first year clinical psyc student, wanting to transfer to a different school..

[psyc123]

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Hi,
So here is the situation.. I applied last year and got into one clinical psyc program. I'm currently here and although I like the program itself, I am not particularly happy in this city (my boyfriend is also in a completely different city), and my supervisor is not really who i thought he was when i interviewed with him.
i want to reapply to another school but i'm not sure how to explain my situation without saying 'i'm going to drop my program if you accept me'.
there is a prof that i want to work with in the other school, but it doesnt completely match with what i'm doing here currently.
does anyone have any advice?
the program that i am in currently has a terminal master's in clinical psychology before you move on to the phd, so it would make more sense if i applied after i finished my master's. but to be honest, i want to get out of here as soon as possible..
thanks!

 

[deadmau5]

i would try to finish the master's first.

the first person you should talk to is the program director and absolutely get their input - they may allow some supervision by another professor.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Is there a member of faculty that you trust that you can speak to about your issues? It is a PITA to change programs because you will pretty much have to re-apply and how to get in somewhere. There have been some threads here about the topic that may have some useful information, so a quick search may be fruitful.

 

[PsychScience]

Hi,
So here is the situation.. I applied last year and got into one clinical psyc program. I'm currently here and although I like the program itself, I am not particularly happy in this city (my boyfriend is also in a completely different city), and my supervisor is not really who i thought he was when i interviewed with him.
i want to reapply to another school but i'm not sure how to explain my situation without saying 'i'm going to drop my program if you accept me'.
there is a prof that i want to work with in the other school, but it doesnt completely match with what i'm doing here currently.
does anyone have any advice?
the program that i am in currently has a terminal master's in clinical psychology before you move on to the phd, so it would make more sense if i applied after i finished my master's. but to be honest, i want to get out of here as soon as possible..
thanks!

Leaving a program without a really good reason is usually a red flag for other programs. However, if you can finish up the masters and then leave it won't look quite as suspicious and you might be more competitive because you have added something to your application. Realistically, if you leave right now, you haven't really added anything to your CV that would make you an attractive applicant, and would, in fact, have something of a black mark on your record. The downside to getting the terminal masters, of course, is that you would have to stick it out in your program a bit longer and if you successfully transferred you would likely have to repeat some work.

The first year is really hard and the hurdles seem endless, and so its pretty typical for students to be unhappy with their chosen program (Heck, I'm going into my fifth year, and sometimes I still regret my decision!!!). I second the advice to find a trusted faculty member, they will probably be able to counsel you with greater specifics and be a better judge of your unique situation.

 

[psyc123]

thanks everyone for your input.
I completely agree I would have a better chance once I finish my master's, but at the same time I feel like I have nothing to lose. They already have most of my documents, so I would only have to hand in a new CV and letter of intent. there is also no guarantee that the supervisor that i want to work with in that school will be accepting students the year i finish my master's.
since the last time i applied, i have been published, received a research grant and got a little bit more relevant volunteer work in so i'm hoping that this will help.