Just a question...

[scienceisbeauty]

I'm going to be applying in (Sept '08) to start in Sept '09.

I want to make sure I'm good and ready.

But would it be completely absurd to apply to 30 schools?

Is that something that's ....just unheard of? AAAANNNDD

So, when applying to a school, does one have to be interested in being supervised by a CORE CLINICAL faculty member or can an clinical student be supervised by any faculty member - or does this depend on the university


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[WaitingKills]

I'd say if you can find research matches at 30 schools AND can afford to apply to 30 schools (you're looking at anywhere between approx. $80-130 for application fees, GRE scores and mailing costs) then do it. But remember, if you do 30 schools with an average total application cost of approx. $100 it will cost you $3000, not including writing the GRE. And if you don't have a good research match at some of these schools then you are just kissing your money goodbye.

I think somewhere between 15-20 would be more do-able and realistic. You also have to keep in mind how time consuming applications are.

 

[Quynh2007]

and profs not accepting could also whittle it down...

 

[ny1020]

I started out with a list of 18 schools which was reduced to 12 for 3 reasons: 3 profs were not accepting, a prof at two different schools told me that although they taught in the clinical program, they were mostly affiliated with the social psych program and would only accept students into their lab from the social program and one prof was not doing the research stated on the website.

So, to answer your question, I think emailing the profs will help you focus the list and you may find that teachers in other psych departments will not mentor a clinical student.

 

[standbyme]

i also started with a much larger list, about 25 schools, which narrowed itself down to 15 once I started e-mailing professors. Also be realistic about where you are willing to spend 6 years at school, and don't force yourself to sound like a fit for professors who really aren't quite right. you'll have much better luck if you have 15 great fits, than 30 so-so's, and 15 applications that you can devote your time to, rather than 30, which is overwhelming. It was hard enough to write 15 personal statements....30 would be exhausting!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I think 30 as a starting point, and then whittle it down from there. I only applied to 7 programs (I didn't know any better!) and I still found a way to stress myself out. When I went through the application process for internship (very similar, if not a bit more work because of the 30 page common app), I started at 25ish places and hacked away from there.

-t

 

[GiantSteps]

Drawing on the many discussions on number of applications, there is no correct answer to what is the correct number of schools to which you should apply. If there are 100 schools which precisely fits your research/professional goals (notice that I did not just put research) match then apply to 100. If there is only 1 schools which matches your research/ professional goals, then apply to only the 1 school. Obviously, you increase your odds of acceptance if you apply to a greater number of programs but only if you think you match up well with them; otherwise, your number of applications is irrelevant.

Regarding your second question, most schools do want you, as an applicant, to find a specific professor with whom you would like to study/ work. However, there are in fact some schools which still seem to take general applicants and assign them to faculty advisors later. Also, if there is funding involved, it may or may not be tied to a specific faculty member.

 

[islandgirl1]

Obviously, you increase your odds of acceptance if you apply to a greater number of programs but only if you think you match up well with them; otherwise, your number of applications is irrelevant.

agreed. check programs' websites for the characteristics (gpas, gre scores) of the students they've accepted recently. if you're way off those characteristics, don't waste your money.

 

[CheetahGirl]

agreed. check programs' websites for the characteristics (gpas, gre scores) of the students they've accepted recently. if you're way off those characteristics, don't waste your money.

Obviously, you increase your odds of acceptance if you apply to a greater number of programs but only if you think you match up well with them; otherwise, your number of applications is irrelevant.

..., most schools do want you, as an applicant, to find a specific proessor with whom you would like to study/ work ... Also, if there is funding involved, it may or may not be tied to a specific faculty member.

Funding makes the world go around. If you can "bank" on your ideas and deliver, then you will find something interesting to study at a university that vests interest in the interest you've vested in yourself.

Not to sound narcissistic...

All points given are extremely relevant and important. My top criteria for doctoral programs was funding, location, and a realistic chance to delve into an *arbitrary* (yet, important) opportunity to better science. I applied to 10 PhD/PsyD programs the first time around...the "top ten," which cost me about $1,500 for app. fees, postage (FedEx!), GRE fees & prep, transcript requests, stiff drink, etc.

I'm attending my #1 fit...on my 2nd time around. Oh well. I'm now in intellectual bliss with my future career.



Good Luck ~ when you figure it out.

 

[scienceisbeauty]

I'm attending my #1 fit...on my 2nd time around. Oh well. I'm now in intellectual bliss with my future career.

AWW CHEETAHGIRL ur awesome! GOOD FOR U!!

 

[Ollie123]

30 is a bit much just because I worry the quality would suffer because of it.

Its not a bad starting point though. I actually started with about 90 possibilities since I looked everywhere and my interests stem in tying several different areas together so I had more potential matches than most. That 90 was quickly whittled down to 13 once I crossed off schools that didn't seem to provide very good scientific training, faculty who weren't very productive, people that upon further investigation were not as strong a research match as their faculty bio led me to believe, etc. (Yes, I probably spent 10x longer deciding what schools to apply to as I did actually applying).

As for core faculty, NO you don't have to work with core faculty, not at all. You do need to have a research match and this generally means they have to be full-time UNIVERSITY faculty since purely adjunct profs generally do not have labs.

My prof is not psychology core faculty, he's in medicine but has a zero-time adjunct appointment to psychology so he can take students. Many schools do this, and if you have a great research match it DEFINITELY warrants emailing the prof and asking...worst they can say is no! I've even heard of occasions where the prof hadn't taken students before but wasn't opposed to the idea and set it up so he could, and that person ended up being his first student. Personally, I'm thrilled to be in this situation since it seems like I have the best of both worlds - I get great psychology training, and we have the resources of a med school and hospital in addition to the psych department, which is very good because many psych departments are underfunded.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Personally, I'm thrilled to be in this situation since it seems like I have the best of both worlds - I get great psychology training, and we have the resources of a med school and hospital in addition to the psych department, which is very good because many psych departments are underfunded.

If I knew then what I know now......I'd go this route. My current (and probably future) research is much more on the pharma/medicine side. Live and learn I guess.

-t

 

[scienceisbeauty]

Now that I know ... it's okay to spend MORE time deciding where to apply than actually applying (I think thas going to be true in my case) -- I feel better

Now that I know... I don't have to work with a CORE CLINICAL faculty member, I find that I have more places to apply to

Now that I know...it's okay to initally consider 30 and then narrow from there, I feel more at ease

WOO HOO for all the helpful people at SDN. *HUG* to all.

 

[deleted176373]

Now that I know ... it's okay to spend MORE time deciding where to apply than actually applying (I think thas going to be true in my case) -- I feel better

Now that I know... I don't have to work with a CORE CLINICAL faculty member, I find that I have more places to apply to

Now that I know...it's okay to initally consider 30 and then narrow from there, I feel more at ease

WOO HOO for all the helpful people at SDN. *HUG* to all.

Ok time to duck and run... I applied to 15 programs my first time around, my second time was 27 programs. In reality, I should have been more selective but I wanted to be sure of gaining an acceptance and I wanted to have some choices.

I was in a unique situation. Most people don't have an expiration date, I did. In order to accomplish my goals I had to be in a program prior to my 41st Birthday so that I could be in a doctoral internship prior to my 47th birthday. Fortunately I am in the military now (squeaking in under the 42nd birthday deadline for this program.) I don't think you'll need to be so aggressive.

Mark