Advice from Prof for Applicants to PhD Programs

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How does it look to do 2 honors theses under the same professor? Do you think POI's, when viewing this, would wonder why that applicant did not switch labs (to perhaps someone within the dept who does similar research) to broaden their horizons? Would switching to a different professor for a 2nd thesis be more favorable when looking at an applicant for Clinical PhD programs than if they were to stay with the original thesis director?
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buzzworm said:
Hey there DrClinPsy,

Thanks so much for all your help! I recently posted a question to the message board that someone suggested I put up here too:

I've noticed that some schools allow you to send an additional letter to the admissions committee if you feel that your academic records don't accurately reflect your true potential, and I'm trying to figure out whether I should send one in.

I graduated from college with a fine GPA, but made the mistake of taking extra classes half-time after I graduated, while I was working 50 hours a week. Needless to say, I didn't have enough time to adequately study for all my classes, and I didn't do as well as I would have liked.

Is it worth sending a letter explaining that these grades don't really reflect my potential, or will that just draw unnecessary attention to them? They weren't psych classes, so they I don't think they should have a direct bearing on my ability to handle a psych PhD program. And other than this, I'm feeling pretty confident -- I'm happy with my test scores, research experience, etc.

For the record, most schools do require that I send these grades in, so just pretending they don't exist isn't an option.
Click to expand...

Really tough to say - but generally any letter that you send in that says great things about you can't hurt. And if they say that you are very capable, even more than your grades suggest, then that is fine!
 
smithie08 said:
Dear DrClinPsyAdvice,

Thank you so much for this thread! I've tried scanning through the majority of the posts to not repeat any GRE/GPA questions. Through what I've seen most posters have had a problem in one area (ex. GPA), and need to work on another (ex. low GRE). However, I am wondering how the previously discussed "cut-offs" of 1200 and 3.3 apply for those of us who "just make it (or just miss it)"?

I graduated from a good eastern college with a 3.39 GPA, took time off to gain research experience (about 2 yrs) and got an 1190 (570-V, 620-Q) on the GRE. For those of us who just miss the 1200 cutoff, is it worth retaking the GRE? Or (as I've tried answering this question via calling some admissions offices) do all clinical psych programs consider the "whole package"? However this doesn't make sense based on previous post discussions where 50% are discarded.

I am very confused and would appreciate any advice you could give. Thanks for your help and time!
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Sadly, the GRE score and GPA are sometimes used to help reduce the giant pile of hundreds of applications to those that will be considered more strongly. I can't say that anything counts more or less in a 'whole package' or that any one application will be scrutinized for as long as you have probably scruitinized your own application. I can say that if a university typically has hundreds of applications, and the people they admit usually have quite high scores, then it will be sadly quite likely that those with GRE/GPA numbers close to or lower than their minimal cutoffs may never really get looked at very much at all. It is a very sad reality, but imagine you had to pick 5 from a stack of 250+ applications. You would probably start by dropping the bottom half of applications based on these scores, and then start reading more carefully from there. If the data on the site website makes it seem like your numbers may be low in their pile, then it probably is worth taking the test again
 
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coltsfan89 said:
How does it look to do 2 honors theses under the same professor? Do you think POI's, when viewing this, would wonder why that applicant did not switch labs (to perhaps someone within the dept who does similar research) to broaden their horizons? Would switching to a different professor for a 2nd thesis be more favorable when looking at an applicant for Clinical PhD programs than if they were to stay with the original thesis director?
Click to expand...

Never heard of anyone doing 2 honors theses before, so I bet that most people won't know how to interpret this at all, and won't make any assumptions about what it all means
 
DrClinPsyAdvice said:
Sadly, the GRE score and GPA are sometimes used to help reduce the giant pile of hundreds of applications to those that will be considered more strongly. I can't say that anything counts more or less in a 'whole package' or that any one application will be scrutinized for as long as you have probably scruitinized your own application. I can say that if a university typically has hundreds of applications, and the people they admit usually have quite high scores, then it will be sadly quite likely that those with GRE/GPA numbers close to or lower than their minimal cutoffs may never really get looked at very much at all. It is a very sad reality, but imagine you had to pick 5 from a stack of 250+ applications. You would probably start by dropping the bottom half of applications based on these scores, and then start reading more carefully from there. If the data on the site website makes it seem like your numbers may be low in their pile, then it probably is worth taking the test again
Click to expand...


Thank you!!! I appreciate the feedback!! :)
 
Hi DrClinPsyAdvice,

I have a question about my research experience.
First off, I have applied to Social Psychology programs not clinical.
My research experienced has entailed: 1) entering participant data into excel for a semester, 2) for another semester, running participants in a study, explaining things to them, giving them consent forms/debriefing, etc. 3) recently, doing literature reviews with a research group, managing the research group, and helping my supervisor revise a manuscript to be published.

my question, how will this experience be looked upon? i know you said doing chore-like things is not very impressive, but im not sure how my experience looks from an outside perspective.

Also, i really have no idea what to expect in terms of being accepted, sometimes i think ill be accepted to everywhere i applied, next day i have the feeling that i will be rejected everywhere.
3.38 UG GPA, 3.8 psyche GPA
i spent 2 semesters in a MA Psy. program, GPA 3.9
1430 GRE (720 V, 710 Q)
760 Psy subject GRE (95% percentile)
strong letters

I know social programs are generally less competitive than clinical, but not by much.
i also dont know if they require interviews, they dont explicitly say they do, do you have any insight on this?

Thanks
 
Hi DrClinPsyAdvice,

My question concerns a low GPA earned at an ivy league school but with all other factors being strong.

Here are my stats:
GRE: 1370 (690V, 680Q, 5.0A)
Psych GRE: 770
GPA: 3.27 overall, 3.31 psych (Ivy League School)
Solid 2+ years research and clinical experience in area of interest (I have several papers, posters, and abstracts on which I am an author, but I have no first authorships)
At least two of my recommendation letters are very strong
Personal statement is strong

My question is: Should I worry about being eliminated at the first pass through in schools that admit about 10 out of 100 applicants? My dream school has an average 1320 GRE, 700 psych GRE, and 3.7 GPA. Would they take a second look at my application due to my university? If so, how much weight might that add (or not add)?

Thank you so much for your time and help!
 
I'm sure it's been asked a million times, but how bad is a C?

I'm struggling to pull off (best case scenario) a pair of B-'s in two of my biology courses this semester (have never received less than a B). I got too ambitious working two labs, a job, taking hard classes, and trying to apply to graduate schools. My cumulative GPA is 3.77 right now.

I know most schools won't see these grades until after I'm accepted or denied, but my worry is how bad they will affect me as an applicant if I don't get in and have to reapply next year.
 
neuropsyance said:
I'm sure it's been asked a million times, but how bad is a C?

I'm struggling to pull off (best case scenario) a pair of B-'s in two of my biology courses this semester (have never received less than a B). I got too ambitious working two labs, a job, taking hard classes, and trying to apply to graduate schools. My cumulative GPA is 3.77 right now.

I know most schools won't see these grades until after I'm accepted or denied, but my worry is how bad they will affect me as an applicant if I don't get in and have to reapply next year.
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considering your GPA if fairly high, i wouldnt worry about a few C's..
DrClin has mentioned before that it is rare for someone to scrutinize transcripts and look for low scores.
 
SigmundFreudMD said:
Hi DrClinPsyAdvice,

I have a question about my research experience.
First off, I have applied to Social Psychology programs not clinical.
My research experienced has entailed: 1) entering participant data into excel for a semester, 2) for another semester, running participants in a study, explaining things to them, giving them consent forms/debriefing, etc. 3) recently, doing literature reviews with a research group, managing the research group, and helping my supervisor revise a manuscript to be published.

my question, how will this experience be looked upon? i know you said doing chore-like things is not very impressive, but im not sure how my experience looks from an outside perspective.

Also, i really have no idea what to expect in terms of being accepted, sometimes i think ill be accepted to everywhere i applied, next day i have the feeling that i will be rejected everywhere.
3.38 UG GPA, 3.8 psyche GPA
i spent 2 semesters in a MA Psy. program, GPA 3.9
1430 GRE (720 V, 710 Q)
760 Psy subject GRE (95% percentile)
strong letters

I know social programs are generally less competitive than clinical, but not by much.
i also dont know if they require interviews, they dont explicitly say they do, do you have any insight on this?

Thanks
Click to expand...

sorry - can't comment on social psych at all.
 
mjp5 said:
Hi DrClinPsyAdvice,

My question concerns a low GPA earned at an ivy league school but with all other factors being strong.

Here are my stats:
GRE: 1370 (690V, 680Q, 5.0A)
Psych GRE: 770
GPA: 3.27 overall, 3.31 psych (Ivy League School)
Solid 2+ years research and clinical experience in area of interest (I have several papers, posters, and abstracts on which I am an author, but I have no first authorships)
At least two of my recommendation letters are very strong
Personal statement is strong

My question is: Should I worry about being eliminated at the first pass through in schools that admit about 10 out of 100 applicants? My dream school has an average 1320 GRE, 700 psych GRE, and 3.7 GPA. Would they take a second look at my application due to my university? If so, how much weight might that add (or not add)?

Thank you so much for your time and help!
Click to expand...

I think you'll get a serious look. The GPA shouldn't knock you out immediately
 
neuropsyance said:
I'm sure it's been asked a million times, but how bad is a C?

I'm struggling to pull off (best case scenario) a pair of B-'s in two of my biology courses this semester (have never received less than a B). I got too ambitious working two labs, a job, taking hard classes, and trying to apply to graduate schools. My cumulative GPA is 3.77 right now.

I know most schools won't see these grades until after I'm accepted or denied, but my worry is how bad they will affect me as an applicant if I don't get in and have to reapply next year.
Click to expand...

Your overall GPA is the most important, and it sounds like that is very good!
 
Thank you so much for taking your time, everyone really appreciates it.

My applications have been sent off, and even though that was only a couple weeks ago, I've already been offered an interview to one school. This brought up some questions.

This school is one of, if not my top, choice - so I was very happy. I was wondering, if a professor is only accepting one (maybe two) students, how many people would he invite for interview weekend? Kind of thinking about my chances....

Also, the professor I do research with now happened to get his PhD at the same school, and as a grad student under my same POI. Does this increase my POI's confidence in my training? And would it be inappropriate to ask the professor I am a RA under for advice on interview weekend and impressing my POI?

Hope this was not too confusing...and thanks again - you let a lot of people sleep easy at night!
 
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Also, I have no idea what to expect from the interview at all, and feel that is kind of bad.

Do I wear a suit, or is that too much? What about at the informal "gatherings", a suit too or something less formal? What do I bring, a book to write in? Do I write in it as I am being interviewed or is that rude?

I need to get an idea about these interviews - is staying with a grad student and asking for all the accommodations offered rude? It is a little bit like a 48 hour interview.

So if anyone who has been through the interview process or knows about it can please fill me in on what to expect and some general rules of thumb, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
Hi, I'm new to this forum and I was wondering how it looks if you go to a smaller state school (I don't want to say the exact one but I will tell you that it is a SUNY) that is not very well known but still has a strong psychology program? Can you still be a competitive applicant coming out of one of these schools?
 
mwahaha said:
Hi, I'm new to this forum and I was wondering how it looks if you go to a smaller state school (I don't want to say the exact one but I will tell you that it is a SUNY) that is not very well known but still has a strong psychology program? Can you still be a competitive applicant coming out of one of these schools?
Click to expand...

I went to a perfectly good Midwestern state school that no one outside of my metro area has heard of. I jokingly refer to it as "Directional State University-Townsville", and there are a lot of them in the Midwest. I had been out of school for 7 years when I applied to grad school last year. I noticed that I was interviewing alongside students from Ivy League universities. I might be wrong, but my perception was that interviewers were far more interested in what I had done since graduation than where I had gone to school. I was able to speak about my experiences and what I had learned, as opposed to some of my fellow applicants, who only wanted to talk about how great their undergrad program was.

I also made sure that I absolutely nailed the GRE, which may not be so critical when your diploma says “Harvard” on it.:D

Than again, I was waitlisted without getting in last year, and I'm a non-tradititonal applicant, so take my advice with several grains of salt.:rolleyes:
 
Knights24 said:
Thank you so much for taking your time, everyone really appreciates it.

My applications have been sent off, and even though that was only a couple weeks ago, I've already been offered an interview to one school. This brought up some questions.

This school is one of, if not my top, choice - so I was very happy. I was wondering, if a professor is only accepting one (maybe two) students, how many people would he invite for interview weekend? Kind of thinking about my chances....

Also, the professor I do research with now happened to get his PhD at the same school, and as a grad student under my same POI. Does this increase my POI's confidence in my training? And would it be inappropriate to ask the professor I am a RA under for advice on interview weekend and impressing my POI?

Hope this was not too confusing...and thanks again - you let a lot of people sleep easy at night!
Click to expand...

Depending on the program, usually about 2-5 people interview for any given slot. No problem asking your current supervisor for advice. It's a small world out there, and networking it a good thing.
 
Knights24 said:
Also, I have no idea what to expect from the interview at all, and feel that is kind of bad.

Do I wear a suit, or is that too much? What about at the informal "gatherings", a suit too or something less formal? What do I bring, a book to write in? Do I write in it as I am being interviewed or is that rude?

I need to get an idea about these interviews - is staying with a grad student and asking for all the accommodations offered rude? It is a little bit like a 48 hour interview.

So if anyone who has been through the interview process or knows about it can please fill me in on what to expect and some general rules of thumb, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you are getting some good info on the interviews from the others on the post, so I'll be brief.

It's customary to stay with a grad student, and to wear a suit. Most carry a folder with some notes, copies of a CV, and a list of questions or info about the program to help them through the interview day. It's fine to write stuff down while talking, if necessary, but also OK to write notes later. Good luck!
 
mwahaha said:
Hi, I'm new to this forum and I was wondering how it looks if you go to a smaller state school (I don't want to say the exact one but I will tell you that it is a SUNY) that is not very well known but still has a strong psychology program? Can you still be a competitive applicant coming out of one of these schools?
Click to expand...

Yup - coming from an undergrad with a known, solid reputation certainly helps, but a high GPA and GRE score from anywhere can work just fine
 
I am applying for the rutgers school psychology psyd. In the personal statement area, there are 2 sets of instructions. the school of psychology at rutgers has one requirement, but when i go to the specific area (school psychology program at rutgers) there is a different set of questions. Which one do i go by?
thanks!
 
bugsy48 said:
I am applying for the rutgers school psychology psyd. In the personal statement area, there are 2 sets of instructions. the school of psychology at rutgers has one requirement, but when i go to the specific area (school psychology program at rutgers) there is a different set of questions. Which one do i go by?
thanks!
Click to expand...

Sorry, I have no information about this.
 
Part-time clinical research position available at Stanford Univ. School of Medicine, Dept. of Dermatology to coordinate large human study of skin aging.

Excellent opportunity for pre-medical student to gain exposure to clinical research. Must have good interpersonal skills, flexibility and be a great team player.

If interested, please email Anne Chang, MD at [email protected]
Please include CV and college transcript.
 
Hey,
I was just wondering if you could give your guess to whether or not I have a chance getting some interviews next winter.

I am a Junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I will planning on applying to schools around the midwest (UW-Milwaukee, UW-Madison, Loyola, UI-Chicago, Minn. etc.)

GPA - 3.4 (hopefully up to 3.5ish by the time I apply)

My GPA is low due to being "pre-med", but my last 60 credits should be around 3.75 when I apply.

Psych GPA 3.75

I have completed 9 semester psych classes, and plan on taking 3 next semester and as many as possible my senior year.

I am taking the GRE this summer. After doing well on ACT and planning on dedicating all of my free time this next semester to studying I hope to do well.

Research experience - 1 semester of research assitant, 1 semester of research coordinator work, working next semester as research coordinator, and hopefully working the summer and the next 2 semesters as a research coordinator. So hopefully 1 semester of RA and 4 semesters of RC. I have one publication with my name on it already, a presentation in Feburary, and I will hopefull have another publication soon (maybe 2nd author).

Clinical experience - I worked at a mental health institute last semester. I am planning on working next semester, summer, and my senior year.
 
Jbadgers1 said:
Hey,
I was just wondering if you could give your guess to whether or not I have a chance getting some interviews next winter.

I am a Junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I will planning on applying to schools around the midwest (UW-Milwaukee, UW-Madison, Loyola, UI-Chicago, Minn. etc.)

GPA - 3.4 (hopefully up to 3.5ish by the time I apply)

My GPA is low due to being "pre-med", but my last 60 credits should be around 3.75 when I apply.

Psych GPA 3.75

I have completed 9 semester psych classes, and plan on taking 3 next semester and as many as possible my senior year.

I am taking the GRE this summer. After doing well on ACT and planning on dedicating all of my free time this next semester to studying I hope to do well.

Research experience - 1 semester of research assitant, 1 semester of research coordinator work, working next semester as research coordinator, and hopefully working the summer and the next 2 semesters as a research coordinator. So hopefully 1 semester of RA and 4 semesters of RC. I have one publication with my name on it already, a presentation in Feburary, and I will hopefull have another publication soon (maybe 2nd author).

Clinical experience - I worked at a mental health institute last semester. I am planning on working next semester, summer, and my senior year.
Click to expand...


Hey, a perfect place to ask this is on the "WAMC: What are my chances?" thread. Good luck!
 
Jbadgers1 said:
Hey,
I was just wondering if you could give your guess to whether or not I have a chance getting some interviews next winter.

I am a Junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I will planning on applying to schools around the midwest (UW-Milwaukee, UW-Madison, Loyola, UI-Chicago, Minn. etc.)

GPA - 3.4 (hopefully up to 3.5ish by the time I apply)

My GPA is low due to being "pre-med", but my last 60 credits should be around 3.75 when I apply.

Psych GPA 3.75

I have completed 9 semester psych classes, and plan on taking 3 next semester and as many as possible my senior year.

I am taking the GRE this summer. After doing well on ACT and planning on dedicating all of my free time this next semester to studying I hope to do well.

Research experience - 1 semester of research assitant, 1 semester of research coordinator work, working next semester as research coordinator, and hopefully working the summer and the next 2 semesters as a research coordinator. So hopefully 1 semester of RA and 4 semesters of RC. I have one publication with my name on it already, a presentation in Feburary, and I will hopefull have another publication soon (maybe 2nd author).

Clinical experience - I worked at a mental health institute last semester. I am planning on working next semester, summer, and my senior year.
Click to expand...

Sorry - this is really not a good forum for this kind of question. There are so many factors that are considered, but cannot be adequately evaluated in a brief question like this. It would be impossible to make an accurate prediction.
 
Hi all,

I have very much enjoyed responding to your queries for the past two years. I think we have covered just about every question possible, and I have decided to sign off. I hope this information remains a helpful resource for current and future applicants to clinical psychology PhD programs.

Best wishes to all, and good luck!

-
 
DrClinPsyAdvice said:
Hi all,

I have very much enjoyed responding to your queries for the past two years. I think we have covered just about every question possible, and I have decided to sign off. I hope this information remains a helpful resource for current and future applicants to clinical psychology PhD programs.

Best wishes to all, and good luck!

-
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
DrClinPsyAdvice said:
Hi all,

I have very much enjoyed responding to your queries for the past two years. I think we have covered just about every question possible, and I have decided to sign off. I hope this information remains a helpful resource for current and future applicants to clinical psychology PhD programs.

Best wishes to all, and good luck!

-
Click to expand...

Thanks for your time and expertise. :luck
 
DrClinPsyAdvice said:
Hi all,

I have very much enjoyed responding to your queries for the past two years. I think we have covered just about every question possible, and I have decided to sign off. I hope this information remains a helpful resource for current and future applicants to clinical psychology PhD programs.

Best wishes to all, and good luck!

-
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 
DrClinPsyAdvice said:
Hi all,

I have very much enjoyed responding to your queries for the past two years. I think we have covered just about every question possible, and I have decided to sign off. I hope this information remains a helpful resource for current and future applicants to clinical psychology PhD programs.

Best wishes to all, and good luck!

-
Click to expand...

Thanks so much!
 
PsychPhDStudent said:
Knights, there are posts from last year about interviews and such (might even be in the invite thread from then) -- I will send you a PM. I've been to 10+ interviews. :)
Click to expand...

Could you please PM me too? I've looked through a lot of posts from last year and still haven't found a lot of specific info...still in interview anxiety mode!

Thanks
 
Hi,

I feel lucky to have this problem, BUT:
2 schools have offered me interviews on the same date. Neither one is my first choice, but I don't want to throw away a potential offer. Any advice as to the best course of action without burning a bridge?

P.S.: if anyone knows this question to have been addressed in another thread, please guide the way? Thanks.
 
healthpsy said:
Hi,

I feel lucky to have this problem, BUT:
2 schools have offered me interviews on the same date. Neither one is my first choice, but I don't want to throw away a potential offer. Any advice as to the best course of action without burning a bridge?

P.S.: if anyone knows this question to have been addressed in another thread, please guide the way? Thanks.
Click to expand...

He's not really responding to this thread anymore.

However, I literally *just* made a post about this same situation - I have been offered interviews from 5 separate schools on the same date. I had already committed to one weeks ago, so I'm working with the others on alternate in person dates or telephone interviews.
 
Hi! I'm 28 years old and will be applying to clinical psychology phd programs within the next 2 years. My question is this...is being 30 too old for a clinical psych phd? will my age hurt my chances of getting into a program? I have a year of clinical experience, and the rest is experience teaching (I have a masters in education). Any advice will be appreciated! Thanks!
 
Should this thread be made a sticky? Just discovered it and a lot of this information would have been really helpful earlier in the process.
 
Dear DrClinPsyAdvice,

Thank you for providing this valuable service, and donating your time. I have a somewhat unique problem that I am hoping you can provide some insight and advice on. I am a 39 year old male who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, dyscalculia and ADHD at 37. I currently run a blog where I discuss issues and experiences with life on the spectrum and speak to various diversity awareness groups. I also speak to the social work classes on my campus, so my disability is public knowledge. Due to being diagnosed so late in life I have experienced some issues that I am worried might prevent me from fulfilling my lifelong desire to get my PhD in clinical psychology. Please forgive me, but I will try to provide a brief back-story and would like to know if you think it is possible that I would ever be seriously considered for admission into a clinical PhD program.

I dropped out of high school and later obtained my GED. I was arrested with 2 non violent felonies and a misdemeanor when I was 19 and 20 respectively. Both felonies were sealed and expunged and no longer show up on my record at all, and I do not believe the misdemeanor does either but I still disclose them. I started college 3 years ago without having been diagnosed with anything and excelled. I ended my first semester with a 3.4 GPA and I am double majoring in psychology as well as social work. My current GPA is 3.7 overall. I have had to drop math but will receive accommodations now that I have a documented disability (I am not sure this will exclude me from admission).

My college is small and has limited opportunities for research so I have spoken to some professors at other universities and one has expressed an interest in allowing me to be involved in their research. I have also been approached by someone in the field to co-author some work about the autism spectrum. I have joined and been accepted as a member of the APA, and NASW, and want to show that I am serious about my goals, and excelling not only in graduate school but also assisting in producing valid and relevant research data.

Do you think I will be considered or would I be better off looking at getting an MSW? How would I go about disclosing or explaining some of these issues? How much information is to much? Would I disclose this on my PS?
 
DrClinPsyAdvice is no longer actively following this thread; you might want to try some other threads.
 
Can you tell me where a good and reliable place would be to get this question answered or if there is a place place on this site to post it where would that be? Thank you
 
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