I got rejected from all the PsyD programs I applied to... where do I go from here?

[Screwcreativity]

Let it be known I definitely could’ve applied to more schools. I saw the number of schools people apply to on this thread, and my jaw dropped. The schools themselves were West Chester, Immaculata, Rutgers, and Roosevelt. But no matter the number, the rejection hurts. I’m in an emotional and mental rut as I try to figure out where I should go from here and what can I do to make myself stand out.
I have a BS in Psych w/ a GPA of 3.65
GRE is horrendous, but the schools I applied to didn’t seem to need them this year.
I had about 8 months of experience working in a children’s home during my undergrad, which fueled my need to get my PsyD so I can work with kids. From there, it’s about a year of volunteer work of helping tutor and mentor kids in lower SES.
Where do I go from here? Do I throw in the towel and try for a masters before I take that big bite or do I try again next year? And how do people generally cope? I apologize if these questions have obvious answers, I guess I don’t know as much as I want to about the system and I feel like I have tunnel vision.

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[spacegiraffe]

Sorry to hear about this round of applications. Hope you’re doing alright. What kind of work do you want to do with kids? It’s possible to do a lot of great mental health work with a Masters (in social work, counseling, etc.). PsyDs are super expensive and doctorates in general are a long time commitment with a lottt of work (I say this as someone who is in a doc program and sometimes wishes I’d just gone for the Masters!) If you can meet your goals and spend less time and money along the way, I would highly suggest pursuing a Master’s program instead.

 

[boba_psych]

I see that you didn't mention research experiences, which are very important for getting into doctoral programs regardless of whether they are psy.d. programs or ph.d. programs. If you wanted to continue on the doctoral route, getting good research experiences and developing your skill in this area would boost your application.

But spacegiraffe makes a good point too. If you're interested only in doing therapy with kids, you could get a masters level degree instead, which are easier to get into, and take less time to complete.

 

[Ollie123]

Definitely apply as widely as possible, but nothing wrong with looking into social work, or counseling. I might throw master's-level ABA into the mix as a great way to do highly evidence-based work with kids but isn't as widely known/considered as your typical "social work" path. If you do want to go the doctorate route you definitely should get research experience - having none is kind of a red flag - and work on getting that GRE score up. Research can come as part of an appropriate master's degree or just working for a couple years as a coordinator though that role might be tough to land if you haven't done any research so far. I'd strongly consider the clinical masters route though - so many people just default to doctorates, but it is a boatload of debt and your day-to-day work (and income) may not be much different from someone with a masters in the end depending on what specifically you want to do and what kind of PsyD program you attend.

I guess the main suggestion is don't get disheartened. This field is good for building rejection tolerance. I'm faculty at a well-regarded university and still get rejected for things frequently (and sometimes spectacularly!). Persistence is the key. So welcome to the field and consider this your first test

 

[summerbabe]

The schools themselves were West Chester, Immaculata, Rutgers, and Roosevelt.

Would you be limited to PA or Chicago if you applied again? Geographic restriction is a major kiss of death, even with a stellar application.

I have a BS in Psych w/ a GPA of 3.65

This is generally fine for a PhD or PsyD if your CV is filled out in other areas.

I see that you didn't mention research experiences, which are very important for getting into doctoral programs regardless of whether they are psy.d. programs or ph.d. programs. If you wanted to continue on the doctoral route, getting good research experiences and developing your skill in this area would boost your application.

I'll echo this comment. Outside of the major diploma mill PsyD programs, research experience is a must to demonstrate that you are both interested as well capable of doctoral studies. And Rutgers is probably as or more competitive than funded clinical or counseling PhD programs.

I had about 8 months of experience working in a children’s home during my undergrad, which fueled my need to get my PsyD so I can work with kids. From there, it’s about a year of volunteer work of helping tutor and mentor kids in lower SES.

Practical experience is always a plus, especially for some PsyD programs. But a solid academic background with demonstrated research foundational competency is generally seen as more important for admissions. There are plenty of old threads on how to get research experience to boost your CV.

But spacegiraffe makes a good point too. If you're interested only in doing therapy with kids, you could get a masters level degree instead, which are easier to get into, and take less time to complete.

One thing to consider is that many with doctorates who work with children tend to focus on assessment (autism, learning disability, etc) and then refer to master's level providers for therapy. If you think you only want to do therapy, I would network with people that you've volunteered with and do work that you think you'd enjoy and ask them about their educational and professional path.

It's a bummer to get rejected, I feel for ya. But perhaps this is an opportunity to re-expand your options and find the right fit for you, which could still very well be a PsyD or PhD another year or 2 down the line. Good luck!