For those with acceptances, how'd you feel about your odds post-interview?

[mattyo123]

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The subject says it all. Did you feel confident that you would get in, or were you nervous or thought you somehow messed the whole thing up?

I think it would be useful to add in if the program you're referring to was psyd or phd and if it was your top choice.

It might also be interesting to hear if those that have been rejected foresaw that coming as well...

 

[UnLurked]

The subject says it all. Did you feel confident that you would get in, or were you nervous or thought you somehow messed the whole thing up?

I think it would be useful to add in if the program you're referring to was psyd or phd and if it was your top choice.

It might also be interesting to hear if those that have been rejected foresaw that coming as well...

I felt great initially after my interviews but, as time progressed without word from the programs, I slowly began picking out all the slightly stupid things I'd said and felt worse and worse about them. I think it's probably natural to feel worse about them as time goes on. Apparently I did something right because I got in.

 

[PhD123]

I felt great initially after my interviews but, as time progressed without word from the programs, I slowly began picking out all the slightly stupid things I'd said and felt worse and worse about them. I think it's probably natural to feel worse about them as time goes on. Apparently I did something right because I got in.

+1. I felt really confident right after, but as each day passed, I began to remember things that I said at my interview and overanalyze everything until I had almost convinced myself that there was no chance I got in. Still got in though 🙂

 

[VeggieDelight]

+1. I felt really confident right after, but as each day passed, I began to remember things that I said at my interview and overanalyze everything until I had almost convinced myself that there was no chance I got in. Still got in though 🙂

Ditto. I felt positive about all of my interview experiences overall, but then came the self-critiquing. meh. But even the interview during which I fell asleep ended on a good note!

No, you did not read that last part wrong. Coffee scarcity is dangerous...

 

[psychgrad10]

During the interview I was all confident, but I was super nervous after the interview. I thought there was NO way I'd get in because the limited spots. Everyone else seemed to have more experience than I did.

And I'm the kind of person that doesn't bank on anything until I get something official so that made me super nervous too...

 

[BuckeyeAlum]

There were three interviews I felt really great about. I got in at one and haven't heard back from the other 2.

There were two interviews I felt so-so about. I was ranked highly on the waitlist for one (although did not get an offer) and haven't heard back from the other.

There were 2 interviews I felt not-so-great about. The first was just an odd interview format in itself, and I was a little psyched out by the others I was interviewing against b/c I thought they were more impressive than me. I ended up being that POIs first choice, so I obviously did something right. The other wasn't so great b/c it was my last choice by far, my last interview, and the whole visit to the school itself confirmed that this was just NOT the program for me.

Just a note: even if an interview goes well and you do NOT get an offer there, don't beat yourself up over it. You just don't know what that professor/program is looking for: Spanish-speaking applicants, minority applicants, someone who really wants to go into neuropsych, etc. It doesn't mean they didn't like you or that you bombed.

Furthermore, remember that just like the "real world," admissions CAN be political in some cases. I think it's easy to want to disregard this and hope that they're looking at everyone evenly, but that's simply not true sometimes. One of the applicants could be a current RA in the lab, have past work experience with the POI, or have professional connections with one or more of the faculty in the program through a boss/professor/etc. While this probably doesn't guarantee them a spot, it does provide them with an edge over applicants who do not have any connections at all.

 

[Deogee]

I had a very good feeling about the interview. Everyone there was super qualified (most with a lot more research experience than me) but I just felt that I was one of the best fits for the program and my lab personality-wise. Luckily I found out I was accepted about 48 hours later so I didn't have time to start sinking into the inevitable self doubt.

 

[RejectClinical]

I've come to conclude that I can never tell how an interview went....

I know I attended one last year where the POI told me I was exactly the type of student she tends to accept, etc etc....and then was rejected post interview.

This year I attended an interview where in the middle, I lost my train of thought for about 15 seconds...among other "not so perfect" moments....yet I received an acceptance.

I feel like you can never tell...or maybe I can never tell how it went....I also tend to believe that some POIs have their minds made up prior to interviews and that these tend to just be formalities.....

 

[hamsterpants]

I felt like both my interviews went really really well, especially the last one. So I was a tad disappointed when I was waitlisted at both instead of accepted. But then I realized that my interviews prob. did go well, it's just that other applicants' interviews went well too. and if someone is a frontrunner in the POIs mind to begin with or they are better "on paper", it is really hard to displace them if they interview well too. I talked to my POI at the school where I did not get in off the waitlist and he sort of confirmed this. Basically he said someone was chosen over me because they had more/ better experience.

Another POI at a school where I did not get an interview, told me she ended up taking someone that was already in her lab so that does happen.

 

[clinicalpsyapp]

On a related note, I've developed a theory that POI's (especially at research-heavy programs) have already figured out who they are going to accept before the interviews and barring an extreme case convincing the POI one way or another during the interview that list stays that way.

I have been two 4 interviews this year. They resulted in 3 acceptances and 1 waitlist. For the 3 acceptances I felt very confident after the interviews, and during the interviews my POIs (or other faculty) made comments that made me really feel like I was going to get accepted (e.g., the DCT at one program wrapping up the interview: "well, we can't wait to have you on board.... um... I mean..."). At the school where I was waitlisted, I felt like the professor spent a good amount of time explaining to me what the waitlist policy is like and how I shouldn't be offended if I'm the second pick. Lo and behold, I ended up being the second pick at that school! The POI actually said the only reason why I was second-pick is because the other two applicants who were offered spots had specific experience to her lab, while mine was only related (which she obviously new pre-interview).

I don't think this is the case for very clinically-oriented programs, but for programs where your personality is more of an afterthought I think this is likely to be the case a lot of times.

Just my two cents!

 

[hamsterpants]

On a related note, I've developed a theory that POI's (especially at research-heavy programs) have already figured out who they are going to accept before the interviews and barring an extreme case convincing the POI one way or another during the interview that list stays that way.

Yea, I think the same thing. Some of us at the interview are backups if the frontrunners screw up the interview or have personalities that would be hard to work with. but I doubt they just have one frontrunner, prob. at least two for each spot since it is likely the frontrunners will receive other acceptances.

 

[childpsych479]

I felt really confident at my interviews - got rid of my nerves early due to travel mishaps. However, I couldn't gauge how likely I was to be accepted because I was always really impressed with the other applicants interviewing for the same lab as me. Actually to the point that I couldn't fathom having to decide between applicants if I was the POI. In the end, I was rejected at the one program that I did not like - the program/POI both felt that it wasn't a good fit. However, I didn't care because I'd already received an acceptance from my top choice that morning.

 

[Kona816]

My experience was pretty similar to what others have said. I had some minor travel issues that distracted me from being nervous about the interview, so I went in fairly confident. I was given some good feedback and advice from the grad student that I stayed with and got along really well with not only with the students in the lab I was applying for, but all of the students that I met over the weekend. I also felt like I had a good rapport with my POI and the other professors that I interviewed with. The other candidates had about the same qualifications I did (although at the time I may have perceived that they had better qualifications!), but I just felt like I was a better fit with my POI's research and personality. I fell in love with the program and the people while I was there, so of course starting on the plane ride home I started getting anxious and spent the next week and a half nitpicking my interview and replaying everything in my head until I was sure that I wasn't their first pick. I had pretty much already consigned myself to applying for a 3rd time when I got the acceptance call 4 days after their last interview date. 🙂

 

[jetergirl]

At FDU, which was my first interview, I left the interview and questioned everything I said or didn't say. It sucked. There were some points that I saw that made me match well (and it was a school that you didn't get taken into a lab directly..but still) so I thought to myself "ooh brownie points", but I still wasn't sure.... I ended up getting in

At EMU, I felt the interviews went really well, but having been there and haven spoken with the other applicants vying for the same lab--I really didn't know how it was going to go. All of them had tons more research experience than me. But I kinda thought that I'd at least be the high alternate, but I was first choice.

I did not like my interview experience at LIU one bit--so ech

And Penn I thought could go either way-- I got along great personality wise, but the research fit wasn't as great as, again in talking to the other applicants, as I could see theirs. Like, I studied similar things--but in very different ways. So..thats that

 

[krisrox]

I went to two interviews where I thought I was a perfect fit and was told by the prof that I was, too. One program I got accepted into, one I got rejected from. I'm not bitter about the rejection; I know I was a good fit, but just assume that someone else was a better fit!

 

[PsychPhDone]

My acceptances came at programs where I had the strongest fit with my mentor. I basically knew I was in at the interview though kept some healthy skepticism to prevent too much disappointment. 🙂

 

[nycegurl]

During my interview with my first choice school, i first felt like I might not be good enough since everyone seemed waaaay qualified. But then I realized that there was a reason why they decided to give me an interview in the first place and that helped me become more confident. After that I got my head back on my shoulders and did the best I could.

At the end of the interview I felt like I did well but like some people said, days after (hours after for me) I was overanalyzing every little thing I could've done better. Luckily, I only had to wait about 5 days before hearing that I got in! 🙂

For my other interview I was really excited about the program (though not as much as my first choice) but throughout the day I just didn't feel as enthusiastic about the program. Interviews definitely change perceptions. So although i did the best I could on my interview, I felt like I wasn't as good of a fit for that school as with the first choice school. I just found out yesterday that I've been waitlisted for that program. And I honestly couldn't be happier.

 

[PsyDWannabe]

The first school that accepted me (and where I'm definitely going):

I showed up late to the first two interview sessions I had. Not just tardy, I'm talking about 10 minutes late!! I almost cried when the day was over because I was certain that I would never be accepted and it is my number one choice. Coincidentally, one of the questions they asked me one time was "what is your biggest flaw" or something along those lines. I, without thinking blurted out 'time management' as I had done in every single interview when I had been asked that question. If i had thought about it, I might have said something more 'constructive'. Don't know if that helped or hurt me but i hoped it showed that I was being honest.

2 business days after my interview, I was offered an acceptance into that program. What I think helped me? 120% interests match, if there ever was such a thing 🙂

 

[jonathansmith86]

I got accepted to a PsyD program and felt pretty good about the interview. It helped that they notified me of my acceptance two days after the interview, so I didn't have time to freak out too much. I should also point out that the year before I thought I had a good interview at a different school and didn't get in, and now looking back at it that interview was a disaster.

 

[hamsterpants]

Ditto. I felt positive about all of my interview experiences overall, but then came the self-critiquing. meh. But even the interview during which I fell asleep ended on a good note!

No, you did not read that last part wrong. Coffee scarcity is dangerous...

coffee scarcity is indeed dangerous. that is why I always bring my own when traveling!

 

[TheMyron]

Im will alot of people on the fact I felt somewhat confident in the interviews, probably due to just know I GOT A SPOT to come that day so I must be somewhat qualified. I applied to all School Psych programs. It's funny becasue the one place I was the most nervous at (my hand was shaking in one of my interviews with faculty, and I usually never get nervous...........but also drank alot of coffee before lol) I figured I wouldn't get accepted because at the end of the day we got to meet with other faculty in their offices, and with 18 applicants there, I almost didn't get to meet with one of my POI's! But sure enough I got the phone call the next day. I think it also helps im a male going into school psych 😉

 

[lamorena]

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