Neuropsychology PhD programs and GPA weightedness

[bsm18]

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Hello,

I have read about the field of clinical neuropsych, and talked to many NPs, and am set on becoming a clinical neuropsychologist.

However, when I entered college I thought that the MD was for me....it resulted in my getting terrible grades in Freshman year,(barely scraping by with a 3.1 with a lot of studying) then transferring from premed to neuroscience sophomore year and turning a 180 academically.

However, this initial error will lead (I actually calculated it) to not achieving higher than a 3.7ish GPA at graduation even if I ace all my courses.

The "Guide to Clinical and Counseling Programs" book has all of the NP programs listed with min GPAs of 3.8-3.9, and I am depressed as ever.

I have been working in EEG and fMRI labs for 2 years, with a potential fourth author publication....is GPA that important for getting into a clinical NP PhD program? And does it matter that my research is in understanding cognition and not directly autism (my field of interest)?

If you guys could list some programs for me to look into that are more accepting of my situation and share your success stories, that would be great!

Thanks,
B.

 

[Ollie123]

I don't know much about NP in particular, but if you pull a 3.7 you should still be just fine at most places. My Insider's Guide only lists mean GPAs...does yours list mins? its possible we just have different versions.

There's nothing wrong with being slightly below the average. Keep up the research, do an honors thesis if you can, try and find formal neuropsych employment after you graduate if you take time off.

Yes, GPA is important in the sense that its used as a cutoff. You will be well over that cutoff even at competitive schools with a 3.7. Unless neuropsych is INCREDIBLY different from any other clinical program I know of, schools won't sit down and differentiate "Well, he got a 3.65, but this OTHER kid got a 3.68 so we'll take him". A difference in .1 GPA is pretty damn meaningless so unless the kid had the same LOR from the same people, and the exact same research experience, it isn't going to matter. Is it better to come in with a 4.0? Sure it is, but having a 3.7 isn't bad at all if its the only blip on your application. The only time GPA might pose a serious problem is if you have under a 3.5. Even then it can be overcome in most cases.

Keep up the research, kick ass on your general and subject GREs, you'll be fine. Really. Make sure you get the best grades you possibly can (3.7 if at all possible) and stand out in other ways. Posters and publications are generally the best🙂

 

[ExpressYourself]

The only time GPA might pose a serious problem is if you have under a 3.5.

What if someone has a 3.49 or something close to a 3.5? I'm not talking specifically about neuropsych, but in general for clinical psychology programs.

 

[NeuroPhD]

I have been working in EEG and fMRI labs for 2 years, with a potential fourth author publication....is GPA that important for getting into a clinical NP PhD program? And does it matter that my research is in understanding cognition and not directly autism (my field of interest)?

If you guys could list some programs for me to look into that are more accepting of my situation and share your success stories, that would be great!

It sounds like you are doing all of the right things. Your GPA sounds fine. Many application reviewers focus on the GPA for the last two years. A neuroscience background, along with the basic psychology coursework will make for a solid foundation. As I'm sure others have written, you'll need to meet all minimum requirements for programs to make the first cut (usually admin staff put aside files that don't have the numbers). The numbers become less important after that. Focus on getting great recommendations, possibly from neuropsychologists who are involved in neuropsych training (very small field, networking is important).

Good Luck

 

[Ollie123]

Hard to say and probably depends on the program.

I know some schools use 3.5 as a hard cutoff. Meaning 3.49 is weeded out at the start.

That being said, even in those cases if you network well you could avoid it. If you meet the prof at a conference or work in their lab or something and they know you, that could easily trump GPA.

In the big picture though, I'd say getting >3.5 is a HUGE help.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

It is high enough they 'should' look at your other stats, but it depends on the school. They list that info so people get an idea of the caliber of people they let in. If someone had a 3.2....they probably wouldn't apply to a program that has a 3.8 average, but a couple tenths of a pt shouldn't be that big of a deal.

-t

 

[NeuroPhD]

I know some schools use 3.5 as a hard cutoff. Meaning 3.49 is weeded out at the start.

That being said, even in those cases if you network well you could avoid it. If you meet the prof at a conference or work in their lab or something and they know you, that could easily trump GPA.

I would go a step further and say that without good networking, you're at a huge disadvantage. Most PhD programs with neuropsychology tracks accept only a few students each year. There were four students in my year and all of us had direct connections to the mentors we ended up with. My undergrad GPA looked a lot like the original poster and I was below a 3.5 overall GPA. I'm sure my GPA and GREs were below the middle of the pack of applicants, but I had publications, excellent recommendations, and one letter from a close collegue of my mentor-to-be. Unless your stats are incredibly high, I just don't think it matters that much in our field. There are far too many applicants and way too many 4.0s with 1400+ GREs for numbers to be the deciding factor.

If I were going through the process now, I would focus on getting involved in the field as a stepping stone to getting in to a program. Working as a research assistant or volunteering in the lab of a neuropsychologist is probably the piece that most separates accepted applicants.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Great pt about networking! It really can help those who do the work. I am a big believer in networking, and it has paid off for me in spades.

-t

 

[ExpressYourself]

It is high enough they 'should' look at your other stats, but it depends on the school. They list that info so people get an idea of the caliber of people they let in. If someone had a 3.2....they probably wouldn't apply to a program that has a 3.8 average, but a couple tenths of a pt shouldn't be that big of a deal

When they say ther incoming class mean is 3.5, wouldn't that mean that one or a few students had a little bit lower than 3.5?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

When they say ther incoming class mean is 3.5, wouldn't that mean that one or a few students had a little bit lower than 3.5?

That's correct. My example of 3.8 and 3.2 was meant to show it would be significantly less than the mean.

-t

 

[ExpressYourself]

The "Guide to Clinical and Counseling Programs" book has all of the NP programs listed with min GPAs of 3.8-3.9, and I am depressed as ever.

I think maybe you misread it? 😕 I have been to a lot of websites from schools, and I haven't come across anything that says the minimum requirement should be 3.8-3.9. Most school websites say "minimum 3.0, but we expect our admitting students to be much higher."

I think a 3.7 is good enough.