Rejection from Ph.D./Psy.D. Programs

[MalphasTheCrow]

I guess I am using this site to partially vent, as well as try to obtain advice from people. I'll begin with my history.

I am a 26 year old that planning on defending his thesis this month for a MA in Clinical Psychology. I applied to a somewhat low number of programs: James Madison University, Clark University, University of Toldeo, Marquette University, Widener University, and I am planning on applying to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (they have a Psy.D. program, but I do not think they have much funding). The only university that I haven't heard from is James Madison, but I am thinking I may get rejected as well, and I only had 1 interview (from Marquette). I have only been in 2 Graduate Level Interviews (Including Marquette), while my Master's Program did not require an interview. I had an External GA position which paid for my Tuition throughout school. While in my Master's Program, I worked in Residential for about a year, then I worked in Crisis for about a year. I have also worked at a Halfway House for a year (this was before my Master's Program and after I finished my Master's Level Coursework). I have not done much research other than my time in my undergrad and for my Master's Program. If I do not get into a program this year, I do plan on reapplying next year. I am planning on working at a private psychiatric hospital as a Mental Health Tech or in their Assessment Department, if I get the position. I am also taking a class to obtain a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant license (Level I).

My GRE is as follows: Verbal (65th Percentile), Quant (27th Percentile), Writing (60th Percentile). I have taken the GRE 3 times, with this being my highest score. Honestly, I do not like taking the test at all, because it seems you only learn how to take the test and get minimal increases in your score. I studied very hard the last time, and my score bumped up only slightly.

In this current round of graduate program searches, I mostly based my decision on tuition reimbursement, location (I live in Ohio), and the interests of the faculty that match my own. I am already in debt (not very surprising), due to my undergatuate loans. I did not want to go to a program where I had to take out even more loans to cover the cost of the program.

Any advice or support would be much appreciated. I am aware that my GRE might be a factor and I may not have as much research experience. It seems I have tried to lean more on my practical experience than on my grades or test scores. My Overall GPA for Undergrad was 3.49, while my GPA for Graduate School was 3.90. I may also be experiencing some interview anxiety. Honestly, I am not a competitive person, yet I'm applying for these very competitive programs.

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[artsyann]

Honestly, I think your GRE scores are going to hurt a lot. I got a 163 V, 153 V and 4.5 on written and got exactly zero interviews this application cycle, other than master level programs. I had a 3.98 undergrad gpa. I know I need to improve my Q GRE and get more research experience. I didn’t have a ton, but didn’t even get invites from PsyD programs with less research focus. From what I can gather you need pretty much above 155 for both sections. I don’t know if your undergrad gpa matters as much since you have gone to grad school. Maybe someone with more experience there can speak to that.

I would also say gain more research experience. I had stellar LOR, but it was noted by even them I would most likely need more research. I am hoping the research I get in my master’s will give me better chances.

Good luck to you!

 

[singasongofjoy]

do grad schools have minimums cutoffs for GRE, or just GPA? I can’t remember. But that quant score in particular is probably really killing your chances, way more than any other weakness. Not trying to be a killer of dreams, but if you honestly can’t bring it up significantly, which is unlikely unless there is some major underlying issue that you are totally unaware of with your test taking in comparison with your actual quant skills, I would start investing time into figuring out what aspects of the work really appeal to you (counseling/therapy? Direct care / bx management stuff? Research?) and explore some alternative plans for doing similarly satisfying work even if that meant getting a second masters instead (e.g., social work- I work w social workers who do a lot of the similar work as the psychologists- involved in the research and assessment process, plus a lot of therapy and school consults- most of the stuff that I really enjoy as a psychologist, minus some of the diagnostic testing/ formulation/ feedback that they can’t do) It is definitely wise to not want to have to take out many more loans to pay for grad school round 2, but funded programs are pretty competitive and your scores and research exp are not at this point; never hurts to take a pragmatic look at possible plan B and C in my opinion.

 

[Temperance]

My GRE is as follows: Verbal (65th Percentile), Quant (27th Percentile), Writing (60th Percentile). I have taken the GRE 3 times, with this being my highest score. Honestly, I do not like taking the test at all, because it seems you only learn how to take the test and get minimal increases in your score. I studied very hard the last time, and my score bumped up only slightly.

How did you study for the test? The test depends, to a degree, on knowing how to take it, but it also heavily relies on knowing the underlying mathematical concepts.

 

[MalphasTheCrow]

How did you study for the test? The test depends, to a degree, on knowing how to take it, but it also heavily relies on knowing the underlying mathematical concepts.

Used a Kaplan Course. The first time I took it I did the expensive full course. The most recent time I used the book provided. Spent about an hour or so each day going through the practice tests provided and memorizing key GRE words.

 

[MalphasTheCrow]

do grad schools have minimums cutoffs for GRE, or just GPA? I can’t remember. But that quant score in particular is probably really killing your chances, way more than any other weakness. Not trying to be a killer of dreams, but if you honestly can’t bring it up significantly, which is unlikely unless there is some major underlying issue that you are totally unaware of with your test taking in comparison with your actual quant skills, I would start investing time into figuring out what aspects of the work really appeal to you (counseling/therapy? Direct care / bx management stuff? Research?) and explore some alternative plans for doing similarly satisfying work even if that meant getting a second masters instead (e.g., social work- I work w social workers who do a lot of the similar work as the psychologists- involved in the research and assessment process, plus a lot of therapy and school consults- most of the stuff that I really enjoy as a psychologist, minus some of the diagnostic testing/ formulation/ feedback that they can’t do) It is definitely wise to not want to have to take out many more loans to pay for grad school round 2, but funded programs are pretty competitive and your scores and research exp are not at this point; never hurts to take a pragmatic look at possible plan B and C in my opinion.

I suppose it's just the typical "I'm not good at math" scenario. It's much easier for me to use words than it is for me to memorize equations. As I remember, it's not really just knowing the equations, as it is how you use it to solve the problem. If I pursue this, I may have to take the GRE again. I'm interested mostly in Counseling/Therapy, and not research. I understand research is a major part of many programs, and I can do it at a slow methodical pace. A good friend and former classmate also says I should do some soul-searching to see if this is right for me to pursue. Thank you for your help and advice.

 

[PsyDuck90]

If you're only interested in counseling/therapy, why not get a terminal masters in counseling or social work? Same end result with less time commitment. A lot of well-respected MSW programs don't even require the GRE

 

[emily621]

My understanding is that many programs have unadvertised cutoffs for GRE scores.

 

[MalphasTheCrow]

My understanding is that many programs have unadvertised cutoffs for GRE scores.

I wouldn't say they are underadvertised. All the programs I have seen have posted the median GRE Scores or some equivalent, as well as how many students they take. Perhaps they do not specifically give an exact "cut-off." It is kind of you getting as close to what they post as possible, even then, there is no guarentee that is good enough.

 

[MalphasTheCrow]

If you're only interested in counseling/therapy, why not get a terminal masters in counseling or social work? Same end result with less time commitment. A lot of well-respected MSW programs don't even require the GRE

That would be another path to take. I know a coworker that is getting a second Masters in Social Work. I just feel that I've already done my Masters program, and it still does not seem I'm "prepared" enough for a Ph.D./Psy.D. program. For my program, it was tailored to getting a license in Illinois, but I decided to move back to Ohio, where the regulations are more strenuous. I am deeply considering another Master's Program, but I want to think about everything carefully. Thank you for your suggestion. Much appreciated.

 

[Indiana_Jane]

I guess I am using this site to partially vent, as well as try to obtain advice from people. I'll begin with my history.

I am a 26 year old that planning on defending his thesis this month for a MA in Clinical Psychology. I applied to a somewhat low number of programs: James Madison University, Clark University, University of Toldeo, Marquette University, Widener University, and I am planning on applying to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (they have a Psy.D. program, but I do not think they have much funding). The only university that I haven't heard from is James Madison, but I am thinking I may get rejected as well, and I only had 1 interview (from Marquette). I have only been in 2 Graduate Level Interviews (Including Marquette), while my Master's Program did not require an interview. I had an External GA position which paid for my Tuition throughout school. While in my Master's Program, I worked in Residential for about a year, then I worked in Crisis for about a year. I have also worked at a Halfway House for a year (this was before my Master's Program and after I finished my Master's Level Coursework). I have not done much research other than my time in my undergrad and for my Master's Program. If I do not get into a program this year, I do plan on reapplying next year. I am planning on working at a private psychiatric hospital as a Mental Health Tech or in their Assessment Department, if I get the position. I am also taking a class to obtain a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant license (Level I).

My GRE is as follows: Verbal (65th Percentile), Quant (27th Percentile), Writing (60th Percentile). I have taken the GRE 3 times, with this being my highest score. Honestly, I do not like taking the test at all, because it seems you only learn how to take the test and get minimal increases in your score. I studied very hard the last time, and my score bumped up only slightly.

In this current round of graduate program searches, I mostly based my decision on tuition reimbursement, location (I live in Ohio), and the interests of the faculty that match my own. I am already in debt (not very surprising), due to my undergatuate loans. I did not want to go to a program where I had to take out even more loans to cover the cost of the program.

Any advice or support would be much appreciated. I am aware that my GRE might be a factor and I may not have as much research experience. It seems I have tried to lean more on my practical experience than on my grades or test scores. My Overall GPA for Undergrad was 3.49, while my GPA for Graduate School was 3.90. I may also be experiencing some interview anxiety. Honestly, I am not a competitive person, yet I'm applying for these very competitive programs.

To echo previous posters, you will definitely want to try to raise your GRE score. If you are hoping to attend an APA accredited doctoral program, you’ll want to apply broadly, increase your research experience, and apply to PIs who are a close research match. Those will maximize your chances of admission.

That being said, previous posters have a point with regard to exploring different mental health careers! Before I applied, I worked in a variety of places and gained exposure to every possible career - this really helped me make an informed decision about the PhD route. If your ultimate career is achievable via a Master’s degree, there’s your answer! However, if you decide to go the PhD route, attending to some of the pieces above will help your chances.

I also had a ton of clinical experience (which actually served me well on interviews), BUT this was also because I had research experience to go with it (and I connected all of the jobs and experiences together.)


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[PsychedUp313]

I too have terrible GRE scores. I scored somewhere around the 16th percentile on quant. I however was accepted to 2 reputable PsyD programs. What were your letter of recommendations like? I asked faculty from my masters program who know me well to discuss my work ethic and how strong of a student I am. This helped downplay my low scores. If you decide to apply again in the future, I would make sure to find strong LORs. It's doable!!! I have heard from some students with low GREs that it was helpful for them to acknowledge their low math scores but explain that they have been successful in graduate level statistics. This way you aren't appearing to downplay or ignore your weakness but explain how you can overcome it in a doctorate program.