Didn't get in, plan to re-apply next year

[PizzaButt]

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Okay, so it's time to start thinking about an application strategy for next year, even though it's early. I'm a non-trad applicant, and clinical psych is the only career that I want, though it's starting to make me nervous not having a backup career in place, seeing that I didn't get in anywhere this year, seeing as I'm 30.

I know I need to re-take the GRE and take the subject GRE for the first time (I didn't have a chance to take that this past time around). I have a great RA job, but it's not in my field of research interest (it's hard to get an RA job when you're not affiliated with a university or in school). I know these three factors probably hurt my application a lot.

Other than that, what else should I do? My GPA is excellent. I have taken all the pre-req courses. I have published psych journal papers. I already have a graduate degree in another discipline.

I'm sad that I didn't get in anywhere, because it's always frustrating when you leave your previous career, and put so much time into preparing for a new one and it doesn't work out. But what can you do. I'm also wondering if I should re-apply to med school as well. I already have all my stuff done for that, too--i.e. MCAT is done, pre-reqs are done.

Thanks.

 

[deleted176373]

Okay, so it's time to start thinking about an application strategy for next year, even though it's early. I'm a non-trad applicant, and clinical psych is the only career that I want, though it's starting to make me nervous not having a backup career in place, seeing that I didn't get in anywhere this year, seeing as I'm 30.

Thanks.

Took me 2 tries to get in... I'm 41. You're not that far out at 30 from most of the herd. You're not so old as to stick out. I know what you mean about switching fields, it's not easy!

Mark

 

[PizzaButt]

Took me 2 tries to get in... I'm 41. You're not that far out at 30 from most of the herd. You're not so old as to stick out. I know what you mean about switching fields, it's not easy!

Mark

So what were the reasons why you think you didn't get in the first time, and what did you do to correct them? I felt I was a really good match for the school I interviewed at; it was my first choice. I'm ready to start working on my credentials for next year, though. But I'm starting to wonder if I should find a backup career, though I don't know what that would be.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

30 isn't old! I'd rather be a bit older than most of the students anyway.....it does make a difference (usually a good one, as long as you show that you are flexible and open to supervision, etc).

 

[ticktock19]

I applied to mostly clinical and a couple counseling PhD programs this year and there is a good chance that I am going to be rejected everywhere. I did, however, just get something in the mail from one of the counseling programs I applied to that my application is going to be considered, if I so choose, for the M.S. in counseling. I know that the reason I got rejected everywhere is because of my low GPA and the fact that my GRE scores were good, but not good enough to offset the low GPA (3.3). I really want to get into a clinical PhD program. My question - should I go for the M.S. in counseling if given the opportunity? Would this help or hurt my chances of eventually getting a clinical PhD? For the people who have master's degrees and are applying to clinical PhD programs this year, what are your degrees in?

 

[deleted176373]

So what were the reasons why you think you didn't get in the first time, and what did you do to correct them? I felt I was a really good match for the school I interviewed at; it was my first choice. I'm ready to start working on my credentials for next year, though. But I'm starting to wonder if I should find a backup career, though I don't know what that would be.

Multiple reasons:

1. Competition the first year was exceptionally tough, the next year was tough but maybe not as tough.

2. I applied to 15 programs but some were well beyond competitive. My first year I applied to Yale, U of Mich, U.Texas, U of Ind, Boston U., Clark U., C.U. Boulder. These are really tough programs. My "safety" schools were Michigan State U, University of N. Texas, and Oklahoma State U. (UNT screwed up my app, and I did secure interviews at MSU and OSU.) So as you can see I over-reached and paid the price for it.

3. I didn't match myself well enough and was short clinical experience. I had NONE. I did have a fair amount of research but nothing like what I would need to be competitive at top tier programs. The next year my skill at matching was much better. I have to credit a discussion with a professor at University of Alabama who really made me focus on what was important. This aspect is different for everyone, some people make the mistake of trying to tell the programs too much of what they think they want to hear and not enough about who they really are. It's ok to be yourself.

4. I don't know your whole situation, but my credentials were fairly good. I took a job that understood that I would not be around long term as a assistant grant writer and consultant. It paid $25/hr so it wasn't great but it was at least somewhat related to research.

5. One big reason that I didn't get in. I thought that I had solid stats and that I would be competitive enough just by having all the boxes checked. I mean what else did I need? I needed to match my interests far better and sell myself beyond the numbers.

What I did to correct it? I spent the next year planning my attack on the system. I visited schools over the summer... A trip here, a trip there. I talked to a lot of professors at APA, SWAPA, and other conventions. I talked to a few grad students who were in programs. I re-evaluated my chances and added a large number of less competitive programs to the list and paid less attention to "ranking." Don't get me wrong, I still applied to some GREAT schools and interviewed at them, but they were much better matches. U.Kansas, U. of Alabama, Arizona State University (counseling), Baylor (Psy.D.).

I opened my mind and considered both clinical and counseling programs, as well as both Psy.D. and Ph.D. programs. The only two compromises I refused to make was in applying to professional programs that did not offer funding and I refused to apply to schools in California. I wasn't interested in paying $80,000 for a Psy.D., although I would have jumped at the chance to go to Baylor (great program!) and had no desire to return to California.

Mark

 

[PizzaButt]

Thanks for your detailed post about how you strengthened your application for the next year.

I know my GRE math score is weak, but other than that I think my application is very strong. I paid close attention to the matching idea and only applied to schools that matched closely with my research interests.

However, my RA experience does not match my research interests. This is a problem but I'm not sure how to correct it. When you're a non-trad who's not affiliated with a university, you have to cold contact profs in your city to try to find RA positions, which I did. However, I was not able to find/get an RA position in my field of research interests. Now that I have a good RA job, I'm not sure if I can fit in more RA work in my field of interest. They are somewhat related, but not exactly. Any advice about what I can do about this? I need to work to pay the bills, so volunteering isn't exactly an option.

 

[deleted176373]

However, my RA experience does not match my research interests. This is a problem but I'm not sure how to correct it. They are somewhat related, but not exactly. Any advice about what I can do about this? I need to work to pay the bills, so volunteering isn't exactly an option.

There is good news about this.

My research interests were totally different than what I did as an undergraduate. I simply indicated that while I was unable to get the particular research area that I was interested in (not uncommon as an undergraduate) that I picked a lab that was doing something I was tangentially interested in and learned about basic research as best I could.

It's nice to have undergraduate research that matches your graduate research interest, but it's not a 100% requirement. Just as often people get research experience only to realize that they missed an opportunity to do something they enjoyed more, but that your undergraduate education was a period of self-discovery and now you know you want to study XXX as a result.

It's how you sell what you did, you can always get up to speed on reading the literature in the area that you want to study as a graduate student, and I highly recommend that you read one or two articles per week in these areas over the next year. When you walk in the door and you are familiar with the important literature and it's time to interview, you can really close the deal.

Mark

 

[psypsypsy]

However, my RA experience does not match my research interests. This is a problem but I'm not sure how to correct it. When you're a non-trad who's not affiliated with a university, you have to cold contact profs in your city to try to find RA positions, which I did. However, I was not able to find/get an RA position in my field of research interests. Now that I have a good RA job, I'm not sure if I can fit in more RA work in my field of interest. They are somewhat related, but not exactly. Any advice about what I can do about this? I need to work to pay the bills, so volunteering isn't exactly an option.

I agree with Mark; many people get into grad school without working in exactly matching field. I would say more than half of each incoming class at my school comes in without the direct experience in the specfic area. That's the good news! The trick is selling yourself, and spending time in your personal statement explaining how what you've done relates to what you want to do. For example, my undergrad work was COMPLETELY unrelated to my field of interest and was in social psychology; but I made a case about how it got me interested in reserach and methodology. Then, my RA after grad school was in psychiatry, but sort of tangentially related to my interest. I ended up doing a poster on the most related topic I could find in the data, and explained in the statement what I took from that position, and how it led me to my interests.

The trick is that you have to really explicitly connect the dots and create a story for the people reading your application, especially when the line isn't linear. They need to know that you're devoted and committed to this research area.

 

[LedZepp007]

I applied to mostly clinical and a couple counseling PhD programs this year and there is a good chance that I am going to be rejected everywhere. I did, however, just get something in the mail from one of the counseling programs I applied to that my application is going to be considered, if I so choose, for the M.S. in counseling. I know that the reason I got rejected everywhere is because of my low GPA and the fact that my GRE scores were good, but not good enough to offset the low GPA (3.3). I really want to get into a clinical PhD program. My question - should I go for the M.S. in counseling if given the opportunity? Would this help or hurt my chances of eventually getting a clinical PhD? For the people who have master's degrees and are applying to clinical PhD programs this year, what are your degrees in?

I had a similar situation last year... a lowish GPA (3.37), but stronger (though not amazing) GRE scores. I got rejected across the board. So, I decided to enter a 1-year General/Experimental program at my alma-mater so that I could beef up my research and boost my GPA. An extra semester (actually a semester and a summer, consisting of 31 credit hours) with a 4.0 GPA brought my overall undergraduate GPA to 3.57 and a semester of graduate work with a 4.0 GPA has helped my application considerably. I have also been involved in more research and got some extra (minor) clinical experience. This time around, I have gotten 4 interviews and have been accepted by the only place that I've heard back from thus far. I think one of the biggest differences for me this year was that I got in personal contact with some of the professors with whom I was really interested in working (I mean legitimately--I think there were only 3 or 4, whereas I applied to many schools) and expressed my interest without being pretentious. I guess the main thing is that you shouldn't get discouraged. As my boss likes to say, getting into a clinical PhD program is much more difficult than getting into med school (and she would definitely know).