Spring Admission?

[WJPSYCH]

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I am looking to apply to a PhD or PsyD program in clinical psychology (preferably with a forensic concentration) next year. If I so choose, I can graduate in the Fall. I have been hesitant to do this because nearly every doctoral program I could find only accepts students for the Fall term.

My questions are:

1) Are there any quality PhD or PsyD programs that admit for the Spring semester?

2) What would be the best course of action to take if I did graduate? Do I sign up and take some masters level courses? Do I intern? Do I hope that I will be traveling so much for interviews that I couldn't possibly maintain anything else? Do I take masters course at a school that I hope to be accepted to? Or do I just take some time off?
There has to be someone who has been in this predicament before. What did you do?

3) Is there any possible advantage I may be overlooking if I should to continue to pay money to get more undergrad coursework in?

Thanks.

 

[deleted176373]

I am looking to apply to a PhD or PsyD program in clinical psychology (preferably with a forensic concentration) next year. If I so choose, I can graduate in the Fall. I have been hesitant to do this because nearly every doctoral program I could find only accepts students for the Fall term.

My questions are:

1) Are there any quality PhD or PsyD programs that admit for the Spring semester?

No, because everyone has to make admin decisions final on April 15th. That is pretty much what drives it and the deadlines are too late (DEC 15th) on applications to effectively do that. I don't know of any exceptions to this.

2) What would be the best course of action to take if I did graduate? Do I sign up and take some masters level courses? Do I intern? Do I hope that I will be traveling so much for interviews that I couldn't possibly maintain anything else?

It was a lot less stressful having no classes. I was able to drive to my interviews and take my time getting back. I'd chill and relax if the available funds allow you to do so.

Do I take masters course at a school that I hope to be accepted to?

Kiss o' death. At least in all the cases I have heard of... I wouldn't.

Or do I just take some time off?

There has to be someone who has been in this predicament before. What did you do?

Tried to get an R/A position, was unsuccessful, took the rest of the year off and really enjoyed the interviews. Used the time to visit programs that I believed I was interested in and attended a large number of conferences to get people used to seeing me around. It helped.

3) Is there any possible advantage I may be overlooking if I should to continue to pay money to get more undergrad coursework in?

No other than keeping your loans in deferment. I wouldn't take additional classes... what I would do is as I said above... chill, attend conferences, visit programs, and work on my applications.

Mark

 

[Hopefulnontrad]

Tagging onto Mark's reply, if you can get an RA position, it will strengthen your upcoming applications

 

[WJPSYCH]

I have a current R/A position, but it is through my current institution. If I should decide to graduate in the Fall of 2010, I will effectively forfeit that position during the Spring term. However, if I stay in school I can keep that position. I just don't know if it is worth it to prolong my undergraduate education and pile up debt just to tack another 5 months of experience onto my R/A position. Also, my applications will already be in by this time.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

It probably won't help to stay on 5 months if you already have at least 1yr in and it will cost you any sig. amount of money to take classes. I took a "dilbert" job for the 7 months before I went to grad school, and no one really commented on it during my interviews. I had a couple years of RA experience and taking more classes didn't mean much....though my GPA could have been better.

 

[futureapppsy2]

I have a current R/A position, but it is through my current institution. If I should decide to graduate in the Fall of 2010, I will effectively forfeit that position during the Spring term. However, if I stay in school I can keep that position. I just don't know if it is worth it to prolong my undergraduate education and pile up debt just to tack another 5 months of experience onto my R/A position. Also, my applications will already be in by this time.

Couldn't you just continue to volunteer in the lab after graduating? I lot of psych students at my school go that route.

 

[Annakei]

No, because everyone has to make admin decisions final on April 15th. That is pretty much what drives it and the deadlines are too late (DEC 15th) on applications to effectively do that. I don't know of any exceptions to this.



It was a lot less stressful having no classes. I was able to drive to my interviews and take my time getting back. I'd chill and relax if the available funds allow you to do so.




Kiss o' death. At least in all the cases I have heard of... I wouldn't.




Tried to get an R/A position, was unsuccessful, took the rest of the year off and really enjoyed the interviews. Used the time to visit programs that I believed I was interested in and attended a large number of conferences to get people used to seeing me around. It helped.




No other than keeping your loans in deferment. I wouldn't take additional classes... what I would do is as I said above... chill, attend conferences, visit programs, and work on my applications.

Mark

Why is this the kiss of death? To apply to a doctoral program with a masters? This is news as 80% of my cohort MA program applied to various programs and got in 🙂

 

[deleted176373]

Why is this the kiss of death? To apply to a doctoral program with a masters? This is news as 80% of my cohort MA program applied to various programs and got in 🙂

No, Only when taking masters levels classes at the institution when you want to get into that particular doctoral program. I have rarely heard of that working, usually if you are taking masters classes in preparation for attendance to a Ph.D. program typically you take those classes somewhere other than where you are applying. Certainly taking graduate level classes won't hurt you.

Mark

 

[PsyDWannabe]

No, Only when taking masters levels classes at the institution when you want to get into that particular doctoral program. I have rarely heard of that working, usually if you are taking masters classes in preparation for attendance to a Ph.D. program typically you take those classes somewhere other than where you are applying. Certainly taking graduate level classes won't hurt you.

Mark

Interesting. Is there a specific reason why that would be a KOD or did it just so happen that none of your people were accepted to the school were they too these classes?

 

[hamsterpants]

Interesting. Is there a specific reason why that would be a KOD or did it just so happen that none of your people were accepted to the school were they too these classes?

I think it is seen as "back door" way of trying to get in a program and is largely frowned up.

 

[phillydave]

No, Only when taking masters levels classes at the institution when you want to get into that particular doctoral program. I have rarely heard of that working, usually if you are taking masters classes in preparation for attendance to a Ph.D. program typically you take those classes somewhere other than where you are applying. Certainly taking graduate level classes won't hurt you.

Mark

There are some exceptions. I'm applying to the doctoral program at the school where I earned my master's. I interview next week.

 

[hamsterpants]

There are some exceptions. I'm applying to the doctoral program at the school where I earned my master's. I interview next week.

I was thinking more of the situation where someone takes a few courses as a non-matriculated student hoping to "grandfather" their way in. If you earned your master's that is different. Good luck!

 

[cara susanna]

I had the same thing, I just took the spring off and kept up on doing research etc.

 

[phillydave]

I was thinking more of the situation where someone takes a few courses as a non-matriculated student hoping to "grandfather" their way in. If you earned your master's that is different. Good luck!

Oh ok, gotcha

Thanks!

 

[PsychPhDone]

Dare I suggest continuing research, but maybe doing something fun for a bit, too? How about some travel? In a perfect world I perhaps would have done a fall graduation, followed by a month or two of travel, then applying to jobs, then full-time RA for a couple of years. You won't have flexibility like that for a while most likely...

 

[deleted176373]

I think it is seen as "back door" way of trying to get in a program and is largely frowned up.

This is what I was getting at... as said above, it's different if you actually finished a terminal masters and then applied.

Mark

 

[hamsterpants]

Dare I suggest continuing research, but maybe doing something fun for a bit, too? How about some travel? In a perfect world I perhaps would have done a fall graduation, followed by a month or two of travel, then applying to jobs, then full-time RA for a couple of years. You won't have flexibility like that for a while most likely...

if I were 10 years younger (at least) this is what I would do. Sounds awesome. Actually I kinda did do something like that 😉