i read somewhere that it is frowned upon if you retake it again, plus i heard that they average the scores?

My clinical research isn't that great, I only worked in a maternal behaviour laboratory for about a year. I'm also not sure if i'm at a disadvantage because I'm a canadian citizen = OOS or international?. I am wondering if there are some schools that solely look at top 2 years, GRE scores, and psyGPA?

 

[JockNerd]

I'm also not sure if i'm at a disadvantage because I'm a canadian citizen = OOS or international?

For US schools, we count as international. But it doesn't make a difference for admission.

It's not "frowned upon" to retake the GREs, a lot of people do it. Unis vary as to whether they take the highest scores, the most recent scores, or average them out.

My opinion: I'd say those are pretty lowish stats, and acceptance to a good, funded clinical or counseling psych PhD program would likely require an extra year of research experience. If I were in your situation I might apply to a few programs I'd like to go to and thought I had a good shot at, with the foresight that I'd likely be applying again next year. (Maybe read the big long thread including advice from the clinical training director for more direction.)

Though for med, I know there are some Canadian med schools that focus almost entirely on MCAT and interviews, and much less on GPA. I don't know how you feel your MCAT would go, but maybe that's still an option.

 

[myelin]

With your current stats, I think you'd be a great candidate for a MA/MS program in clinical psychology. Many people obtain a MA/MS as a stepping stone up to a PhD in clinical psychology.

As for re-taking the GRE, many people take it more than once. I think my advisor took it 4 times

 

[lurkernomore]

I think that perhaps I am not too familiar with US schools as I have only researched canadian schools, and I am under the impression that they require direct entry into pHD.

Which schools have the option of an MS clinical first? Is it actually an MS clinical or just an MS psychology. Also I have not taken the subject GRE yet, and I believe applications are due in the fall, so would the october sitting be too late?

for the GRE, what would be a competitive score? like 600+ verbal and 700+ quantitative or even higher?

Also is the psych GRE difficult?

Thanks a lot for all your help everyone! I am completely in the dark!

 

[WannaBeDrMe]

The psych GRE was not difficult for me but I took it some time ago, directly out of undergrad. I simply reviewed one study guide the morning of the test, sat down, and took it. I remember being sort of pissed b/c they took away my fancy pencils and made me use their crappy wooden pencils. So be prepared for that...

It's basically just to tested your accumulated knowledge of the history, theory, and practice of psychology. If your university had a senior exam to pass BA, then this is a similar test. I don't think there's an essay... I don't remember it if there was one... I'd say it is fairly easy to score 90% or above if you took a good range of psych courses in undergrad.

As to US schools and psych programs, I think it just depends on the doctoral program. I haven't looked at PhD's in a while but some absolutely preferred blank slates straight from undergrad. Others typically only took graduates of masters level programs. Others still referred non-accepted doctoral students to their own masters programs.

I agree w/the others who suggest more research experience. If you could demonstrate a definite dedication to the field and a continued desire to grow into a professional, it might overshadow the low cum GPA. I think your Psych GPA is great. Is it the 3.98 some of the applicants will show? Nope... but if you make a more well rounded candidate, GPA will become less of a concern. Do well on the psych GRE too... it likely won't count much on its own but could show a tie breaking opportunity.

Also, maybe it's because I'm ancient compared to the rest of the people here (I'm 29)... but 1170 on the GRE is not tanking. any GPA above a 3.0 is NOT tanking... In this age of GPA inflation, I really wonder if most students have forgotten what matters more... the knowledge you acquired... or the numbers on your transcripts. No offense to you, personally, was intended... I'm just telling you to put it in perspective. If you walked away with a solid education, hold your head high... that confidence will carry you farther than an extra 2 tenths of a point in your grade score.

Agreed with the others on taking the GRE -- to be competitive, retake, but study your butt off first... Re-taking is not frowned upon... but shotgunning it and getting virtually the same score 5 times in a row isn't impressive in my opinion. Make sure that the retest is worth your time and your money. Get some of the vocab builder stuff and work on that... GRE words are a beast but there are probably only a few dozen you have never heard before... most are pretty common if you consume a lot of information.

Good luck, you'll be ok, just focus on the knowledge and the rest will follow... maybe not the most competitive applicant in the hemisphere... but your numbers aren't a death sentence for psych. (and from what I understand, not even for medical school, I have friends w/lower GPA's who did well on MCAT and got into great medical schools w/some money offers)

Oh and date of psych GRE... no, I don't know which one I took... but it must have been the fall b/c I knew I only had one shot before it was due to the grad schools!! Shouldn't be too late at all...

 

[shock-me-sane]

I think that perhaps I am not too familiar with US schools as I have only researched canadian schools, and I am under the impression that they require direct entry into pHD.

Which schools have the option of an MS clinical first? Is it actually an MS clinical or just an MS psychology. Also I have not taken the subject GRE yet, and I believe applications are due in the fall, so would the october sitting be too late?

for the GRE, what would be a competitive score? like 600+ verbal and 700+ quantitative or even higher?

Also is the psych GRE difficult?

Thanks a lot for all your help everyone! I am completely in the dark!

There generally is direct entry for PhDs in the US, but I would say since your research experience doesn't seem to be strong a research based masters might be good. I promise that they want you to be research crazy.

I would suggest an experimental psych masters for the research experience. I am not in the know in this area, so take it with a grain of salt. From what I know they will transfer over your masters thesis into PhD programs, but generally not a lot of coursework.

I took the psych GRE in November, but I know that Oct can still work. I didn't find it too difficult. Just make sure you review and study.

For the general GRE my advisor had said 1250 was the "golden number". I got a 620V and 710Q. I had 12 applications and got 6 interviews. So that is all I know about numbers. it may help to look through schools that you are interested in to see their ave GRE scores. Also make sure that the places you want to apply require the psych GRE, a lot don't.

The most important thing (as far as I can tell) is getting research experience!

Good luck to you!