Clinical Psych Application Questions-- What are they looking for???

[zoistaffy]

Hello fellow forumers,

I'm working on PH.D. apps in clinical psychology and I am stumped on how to answer these questions (UCB)-- I'm not sure exactly what they are looking for; i.e. community service, personal ideology, research contributions past/ present/ future?

PLEASE HELP!!!!

In your personal statement please address the following questions:

* How you have overcome barriers to access in higher education;​

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Evidence of how you have come to understand the barriers faced by others;​

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Evidence of your academic service to advance equitable access to higher education for
women, racial minorities, and individuals from other groups that have been historically
underrepresented in higher education;​

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Evidence of your research focusing on underserved populations or related issues of inequality;​

• Evidence of your leadership among underserved populations.

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[erg923]

Application essays are purposely open-ended in order to give you plenty of room to work in your unique experiences, but ALSO...to see if you can create a coherent/articulate piece of writing from relatively open ended, ambiguity questions. There is probably no "right and wrong" in terms of how you structure the essays. Just discuss what they want you to discuss...

 

[Featheredwyngs]

Without doing your work for you... what do you see here as the general and consistent theme highlighted in all of these questions? (I won't answer that, as it should be very obvious).

The other parts of the questions (i.e., "evidence of") are meant to provide some examples of how you can address this theme that this program obviously finds important. If you can't speak to that theme at all, then maybe it's not the right program for you. But yes, you can choose to write about 1) your own experience, 2) academic service, 3) research experience, or 4) leadership when addressing this theme. If you can speak to all of them (and have enough space to do so) then do so in a coherent and connected way - if you can't, pick the couple that you can speak to and highlight them.

Sometimes it is best to just start writing and trying to answer the questions without worrying too much about 'what they are looking for' (beyond the concrete stuff they tell you in the prompt). Then, once you have something rough down, you can work on weaving it together so that it answers the questions in a more holistic way. Don't let confusion on personal statement questions stump you or give you 'writer's block' - as the poster said before me, these questions are meant to be open ended. None of us can say exactly what these programs are looking for in the questions they give. And aside from general advice, I don't think many of us will or can tell you exactly how to answer the questions. (Personal statements, imo, should reflect not only your own experiences and writing ability, but how *you* interpret the questions... not how other forum users have in the past.... hence the 'personal' part. )

Edit: Though granted, the question above may not actually be the personal statement but just extra questions as part of the app (be it university or program prompted). In that case, I would still consider the personal statement the most important and treat this question more along the lines of something like a diversity statement (although it isn't quite one). In other words, do it well, but don't go overboard if it's not the personal statement (which I'd imagine the clinical program would place more importance on).

 

[deleted176373]

Hello fellow forumers,

I'm working on PH.D. apps in clinical psychology and I am stumped on how to answer these questions (UCB)-- I'm not sure exactly what they are looking for; i.e. community service, personal ideology, research contributions past/ present/ future?

PLEASE HELP!!!!

I could give you all the politically incorrect and "wrong answers". I think these questions are B.S. to tell the truth and I wouldn't be part of a program that expects you to essentially focus on sociology and social engineering as opposed to psychology. However it sounds like this is the program you wish to pursue... You know the "right" answers, they are expecting you to belt out the progressive agenda in which everyone is made equal through handicapping as opposed to expecting people to achieve above their "inherited" station in life.

We already hashed it out in a whole different thread, so this is not aimed at starting this whole nonsense over again, but you know what they are looking for. They are looking for good little progressives, after all, this is Berkeley we're talking about.

Good luck.

Mark

 

[VeggieDelight]

I'm confused. Are these questions for a subset of applicants interested in working with underserved populations, or are they for everyone? I ask because a program I applied to offered interviewees the option of applying to a special fellowship involving research/clinical work with underserved child populations. The money was attractive but I decided against applying because it was really the only reason I was interested.

 

[jnine]

That's a cynical view of the progressive agenda.

I could give you all the politically incorrect and "wrong answers". I think these questions are B.S. to tell the truth and I wouldn't be part of a program that expects you to essentially focus on sociology and social engineering as opposed to psychology. However it sounds like this is the program you wish to pursue... You know the "right" answers, they are expecting you to belt out the progressive agenda in which everyone is made equal through handicapping as opposed to expecting people to achieve above their "inherited" station in life.

We already hashed it out in a whole different thread, so this is not aimed at starting this whole nonsense over again, but you know what they are looking for. They are looking for good little progressives, after all, this is Berkeley we're talking about.

Good luck.

Mark

 

[deleted176373]

That's a cynical view of the progressive agenda.

No, nothing cynical about it. I'm just being honest. Refreshing, isn't it.

 

[olychick65]

I'm confused. Are these questions for a subset of applicants interested in working with underserved populations, or are they for everyone? I ask because a program I applied to offered interviewees the option of applying to a special fellowship involving research/clinical work with underserved child populations. The money was attractive but I decided against applying because it was really the only reason I was interested.

They're for everyone.

I remember doing this exact essay when I applied and feeling a bit lost, like only people who already had extensive experience working with underserved/minority populations or on-campus leadership experience with a diversity club would have a shot. Having the 'right' opinion didn't seem like enough. While I do think inequality in education is an essential issue, I thought it was unfortunate that UCB might be putting even more pressure on their candidates to have a stellar leadership in diversity record on top on everything else- a difficult thing for anyone to accomplish.

 

[jnine]

No, nothing cynical about it. I'm just being honest. Refreshing, isn't it.

You're being honest and cynical. It is perhaps refreshing for those who've never run into this kind of position. I'm not saying you're wrong as much as yours is one point of view among many, and a cynical one by definition.

The progressive agenda doesn't have to be as extreme as you suggest. Simply spending time working with undeserved populations would be part of the "progressive agenda"- or something to write about in that essay. Berkeley probably wants students with these kind of inclinations and experiences. Perhaps i'm off base but are you suggesting that people can't have sincere interests in helping underrepresented groups?

Weather this essay is relevant to getting in is a different issue. I imagine to some professors it is, others not so much. Especially because it is a UC-wide essay if i'm not mistaken- all graduate programs might require it.

 

[jnine]

They're for everyone.

I remember doing this exact essay when I applied and feeling a bit lost, like only people who already had extensive experience working with underserved/minority populations or on-campus leadership experience with a diversity club would have a shot. Having the 'right' opinion didn't seem like enough. While I do think inequality in education is an essential issue, I thought it was unfortunate that UCB might be putting even more pressure on their candidates to have a stellar leadership in diversity record on top on everything else- a difficult thing for anyone to accomplish.

I felt this way too, but I also respect them for wanting applicants to put their money where their mouth is, so to speak.

 

[deleted176373]

The progressive agenda doesn't have to be as extreme as you suggest. Simply spending time working with undeserved populations would be part of the "progressive agenda"- or something to write about in that essay. Berkeley probably wants students with these kind of inclinations and experiences. Perhaps i'm off base but are you suggesting that people can't have sincere interests in helping underrepresented groups?

You're quite right, not all "progressives" are equally extreme in their views, but the progressive movement at Berkeley is known for it's extreme ideology. The district is considered to have one of the most liberal constituencies in the country, according to the 2008 edition of The Almanac of American Politics. Berkeley, as a community, is very "progressive".


[SIZE=-1]Geoffrey Nunberg, a Berkeley professor explains it this way:

[/SIZE]"When Berkeley professors or social activists use the progressive label among themselves, it's the political equivalent of a fraternity handshake -- they know that it's meant to convey their ideological purity, rather than simply to conceal their Volvo ownership. But those nuances are apt to be lost on Americans who have no idea that the word Progressive ever wore a capital letter -- people who not only haven't heard of Walter Lippman or Robert Lafollette, but who are probably a little cloudy on Phil Ochs, too"

"So as more people take to styling themselves as "progressives" rather than "liberals," it isn't surprising to see efforts to carve out an ideological difference between the two labels.[1] At the New Republic's academic blog, the historian Eric Rauchway traces the origins of the distinction to the Roosevelt era, when the early 20th-century progressive movement was giving way to the liberalism of the New Deal. The difference, he says, is that liberals are content to make an uneasy truce with capitalism, while progressives favor more vigorous social experimentation. And the political writer David Sirota argues that liberals favor expanded social programs whereas progressives favor more direct limitations on corporate power."

If you read the faculty bio's, it's quite clear that they fully embrace the institutionalized progressive ideas that Berkeley is famous for. Now back to your question, do I believe that people cannot have sincere interests in helping underrepresented groups from succeeding?

No, I believe that you can easily have a sincere interest in helping "underrepresented" groups, but that is not what I am saying. I am saying that the manner in which you help these "underrepresented" groups is important as well. "Leveling the playing field" is a euphemism for punishing success, whereas improving outcomes by allowing people opportunities to excel is something different altogether. There is a big difference between providing instruction to improve your GRE or SAT scores for free to "underrepresented" groups and deciding to handicap the same "underrepresented" group by an average of 150 points for their ethnicity. Further it was shown recently that some "underrepresented" groups (Asians) were required to score higher than all other groups for admission to the Ivy league schools. I do believe that outreach to under served and underrepresented minorities is fine, but giving them a handicap for their group membership is both insulting and counterproductive, that is unless you are suggesting that being Black, Latino, Female, or Homosexual (but not Asian) is the same as being mentally handicapped?

Mark

 

[PhDToBe]

No, I believe that you can easily have a sincere interest in helping "underrepresented" groups, but that is not what I am saying. I am saying that the manner in which you help these "underrepresented" groups is important as well. "Leveling the playing field" is a euphemism for punishing success, whereas improving outcomes by allowing people opportunities to excel is something different altogether. There is a big difference between providing instruction to improve your GRE or SAT scores for free to "underrepresented" groups and deciding to handicap the same "underrepresented" group by an average of 150 points for their ethnicity. Further it was shown recently that some "underrepresented" groups (Asians) were required to score higher than all other groups for admission to the Ivy league schools. I do believe that outreach to under served and underrepresented minorities is fine, but giving them a handicap for their group membership is both insulting and counterproductive, that is unless you are suggesting that being Black, Latino, Female, or Homosexual (but not Asian) is the same as being mentally handicapped?

Mark
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I agree. And don't get me started on non "underrepresented" groups getting jobs these days...

 

[zoistaffy]

I think I'm starting to get it. UCB is progressive, and I'm sure there are a few radicals here and there. Radicals are wary of radicals. I think they are trying to weed out those with opposing agendas, like crazy Aryan Nation academics who would cause major trouble once formally admitted, and those with communication disorders (like autism, asperger's), as it takes a great deal of inter and introspect, empathy, and altruism to understand and fight for the plight of other peoples. So UCB is definitely looking for a particular type of academic-- and working with many graduate students in my last job, I know some really struggle to understand where other people are coming from, and many are very socially unaware; not because they want to be, but just because they have a hard time understanding others in general (a cognitive thing). I think it's interesting that UCB is the one school I've come across where they have faculty specifically focusing on "thought disorders" (think of the Virginia Tech guy), but then are looking for students with a specific capacity for a particular type of thought. Maybe the progressives have thought disorders themselves!

I'm not progressive in action, as I'm a grad student now and just trying to get my stuff done and survive myself. But I definitely am a very tolerant person and would not come to the campus and hate on the GLB community etc.

I think for answering these questions I am going to use ideology and my belief systems. As though I believe worthy, I have not worked at organizing any parades or LEED farmer's markets in my current psych dept or college.

 

[deleted176373]

I'm not progressive in action, as I'm a grad student now and just trying to get my stuff done and survive myself. But I definitely am a very tolerant person and would not come to the campus and hate on the GLB community etc.

Go onto the campus at Berkeley with a sign that says, "G.W. Bush was a great president" and you'll see how tolerant they really are.

Mark

 

[docma]

Back to the original post: It seems to me the school is making a statement about the culture of their program and inviting you to describe how you might fit into that culture. They are not pretending that this set of values isn't there and are relating it to how they select students.

They know they will get more candidates than they can accept with stellar GREs, grades and recommendations and so they are looking for evidence of who can write concisely and effectively about a values issue that is on the table in their curriculum and may (or may not) use it to differentiate among candidates,depending on a host of other variables.

I bet these essays are more interesting to read than some more traditional topics.