WAMC: What Are My Chances

[orion.x]

Hello, looking for some feedback and advice on my chances of getting accepted in a doctoral program for clinical psychology. I applied to some PsyD programs for fall 2022 and I'm still waiting to hear back, but I'm preparing for worst case scenario of reapplying to programs again this fall (and included some balanced PhD programs as well).

As of now: Loyola Maryland PsyD waitlisted and waiting to hear back after interviews with Xavier University, Widener University, and Roosevelt University. I was accepted into two PsyD programs, but I have since learned that they would likely do more harm than good for my career, and as such I will not be attending either. I'm also considering reapplying even if I get accepted into one of the four aforementioned programs due to the debt associated with them (hence the potential inclusion of balanced PhDs in the second go-around).

So about me:

Graduated May 2021 B.S. in Psychology, minors in art and chemistry
Overall GPA: 3.73
Psych GPA: 3.90
GRE: 159V 160Q 5.5 AW

Currently working as a behavioral health technician at a treatment center for substance abuse (been there since this previous November). This is really the only clinical (if it counts as such) experience I have as of now.

As far as research experience, I worked as a research assistant during my junior and senior years of undergrad. I did prepare and propose a research study in my junior year, which awarded me a spot in a summer fellowship at my school. However, this was cancelled because of the initial covid outbreak and as a rising senior i could not reapply that was kinda my only shot. I did do all of the initial proposal steps (lit review, editing abstract and official proposal, working with grad student supervisor and PI for plausible topics and execution, etc.) The program would have been a 10 week program, working 40hrs/week with a $4000 stipend and involved presenting a poster on results/findings at a forum. Obviously I didn't get this experience, but does it mean anything that I did all the lead up work and was accepted to the fellowship? Otherwise, I was still involved in data entry/verification, assisting in creating databases for collection (SPSS), helping grad students with their lit reviews/projects/presentations, preparing study materials, etc for 2 years. That's all I've got though.

I was involved in volunteer/community service work while in undergrad and on the executive board for two volunteer organizations (one focused on empowering minority women, the other mentoring underrepresented kids and adolescents). Also in three honor societies (but I don't think that matters much for grad school?). However, I haven't been involved in any community service work since I graduated almost a year ago.

My main concerns are that I don't have enough relevant research and clinical experience to be seen as a qualified applicant for a doctoral program. I'm aiming to find a new job this year, ideally involved in research to strengthen my chances, but in that case, is applying again this fall too soon? Should I take until fall of 2023 to really get quality experience to apply again. I'm also worried about starting grad school too late or being out of the flow of school for too long in that scenario.

Any advice/feedback/input would be greatly appreciated. I would be the first in my family to attend grad school so I'm really learning as I go (not much guidance from anyone right now). I can't help but feel like despite getting invited to interviews, I'm just not as qualified or experienced as the people who may be applying at the same time as me (maybe its true, maybe its imposter syndrome. doesn't feel great either way)

EDIT: I have realized that my lack of research experience will likely make me completely unable to get into a program. Any advice on how long or how much experience would give me even a chance?

I feel similarly with the research experience only I was joining a lab and after a few weeks I could no longer be a part of it due to the pandemic and campus shut down completely. I have some research experience through a semester project that we presented at our schools research symposium as well as currently conducting surveys to clients at one of the practices I work for, but that is about it. I have clinical experience such as hotline advocate, volunteer work - pottery with people who have disabilities, and am managing private practices which has allowed me to be involved in clinical meetings. Any chance I would get into a PhD program that aligns with my research goals and shapes people to work as clinicians? My main goal is to be a practicing clinician who also is able to do research which is why I am considering PhD programs as well as PsyDs.

Sorry this was super long I just felt like we have similar experiences to some degree and would love your input!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[pipersandpiper]

Hi everyone! I’m new to the forum and posting my stats here in the hope of getting a better understanding of where I’m at and how I could improve. I’m planning on applying fall of 2023 or 2024 to clinical psych PhD programs.

BA Psychology, Clinical Concentration - 2019
Graduated in 3 years (advanced standing due to college credit from AP classes)
Honors college
Dean’s list for several semesters
(Does the reputation/perceived rigor of the undergrad department matter?)

Cumulative GPA: 3.56
Psych GPA: 3.53

GRE, April 2019:
170 Verbal (99th percentile)
155 Quant (58th percentile)
4.0 Writing (59th percentile)

I did not prep for the GRE and will most likely retake it if a program requires or encourages score submission.

Research Experience:
~4 months in undergrad transcribing and coding qualitative data for a dissertation (for a PsyD student at a different school in the area)

About one year at my current position as an RA for an R01 study (does R01 matter?) working with opioid use disorder population. I am planning on presenting at least one poster this year. I discussed with my supervisor the possibility of a project management role, and they said I would likely naturally develop the relevant skills within the next year. Some political difficulty and staffing issues here, so I feel I am going to have to push this next year to 1) continue to do my job well and 2) demonstrate to the powers that be that I am capable/worthy of inclusion in higher-level tasks and can be allowed to conduct independent data analysis. I can provide more details about my position if it would be helpful.

Other experience:
From 2019-2021, before my current position, I worked as a neuropsych testing technician (independently conducting assessments - typically 4 or 5 per week), then moved to an admin role during COVID lockdown.

I volunteered at a residential substance use treatment center in undergrad and this summer I volunteered at an SA/DV shelter and crisis hotline. I understand this is not important for my application but wanted to provide more context.

Letters of rec:
Able to count on one letter from my PI at current lab. Professor from undergrad who had offered to write me a letter unfortunately passed away, I plan to ask my advisor (who I took a class with) in her stead. Hoping third letter will appear out of thin air.

I want to apply to clinical psych PhD programs that offer a concentration in psychology-law or forensic psychology. I am focused on forensic mental health assessment - this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I am flexible with regard to my research interests within this area, but I understand I will have to be more specific in my SOPs.

At this stage in my preparation, these are the schools I am most seriously considering:

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Drexel University

I know this list is very short, and I am open to applying to more programs. I think my biggest weakness right now is my lack of research experience and total absence of any posters/publications.

Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated. I want to make the most of this coming year to become a stronger candidate and then re-evaluate my position. Thank you for reading!

 

[gohogwild]

WAMC

I put an initial post out before I have graduated, and a lot has changed. I thought I would repost!

Education

B.S. in Psychology and Cognitive Sciences. Small liberal arts college.

GPA 3.95

Research Experience

2.5 yrs in a Behavioral Neuroscience lab (R2 research university). Honors thesis with may eventually result in a pub. Project includes travelling out of state to learn techniques from collaborators.

2 poster presentations (one associated with my lab, one independent research in evolutionary psychology).

1 conference presentation in anthropology.

1.5yrs in with history research prof, used GIS to create maps demonstrating racial residential patterns of the college town. Did it as a campus job.

Served on research advisory board virtually for 1.5yrs for a lab that deals with trans mental health topics.

Clinical/Volunteer Experience

6 months as a mental health tech.

5 months in intentional community for adults with intellectual disabilities.

3 months as a Sexual Health and Family Planning intern along the US/Mexico border.

40hrs shadowing an Internist during my pre-med days.

40hrs shadowing a Psychiatrist, where I was perhaps unethically allowed to sit in on four talk therapy sessions.

LORs
Two strong letters from neuroscience PIs, and one good, maybe somewhat flat LOR from the history prof (the dude is just very hard to read). Seeking another source for the third one.

My college also provided ‘narrative grades’, which are received from each prof after each class. I got a lot of great feedback on those.

GRE
Just begun studying. Taking the test in December. Most of the programs I am interested in require the GRE.

Research Interest
I am especially interested in dual Clinical Psychology-Neuroscience programs. I am also interested in advisors with focuses in behavioral genetics, neuroimaging, and psychoneuroimmunology.

PhD Programs that I am especially interested in (no particular order)
Temple University, Lauren Ellman
Northwestern, Robin Nusslock
UPitt, Kathryn Roecklin
University of Texas at Austin, Kathryn Hardin
Michigan State University, S. Alexandra Burt
University of Houston, Elena L. Grigorenko
….

Post bacc plans
I am in the process of applying for the Peace Corps, and I am considering applying to the NIH post bacc program. May apply for both and take the NIH program if I get that, making Peace Corps plan B. Though two 2-year long programs feel like a lot for gap year(s), I’m willing to do it because they’re both experiences I want, I’m young, and I think it would increase my chances (though that’s not the main goal of these experiences).

As always, thank you so much for your feedback!

 

[DrClinPsyAdvice]

Great news all! APA has started a new series to help folks successfully apply to grad school! The first brief video of the series is here: . The link to register for the live Q&A is here: Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Becoming a Psychological Scientist: A Series to Successfully Apply to Grad School and Help Diversify the Field Presents Session 1: Top Things to Know as You Apply to Grad School. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.. Please spread the word!

 

[psychk99]

Currently applying for admissions in Fall 2023 and trying to gauge how much of a chance I actually have for PhD programs

Education
Psychology BA with a clinical concentration in the honors program
Overall GPA: 3.93
Psych GPA: 4.00

GRE
167V, 164Q, 4.5AW
Some of my schools are not accepting it, but I am submitting it where I can

Research Experience
3 years in undergrad in a social/developmental lab where I did my honors thesis
Currently in a 2-year postbacc full-time research job in women's mental health. The lab is more biologically focused, but a lot of my interactions are more clinically focused (i.e. doing clinical assessments)
Currently I have an encyclopedia entry in press, a paper under review, a couple of manuscripts which will hopefully be submitted before the deadline, and a couple presentations.

I am applying to scientist-practitioner programs and would love to be on the east coast, but I know not to geographically limit myself and am also applying to schools in the midwest. My biggest worry is that my past research experiences are not directly related to what I want to study in graduate school, but I am trying really hard to make a good case for myself in my personal statement. Have other people gotten into PhD programs when their past research is not as related to your graduate school interests?

 

[DrClinPsyAdvice]

Great news all! APA has started a new series to help folks successfully apply to grad school! The first brief video of the series is here: . The link to register for the live Q&A is here: Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Becoming a Psychological Scientist: A Series to Successfully Apply to Grad School and Help Diversify the Field Presents Session 1: Top Things to Know as You Apply to Grad School. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.. Please spread the word!

Part 2 on writing essays now available:

 

[futureapppsy2]

Currently applying for admissions in Fall 2023 and trying to gauge how much of a chance I actually have for PhD programs

Education
Psychology BA with a clinical concentration in the honors program
Overall GPA: 3.93
Psych GPA: 4.00

GRE
167V, 164Q, 4.5AW
Some of my schools are not accepting it, but I am submitting it where I can

Research Experience
3 years in undergrad in a social/developmental lab where I did my honors thesis
Currently in a 2-year postbacc full-time research job in women's mental health. The lab is more biologically focused, but a lot of my interactions are more clinically focused (i.e. doing clinical assessments)
Currently I have an encyclopedia entry in press, a paper under review, a couple of manuscripts which will hopefully be submitted before the deadline, and a couple presentations.

I am applying to scientist-practitioner programs and would love to be on the east coast, but I know not to geographically limit myself and am also applying to schools in the midwest. My biggest worry is that my past research experiences are not directly related to what I want to study in graduate school, but I am trying really hard to make a good case for myself in my personal statement. Have other people gotten into PhD programs when their past research is not as related to your graduate school interests?

Yes, it's relatively common, especially if you can make a good case in your personal state. From what you posted here, your chances seem strong. Good luck!

 

[DrClinPsyAdvice]

Want to learn how to write a terrific personal statement? Check out part 2 of APA’s series on Becoming a Psychological Scientist! . You can register for a live Q&A session here: Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Becoming a Psychological Scientist: A Series to Successfully Apply to Grad School and Help Diversify the Field Session 2: Writing a Compelling Application Essay. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

 

[psychtnt]

WAMC

Education

B.A. in Psychology and Minor in African American Studies from UCLA

GPA 3.2 (Explained in personal statement- lots of personal hardship)

M.A. Candidate in Psychological Research from Cal State Long Beach
GPA : 4.0

Research Experience

4 yrs as a Full-time Senior Research Assistant for a company that creates Psychological Assessments (Data analysis, manuscript preparation, Training of new RA's, Easel/assessment building in Qualtrics, data entry, member of Inagural DEI committee to improve diversity in the assessments and the company overall)

6 poster presentations ( 2 from undergrad labs 4 in the masters program, anticipate going to 3 more conferences to present next year)
-Won Psych Day research competition for "Best proposed graduate research"
-Co-authored a poster that won an award at an interpersonal Violence conference
1.5yrs of research in my Grad Mentor's lab on interpersonal violence and interactions with the criminal justice system for Ethnic Minority women. Also a member of a project in this lab concerning Sexual assault resources on college campuses
Masters thesis on Social Support as a resilience resource against postpartum depression for Black mothers who experienced intimate partner violence

Clinical/Volunteer Experience

3 years as a certified mental health advocate (California Black Women's Health Project).

3 years as a crisis counselor for Crisis Text Line

Teaching Experience
Graduate Assistant for a Research Methods course wherein I hold weekly office hours, grade research proposals, and tutor students. I also guest lectured the course.

LORs
Two strong letters from my Graduate mentor (Clinical PhD many pubs) and my Director of Research (MSW, MPL) for my Research Assistant job, and one really good, maybe less personal LOR from my mentor from my undergraduate research experience (Postdoc at UCLA).

GRE
I am scheduled to take it, but most of my schools do not require it (only one does and it's a PsyD that I can barely justify the cost for) I haven't studied as much as I would have liked because I have been working full time, taking grad school courses and working as a TA. I am wondering if I still need it to strengthen my chances. On practice tests, my Verbal is consistently 160+, but my Math is not so hot.

Research Interest
I am especially interested in Clinical Psychology and Counseling programs. I am most interested in advisors focusing on implementation and dissemination science (particularly with ethnic minorities) and process researchers (what therapeutic processes work best for whom).

PhD Programs that I am especially interested in (no particular order)
University of Southern California (Iony Ezawa)
Columbia University (Counseling)
Georgia State University (Isha Metzger)
UCLA, (Anna Lau)
University of South Carolina (Clinical-Community Psych)
Pepperdine University ($$$ is terrible I know - this is the only one requiring GRE)

 

[summerbabe]

Have other people gotten into PhD programs when their past research is not as related to your graduate school interests?

Definitely, especially if you make a good case for why you want to focus on this new area and emphasize what research experience/processes/methods/stats/etc that you've used in the past could also be relevant. With manuscripts in prep, I imagine you'll have some relevant things you can draw from.

The barrier to entry is higher when somebody doesn't have experience with the content, the way this content would be empirically studied, and also has not had any or significant exposure to research processes in our field, which really just leaves behind being interested and that's not very compelling.

I am scheduled to take it, but most of my schools do not require it (only one does and it's a PsyD that I can barely justify the cost for) I haven't studied as much as I would have liked because I have been working full time, taking grad school courses and working as a TA. I am wondering if I still need it to strengthen my chances. On practice tests, my Verbal is consistently 160+, but my Math is not so hot.

Why is Pepperdine on your list? If the reasons are not super compelling, especially since the other schools are you targeting look like they would provide full or partial funding, I would consider cutting it for this cycle.

Regardless, do you anticipate applying to more schools than the ones on this list? You seem to have a background that would get your app reviewed in a serious manner so applying broadly will likely be in your interest. I wouldn't worry too much about undergrad GPA since it looks like you've done well in grad school both GPA and research wise.

The thing that I have zero perspective on is whether your subfields are 'hot' in which case you'll be competing against more qualified people than available spots or if they are 'dead' or somewhere in between. If you have a sense, that might help you decide how to expand out your list and how much to broaden, if needed. If you have contacts in these areas, networking now could be really helpful.

Good luck to you both!

 

[psychtnt]

Thank you so much for your feedback! I have since decided to exclude Pepperdine from my list. I am working on expanding my list, but many faculty are not accepting students this cycle. I am unsure how to gauge whether or not my topics of interest are 'hot' or not. I don't have too many contacts, but maybe I should start cold-emailing folks to get a sense of things. Thanks again!

 

[DrClinPsyAdvice]

Want to learn how to write a terrific personal statement? Check out part 2 of APA’s series on Becoming a Psychological Scientist! . You can register for a live Q&A session here: Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Becoming a Psychological Scientist: A Series to Successfully Apply to Grad School and Help Diversify the Field Session 2: Writing a Compelling Application Essay. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

Video #3 now available!!

Know anyone applying to psych grad school? Our next video on interviewing is here - YAY!! https://youtube.com/watch?v=3ueGQY8mHJo… You can access Q&A on interviewing (or get recording) here https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XN5mwk0zSMOoAF9meK8G3A… and a live Q&A on guidance for students of color here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_q5Z0RiIqQcOu6D3DeaFe5w

 

[ags14]

WAMC

Education

B.S in Psychology and Sociology from Florida State University

GPA 3.91

Research Experience

3 years as full-time lab coordinator in an eating disorders research lab at an R1 university. Managed an NIH funded R01. Role was aptly named, as I managed a lab more than did research-associate activities. This includes coordinating research visits, managing a team of 20+ undergraduates, running weekly lab meetings, tracking retention. Additionally, I managed all IRB revisions, completed data cleaning and minor analyses for conference presentations.

1.5 years as a full-time research associate working at an academic medical center housed in an R1 university. In this position, I manage clinical trials focused on suicide interventions. Responsibilities include development of RedCap databases, completing participant eligibility interviews which includes semi-structured interviews (SCID, SASII, SITBI-R, CSSRS), administering a brief crisis intervention tool for high-risk participants. I serve as project coordinator for 3 separate trials. Two are telehealth suicide interventions, 1 is a digital therapeutic where I recruit directly from the psychiatric in-patient unit.

3 years part-time undergraduate research experience in 3 different labs completing data entry, participant recruitment, and semi-structured interviews.


Academic Authorship
10 poster presentations (4 first author/presenter)
1 paper presentation ( second author/nonpresenter)
3 manuscripts (2nd author, 3rd author, 4th author)



LORs
One strong letter from my first position and two very strong letters that are within the field of my research interests from my current position. I would say all three are equal in caliber and significant improvements from my first cycle applying (where two letters came from professors that I took classes with)


GRE

I did not retake the GRE this year, as 13/15 programs which I am applying to did not require it. Prior scores were not great. 157 V, 149 Q, 5 Writing.

Research Interest
I am interested in the development of brief, efficacious suicide interventions, namely for underserved and rural populations. This includes development of digital interventions and efficacious telehealth treatments for chronically suicidal adolescents and young adults. Additionally, i am interested in treatments targeting non-suicidal self injury. Research interests not centric to intervention: Understanding precipitates of NSSI and social-factors related to suicidality (e.g. homelessness, poverty, minority status)

PhD Programs I am applying to ( I've just listed all here; I am primarily interested in LSU, Rutgers, and Michigan)

I am applying to 15 programs, a majority of which are scientist-practitioner. Below is the list, in no order.

Florida State University, Counseling/School Psych PhD
University of Houston-Clearlake, Health Psychology PsyD
Georgia Southern, Clinical PsyD
University of South Alabama, Clinical/Counseling PhD
Texas Tech, Clinical PhD
Auburn, Clinical PhD
University of Southern MIssissippi, Clinical PhD
University of Michigan, Joint Social Work PhD (Applying to SW + Clinical Psychology Track)
Texas A&M, Clinical PhD
Rutgers, Clinical PhD
Catholic U, Clinical PhD
Central Florida, Clinical PhD
University of Louisville, Counseling PhD
LSU, Clinical PhD
Old Dominion/Virginia Consortium, Clinical PhD

Thank you!

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

1.5 years as a full-time research associate working at an academic medical center housed in an R1 university. In this position, I manage clinical trials focused on suicide interventions. Responsibilities include development of RedCap databases, completing participant eligibility interviews which includes semi-structured interviews (SCID, SASII, SITBI-R, CSSRS), administering a brief crisis intervention tool for high-risk participants. I serve as project coordinator for 3 separate trials. Two are telehealth suicide interventions, 1 is a digital therapeutic where I recruit directly from the psychiatric in-patient unit.

A bit of a necro but I hope that you got in. That is a very impressive CV. I'm extremely jealous of the quoted work you did and wish that I could find something remotely similar like that in my area.

 

[chicandtoughness]

A bit of a necro but I hope that you got in. That is a very impressive CV. I'm extremely jealous of the quoted work you did and wish that I could find something remotely similar like that in my area.

What geographical area do you live in? There's lots of postgrad research coordinator positions in open if you're near a major city or willing to relocate. This is a well known job board for psych RA/RC opportunities specifically:

Positions – Clinical Psych Grad School

clinicalpsychgradschool.org

EDIT: And here's another collection of listings curated by Harvard (but for opportunities across the nation):

Post-Graduate Research Jobs

Job postings will be updated as they come in. Please check back regularly. If you'd like to view other job boards and read some advice on how to apply for post-graduate research positions in psychology, see this helpful resource.

undergrad.psychology.fas.harvard.edu

 

[psych2023]

Hi! I am writing here as a prospective clinical psychology student looking at PsyD and PhD programs. If you guys could look over my current data and let me know what you think I would really appreciate it

Undergrad: Syracuse University, graduated Cum Laude 2022
- Double Major: BA in Psychology, BS in Education
- Double Minor: Human Family Studies, Disability Studies
- GPA: 3.5
- My GPA freshmen and sophomore year wasn't great (4 C's) but in my junior and senior year I mostly ended each semester with a 3.8 or 4.0.

Experience:
- Clinical:
- Student teacher in classrooms with children with ASD and ADHD (undergrad)
- Special Needs Camp Counselor with children with ASD, ODD, and ADHD (undergrad)
- Clinical Counselor in Child Mind Institute's Summer Treatment program for children with ADHD and other behavioral disorders (post-grad)
- Clinical Counselor in Child Mind Institute's Brave Buddies program for selectively mute children (post-grad)
- Program Intern for Child Mind Institute's Selective Mutism Service (asked back after Brave Buddies) (post-grad)
- Research:
- RA - The Cognitive Science Lab at Syracuse University - (one semester during undergrad)
- RA - The ALTER Lab at Syracuse University (ADHD Lab) - (one semester during undergrad)
- RA - Bellevue Project for Early Language, Literacy, and Education Success (BELLE Project) NYU Langone School of Medicine - specified as behavioral pediatrics research - September 2022- Now (post-grad)

Right now I have not taken the GRE and do not plan on it, and I am looking at programs that do not require it.

Programs I am interested in are:
- Rutgers University - Clinical Psychology, PsyD
- Yeshiva University - School-Clinical Child Psychology, PsyD
- St. John's University - Clinical Psychology, PhD OR School Psychology PsyD
- The New School - Clinical Psychology, PhD
- Hofstra University - Clinical Psychology, PhD
- University of Miami - Child Clinical Psychology, PhD

I have spoken with an academic advisor who think's my GPA and few C letter grades will hinder my application tremendously and believes I will likely not get into any of these programs right now.

I am eager to hear what you guys think, and please, don't hesitate to be honest
Thank you in advance!

 

[ametz]

I think that you will be completely fine as long as you highlight your experiences and interests well. I applied with a 3.2 GPA (I was premed my first 1.5 years, which was really rough) and got many more interviews than I expected to because I was able to use my application materials to highlight what the programs care more about (you demonstrating your interest in the field and ability to think scientifically). Feel free to message me if you want any help with the application process! I've helped several others significantly improve their materials to become more competitive.

 

[BrainStormer]

I would disagree with your advisor that your GPA would be the main or sole reason for not getting into any programs you listed. Sure, there may be GPA cut offs (check program specific requirements), but I have heard through the admissions grapevine at my PhD program that it is really the entire application that matters (personal statement, strong LOR's, GPA, clinical/research experience, fit, interview). Bonus if you have posters/pubs from your research experiences.

 

[psych2023]

I would disagree with your advisor that your GPA would be the main or sole reason for not getting into any programs you listed. Sure, there may be GPA cut offs, but I have heard through the admissions grapevine at my PhD program that it is really the entire application that matters (personal statement, strong LOR's, GPA, clinical/research experience, fit, interview). Bonus if you have posters/pubs from your research experiences.

Thank you for that. She also is having me write a brief 650 words explaining my GPA and C grades, outside of my personal statement. Is this something you think I will even have a place to submit on applications?

 

[WisNeuro]

Thank you for that. She also is having me write a brief 650 words explaining my GPA and C grades, outside of my personal statement. Is this something you think I will even have a place to submit on applications?

Depends, our program expressly did not accept anything outside of the requested materials, to keep what was considered the same between applicants. Better bet is to weave it in to a personal statement if you really want to talk about it.

 

[ametz]

Thank you for that. She also is having me write a brief 650 words explaining my GPA and C grades, outside of my personal statement. Is this something you think I will even have a place to submit on applications?

The advice I received from some of the grad students I worked with in undergrad was to ask your letter writers to touch on it and to say that the lower grades do not represent your ability to do well in graduate school. That strategy worked out well for me.

 

[psych2023]

Depends, our program expressly did not accept anything outside of the requested materials, to keep what was considered the same between applicants. Better bet is to weave it in to a personal statement if you really want to talk about it.

Thank you for that. May I ask what you think of my original post?

 

[psych2023]

The advice I received from some of the grad students I worked with in undergrad was to ask your letter writers to touch on it and to say that the lower grades do not represent your ability to do well in graduate school. That strategy worked out well for me.

Thank you, she mentioned doing this as well, which I will certainly do. As I am only asking for a letter of rec from one professor (the rest are from clinical and research experiences post-grad) should I only ask her to speak on this or everyone?

 

[ametz]

Thank you, she mentioned doing this as well, which I will certainly do. As I am only asking for a letter of rec from one professor (the rest are from clinical and research experiences post-grad) should I only ask her to speak on this or everyone?

For my LORs, I actually only asked professors that I had worked on research with, so I didn't take classes with any of them. I think that this can be even stronger because they can say that they have seen you in a clinical/research setting and that your skills/ability aren't reflected in those couple poor grades from the beginning of college.

 

[BrainStormer]

Thank you for that. She also is having me write a brief 650 words explaining my GPA and C grades, outside of my personal statement. Is this something you think I will even have a place to submit on applications?

I have not heard of any students (at least in my program) submit an additional statement explaining their GPA if it was low. I would assume my PhD program would probably not accept this because it is not part of the required application materials, but you could speak into GPA in your personal statement.

 

[psych2023]

For my LORs, I actually only asked professors that I had worked on research with, so I didn't take classes with any of them. I think that this can be even stronger because they can say that they have seen you in a clinical/research setting and that your skills/ability aren't reflected in those couple poor grades from the beginning of college.

Due to COVID the research experiences I had in college weren't extensive enough for me to form relationships with those professors. I am actually asking for a LOR from one of my disability studies professors who I took two classes with and knows me very well

 

[ametz]

Due to COVID the research experiences I had in college weren't extensive enough for me to form relationships with those professors. I am actually asking for a LOR from one of my disability studies professors who I took two classes with and knows me very well

I think that can work well if you send him your CV so that he can see everything you've accomplished.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Hi! I am writing here as a prospective clinical psychology student looking at PsyD and PhD programs. If you guys could look over my current data and let me know what you think I would really appreciate it

Undergrad: Syracuse University, graduated Cum Laude 2022
- Double Major: BA in Psychology, BS in Education
- Double Minor: Human Family Studies, Disability Studies
- GPA: 3.5
- My GPA freshmen and sophomore year wasn't great (4 C's) but in my junior and senior year I mostly ended each semester with a 3.8 or 4.0.

Experience:
- Clinical:
- Student teacher in classrooms with children with ASD and ADHD (undergrad)
- Special Needs Camp Counselor with children with ASD, ODD, and ADHD (undergrad)
- Clinical Counselor in Child Mind Institute's Summer Treatment program for children with ADHD and other behavioral disorders (post-grad)
- Clinical Counselor in Child Mind Institute's Brave Buddies program for selectively mute children (post-grad)
- Program Intern for Child Mind Institute's Selective Mutism Service (asked back after Brave Buddies) (post-grad)
- Research:
- RA - The Cognitive Science Lab at Syracuse University - (one semester during undergrad)
- RA - The ALTER Lab at Syracuse University (ADHD Lab) - (one semester during undergrad)
- RA - Bellevue Project for Early Language, Literacy, and Education Success (BELLE Project) NYU Langone School of Medicine - specified as behavioral pediatrics research - September 2022- Now (post-grad)

Right now I have not taken the GRE and do not plan on it, and I am looking at programs that do not require it.

Programs I am interested in are:
- Rutgers University - Clinical Psychology, PsyD
- Yeshiva University - School-Clinical Child Psychology, PsyD
- St. John's University - Clinical Psychology, PhD OR School Psychology PsyD
- The New School - Clinical Psychology, PhD
- Hofstra University - Clinical Psychology, PhD
- University of Miami - Child Clinical Psychology, PhD

I have spoken with an academic advisor who think's my GPA and few C letter grades will hinder my application tremendously and believes I will likely not get into any of these programs right now.

I am eager to hear what you guys think, and please, don't hesitate to be honest
Thank you in advance!

I've merged this into the WAMC (What Are My Chances) stickied thread. All replies to the original post have also been kept and moved.

 

[Epak333]

Hi all! Here are my stats lol:

Applying to PsyDs and PhDs at:
- Florida Tech
- Baylor
- Marshall
- Georgia Southern
- UNC Wilmington
- U of South Florida
- East Tennessee State
- U of South Carolina
- U of Florida
- U of South Alabama
- Rutgers
A few others I am still debating on and am open to suggestions.

Undergrad GPA: 4.0
Set to take GREs in August

Research experience:
- 1.5 years as an undergrad RA in a psych research lab, involved directly in running participants through deception paradigms and alcohol studies
- Currently research/recruitment coordinator at the same lab post-grad, hoping to get my name on something

Clinical experience:
- 6 months as an assisted animal therapy specialist working directly with individuals with intellectual disabilities, genetic disorders, behavioral and emotional challenges, mental illness, and TBIs
- 1.5 years as a crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line
- 6 months as a tutor in the Petey Greene Program, working with inmates at a low security federal prison for male offenders (I am hoping to go forensic for grad school)
- Currently interviewing for a few places including group therapy for eating disorders and case manager for corrections (fingers crossed!!)

 

[summerbabe]

- Currently research/recruitment coordinator at the same lab post-grad, hoping to get my name on something

You’ve got the right stats and experiences and this can help differentiate you from similar applicants.

If you’re aiming to apply during the next cycle and you plan on staying with this lab, then that gives you about half a year to get on a poster or two or a manuscript.

Or even get attached to a manuscript that’s in prep for submission where your lab PI can speak to your contributions in your letter would work in your benefit.

I have familiarity with two programs on your list (Baylor and Florida) which are both competitive programs and where I think many incoming students have some pubs prior to admission, which would be hard to overcome with general RA experience, stats, or clinical experience.

If you run into barriers or have, this might be a time to really revisit your participation with the lab PI and see if more mentoring may be available. If not exploring other options might be worthwhile. Good luck!

 

[Epak333]

You’ve got the right stats and experiences and this can help differentiate you from similar applicants.

If you’re aiming to apply during the next cycle and you plan on staying with this lab, then that gives you about half a year to get on a poster or two or a manuscript.

Or even get attached to a manuscript that’s in prep for submission where your lab PI can speak to your contributions in your letter would work in your benefit.

I have familiarity with two programs on your list (Baylor and Florida) which are both competitive programs and where I think many incoming students have some pubs prior to admission, which would be hard to overcome with general RA experience, stats, or clinical experience.

If you run into barriers or have, this might be a time to really revisit your participation with the lab PI and see if more mentoring may be available. If not exploring other options might be worthwhile. Good luck!

Awesome, thank you! Baylor and Florida are both my long shot schools lol, and both of them were ones that I was struggling to find faculty who's research I was really interested in, so I might end up not even applying anyways. Even if I get into just one program I'll be happy! Is having a poster or publication a necessary thing for admission to most programs? Or just the more heavily research focused ones I'm assuming? I definitely think I'll be able to get my name on something before I apply, but in the chance that I don't, I just want to make sure that it's still possible for me to get into at least one school.

 

[summerbabe]

Is having a poster or publication a necessary thing for admission to most programs?

Given so many variables such as program type, specific PI wants (within my funded PhD, there was distinct variability between PIs based on their level of research ambition so somebody with a ‘good’ CV for one prof might be seen as inadequate to another) and ultimately who else you are competing against, there’s no hard and fast rule.

But generally speaking, having pubs gets your foot in the door, which then allows for the subjectiveness of perceived fit to come in, sometimes in your favor and sometimes not.

If a PI that you’re applying to has been publishing at a breakneck pace recently, not having pubs or even a single 4th author poster might be a disqualifier if they are looking for somebody to hit the ground running and ready to churn out citations.

But there are other profs who have different professional interests and goals (eg., quality over quantity, have already secured tenure and are not looking to move to a more prestigious institution, not involved in the grant funding scramble, etc) who may overlook relative lack of pubs due to other qualities they like (such as good interpersonal fit) and are trying to add such to their lab/team.

 

[Epak333]

Given so many variables such as program type, specific PI wants (within my funded PhD, there was distinct variability between PIs based on their level of research ambition so somebody with a ‘good’ CV for one prof might be seen as inadequate to another) and ultimately who else you are competing against, there’s no hard and fast rule.

But generally speaking, having pubs gets your foot in the door, which then allows for the subjectiveness of perceived fit to come in, sometimes in your favor and sometimes not.

If a PI that you’re applying to has been publishing at a breakneck pace recently, not having pubs or even a single 4th author poster might be a disqualifier if they are looking for somebody to hit the ground running and ready to churn out citations.

But there are other profs who have different professional interests and goals (eg., quality over quantity, have already secured tenure and are not looking to move to a more prestigious institution, not involved in the grant funding scramble, etc) who may overlook relative lack of pubs due to other qualities they like (such as good interpersonal fit) and are trying to add such to their lab/team.

Yes from what I've seen too it sounds like it varies from program to program. I personally like and am more focused on clinical rather than research, most of the faculty I have found have been those that aren't banging out multiple citations and seem more clinically focused (although research is still very important). Like everyone says, it's how well the program fits me just as much as I fit the program. Fingers crossed I'll at least get into one!

 

[psycj]

Hi all! I hope to get some advice. For some personal reason I would like to start my next phase of career in NC, and I am open to counselor education, counseling psyc and clinical psyc. I made this choice because I feel research, teaching, and clinical work are all great career choices for me. I am an international student, completed my bachelors and my first master in Asia, and is completing my second master and internship in the US. Here is my list and I am open to suggestions:

Applying to PhDs in counselor education at:
- UNC Greensboro
- UNC Charlotte
- Penn State
- NC State
- NC A&T

Applying to PhDs in counseling psyc at:
- Columbia
- U Maryland, College Park

Applying to PhDs in clinical psyc at:
- UNC Greensboro
- Duke
- UNC Chapel Hill
- U Maryland, Baltimore County

Here are my stats:
Undergrad GPA: 3.52, double majored in psyc and social work, certificate in women & gender studies
First MA GPA: 4.00 (in gender studies)
Current MS in clinical mental health counseling GPA: 3.89

Research experience:
- 2 years full time RA in mindfulness and neuroscience research (quantitative research)
- 2 years TA in university, awarded annual best teaching award twice
- 8 years part time RA in undergrad and first graduate school
- have master thesis (qualitative research)
- 5 oral and poster presentations in conference (1st, 2nd, 4th author)
- 4 journal publications (1st, 2nd, th author)
- currently working in mental health counseling lab as RA for more than 1 year (developing an instrument)

Clinical experience:
- completed 700 hours BSW internship in psychiatry hospital and child adoption center
- completed 200 hour clinical mental health counseling practicum in addiction & recovery center
- pursuing 700 hour clinical mental health internship

Thank you all!

 

[summerbabe]

For some personal reason I would like to start my next phase of career in NC, and I am open to counselor education, counseling psyc and clinical psyc. I made this choice because I feel research, teaching, and clinical work are all great career choices for me.

The name of the game for funded clinical and counseling psych PhDs is fit so your specific experiences, goals/intent during the PhD, and qualities that PIs are looking to add to their lab will be crucial, especially if you are geographically limited.

Overall, you seem to have good experiences which shows that you’re serious about continuing your education.

But if a PI reads your personal statement and scans your CV and is left wondering why you applied to their lab, then I wouldn’t expect an interview, much less an offer, even if your stats are quantitatively better.

Off the top of my head, at least some of the clinical and counseling programs you’re applying to might be on highly competitive side but I could very well be wrong.

I am not familiar with counselor ed programs beyond that there are major differences between this track and funded clinical/counseling tracks so your personal statements should look very different to reflect each field/course of study.

I didn’t see any specific questions in your post but feel free to add more details/pose specific questions and maybe somebody on this board will have some insight. Good luck!

 

[psycj]

The name of the game for funded clinical and counseling psych PhDs is fit so your specific experiences, goals/intent during the PhD, and qualities that PIs are looking to add to their lab will be crucial, especially if you are geographically limited.

Overall, you seem to have good experiences which shows that you’re serious about continuing your education.

But if a PI reads your personal statement and scans your CV and is left wondering why you applied to their lab, then I wouldn’t expect an interview, much less an offer, even if your stats are quantitatively better.

Off the top of my head, at least some of the clinical and counseling programs you’re applying to might be on highly competitive side but I could very well be wrong.

I am not familiar with counselor ed programs beyond that there are major differences between this track and funded clinical/counseling tracks so your personal statements should look very different to reflect each field/course of study.

I didn’t see any specific questions in your post but feel free to add more details/pose specific questions and maybe somebody on this board will have some insight. Good luck!

Thank you so much for the input! I was hesitant about disclosing more personal details, but since it’ll be beneficial for the conversation I think I can share more.

My question was specifically on the school list, I don’t know much about the funding, ranking and reputation about the listed schools, so I guess any information about these programs would be great also, if I would like to apply this year, what kind of experience would you suggest me to improve/sharpen on my CV? I think you’re right—clinical psyc and counseling psyc programs are really competitive, and I think it’ll be great to hear from how people suggest about the school list.

My research interests are mainly about LGBTQ+ populations; gender & sexual orientation in help-seeking, counseling relationships and supervision; and linguistic justice and multiculturalism. Also, these are the main topics of my publications. My clinical experiences are mostly in addiction and LGBTQ+ fields therefore I chose some of the programs and POIs based on my research interest.

The name of the game for funded clinical and counseling psych PhDs is fit so your specific experiences, goals/intent during the PhD, and qualities that PIs are looking to add to their lab will be crucial, especially if you are geographically limited.

Overall, you seem to have good experiences which shows that you’re serious about continuing your education.

But if a PI reads your personal statement and scans your CV and is left wondering why you applied to their lab, then I wouldn’t expect an interview, much less an offer, even if your stats are quantitatively better.

Off the top of my head, at least some of the clinical and counseling programs you’re applying to might be on highly competitive side but I could very well be wrong.

I am not familiar with counselor ed programs beyond that there are major differences between this track and funded clinical/counseling tracks so your personal statements should look very different to reflect each field/course of study.

I didn’t see any specific questions in your post but feel free to add more details/pose specific questions and maybe somebody on this board will have some insight. Good luck!

Hi! Thank you so much for the input. I guess I was hesitant about disclosing more about myself (so that makes the post kinda plain..) but since it’s mutually beneficial I guess I can share more. Again, thank you so much for the input.

The first question I had was about the school list suggestion; also any information about these programs’ reputation and pros and cons will be great as well!

My research interests are mostly on three different topics: (1) LGBTQ+ mental health, (2) gender and sexual orientation in help-seeking in counseling relationships and supervision, and (3) linguistic diversity and multiculturalism in counselor supervision and education. Most of my RA experiences, master thesis, publications and research experiences are around these topics, and this is the topic I’m looking at when searching for POI.

I hope these info help to form my question. Just want to know more about these fields and programs. Open to suggestions, thank you

 

[summerbabe]

My clinical experiences are mostly in addiction and LGBTQ+ fields therefore I chose some of the programs and POIs based on my research interest.

You will have better luck applying to PIs in clinical and counseling PhD where you have research fit than clinical fit because a large portion of students are accepted without any clinical experience so that's seen as a bonus, not a requirement (this is likely different for counselor ed, where I imagine previous clinical experience is seen as required/beneficial).

When it comes to each niche/subfield like the ones you're interested in, sometimes successful admissions come from a feeder model where a PI is aware of the work of others in their field (including people they have collabed with) and will view students applying from those labs more favorably because they trust the opinion of their colleagues.
If your past labs have any connections like this, it will likely work in your benefit if not running info geographic limitations.

Sometimes when PIs are doing very niche work, they will have boom and bust admissions cycles with lots of great apps one year and hardly any interest in another year.

And based on your interests, it seems like counseling psych would be a better overall fit than clinical psych. I took a quick peek at Duke faculty and a lot seem neuroscience heavy whereas a lot more counseling psych programs do research on help seeking behaviors and such.

It's going to be really, really difficult for any individual to have opinions about more than a handful of programs since we will only really know about our own program and maybe a few others. Even general reputation is hard to pinpoint because 2 different labs in the same program can provide vastly different experiences.

The best general advice I can give is to take advantage of as much mentoring as you can from previous or current labs, both PIs as well as other grad students.

As far as rep, it's probably more important to secure a fully funded position with a mentor you feel good about than be concerned about the exact institution. In a mentorship model, your PI will have an outsized influence on your experience.

 

[The Cinnabon]

Hello SDN, I plan on applying the 2023-2024 app cycle so I figured I'd give a final WAMC. Anyways here's the app

Interests: PTSD (primarily sexual assault, but I'm not picky on this), International Populations and cultural adaptations to treatment/differences in psychopathology presentation

Undergrad GPA: 3.77 (Psych BS)

Manuscripts:
1 Publication in Pediatric Community Behavioral Health care resources (2nd author)
2 Publications in Review (4th author and idk 8th or 9th for the second one in review)
2 Publications in prep that I hope to submit before November (One 1st and another 9th or w/e).

It's possible I may have 1-2 more pubs in review by the time I apply, but I figured I would go off the most likely conservative estimate.

(Except for the first pub the remainder are all in either suicide research or cultural/international adaptations to psychotherapy)

Presentations (all are ABCT):
1 first author poster
1 Nth author poster
1 Nth author symposium

(Funding made presentations hard)

Other Presentations:
IHS presentation given on men's sexual trauma (co-author)
Presentation given to addiction fellows at local AMC on SUD and justice system


General RA experiences:

RA for a public health PI looking at pediatric behavioral healthcare resources for around 1-2 years
RA in a trauma lab to help out a grad student and their thesis, used ESM methodology, for around 6 months
Current RA/CRC at a VAMC and have been for a year doing a psychotherapy clinical trial


LORs:

All 3 are VA psychologists with NCPTSD affiliations that I've worked under in said clinical trail and other projects that have netted scholarly output in my field of interest


I plan on being very geographically flexible during this app cycle and will be applying to well-funded programs in "undesirable" areas. Oh, I'm also exclusively applying to PhD programs, a mix of clinical and counseling.

 

[pipersandpiper]

Hi everyone! I’m new to the forum and posting my stats here in the hope of getting a better understanding of where I’m at and how I could improve. I’m planning on applying fall of 2023 or 2024 to clinical psych PhD programs.

BA Psychology, Clinical Concentration - 2019
Graduated in 3 years (advanced standing due to college credit from AP classes)
Honors college
Dean’s list for several semesters
(Does the reputation/perceived rigor of the undergrad department matter?)

Cumulative GPA: 3.56
Psych GPA: 3.53

GRE, April 2019:
170 Verbal (99th percentile)
155 Quant (58th percentile)
4.0 Writing (59th percentile)

I did not prep for the GRE and will most likely retake it if a program requires or encourages score submission.

Research Experience:
~4 months in undergrad transcribing and coding qualitative data for a dissertation (for a PsyD student at a different school in the area)

About one year at my current position as an RA for an R01 study (does R01 matter?) working with opioid use disorder population. I am planning on presenting at least one poster this year. I discussed with my supervisor the possibility of a project management role, and they said I would likely naturally develop the relevant skills within the next year. Some political difficulty and staffing issues here, so I feel I am going to have to push this next year to 1) continue to do my job well and 2) demonstrate to the powers that be that I am capable/worthy of inclusion in higher-level tasks and can be allowed to conduct independent data analysis. I can provide more details about my position if it would be helpful.

Other experience:
From 2019-2021, before my current position, I worked as a neuropsych testing technician (independently conducting assessments - typically 4 or 5 per week), then moved to an admin role during COVID lockdown.

I volunteered at a residential substance use treatment center in undergrad and this summer I volunteered at an SA/DV shelter and crisis hotline. I understand this is not important for my application but wanted to provide more context.

Letters of rec:
Able to count on one letter from my PI at current lab. Professor from undergrad who had offered to write me a letter unfortunately passed away, I plan to ask my advisor (who I took a class with) in her stead. Hoping third letter will appear out of thin air.

I want to apply to clinical psych PhD programs that offer a concentration in psychology-law or forensic psychology. I am focused on forensic mental health assessment - this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I am flexible with regard to my research interests within this area, but I understand I will have to be more specific in my SOPs.

At this stage in my preparation, these are the schools I am most seriously considering:

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Drexel University

I know this list is very short, and I am open to applying to more programs. I think my biggest weakness right now is my lack of research experience and total absence of any posters/publications.

Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated. I want to make the most of this coming year to become a stronger candidate and then re-evaluate my position. Thank you for reading!

Hi again everyone! I return with one poster (second author) presented at a local conference earlier this year. I've also been given an opportunity to write a paper with one of my project managers using data from a study at our lab that was completed a few years ago. We have our first meeting next week.

I'm struggling to figure out what would make me the most competitive for a different RA position, as conditions have continued to deteriorate at my current lab. Does anyone have any pointers for what I should focus on this year to strengthen my candidacy for grad programs and/or a new RA job?

 

[sopsyched11]

Hi again everyone! I return with one poster (second author) presented at a local conference earlier this year. I've also been given an opportunity to write a paper with one of my project managers using data from a study at our lab that was completed a few years ago. We have our first meeting next week.

I'm struggling to figure out what would make me the most competitive for a different RA position, as conditions have continued to deteriorate at my current lab. Does anyone have any pointers for what I should focus on this year to strengthen my candidacy for grad programs and/or a new RA job?

if you are looking for a new RA job, I highly suggest becoming active on twitter (okay X). I see tons of RA/Lab manager positions posted on my feed at reputable sites.

also, in regard to your OG post, I wonder if you've considered Counseling psych Ph.D.'s as well since they're not vastly different these days? For example, I know Dr. Ashley Batastini at Memphis is very active in the forensic psych community but is in the counseling psych dept. That's just one example if you're attempting to expand your net of programs, but I know a ton of individuals who obtained successful and competitive internships/postdocs from counseling psych.

 

[Zazulator]

Hi again everyone! I return with one poster (second author) presented at a local conference earlier this year. I've also been given an opportunity to write a paper with one of my project managers using data from a study at our lab that was completed a few years ago. We have our first meeting next week.

I'm struggling to figure out what would make me the most competitive for a different RA position, as conditions have continued to deteriorate at my current lab. Does anyone have any pointers for what I should focus on this year to strengthen my candidacy for grad programs and/or a new RA job

I would agree with the above poster about looking at counseling psychology PhDs. They are generally just as competitive for internship and many are just as research heavy as clinical programs (I imagine this varies by program and PI). I know many people in counseling PhDs who entered the program with only a senior thesis or some poster presentations. They like to see that you have made an effort to get research experience and have been involved in research, but having actual publications isn't always make or break. More research experience wouldn't hurt, but I also don't know that I would let that keep you from applying.

 

[futurepsyd9]

Hey everyone!
This is my second year trying to apply for a PsyD program and I'm trying to decide if it's even worth my time or if I should go the Master's route. I applied to Xavier, Indianapolis, Mercer, Denver, and Eastern Kentucky my first time. I was rejected from all except Mercer where I was waitlisted and ultimately never received a response.

BS in Psychology at the University of Kentucky, I graduated in 2021 so I've had 2 gap years

GRE: This is embarrassing I'm an awful standardized test taker
VR-148
QR-150
Writing- 4
only Indianapolis and EKU asked for my GRE score so not all schools had this information. I've been preparing to retake the GRE for a while so I'm planing to seriously improve this part of the application.

GPA: 3.4 ( but i was premed all 4 years so had a difficult course load)

LORs: 2 of my letters I know were really strong from Psychology PhD professors, my 1 letter from my work supervisor was weaker.

Research: I was an assistant in a sleep apnea study for a semester, no publications or posters.

Clinical:
Senior year 1 semester internship at a clinical psych PhD student training clinic, 6 months working in ABA Therapy as a Behavior Technician, 1.5 years working as a Targeted Case Manager with substance abuse/serious mental illness.

Other:
1 year volunteer at CASA- a court ordered child abuse advocate
1 year leading a divorce recovery workshop for kids
2 years volunteering at the UK Children's Hospital in the Child Life Department

I'm very lost and confused in this whole process so if anyone has any advice on programs that may be a better fit or how to improve my application, I'd appreciate any help!

 

[summerbabe]

I applied to Xavier, Indianapolis, Mercer, Denver, and Eastern Kentucky my first time

How many of these are partially or fully funded programs? If they are offering funding, then your lack of having contributed to original, psychology specific research experience will be a barrier for admission.

Broadly speaking, a PsyD program that is offering funding (including partial funding) will have similar admission criteria to funded clinical or counseling psych PhD programs.

And by funding people's ability to attend school, the research output expectations will be higher, which means that clinical experiences will count for less in the admissions process.

If a lot of these programs offer funding, you'll likely need additional research experience to be competitive which can include going the MA/MS route that hopefully includes a master's thesis, consider a terminal and licensable master's degree (if your goal is to do therapy), or apply to a self-pay PsyD which does not emphasis previous research experience as much.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

Hey everyone!
This is my second year trying to apply for a PsyD program and I'm trying to decide if it's even worth my time or if I should go the Master's route. I applied to Xavier, Indianapolis, Mercer, Denver, and Eastern Kentucky my first time. I was rejected from all except Mercer where I was waitlisted and ultimately never received a response.

BS in Psychology at the University of Kentucky, I graduated in 2021 so I've had 2 gap years

GRE: This is embarrassing I'm an awful standardized test taker
VR-148
QR-150
Writing- 4
only Indianapolis and EKU asked for my GRE score so not all schools had this information. I've been preparing to retake the GRE for a while so I'm planing to seriously improve this part of the application.

GPA: 3.4 ( but i was premed all 4 years so had a difficult course load)

LORs: 2 of my letters I know were really strong from Psychology PhD professors, my 1 letter from my work supervisor was weaker.

Research: I was an assistant in a sleep apnea study for a semester, no publications or posters.

Clinical:
Senior year 1 semester internship at a clinical psych PhD student training clinic, 6 months working in ABA Therapy as a Behavior Technician, 1.5 years working as a Targeted Case Manager with substance abuse/serious mental illness.

Other:
1 year volunteer at CASA- a court ordered child abuse advocate
1 year leading a divorce recovery workshop for kids
2 years volunteering at the UK Children's Hospital in the Child Life Department

I'm very lost and confused in this whole process so if anyone has any advice on programs that may be a better fit or how to improve my application, I'd appreciate any help!

What was your psych only GPA? I’d suggest applying to more schools. More lab experience and make sure you are a good “fit” for the faculty’s interests,

Good luck!

 

[Zazulator]

Hey everyone!
This is my second year trying to apply for a PsyD program and I'm trying to decide if it's even worth my time or if I should go the Master's route. I applied to Xavier, Indianapolis, Mercer, Denver, and Eastern Kentucky my first time. I was rejected from all except Mercer where I was waitlisted and ultimately never received a response.

BS in Psychology at the University of Kentucky, I graduated in 2021 so I've had 2 gap years

GRE: This is embarrassing I'm an awful standardized test taker
VR-148
QR-150
Writing- 4
only Indianapolis and EKU asked for my GRE score so not all schools had this information. I've been preparing to retake the GRE for a while so I'm planing to seriously improve this part of the application.

GPA: 3.4 ( but i was premed all 4 years so had a difficult course load)

LORs: 2 of my letters I know were really strong from Psychology PhD professors, my 1 letter from my work supervisor was weaker.

Research: I was an assistant in a sleep apnea study for a semester, no publications or posters.

Clinical:
Senior year 1 semester internship at a clinical psych PhD student training clinic, 6 months working in ABA Therapy as a Behavior Technician, 1.5 years working as a Targeted Case Manager with substance abuse/serious mental illness.

Other:
1 year volunteer at CASA- a court ordered child abuse advocate
1 year leading a divorce recovery workshop for kids
2 years volunteering at the UK Children's Hospital in the Child Life Department

I'm very lost and confused in this whole process so if anyone has any advice on programs that may be a better fit or how to improve my application, I'd appreciate any help!

I was in a pretty similar situation as you, but with a worse GPA, but more relevant work experience and better GRE scores. I found a university lab to volunteer with for a year so I could get some more experience in research and acknowledged that this was a continued area for growth in my essays. Then I completed a master's in which I did an independent research project, did some poster presentations, and developed good rapport with faculty for strong recommendation letters. I was lucky enough to get into a PhD program after that. A master's can be really helpful in making you more competitive when some of your application is lacking. I would look for funded master's programs if you go that route so you can minimize your debt on this long financial journey. Good luck!

 

[Epak333]

Hi everyone! I've posted in this thread before and am posting for the last time, as application season is getting closer and I have my (I think) final list of schools. I'm not planning to take the GREs because none of these schools require them. I'm also waiting to see/hear back about what faculty are accepting students.

Stats:

4.0 GPA

7 months as an assisted animal therapy specialist working with a number of different people with different mental/physical health needs
10 months (present) working as a tutor in a federal prison with inmates
1.5 years (present) as a crisis text line counselor
2 years in a psychology research lab studying aggression, substance use, and sexuality - previously an RA, now currently the lead recruitment coordinator
I also am positive I will have strong letters of rec (one from PI, 2 from professors)

1 poster at a national conference, 2nd author (in November)
Hopefully another poster at a conference in the spring (so would be accepted on my CV) and possibly will get my name on something else

A little background:
I graduated in 3 years from undergrad (I had planned to go to med school initially) and just graduated this past spring. Should I wait and apply next year since I'm much younger than other applicants, or am I strong enough?
I enjoy research especially when it's a topic I'm interested in, but def prefer clinical
Research interests: anything forensic or correctional related, risk assessment, juvenile delinquency, extreme and persistent mental disorders, aggression, dark triad personality traits, etc.

Schools:

Clinical PsyDs
- Baylor
- Georgia Southern

Clinical PhDs
- East Tennessee State
- U of Maine
- UNC Wilmington
- U of South Florida (probably will take off)
- WVU
- Suffolk U
- U of North Texas
- Central Michigan
- Pitt
- Drexel

Counseling Psych PhDs
- U of Southern Mississippi
- U of South Alabama (combined clinical/counseling)

My main questions are is it worth it for me to apply this year/do I have a shot? Which of these programs are long shot schools and should be taken off my list given my stats? Any other suggestions for schools to add/faculty to look into?

 

[summerbabe]

Hi everyone! I've posted in this thread before and am posting for the last time, as application season is getting closer and I have my (I think) final list of schools. I'm not planning to take the GREs because none of these schools require them. I'm also waiting to see/hear back about what faculty are accepting students.

Stats:

4.0 GPA

7 months as an assisted animal therapy specialist working with a number of different people with different mental/physical health needs
10 months (present) working as a tutor in a federal prison with inmates
1.5 years (present) as a crisis text line counselor
2 years in a psychology research lab studying aggression, substance use, and sexuality - previously an RA, now currently the lead recruitment coordinator
I also am positive I will have strong letters of rec (one from PI, 2 from professors)

1 poster at a national conference, 2nd author (in November)
Hopefully another poster at a conference in the spring (so would be accepted on my CV) and possibly will get my name on something else

A little background:
I graduated in 3 years from undergrad (I had planned to go to med school initially) and just graduated this past spring. Should I wait and apply next year since I'm much younger than other applicants, or am I strong enough?
I enjoy research especially when it's a topic I'm interested in, but def prefer clinical
Research interests: anything forensic or correctional related, risk assessment, juvenile delinquency, extreme and persistent mental disorders, aggression, dark triad personality traits, etc.

Schools:

Clinical PsyDs
- Baylor
- Georgia Southern

Clinical PhDs
- East Tennessee State
- U of Maine
- UNC Wilmington
- U of South Florida (probably will take off)
- WVU
- Suffolk U
- U of North Texas
- Central Michigan
- Pitt
- Drexel

Counseling Psych PhDs
- U of Southern Mississippi
- U of South Alabama (combined clinical/counseling)

My main questions are is it worth it for me to apply this year/do I have a shot? Which of these programs are long shot schools and should be taken off my list given my stats? Any other suggestions for schools to add/faculty to look into?

Based on the fact that you've been actively participating in research and have a good general background, I think it's worth applying this next cycle.

I'm aware of some programs you listed and 2 that will be among the more competitive will be Baylor and UNT.

I think Baylor gets more apps than a similar statured funded PhD since they are one of the only funded PsyDs so the applicant pool is likely punching above its weight (it's a very solid but not top of the mountain type of program).

From some UNT grads that I know, UNT is high on research productivity. It also has a number of very Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focused faculty with direct lineage to Russ Wilson (I think). So they may be looking for both a good CV and a certain ACT-y vibe (if you're applying to those faculty).

I would still recommend you apply to both places. If you don't get an offer there or at other programs, it's likely internal fit considerations that you wouldn't be privy to or potentially a situation where you're running up against a ton of really, really stellar candidates (less likely IMO). Good luck!

 

[Epak333]

Based on the fact that you've been actively participating in research and have a good general background, I think it's worth applying this next cycle.

I'm aware of some programs you listed and 2 that will be among the more competitive will be Baylor and UNT.

I think Baylor gets more apps than a similar statured funded PhD since they are one of the only funded PsyDs so the applicant pool is likely punching above its weight (it's a very solid but not top of the mountain type of program).

From some UNT grads that I know, UNT is high on research productivity. It also has a number of very Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focused faculty with direct lineage to Russ Wilson (I think). So they may be looking for both a good CV and a certain ACT-y vibe (if you're applying to those faculty).

I would still recommend you apply to both places. If you don't get an offer there or at other programs, it's likely internal fit considerations that you wouldn't be privy to or potentially a situation where you're running up against a ton of really, really stellar candidates (less likely IMO). Good luck!

Thanks so much for the reply! Baylor is like my reach school and UNT I am also unsure about so isn't my top choice, but I'll probably keep both on my list. Glad to hear it's worthwhile for me to apply this cycle!

 

[propsych]

Hi everyone,

I have applied twice in the last 5 years. The first, no responses. The second I got an interview and expected an offer but their funding fell through.

Research assistant for 7 years. want to study inhibition control, decision making, and self-regulation. Looking to apply for developmental and cognitive psych programs.

Will be applying to most programs in NYC- NYU, Columbia, CUNY these are my top choices beyond just location.
And still deciding on which out of state I want beyond U of Washington, Yale, Harvard, U of minnesota, boston u, stanford, rochester u, maybe buffalo (where i had my only interview before)

Graduated college in 2018 with a 3.0. -2.0 first two years, 4.0 last two years.
most programs are refusing gre's but i can retake.
A few years back i got a v-162, q-155ish and a 4 without studying

reu nsf fellow in college

2- 3rd author pubs- one on developmental psych and one on covid and substance use
1- 1st author pub in prep and wont be ready in time
over 10 posters national, international

Worked with pre-k children (part time research gig)
citation specialist for nih (contract gig)
Lab manager back in college
5 years at same neurodynamics lab researching substance use with several promotions

If anyone could look through my cv and offer ways to improve it that would be awesome. Please let me know and I will private message it to you along with my immense gratitude!

 

[chicandtoughness]

Hi everyone,

I have applied twice in the last 5 years. The first, no responses. The second I got an interview and expected an offer but their funding fell through.

Research assistant for 7 years. want to study inhibition control, decision making, and self-regulation. Looking to apply for developmental and cognitive psych programs.

Will be applying to most programs in NYC- NYU, Columbia, CUNY these are my top choices beyond just location.
And still deciding on which out of state I want beyond U of Washington, Yale, Harvard, U of minnesota, boston u, stanford, rochester u, maybe buffalo (where i had my only interview before)

Graduated college in 2018 with a 3.0. -2.0 first two years, 4.0 last two years.
most programs are refusing gre's but i can retake.
A few years back i got a v-162, q-155ish and a 4 without studying

reu nsf fellow in college

2- 3rd author pubs- one on developmental psych and one on covid and substance use
1- 1st author pub in prep and wont be ready in time
over 10 posters national, international

Worked with pre-k children (part time research gig)
citation specialist for nih (contract gig)
Lab manager back in college
5 years at same neurodynamics lab researching substance use with several promotions

If anyone could look through my cv and offer ways to improve it that would be awesome. Please let me know and I will private message it to you along with my immense gratitude!

Truthfully you seem competitive if your goal is to get in to *any* program. That said, based on your HIGHLY competitive list, the the GPA and GRE might be a barrier. You're literally applying for very top schools who lean very far into the research end and have a giant pile of superstar applications. You have pubs and research experience but they're going to be really rough to get into. I would suggest expanding the types of schools you're applying to, throw in some "lower tier" (I hate that phrase but can't think of anything better to use) schools.