Since I am losing hope about PHD....

[Famousams]

Hey guys. I am in the application for PHD programs for the second time now and I just feel like a sense of doom about a second year of rejections. I am going to be applying to some masters programs and was just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for good programs. I live in NJ so i would like to stay on this side of the country. Please help!!

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[psychanon]

First, I'd say it's far too early to give up hope at this point. It's still January! I know this forum can be discouraging, because with the large number of posts it seems like every applicant out there has a million interviews but you. I'm sure that's not the case.

If you do go the masters route (and I'm assuming you mean MA programs that would prep you for Ph.D. programs---different advice would apply for clinically-oriented, terminal MA programs): I did not go this route myself, so I don't have any insider info. However, I do have friends who got MAs before going on to Ph.D. programs, and my feeling from talking to them is that the best types of programs to go to are ones at solid universities with good faculties but no Ph.D programs. If you go to a program w/ a Ph.D. program (e.g., BU, Drexel, etc.), you'll play second fiddle to the Ph.D. students, and you have basically no chance for funding. If you go to a program w/o a Ph.D. program, you'll get more attention from the faculty and maybe will have a chance for funding. Specific programs that I've heard recommended include Villanova, Univ of Richmond, and William & Mary. I'm sure there are others...

 

[Famousams]

Great thanks!! Yeah Richmond is my top choice but i didnt know about william and mary or villanova. Thank you i will look into them. Yeah I know it still early. But after the disappointment last year i went into this expecting the worst. I didnt apply to any ma last year and was left with no options except waiting another year and trying to find work.

 

[paramour]

Don't lose hope just yet! I agree with the above posters that it's a bit early to give up entirely . . . although I do understand as I was about to do the same thing until earlier this week. I probably should stay away from SDN the next several weeks because it is disappointing to read about the interviews everyone else has received when you have yet to hear zilch, particularly if they are programs to which you have applied also.

This is my second round as well and I will have my master's after this semester, so I'm not sure what I will be doing if I don't get in this time around . . . get another one perhaps? We shall see!

G'luck!

 

[irish80122]

I agree with not giving up, it is still very early believe it or not.

I have a friend at Villanova and I think it is a good program though it seems very challenging! You will be well-prepared, however, there is no doubt about that!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

You can go the MA route, or pick up a research job, or another job that will directly increase your application for the next go-around. Best of luck.

-t

 

[mpino]

take a look at montclairs clinical ma program...good program takes a year longer bc of internship, but you will get good experience and it's a cv builder

 

[konrad]

The other good experimental MA program in the same class as Villanova, William & Mary, etc., is Wake Forest. They offer full tuition remission and a modest stipend, and their students do very well gaining admission to phd programs.

 

[irish80122]

Schools like Villanova offer tuition remission and a stipend? I didn't know that!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Schools like Villanova offer tuition remission and a stipend? I didn't know that!

Ditto.

-t

 

[Famousams]

Thanks for the words of hope about not giving up!! However i have to prepare for the worst its just my nature. Thanks for the suggestions. Wake FOrest deadline was 1/15 though so that one is out. Any good research oriented programs??

 

[Psych_Ho]

Famousarms- don't give up yet- why do you have such an impending sense of doom? I am assuming you did things during last year and t his year to make your application more attractive, no? It si way too soon- SO many schools had the 1/15 deadline and still haven't even started notifying people for interviews. Also... keep in mind... even if you do not get an invite for the first round interviews, there is always the possibility you will be contacted after their interviews - I know people whom this has happened to several times. My humble advice would be to get some more specific feedback about your application - have someone really give you constructive criticism about what you have going for you and what you need to work on in order to get in somewhere- and also looking at the schools you applied to - a broad enough range in terms of difficulty/number of apps they receive? There are so many factors affecting one's application.

But don't give up!!!! It is way too soon right now - give it at least another 2 to 3 weeks!!!

 

[psychanon]

Schools like Villanova offer tuition remission and a stipend? I didn't know that!

I think Villanova offers it to some but not all. I think W&M might offer it to all, but doesn't accept that many. Not sure about others.

 

[CuriousGeorgia]

So I haven't heard anything from any of my PhD programs - so Im starting to think about other routes to take for the upcoming year. Would it be more beneficial to look for a research assistant position or to apply to masters programs?

 

[paramour]

It depends--do you already know that all of your programs have extended invites to interviews some weeks in the past? If so, then you may want to consider finding a RA position or a master's program that fits your interests.

If not, especially if your schools' deadlines were only in the past few weeks, try to be patient! I know that's easier said than done, but it takes time to review applications. There are some programs that will wait a week or two to verify that all supplemental documents are received prior to reviewing them (in other words they consider the deadline date as a postmark date so they want to give everyone the opportunity to get everything in).

In the meantime, hope for the best and maybe take some time to see what else is out there if it does not work out.

G'luck!

 

[Cosmo 23]

NY State now has masters level licensure for masters level mental health counselors. There are many good terminal masters levels programs (MA, MS and EdM/MEd) in Manhattan...(you mentioned you live in NJ). NYU and Columbia both have very well respected programs. I went to TC at Columbia and completed my internship at Bellevue hospital in their Psychiatry dept, so you receive good clinical and academic experience. Good luck.

 

[217]

I have both an M.A. in Psych and am a Research Assistant at McLean Hospital, and from my own experience people, from Ph.D. programs seem to be more impressed with my RA experience. My M.A. was not research focused, however, so I think that if you find an M.A. program where you can do research that is similar to what you would be doing in a doctorate program, then that would prove that you are capable of both extensive research as well as succeeding in graduate coursework.

As for M.A. programs specifically, I know that Boston University doesn't offer much funding but great course exposure, while William and Mary has good research opportunities and a bit more funding available.

Good luck!

 

[Dr.Maybe]

Hey all - this is my first time applying. I was pretty confident going in that I would get in somewhere, but with 2 interviews (and one subsequent rejection) behind me and two interviews at super-competitive programs coming up, I think it's about time to come up with a "if I don't get in anywhere" plan. I just got my master's last May, so that's out, and I'm working as a clinician currently. More research seems like the way to go. This may seem like a dumb question, but where do you find these RA positions if you are no longer in school? I did a quick search on the internet, and found a lot of post-doc positions but not much else.

 

[psychanon]

Go to university websites. These types of jobs are usually not posted on places like Monster. Usually universities have a career opportunities page on their websites where you can search for jobs. Sometimes RA positions are listed under different names, like "psychology technician." There are a lot of jobs in psychiatry departments, so schools with med schools are a good place to look. Also check out big research hospitals. Some specific places that I know have a lot of RA jobs are: Columbia (psychiatric institute), Penn, Mass General, McLean Hospital, and UCLA. Good luck!

 

[cleverclover]

Hey all - this is my first time applying. I was pretty confident going in that I would get in somewhere, but with 2 interviews (and one subsequent rejection) behind me and two interviews at super-competitive programs coming up, I think it's about time to come up with a "if I don't get in anywhere" plan. I just got my master's last May, so that's out, and I'm working as a clinician currently. More research seems like the way to go. This may seem like a dumb question, but where do you find these RA positions if you are no longer in school? I did a quick search on the internet, and found a lot of post-doc positions but not much else.

If there are a couple programs that you are really interested in, you can try to find a RA position working for that school or for your POI. If you are not having any luck with Universities' websites, try emailing PIs directly to see if they are hiring. It is a long shot, but you may get lucky.

 

[amy203]

Another option that hasn't been presented is to work as an (unpaid) intern. R.A. positions are really tough to get in the area I live in, and most places turn to interns first when they need to hire someone. After I completed undergrad, the funding for the R.A. position I had set up fell through at the last minute, and I was stuck without a job. I ended up getting an internship for about 20 hours per week while working as nanny for 30 hours per week. It was pretty tiring and I had to eat ramen noodles for awhile, but it was definitely worth it. When a position opened up 4 months later, I didn't even have to apply.

Another big plus with internships is that you can choose a lab that really fits your interests, rather than just taking whatever R.A. position is available. Also, your advisors may be more likely to help you publish, etc. to make up for not paying you. In fact, several professors I talked to actually recommended an internship over an R.A. position, because advisors are obligated to provide interns with a good learning experience. I love my job as an R.A., but I not everyone I know has had such a rewarding experience. I would definitely pick an unpaid internship where you get to participate in writing papers or running analyses over a paid position where your only duties are data entry or phone interviews.