Rejection: Asking a school for application feedback

[phillydave]

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When the inevitable rejection letters and emails begin to pour in, what is the best way to go about asking for feedback on a rejected application?

1. More specifically, many of us applying to Psy.D. programs do not have a POI to ask directly, what do we do?

2. What is some of the best feedback some of you have received? What feedback do you feel was the most useful to you?

3. What might be different between asking a school that waitlisted you rather than flat out rejected you?

Thanks people. 🙂

 

[Psych528]

To answer Question 1, I would send an email to the admissions secretary (or whatever they call it at the school). I'm not sure how much success you will have in general finding out the reason for being rejected. But...I'd still ask anyway; it can't hurt you.

 

[DrMaxPsyD]

I've done this and gotten some pretty good feedback so far. My GRE scores need work and I think MarkP mentioned being more open and honest in the personal statement and making sure that it lines up with who they are as a program. That was good advice and I plan to revise my statement to give more insight into myself rather than who I am on paper.

My clinical experience is solid, I have a masters and I am licensed. Not much I can do about my GPA now and my hope is that a GRE higher than 1200 will make up for the GPA.

I am applying to PsyD programs.

 

[Blue86]

I've done this and gotten some pretty good feedback so far. My GRE scores need work and I think MarkP mentioned being more open and honest in the personal statement and making sure that it lines up with who they are as a program. That was good advice and I plan to revise my statement to give more insight into myself rather than who I am on paper.

My clinical experience is solid, I have a masters and I am licensed. Not much I can do about my GPA now and my hope is that a GRE higher than 1200 will make up for the GPA.

I am applying to PsyD programs.

Would you mind telling who gave you the feedback? Was it from professors or dept. secretaries?