Applying to two programs at one school?

[zbombvt]

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Hi Everyone,

As I am racking my brains trying to find nice "fits" with professors in clinical psychology programs, I am trying to find nice developmental psychopathology PhD programs as a back-up plan. Turns out, somewhat unsurprisingly, that many of the schools I am looking at have programs in both. My questions therefore are:

1) Is it even possible to apply to two psychology departments at one school?
2) Are you likely to reduce your chances of getting into either by having two applications out for the same department of psychology?
3) Does anyone have any experience with this type of process?

Thanks.

 

[lazure]

Many schools that offer multiple programs will accept the same application for two or three programs and will simply ask you to rate your order of preference. Check the application form for the school's you're interested in.

 

[joetro]

And other schools could be open to you working with a mentor in program A while enrolled in program B (or a mentor from both program A And B), especially if they are closely related and/or encourage interdisciplinary approaches.

 

[konrad]

However....you increase your chances of admission by appearing to know exactly what you want to do. Applying to two different programs gives the appearance of indecision, unless they both support the same basic research plan (e.g., some sort of developmental psychopathology).

 

[Dr.JT]

If you are applying to clinical as well as nonclinical programs, you run the risk of looking like someone who is hoping to get into the less competitive nonclinical program with hopes of "backdooring" into the clinical program. Programs almost universally look down on this.