WAMC: What Are My Chances

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AcronymAllergy said:
Part of it will likely depend on what your scores are/were to begin with, as it'll likely be easier to raise a score of 1000 vs. 1200 (sorry for using the old scale, it's just the one I'm most comfortable with). I was fortunate enough to only have to take the test once myself (way back when), but can let you know what I did if you feel it would help; although if you studied for 8 weeks on your own, we likely used similar methods. I basically just grabbed a Kaplan book and spent 3 months memorizing word definitions, re-learning geometry formulas, and briefly reviewing the scoring criteria for the writing samples. I also borrowed a couple older books from different companies (i.e., Barron's and Princeton Review) from a friend for the additional word lists.

Did you do significantly worse on one area vs. another? If so, were there any particular sections or types of problems in that area that gave you trouble? You've likely asked yourself these questions already, but I wanted to throw them out there just in case.

And depending on where your GRE scores fall, they unfortunately could be one of the main reasons your applications aren't getting past the initial review into the interview offer phase. How do the other aspects of your app/CV look, particularly research experience?
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Thanks for your input. I took a Kaplan course in hopes it would prep me the best, but that was before the 1st time I took the GREs. Didn't really do much, but I'm thinking maybe a one on one tutorial might be good for me since I need it at this point. Oh, you are totally right about not passing through the initial review however, I did manage to get an interview at Columbia Teachers College last year. It was my top choice, but did not like the atmosphere. Nevertheless, the rest of my app looks fine. My grad GPA is well above average, 2 publications from working 2 years at UPENN as a research coordinator. Another publication in the works as I am back at Penn. I also have 2 poster presentations, one of which was presented at APA. Great recommendations, great work/research experience. The only thing lacking are my GRE scores. So basically if my GRE scores sucks I can no longer pursue a doctoral degree in psych?

I have talked to others and I know for a fact students who are now in doctoral programs got scores around what I have gotten these past two times. Most of the programs I applied to (this second time) were a good/great fit, so if it really is the GREs then I guess that is what I need to work on.
 
Hi psych girl, could you please list your previous GRE scores (and associated percentiles) so we could better assist you?
 
Psychgirl757 said:
Thanks for your input. I took a Kaplan course in hopes it would prep me the best, but that was before the 1st time I took the GREs. Didn't really do much, but I'm thinking maybe a one on one tutorial might be good for me since I need it at this point. Oh, you are totally right about not passing through the initial review however, I did manage to get an interview at Columbia Teachers College last year. It was my top choice, but did not like the atmosphere. Nevertheless, the rest of my app looks fine. My grad GPA is well above average, 2 publications from working 2 years at UPENN as a research coordinator. Another publication in the works as I am back at Penn. I also have 2 poster presentations, one of which was presented at APA. Great recommendations, great work/research experience. The only thing lacking are my GRE scores. So basically if my GRE scores sucks I can no longer pursue a doctoral degree in psych?

I have talked to others and I know for a fact students who are now in doctoral programs got scores around what I have gotten these past two times. Most of the programs I applied to (this second time) were a good/great fit, so if it really is the GREs then I guess that is what I need to work on.
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I'm not personally very involved with admissions decisions at my program, so others may be able to better assist with telling you what they look for in applicants. But just looking over the credentials you've listed, they seem to be above-average with respect to research (unless the pubs had you as a late-listed author amongst 12 other people, although even that would help, particularly at the pre-doctoral level). Is the research related to your area of interest/the areas you applied to the last few go 'rounds?

The only other things I can think of are statement of purpose and letters of rec (unless you've seen the latter yourself and know for a fact they're strong). I'm not saying the letters aren't good, just that I've known people who thought they had great rec letters when this didn't turn out to be the case. Have you had other people (particularly faculty) look at your statements of purpose/interest to give you any feedback on them?

Although to answer your question--yes, if the GRE scores are low enough (e.g., <1000), they alone could keep you out of contention at most doctoral programs. But from what you've said, that doesn't seem to be the case.
 
Psychgirl757 said:
Nevertheless, the rest of my app looks fine. My grad GPA is well above average, 2 publications from working 2 years at UPENN as a research coordinator. Another publication in the works as I am back at Penn. I also have 2 poster presentations, one of which was presented at APA. Great recommendations, great work/research experience. The only thing lacking are my GRE scores. So basically if my GRE scores sucks I can no longer pursue a doctoral degree in psych?
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It depends.... what exactly did you score on the GRE? And are the pubs/pres related to what you want to study in grad school? Some schools have a minimum GRE requirement for university-sponsored fellowships so if your below that number it may not matter how good the rest of your application is.
 
beantownpsych said:
It depends.... what exactly did you score on the GRE? And are the pubs/pres related to what you want to study in grad school? Some schools have a minimum GRE requirement for university-sponsored fellowships so if your below that number it may not matter how good the rest of your application is.
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This is also true. Even with an above-average grad GPA, many programs will still look at your undergrad GPA. However, there's essentially nothing more you can do about that at this point than what you've already done (i.e., go to a master's program and get a good grades to show you can handle the classes).
 
Hi guys. I am new. Thanks for all your information. Let me give you my situation. Please do not laugh. I have dreams too!!

I am 30 years old, male and African American

Undergrad 2.62GPA :scared: Psychology major/minor criminology (Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education University)
Psych GPA 2.2 😱 (no motivation, directionless, felt like outsider in the psych department, slight uptick in my grades towards the end of school)

Grad GPA 3.79 Masters in Human Services/Counseling( I feel the need to mention it is a unique alternative masters program that accepts people with undergraduate degrees or those without undergraduate degrees but with documented equivalent work experience that demonstrates professional success). However, it is an Historically black college ( (Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education school. Basically "state related"). Program meets requirements for LPC in Pennsylvania and several other states.

No professional research experiences. Performed minor research in my grad program and wrote a draft professional publication. Never sought publication.

Taking two GRE practice tests and scoring around (No preparation or studying)

550 Verb
550 Quant

Work Experience
Behavioral Specialist Consultant and Mobile Therapist for about one year(Masters Level position)
Youth Program, HIV/STD Educator and Case manager for urban low income youth at various times in my life for a total of 2 years experience.

Internship experience
Clinical Intern at a Private Practice
Clinical Intern at a well known Autism treatment program in Philadelphia.

Do I have a shot and where at? How can I strengthen my case?

I am more interested in Psyd programs than Phd

Thanks for the replies.
 
Hi all -

I have a particularly low GPA. The more I read on this forum, the more I'm afraid will not get me past the first cut in applying to PhD programs. I went to a top-tier private college that unfortunately has an official policy of grade deflation... In other words, because students were doing so well, they instituted a policy such that any class average that was higher than a B would be "deflated" and curved down so that the class average was a B+ at most. (Classes with lower averages weren't curved up, either.)

So...

My overall GPA ended up being 3.20, and my psych major GPA is even lower... 3.15, maybe? All other aspects of my application are fine - high GRE scores, including psych subject test, I have several years' research experience post-grad, etc.

Since I know many programs screen out applicants with low GRE or GPA scores, without looking at the rest of the application, what do you think my chances are of making it through? The college seems to have realized their policy is creating a problem for those of us applying to grad schools, so they do send a cover letter along with official transcripts that describes the grade deflation...

Many thanks in advance!
 
Member752319 said:
Hi all -

I have a particularly low GPA. The more I read on this forum, the more I'm afraid will not get me past the first cut in applying to PhD programs. I went to a top-tier private college that unfortunately has an official policy of grade deflation... In other words, because students were doing so well, they instituted a policy such that any class average that was higher than a B would be "deflated" and curved down so that the class average was a B+ at most. (Classes with lower averages weren't curved up, either.)

So...

My overall GPA ended up being 3.20, and my psych major GPA is even lower... 3.15, maybe? All other aspects of my application are fine - high GRE scores, including psych subject test, I have several years' research experience post-grad, etc.

Since I know many programs screen out applicants with low GRE or GPA scores, without looking at the rest of the application, what do you think my chances are of making it through? The college seems to have realized their policy is creating a problem for those of us applying to grad schools, so they do send a cover letter along with official transcripts that describes the grade deflation...

Many thanks in advance!
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As far as I know, a 3.2 should get you past the "first cut" screen at many (perhaps most) programs, as these tend to fall at about the 2.5 or 3.0 level. Beyond that, it's up to each individual program how heavily-weighted GPA is going to be. My personal knee-jerk reaction would be to say that having a lower psych GPA might hurt you more than the lower overall GPA, as the former seem to often fall in the 3.8+ range (probably owing to direct or indirect grade inflation at the undergraduate level in my psych classes).

This might be something you'd want to specifically (yet succinctly) address in your personal statement, as the default reaction from a POI could be, "if he/she has trouble with undergrad psych classes, how can I expect him/her to perform with grad-level coursework demands?" At least in our program, the number one reason people end up leaving seems to be trouble with classes (i.e., failing more than two). If you can find a way to take a graduate course or two between now and the next application cycle, doing so could significantly boost your application by alleviating these doubts.
 
Hi, I graduate in a year and a half with my Ba in Liberal studies with major concentration in Psychology and minor concentration in LGBT studies, I went to Antioch were concentrations are like a major.

Im still undecided about which schools but I plan to apply to various schools with varying acceptance rates.

3.4 undergrad GPA
3.6 psych undergrad GPA

Im a certified alcohol and drug counselor. Iv been working in the field for 4 years. Iv worked at a outpatient mostly court program, 2 sober livings one was a dual diagnosis facility, and a Dual diagnosis residential rehab. I currently work at the dual diagnosis residential rehab and Dual diagnosis sober living.

Im also a certified sober living manager.
 
AIola214 said:
Hi, I graduate in a year and a half with my Ba in Liberal studies with major concentration in Psychology and minor concentration in LGBT studies, I went to Antioch were concentrations are like a major.

Im still undecided about which schools but I plan to apply to various schools with varying acceptance rates.

3.4 undergrad GPA
3.6 psych undergrad GPA

Im a certified alcohol and drug counselor. Iv been working in the field for 4 years. Iv worked at a outpatient mostly court program, 2 sober livings one was a dual diagnosis facility, and a Dual diagnosis residential rehab. I currently work at the dual diagnosis residential rehab and Dual diagnosis sober living.

Im also a certified sober living manager.
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Do you have any research experience?
 
futureapppsy2 said:
Do you have any research experience?
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Agreed. The clinical experience can be helpful (particularly once you get into a program, depending on the type of training you've had), but when it comes to grad program acceptance, research experience trumps pretty much everything else.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
Agreed. The clinical experience can be helpful (particularly once you get into a program, depending on the type of training you've had), but when it comes to grad program acceptance, research experience trumps pretty much everything else.
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Depends on the program. PsyD programs will want to see clinical experience. I had lots of research experience when applying to my (grad/masters) school's PsyD program, and the rejection came because (at the time) I didn't have enough clinical experience.
 
Psychadelic2012 said:
Depends on the program. PsyD programs will want to see clinical experience. I had lots of research experience when applying to my (grad/masters) school's PsyD program, and the rejection came because (at the time) I didn't have enough clinical experience.
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Fair enough, and good point--it does vary by program. Although if I had to make only one over-reaching/overgeneralized statement when it comes to grad school admissions, it'd be that research is probably the single most important aspect of the application, or perhaps second only to "fit."
 
Hi guys, im new to this site but my nerves are getting to me so im looking for some answers!
I am currently a masters student at a medical school but over the past year I have decided that this is not what I want for myself and I could be happier. I have applied to the psyd program at marywood university. has anyone heard from them yet?
My stats are: gpa overall 3.96
I was a double major biology and psych
I was the pres. of psychi
I have 5 awesome letters and have a research background.
I was in the 89th percentile on the new gre for verbal and the 87th for quantitative.

any advice?
 
So I applied to MSPP's Clinical PsyD program under General Consideration, and I was just wondering if I have a good chance of getting in, or at least getting an interview (I tend to interview well).

Psychology Major with a Mental Health Concentration
GPA 3.8
GRE Verbal: 161 (86%), Math: 164 (94%), Writing 5.0 (87%)
Semester long Internship @ Elder Services
Independent study on how video game preferences relate to certain personality aspects.

I also applied to three PhD programs, but since I haven't heard from any of them I think I'm kind of out of luck there :-(.
 
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LHDMMD said:
Very cool. I'm curious as to what your findings were.
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I'm in the process of collecting data currently, so I don't know myself yet. If you want to send me a pm about it, I'll leave it in my inbox so I can remember to tell you the results in a month or two.
 
Stormcloud06 said:
So I applied to MSPP's Clinical PsyD program under General Consideration, and I was just wondering if I have a good chance of getting in, or at least getting an interview (I tend to interview well).

Psychology Major with a Mental Health Concentration
GPA 3.8
GRE Verbal: 161 (86%), Math: 164 (94%), Writing 5.0 (87%)
Semester long Internship @ Elder Services
Independent study on how video game preferences relate to certain personality aspects.

I also applied to three PhD programs, but since I haven't heard from any of them I think I'm kind of out of luck there :-(.
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I should also probably add that I had strong recommendation letters, though I'm not sure anyone's even looking at this forum anymore. And that when I applied to the Ph.D. programs my GPA was a 3.88, since it was before the Fall '11 grades came in. Oh well, either way I'll probably know in a day or two.
If anyone is reading this, do you guys have any suggestions for what might make me look like a better candidate if I have to reapply next fall?
 
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Hey, everyone. I'm a third year psych. undergrad and I want to eventually get my PhD in Clinical Psych.
I'm currently involved in two different research projects and plan on having 1.5 years of research experience by the time I apply to grad school.
My overall GPA: 3.8
My psychology GPA: 3.9

I haven't taken the GRE yet. So far, I am planning on applying to the University of Miami, and the University of Rochester.

What would my GRE scores have to be to make me truly competitive? Also, is the amount of research experience I plan on having going to be enough? What can I do to increase my chances? Thanks!
 
Hi, Everyone this is my first post although I've been a hufe fan of SDN since I first came to college. I started with a science major in a small New England school, transferred to Rehabilitation Studies and a general Health Science. I decided to pursue my master's but since I was graduating a semester early I decided to stay at my school and get a master's in Rehabilitation Counseling Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Substance Abuse Counseling. Ultimately, I would like to get a PhD in Counseling Psychology or Rehabilitation Counseling and teach at a college.

My question is, what kind of internships at the master's level would be appealing in the long run when I apply for a doctorate in Counseling Psychology?



I have searched all over the forums and different websites and can't seem to find anything so any feedback would be great.
 
positive psyc said:
Hi, Everyone this is my first post although I've been a hufe fan of SDN since I first came to college. I started with a science major in a small New England school, transferred to Rehabilitation Studies and a general Health Science. I decided to pursue my master's but since I was graduating a semester early I decided to stay at my school and get a master's in Rehabilitation Counseling Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Substance Abuse Counseling. Ultimately, I would like to get a PhD in Counseling Psychology or Rehabilitation Counseling and teach at a college.

My question is, what kind of internships at the master's level would be appealing in the long run when I apply for a doctorate in Counseling Psychology?



I have searched all over the forums and different websites and can't seem to find anything so any feedback would be great.
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I did a year long internship in a forensic facility (granted my interests are in forensics) doing group and individual counseling. I think as long as you have some sort of supervised counseling experience it will help.

This was during a MA program prior to entering my PhD program
 
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I haven't really seen anything in this forum in regards to people applying multiple times. I have applied for PhD positions in Counseling and Clinical Psychology for the past 5 years.
I have a poor GRE score, around 950, (forgive me; I don’t remember what it was with the new scoring system). No matter how many times I have taken the GRE, I can never seem to improve on it.
My undergrad GPA was a 3.7 I also have a Master's degree from a 60 hour program in which I earned a 3.95 GPA. I have a master's in Human Resources with an Option in Rehabilitation Counseling. I also have 2+ years of counseling experience, post masters.
I have applied to programs that have similar research interests to mine; my research areas pertain to people with disabilities and their adjustments to that disability, specifically spinal cord injuries and TBI's. I am also interested in multicultural counseling and career counseling as I do them on a daily basis. I also use motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy.
My only research experience was in, "Deception Detection," because that was the only option available to me at the time.
I have published three papers, even though my professor's name is the first author and I have done 5 presentations about my research.
Anyways, I hardly seem to get an interviews, and im usually always on the waitlist for most of the programs I apply for. However, I am not on the waitlist for any program I applied to this year, and coincidently, they were the exact same programs I applied to last year. ( I applied to 12 programs).
I am to the point that I am sick of applying, I am sick of competing with 300-500 people that applied to the same program only to make it to the top 20, and be either wait-listed or told to apply next year.
Every year, I ask the professors I applied with if I could have done something different to make my application stronger and every year I hear, "We want to see if you can handle graduate work, (I guess my 3.95 GPA in a 60 hours master's program wasn't good enough). We want you to broaden your research interests and counseling practice, (It doesn't seem to matter that the professors and I have carried on conversations about their research and theoretical orientations and that we seem to match). And my favorite, "We want you to show interests in our program, (Applying 5 times, and talking with them a few times throughout the year apparently does not show any interest what-so-ever!).

As I posted above, I am to the point that I am sick of applying. Can you all think of any thing that might help my application? I realize I have a low GRE score, and it seems that months of studying never helps. Is there an APA requirement that states that programs are only allowed to look at/interview applicants with over a 1000 GRE score?
 
Psychfan0084 said:
I haven't really seen anything in this forum in regards to people applying multiple times. I have applied for PhD positions in Counseling and Clinical Psychology for the past 5 years.
I have a poor GRE score, around 950, (forgive me; I don’t remember what it was with the new scoring system). No matter how many times I have taken the GRE, I can never seem to improve on it.
My undergrad GPA was a 3.7 I also have a Master's degree from a 60 hour program in which I earned a 3.95 GPA. I have a master's in Human Resources with an Option in Rehabilitation Counseling. I also have 2+ years of counseling experience, post masters.
I have applied to programs that have similar research interests to mine; my research areas pertain to people with disabilities and their adjustments to that disability, specifically spinal cord injuries and TBI's. I am also interested in multicultural counseling and career counseling as I do them on a daily basis. I also use motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy.
My only research experience was in, "Deception Detection," because that was the only option available to me at the time.
I have published three papers, even though my professor's name is the first author and I have done 5 presentations about my research.
Anyways, I hardly seem to get an interviews, and im usually always on the waitlist for most of the programs I apply for. However, I am not on the waitlist for any program I applied to this year, and coincidently, they were the exact same programs I applied to last year. ( I applied to 12 programs).
I am to the point that I am sick of applying, I am sick of competing with 300-500 people that applied to the same program only to make it to the top 20, and be either wait-listed or told to apply next year.
Every year, I ask the professors I applied with if I could have done something different to make my application stronger and every year I hear, "We want to see if you can handle graduate work, (I guess my 3.95 GPA in a 60 hours master's program wasn't good enough). We want you to broaden your research interests and counseling practice, (It doesn't seem to matter that the professors and I have carried on conversations about their research and theoretical orientations and that we seem to match). And my favorite, "We want you to show interests in our program, (Applying 5 times, and talking with them a few times throughout the year apparently does not show any interest what-so-ever!).

As I posted above, I am to the point that I am sick of applying. Can you all think of any thing that might help my application? I realize I have a low GRE score, and it seems that months of studying never helps. Is there an APA requirement that states that programs are only allowed to look at/interview applicants with over a 1000 GRE score?
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I know that they're expensive but have you considered taking a Kaplan or Princeton Review class (in person)? I'm terrible at making myself study for something like that independently and for me the classroom setting made a difference and really helped me get a 1250+ score. It sounds like you already have a lot of clinical experience and graduate coursework as well as some good research experience under your belt. I wonder why you want a Ph.D. as opposed to being content with your current career? If it's really that essential then the GRE seems to be your only limitation. That and maybe finding some new programs to look at your application!
 
Tesseract18 said:
I know that they're expensive but have you considered taking a Kaplan or Princeton Review class (in person)? I'm terrible at making myself study for something like that independently and for me the classroom setting made a difference and really helped me get a 1250+ score. It sounds like you already have a lot of clinical experience and graduate coursework as well as some good research experience under your belt. I wonder why you want a Ph.D. as opposed to being content with your current career? If it's really that essential then the GRE seems to be your only limitation. That and maybe finding some new programs to look at your application!
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I have taken one Princeton Review course, however it was years ago. It did not seem to help.
I do have a lot of experience, however, at my current job, I am not allowed to do "mental health counseling," but rather, "adjustment to disability" counseling. I am also not allowed to teach or do any research at my current job. I have wanted to be a clinical psychologist since I was in high school. I am currently 27. I have always wanted to, if I ever got admitted into a counseling psych or clinical psych program, go on to do a post-doc in neuropsychology.

As for being content in my field. I am not. I got a master's in my field as a way to get a job and sustain myself while I applied to PhD programs. I have always wanted to have a private practice, something I cannot currently have, teach and do research. I had several professors in my undergrad and master's program that did all three.

Is the stupid GRE really all that stands in my way?
 
Psychfan0084 said:
I have taken one Princeton Review course, however it was years ago. It did not seem to help.
I do have a lot of experience, however, at my current job, I am not allowed to do "mental health counseling," but rather, "adjustment to disability" counseling. I am also not allowed to teach or do any research at my current job. I have wanted to be a clinical psychologist since I was in high school. I am currently 27. I have always wanted to, if I ever got admitted into a counseling psych or clinical psych program, go on to do a post-doc in neuropsychology.

As for being content in my field. I am not. I got a master's in my field as a way to get a job and sustain myself while I applied to PhD programs. I have always wanted to have a private practice, something I cannot currently have, teach and do research. I had several professors in my undergrad and master's program that did all three.

Is the stupid GRE really all that stands in my way?
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Looking back at your original post I really do think that your main limitation on getting looked at initially is the GRE. It just really needs to be higher when you're up against 150+ other applicants with 1300s and 2+ years of research. This segues into the other part that needs to be stronger (albeit not as big a leap): your research experience. You said you had limitations in finding opportunities and that your have a few presentations/paper (though no 1st authors), but have you shown progression and passion in research or a in specific area through your experiences? It may be that once you make the cutoff, your application looks too practice oriented? I don't know that anyone here can point to specifics but these seem to be the aspects that need more polish from what you originally posted. Out of curiosity, how many times have you applied total?
 
Tesseract18 said:
Looking back at your original post I really do think that your main limitation on getting looked at initially is the GRE. It just really needs to be higher when you're up against 150+ other applicants with 1300s and 2+ years of research. This segues into the other part that needs to be stronger (albeit not as big a leap): your research experience. You said you had limitations in finding opportunities and that your have a few presentations/paper (though no 1st authors), but have you shown progression and passion in research or a in specific area through your experiences? It may be that once you make the cutoff, your application looks too practice oriented? I don't know that anyone here can point to specifics but these seem to be the aspects that need more polish from what you originally posted. Out of curiosity, how many times have you applied total?
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I have applied 5 times., almost 5 consecutive years. I did not apply during the first year of my master's program. I try to apply to at least 10-12 programs a year.
I have met several students that were accepted into the very programs I applied to, and some of them are just out of a bachelor's program with no experience and even less research experience than I had. Some of the students I talked to did not have any. However, their professors keep telling me that I need significant prior research.
RIght now I am a little frustrated and wondering if it is even worth applying next year.
I am also frustrated at being an alternate most years or barely even getting an interview. An average of 1 per year.
 
Psychfan0084 said:
I have applied 5 times., almost 5 consecutive years. I did not apply during the first year of my master's program. I try to apply to at least 10-12 programs a year.
I have met several students that were accepted into the very programs I applied to, and some of them are just out of a bachelor's program with no experience and even less research experience than I had. Some of the students I talked to did not have any. However, their professors keep telling me that I need significant prior research.
RIght now I am a little frustrated and wondering if it is even worth applying next year.
I am also frustrated at being an alternate most years or barely even getting an interview. An average of 1 per year.
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It looks as though you may need to get research experience that is in line with your interests. If your only research experience is in deception detection and that is not what you want to focus on in a PhD program, you would probably benefit from gaining some research experience in your area of interest. It may be that the applicants who go on to get accepted to the programs you apply to just have a better fit with the professor if they have experience in the area. Also, maybe you could look into private tutoring for the GRE? I'm not sure which area is your weakness, verbal or quantitative, but personal tutoring may help you improve your scores.
 
Hi everyone, just joined!

So I will be finishing my M.A in Clinical and Counseling Psych this May and will be thinking of applying to Ph.Ds in a year or two. I want to strengthen my resume first though.
My current GPA is 3.58, I have received no grades lower than a B(only one cause the prof was a d*ck.) A's in stats, and assessments.
Undergrad cum. GPA was a 3.8 also, don't know if that matters.
My GREs.....well that's my weak point. I got a 440 on math and a 380 on english.....
I'll be taking a Kaplan class this summer and retaking the GRES so hopefully I'll do better.

So my hx with the field:
Currently interning in an outpatient setting, where I created and ran a group of ADHD kids for 2 months. Mainly see patients ranging from all ages and pathologies.
Also interned in a substance abuse setting while in Rutgers, my undergrad. Co-ran 3 groups of a variety of ages.
I was a teacher's assistant in undergrad also. Taught a recitation class a week.
Helped out with research that the head of the psych dept was doing at Rutgers.
Also did community service by joining a health group in Rutgers.

So what I have done in Graduate school is:
Currently assisting my advisor with her research, and will also be starting my own very soon.
Like I mentioned above, interning.

I don't know if I am missing anything.
I am in line to have a position working in research with a top schizophrenia researcher at Rutgers, so hopefully I get that.

Sorry if everything seems out of place, its almost midnight and my mind is a tad scattered.

So basically, what would be my chances of getting in with all my current credentials, and future research?

Thanks!
 
Psychfan0084 said:
I have taken one Princeton Review course, however it was years ago. It did not seem to help.
I do have a lot of experience, however, at my current job, I am not allowed to do "mental health counseling," but rather, "adjustment to disability" counseling. I am also not allowed to teach or do any research at my current job. I have wanted to be a clinical psychologist since I was in high school. I am currently 27. I have always wanted to, if I ever got admitted into a counseling psych or clinical psych program, go on to do a post-doc in neuropsychology.

As for being content in my field. I am not. I got a master's in my field as a way to get a job and sustain myself while I applied to PhD programs. I have always wanted to have a private practice, something I cannot currently have, teach and do research. I had several professors in my undergrad and master's program that did all three.

Is the stupid GRE really all that stands in my way?
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I know EXACTLY how you feel!
I scored a total 800 something on mine, but I got into all of my Masters programs I applied to. Of course having a strong background helps a lot.
I have been thinking of taking a Kaplan class, since they say they refund your money if you don't do well on the exam or something like that.
But it didn't help you? That is not comforting to me 🙁
 
Brian1 said:
Hi everyone, just joined!

So I will be finishing my M.A in Clinical and Counseling Psych this May and will be thinking of applying to Ph.Ds in a year or two. I want to strengthen my resume first though.
My current GPA is 3.58, I have received no grades lower than a B(only one cause the prof was a d*ck.) A's in stats, and assessments.
Undergrad cum. GPA was a 3.8 also, don't know if that matters.
My GREs.....well that's my weak point. I got a 440 on math and a 380 on english.....
I'll be taking a Kaplan class this summer and retaking the GRES so hopefully I'll do better.

So my hx with the field:
Currently interning in an outpatient setting, where I created and ran a group of ADHD kids for 2 months. Mainly see patients ranging from all ages and pathologies.
Also interned in a substance abuse setting while in Rutgers, my undergrad. Co-ran 3 groups of a variety of ages.
I was a teacher's assistant in undergrad also. Taught a recitation class a week.
Helped out with research that the head of the psych dept was doing at Rutgers.
Also did community service by joining a health group in Rutgers.

So what I have done in Graduate school is:
Currently assisting my advisor with her research, and will also be starting my own very soon.
Like I mentioned above, interning.

I don't know if I am missing anything.
I am in line to have a position working in research with a top schizophrenia researcher at Rutgers, so hopefully I get that.

Sorry if everything seems out of place, its almost midnight and my mind is a tad scattered.

So basically, what would be my chances of getting in with all my current credentials, and future research?

Thanks!
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As you've mentioned, The GRE score is currently going to be your biggest hurdle. Most doctoral programs are going to have an absolute lower limit of 1000, with average scores falling in the low- to mid-1200's. Aiming for 1100+ would be great, but clearing 1000 is almost a necessity just to get back the initial "cut" that occurs.

Beyond that, continue with the research. Your clinical experience of course seems solid, but in general, research experience and productivity are weighted more heavily by most programs. If you can end up with a few years' worth of RAing couple with getting your name on a handful of posters, that should put you into the ballpark.

Your grad and undergrad GPAs are fine (although I'd personally suggest getting out of the mindset of, "I got a B because the professor's a jerk;" even if it's true, it generally doesn't tend to be helpful, and having that opinion can sometimes come out inadvertently and/or indirectly during interviews, which is a huge turn-off), so not much to worry about there. The only issue would be explaining the slight dip in performance from undergrad to grad, which shouldn't be terribly difficult to do.

Finally, keep in mind that if one aspect of your app is "below average," (e.g., if your GREs are closer to 1000 than 1200+), committees will generally want to see it made up for in other areas (often research experience/productivity) relative to other applicants. So basically, the more research you can be involved in, the better.
 
Brian1 said:
I know EXACTLY how you feel!
I scored a total 800 something on mine, but I got into all of my Masters programs I applied to. Of course having a strong background helps a lot.
I have been thinking of taking a Kaplan class, since they say they refund your money if you don't do well on the exam or something like that.
But it didn't help you? That is not comforting to me 🙁
Click to expand...


I apologize for sounding negative. I have heard those programs help out, but for some reason it didn't for me. I am glad you got into several masters programs. Those can provide a lot of opportunities for you. As for me. I have reached the limits of what I can do with a masters at my current job and I am not really fit to do much else. I have always felt a PhD is what I wanted and right now a test that seems to have nothing to do with graduate school seems to be standing in my way.
Best of luck to you!
 
AcronymAllergy said:
As you've mentioned, The GRE score is currently going to be your biggest hurdle. Most doctoral programs are going to have an absolute lower limit of 1000, with average scores falling in the low- to mid-1200's. Aiming for 1100+ would be great, but clearing 1000 is almost a necessity just to get back the initial "cut" that occurs.

Beyond that, continue with the research. Your clinical experience of course seems solid, but in general, research experience and productivity are weighted more heavily by most programs. If you can end up with a few years' worth of RAing couple with getting your name on a handful of posters, that should put you into the ballpark.

Your grad and undergrad GPAs are fine (although I'd personally suggest getting out of the mindset of, "I got a B because the professor's a jerk;" even if it's true, it generally doesn't tend to be helpful, and having that opinion can sometimes come out inadvertently and/or indirectly during interviews, which is a huge turn-off), so not much to worry about there. The only issue would be explaining the slight dip in performance from undergrad to grad, which shouldn't be terribly difficult to do.

Finally, keep in mind that if one aspect of your app is "below average," (e.g., if your GREs are closer to 1000 than 1200+), committees will generally want to see it made up for in other areas (often research experience/productivity) relative to other applicants. So basically, the more research you can be involved in, the better.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response.
I'm still kinda getting over that grade so I'm a bit frustrated by it lol.
If all goes well this semester, which it seems it is, I should get enough to bump my gpa to a 3.7 or 3.6.
So what you said is what I've been thinking, continue with research, and work on GRES.
Thanks again!
 
Hello! I'm applying to quite a few schools, but the ones I'm most worried about (for obvious reasons) are these:

Harvard
Princeton
Stanford
UCLA

My GRE scores were V:156/Q:160/AW:5. I'm taking it again this summer to try to improve them, and taking the Psych GRE in April.

With regards to research, I don't have any experience. I've been calling a few Forensic psychologists (My area of interest) to see if I could shadow them, but no luck so far. I decided to take a year off after graduation to try to gain some experience before applying.I have been able to receive an internship with the Neuropsychology department of a rehabilitation hospital for older patients who have had strokes, falls or accidents causing trauma to the brain, among others.

My overall GPA was a 3.43, up from a 1.7 in my freshmen year (I messed up in my second semester, but only got three Bs and the rest As after that). I majored in Psychology (3.93 GPA) and minored in Criminology. This includes three semesters of statistics and research methods. While I have been focusing on gaining experience, I have been taking language and mathematics courses.

I have strong LORs and am getting a lot of help for the SOP.

I'm not really sure if community service will help my application in any way, so I was wondering if someone could also let me know whether including my volunteer work in Japan doing disaster relief after the Tsunami last year in my application would helpful or not? Do you guys also know what I can do to improve my application? I greatly appreciate any advice!
 
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viliger2000 said:
Hello! I'm applying to quite a few schools, but the ones I'm most worried about (for obvious reasons) are these:

Harvard
Princeton
Stanford
UCLA

My GRE scores were V:156/Q:160/AW:5. I'm taking it again this summer to try to improve them, and taking the Psych GRE in April.

With regards to research, I don't have any experience. I've been calling a few Forensic psychologists (My area of interest) to see if I could shadow them, but no luck so far. I decided to take a year off after graduation to try to gain some experience before applying.I have been able to receive an internship with the Neuropsychology department of a rehabilitation hospital for older patients who have had strokes, falls or accidents causing trauma to the brain, among others.

My overall GPA was a 3.43, up from a 1.7 in my freshmen year (I messed up in my second semester, but only got three Bs and the rest As after that). I majored in Psychology (3.93 GPA) and minored in Criminology. This includes three semesters of statistics and research methods. While I have been focusing on gaining experience, I have been taking language and mathematics courses.

I have strong LORs and am getting a lot of help for the SOP.

I'm not really sure if community service will help my application in any way, so I was wondering if someone could also let me know whether including my volunteer work in Japan doing disaster relief after the Tsunami last year in my application would helpful or not? Do you guys also know what I can do to improve my application? I greatly appreciate any advice!
Click to expand...

You really, really need research experience in order to get into PhD programs. Many applicants have multiple years of experience before applying. Clinical/applied work is great, but schools want a solid research background. Can you join any research labs during your time off?

I'd say definitely include your disaster relief work. That's a really unique experience and definitely something to mention.
 
syzergy said:
You really, really need research experience in order to get into PhD programs. Many applicants have multiple years of experience before applying. Clinical/applied work is great, but schools want a solid research background. Can you join any research labs during your time off?

I'd say definitely include your disaster relief work. That's a really unique experience and definitely something to mention.
Click to expand...
I've been applying to many research labs for the past seven months, but I've only been given 3 interviews and no luck. I don't know what else to do. I have been trying to do shadowing as well, and nothing. I live in a city with two universities and a large community college, so research jobs are highly competitive here, and without previous experience, no one wants to hire me since they can easily find someone else that already has some. It's actually kind of frustrating O.O

I'm glad about the volunteering being helpful, thank you.
 
viliger2000 said:
I've been applying to many research labs for the past seven months, but I've only been given 3 interviews and no luck. I don't know what else to do. I have been trying to do shadowing as well, and nothing. I live in a city with two universities and a large community college, so research jobs are highly competitive here, and without previous experience, no one wants to hire me since they can easily find someone else that already has some. It's actually kind of frustrating O.O

I'm glad about the volunteering being helpful, thank you.
Click to expand...

You are definitely right that research jobs are hard to come by but is there any chance you can volunteer at one of these places? Or at one of the universities? Even if its just 5 or 10hours a week that you might be able to do. Something is better than nothing. As mentioned, it is going to be very difficult to get into a program without any research experience.
 
napsych8771 said:
You are definitely right that research jobs are hard to come by but is there any chance you can volunteer at one of these places? Or at one of the universities? Even if its just 5 or 10hours a week that you might be able to do. Something is better than nothing. As mentioned, it is going to be very difficult to get into a program without any research experience.
Click to expand...
I know someone who has connections in the volunteer department. I have filled out the application, but was told flat out when I originally asked for an application that they did not want to see it until the end of March (This was in January) and that they would be able to place me somewhere maybe in May. They also said that it wasn't likely that I would be placed in a research lab, but I'm crossing my fingers.

I understand that my lack of research is a HUGE problem with my application 🙁 Is the rest of my application ok? Or are my chances really bad even if I do get placed in a research lab? Thanks for the advice.
 
viliger2000 said:
I understand that my lack of research is a HUGE problem with my application 🙁 Is the rest of my application ok? Or are my chances really bad even if I do get placed in a research lab? Thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...

The rest of you application is good but similar to a lot of the other applicants for PhD programs. The 4 schools you mentioned earlier are so competitive that chances are bad just based on the numbers. Make sure to apply to programs that are less competitive, in terms of number of applications received.
 
napsych8771 said:
The rest of you application is good but similar to a lot of the other applicants for PhD programs. The 4 schools you mentioned earlier are so competitive that chances are bad just based on the numbers. Make sure to apply to programs that are less competitive, in terms of number of applications received.
Click to expand...
Ok, thank you! I'm also trying to see if maybe I would be allowed to do a DIS or take a supervised research course as a non-degree seeking student in one of the nearby universities. I'm also going to try to raise my GRE scores some when I retake it in the Summer.

I am definitely applying to other schools as well, and my back-up for not getting in anywhere is to try to get a masters in Criminology from my alma mater and then apply again, hopefully with better chances. Thank you all so much for the advice! Any other advice is very welcome!
 
psycscientist said:
At the schools you mentioned (which are mostly clinical science programs), you likely have no shot without at least 2 years of research experience at a bare minimum. Most people will have more (and in full-time positions), in addition to publications.
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I understand. I appreciate the straightforwardness. 🙂
 
viliger2000 said:
I understand. I appreciate the straightforwardness. 🙂
Click to expand...

Also, if possible, I'd recommend that if you end up going the master's route, you do so in an experimental psychology (or at least counseling) focus. This will give you the relevant experience that a criminology program lacks (quite honestly, I don't know that having a crim master's would do anything for your app, unfortunately) while also likely giving you the opportunity to complete independent research.
 
+1 regarding research experience (quality experience through which you actually learn how to conduct research rather than just entering data). You won't be able to "shadow" a forensic psychologist any more than you could shadow any other psychologist - there are massive ethical issues that prohibit such things. Are you also paying attention to fit? Do the listed programs (and the others to which you applied but did not list) even have researchers working on forensic topics?
 
Hi!

I will be graduating this May and I will be applying to PhD an PsyD programs in clinical psychology this fall. I am looking into more practice focused programs, specifically those with GPA scores matching mine.
Here are my stats:
GPA overall: 3.4
Psychology GPA: 3.6
Have yet to take the GRE.
I have been in 2 different research labs, total of 3 semesters.
Interning at a behavioral children's center for 2 semesters.
Attended a National Eating Disorders Association Conference.
No publications.
Good recommendations.

Do I have a shot? Should I apply to schools with GPAs lower or higher than mine? If so, by how much?

Thank you!
 
linzerpinz said:
Hi!

I will be graduating this May and I will be applying to PhD an PsyD programs in clinical psychology this fall. I am looking into more practice focused programs, specifically those with GPA scores matching mine.
Here are my stats:
GPA overall: 3.4
Psychology GPA: 3.6
Have yet to take the GRE.
I have been in 2 different research labs, total of 3 semesters.
Interning at a behavioral children's center for 2 semesters.
Attended a National Eating Disorders Association Conference.
No publications.
Good recommendations.

Do I have a shot? Should I apply to schools with GPAs lower or higher than mine? If so, by how much?

Thank you!
Click to expand...

I would think you have a shot. It'd help to have some experience with your target population (not sure if your previous work is what you're still interested in) and for the Clinical Psych PhD some more research experience (e.g. poster presentation, publication) even for more practice-oriented programs. I can't speak to the PsyD though.

Assuming things go well with the GRE, I'm not sure GPA matters a whole lot. In my experience, granted its more research-focused than it sounds like you are, GPA isn't as important, assuming you're near mean of accepted students. So I think you should apply to programs that provide training you're interested in and for Clinical Psych PhD programs make sure it is a more clinical oriented program. You may also think about a Counseling PhD, you can look at some threads on SDN for the differences between the two (its not that much).
 
If you're interested in eating disorders primarily, I can recommend a balanced/clinical-oriented PhD program. Feel free to PM me about it.
 
I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place, but I have a question.

I know that in the SOP one of the major things to address is how well you fit the program. I honestly have no idea how to do this. Literally none. As a matter of fact, I don't even quite understand how to assess whether or not I'm a good fit for the program, which is probably an important thing to figure out before I apply!
 
psychmusic said:
I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place, but I have a question.

I know that in the SOP one of the major things to address is how well you fit the program. I honestly have no idea how to do this. Literally none. As a matter of fact, I don't even quite understand how to assess whether or not I'm a good fit for the program, which is probably an important thing to figure out before I apply!
Click to expand...

You want to be sure, first and foremost, that your research and clinical interests match those of your chosen POI(s). If you apply to work with someone who primarily treats and researches developmental disorders in children, yet you're hoping to work with eating disorders in adolescents and young adults, that's going to be a poor match. You'd at least want the POI's focus to be in the same general area as yours (e.g., the POI deals with various anxiety disorders and you're interested in substance abuse and social phobia).
 
psychmusic said:
I'm not sure if this is the appropriate place, but I have a question.

I know that in the SOP one of the major things to address is how well you fit the program. I honestly have no idea how to do this. Literally none. As a matter of fact, I don't even quite understand how to assess whether or not I'm a good fit for the program, which is probably an important thing to figure out before I apply!
Click to expand...

I would recommend sitting down to talk with an instructor or advisor about this from your undergraduate institution. These are important issues to clarify before you waste time, energy, or money on the application process.
 
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