Denied to Clinical Psychology Programs. How to be more competitive?

[Andrea010]

Hello everyone,

Looks like I won't be getting into a clinical psychology PhD program this year. It sucks because you work so hard on those damn (expensive) application. I wanted to go into clinical psych with an emphasis in neuropsychology. Any who, what should I do until application season this year. So far I've been looking at the following options (w/ caveat).

1. Gain more research experience? --Im currently in a neuropsychology lab(2+ years now) and so far have gained very valuable and insightful experience. I've worked on manuscripts, focus groups, neuropsych testing, etc. I have one publication and poster presentation
2. Apply for a post-baccalaureate program in psychology?-- My undergraduate grades were not so impressive (3.2)
3. Apply to a Masters program?-- there is one program in my area that focuses on psychological research methods. I can apply for Spring 2018
4. Push out more publications/project?-- So far Im working on two manuscripts in my lab.
5. Re-take the GRE? My verbal score was in the average range. My quantitative was horrendous, but I don't have the confidence that I could score any better that I did twice before.
6. Meet with potential faculty members?-- I was thinking about emailing faculty with whom I'd like to match with in various programs .Would this help at all?
7. Give up

Well thats all I got. I don't know which route to focus on. Help?!?

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[WisNeuro]

What were your actual GRE scores?

 

[psych.meout]

What were your actual GRE scores?

Yeah, what exactly is "horrendous" quant score?

Depending on what the actual GRE scores were, I could see them plus the relatively low (compared to averages from admitted students) cumulative GPA of 3.2 being dealbreakers for many programs.

Also, how many programs did you apply to and where were they? Did you geographically restrict your applications? Did you you apply to more selective schools or did you diversify your applications to less competitive programs?

 

[deuce22]

Hello everyone,

Looks like I won't be getting into a clinical psychology PhD program this year. It sucks because you work so hard on those damn (expensive) application. I wanted to go into clinical psych with an emphasis in neuropsychology. Any who, what should I do until application season this year.

Sorry it didn't work out for you. I was in the same boat my first go-around and I can empathize with the feeling of helplessness and confusion that I initially struggled through once I realized what had happened. I will say that neuropsychology is one of the more competitive fields (I'm in health psych, but I know several neuro students in my program applied 3+ cycles in a row before they were successful), so hang in there! Best advice I can give is to consider a combination of most of the things you highlight to bolster your credentials/experience, refine your interests, and network a bit to raise your visibility within the field.

Are you in a paid position now? Is the work you're doing in-line with your interests? If not, maybe see if you can't find a position that might allow you to accomplish both things (i.e., make money and gain experience). I actually panicked and sent emails to POIs all across the country desperately looking for an RA position, and got a number of potential offers before picking a solid one. I simply sent my CV along with an explanation of my need for additional experience before reapplying. Good psychometrists can often be hard to come by, so reaching out for those types of positions could also boost your stats.

Enrolling in a Masters programs could be a good route if you can find one that has POIs who conduct research similar to your own, or could offer courses that would make you a better researcher (post-bacc programs could also do this). However, you should consider that most aren't funded so you'll rack up some added debt and may have to repeat some requirements once you enroll in a PhD program (with an MA/MS program).

More pubs/posters are never frowned upon, and better GRE scores could only make it much more likely that those aspects of your application aren't why you don't get in during Rd 2. INS, the Cognitive Aging conference, and/or AACN are great, student-friendly meetings that could give you an opportunity to demonstrate your professional skills and shmooze before applying again (often times meeting someone before you apply can be helpful to ensure your application catches their attention during the next cycle). Hope that all was helpful.

 

[soccercat]

Sorry to hear that!

I think talking with professors is a must. Most schools only take students when a professor has a spot open in their lab (i.e. they have funding and can provide a stipend and/or have the time to devote to a student). Establishing a relationship with that professor can also help schools to overlook other areas of your application that may be lacking (e.g. GREs or GPA). Although some schools also have a cut off range and do play the number game a little bit...

I would not go to a post-bach if you majored in psychology in undergrad. And most people I know who did them felt they were a waste (they said a masters is better). Some schools may also take a class or more as transfer credits; which 1 class may not be a big deal for some, for others it may ease the transition into PhD life or in the very least save a little bit of $$.

More pubs are also always helpful, but that alone may not be enough. Depending on how academic you want to focus your research, I noticed you didn't really have any clinical experience on there. I've heard some people say that volunteering (e.g. crisis hotline) or working in some kind of clinic was also helpful in making them look like a well rounded applicant.

 

[Godspeed2]

Hello everyone,

Looks like I won't be getting into a clinical psychology PhD program this year. It sucks because you work so hard on those damn (expensive) application. I wanted to go into clinical psych with an emphasis in neuropsychology. Any who, what should I do until application season this year. So far I've been looking at the following options (w/ caveat).

1. Gain more research experience? --Im currently in a neuropsychology lab(2+ years now) and so far have gained very valuable and insightful experience. I've worked on manuscripts, focus groups, neuropsych testing, etc. I have one publication and poster presentation
2. Apply for a post-baccalaureate program in psychology?-- My undergraduate grades were not so impressive (3.2)
3. Apply to a Masters program?-- there is one program in my area that focuses on psychological research methods. I can apply for Spring 2018
4. Push out more publications/project?-- So far Im working on two manuscripts in my lab.
5. Re-take the GRE? My verbal score was in the average range. My quantitative was horrendous, but I don't have the confidence that I could score any better that I did twice before.
6. Meet with potential faculty members?-- I was thinking about emailing faculty with whom I'd like to match with in various programs .Would this help at all?
7. Give up

Well thats all I got. I don't know which route to focus on. Help?!?

Where did you apply?

 

[smalltownpsych]

5. Re-take the GRE? My verbal score was in the average range. My quantitative was horrendous, but I don't have the confidence that I could score any better that I did twice before.

An average verbal GRE and a horrendous quant score is probably holding you back. The mean scores and the range for incoming classes are posted for most programs, and despite what an anti-psychologist troll was posting not long ago, I think that theses scores need to be in a higher range to be considered for most programs. If prep can't get those scores higher, start looking for programs that have a lower range and you might get past the first cut.

 

[PsychDreams]

I'm so sorry! Like a poster above said, this happened to me too. It took until my second round to get in, and I ended up in a very highly ranked program that fit my research interests, so it can definitely happen.

How many programs did you apply to and how many did you receive interviews at? If you had good rapport with any of the PIs you interviewed at, you might be able to ask for some feedback on what to improve for the next round. I would agree with others that focusing on the GRE and continuing to get research experience would likely be most helpful for your application.

Maybe for the next cycle (if you didn't already do this) talk to your current PI about where you plan to apply -- it is likely they know people in the field and can point you to programs or PIs that you might be overlooking that might be a good fit. Even better, their LOR might carry more weight come application time because of the personal relationship.

Don't lose hope! These programs are so competitive and it happens often that strong applicants have to reapply a few time.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Agreed that it sounds like the combination of a relatively low (for the applicant pool) GPA and relatively low GRE may have been what primarily stood in your way. If you can knock the GRE out of the park, that should help. If not, then I'd recommend a masters program over post-bacc work, particularly if it will also afford you even more research experience.