WAMC: What Are My Chances

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Hi all,

I am interested in hearing your opinion about my chances for clinical psyc PhD programs. Here are my stats:

GPA: 3.89
Psyc GPA: 3.94
GRE: 153 Verbal, 151 Quant, 4 Writing
Research experience: Worked as an RA in college for 3 years in 3 labs focused on anxiety disorders with prominent researchers. Completed a honors thesis. Currently work as an CRC and psychometrician at MGH for prominent psychiatrists specializing in ADHD.
Posters: Presented thesis twice at college presentation and EPA. Co-author on two other posters at ADC and abroad. More to follow hopefully.
Publications: Awaiting comments from Psi Chi Journal for thesis. Co-author on two other papers (one is a dissertation, one is a BPD clinical trial) in the process of being submitted. More to follow hopefully.

I am interested in anxiety disorders, so I am would love to attend BU, Temple, UNH, UMaine, URI, Clark, Catholic, Miami, etc.

I believe I can spin my current position focused on ADHD since I have the opportunity to work with clinic patients with varying diagnoses and my history of research in anxiety disorders.

The only concern I have are my GRE scores. They are slightly above the threshold for the majority of schools I am interested in. However, clinical psyc PhD programs are competitive. I am unsure that I can do much better on the GRE my strength is not standardized testing.

Is it worth the time/effort to retake the GRE while applying? Or do I stand a chance to make it to interviews with my current credientials? Thank you!!!
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Hi All. I'm new to all of this so be patient with me!

A little background: I'm in my early 30s and am currently in the middle of a massive career change (up until about a year and a half ago I've been working in an artistic field). While I have a background/degree in Psych through my BA and am currently enrolled in NYU MA general psych program, I'm (rightly, I suspect) concerned that my lack of recent exp is gonna result in a pretty weak application to schools this year.

My stats:

-Undergraduate (Vassar) GPA : 3.5 (I unfortunately wasn't particularly into my non-artistic academic endeavors...and could have done a lot better).
-Masters (currently enrolled at NYU) GPA: 4.0
-General GRE : Just got a V 166, Q 160, Analytical: 5. I could re-take and probably score a couple points higher in each
-Psych GRE: taking this fall and expect to do fairly well
-Research: have only volunteered one semesters worth (sigh...I know, I know) in a social psych lab. I can get in another semester before applications are due this winter but that seems like a drop in the bucket compared to where I should be.
-Clinical volunteer: currently perform intakes for a mental health organization that matches patients with providers, but only have a couple months experience as of now (about 8 months by winter). Should be a decent reference. I could always add another volunteer internship this fall but (again), seems like a drop in the bucket.

Im interested in Psy.D programs, but am worried my stats will be too light (I'd be aiming at Rutgers, Baylor, LaSalle, IUP, Loyola, ISU). I'll also be applying to MSW programs at the same time, which might be a better route for me (although that seems a discussion for a different thread).

Questions: is it worth applying to Psy.D programs or will I need to build up my CV for a year to be competitive? How much do Psy.D programs weigh research experience? What should I do between now and admission deadlines to better my chances (obvs I'll continue with my volunteer research and clinical work)? I'm sitting down to chat with my advisor on Thurs and have devoted some serious time to "The Insider's Guide", but I'd love to get a sense of where I stand.

Thanks in advance!
 
I am a new member, but I have found several of these posts helpful. I am planning to apply to Clinical Psychology PhD programs for the fall of 2014. My main interest is in working with children, and I would possibly like to focus on neuropsychology.

Undergrad GPA (General & Psychology): 3.9
GRE Verbal: 167
GRE Quantitative: 159
GRE Analytical Writing: 4
GRE Psychology Subject Test: 740

I have spent time working in two research labs over the past 4 years. My main responsibility has been in administering neuropsychological tests to children ages 7-13 as well as elderly study participants. I also have some experience in conducting MRI scans.

I have been second author on two posters, and I am the fifth author on a paper with several authors. This is certainly the weakest aspect of my CV.

At this point I am still looking into programs I want to apply to, but generally speaking any input about my odds of getting in to Clinical PhD programs would be much appreciated!

Thank you!
 
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2014hopeful said:
I am a new member, but I have found several of these posts helpful. I am planning to apply to Clinical Psychology PhD programs for the fall of 2014. My main interest is in working with children, and I would possibly like to focus on neuropsychology.

Undergrad GPA (General & Psychology): 3.9
GRE Verbal: 167
GRE Quantitative: 159
GRE Analytical Writing: 4
GRE Psychology Subject Test: 740

I have spent time working in two research labs over the past 4 years. My main responsibility has been in administering neuropsychological tests to children ages 7-13 as well as elderly study participants. I also have some experience in conducting MRI scans.

I have been second author on two posters, and I am the fifth author on a paper with several authors. This is certainly the weakest aspect of my CV.

At this point I am still looking into programs I want to apply to, but generally speaking any input about my odds of getting in to Clinical PhD programs would be much appreciated!

Thank you!
Click to expand...

I think that you're quite a competitive applicant for clinical PhD programs. Your test scores are quite good (especially GRE verbal), you also have a solid GPA and have been published. As long as you demonstrate good fit to the POI you plan to work with, I think that you'll have a good chance of being admitted.
 
Okay, I will try to be straight to the point as possible but there is a little explaining I would like to do:

Overall GPA: 3.2 (I know horrible)
Major GPA: 3.64
Last 2 yrs of College GPA: 3.72

*Small private university where 93 and above counted as an A (4.0)
*took a bunch of math & science classes (Calculus III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Physics, Physical Chemistry, Organic…list goes on and on)
*The classes I did poorly in were classes like History, Political Systems, Communications…

No research experience, as I attended a teaching university

LOR’s - one good one, two just about the average letter of rec.

Took the GRE about a year and a half ago
157- Q 153-V 4-AW
was not satisfied so did not apply anywhere

Retaking GRE in 20 days
This time I studied
Consistently scoring in 159-164 range for both sections on several different practice test from different test prep companies (I really want to pull up my V. score).


Application season is coming up and looking for advice
I am worried about the whole cut off score thing with my low 3.2 GPA, fearing my application would just be discarded.

I don’t want to waste my time and money applying to programs I have no/a low shot of getting in.

I want to enter a neuroscience or cognitive psy. program. I am considering I-O as a back up…I am not wiling to do a master’s first.

So basically which programs/schools should I be looking at? Which ones would actually not just look at the 3.2 and ignore my app. but actually analyze my applicattion a bit further.
 
sagevsal said:
Okay, I will try to be straight to the point as possible but there is a little explaining I would like to do:

Overall GPA: 3.2 (I know horrible)
Major GPA: 3.64
Last 2 yrs of College GPA: 3.72

*Small private university where 93 and above counted as an A (4.0)
*took a bunch of math & science classes (Calculus III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Physics, Physical Chemistry, Organic…list goes on and on)
*The classes I did poorly in were classes like History, Political Systems, Communications…

No research experience, as I attended a teaching university

LOR’s - one good one, two just about the average letter of rec.

Took the GRE about a year and a half ago
157- Q 153-V 4-AW
was not satisfied so did not apply anywhere

Retaking GRE in 20 days
This time I studied
Consistently scoring in 159-164 range for both sections on several different practice test from different test prep companies (I really want to pull up my V. score).


Application season is coming up and looking for advice
I am worried about the whole cut off score thing with my low 3.2 GPA, fearing my application would just be discarded.

I don’t want to waste my time and money applying to programs I have no/a low shot of getting in.

I want to enter a neuroscience or cognitive psy. program. I am considering I-O as a back up…I am not wiling to do a master’s first.

So basically which programs/schools should I be looking at? Which ones would actually not just look at the 3.2 and ignore my app. but actually analyze my applicattion a bit further.
Click to expand...

They will ignore your app due to lack of research experience. No research experience=no admittance, no matter what sub-area of psych.
 
(Reposting because I didn't get a response the first time I posted)

Hi everyone! I would really appreciate some honest feedback and advice regarding my situation. I graduated in May 2013 from a small liberal arts college with a B.A. in biological sciences and minor in psychology (I took 32 credits worth of psych, almost a double major).

Overall GPA: 3.96, Psych GPA: 4.00 (magna cum laude)

GRE: Not yet, plan to take this upcoming spring.

Undergraduate experience
Research:
- 1 summer studying Drosophila genetics at home institution
- 1 summer studying alcohol and exercise in mice at large research university
- 1 academic year performing independent study on Drosophila courtship genetics at home institution
- 1 semester in a course on observational coding methodology within a romantic development lab where we developed our own hypotheses, created scales, coded videotapes, ran statistical analyses and wrote a final paper (my project dealt with parent and romantic partner attachment styles)

Clinical:
- 2 semesters as America Reads/Counts tutor at local elementary school
- I used to work at a homework center in low-income neighborhood, but this was in high school

Posters/Presentations:
- 1 poster at summer research program symposium
- 3 separate presentations at my home institution (presenting 2 summer projects and my ind. study)
- 1 presentation at national undergraduate symposium
- No publications

Here’s my situation: My background is mainly behavioral genetics in animal models. During my senior year, I realized that molecular/behavioral/animal work was not my thing. I thought I wanted to understand the underpinnings of mental disorders, but I realize there is a bigger picture. Inspired by a developmental psych course and my own life experiences, I’m much more interested in understanding how children overcome biological and environmental predispositions, emotional dysregulation and adversity (resilience). My goal is to apply to clinical psychology Ph.D. programs next fall with a specialty in child clinical, if possible.

I’m taking 2 years off to figure things out and amp up my application. Currently, I’m an RA at a psychiatric hospital studying GABA receptors in mice (I wanted more clinical experience, but this was the job I could get). My question is: what can I do to convince grad school programs that, despite my lack of psychology research background, I’m a qualified and passionate applicant? What kind of clinical experience would be sufficient? Sorry for the long story, I’d really appreciate any insight. Thanks!

(p.s. I’m already thinking of applying to University of Washington (child clinical), University of Oregon (clinical) and University of Colorado Boulder (clinical))
 
mewtoo said:
They will ignore your app due to lack of research experience. No research experience=no admittance, no matter what sub-area of psych.
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I would generally agree--the lack of research experience, particularly for neuroscience, cog psych, and I/O programs (other than possibly a masters?)--is going to be more damaging to the application and more likely to result in its not being reviewed than the GPA.

You've mentioned that you aren't willing/able to do a masters first, but perhaps finding a paid or volunteer RA position is an option?
 
bluemirage92 said:
(Reposting because I didn't get a response the first time I posted)

Hi everyone! I would really appreciate some honest feedback and advice regarding my situation. I graduated in May 2013 from a small liberal arts college with a B.A. in biological sciences and minor in psychology (I took 32 credits worth of psych, almost a double major).
Click to expand...

From my own experience, having clinical experience doesn't really matter. I would try to relate your research experiences to your interests as best as you can--obviously genetics research won't translate that well, but you can talk about the skills it gave you and how you can apply those to resilience research.

Btw, U of Kansas has an excellent child clinical program--I would highly recommend you look into them.
 
I need some clarification about where I am at in terms of being a strong candidate:

1) 3.4 overall GPA, 3.5 major GPA
2) my GRE scores were low, so I'm retaking them this fall
3) 3 years of research experience, 1 year in a cognitive psych lab and 2.5 years in a clinical psych lab (I recently started 2 new research labs)
4) the only presentation I have done was through the biology dept at my university (I also did a minor in biology)
5) I have tons of clinical experience through crisis hotlines, being a milieu counselor, etc

I am really interested in genetic and environmental contributions to mood disorders, and behavioral therapies. I want to be able to do research and therapy once I have my PhD. One of the labs I just started works with behavioral genetics so I'm getting more experience in that field. I am planning on applying to Clinical and Developmental PhD programs as well as some funded research masters.

Any advice is welcome! Thank you! You can PM me or reply here :)
 
bluemirage92 said:
(Reposting because I didn't get a response the first time I posted)

Here’s my situation: My background is mainly behavioral genetics in animal models. During my senior year, I realized that molecular/behavioral/animal work was not my thing. I thought I wanted to understand the underpinnings of mental disorders, but I realize there is a bigger picture. Inspired by a developmental psych course and my own life experiences, I’m much more interested in understanding how children overcome biological and environmental predispositions, emotional dysregulation and adversity (resilience). My goal is to apply to clinical psychology Ph.D. programs next fall with a specialty in child clinical, if possible.

I’m taking 2 years off to figure things out and amp up my application. Currently, I’m an RA at a psychiatric hospital studying GABA receptors in mice (I wanted more clinical experience, but this was the job I could get). My question is: what can I do to convince grad school programs that, despite my lack of psychology research background, I’m a qualified and passionate applicant? What kind of clinical experience would be sufficient? Sorry for the long story, I’d really appreciate any insight. Thanks!

(p.s. I’m already thinking of applying to University of Washington (child clinical), University of Oregon (clinical) and University of Colorado Boulder (clinical))
Click to expand...

I agree with Cara that you may not need clinical experience, but your current interests are pretty different from what you have experience in. It'd be partly a concern that you won't be up to speed on the research methodology in your intended field (talking about the course you take will help, but one course is not much experience) and partly that once you get into the nitty-gritty of doing research, you may realize that you'd rather do Western blots than code mother-child interactions.

Since you already have a good amount of research experience, as long as you can demonstrate enough familiarity with your intended subfield to demonstrate you know what you're doing and will stick with it, I think you will be good. Can you volunteer in a lab or clinical department doing something along the lines of what you want to study in grad school? I don't think it needs to be much, but doing something for a year or so before you apply will boost your chances. Also, play to your strengths- for example, your genetics experience may also be helpful for developmental labs wanting to expand into genetics- not sure about the overlap in genetics research between fruit flies and people, though, so you would have a better idea about how well this might translate.
 
nessa34 said:
I agree with Cara that you may not need clinical experience, but your current interests are pretty different from what you have experience in. It'd be partly a concern that you won't be up to speed on the research methodology in your intended field (talking about the course you take will help, but one course is not much experience) and partly that once you get into the nitty-gritty of doing research, you may realize that you'd rather do Western blots than code mother-child interactions.

Since you already have a good amount of research experience, as long as you can demonstrate enough familiarity with your intended subfield to demonstrate you know what you're doing and will stick with it, I think you will be good. Can you volunteer in a lab or clinical department doing something along the lines of what you want to study in grad school? I don't think it needs to be much, but doing something for a year or so before you apply will boost your chances. Also, play to your strengths- for example, your genetics experience may also be helpful for developmental labs wanting to expand into genetics- not sure about the overlap in genetics research between fruit flies and people, though, so you would have a better idea about how well this might translate.
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That's definitely a good point. I've contacted a professor at a local university to see if she's still performing research because her interests are similar to what I'd like to pursue in grad school, although it'll be hard to get additional experience with a full-time RA job already.

Thanks for your advice!
 
Hey,
I am a rising senior psychology student at the University of South Carolina. I’m looking for some guidance about applying to clinical psychology programs. I am applying to both Ph.D and Masters programs. Unfortunately, I had a rough start my freshman year of college. As a result my cumulative GPA is currently a 3.32. Most of my applications are due at the beginning of December, so this is the GPA that admissions will see. The grades that are responsible for my low GPA were earned my freshman year, and I have improved every semester since. I have taken the GRE once, and my combined cumulative score is exactly 1200 (old scale). My quantitative score was lower than it needs to be, so I am retaking the test at the beginning of September. I have been putting a significant amount of time into preparing for the exam, so I expect my scores to increase. By the time my applications are due, I will have had one year of undergraduate research experience working in a psycholinguistics lab. I have presented a poster at a university wide conference and won first place in a neuroscience category. As far as clinical experience, I have been volunteering at a local hospital for about a year now. My work mostly entails talking with cancer patients. I know that having similar research interests to schools you are applying to makes a difference, and I have chosen programs that fit my research interests. I will potentially be submitting applications to these clinical psychology Ph.D. programs: University of South Carolina, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Georgia State University, and Texas A&M. I am also submitting an application to a few masters programs. With my low GPA, is there a chance that I could be accepted into a Ph.D program, or should I focus on obtaining a masters to prove that I am capable of the work?
 
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Hey Guys,

Soooo I'm kind of freaking out. I got my MCAT scores and it wasn't as high as expected. I got a 31 (12PS, 8VR, 11BS). The science scores are fine, though below my average. But I'm really worried about that 8 on verbal. In my defense English isn't my first language so maybe I'll get some slack there but Idk. I have a perfect GPA, really good personal statement and letters. For ECs I have a Pharmacy Internship, Chair for a tutoring organization and Health Ed organization, bunch of awards and scholarships, Research, shadowing and volunteering.

I have selected 14 schools to apply to and got secondaries from two of them but that was before verification so I'm sure they just send it to everyone. But that said what are my chances like to get into an MD school?

List of Schools Applied to:
Harvard Med School (LOOOONG shot)
Indiana University School of Medicine
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (1st Choice)
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine
Rush Medical College (2nd Choice)
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Southern Illinois School of Medicine (Possible Safety)
Univeristy of Chicago (Another long shot)
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Iowa
University of Wisconsin
Washington University School of Medicine
 
^ You'll want to post that on the forum for pre-med. This is for clinical/counseling psychology doctoral programs.
 
Sorry new to this site, still trying to figure out my way around.
 
No worries, it's just that most of us aren't the best suited to give med school advice on this part of SDN :)
 
Hey guys,

I go to UT Austin and I have a 3.53 GPA (I was pre-med for 3 of those years and it clearly didn't help my GPA). I recently took the GRE and got a 312 (154 verbal and 158 quantitative). I have a year of research experience and will be writing an honor's thesis for my independent study in the fall. I also volunteered in a private mental health care facility to get clinical experience.

I made the switch to Psychology really late and I'm concerned that my grades and experience don't match up to what a clinical doctoral program would want. I have great pre-med experience (shadowing, volunteering in medical clinics in impoverished communities) that I could talk about though.

Honestly, what are my chances? And should I consider taking the GRE again?
 
Hi everyone, WAMC?

Undergrad - University of Southern California, majored in Sociology with a minor in Social Work
Overall GPA: 3.66
Major GPA: 3.73

Grad - Columbia University School of Social Work, MSW
Overall GPA: 3.54 (this past semester I got a fluke B- but I anticipate it will bump up to the 3.6-3.7 range by the end of the next two semesters).

I was accepted into a dual MSW/PhD in Social Welfare at UCLA but didn't take it, and was offered tons of scholarship money at UChicago's MSW program (I applied for their MSW/PhD program but only got into MSW - would have taken it had CUSSW not taken me).

Clinical internships: one in a homeless shelter for seven months (bad experience), one in a professor's research project for five months plus I will devote one day a week to it for the next 4 months (stellar experience), one in an oncology unit at a major hospital this fall to spring (seems like it will be good).

LOR’s - I think they're solid, both from my MSW program and the internship at which I am currently, which is research-oriented.

Took the GRE in fall 2011.
163- V 152-Q forget what I got on writing but it wasn't great, probably a 3.

Retaking GRE on September 28.

Working on CASAC-T materials and hope to have a CASAC-T by May of 2014.

Only seriously considering programs within an hour of NYC area (Rutgers looks like my top choice at the moment), though will apply to Yale and a couple of others just in case.

The sticking point is, clearly, why do I want a PhD in Psychology after doing my MSW?

a) I'm keen on research and scholarship. My research interests are aging and disabilities, particularly relating to health and substance abuse. (Dependency on painkillers, resources of emotional energy regarding getting out of the house, etc.)

b) I entered my MSW thinking there would be more psych stuff - particularly I was interested in psycho-dynamic processes. Now, less so - now I want training in DBT and more training in Motivational Interviewing (I got some of that here at CUSSW). But I know how to speak the psycho-dynamic language - still want a more progressive program.

Is my MSW something that will prevent me from getting into PhD programs, or assist me?
 
Hi, I've posted this before and didn't get a response plus my situation has changed a bit so I'm posting again. Any advice would be really appreciated! I'm considering clinical PhD programs.

I have a 3.8 GPA at the honors college of a large state university, 3.9 within major GPA for a double major of psychology and sociology with a statistics minor.

GREs:
V: 165 (95%), Q: 163 (87%), Writing: 6 (99%). I don't think I'll take psych sub

Research:
-2 years experience in a social psych lab doing social economics type work
-6 mo research in a respected research lab very related to what I'd want to research, including this summer for which I’ve received a stipend
-1 year experience in school psychology lab (left this position at the end of my sophomore year)

Other:
-studied abroad Fall 2012, near fluent in Spanish, volunteered as children's English tutor while there
-won a research grant for my social psych lab work
-just won sociology major of the year for my university

I don’t have much clinical experience or any publications, though there is a project in progress and I'm beginning a senior thesis.

I have a reasonably secure offer of a funded RA position for the year after I graduate. Is it worth it to take that for the resume boost and allow more time for pending publications to come through? I think personally I'd prefer to move on after this year, but I'd rather make a professionally oriented decision. Either way, I'm dead set on eventually making it to a well-funded program, from my position I don't really have any other options.

My rough and not exhaustive list of schools to apply to:
USC, Washington State, Ohio State, University of Houston, University of Denver, UNC Charlotte, University of Arkansas, Auburn, and Arizona State University, Depaul, Southern Methodist University

Major thanks to anyone with advice!
 
hopsandskips said:
Hi, I've posted this before and didn't get a response plus my situation has changed a bit so I'm posting again. Any advice would be really appreciated! I'm considering clinical PhD programs.

I have a 3.8 GPA at the honors college of a large state university, 3.9 within major GPA for a double major of psychology and sociology with a statistics minor.

GREs:
V: 165 (95%), Q: 163 (87%), Writing: 6 (99%). I don't think I'll take psych sub

Research:
-2 years experience in a social psych lab doing social economics type work
-6 mo research in a respected research lab very related to what I'd want to research, including this summer for which I’ve received a stipend
-1 year experience in school psychology lab (left this position at the end of my sophomore year)

Other:
-studied abroad Fall 2012, near fluent in Spanish, volunteered as children's English tutor while there
-won a research grant for my social psych lab work
-just won sociology major of the year for my university

I don’t have much clinical experience or any publications, though there is a project in progress and I'm beginning a senior thesis.

I have a reasonably secure offer of a funded RA position for the year after I graduate. Is it worth it to take that for the resume boost and allow more time for pending publications to come through? I think personally I'd prefer to move on after this year, but I'd rather make a professionally oriented decision. Either way, I'm dead set on eventually making it to a well-funded program, from my position I don't really have any other options.

My rough and not exhaustive list of schools to apply to:
USC, Washington State, Ohio State, University of Houston, University of Denver, UNC Charlotte, University of Arkansas, Auburn, and Arizona State University, Depaul, Southern Methodist University

Major thanks to anyone with advice!
Click to expand...

I think you have a reasonably strong chance of getting an offer with your stats. Why not take a crack at applying during your senior year, (you should mostly know your status by spring semester). If things don't pan out take the RA job, and you should eventually find a match.
 
anachronistica said:
Hi everyone, WAMC?

Undergrad - University of Southern California, majored in Sociology with a minor in Social Work
Overall GPA: 3.66
Major GPA: 3.73

Grad - Columbia University School of Social Work, MSW
Overall GPA: 3.54 (this past semester I got a fluke B- but I anticipate it will bump up to the 3.6-3.7 range by the end of the next two semesters).

I was accepted into a dual MSW/PhD in Social Welfare at UCLA but didn't take it, and was offered tons of scholarship money at UChicago's MSW program (I applied for their MSW/PhD program but only got into MSW - would have taken it had CUSSW not taken me).

Clinical internships: one in a homeless shelter for seven months (bad experience), one in a professor's research project for five months plus I will devote one day a week to it for the next 4 months (stellar experience), one in an oncology unit at a major hospital this fall to spring (seems like it will be good).

LOR’s - I think they're solid, both from my MSW program and the internship at which I am currently, which is research-oriented.

Took the GRE in fall 2011.
163- V 152-Q forget what I got on writing but it wasn't great, probably a 3.

Retaking GRE on September 28.

Working on CASAC-T materials and hope to have a CASAC-T by May of 2014.

Only seriously considering programs within an hour of NYC area (Rutgers looks like my top choice at the moment), though will apply to Yale and a couple of others just in case.

The sticking point is, clearly, why do I want a PhD in Psychology after doing my MSW?

a) I'm keen on research and scholarship. My research interests are aging and disabilities, particularly relating to health and substance abuse. (Dependency on painkillers, resources of emotional energy regarding getting out of the house, etc.)

b) I entered my MSW thinking there would be more psych stuff - particularly I was interested in psycho-dynamic processes. Now, less so - now I want training in DBT and more training in Motivational Interviewing (I got some of that here at CUSSW). But I know how to speak the psycho-dynamic language - still want a more progressive program.

Is my MSW something that will prevent me from getting into PhD programs, or assist me?
Click to expand...

Others may be able to answer your questions more fully, but I don't think the MSW would necessarily hurt you, especially if you get your GPA up. Perhaps coming from Columbia it would be looked at in kinder light, but a 3.5 in an MSW program, while not horrendous by any stretch, is not super impressive either.
 
PsySeeker said:
Others may be able to answer your questions more fully, but I don't think the MSW would necessarily hurt you, especially if you get your GPA up. Perhaps coming from Columbia it would be looked at in kinder light, but a 3.5 in an MSW program, while not horrendous by any stretch, is not super impressive either.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it!

From anyone else - I am still looking for specific commentary on the transition from social work to psychology, if anyone has it.
 
I'm applying to PhD programs in clinical psychology at:

U Albany
Binghamton U
Boston U
U of Central Florida
U Connecticut
Duke U
Emory U
Georgia State U
George Washington U
Harvard U
U Illinois at Chi
Illinois Institute of Tech
Long Island U
Loyola U
U Mass at Boston
The New School
U of NC at Chapel Hill
Northwestern U
U Pennsylvania
Penn State U
U Pitt
Rutgers
U South Florida
Stony Brook U
Syracuse U
Yale U

GRE:
V - 151
Q - 150
Analytical - 4.0
Subject - 480

Undergrad GPA:
Overall GPA 3.42 / Psychology GPA 3.56 / Sociology GPA 3.50

MA GPA (in progress):
3.79

MA Courses so far:
Basic Clinical Skills (PSYCH 520)
Counseling and Clinical Psychology (PSYC 505)
Psychopathology (PSYCH 516)
Advanced Research Methods (PSYCH 530)
Career and Life-Style Planning (CHS 417)
Chemical Dependence (PSYC 515)
Biological Bases of Learning for Counseling (PSYC 570)
Learned Bases of Behavior for Counseling (PSYC 580)

Research experience:
Research assistant (paid) at Northwestern University in a Human Neuroscience laboratory (helped on a chemobrain study, but did not attend any conference and not published)
2 minor stints as research assistant in I/O Psych labs in undergrad (unpaid)

Work experience:
Practicum (in progress) at Kennedy-King College Wellness Center (therapy with college students)
Volunteer at Inspiration Kitchen (working with homeless individuals)
Intern at Center for Drug Free Living (co-facilitated group therapy)
Intern at Step-By-Step Therapy (shadowed occupational therapist for a month)

Any thoughts? I'm interested in mood/personality disorders but have not worked with that population really.
 
MissLyss said:
I'm applying to PhD programs in clinical psychology at:

U Albany
Binghamton U
Boston U
U of Central Florida
U Connecticut
Duke U
Emory U
Georgia State U
George Washington U
Harvard U
U Illinois at Chi
Illinois Institute of Tech
Long Island U
Loyola U
U Mass at Boston
The New School
U of NC at Chapel Hill
Northwestern U
U Pennsylvania
Penn State U
U Pitt
Rutgers
U South Florida
Stony Brook U
Syracuse U
Yale U

GRE:
V - 151
Q - 150
Analytical - 4.0
Subject - 480

Undergrad GPA:
Overall GPA 3.42 / Psychology GPA 3.56 / Sociology GPA 3.50

MA GPA (in progress):
3.79

MA Courses so far:
Basic Clinical Skills (PSYCH 520)
Counseling and Clinical Psychology (PSYC 505)
Psychopathology (PSYCH 516)
Advanced Research Methods (PSYCH 530)
Career and Life-Style Planning (CHS 417)
Chemical Dependence (PSYC 515)
Biological Bases of Learning for Counseling (PSYC 570)
Learned Bases of Behavior for Counseling (PSYC 580)

Research experience:
Research assistant (paid) at Northwestern University in a Human Neuroscience laboratory (helped on a chemobrain study, but did not attend any conference and not published)
2 minor stints as research assistant in I/O Psych labs in undergrad (unpaid)

Work experience:
Practicum (in progress) at Kennedy-King College Wellness Center (therapy with college students)
Volunteer at Inspiration Kitchen (working with homeless individuals)
Intern at Center for Drug Free Living (co-facilitated group therapy)
Intern at Step-By-Step Therapy (shadowed occupational therapist for a month)

Any thoughts? I'm interested in mood/personality disorders but have not worked with that population really.
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That's quite the extensive list you've got going there; I got tired just thinking of applying to all those places.

Kidding aside, you've listed a number of very strong programs. Unfortunately, your GRE scores coupled with your research experiences (or rather, lack of presentations) may not stack up well against the typical applicants they admit. The MA and work experiences may help, but I'm honestly not sure if they'd be enough to make up for the other areas. Although strong recommendations from folks who are well-known in your area of interest could offer your application a significant boost.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
That's quite the extensive list you've got going there; I got tired just thinking of applying to all those places.

Kidding aside, you've listed a number of very strong programs. Unfortunately, your GRE scores coupled with your research experiences (or rather, lack of presentations) may not stack up well against the typical applicants they admit. The MA and work experiences may help, but I'm honestly not sure if they'd be enough to make up for the other areas. Although strong recommendations from folks who are well-known in your area of interest could offer your application a significant boost.
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Yeah, I am trying to narrow it down! I will be able to get good LOR from two professors, my Northwestern U lab supervisor, and my practicum supervisor. Not sure how to make my application stronger since I have weak GRE scores.
 
MissLyss said:
Yeah, I am trying to narrow it down! I will be able to get good LOR from two professors, my Northwestern U lab supervisor, and my practicum supervisor. Not sure how to make my application stronger since I have weak GRE scores.
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Well for one thing, you really need to work on getting them higher! I'm serious, you have many big name schools on your list... You will need both stellar GRE's and extensive research experience in a focused area.
 
Thanks so much for the input, it's super appreciated. That's what I was leaning towards doing!
 
PsySeeker said:
Well for one thing, you really need to work on getting them higher! I'm serious, you have many big name schools on your list... You will need both stellar GRE's and extensive research experience in a focused area.
Click to expand...

Signed up for GRE and a Kaplan class!
 
MissLyss said:
What would be a competitive score?
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I'd suggest checking the websites of the programs to which you're planning on applying, as they'll often list the average GRE scores and GPAs of their recent incoming classes. Compile those scores across all the programs and you'll have a good idea of the scores for which you should be aiming.
 
I need some clarification about where I am at in terms of being a strong candidate:

1) 3.4 overall GPA, 3.5 major GPA
2) my GRE scores were low, so I'm retaking them this fall
3) 3 years of research experience, 1 year in a cognitive psych lab and 2.5 years in a clinical psych lab (I recently started 2 new research labs)
4) the only presentation I have done was through the biology dept at my university (I also did a minor in biology)
5) I have tons of clinical experience through crisis hotlines, being a milieu counselor, etc

I am really interested in genetic and environmental contributions to mood disorders, and behavioral therapies. I want to be able to do research and therapy once I have my PhD. One of the labs I just started works with behavioral genetics so I'm getting more experience in that field. I am planning on applying to Clinical and Developmental PhD programs as well as some funded research masters.

Any advice is welcome! Thank you! You can PM me or reply here :)
 
I am very interested in psyd programs at Rutgers and Baylor. I know Baylor is fully funded and not quite sure about Rutgers funding. Also, how competitive is it?I have a 3.6 overall GPA and 3.9 psychology gpa. I will be a junior in college this fall. I have been volunteering at a hotline crisis for the past one and half years, working with veterans,RA at a prestigious research lab,good leadership extracurriculars , study abroad among other things. I will be taking GRE aand Subject Gre very soon. I am a psychology major and looking into doing honors thesis next year.What are my chances of getting into these programs? And how much loan do I need to take?
 
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I am very interested in psyd programs at Rutgers and Baylor. I know Baylor is fully funded and not quite sure about Rutgers funding. Also, how competitive is it?I have a 3.6 overall GPA and 3.9 psychology gpa. I will be a junior in college this fall. I have been volunteering at a hotline crisis for the past one and half years, working with veterans,RA at a prestigious research lab,good leadership extracurriculars , study abroad among other things. I will be taking GRE aand Subject Gre very soon. I am a psychology major and looking into doing honors thesis next year.What are my chances of getting into these programs? And how much loan do I need to take?
 
RKpyd93 said:
I know Baylor is fully funded and not quite sure about Rutgers funding.
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Rutgers is not really funded. They give you something like $10k the first year, but nothing afterwards, though obviously there are scholarships and the like (any Rutgers students feel free to step in and correct me if my info is wrong). That said, it is a state school so your debt load would be significantly lower than at a professional school. It's fairly competitive, but doesn't seem out of reach based on your background/experience.
 
RKpyd93 said:
I am very interested in psyd programs at Rutgers and Baylor. I know Baylor is fully funded and not quite sure about Rutgers funding. Also, how competitive is it?I have a 3.6 overall GPA and 3.9 psychology gpa. I will be a junior in college this fall. I have been volunteering at a hotline crisis for the past one and half years, working with veterans,RA at a prestigious research lab,good leadership extracurriculars , study abroad among other things. I will be taking GRE aand Subject Gre very soon. I am a psychology major and looking into doing honors thesis next year.What are my chances of getting into these programs? And how much loan do I need to take?
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I think you need to work on your GPA and practice to hit at least 1300 on the gre to have a shot at Rutgers... http://gsappweb.rutgers.edu/programs/clinical/GRE_GPA.php
 
Hi All--

I'd love any feedback I can get! I'm looking mostly at clinical PhD programs, though wouldn't exclude PsyD either.

Programs I'm looking at:
Oregon
UNC Chapel Hill
UT Austin
Duke
U Washington
Berkley
Tulane School Psychology (for their trauma focus)
University of Memphis
University of Virginia
University of Denver

I'm interested mostly in health disparities, exposure to violence, and trauma and have found professors at all those universities whose interests are a good match with mine.

Undergrad GPA (top 20 school) 3.6, graduated with honors thesis
Post-Bac GPA (Ivy): 3.9
GREV: 164
GREQ: 158

A year working part-time in a developmental lab, and recently started a full time (paid) position as an RA. These positions haven't been related to my specific field of interest, but I hope they'll help show I have research experience. I'm currently working on a poster and hope to have it submitted by the time of applications, but have no other publications. I also have experience working in the prison mental health context and speak fluent Spanish.

My lesser research experience will definitely count against me-- but any insight into my chances?
 
MiniLop said:
Rutgers is not really funded. They give you something like $10k the first year, but nothing afterwards, though obviously there are scholarships and the like (any Rutgers students feel free to step in and correct me if my info is wrong). That said, it is a state school so your debt load would be significantly lower than at a professional school. It's fairly competitive, but doesn't seem out of reach based on your background/experience.
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Mod Note: Moved this post to the WAMC thread.
 
I am applying to diverse schools, but my eyes are set on one competitive counseling psych program where I believe I have an excellent research match.

My stats:

Currently finishing M.S. in counseling, with master's thesis in progress on a topic pioneered by the POI at my top-pick school.

Research Experience:
2 years undergrad lab
1 year RAing for that same lab after graduation
2 years RAing at a medical institution while working on master's degree

5 peer-reviewed publications, 1 first authorship, the rest second or third author.
6 Conference presentations (4 of which were at professional conferences)

GRE:1280 (670V 610Q -Writing 6.0)
Undergrad GPA: 3.75
Master's GPA: 4.00

1 year supervised clinical experience

Three strong letter writers who can speak to my aptitude and drive in the areas of research, counseling, and teaching. One of these letter writers was in my POI's lab during his PhD work at my top choice school.
 
GPA
Cumulative undergrad GPA with a B.A. in Psychology
GPA: 3.9
Psych: 4.00

Research experience (By the time i graduate):
3 Years in a molecular genetics lab looking at mental illness, involved in many projects with my name attached to 3 papers (5th or so author each.. ehh) in a journal with an impact factor of 14.8 (not bad). Heavy stats analysis. Full time paid
.5 years in a social psychology lab running participants
2 years in a social development lab, paid. Video coding, recruiting experiments and running experiments. Most likely doing an honors thesis through this lab

LOR
3 strong letters of recommendation. one from an MD, psychiatrist, and professor. Another from a professor, and another from a clinical psychologist in the social development lab I work for.

GRE (my weak point i guess)
Just took it
GREV 158
GREV 154
dont know writing

I studied like mad for this and don't know if i could ever commit as much time as i did (2 hours a day for 3 months)

I know my GRE would be questionable and near too low for most clinical, but i think i just decided against clinical PHD and am open to I/O social or maybe applied (MA or PHD).

Its general how does it all look?
 
Dirkwww said:
GPA
Cumulative undergrad GPA with a B.A. in Psychology
GPA: 3.9
Psych: 4.00

Research experience (By the time i graduate):
3 Years in a molecular genetics lab looking at mental illness, involved in many projects with my name attached to 3 papers (5th or so author each.. ehh) in a journal with an impact factor of 14.8 (not bad). Heavy stats analysis. Full time paid
.5 years in a social psychology lab running participants
2 years in a social development lab, paid. Video coding, recruiting experiments and running experiments. Most likely doing an honors thesis through this lab

LOR
3 strong letters of recommendation. one from an MD, psychiatrist, and professor. Another from a professor, and another from a clinical psychologist in the social development lab I work for.

GRE (my weak point i guess)
Just took it
GREV 158
GREV 154
dont know writing

I studied like mad for this and don't know if i could ever commit as much time as i did (2 hours a day for 3 months)

I know my GRE would be questionable and near too low for most clinical, but i think i just decided against clinical PHD and am open to I/O social or maybe applied (MA or PHD).

Its general how does it all look?
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I would be shocked if you weren't a competitive candidate for SOMETHING. You've got research experience, publications (5th author is better than no author at all), your GPA is good; your GRE is your only weak point, as such. I'd compare it to the stats at the programs you're applying to, just to give you an idea of where you stand there. I strongly suggest taking the Honors thesis option, and presenting it at a conference if at all possible - more research experience, and another line on the CV. The only unknown is your SOP; make sure your research interests line up with your POI, etc.

(There are a few of us applied folks on this board, if you do go that route :D)
 
Yeah, im thrilled with everything i have done so far and really could not have done much more except for that damn GRE. I would really love to leave my scores at that and work on my honors thesis and then work in another lab after i graduate. I just feel silly putting so much time into a standardized test like that.
 
I go to UT Austin and I have a 3.53 GPA (I was pre-med for 3 of those years and it clearly didn't help my GPA). I recently took the GRE and got a 312 (154 verbal and 158 quantitative). I have a year of research experience and will be writing an honor's thesis for my independent study in the fall. I also volunteered in a private mental health care facility to get clinical experience.

I made the switch to Psychology really late and I'm concerned that my grades and experience don't match up to what a clinical doctoral program would want. I have great pre-med experience (shadowing, volunteering in medical clinics in impoverished communities) that I could talk about though.

Honestly, what are my chances? And should I consider taking the GRE again?
 
Hi folks,

Thanks for your time. I'm interested in your opinion regarding my chances. My career goal is to be a pediatric neuropsychologist. Research interests involve cognitive impact of chemotherapy on children and/or early screening of autism. Schools are as follows and were chosen for their pediatric neuropsych labs, or at least mentors with comparable interests, so mainly for goodness of fit.

Duke
Vanderbilt
U of Memphis
Ole Miss
U of Florida
Miami U (FL)
Emory
Georgia State
Northwestern (IL)
U of Houston

Here's my resume, in bullet form.

Psych Major Undergrad GPA: 3.8
MA Clinical Psych Grad GPA: 3.8
GRE: Quant - 161, Verbal - 164, Writing: 5

Research experience: 2 years work as lab assistant in master's program (1 year in lab studying cognitive/social impact of HIV/AIDS, 1 year in neuropsychology lab looking at cognitive sequelae of neurological disorders and chemotherapy); 1 poster presentation at APA, 2 poster presentations at AACN, 1 first author publication submitted to journal, in review; also involved in current research project at neuropsychology department at local hospital under board certified neuropsychologist

Clinical experience: 2 years psychometrician experience. 1 year of this was regular psych assessment (cognitive, emotional functioning), 6 months (currently) neuropsych technician in hospital setting. 1 year therapy experience as group leader and individual therapist under supervision of licensed psychologist.

Volunteer experience (does this stuff matter to psych phd?) Worked with young man with PDD for a year on social/emotional functioning.

Letters from my research advisor, stats professor, and current neuropsychology supervisor


I think I listed it all but there may be other stuff I'm forgetting. Also had some research experience in undergrad but no publications resulted from that time.

Please let me know of any questions. Thanks again for the advice!
 
forevercharmed said:
I go to UT Austin and I have a 3.53 GPA (I was pre-med for 3 of those years and it clearly didn't help my GPA). I recently took the GRE and got a 312 (154 verbal and 158 quantitative). I have a year of research experience and will be writing an honor's thesis for my independent study in the fall. I also volunteered in a private mental health care facility to get clinical experience.

I made the switch to Psychology really late and I'm concerned that my grades and experience don't match up to what a clinical doctoral program would want. I have great pre-med experience (shadowing, volunteering in medical clinics in impoverished communities) that I could talk about though.

Honestly, what are my chances? And should I consider taking the GRE again?
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I actually think you have a good shot if you can improve your GRE scores (get it above 160 for both sections)
 
copier said:
Hi folks,

Thanks for your time. I'm interested in your opinion regarding my chances. My career goal is to be a pediatric neuropsychologist. Research interests involve cognitive impact of chemotherapy on children and/or early screening of autism. Schools are as follows and were chosen for their pediatric neuropsych labs, or at least mentors with comparable interests, so mainly for goodness of fit.

Duke
Vanderbilt
U of Memphis
Ole Miss
U of Florida
Miami U (FL)
Emory
Georgia State
Northwestern (IL)
U of Houston

Here's my resume, in bullet form.

Psych Major Undergrad GPA: 3.8
MA Clinical Psych Grad GPA: 3.8
GRE: Quant - 161, Verbal - 164, Writing: 5

Research experience: 2 years work as lab assistant in master's program (1 year in lab studying cognitive/social impact of HIV/AIDS, 1 year in neuropsychology lab looking at cognitive sequelae of neurological disorders and chemotherapy); 1 poster presentation at APA, 2 poster presentations at AACN, 1 first author publication submitted to journal, in review; also involved in current research project at neuropsychology department at local hospital under board certified neuropsychologist

Clinical experience: 2 years psychometrician experience. 1 year of this was regular psych assessment (cognitive, emotional functioning), 6 months (currently) neuropsych technician in hospital setting. 1 year therapy experience as group leader and individual therapist under supervision of licensed psychologist.

Volunteer experience (does this stuff matter to psych phd?) Worked with young man with PDD for a year on social/emotional functioning.

Letters from my research advisor, stats professor, and current neuropsychology supervisor


I think I listed it all but there may be other stuff I'm forgetting. Also had some research experience in undergrad but no publications resulted from that time.

Please let me know of any questions. Thanks again for the advice!
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Your credentials look solid to me. I honestly don't know that there's much you could do to strengthen them other than essentially more of the same. You've obviously picked quite a few very strong neuro-oriented grad programs (e.g., UF, UH, etc.), but with your stats, I'd be surprised if your application didn't garner interest.
 
Deep breath, you people are brutal, & therefore useful. I am not settled on what I'm going to do. Have a long-standing, continued interest in psychology, and a competing, recent interest in physical therapy (for a variety of reasons). This year, will be getting as much patient-facing volunteering as possible (& more info on my own health) to help me tip the balance one way or the other.

If psychology: goal would be either 1) an MA/MSc Counselling (or Clinical, if they'd have me), with a later application to a PhD or 2) a university-based PsyD.

Psych Hons major/last 2 years GPA: ~ 3.8/3.9 expected.

Cum GPA: depends. If I retake failed non-psych courses, max possible* would be ~ 3.3. If I instead focus on taking more psych, ~3.0. Sounds like an easy decision, but because I have a ton of transfer credits, I am limited in terms of how many credits I can earn within this degree. Debating whether it's better to try to raise the cGPA as much as I can, or focus on doing as well as I can *in psych*, so that my last two years are as strong as possible, since my cGPA is not competitive anyway. (The first two years were completed years ago, towards a degree in another subject. Have another BA, prior to even that: crap GPA there, not an Honours.)

*i.e., if I get solid As. I've been getting A+s but am not counting on the trend continuing indefinitely.

GRE: Yet to try it. I generally perform well in timed tests (e.g., on several occasions in the past year, have scored 95-99% in senior-level psych finals. Not that that's necessarily a great predictor of GRE performance, but maybe it's suggestive? Will do extensive prep.)

Research: Some (but minimal) experience. Will also work on this -- will try to do a kickass thesis, maybe an independent study as well if I can find a supervisor. Waiting for confirmation on whether a summer volunteer gig will be continued. Pubs unlikely. Won't be outstanding in this regard either, but shooting to have the box ticked.

The SOP will have to carry a lot of weight. I think I can get a couple of strong references.

Thank you.

I think I am asking: should I retake those Fs to improve the overall GPA, or demonstrate commitment by taking more psych? (Have been focusing on neuro, cog & health stuff, all also relevant to PT).
 
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