PhD/PsyD School Reputation or Quality of Research?

[ThatGuy15]

Hello, everyone! I am a senior at New York University, and I am planning to pursue a career as a clinical neuropsychologist. Before applying to any Ph.D. programs in clinical psychology, I would first like to make my application more competitive. Despite my GPA being above a 3.5, I have no relevant research experience in clinical psychology/neuroscience; I did receive an NSF grant to study psychodynamic therapy and body/camera position, as well as research in social interventions among at-risk youth (educational research). Therefore, I am planning to pursue a master’s degree in psychology and gain the research experience related to my field/topic of interest before applying to any doctoral programs.

Now that I've provided you with a brief summary of my current situation, I have the following two concerns: (1) Is it more important to apply to a less reputable school but have the research strongly related to your field/topic of interest? Or (2) is it more important to apply to a prestigious university but the research is not related to anything I want to do (not related to neuropsychology or psychopathology)? In other words, what matters more: school reputation or quality of research related to your interest? And what will the admissions committee favor more?

Thank you.

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[_Sunny]

Why not both?
When you are applying to a clinical PhD program, you are applying to work with a specific faculty member. If your research interests do not align with the faculty you are applying to, your chances of getting in are slim to none. That said, and maybe I'm just missing something, but why would you consider applying to less reputable schools? School reputation is important, as it usually speaks to the level of training and preparation for internship, so you will want to apply to reputable institutions anyway.

Also, while going for an MA can be beneficial, there are other ways of acquiring the experience necessary to be competitive in your application. For example, you can work as a research assistant in a relevant research lab. Additionally, you may want to look into publishing or presenting at conferences (which is often something that can be done through the research

 

[_Sunny]

Why not both?
When you are applying to a clinical PhD program, you are applying to work with a specific faculty member. If your research interests do not align with the faculty you are applying to, your chances of getting in are slim to none. That said, and maybe I'm just missing something, but why would you consider applying to less reputable schools? School reputation is important, as it usually speaks to the level of training and preparation for internship, so you will want to apply to reputable institutions anyway.

Also, while going for an MA can be beneficial, there are other ways of acquiring the experience necessary to be competitive in your application. For example, you can work as a research assistant in a relevant research lab. Additionally, you may want to look into publishing or presenting at conferences (which is often something that can be done through the research

Oh wait, sorry, I do think I misunderstood your question. If you're asking about applying to MA programs, I don't have a great answer for you. However, as I mentioned, the MA is not your only way to appear favorable in front of an admissions committee, and since most MA credits do not transfer over, you may find that enrolling in such a program does very little in comparison to an RA job to boost your CV.

 

[ThatGuy15]

Why not both?
When you are applying to a clinical PhD program, you are applying to work with a specific faculty member. If your research interests do not align with the faculty you are applying to, your chances of getting in are slim to none. That said, and maybe I'm just missing something, but why would you consider applying to less reputable schools? School reputation is important, as it usually speaks to the level of training and preparation for internship, so you will want to apply to reputable institutions anyway.

Also, while going for an MA can be beneficial, there are other ways of acquiring the experience necessary to be competitive in your application. For example, you can work as a research assistant in a relevant research lab. Additionally, you may want to look into publishing or presenting at conferences (which is often something that can be done through the research

One of the main reason as to why I am hesitating to apply to top universities is because I can't afford it; I am at NYU because of a scholarship. Additionally, I have a connection with the less reputable school. For example, in my correspondence with a neuropsychologist at that school, she is providing me with an opportunity to work as an RA in her lab at a medical school here in NYC. If I apply to Columbia, sure the name carries prestige, but I won't be satisfied with the research experience. I will most certainly receive a better education experience with a huge amount of debt. I am practically broke; can't even afford to spend money on application fees. That's why I am cautious about where I am applying.

 

[_Sunny]

One of the main reason as to why I am hesitating to apply to top universities is because I can't afford it; I am at NYU because of a scholarship. Additionally, I have a connection with the less reputable school. For example, in my correspondence with a neuropsychologist at that school, she is providing me with an opportunity to work as an RA in her lab at a medical school here in NYC. If I apply to Columbia, sure the name carries prestige, but I won't be satisfied with the research experience. I will most certainly receive a better education experience with a huge amount of debt. I am practically broke; can't even afford to spend money on application fees. That's why I am cautious about where I am applying.

I think that applying to a Master's program when you're broke will only make you more broke. Also, I believe that some PhD programs may be able to waive your application fee if you cannot afford it.
To clarify, the neuropsychologist at the school you have a connection to is offering you the opportunity to work at her lab only if you apply to the program and get in? Or could you just work there without being a part of the program?

 

[ThatGuy15]

I think that applying to a Master's program when you're broke will only make you more broke. Also, I believe that some PhD programs may be able to waive your application fee if you cannot afford it.
To clarify, the neuropsychologist at the school you have a connection to is offering you the opportunity to work at her lab only if you apply to the program and get in? Or could you just work there without being a part of the program?

No, she just gave me the opportunity because she used to be one of my advisors overseeing my research project. I am selecting to apply for the master's program because the thesis track could benefit my application.

 

[_Sunny]

No, she just gave me the opportunity because she used to be one of my advisors overseeing my research project. I am selecting to apply for the master's program because the thesis track could benefit my application.

I can't speak to how the neuropsych word works since that is not the area I am perusing, but I think that if there are opportunities to explore a variety of opportunities within that lab, including publishing papers, then you may not need a thesis track to supplement your experience. That way, you'll get paid to gain the necessary experience instead of having to pay for it yourself.