WAMC: What Are My Chances

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Student2222 said:
Thanks. I think I am going to email some...I have a couple of drafts ready for professors. However, I'm still working on editting my CV. How perfect do you think it needs to be before you send it in this email?? It will definitely be better in the application.
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That's a good question. I actually didn't attach my CV during the initial contact. My adviser said I shouldn't but I know lots of people do and I don't think you'll get dinged or anything if you do. I only sent my CV if the POI asked for it specifically.

My CV wasn't perfect either and I had some additions in time for the December application deadline. Try to make the one you submit with your application as perfect as possible because this is the one people will consistently use to judge your application.
 
syzergy said:
That's a good question. I actually didn't attach my CV during the initial contact. My adviser said I shouldn't but I know lots of people do and I don't think you'll get dinged or anything if you do. I only sent my CV if the POI asked for it specifically.

My CV wasn't perfect either and I had some additions in time for the December application deadline. Try to make the one you submit with your application as perfect as possible because this is the one people will consistently use to judge your application.
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I always attached mine - most didn't mention it (and presumably didn't open it), a few commented on it (and had nice things to say). I don't think it hurts - it's not like it pops itself open when the email is opened and is in the person's face. If they are interested enough, they'll open it, and if not, so what? They won't look at that version again either, the one that's submitted with your application is the one that will really count.
 
Thanks for your quick reply!
V: 83 percentile
Q: 65 percentile

is my GRE score too low?....

Also, my research interest is racial identity and discrimination~



Therapist4Chnge said:
"multicultural research" is a very large umbrella.

Your GPA is in the ballpark, though I'm not familiar with the 'new' GRE scoring, do you have %-rank available?

I am personally familiar with four of the programs you listed, and they are very research heavy, so you'll need to have significant research experience to even secure an invite to interview. I don't think it'd hurt to apply to the programs, but I'd guess you'll probably need to put in a couple of years as a full-time RA to realistically have a shot at a clinical program like UCLA or U of Michigan. U of Minn. and Iowa St. are also very research heavy places, though I am admittedly less familiar with the particular faculty of those uni's.
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doggums said:
I've looked at applying to a few of the clinical schools you've listed and I would say you probably have a shot if your research interests are an excellent fit... that said, for UCLA, UNC, and U of M you're definitely on the low (ish, not all that low) side for GRE scores and GPA. If you want to get a feel for the overall competitiveness you can take a look at the stats of the students the admitted over the last 7 years. For example UCLA's admitted students had a 3.79 GPA and GRE scores of V:165, Q: 163, and AW 5.0.

I'd agree with therapist4change as well, more research experience is always a plus. Only being in college for 3 years makes it hard to compete with people who did 4 years of undergrad research or had full time RA positions post-grad or something. Especially if their GPAs and GREs are higher than yours...

"Multicultural research" is a pretty huge field and I know of some schools that have clinical psych faculty doing research in that area. You said you have a "very specific" research interest. If you say a bit more about it I might be able to give you the names of a few other schools you might be interested in?

Oh, one more random thought. You mentioned U of M's clinical program and psych & education PhD... you'll probably have to choose one of them? Even if the school will allow you to apply to two different programs (which most don't as far as I've encountered), it might look bad to both that you appear unsure of whether you want to do clinically based research or not.
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Thanks for your quick reply! (Sorry for making a couple of messages..I'm still trying to figure out how to post on this forum)

V: 83 percentile
Q: 65 percentile

I guess I'm not competitive enough for some of those schools...thanks for the tip!

Also, my research interest is racial identity and discrimination. Do you guy know any "safer" schools I could apply to?
(because I'm looking at both school Website and Insider's Guide, but it seems like they offer two different figures regarding how competitive each school are)

I am not applying to U of M Clinical Program. I gave it some thought and decided to only apply to psy and education degree at U of Michigan!

Thanks guys~
 
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doggums said:
I submitted most of my applications already, but am wondering about Yale specifically... I'm applying for a PhD in clinical psych.

My test scores and GPA are decent--
GPA: 3.76 (4.0 in psychology and in the last 2 years). I have a BA in neuroscience from a good liberal arts college.
Verbal: 168 (98%), 730
Quant: 165 (92%), 800
Psych: 800

I have four papers in preparation and tons of research experience, but I'm wondering if the fact that I was pre-med until I graduated (graduated last May) will hurt my chances. I currently work as a research assistant in a really great teaching hospital, but all my work is with skin cancer and all of my publications will be in medical journals... I did take tons of psych classes as an undergrad, 15 to be exact, because I thought I wanted to be a psychiatrist until I realized I don't exactly agree with the way they are usually required to practice.

Will it look like I have no motivation/interest in the field? Or like I change directions too often and am not committed? My undergrad research experiences were all in psych labs and I TAed and tutored multiple psych classes, buuuut I'm spending this entire year doing cancer research. I did try to get a psych research job after graduating, but jobs these days aren't exactly easy to find...
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The main thing is you just need a good story for why your interests are where they are now? So, yes, you were pre-med before but what changed your mind? Why is it that you are applying to do the research you are applying to? As long as you can tell a coherent story I don't think your background will hurt you.
 
Student2222 said:
I posted my stats etc. earlier but now that I am actually working on these applications I am getting insanely nervous. I am Canadian and not that familiar with the ranking of a lot of the schools I am applying to. I just want to know if these are among the most competitive schools or if I have somewhat of a shot. I graduated from a medium size school in Ontario, Canada that most people in the US may not have heard of. GRE: 89th percentile verbal, 74th quant, 92nd AWA GPA in psych: 88% (I think this is a 3.8 or 4.0)- considered an A in Canada.

Publications: 1 first authored, 1 abstract, 1 under review, 4 in preparation
Research Experience: Basically 5 years, in 7 different labs (might show I am all over the place in interests though)- one of these labs is in a Hospital doing clinical research on brain injuries.

I also am not going to contact POIs before sending in applications because I do not want to bother them (not sure if that is a good idea?)

These are the schools I am applying to:

SDSU Joint Doctoral Program
Boston University
UPenn (I know this is very competitive...it's sort of my "out there" application)
Northwestern
Stony Brook University
Emory
Berkeley
Rutgers (PsyD)
York University
University of Toronto, OISE
Ryerson
UBC
McGill

I am interested in researching psychotherapy and the personality factors associated with depression. I also really want to know if there are any other programs that you might suggest would be good for me according to my interests and stats. I heard there was a good PsyD program in Chicago but do not know the name?
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Are you sure there are good matches at the schools you are applying to? I am very familiar with several of those schools and I can't think of anyone who is doing the research you are interested in.
 
Student2222 said:
Thanks. I think I am going to email some...I have a couple of drafts ready for professors. However, I'm still working on editting my CV. How perfect do you think it needs to be before you send it in this email?? It will definitely be better in the application.
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Just a hint - profs get a large number of emails around this time of year. Ask a well thought out question about the profs research or show some serious interest in their research otherwise the email is largely unnecessary.
 
ResearchGirlie said:
Are you sure there are good matches at the schools you are applying to? I am very familiar with several of those schools and I can't think of anyone who is doing the research you are interested in.
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Thanks for this response...to be honest my research interests are still not so narrow. I have identified professors at each of these schools with whom I would like work. If possible, could I PM you to find out more of your thoughts on these schools? I am really scared that I will not be able to present a strong enough case to them given my background work is really in brain injury. I still am really not that familiar with most of these American schools and feel pretty concerned about the applications.
 
colf said:
Stats:

Total GRE: 1410
Analytic: 6
Undergrad GPA: 3.90

Research experience
2 years undergrad
2.5 years post-undergrad

No senior thesis/honors project, article in Psi Chi undergrad jounral, 5 poster presentations at conferences (one 1st author), 2 articles in preparation (but probably will not be submitted by the Dec 1st deadline)

LOR: 2 great, 1 good

Schools (all clinical):
- Drexel
- UMass Boston
- Catholic U
- Tulsa
- San Diego/USCD
- BU
- Albany
- George Mason
- Missouri St. Louis
- Yale
- Stony Brook
- UNC
- Pittsburgh
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As a fellow applicant (to some of the same schools you listed), I am definitely intimidated by your stats. I think that anyone here will tell you that your numbers are very impressive. The rest of it probably depends on the "subjective" criteria, like your essays, recommendations, interviews, personality and most importantly "match".
 
psychcyclepsi said:
You need a GRE score before people can accurately chance you. I would guess that your work and research experience is well above avg when compared to most applicants (even at your choice schools), but your GPA puts you in somewhat difficult territory. I think with a 320+ GRE (ideally 160+ in V and 160+ in Q) you will be an extremely competitive applicant at both of these schools. Just my speculation.
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I agree--the GRE is going to be needed to fully determine how strong an applicant you are, but in general, the majority of your stats seem great. The GPA is the one sticking point. I made it into a funded program way back when with similar grades (~3.44 overall, ~3.7 or 3.8 last two years, 4.0 psych), but I'm nearly positive that the GPA being <3.5 removed me from consideration in at least a few programs.

At the same time, a decent GRE (>1300) seemed to at least somewhat "atone" for it, and you certainly have more research experience than did I. Just work on rocking the GRE, keep up with the research, and try to make as many A's as possible over the next few semesters, and you should be fine.

USC and Emory still might not work out, as admissions can become a crapshoot at a certain point owing to the overall competitiveness, but I'd be surprised if you didn't receive at least a few interview offers. Also, you still have a year, so using that time to network with faculty at Emory would be a great idea.
 
Hey all,

For those of you that take your time to answer these replies, I think it is great. Thank you!
Here's my situation:

B.S. in psychology and minor in sociology:
GPA - 3.8
Psych GPA - 3.85ish

GRE:
First score: Q-790(91%); V-570(80%); W-5.0(84%)
Second score: (from new to old score system): Q-740(74%); V-650(91%); W-5.0(92%)
I know my GRE scores are odd

Research:
-1.5 years on a research team doing social psych research. I co-led a study and presented a paper at a regional conference. I am leading another study and will present it in the spring (at least one conference).
-3 months as a paid research assistant with a National Cancer Institute funded community/health study (currently employed). Duties: door-to-door recruitment of potential participants, eligibility screening, scheduling, explanation of consent, survey and map activity distribution data collection and uploading just to name a few.
-Trying to get an education/philosophy paper published with a grad student

Clinical:
-3 semesters worth of volunteer experience at a mental health facility, mental health hospital, and crisis line.

Other:
-3 Semesters as a sociology TA
-Semester abroad in Jerusalem, Egypt, Jordan (cultural sensitivity?)

Representative schools from the list:

Iowa State (counseling)
U at Albany (counseling)
University of Louisville (counseling)
University of Oklahoma (counseling)
Duquesne University (clinical)
Oklahoma State University (clinical)
Texas A&M University (clinical)
Wichita State University (clinical)
There will be more too...

Am I shooting too high? Should I add some lower/higher caliber schools? Thank you again!
 
***** said:
Would graduate coursework impact my undergraduate GPA? And with a <3.5 GPA how do you think I would fare at less competitive schools like CUNY, UCF, or GSU?
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No, grad work won't affect your undergrad GPA. However, people commonly take grad classes (either a few here and there, or a bunch on the way to a masters) as a way of "atoning" for undergrad grades.

That being said, it's not like a 3.42 is horrid. But if you were able to take some grad-level classes to show you can handle the work, I wouldn't imagine it'd hurt your chances. At the same time, given the rest of your application, I'd still apply to all of the programs you're considering. After all, worst thing that can happen is they turn you down, and in the end, that's not really so bad.
 
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Hi everyone, I'm super nervous about applications, especially after seeing everyone else's stats.

I have a BA with first class honours (Major: Psych, Minor: Counselling, Gerontology)

GPAs
CGPA: 3.51 (4.33 scale) - I jumped straight into second year courses in first year so my GPA took a major hit... my GPA for the past three years have been consistently above 3.7
Upper Division: 3.76
Psych: 3.58

GRE Scores
Quant: 153 (56%)
Verbal: 161 (86%)
AW: 5 (92%)

I have an appointment to rewrite the GREs next Thursday because of my quant score but I'm on the fence as to whether or not I should rewrite it because I haven't been able to study much between my posters, manuscript, TAing, and lab tasks... I was sick when I wrote it last time and math has always been my weak spot, but I'll also be doing my rewrite on the other side of the country because I'm doing it before attending a conference. What should I do??!!!

Advanced Statistical Coursework
3 Graduate level psychometric courses (all of which I got As in) - I'm hoping this might make up for my low Quant score... maybe? The stats prof is writing one of my letters


Research Experience
3 years in a clinical psychology lab -Did my honours thesis here. My supervisor is pretty big in his area, and I'm now in more of a mentoring and training role and doing independent projects than lab work now.
1 year in a theory and research methodology lab - coordinator


Publications/Conference presentations:
4 Conference posters - 3 for ABCT (1 first author, 2 second author), 1 for APA (3rd author)
1 Manuscript in prep (first author)

Schools:
Yale - I've been worked on a research project that was done in collaboration with one of my POIs grad students and that turned into a poster. Been in contact with the POI and some of her grad students for study materials for my honours project.
Ohio State - POI here was the student of my POI at Yale that I worked with.
University of Miami
Boston University
University of Southern Mississippi
Duke
University of Kentucky
Stony Brook
Rutgers

I'm applying to all clinical psych programs and chose all the schools based on research interests and I know my top school is a bit of a long shot.

What are my chances?
 
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Sweet Nerd said:
Hi everyone, I'm super nervous about applications, especially after seeing everyone else's stats.

I have a BA with first class honours (Major: Psych, Minor: Counselling, Gerontology)

GPAs
CGPA: 3.51 (4.33 scale) - I jumped straight into second year courses in first year so my GPA took a major hit... my GPA for the past three years have been consistently above 3.7
Upper Division: 3.76
Psych: 3.58

GRE Scores
Quant: 153 (56%)
Verbal: 161 (86%)
AW: 5 (92%)

I have an appointment to rewrite the GREs next Thursday because of my quant score but I'm on the fence as to whether or not I should rewrite it because I haven't been able to study much between my posters, manuscript, TAing, and lab tasks... I was sick when I wrote it last time and math has always been my weak spot, but I'll also be doing my rewrite on the other side of the country because I'm doing it before attending a conference. What should I do??!!!

Advanced Statistical Coursework
3 Graduate level psychometric courses (all of which I got As in) - I'm hoping this might make up for my low Quant score... maybe? The stats prof is writing one of my letters


Research Experience
3 years in a clinical psychology lab -Did my honours thesis here. My supervisor is pretty big in his area, and I'm now in more of a mentoring and training role and doing independent projects than lab work now.
1 year in a theory and research methodology lab - coordinator


Publications/Conference presentations:
4 Conference posters - 3 for ABCT (1 first author, 2 second author), 1 for APA (3rd author)
1 Manuscript in prep (first author)

Schools:
Yale - I've been worked on a research project that was done in collaboration with one of my POIs grad students and that turned into a poster. Been in contact with the POI and some of her grad students for study materials for my honours project.
Ohio State - POI here was the student of my POI at Yale that I worked with.
University of Miami
Boston University
University of Southern Mississippi
Duke
University of Kentucky
Stony Brook
Rutgers

I'm applying to all clinical psych programs and chose all the schools based on research interests and I know my top school is a bit of a long shot.

What are my chances?
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I'm just curious, what is your research interest? I ask because I'm applying to a lot of the same schools as you and I know if your research interest is the same as mine then you may want to reconsider Duke. My research interests involve BPD & I emailed Rosenthal & the other guy that researches BPD and neither of them are taking students (though Rosenthal said he was going to look at applications, but wasn't planning on taking a student). Just thought I'd share in case you didn't know.
 
GPA - 3.6 from small liberal arts college, Limestone

GRE: 150-Q
GRE: 159-V

Research:
Poster Presentation at NCUR

Publication Pending Revision

Experience:
Associate Peer Review Editor at Undergraduate Sci Journal
8 Years Business Management Experience

-----------------------------------------------

Applying to:

Mercer PhD Clinical Medical Psychology
UGA
Emory
GA Tech
Georgia State

Any other suggestions for likely positive outcomes in the Southeast?
 
mewtoo said:
I'm just curious, what is your research interest? I ask because I'm applying to a lot of the same schools as you and I know if your research interest is the same as mine then you may want to reconsider Duke. My research interests involve BPD & I emailed Rosenthal & the other guy that researches BPD and neither of them are taking students (though Rosenthal said he was going to look at applications, but wasn't planning on taking a student). Just thought I'd share in case you didn't know.
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Thanks for letting me know! My interests are in emotion regulation. If you're interested in Rosenthal's research and Canada is an option for you, I would suggest looking into SFU (Alex Chapman). We do a lot of similar work as Rosenthal and collaborate with him quite a bit. Edit: If you're looking into SFU you can also check out Shannon Zaitsoff, since I noticed in one of your earlier posts that you're interested in eating disorders as well.
 
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Sup gang,

I'm going to challenge all you WAMC Gurus out there with my interesting stats... I'm looking to apply fo 2013-14 cycle so still got a year to go.

GPA: Undergrad is 3.25
Here's where it gets interesting. I took another bachelor in Psych but got a horrible GPA because I was going through life crisis. The GPA is 2.8...

GPA: MA in Counseling Psych 3.85.
GRE: 90% Quant 68% verbal
Will retake to increase my verbal but please comment on my chance with the above score.

Research experience: Currently researching in 2 labs. I have 2 publications (not first authors) and working on a third(first author).

Presentatinos: 2 poster, 1 discussion, 1 symposium, 1 workshop

Clinical experience: internship at counseling clinic, volunteer at various helping agencies and charity organizations.

LORs: Already have 3 solid ones.

**I'm applying to counseling psych programs!

Now, I really want to know how that 2.8 GPA will standout...Will programs disregard my entire application just because of it? How do I express that I had a life crisis influence? (if it is possible that is...)
 
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Hey thanks for the reply. If by "additive cumulative" you meant the average for both degrees in undergrad, it would be 3.0. The GPAs for 3.25 and 2.8 are separate degrees(done in different schools).
 
Hello everyone!

I have been following most of the post on here for a while, but this my first time actually posting anything.

Allow me to introduce myself: I'm a senior with a 3.4 GPA. I anticipate graduating with Honors and im a member of psi chi. I am working on a researh project, but i highly doubt it will be published. I am currently volunteering in a school and plan to continue next semester. Initially, i was interested in applying to clinical psychology programs, but because of deadlines and my specific interest in education and working with children and their families i plan on applying to school psychology Ph.D.

I took the GRE and my unofficial scores were A: 151 V:148 1) Do unofficial scores change when we receive the official ones? Should I take it over? What are good study prep I should consider?

My prospective schools are Syracuse University, Lehigh Univerity and Duquesne University. 2) what are my chances of being a competitive applicant? 3) are anyone of in these programs? How is it?

Can any experienced persons share some advice with me?

Thanks!
 
Hello everyone!


I have been following most of the post on here for a while, but this my first time actually posting anything.


Allow me to introduce myself: I'm a senior with a 3.4 Overall GPA and 3.9 psych GPA. I anticipate graduating with Honors and im a member of psi chi. I am working on a researh project, but i highly doubt it will be published, it's a developmental lab I have been in for 1.5 years. I am currently volunteering in a school and plan to continue next semester. Initially, i was interested in applying to clinical psychology programs, but because of deadlines and my specific interest in education and working with children and their families i plan on applying to school psychology Ph.D. 1) how is clinical vs school psych?


I took the GRE and my unofficial scores were Quant: 151 Verbal: 148 2) Do unofficial scores change when we receive the official ones? Should I take it over? What are good study prep I should consider? I studied alone with Kaplan the first time.


My prospective schools are Syracuse University, Lehigh Univerity and Duquesne University. 2) what are my chances of being a competitive applicant? 3) are anyone of in these programs? How is it?


Can any experienced persons share some advice with me please?


Thanks!
 
freedom91 said:
Hello everyone!

I have been following most of the post on here for a while, but this my first time actually posting anything.

Allow me to introduce myself: I'm a senior with a 3.4 GPA. I anticipate graduating with Honors and im a member of psi chi. I am working on a researh project, but i highly doubt it will be published. I am currently volunteering in a school and plan to continue next semester. Initially, i was interested in applying to clinical psychology programs, but because of deadlines and my specific interest in education and working with children and their families i plan on applying to school psychology Ph.D.

I took the GRE and my unofficial scores were A: 151 V:148 1) Do unofficial scores change when we receive the official ones? Should I take it over? What are good study prep I should consider?

My prospective schools are Syracuse University, Lehigh Univerity and Duquesne University. 2) what are my chances of being a competitive applicant? 3) are anyone of in these programs? How is it?

Can any experienced persons share some advice with me?

Thanks!
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How do your GRE scores convert to the old scale?
 
psychcyclepsi said:
The unofficial scores should remain the same--at least that was my experience. You will also get your writing score at that time.

I think retaking and bumping Q (what you called A) and V scores up by 5 points each would make you a much more competitive applicant at these programs. With your current score I believe you are slightly below the medians of these schools (for both your GPA and the GRE), which is generally not a good combination. It doesn't mean you couldn't get in if you get strong recs and write a good statement of purpose, but I think it is unlikely. This is especially true because it sounds like you don't yet have much in the way of work or research experience to help compensate. Deadlines will be coming soon, so you may want to get your apps all ready, but I think if you can retake and show them a higher GRE it will help.
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Thanks! I have a 1+ year experience in a developmental lab...but I do agree my scores should be higher. I have bad test anxiety, especially with standardize testing, and froze after the first half of the exam.
 
psychcyclepsi said:
640/420 are what the poster's scores convert to (36th and 39th%tile)
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Thanks!

I think the verbal score might be an issue. Although school psych programs tend to be willing to accept lower GREs, they are still generally wary of anything sub 500 on the old scale. Also, your GPA may be a tad low for Syracuse--not sure about the other two.

Your research and school experience should be fine.
 
futureapppsy2 said:
Thanks!

I think the verbal score might be an issue. Although school psych programs tend to be willing to accept lower GREs, they are still generally wary of anything sub 500 on the old scale. Also, your GPA may be a tad low for Syracuse--not sure about the other two.

Your research and school experience should be fine.
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Thanks! I hope to boost my GPA to a 3.5+ by the end of the semester. Is that still too low for Syracuse? Are there any other School Psych programs I can look into?
 
freedom91 said:
Thanks! I hope to boost my GPA to a 3.5+ by the end of the semester. Is that still too low for Syracuse? Are there any other School Psych programs I can look into?
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What are your research interests and other criteria? I could suggest some programs. Feel free to PM me as well.
 
Hi all! I am applying to graduate school for clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology for the 2013-2014 academic school year. These are my stats:

Undergrad GPA: 3.3; Psychology GPA: 3.8
GRE: V-149, Q- 141 A: 4.5, took last year, retaking it this week
Research: 3.5 years in a neuroscience lab studying pharmacological treatment for neurogliomas, 1 year in a child development lab
Presentations: 2 Poster Presentations
3 solid letter of recommendations
Psi Chi member

I also held down two jobs while going to school full time. Here is a list of schools to which I am applying:
University Of Georgia
Georgia State University
Northwestern University
Vanderbilt University
University of Kentucky
UC San Diego

Any comments or advice will be greatly appreciated 🙂!
 
SouthernBelle21 said:
Hi all! I am applying to graduate school for clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology for the 2013-2014 academic school year. These are my stats:

Undergrad GPA: 3.3; Psychology GPA: 3.8
GRE: V-149, Q- 141 A: 4.5, took last year, retaking it this week
Research: 3.5 years in a neuroscience lab studying pharmacological treatment for neurogliomas, 1 year in a child development lab
Presentations: 2 Poster Presentations
3 solid letter of recommendations
Psi Chi member

I also held down two jobs while going to school full time. Here is a list of schools to which I am applying:
University Of Georgia
Georgia State University
Northwestern University
Vanderbilt University
University of Kentucky
UC San Diego

Any comments or advice will be greatly appreciated 🙂!
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I just wanted to tell you that your new GRE scores may not make it in time. It takes about 10 business days to get your official scores and get them sent. Your cutting it pretty close. If you took it Friday they would most likely get sent out on Nov. 30th. This is assuming these programs are like most and the deadline is Dec. 1st, of course. I took the GRE again late October and the scores took 9 business days, but they supposedly take longer the closer you get to December because everyone is taking it late.

You will have trouble getting into schools with a 3.3 and that low of GRE scores. A 430/440 V and a 430-450 Q doesn't even break 900 on the old scale. The average for programs in general (not sure about your picks) is 1200. If your scores don't make it in time or you don't do substantially better you would have trouble even getting looked at in most programs, let alone competitive ones like UC San Diego (or at least I assume is competitive since its in California). You may want to apply to more schools, regardless of your GRE or GPA. The average is 12 for most applicants (whether they are competitive or not) and this is mostly due to the extremely competitive nature of clinical psych admissions.
 
psychcyclepsi said:
Your research experience should help, and GPA is generally adequate for most programs, but you need to very substantially bring up your GREs to have any shot. I think you will be ok in terms of timeline as long as you retake right away and order the scores to be sent out right after taking it--most deadlines aren't until Dec. 15th, and even if the scores trickle-in slightly after that I think most schools won't outright ding you for that as long as you have submitted a complete application prior to deadline (I would call the schools though to double-check how they would handle this). But I think you do need to retake right away. And frankly, I doubt it is worth applying to Northwestern or Vandy without the equivalent of a 1400+ (e.g. approx 162V/158Q+), and for the rest I think clearing at least 1200 equivalent will be important (e.g. 158V/150Q).

You could probably have a shot at other schools (not currently on your list) if you just clear 150V/148Q(around 1050), but even that would mean a significant improvement on Q. In other words, I would seriously reconsider your target schools. On the other hand, if you can bring up your scores I think your work experience may give you an edge over applicants with the same level stats.

Hope you are not trolling--with all due respect, that seems like an awfully low Q given your years of hard science experience, but then again it is not like the GREs are necessarily accurate indexes of ability, and scientific aptitude is not necessarily coterminous with the type of mathematical aptitude tested in Q on GRE. Good luck.
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No worries. I am retaking the test this Friday and hoping I will do better. I have always been a crappy test taker, especially when it comes to dealing with math. For example, if I get stuck on a problem, I begin to panic and that kind of throws me off a little. So while restudying for the exam, I try to work on calming down and not freaking out. I will add more schools to the list to give myself a broader range to shoot for.
 
Hey everyone, I am applying to PhD and PsyD Counseling and Clinical psychology programs this fall. Here are the schools I am applying to:

Baylor University
UT Austin
University of Oregon
Arizona State
Auburn
University of Northern Colorado
Denver University
Colorado State University

I am currently a psychology senior at UT Austin. My GPA is 3.9, GRE scores are V 160, Q 156, AW 4.5. I have been working as a research assistant in a lab for 3 years, and recently have been promoted to project coordinator, which basically means i'm responsible for all aspects of scheduling, data collection, and data entry for one project. I have been trained in various neuropsychological tests and I am very comfortable administering them. I have really great letters of recommendation (one professor said I was "truly an inspiration") and a good personal statement. I have been interning at a private psychology practice for about 6 months now. I am a member of Psi Chi, but I have not published any papers. I have also been on the Dean's List for 6 semesters.

What are my chances?! Any advice, good or bad is much appreciated!

Thanks!
 
The first time I took it, my official quant score changed ALOT! It actually went up 4 points from the unofficial score. However, I don't think this happens very often because I have seen many people say that their scores didn't change, and the second time around mine didn't change either, but you never know there's still hope!
 
freedom91 said:
Hello everyone!


I have been following most of the post on here for a while, but this my first time actually posting anything.


Allow me to introduce myself: I'm a senior with a 3.4 Overall GPA and 3.9 psych GPA. I anticipate graduating with Honors and im a member of psi chi. I am working on a researh project, but i highly doubt it will be published, it's a developmental lab I have been in for 1.5 years. I am currently volunteering in a school and plan to continue next semester. Initially, i was interested in applying to clinical psychology programs, but because of deadlines and my specific interest in education and working with children and their families i plan on applying to school psychology Ph.D. 1) how is clinical vs school psych?


I took the GRE and my unofficial scores were Quant: 151 Verbal: 148 2) Do unofficial scores change when we receive the official ones? Should I take it over? What are good study prep I should consider? I studied alone with Kaplan the first time.


My prospective schools are Syracuse University, Lehigh Univerity and Duquesne University. 2) what are my chances of being a competitive applicant? 3) are anyone of in these programs? How is it?


Can any experienced persons share some advice with me please?


Thanks!
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The first time I took it, my official quant score changed ALOT! It actually went up 4 points from the unofficial score. However, I don't think this happens very often because I have seen many people say that their scores didn't change, and the second time around mine didn't change either, but you never know there's still hope!
 
Hey everyone, long-time lurker, first time poster :laugh:

I'll be transferring from a community college to a top-20 university, which offers an honors program that will allow me to gain two years of research experience working alongside respected professors performing (what is in my opinion) fascinating work, and eventually I'll be presenting an undergraduate thesis. Do you think this is enough research experience to be competitive for a Ph.D. program in clinical psych, or should I try to find work as an RA or something after I get my Bachelor's?

My other stats should be fine (3.97 gpa, Dean's list every quarter [albeit at a CC :laugh:], [hopefully] graduating from a fairly prestigious program, etc.).
 
Sidereum said:
Hey everyone, long-time lurker, first time poster :laugh:

I'll be transferring from a community college to a top-20 university, which offers an honors program that will allow me to gain two years of research experience working alongside respected professors performing (what is in my opinion) fascinating work, and eventually I'll be presenting an undergraduate thesis. Do you think this is enough research experience to be competitive for a Ph.D. program in clinical psych, or should I try to find work as an RA or something after I get my Bachelor's?

My other stats should be fine (3.97 gpa, Dean's list every quarter [albeit at a CC :laugh:], [hopefully] graduating from a fairly prestigious program, etc.).
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Have you checked out the Q&A with the DCT (it's in one of the "Stickies" threads). Two years of research experience is most likely enough, but it depends more on what you're doing with it. Two years of working a few hours a week doing mechanical tasks that don't advance your knowledge of the research process probably won't be helpful. If you have the chance to be more actively involved and learn multiple stages of the research process, advance your critical thinking skills, and independently conduct research...then that will be more than enough time. I'm applying now, right out of undergrad, and it seems like the consensus is that there is no set "amount" of research that is sufficient. I'd say make sure you're making/getting the most out of the experience...maybe try for some poster presentations and a thesis.

Also, GPA will be weighed heavily so make sure to keep that up in a likely way more stressful environment! Sounds like you have a pretty solid start though 👍
And study for those GREs...

Good luck!!
 
ndlek21 said:
Have you checked out the Q&A with the DCT (it's in one of the "Stickies" threads). Two years of research experience is most likely enough, but it depends more on what you're doing with it. Two years of working a few hours a week doing mechanical tasks that don't advance your knowledge of the research process probably won't be helpful. If you have the chance to be more actively involved and learn multiple stages of the research process, advance your critical thinking skills, and independently conduct research...then that will be more than enough time. I'm applying now, right out of undergrad, and it seems like the consensus is that there is no set "amount" of research that is sufficient. I'd say make sure you're making/getting the most out of the experience...maybe try for some poster presentations and a thesis.

Also, GPA will be weighed heavily so make sure to keep that up in a likely way more stressful environment! Sounds like you have a pretty solid start though 👍
And study for those GREs...

Good luck!!
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Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better; I'll definitely try to make the most of the experience! From what I can tell, students in the program can make presentations at conferences annually, and are required to submit a thesis upon graduation, so it sounds like it should be plenty of preparation.

And yes, I'll make sure to start studying for the GREs. I'd hate to go through all that just to get rejected because my scores are below the cut-off :laugh:
 
UG GPA 3.4 (from a prestigious, small, liberal arts school)
GR GPA 4.0

GRE two times highest scores 162V 154Q 5A, (single-administration score highest was 1260 though)
Gre psychology subject 710

two years in undergraduate research lab
two posters at national level (APA) and national specialty conferences
two oral presentations at national conferences

varied clinical exposure

Applied to mid-level colleges on the east coast/midwest although I'm in CA now
 
psychcyclepsi said:
I think if you applied conservatively and the programs you applied to have good interest matches you have a shot. With the new GRE score select feature you only need to send one of your scores, although I think the option is technically to either send them all or just send the most recent.

Just to clarify though, it sounds like you combined your highest V with your highest Q and highest A (from different tests) for purposes of this thread? If so, it is probably hard to give you much feedback based on the GRE because I don't think schools will (or can?) report your scores that way in regard to their means (I think they can choose a person's highest single-administration scores, but I don't think they can pick V from one and Q from another--or at least I would imagine they are not supposed to). What were the full scores of each administration?
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I've seen many schools (mid-tier) that say they will look at your highest scores in each subject while considering you for admission. I'm not sure about how they report it, but I think its pretty typical for them to be okay with mixing and matching. Also, you can choose any score to send to schools, not just the most recent or all. I'm not sure about any combination (i.e., pick your 1st and 3rd time, but not the others), though. ETS has been blowing up my e-mail with GRE info even though I'm done with it. 🙄
 
It's been a number of years, but I remember that when I was applying, there were schools that asked you to report your highest individual Q and highest individual V scores, and/or stated that these were the numbers they considered. The information was listed on their websites/in the individual applications.
 
I just recently submitted my applications to top tier and mid tier schools. I cannot recall the specific school (I think it was top tier), but a couple of them did asked for your best V and Q score. However, right under that, the schools also asked for your most recent score and/or your best overall score. For the other schools, they usually asked for both your best and your most recent. So even for schools that ask you to list your best score by section, that is not the only thing they take into consideration.

Also, I don't know how the scoreselects go, but when I went to send my scores to the schools, there was no option to select by section. But then again, I only took my GREs once so if that existed, it may not have shown up for me.
 
Hi I'm applying to clinical psych research intensive PhD programs. I want schools with facutly who specialize in neuroimaging (and do not require the psych GRE), which unfortunately narrowed my list to amazing top tier schools.

(Berkeley, Michigan, Northwestern, Pitt, Penn, Temple, Stonybrook, Maryland)

Here are my credentials. Let's start with the mediocre --

cum GPA: 3.18
maj. GPA: 3.64
maj: History and Philosophy
highly respected public university

GPA Q: 155 (64 %)
GPA V: 155 (65 %)
GPA W: 4.5 (73%)
(did NOT take psych GRE)

Good parts --

1 publication in Human Brain Mapping
1 manuscript under review at Cerebral Cortex
1 poster at society for neuroscience

Paid post-bac RA:
1 year clinical neuropsychology MRI experience at major urban research university and hospital
2 years affective neuroscience MRI and behavioral experience at highly respected public university

-tons of research/clinical, programming, analysis skills,
-good letters from PIs
-solid (IMO) personal statement highlighting my experiences
-good communication with prospective mentors

undergrad experience:
RA in clinical psych lab, cog sci TA,

Long story short, will my experiences make up for my bad GPA/GRE? Or will these top tier schools just toss me out before even considering my experiences.
 
psychcyclepsi said:
First of all, these are all solid programs, but not sure I would exactly consider all of them "amazing top-tier," although I suppose that is somewhat of a judgment call. I suppose if all of top-30 or so clinical programs are considered top-tier this may be an accurate description (at least the top-tier part). Regardless, these particular programs are all very competitive, and given your stats I think all of these are reaches for you.

You have good experience, but the average GRE scores with the below avg GPA (for clinical programs) probably does make it an uphill climb for you. I think you have a shot, but I could also see you striking out if you don't add some more conservative choices to your application list.
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In all actuality (and depending on the area of interest, of course), places like Michigan, Penn, etc., certainly are in the upper echelon of grad programs. Although again, there's so much variability based on interest area and what you actually want to do during your training that coming up with any sort of top-10, top-30, top-100, etc. list is next to impossible.

To the OP: unfortunately, as has been mentioned by the posters before me, your GRE and GPA might end up precluding your application from being seriously reviewed by some of the programs you've mentioned. Your research experience is great, though, and I second/third the recommendations to throw in some schools with somewhat lower incoming class stats (i.e., what is commonly referred to as the "middle tier"), as you're likely to get at least a few interview offers once people make it beyond the numbers and into your other application materials.
 
Hi! I've been reading this forum for a long time, but this is my first post.

I was a chemistry major who refused to admit that the major wasn't for me. After trashing my GPA during my first two years, I did see the light and changed to psychology. I earned my B.S. with a very good upward trend in my GPA, which was ultimately a 2.93. My psychology GPA was 3.72, however. During my time as an undergraduate, I completed a senior thesis that is now being prepared for submission to a journal. Additionally, I had one year of research experience in a clinical lab which resulted in a poster presentation at a regional conference and co-authorship of an article soon to be published.

I knew that my GPA would prevent me from going straight into a clinical doctoral program, so I decided to return to my undergraduate institution for an MS in Experimental Psychology, where I could assist with, and conduct my own, clinical research. My GRE scores weren't great (V: 160, Q: 146), but I was still admitted to the MS program. I currently have an A average in all of my graduate courses including a multivariate statistics course, and I have had another poster accepted at a regional conference. Acceptance to present a poster at the 2013 APA conference is also quite probable. As far as my own research goes, I will begin my thesis research next semester.

After that longwinded explanation of my academic past, what are my chances at getting in at top clinical PhD programs like Berkeley, Northwestern, or Chapel Hill? I do plan on retaking the GRE, but how much do I need to improve? I also plan to get at least one more article published during my time in the MS program as well as getting some volunteer experience in the university's psychology clinic. How many publications will make me competitive, and how much relevant clinical experience do I need? I would also like to add that I think my interests fit well with faculty at the schools mentioned above.

Thanks a lot!

J.
 
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