irish80122 said:
I just found out this forum also has psychology so I apologize for being a newbie. I am curious as to if anyone on here is applying to Florida State for Clinical. I am still a junior but I really want to work with Dr. Joiner at FSU and I am just trying to see what it takes to get in and what they are looking for if you have an idea. Also, I would love to hear what people think of the program. Any info is very much appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Welcome!
🙂
With the exception of the faculty members who sit on the admissions committe, I'm not sure that anyone is going to be able to give you any special information on how to get into a particular program to work with a particular person.
With that said, I think the same rules apply for FSU as with any other solid, reputable PhD program - get lots of exposure to solid, relevant research. You will need to really convince the admissions committee that you are the best match to work with the person you want to work with. In your personal statement, be sure to clarify your research interests and talk the kinds of work you would like to be doing. Letters of rec are important, and of course high GPA and GREs will get your foot in the door. As for clinical experience, I think it would be helpful for you to have some - can you volunteer one afternoon or evening a week? Does your school have any kind of internship practicum for undergrads? Community mental health centers are great places to get good experience.
I don't really know what to say about the posters/publications thing. Of course it is preferred to have a poster or paper. But quite honestly, it's rare for an undergrad to have the opportunity to be included as a co-author on a paper. My guess is that most people who have this on their vita at the time of application are those who worked for a couple of years post-college (as I did).
Finally, I would gently caution you about getting your hopes up too high of working with one particular person at a particular program. First, you never know what may happen at the time you choose to apply - what if Joiner's on sabbatical and not taking students? Second, you would be surprised to find that your impressions of people and places will change quite a bit after visiting the programs to interview. What may have seemed like the most ideal match may be much less so (I had this experience when I was interviewing for internships, and it was very eye-opening).
Anyway, those are some of my ramblings. I hope they were helpful!
(oops - psychanon and I were replying at the same time - just wanted to clarify that I didn't respond with the same exact reply just for fun!)
