WAMC: What Are My Chances

[futureapppsy2]

Moving to WAMC.

Also, no offense, but your post seems a tad... arrogant. I mean, your CV sounds good, but in psychology grad school admissions practically everyone's CV is really good--one of those "excellent is average" situations. I'm curious, as you said your undergrad thesis was published in "several" journals--how many publications do you have? Maybe others can correct me here, but I'm a bit dubious that a thesis, especially an undergrad thesis, could realistically make more than 2-3 articles (which would still be impressive, especially if they were top tier journals). Also, pretty much everyone will have glowing letters of recommendation. That doesn't mean they aren't helpful, but if it's likely to be more notable (in a negative way) if you don't have them than notable (in a positive way) if you do.

Like others have said, your GRE is likely to get you weeded out at some (most?) programs--you're a competitive applicant but that low GRE could cause your application not to get the full measure of attention. Some may indeed overlook it, but it's a pretty big gamble, IMO. Good luck!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[somedude14]

Moving to WAMC.

Also, no offense, but your post seems a tad... arrogant. I mean, your CV sounds good, but in psychology grad school admissions practically everyone's CV is really good--one of those "excellent is average" situations.

I'm glad someone finally said this! The OP has a CV like many applicants but presents himself or herself like they are the greatest psychology applicant minus an aberrant GRE score.


Anyway, just echoing other posters. Yes, you most certainly need to retake the GRE. If you have time to come on here and boast, you have time to study.

best of luck to ya

 

[cara susanna]

I suggest taking GRE practice tests over and over. I raised my quant from a 300 to a 500 this way (still wasn't high enough, but it was a good start).

 

[spafticus]

I doubt this applies to everyone, but the one thing that worked for me is to study the explanations of practice problems (many GRE help books provide these, while the ETS tests do not). I found that I was learning bad strategies and making the same types of mistakes before I just focused on studying the explanations without trying to first answer the questions.

Best of luck!

 

[psychyology]

.

 

[walt55054life]

Just looking to get some weigh in....or should I post as it's own thread and have it moved to get it looked at?

Alright, took the GRE today and the format was completely different than all the practice tests I took (avg'd about 520V, 690-Q). Also, I'm the first to admit I should have put more of an effort on raw definitions. Anyway, (seems to be a theme of alliteration of A's)I felt like I was taken off my element and underperformed.

1070 (440-V, 630-Q)-all unofficial

I was so upset, knowing how competitive PhD clinical programs are.

Currently I at ECU I have:
3.7 GPA(hoping to finish with >3.82)

3.625 psych GPA (A in stats, yet to take research methods and 4 other reaming psych courses)

I have 1 semester in the lab about 9hr/week (presented a poster publication at UNC)

I am waiting to hear back about volunteering at REALcrisis center during my upcoming senior year. I will continue doing research and plan on completing a thesis for graduation (I have rattled my scientific mind and believe I found something a professor would love to support).

Now, what to do what to do....I am retaking the revised GRE on Sept 30 since the old will no longer be available (and students love saving money-50% off Aug/Sept). MY QUESTION-if I don't do significantly better on this GRE WAMC????

I am a 25 year old transfer student who has completed my A.A. so I have only been at ECU for 1 year and I am trying to build stronger relationships with professors; and believe I will have LORs covered.

I'm not your typical student and it is expressed, explained, and then approved (by a good number of eyes) in my SOP. Lost father in 05 to lung cancer, was his executor and friend-took a while to get my academic career on track, but now have caught back up with my potential, etc....

Here are a list of programs I like and feel would be a good fit:

UofA (Tuscaloosa)
USC (South Carolina)
UNC-G
UNC
UT Knoxville
WV
Wake Forest (MA-they train almost exclusively for admission to PhD programs)
Fordam
FSU
UGA
Uof Illinois
UNL (Nebraska-Lincoln)
Syracuse
Kentucky
UVA

Also, any other solid MA programs preparing students for PhD study? Discovered some info on a PhD in clinical counseling, what is this all about (looks like it involves research-usually need MA to apply)?

Any help, advice, etc will be received favorably-I'm sooo distraught by my scores today

 

[futureapppsy2]

Alright, took the GRE today and the format was completely different than all the practice tests I took (avg'd about 520V, 690-Q). Also, I'm the first to admit I should have put more of an effort on raw definitions. Anyway, (seems to be a theme of alliteration of A's)I felt like I was taken off my element and underperformed.

1070 (440-V, 630-Q)-all unofficial

I was so upset, knowing how competitive PhD clinical programs are.

Currently I at ECU I have:
3.7 GPA(hoping to finish with >3.82)

3.625 psych GPA (A in stats, yet to take research methods and 4 other reaming psych courses)

I have 1 semester in the lab about 9hr/week (presented a poster publication at UNC)

I am waiting to hear back about volunteering at REALcrisis center during my upcoming senior year. I will continue doing research and plan on completing a thesis for graduation (I have rattled my scientific mind and believe I found something a professor would love to support).

Now, what to do what to do....I am retaking the revised GRE on Sept 30 since the old will no longer be available (and students love saving money-50% off Aug/Sept). MY QUESTION-if I don't do significantly better on this GRE WAMC????

I am a 25 year old transfer student who has completed my A.A. so I have only been at ECU for 1 year and I am trying to build stronger relationships with professors; and believe I will have LORs covered.

I'm not your typical student and it is expressed, explained, and then approved (by a good number of eyes) in my SOP. Lost father in 05 to lung cancer, was his executor and friend-took a while to get my academic career on track, but now have caught back up with my potential, etc....

Here are a list of programs I like and feel would be a good fit:

UofA (Tuscaloosa)
USC (South Carolina)
UNC-G
UNC
UT Knoxville
WV
Wake Forest (MA-they train almost exclusively for admission to PhD programs)
Fordam
FSU
UGA
Uof Illinois
UNL (Nebraska-Lincoln)
Syracuse
Kentucky
UVA

Also, any other solid MA programs preparing students for PhD study? Discovered some info on a PhD in clinical counseling, what is this all about (looks like it involves research-usually need MA to apply)?

Any help, advice, etc will be received favorably-I'm sooo distraught by my scores today

Honestly, your low GRE score plus your fairly minimal research experience will really hurt you at a lot of programs. Of course, you still have an additional semester to pump up your CV before submitting apps, but it may be a struggle, as most applicants will have more than two semesters of research experience. JMO. If you can get your GRE up to 1250-ish+, it might be worth a shot, but I think your relatively minimal research experience will still make things difficult. Wake Forest MA is generally considered really good for preparing students indeed. In general, any MA program that's funded would be your best bet. Is there a reason you're considering that versus working for two years as an RA?

 

[walt55054life]

Honestly, your low GRE score plus your fairly minimal research experience will really hurt you at a lot of programs. Of course, you still have an additional semester to pump up your CV before submitting apps, but it may be a struggle, as most applicants will have more than two semesters of research experience. JMO. If you can get your GRE up to 1250-ish+, it might be worth a shot, but I think your relatively minimal research experience will still make things difficult. Wake Forest MA is generally considered really good for preparing students indeed. In general, any MA program that's funded would be your best bet. Is there a reason you're considering that versus working for two years as an RA?

I just don't particularly want to spend sometime away from studying-I'm already 25, recently engaged, and getting married in 3-4 years (yet to set a date). I really want to be finished with coursework before truly attempting to have our first child. Mostly it is personal desires, which never happen the way I want them to anyway.
With that said, I have considered the RA 2 yr deal thing and have discussed it with my fiance--those are usually paid right? In the end want to be able to be a state/federal correctional psychologist, but want to be trained to do adequate research, train, and teach as well. Hence, the PhD in clinical psych.
It's long winded, but I feel that working towards my MA/MS would be more beneficial than being a RA for 2-3 years--or is this the wrong assumption?

And, thanks for your response

 

[paramour]

Hey folks,

My apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere on this site and I missed it, but does anyone know how competitive Pepperdine's PsyD program is? Any stats on ratio of applicants to admits?

Thanks in advance...

I didn't see exact stats, but from their site:

"The average undergraduate grade point average for students in the 2002-2008 entering classes was 3.29 (Range: 2.3 – 4.0); average GRE Verbal Test Score was 528 (Range: 310 - 800); average GRE Quantitative Test score was 574 (Range: 270 – 800) and average Psychology Subject Test Score was 614 (Range: 280 – 820)."

The program also requires a master's degree in psych or closely related field. I don't recall whether or not you're one of those folks who has a master's already, as I'm only around sporadically.

From their admissions/outcome data, it seems that they have ~26-31 students per year applying for internship and/or graduating, so I would presume that this is their average class size. I didn't see anything regarding how many applicants they received each year, however (which one would think would be on their "admissions data" page ).

 

[busybusybusy]

Just looking to get some weigh in....or should I post as it's own thread and have it moved to get it looked at?

I'm going to be brutally honest with you, I'm also interested in correctional psych and applied to many of the programs you mentioned. With your GRE scores you won't make it past the cutoff. Also, your lack of research won't get you interviews at those schools. I'm not trying to be mean, but I don't want you to spend money and energy applying to get disappointed. I had a similar GPA, higher GREs and two years of research experience working with one of the top correctional researchers and I got flat out rejections from some of them.

 

[rabre001]

Hi... I need your help in letting me know what you think about my chances of getting into a PsyD/PhD program.. Here are my stats....

Bacchelor:
Major: Biology Education (Not Psychology)
GPA: 3.24
Florida International University

Master:
Mental Health Counseling & School Counseling (NON thesis; but over 1000 of practicum/internship hours)
GPA: 3.9
GRE: 1100

Research Experience/ Further experience:

- Co-author in two papers with a faculty staff. Topic: Parent attachment and gay individuals

- Volunteer for two week on a camp for authistic children

- Assisted a faculty on a qualitative research. Topic: Hispanics and Sexual disclosure boundaries between parents and children/teenagers.

Schools I am want to attend, in order of preference.
UM (preference)
NOVA (preference)
FIU
FAU
USF
UCF

What are my chances.. can anyone advise? Thanks

 

[PerhapsMaybeOk]

Hi... I need your help in letting me know what you think about my chances of getting into a PsyD/PhD program.. Here are my stats....

Bacchelor:
Major: Biology Education (Not Psychology)
GPA: 3.24
Florida International University

Master:
Mental Health Counseling & School Counseling (NON thesis; but over 1000 of practicum/internship hours)
GPA: 3.9
GRE: 1100

Research Experience/ Further experience:

- Co-author in two papers with a faculty staff. Topic: Parent attachment and gay individuals

- Volunteer for two week on a camp for authistic children

- Assisted a faculty on a qualitative research. Topic: Hispanics and Sexual disclosure boundaries between parents and children/teenagers.

Schools I am want to attend, in order of preference.
UM (preference)
NOVA (preference)
FIU
FAU
USF
UCF

What are my chances.. can anyone advise? Thanks

I stopped reading at your grammatical error in your post title

 

[rabre001]

I stopped reading at your grammatical error in your post title

Sorry for the grammatical errors.... But I would greatly appreciate it if you can help me.. Thanks...

 

[PrisonPsych]

You need to post this in the WAMC thread.

 

[rabre001]

You need to post this in the WAMC thread.

Thank you! Will do...

 

[GreenAcademe]

Hi... I need your help in letting me know what you think about my chances of getting into a PsyD/PhD program.. Here are my stats....

Bacchelor:
Major: Biology Education (Not Psychology)
GPA: 3.24
Florida International University

Master:
Mental Health Counseling & School Counseling (NON thesis; but over 1000 of practicum/internship hours)
GPA: 3.9
GRE: 1100

Research Experience/ Further experience:

- Co-author in two papers with a faculty staff. Topic: Parent attachment and gay individuals

- Volunteer for two week on a camp for authistic children

- Assisted a faculty on a qualitative research. Topic: Hispanics and Sexual disclosure boundaries between parents and children/teenagers.

Schools I am want to attend, in order of preference.
UM (preference)
NOVA (preference)
FIU
FAU
USF
UCF

What are my chances.. can anyone advise? Thanks

Did you have a specific research area you're interested in? It seems from your schools that you may be focusing more on location (staying in FL) rather than on a good research fit with a program/POI. Having made that mistake myself last year, you might want to avoid feeling overly tied to a specific state/area unless you have a very good reason for not being open to relocation. Just my 0.02... Also, your GRE scores are going to be a bit low for places like USF and UM... You should do some digging on their acceptance data and rethink any schools that aren't within about 50 points either way of your verbal and quantitative scores.

Other than that it seems that you have some decent research experience (but the more, the merrier) and clinical experience. I'm sure you'll be a good candidate for several programs as long as you demonstrate fit with the program and POIs!

 

[walt55054life]

I'm going to be brutally honest with you, I'm also interested in correctional psych and applied to many of the programs you mentioned. With your GRE scores you won't make it past the cutoff. Also, your lack of research won't get you interviews at those schools. I'm not trying to be mean, but I don't want you to spend money and energy applying to get disappointed. I had a similar GPA, higher GREs and two years of research experience working with one of the top correctional researchers and I got flat out rejections from some of them.

Hence my concern and disappointment. Did you get accepted anywhere? I feel if I received an interview I would be okay-and am retaking the GRE Sept 30th. Thank you for not sugar coating it, but do you feel if I do better on the GRE I could be okay? If not, what do you recommend? Master's clinical/general, MSW, RA for a few years until GRE is top notch??

 

[rabre001]

Did you have a specific research area you're interested in? It seems from your schools that you may be focusing more on location (staying in FL) rather than on a good research fit with a program/POI. Having made that mistake myself last year, you might want to avoid feeling overly tied to a specific state/area unless you have a very good reason for not being open to relocation. Just my 0.02... Also, your GRE scores are going to be a bit low for places like USF and UM... You should do some digging on their acceptance data and rethink any schools that aren't within about 50 points either way of your verbal and quantitative scores.

Other than that it seems that you have some decent research experience (but the more, the merrier) and clinical experience. I'm sure you'll be a good candidate for several programs as long as you demonstrate fit with the program and POIs!

Hi,

Thanks for your feedback. I will definitely look at other schools out of state. Do you think the fact that my UNDERGRAD GPA is not that high and my major is not in Psych. that it will hurt me? Or by having a Master in counseling and some research experience, plus the hands-on hours, will give me a chance at some programs?
Also, I might consider retaking the GRE, although it will have to be the new GRE....

Thanks again... any further advice will help!

 

[PsychPhDone]

Hence my concern and disappointment. Did you get accepted anywhere? I feel if I received an interview I would be okay-and am retaking the GRE Sept 30th. Thank you for not sugar coating it, but do you feel if I do better on the GRE I could be okay? If not, what do you recommend? Master's clinical/general, MSW, RA for a few years until GRE is top notch??

You've yet to take a research methods course, right? You'll need to do well in that and beef up research experience. I'd suggest a Masters in experimental psych or working 2 years doing research full time. I'm not sure your GRE would be good enough to get your into a Masters program but both options would buy you time to study for the GRE again before it's time to apply for doctoral programs. You'll want more research experience anyway.

 

[GreenAcademe]

Hi,

Thanks for your feedback. I will definitely look at other schools out of state. Do you think the fact that my UNDERGRAD GPA is not that high and my major is not in Psych. that it will hurt me? Or by having a Master in counseling and some research experience, plus the hands-on hours, will give me a chance at some programs?
Also, I might consider retaking the GRE, although it will have to be the new GRE....

Thanks again... any further advice will help!

I would assume that your Master's GPA would be the focus and I doubt that your undergrad major will make much of a difference. I would also guess that your research and clinical experience will be fine... but since you haven't seemed to single out a more specific research focus you may have trouble convincing some programs/POIs of fit. I'd work on that sooner rather than later. Also, are you more interested in research or practice? If you aren't as interested in research I'd try to stick to the Psy.D programs since they'll likely be a better fit and maybe not have as many (in theory) research-strong applicants to compete with.

 

[wellwellwell]

To start, I plan on applying to Clinical Psych PhD programs. At this point, for financial reasons, a Masters is not an option, at all.

GRE is a 1260 (620 V, 640 Q)
Again, for financial reasons, cannot retake this or afford a prep course. I have taken it three times already, to be honest.

Undergrad GPA is a 3.1 (started premed, did quite bad in all hard science classes besides neuro)
Senior year GPA is a 3.7, but junior year isn't great due to an F in organic chemistry
Psych GPA is 3.5

Based on my performance in my psych classes, I thought the Psych GPA was higher, and now that I have my transcripts in hand, I'm concerned.

I have three years of relevant research experience, a number of first author posters and second/third author pubs, and glowing letters of recommendation. I'm not geographically limited, am applying to a range of schools and am focused on fit with the PI.

Do I stand a chance with these numbers? I know they will make it past some 3.0/1200 cutoffs, but I'm certainly worried they're going to drag down all my other work.

 

[walt55054life]

You've yet to take a research methods course, right? You'll need to do well in that and beef up research experience. I'd suggest a Masters in experimental psych or working 2 years doing research full time. I'm not sure your GRE would be good enough to get your into a Masters program but both options would buy you time to study for the GRE again before it's time to apply for doctoral programs. You'll want more research experience anyway.

Correct on research methods, but I am confident I will land an A+, especially since I'm done with my Spanish. I'm taking the revised GRE on sept 30; and I really thin I just wasn't focused the first time and caught of guard when I saw the writing portion first.....I guess I'll know on the 30th what to do what to do

 

[PrisonPsych]

To start, I plan on applying to Clinical Psych PhD programs. At this point, for financial reasons, a Masters is not an option, at all.

GRE is a 1260 (620 V, 640 Q)
Again, for financial reasons, cannot retake this or afford a prep course. I have taken it three times already, to be honest.

Undergrad GPA is a 3.1 (started premed, did quite bad in all hard science classes besides neuro)
Senior year GPA is a 3.7, but junior year isn't great due to an F in organic chemistry
Psych GPA is 3.5

Based on my performance in my psych classes, I thought the Psych GPA was higher, and now that I have my transcripts in hand, I'm concerned.

I have three years of relevant research experience, a number of first author posters and second/third author pubs, and glowing letters of recommendation. I'm not geographically limited, am applying to a range of schools and am focused on fit with the PI.

Do I stand a chance with these numbers? I know they will make it past some 3.0/1200 cutoffs, but I'm certainly worried they're going to drag down all my other work.

Being honest, your GPA is going to eliminate you from making it past the initial consideration at most (though not all) schools. Many doc program's require you to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA while in the doc program, and they're going to see the ability to maintain even close to that while an undergrad to be a risky gamble for letting you in. Your GRE is fine, and the rest of your info looks good, but getting a foot in the door at most schools will be difficult.

 

[rabre001]

I would assume that your Master's GPA would be the focus and I doubt that your undergrad major will make much of a difference. I would also guess that your research and clinical experience will be fine... but since you haven't seemed to single out a more specific research focus you may have trouble convincing some programs/POIs of fit. I'd work on that sooner rather than later. Also, are you more interested in research or practice? If you aren't as interested in research I'd try to stick to the Psy.D programs since they'll likely be a better fit and maybe not have as many (in theory) research-strong applicants to compete with.

Thanks for your feedback... Yes... I would be more interested in a PsyD program. Unfortunately, there is more funding for PhD programs.
Also, when you mention narrowing down my research do you mean making some kind of connection between the two research papers I did? Or you mean keep on doing research and concentrate on one thing?
What both my papers have in common is that they both involved/worked with/studied Hispanics. Do I will be able to "pull that" as a common link for my research experience?

Thanks... Sorry for all the questions but I really like the feedback, helps me be a better candidate.. Thanks...

 

[cara susanna]

wellwellwell: You'd be best off going to a Masters program and getting a stellar GPA so you can demonstrate to programs that you can handle graduate coursework.

 

[rachels]

So, about me, I'll just be starting my senior year and looking to go straight into a clinical psych PhD program.the numbers...
I have a 3.9 overall GPA, probably similar psych GPA. And GRE I got a 710 V and 760 Q.

Clinical experience- I was a peer health intern for a year, doing presentations, tablings, events on alcohol and drug safety on campus. I also am in a school psych internship for over a year in which we supervise their recess and help with conflict resolution as well as help with referals to the school psychologist. I also worked at an autism center, helping track the progress of a child before and after the use of interventions.

Research experience- I go to a large research university so I got a lot of experience but not really ANY in what I want to research because it just wasn't available. 6 months in a cognitive psych lab taking pictures used in an experiment on perception. 6 months in a social psych lab measuring, weighing, debriefing, running experiments with participants. a year in a social/ health psych lab on relationships in which I helped run experiments, hooked up participants to pulse, blood flow, breathing rate monitors. Just starting a senior project with another professor in fall...

From these I should be able to get good LoR, I was very dedicated, reliable.

I guess my biggest problem has been deciding where to apply... and I could really use some advise. Though I would love to apply to UCLA, Boulder, Columbia, and similar schools for the funding, locations, interesting research etc the programs seem very minded in producing people who want to research for their career whereas I really see myself working in a rehab facility or hospital setting. I am really interested in substance abuse disorders. Are there people who have a career like this but also research in some way? Should I be looking at schools that don't focus on research so much? Such as...?

Also, my background has been pretty diverse because I didn't really know what I wanted to do in psychology... I just really liked everything but have finally made up my mind. will this hurt my app?

 

[Sinz]

'm a Malaysian still pursuing Pre-U course. I really wish to be a SLP one day. Unfortunately, there isn't much universities/colleges offering Bachelors in Speech Pathology in my country here. I've been wondering whether is it actually possible for me to pursue my Masters in Speech Pathology in overseas countries after completing my degree course in Psychology here. Please guide me.

 

[manzel1]

I'm so glad to have found this site!
I'm applying to Ph.D. programs in clinical psychology for Fall 2012.
I'm concerned that my research experiences are (1) not exclusively clinical in nature, and (2) some are simple data entry.
Okay, so here goes...

General Undergraduate Statistics:
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with High Honors (2008)
Overall GPA: 3.59, graduated cum laude
Provost List: Spring 2007
Dean’s List: Fall 2004, Fall 2005, Fall 2007
Phi Eta Sigma (National Honor Society)
Presidential Scholarship
Golden Key National Honor Society

GRE Scores:
Psychology GRE: 690 (76th percentile)
Verbal GRE: 640 (92nd percentile)
Quantitative GRE: 630 (54th percentile)
Analytical Writing GRE: 6.0 (99th percentile)

Research:

Honors Thesis (cognitive developmental) - 1/07-8/08
Lit. review, design experiment, conduct interviews, statistical analyses, APA-format manuscript, defend in front of a panel (awarded high honors for this work)

Research Assistant (clinical) - 8/10 - Present
"Symptom Predictors of Verbal Aggression in Acute Psychiatric Inpatients"(Fifth author)
Submitted for March 2011 publication in The Behavior Therapist
Interview inpatients with battery of tests, data entry, etc.

Research Assistant (clinical) - 6/10 - Present
Basic data entry for Rorshach Inkblot Test study (transcribing data from written reports to Excel spreadsheet)

Research Assistant (cognitive developmental) - 5/07-10/07
Preparing study materials, interviewing participants, data entry, database maintenance, etc.

Clinical Experience:

Crisis Hotline Counselor - 6/10-5/11
Residential counselor for the severely and persistently mentally ill/chemically addicted - 1/09-Present

What do you guys think my chances are at getting into (1) funded PhD programs, (2) partially funded PhD programs, (3) PsyD programs?

I'm interested in Duquesne, Long Island University, maybe NYU, Fairleigh Dickinson, university at Albany, and others...

I'm considering trying to get a paid research job in the interim.

THANKS!!!!

 

[Psychcs]

Hey psych peeps !

I am now in my senior year and I require some advice badly.
I have a GRE of 1140 ( I know this is rather low) and a GPA of 3.5 now (hoping to end it off with a 3.6)

Now... I wish to continue my education in graduate school immediately after I graduate next year spring. PhD application is due this december for me and Masters in March next year. I know that I can get more research experience and higher GPA after my fall semester but that will not be reflected in my application for PhD this december.

Is it advisable for me to pursue a Masters first and not wait for PhD? or should I just apply both and give it a shot?

 

[PsyDLICSW]

Hey psych peeps !

I am now in my senior year and I require some advice badly.
I have a GRE of 1140 ( I know this is rather low) and a GPA of 3.5 now (hoping to end it off with a 3.6)

Now... I wish to continue my education in graduate school immediately after I graduate next year spring. PhD application is due this december for me and Masters in March next year. I know that I can get more research experience and higher GPA after my fall semester but that will not be reflected in my application for PhD this december.

Is it advisable for me to pursue a Masters first and not wait for PhD? or should I just apply both and give it a shot?

I think giving the PhD application process a shot is a good experience because it will help prepare you for what to expect. It is very competitive and excellent student = mediocre student in clinical psych. My GRE score was not too different from yours and I got rejected automatically becuase if you don't meet the GRE cutoff/average (which is ususally not published at most programs) the admissions committe will not look at the rest of your application no matter how good it is. PsyD programs housed in universities are less strict about GRE scores but not by much. The PsyD cutoff is usually 1000, while PhD is 1200. I suggest thinking about your career goals and searching this forum on different paths to take (e.g. MSW, PhD/PsyDpsych, PhD/PSyD school psych, PhD social work, PhD marriage and familt therapy, PhD. counselor education, MA counseling. MA marriage and family therapy, etc). The simple way to think about it is, masters= practicing therapy, Phd/PsyD psych and school psych= therapy, testing, research and teaching, PhD non psych (e.g. social work, counselor ed, MFT) = therapy, teaching and research. Hope this helps.

 

[Psychcs]

Now this is the issue I am facing, I understand that I am at a borderline kinda position for application to a PhD program but I suppose I am in a great shape for a Masters with Clinical concentration.

My goal is simple, to be a psychologist that can practice and perhaps do research in future.
Your summarizing of the various program is definitely helpful!

It leads back to my question. Should I apply for both masters and phd or just for my masters with my current stats?

 

[beantownpsych]

Hey psych peeps !

I am now in my senior year and I require some advice badly.
I have a GRE of 1140 ( I know this is rather low) and a GPA of 3.5 now (hoping to end it off with a 3.6)

Now... I wish to continue my education in graduate school immediately after I graduate next year spring. PhD application is due this december for me and Masters in March next year. I know that I can get more research experience and higher GPA after my fall semester but that will not be reflected in my application for PhD this december.

Is it advisable for me to pursue a Masters first and not wait for PhD? or should I just apply both and give it a shot?

Depends on your prior research experience (any publications? posters?) and LORs. If you are without solid research experience it may be more beneficial to take a (hopefully paid!) RA position after you graduate than to go the MA route. Your GPA will most likely be competitive at a 3.6, so I don't really see a the benefit of going for your masters. Honestly, I think you'll have the most luck w/ PhD programs if you focus on obtaining solid research experience and work on raising your GRE score.

 

[beantownpsych]

I'm so glad to have found this site!
I'm applying to Ph.D. programs in clinical psychology for Fall 2012.
I'm concerned that my research experiences are (1) not exclusively clinical in nature, and (2) some are simple data entry.
Okay, so here goes...

General Undergraduate Statistics:
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with High Honors (2008)
Overall GPA: 3.59, graduated cum laude
Provost List: Spring 2007
Dean’s List: Fall 2004, Fall 2005, Fall 2007
Phi Eta Sigma (National Honor Society)
Presidential Scholarship
Golden Key National Honor Society

GRE Scores:
Psychology GRE: 690 (76th percentile)
Verbal GRE: 640 (92nd percentile)
Quantitative GRE: 630 (54th percentile)
Analytical Writing GRE: 6.0 (99th percentile)

Research:

Honors Thesis (cognitive developmental) - 1/07-8/08
Lit. review, design experiment, conduct interviews, statistical analyses, APA-format manuscript, defend in front of a panel (awarded high honors for this work)

Research Assistant (clinical) - 8/10 - Present
"Symptom Predictors of Verbal Aggression in Acute Psychiatric Inpatients"(Fifth author)
Submitted for March 2011 publication in The Behavior Therapist
Interview inpatients with battery of tests, data entry, etc.

Research Assistant (clinical) - 6/10 - Present
Basic data entry for Rorshach Inkblot Test study (transcribing data from written reports to Excel spreadsheet)

Research Assistant (cognitive developmental) - 5/07-10/07
Preparing study materials, interviewing participants, data entry, database maintenance, etc.

Clinical Experience:

Crisis Hotline Counselor - 6/10-5/11
Residential counselor for the severely and persistently mentally ill/chemically addicted - 1/09-Present

What do you guys think my chances are at getting into (1) funded PhD programs, (2) partially funded PhD programs, (3) PsyD programs?

I'm interested in Duquesne, Long Island University, maybe NYU, Fairleigh Dickinson, university at Albany, and others...

I'm considering trying to get a paid research job in the interim.

THANKS!!!!

I think you're competitive for funded/partially funded PhD programs (depending, of course, on how well your interests/experiences match with the faculty). Submitting/publishing your honors thesis for publication would make you even more competitive. It's great that you were recognized for your thesis (and definitely a point in your favor) but I guess if I were to review the application I'd wonder about the follow through re: publication. Still, I think your stats will get you looked at...

 

[JMae22]

I am currently an undergraduate student going into my 4th year and about to receive my BS in Secondary Education with an Emphasis in Mathematics. The school that I am at does not have a strong psychology program so my plan was to get my first BS here (I decided to stay at the university because I am on scholarship for athletics) and then transfer to another university to get a BS in psychology; however, I am now considering getting a MS in Psychology (since my ultimate goal is to get a PhD in Psy). My psychology background (prior to transferring to either program) includes...

Courses taken - Intro to Psy, Social Psy, Health Psy and Psy Stats (GPA- 4.0)
Future courses I will take - Research Methods and Edu Psy
Research - Semester long internship at a pain clinic under a psychologist, currently doing research under a professor at the school I am transferring to.
I have not taken my GRE's yet.

What are my chances in getting into a Master's Program with my background?
Thank you!

 

[whyhellothere]

Hi all!

I’ve been lurking for the past couple of weeks after I finally finished my GRE- Hooray! I’m going to be a senior this fall at a top 5 public school, and am interested in Clinical Psych (like eeeeveryone else) My stats are:

Overall GPA: 3.77 (hopefully can raise that to 3.84 and graduate summa cum laude)
Psych GPA: 3.96
GRE: 670 V, 740 Q; 5.5 AWA; Total: 1410
Dean’s List: Spring 2010
Psi Chi member

Research Experience:
-3 semesters (5 by the time I graduate) as a research assistant in a clinical/ cultural lab, conducting psychological interviews using tests like Woodcock Johnson with children and doing data entry
-1 semester (3 by the time I graduate) as a research assistant in an infant/ emotion development lab, in charge of running several tasks on social and emotional development in infants.
-2 summers as a paid research assistant at a children’s hospital.
-First summer: worked on a literature review on anxiety, parent training and ran a couple of participants for a biofeedback project. Also created a poster and presented to a group of peers at the Child and Research Family Institute. I also got to participate in some psychiatry resident training, observed clinical interviews and attended weekly clinical meetings discussing referrals and all that.
-During the second summer, worked on a literature review on cost effectiveness, and updated literature on anxiety/OCD disorders/ treatment. Also worked on writing a part of a computer-gaming study and doing various data interpretation tasks (hopefully I will be an author on this paper)

Other Psych-related things:
-will be writing a literature review honor’s thesis on cost effectiveness of CBT
-associate editor for an undergraduate psychology journal on campus
-will (if I have time) work more closely with a graduate student in the first lab on another project

Others:
-am the student liaison to the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs for 2011-2012
-English minor
-play club lacrosse and play/perform traditional drumming

I’m mainly interested in Canadian schools (I’m originally from Canada) like U of T, UBC, York, etc but also want to apply to Columbia and Northwestern.. What do you guys think my chances are? Does anyone have any experience with Canadian schools?

I’m also thinking about taking a year off to strengthen my application and do more research, or volunteer/ work (abroad) with clinic populations. Thanks!!

 

[Cree]

Hello Everyone,

I am planning on applying to Clinical PhD programs this fall. I have a unique background and would love to hear others' thoughts about my qualifications thus far. I know how competitive these programs are, and I wonder if I need to spend another year taking undergrad/graduate course work, and/or obtaining more research experience.

Schools:

Fordham: Clinical Psych PhD
Columbia TC: Clinical Psych PhD
LIU Brooklyn Campus: Clinical Psych PhD
St Johns: Clinical Psych PhD
Adelphi: Clinical Psych PhD
Yeshiva: PsyD.

GREs:
V: 640
Q: 690
AW: 4.5 (I panicked)
Psych: Taking in Nov.

Clinical Internships:
Psych Dept at a major Hospital
In-patient Children's Psych at a prestigious research hospital

Volunteer Rape Crisis Counselor at NYC Hospital: 2 years
Volunteer Movement Specialist with pediatric oncology patients: 2 years

Research Experience:
1 year with Social Work Professor doing clinical/pedagogical research
Conference Paper Presentation
Publication (Co-Author: published in an international social work journal)

Undergraduate Major: Theater (GPA 3.62)
Graduate Degree: MSW in May 2012 (GPA 4.0)

I have an undergraduate major in theater and worked in television for several years. I now work as a health and fitness counselor privately. I am currently getting my MSW from a top program in NYC. I do not have undergraduate psych classes, but my program is very clinical and all of the required material has been covered in my MSW program, though under different names.
I took a Masters Statistics course in the graduate psych dept at my university to fulfill that requirement and I got an A ( I have a 4.0 graduate GPA; 3.62 undergrad GPA, but most of those classes were in the arts). In addition, the head of that program (and the statistics prof) has agreed to write me a letter of recommendation. I will also have a letter of recc. form the prof I have done research with and from someone at one of my clinical internships. Is this enough?

Thank you for your time!

 

[pittpsych]

Hello. I am planning on applying to graduate school this fall. I was hoping I could get an idea on where I stand in gaining admittance into a graduate program. Here are my admission criteria...

GPA:
Undergraduate GPA: 3.91
Psychology GPA: 4.00
Last 60 hours: 3.91

GRE:
I am scheduled to take the GRE next month. The preliminary data from my practice exams show scores around V-550 and Q-700; however, I'm not sure how reliable these are.

Experience:
I started a job at a mental health center as a psychological group leader for children with mental illnesses. I lack ample research experience. I was the author at a local poster presentation, I had a literature review for an academic honors research project on the development and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, and I plan to present another presentation this fall at a regional conference.

Schools:
These are a few programs I plan on applying to:
University of Kansas-Ph.D.
University of Arkansas-Ph.D.
University of Wichita-Ph.D.
University of North Texas-Ph.D.
Denver University-Psy.D.
Roosevelt University-Psy.D.

And a couple of counseling psychology programs:
Iowa State University
University of Northern Colorado

I do have professors who will write letters of recommendation. So, do I have any chance of gaining admission? I believe my lack of research experience will cause a few problems to the Ph.D. programs. Thank you for anyone who chooses to comment!!!

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

KU may be a reach if you don't have solid research experience. I know a number of people who went there, and they all said great things. If you go for an interview, say hi to Dr. Ilardi for me.

 

[Cree]

Hello Everyone,

I am planning on applying to Clinical PhD programs this fall. I have a unique background and would love to hear others' thoughts about my qualifications thus far. I know how competitive these programs are, and I wonder if I need to spend another year taking undergrad/graduate course work, and/or obtaining more research experience.

Schools:

Fordham: Clinical Psych PhD
Columbia TC: Clinical Psych PhD
LIU Brooklyn Campus: Clinical Psych PhD
St Johns: Clinical Psych PhD
Adelphi: Clinical Psych PhD
Yeshiva: PsyD.

GREs:
V: 640
Q: 690
AW: 4.5 (I panicked)
Psych: Taking in Nov.

Clinical Internships:
Psych Dept at a major Hospital
In-patient Children's Psych at a prestigious research hospital

Volunteer Rape Crisis Counselor at NYC Hospital: 2 years
Volunteer Movement Specialist with pediatric oncology patients: 2 years

Research Experience:
1 year with Social Work Professor doing clinical/pedagogical research
Conference Paper Presentation
Publication (Co-Author: published in an international social work journal)

Undergraduate Major: Theater (GPA 3.62)
Graduate Degree: MSW in May 2012 (GPA 4.0)

I have an undergraduate major in theater and worked in television for several years. I now work as a health and fitness counselor privately. I am currently getting my MSW from a top program in NYC. I do not have undergraduate psych classes, but my program is very clinical and all of the required material has been covered in my MSW program, though under different names.
I took a Masters Statistics course in the graduate psych dept at my university to fulfill that requirement and I got an A ( I have a 4.0 graduate GPA; 3.62 undergrad GPA, but most of those classes were in the arts). In addition, the head of that program (and the statistics prof) has agreed to write me a letter of recommendation. I will also have a letter of recc. form the prof I have done research with and from someone at one of my clinical internships. Is this enough?

Thank you for your time!

 

[RGH80]

I am going to be applying to I/O PhD and Masters programs for Fall 2012. I am a bit of a special case here. I am 30 years old and absolutely destroyed my GPA my first 2 years out of high school. Started going back to school when I was 27 and have a 3.95 GPA since coming back. I have had to work fulltime while taking fulltime classes. I have also been involved with 2 professors research teams for the last year and a half. That is the extent of my research experience though. I have worked in an office setting for the last 4 years in a postition that involves some improving of processes.
GPA overall: 3.65
GPA Junior/Senior: 3.97
GPA Psych 3.95
GRE: 1250(620V/630Q)
Research: 1.5 years as RA on 2 professors research teams
LOR's: 2 from the research professors should be really solid, the 3rd is probably going to have to be from this professor I have had for 2 classes(which I got A's in) who I have met with and talked psych stuff with during his office hours a few times.

Schools/Programs applying to

PhD
NYU(Social/Organizational)
Teachers College, Columbia(Social/Organizational)
Baruch College, CUNY(I/O)
Saint Louis University(I/O)
Colorado State University(I/O)
Florida International University(I/O)
Texas A&M University(I/O)
University of Oklahoma(I/O)
Washington State University(Social/Organizational)

Masters
Cal State Long Beach(I/O)
San Diego Sate University(I/O)
San Francisco State(I/O)
Baruch College, CUNY(I/O)
NYU(I/O)
Teachers College,Columbia University(Social/Organizational)
East Carolina University(I/O)



What do you guys think..?

 

[socialpsy]

I am going to be applying to I/O PhD and Masters programs for Fall 2012....

What do you guys think..?

Your credentials seem pretty solid on the whole. Two things:

1) In many cases I would say that GRE Q score is potentially clentcher. However, since you have a very nice distribution of programs, and otherwise decent credentials there is a greatly reduced likelihood that it'll leave you out in the cold, I think.

2) You've got research experience, but no products to show for (i.e. research posters, publications, etc; at least you didn't report any). This might make your C.V. look weak (more or less depending on how you format it), but chances are some people will still be interested in you. Also, if/when you get to interviews, your lack of presentations may lead some profs to more rigorously question you about the research projects you've worked on (but, those these are typically very frequent questions anyway).

Also, I wouldn't sweat about your 'young' GPA, or your age (if you even are..). Anyone reasonable realizes that people make mistakes, especially in youth, but that those mistakes don't define them or their character. Further, most professors would probably appreciate the ambition you displayed by returning to school, and I believe (opinion) that profs in applied professions tend to prefer people with a little more 'life' experience anyway.

Good luck!

 

[socialpsy]

Hello Everyone,

I am planning on applying to Clinical PhD programs this fall....

Thank you for your time!

Your other credentials are predominantly terrific.

But, the fact of the matter is, you will be competing against folks with at least the same credentials as you, plus a degree in psychology (or equivalent). You're going to need to reconcile that with interviewers and admissions committees, even if they don't ask (in the personal statement might be a good place for this). That will probably be tough, but you still have a shot. It may be that you have covered all of the topics in your other classes..., but that will not be obvious to admissions committees, and having to draw their attention to the fact that you meet basic course requirements (though probably necessary) will take away precious time that you could be using to tout your strengths. Even doing that, they may still question the similarity and content of the courses.

If you don't get in, take some psych courses and try again. Good luck!

 

[RGH80]

2) You've got research experience, but no products to show for (i.e. research posters, publications, etc; at least you didn't report any). This might make your C.V. look weak (more or less depending on how you format it), but chances are some people will still be interested in you. Also, if/when you get to interviews, your lack of presentations may lead some profs to more rigorously question you about the research projects you've worked on (but, those these are typically very frequent questions anyway).

Good luck!

Yeah not having any publications or poster presentations has kind of been a product of my crazy schedule. I've had time to participate in research, but not really to the extent that I would have liked. I'm actually trying to make a decision right now about whether to do an honors thesis. I would be delaying my graduation until spring if I do, but I would still be sending out grad applications this fall. So I guess I'm really just not sure how much it would actually help to be able to say that I'm working on a honors thesis even though I wouldn't be finished with it at the time I send out apps. The bad thing is I'd also be trying to work on the thesis while working 35 hrs a week, taking 15 hrs of classes, studying for the Psych GRE which I take Oct 15, and applying to grad schools. So needless to say I'm a bit worried that some of those areas could suffer if I try to pile an honors thesis on top. Do you think it would be worth it to just be able to mention that I'm working on one..?

 

[ndris970]

Hello,

My goal is to get into a PhD Cognitive Psychology/Neuropsychology program, and I have very specific research goals. However, I don't know if my numbers will be good enough for my application to be considered for a PhD, or if I should focus my attention on masters. There are very few master's programs for cog/neuro though...

I have an undergraduate degree in psychology clinical/counseling for 2 years now. After school I worked with developmental disabilities/mental health and DURING school I was heavily involved with research ( 2 1/2 years, atleast 5 conferences presentations), and supplemental instructor for a general psychology class, treasurer of psych club (while running a mentor program and GRE study group through it).

My concern; however, is my raw scores are a bit low. My GPA was only 3.42 and GREs (revised) ranging from v: 510-610 and q: 480-580.

Will I still be a competitive candidate for a PhD program straight out?

Thanks for your time..

 

[socialpsy]

Hello,

My goal is to get into a PhD Cognitive Psychology/Neuropsychology program, and I have very specific research goals. However, I don't know if my numbers will be good enough for my application to be considered for a PhD, or if I should focus my attention on masters. There are very few master's programs for cog/neuro though...

I have an undergraduate degree in psychology clinical/counseling for 2 years now. After school I worked with developmental disabilities/mental health and DURING school I was heavily involved with research ( 2 1/2 years, atleast 5 conferences presentations), and supplemental instructor for a general psychology class, treasurer of psych club (while running a mentor program and GRE study group through it).

My concern; however, is my raw scores are a bit low. My GPA was only 3.42 and GREs (revised) ranging from v: 510-610 and q: 480-580.

Will I still be a competitive candidate for a PhD program straight out?

Thanks for your time..

Your GPA is a little low, but not terribly so. Your biggest weakness is your quant score, which you really want to at least 650. If you don't manage at least a 540v/620q on the GRE, you'd probably have some trouble getting into a PhD program. If you can manage that score though, or close to it, you'd certainly have a realistic shot at some less competitive schools (e.g. bottom half of 2nd tier and below, roughly). Keep in mind, Neuro programs are somewhat competitive, whereas cognitive programs are less so... thus, if you notice programs biased a little bit toward one or the other, you can probably estimate that they're more/less difficult to get into.

In any event, I would strongly suggest applying to at least 2 MA programs regardless of how your GRE scores turn out.

 

[socialpsy]

Yeah not having any publications or poster presentations has kind of been a product of my crazy schedule. I've had time to participate in research, but not really to the extent that I would have liked. I'm actually trying to make a decision right now about whether to do an honors thesis. I would be delaying my graduation until spring if I do, but I would still be sending out grad applications this fall. So I guess I'm really just not sure how much it would actually help to be able to say that I'm working on a honors thesis even though I wouldn't be finished with it at the time I send out apps. The bad thing is I'd also be trying to work on the thesis while working 35 hrs a week, taking 15 hrs of classes, studying for the Psych GRE which I take Oct 15, and applying to grad schools. So needless to say I'm a bit worried that some of those areas could suffer if I try to pile an honors thesis on top. Do you think it would be worth it to just be able to mention that I'm working on one..?

It's worth it if:

You want a more comprehensive understanding of what you'll be getting into with graduate study (I honestly don't know how someone could know that they enjoy research without doing a thesis or writing/publishing a paper).

You want to be better prepared for graduate study.

You can get enough together by app time to write a coherent tidbit about your thesis in your personal statement.

You have the time to develop a comprehensive understanding of your thesis by interview time.

You have the time and conscientiousness to complete it by the deadline. To give you an idea, you'd probably need to spend 5-10 hours a week on it to complete it by mid March (assuming you start within a month at the latest), depending on the topic, your advisor, and how much backtracking/rewriting, etc you'll end up having to do.

Also, I will add, the crucial point for you would be choosing a topic that you could collect all of the necessary data for by the end of January at the very latest.

Hope this helps!

 

[Member03326588]

.

 

[socialpsy]

My biggest concern is my GREQ score. Based on my other qualifications, do you think that my GRE score might ruin my chances? I'd appreciate any advice or opinions. Thank you again.

I think this will depend a lot on which programs you apply to. I think that your experience would generally lead people to overlook your quant score. What could hurt you is applying to schools that filter applicants based on GRE scores from the get-go. So you probably should:

1) look for schools that have cutoffs below your combined GRE score (this is difficult to know since most schools don't report cutoffs and they may even be different from professor to professor, but keep in mind that just because a school is allowed to or even has accepted someone with a, for instance, 1250 doesn't mean much... that could have been an exception for someone that a professor already personally knows, etc).

2) look for schools that claim they review all credentials of all applicants. a lot of schools claim that they do this, but i have an inclination that behind the scenes most schools/professors use some or other filtering techniques, like a GRE cutoff. professors are simply too busy to look at all of 50 applications.

Anyway, if you apply to a range of schools, you have a pretty fair shot at getting in, I think; there's no way that they'd all filter you out.

 

[snakebelly]

Hello, I'm applying to clinical psych PhD programs for the fall of 2012. I'm looking at BU, Temple, the joint program at UC San Diego/SDSU, and the University of British Columbia, among others. Here's my background:

Overall GPA: 3.56
Last 2 years GPA: 3.79
Psych GPA: 3.85

GRE: 1520 (740v, 780q)

By the time I apply, I will have 2 years experience as a research coordinator in one lab, and 6 months experience as an RA in another. Both of these positions are under pretty legit PIs.

I do not have a psych undergrad degree. My BA is in film, but I took some post-bacc psych courses (two intro, two stats, research methods, psychopathology, counseling).

What are my chances?

 

[PsychPhDone]

Hello everyone! This site is very helpful and I found it at a good time. I'd appreciate anyone's suggestions for my application and estimates of my chances for acceptance into grad school.

I am applying to Clinical Psychology PhD Programs. Here are my stats:

Quantitative info:
Psychology/Overall GPA: 4.0
GRE-V: 96th percentile
GRE-Q: 47th percentile
AW: 9: 94th percentile
Subject test: pending

Research:
Research experience in three labs, all related, for a total of about 3 years (one for 6 quarters, one for 4 quarters, one for 7 quarters)
Senior thesis completed, under review by a professional journal
Presented at an undergrad conference at a very well-known university

Teaching:
TA for an undergraduate psychology class
Psychology/Statistics tutor (2 quarters)

Misc.:
Took a graduate-level course
Very active in a couple of honor societies (2 years)

Clinical experience (3 years total)
Suicide prevention hotline (2 years)
Volunteer mentoring/peer counseling (2 years)
Intern at a family services agency (1 year)

My biggest concern is my GREQ score. Based on my other qualifications, do you think that my GRE score might ruin my chances? I'd appreciate any advice or opinions. Thank you again.

What kind of programs are you applying to? The quant will be too low for research focused programs. Can you retake it?