PhD/PsyD Question on boosting my chances of getting into a good neuropsychology program.

[Krystal_09]

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Hello everyone,

I have some questions for those of you who have already been or are going through the process of getting into a clinical program. I just graduated and received my bachelors in psychology. I have a 3.0 GPA. I know it is rather low, I tried taking some harder classes Junior and Senior year in the sciences while caring for my newborn daughter, and it was not all that easy. It took my 3.8 GPA to a 3.0 by the end of it. Regardless, I know I still have chances at getting into schools through alternative routes. I am highly interested in eventually getting into a program that focuses on neuropsychology. I have contacted schools (example Nova, because I live in Miami) and have been told to apply to schools, and that good GRE grades will allow me to have a good chance of acceptance. I know the cutoff is 3.0, but seriously, people getting into top schools have 3.7 and so forth. Shoot me! Anyway, because I am interested in neuropsychology I wanted to know what are some steps I can take to actually boost my chances of getting into a Ph.D program or maybe a Psy.D.

First, will a graduate certificate in cognitive neuroscience aid my application? Or boost my GPA? There is a good program at FIU and I have been thinking about possibly applying and getting the certificate done. It seems like it will give me a foundation into what being a student in a neuro program is like. However, aiding my GPA can never hurt 🙂

Second, will working as an RA (Research Assistant) help my chances? Miami holds a lot of openings for RA's. And I actually saw a really good one posted yesterday, and I questioned wether this would be a good fit. If I can get the certificate and work as an RA in the meantime, maybe I can boost my chances of getting into a good school. And when I mean a good school, I mean a top school...

I hope I am not forever tied down by my horrid 3.0 undergrad GPA. -.-

If anyone would like to put in some info, please let me know!!!!!


Thanks! 🙂

 

[AcronymAllergy]

A few quick thoughts:

• If you're truly aiming for "top" schools (e.g., UCLA for neuroscience-type work), then you're going to need a good bit of research experience and some measure of productivity (such as at least a few posters, and ideally a manuscript or two, although not necessarily as first author); thus, the RA positions could significantly boost your application, which is true regardless of the programs to which you apply
• I honestly don't know how the graduate certificate, as opposed to a masters degree, would affect your chances. I'd imagine that a masters in neuroscience (or cognitive/experimental psychology with a neuroscience focus to your work) would be better, but may not be available in your area. However, anything that could boost your GPA at this point would be a plus
• Even with all that, it's still possible that your GPA may keep you out of the uber-top tier programs. The good news is that "uber-top tier" isn't quite as important as most folks imagine. You can still set yourself up for significant career success at a "mid-tier" program; it's all a matter of how you apply yourself
• When selecting potential grad programs, I always strongly recommend including at least a handful of programs that are less competitive (for whatever reason, typically geographic location or less-known "brand name" overall) than the UCLA's of the world

 

[pccgrad]

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