WAMC: What Are My Chances

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So last few days I've done a lot of research doing the "Insiders Guide to Psych Graduate Programs" and i've tried to find about 10 schools that fit my interests, but I also paid attention to high APA match rate, and also amount of international students they accept. Since i am Canadian, I know very little about USA schools, beyond the obvious top schools, and I've picked many that in my impression are mid to low level because I want to stay realistic and not waste money.

So if anybody has anything to offer about the list..info about specific schools, whether it is a realistic list for a fairly competitive student, (my GPA is 3.7'ish, no GRE but honestly knowing myself i'd get about 70% verbal/quant. etc You can let me know by PM or here.

University of Nebraska – Lincoln

University of Nevada (Reno)

Ohio University

University of Rochester

San Diego State University/University of California-San Diego

Stony Brook University/State university New York

University of Memphis

University of Iowa

University of Georgia

Georgia State University

University of Minnesota

University of Houston
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thewesternsky said:
How prepared are you for things not to work out the first year you apply to graduate school? Do you have a back-up plan? If you fill us in on your desired career path, we may be able to brainstorm ways (other than clinical psychology) for you to get what you want out of a career.

The truth is that you can do absolutely everything right and still not get into a PhD program-- and this is especially true for people with geographic restrictions. You should still try--But you should be prepared and have a plan for what to do if it doesn't work out.
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I have a very supportive spouse. If I didn't get in, I could spend a year doing whatever it takes. My only concern would be that whole having to start paying on student loans in that year.

I'm hoping to become a counseling psychologist, but I'm also fascinated by the science/research side. In my dream world, I see myself doing private practice until it becomes exhausting, then getting into research. That may change once I'm in school, to more favorable of either option.
 
Nontradmom16 said:
I have a very supportive spouse. If I didn't get in, I could spend a year doing whatever it takes. My only concern would be that whole having to start paying on student loans in that year.

I'm hoping to become a counseling psychologist, but I'm also fascinated by the science/research side. In my dream world, I see myself doing private practice until it becomes exhausting, then getting into research. That may change once I'm in school, to more favorable of either option.
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Paid research careers are generally hard to come by, and with geographic restrictions you're facing even more of an uphill battle here. Although there are exceptions to every rule, people who leave academia for private practice rarely get back in. They simply aren't competitive for grant funding or positions after doing full-time clinical work for even a few years.

If you're largely interested in doing therapy private practice (which is a more realistic path given geography for you), consider pursuing a career as a Master's level provider (e.g., LPC, licensed clinical social worker, etc.).

Hopefully others will also have input on this. I'm not trying to crush your dreams... But you should be aware of the realities of the job market before trying to become a psychologist.
 
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I'll second westernsky, very hard to get back into the academic world after being a clinician. Even those of us who do some research along with our clinical duties (10-15% research time) would find it VERY difficult to go into academia full-time at some point.
 
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Nontradmom16 said:
Hi all! I have an unusual WAMC for you guys.

I'm a non-traditional student entering my freshman year of college next Fall. I'll be 32 then. I'm currently a stay at home mom. I've had many years to get to know myself, discover my true interests, think about what I'd like to go to school for. I'm currently getting all my little ducks in a row now, planning where to go, things I need to do first etc.. I'll be getting my bachelors in psychology.

In the process of doing so, I started reading posts in this forum and found statements like "apply to 8-15 grad schools" and 2% average acceptance rate.

I don't have the option to apply all over the country. My husband owns a well established business here in the Atlanta area. We have three children. We can't simply move to wherever I may get accepted.

My options are UGA, Emory, Mercer, Georgia State, GA Tech, and Argosy (which would be my last resort). That isn't considering whether or not those places have specific programs I'm interested in. The only ones I'd really want to attend, based on the programs they offer, are UGA, Ga State, Emory and Mercer.

I don't want enter college living in some dream land. Realistically, if I have a solid GPA and GRE score, publication and other "bonus points" on my application, what are my chances of being accepted to one of those four schools? What could I do to increase my chances?
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Mercer's Clinical Psychology PhD program is not yet APA accredited - just something to consider...
 
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Hello! This is my very first post. :)

Give me some insight into what I might need to do to be more competitive, please. I have not taken the GRE (General or Psych), yet. So based on what I have thus far, what do you guys think? I am interested in applying into Clinical Psychology PhD programs. Some of the programs I am interested in:

Berkeley
UCLA
USC
SDSU/UCSD
UNLV
UN Reno
ASU
University of Arizona

Undergrad:
San Francisco State University, BA in Psychology
Overall GPA: 3.65
Psych GPA: 4.0

Post-Bac./Graduate:
I was taking premed courses with the goal of working in psychiatry, but I decided to go into an MS Counseling Psychology program. It's a three year, part-time program. Unfortunately, I do not feel I am a good fit with the program (lack of support, vague and unhelpful critiques from some of the faculty, arbitrary rules, threats from some of the faculty, inconsistencies in the program) and as a result, I am being held back for one year, making it a 4 year program for me. I am in my third year. While I completely value the clinical aspect of my current program, there isn't any research opportunities nor is there an option to do a thesis (I asked). Would I appear less competitive by trying to apply for PhD programs before completing my MS program?
Overall GPA: 3.65
Psych GPA: 3.69

Clinical Experience:
5+ years working at a suicide/crisis hotline
1/2 year facilitating group
2+ years providing education and outreach for suicide prevention and mental health awareness

Research Experience:
I did about 2+ years undergraduate research with various labs
I was accepted into the McNair/Summer Research Opportunity Program; I did two poster presentations and one presentation
2 years independent research at my current workplace (the suicide/crisis hotline) - not a lab

Thank you for your feedback!
 
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thewesternsky said:
Paid research careers are generally hard to come by, and with geographic restrictions you're facing even more of an uphill battle here. Although there are exceptions to every rule, people who leave academia for private practice rarely get back in. They simply aren't competitive for grant funding or positions after doing full-time clinical work for even a few years.

If you're largely interested in doing therapy private practice (which is a more realistic path given geography for you), consider pursuing a career as a Master's level provider (e.g., LPC, licensed clinical social worker, etc.).

Hopefully others will also have input on this. I'm not trying to crush your dreams... But you should be aware of the realities of the job market before trying to become a psychologist.
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I appreciate your realism and wisdom, so I have another question for you, if you don't mind.

I have two options for my undergrad in psychology. University of North Georgia (which is pretty big, but isn't a flagship), or Brenau University (small, private women's liberal arts school, also offers a Masters in psych). Would one be more favorable when applying for PhD level grad school? If I had to, I could probably spend my junior/senior years at UGA. It's about an hour away.

Another question. If I'm not accepted to a PhD program and went for my Masters, could I re-apply every year thereafter? If I'm going to do this, I don't want to settle for a Masters if there's a chance for a PhD.

Thanks for your help!!
 
So after hours of sifting through this thread, I'm hoping I can get a little bit of feedback as well. I'm about to start my senior year and the application process, and I'm a little worried about my chances. I'll be applying to non-clinical Ph.D programs, so my focus is on academia and research; specifically I'm looking at social psychology programs, focusing on intergroup relations, minority groups, the interplay of the self and the group member, and managing multiple social roles.

The schools I'm considering applying for are University of Washington (Seattle branch), Columbia (it's definitely reaching, but there's this one researcher whose work I love and I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least try), CUNY, SUNY (Albany), University of Connecticut, and the University of Michigan (Rackham).

Some quick stats.

Current UG GPA: 3.26 (with an upward trend in grades overall)
Current Psych GPA: 3.6

I've presented research I did in one of my methods classes at OUPRC in sp 2014 (Ohio Undergraduate Research Consortium)
I recently completed an independent research project, with manuscript and an additional presentation at OUPRC this past spring (unpublished due to legal reasons)

I'm currently doing an internship right now that's basically an independent research project, aiming for publication and SPSP presentation, writing up pre-existing data for another project (I'll probably be second or third author on that one), and learning more advanced stats (SEM, MANCOVA, advanced tables).

I was the recipient of a psychology grant through my university that rewards excellence (1-2 people receive it a year)
I have research experience (as outlined above, which all together is roughly 1+ year of experiance) and as an RA in a lab for one of the professors (about 7 months). I've also served as a TA for psychology stats courses and was a guest lecturer for one class (1 day only) (1 year) and as a tutor for those classes as well (2.5 years).

I've also served as the secretary for our schools psychology club, and some other EC's as well (I'm not sure if they matter, but as a treasurer and for my greek social club and as a greek council coalition representative, as well as assistant director of our campus' radio station).

I feel confident that I can get 2-4 really great letters from people in my department; I've done extensive research with one of them, another I've helped do some side projects (helping review and organize materials for a book she's writing), another I served in the lab with, and another I haven't done anything research related, but he was the hardest psych teacher I ever had and he really pushed me to always improve.

The kicker is the GRE. I'm studying for it right now (taking it Sept 4th) but my practice scores are...abysmal. My est V = 154 and my est Quan is 146.
I know I need to get my verbal up by a few points, and my quantitative needs some serious overhaul. Unfortunately, it isn't stats based, otherwise I'd be golden. I'm doing all I can to study, but I'm not sure how much I can improve in such a short time. As it stands now, what are my chances of getting in, and how much can I realistically improve my scores - and even then, do I even have a shot?
 
Good morning all!
This is my first post to these forums, though I've been regularly lurking through many, many threads trying to educate myself. I know this is a redundant thread, but any and all information is so appreciated as I start this next leg of my journey.
A little background: SJSU graduate (BA Political Science, 3.86 GPA); GRE (157 quant, 158 verbal); active-duty military; looking to apply for PhD/PsyD programs for Fall 2016. I am a Suicide Prevention Coordinator, ASIST trainer, but lack any research background given my educational background and current military career.
I am predominantly interested in USUHS, as they offer a pretty sweet deal for someone who enjoys military service, and would like to continue that direction. I am realist, though---I know the program is extremely competitive, and I need to have back-up plans.
I thought I wanted to pursue PsyD programs, since my major interest is in clinical work...but taking methodology courses in Psychology (as well as other classes to prepare for the field and admissions requirements) have exposed me to the pleasure of research. Never thought I would say it, lol!
That being said, I am looking mostly at PhD programs that fit the scientist-practitioner model. I would love to be an educated consumer and producer of research, as well as a good therapist.
Right now, I am most interested in the Stanford Consortium program (to my knowledge they offer both PsyD and PhD paths),University of Virginia, Loyola University, American University, and others that I can't think of presently. Still exploring the civilian school options, so let me know if you have any recommendations!
All in all, I am looking for advice about how to bolster my application, what schools would reasonably consider me, and whether I am truly competitive. I know I come from a different background than most PhD applicants, but I am hoping that some of my experience, while not directly research-laden, is at least worthy of consideration....
Thank you to anyone who reads and offers insight. It is truly appreciated!
 
Nontradmom16 said:
I appreciate your realism and wisdom, so I have another question for you, if you don't mind.

I have two options for my undergrad in psychology. University of North Georgia (which is pretty big, but isn't a flagship), or Brenau University (small, private women's liberal arts school, also offers a Masters in psych). Would one be more favorable when applying for PhD level grad school? If I had to, I could probably spend my junior/senior years at UGA. It's about an hour away.

Another question. If I'm not accepted to a PhD program and went for my Masters, could I re-apply every year thereafter? If I'm going to do this, I don't want to settle for a Masters if there's a chance for a PhD.

Thanks for your help!!
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I don't know anything about those schools in particular, unfortunately. My concern with the smaller universities would be that they may have limited research opportunities for undergraduate students. I'd suggest looking at their psych faculty and beginning to evaluate who has active research labs... Do they have a lab website? Do they have graduate students? Are professors publishing (ideally 2 or more papers per year; you can use Google Scholar to check this). Also check whether the psych B.A. program offers a thesis option at either school.

Generally, you want to be as invovled as you can in psychology research beginning as early as you can in your undergraduate career.
 
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Hello. This is such a great forum. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to organize and give well rounded well informed answers.
I am 27 years old. I graduated from UNLV with a bachelors in psychology in 2011. Since, I have been stuck in the hospitality industry because the money was hard to walk away from. However, I have noticed everyone older than me is just miserable, and I have always wanted to pursuer more education. After some research I have decided to set my sights on Denver's GSPP (PsyD). My questions are, obviously I need to take the GRE, and I have followed a few local psychologists for letters of recommendation, is there any other suggestions for my situation? Does it look bad that I haven't really done anything with my degree in almost 4 years? Will it be worth it to say in my essays, how I have spent the last four years paying off student debt and getting stuck in the hospitality industry? Any one have comments on Denver's GSPP (PsyD)? I have spent such a long time trying to impress others and do what I feel they want me to do, and this last year I have made so many self realizations about myself and am ready to pursue the career and life that I actually want for myself. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
 
Minnerz22 said:
Any one have comments on Denver's GSPP (PsyD)?
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According to their website, tuition is $54k a year, they seem to be intentionally vague about financial aid on their website, their stats are not particularly good and they have massive cohorts (an average of nearly 40 students!!). I appreciate your desire to acquire further training and a better, more fulfilling career, but you may want to investigate other avenues. As is often pointed out on this board, these types of programs tend to force students to take on MASSIVE amount of debt for an education that often pales in comparison to traditional programs that offer both more financial aid and better training .

Have you considered Master's level programs that would make you license eligible (LPC/LMHC/LCSW)? What is it exactly that makes you want to get a doctorate that you couldn't do with a different degree?
 
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Chalupacabra said:
According to their website, tuition is $54k a year, they seem to be intentionally vague about financial aid on their website, their stats are not particularly good and they have massive cohorts (an average of nearly 40 students!!). I appreciate your desire to acquire further training and a better, more fulfilling career, but you may want to investigate other avenues. As is often pointed out on this board, these types of programs tend to force students to take on MASSIVE amount of debt for an education that often pales in comparison to traditional programs that offer both more financial aid and better training .

Have you considered Master's level programs that would make you license eligible (LPC/LMHC/LCSW)? What is it exactly that makes you want to get a doctorate that you couldn't do with a different degree?
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I am really interested in sports psychology. I believe that leaves me at a disadvantage? The thing is, is that I want to get started next year (so start applying soon) and unfortunately I have no experience other than shadowing a school psychologist. I wanted the doctoral degree for respect (which I realize is a problem) and a kind of back up plan. I have dealt with fear of making decisions for most of my life and this is just another example. This usually then leads to me making quick decisions which I later regret. So I know what I really have to do, and that is figure out what it is I actually want to do, and then make a plan, and stick with it. Thank you for your insight on the program at Denver, and for your questions that make me question myself.
 
Minnerz22 said:
. I wanted the doctoral degree for respect (which I realize is a problem)
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:laugh: I wouldn't rely on this to get other providers to respect you. We still deal with petty turf wars here and there, and you will find plenty of people that will not respect you because you don't have an MD after your name, even if you have had more clinical training than they have. I think the option of figuring out what you really want is a great idea. BAsed on what you've said so far, I would strongly advise against jumping into a program, especially one as dubious as that one, without sketching out a life plan.
 
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sharathi said:
Hello! I posted on this thread before, but thought that I'd post an update. I'm only applying to Clinical PsyD programs this fall at:
  • Rutgers (my top school)
  • Baylor
  • University of Denver
  • University of Hartford
  • Palo Alto
  • Layola University at Maryland
  • Pacific University, Oregon
  • LIU
I'm really aiming for Rutgers, Baylor, and Denver.
My stats:
GPA: 3.49 overall (last two years are a 3.80 though), 3.59 major
GRE: 161 V, 154 Q, 4.0 writing, haven't taken the psych GRE yet
Research experience: almost 2 years as a research assistant/lab manager at 1 lab, but the research was in developmental psych (with a clinical aspect); just started volunteering at a couple different eating disorder labs, one is fairly neurologically inclined and the other is a bit more treatment-focused
Pubs/posters: second author on a publication (in press), first author on a poster at an international conference this June
Other experience: 1 academic year as a behavioral assistant at a public school, 1 semester as a fieldwork assistant
LOR: I have 3 people so far, 2 will be very strongly positive, one will be positive but I haven't worked with the guy in a while

Any feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
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As stated above, Denver's tuition is 54K a year, and the there is no real information of financial aid. The program does say it is only 3 years of residence, but then there is an internship year. So depending on your financial aid/support you are looking at 150K+ in debt plus cost of living for internship year. This has really made me think twice about the program. It would be such a great prospect if there was any funding for the program.
 
Anyone ever hear of anyone getting into Rutgers PsyD program with no research experience?
 
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Minnerz22 said:
Anyone ever hear of anyone getting into Rutgers PsyD program with no research experience?
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You're talking about one of the top PsyD programs in the nation. The acceptance rate is 6%. Chances of getting in with absolutely no research experience is going to be extremely miniscule.
 
Minnerz22 said:
As stated above, Denver's tuition is 54K a year, and the there is no real information of financial aid. The program does say it is only 3 years of residence, but then there is an internship year. So depending on your financial aid/support you are looking at 150K+ in debt plus cost of living for internship year. This has really made me think twice about the program. It would be such a great prospect if there was any funding for the program.
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What do you like about Denver's program? I looked at it as well, but I'm unwilling to apply to unfunded programs. My interests are skewed toward the clinical (though I also have interest in research), so I initially looked only at PsyD programs. However, I've actually discovered a number of funded PhD programs for which I'll be competitive (once I beef up my research experience) and that closely match my interests. They tend to be programs that offer a balanced (clinical/research) curriculum. This being said, if I had no interest in research whatsoever, I would go for a master's level counseling program. There's no shame in that. Trust me, I would do it myself if I felt that it would serve my end goals. It can be hard to end a career and go back to school for several years when you're somewhat older.
 
Hi all. This will be my second and hopefully last time applying. Last year I only applied to clinical PhDs. Got 2 interviews out of 11 schools, and no offers or wait lists. One interviewer told me my LOR were really great and that those really make a difference, but I suppose everyone who gets interviewed has glowing recs. Here is my list as of now.

Clinical PhD: Boston university, UMass Boston, UCLA, San Diego state/UCSD, GWU, U. of Iowa
Counseling PhD: Northeastern, Suffolk university, teachers college at Columbia, Fordham, NYU

UG GPA: 3.86 (English/business)
MA Psych GPA: 4.00
GRE: quant 156 (64%) verbal 164 (93%) writing 4 (50%...I can write, so hopefully this score does not hold too much weight). My quant is not stellar but I can't seem to get it any higher, and the scores at most of my schools are around there. Psych was over 700, around 75th percentile.

Research Experience: Completed a master's research thesis as an independent study-recruited participants, conducted semi structured interviews, transcribed and analyzed narrative data. My study was qualitative.
*New: I have started to volunteer in a research lab at a large university. responsibilities include screening potential research participants over the phone, administering SCIDs and depression scales in person. Nothing directly involved with data unfortunately.

Poster Presentations: Presented different posters at 4 local/state/regional conferences. 1 poster award at statewide conference (monetary, if that matters). *New: I can add 1 national poster presentation to my CV.

Publications: None. :( *New: 1 rejection!

Clinical experience: 3+ years of volunteer work with children and adults as a rape crisis counselor for a domestic violence agency. *New: shy of 1 year working at a group home for adults with disabilities (provide counseling, teach ADL, etc.)

Thanks for any input!
 
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Hello All,

I am a first time user here!

My end goal is to be in research and academia. I am considering Ph.D. programs at CUNY Graduate Center, Columbia University (quite a reach, but one of the PI's I will be working with as a volunteer is there and I am extremely interested in being a student), NYU, Stony Brook, LIU, and UPENN (also a reach, but if you've heard of Dr. Raine, who is a professor there, his work is phenomenal..) I am only considering universities in the NY area/tristate, or at least one's where public transit is feasible.

My research interests are primarily in the neurobiological bases of psychopathy. I am also interested in the etiology of conduct disorder and predictors of antisocial behavior. One direction of research I am interested in are prenatal factors.

I recently graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from CUNY Brooklyn College with a cumulative of 3.44 (I got a D- in french 1 which significantly dropped my GPA), a psychology GPA of 3.66 and neuroscience minor GPA of 3.66. I have not taken my GREs yet, but I am estimated roughly a 70% percentile for all parts.

Research experience: 1 internship with a clinical psychologist in my last year of high school, 3 research labs during my senior semesters of undergrad (one working with rat models of schizophrenia, another coding data for a developmental lab and lastly a psychophysiology laboratory) I wrote 1 Honor's project (literature review on psychopathy) and an Honor's Thesis on prenatal stress (did study 1 and a follow-up study 2). I also just got accepted as a lab volunteer at Columbia University Medical Center, hoping that will amp up my application.

I haven't done any poster presentations.

I am working on two manuscripts with faculty from my school, unsure whether they will be published or not, but it wouldn't hurt to list them under review, right?

In regards to work experience, I have been working at a radiologic facility since my sophomore year maintaining 32-hrs/week and am familiar with brain imaging techniques (e.g. PET, MRI/MRA and CT)

I will have 3 strong letters of recommendation to submit, all from people with their Ph.D. Will try to obtain a 4th one depending on how much progress I make in the new lab.

One of my biggest concerns is that my low undergraduate GPA may disqualify me from doctoral programs. There is an experimental psychology M.A. program that my school offers and I've consulted with several faculty members who believe I should not have trouble getting accepted. My worries are the financial costs of a master's program and also the additional two years to completion. I will most likely apply to this program along with the doctoral programs and see what offers I receive (if any).

I am completely open to any suggestions on how to improve my chances. Thank you for taking your time to read this!
 
You have solid experiences that would be useful in certain labs (e.g., imaging, research exp). The GPA is a tad low, may be a deal breaker at a stellar program, but would be ok at others. 70th % for quant would be ok, you'd want a higher score on verbal ideally. Biggest downfall is extreme geographic restriction, really. A couple of those programs draw in the top students from around the country. If you're not willing to look more broadly, I'd say the only thing you can feasibly do to up your application would be to try and hit the GRE hard to get a higher score and hopefully get the papers published (many committees don't put much stock in "under review" papers).
 
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WisNeuro said:
You have solid experiences that would be useful in certain labs (e.g., imaging, research exp). The GPA is a tad low, may be a deal breaker at a stellar program, but would be ok at others. 70th % for quant would be ok, you'd want a higher score on verbal ideally. Biggest downfall is extreme geographic restriction, really. A couple of those programs draw in the top students from around the country. If you're not willing to look more broadly, I'd say the only thing you can feasibly do to up your application would be to try and hit the GRE hard to get a higher score and hopefully get the papers published (many committees don't put much stock in "under review" papers).
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Yep, this. I made it into grad school with a 3.4-ish GPA, so it wasn't a deal-breaker, although it didn't do my application any favors. I was fortunately able to make up for it with a high GRE, good personal statement, and (relatedly) an advisor with a great sense of humor who took some pity on me.
 
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Hi everyone!
First post here and was wondering if anyone can help me out! I recently have decided to return to school after graduating 2 years ago. I originally was thinking I would go straight to get my PhD in clinical psych, but I am realizing that my lack of research experience is a serious downfall. I graduated from a university in Maine (still living here) with a BA in psychology and holistic health minor. I had a cumulative GPA of 3.58, and a 3.6 in psychology. I will be taking the GRE's soon and aiming for 160-ish in both quant. and verbal (have taken a few practice tests). I have spent the last 2.5 years working at a nonprofit with young adults with developmental disabilities (mostly autism) as well as a 1 year internship my last year of ungrad working with the same population. But I have zero research experience (with the exception of a research methods course) because I was late in figuring out that I wanted to go to a PhD program for clinical.

Another worry of mine is my letters of recommendation. I have one that is extremely strong. My other two professors that I was close with and would have given great recommendations have since retired. I wasn't very involved with many others so anyone who would write one, wouldn't be a strong letter.

Eventually I'd like to be at a PhD program in clinical psych with a neuro emphasis and focus on autism and other developmental disorders. Would getting a master's degree first help me here? I am very interested in the MA in psychology at SDSU as well as the MS in psychology (clinical concentration) at SFSU. Are these a little out of my reach? Does anyone have any other suggestions?
 
So, I took the GRE and got a 150 Quant and 155 Verbal. Although my AW scores are still pending, I'm confident it's going to be a 5 or 6. I killed it on those. I'm going to take the GRE again, but I'm wondering if as these scores stand now, what my chances are given the rest of my CV:

Master's with a 4.0 GPA (UG was more like ~3.4, but I think the 4.0 cancels that out)
Three research projects - two of which have resulted in national conference presentations, 1 will very likely be published (but not until after interviews next year)
Several solo presentations of theoretical papers at major national and international conferences
Excellent LOR's (including one from my POI)
Six years clinical experience
Several leadership positions related to local APA divisions
Teaching UG psychology courses at university

I'm applying to a few Counseling Psych programs in the northeast. One of my LOR's is also coming directly from my POI.
 
50MinuteHour said:
So, I took the GRE and got a 150 Quant and 155 Verbal. Although my AW scores are still pending, I'm confident it's going to be a 5 or 6. I killed it on those. I'm going to take the GRE again, but I'm wondering if as these scores stand now, what my chances are given the rest of my CV:

Master's with a 4.0 GPA (UG was more like ~3.4, but I think the 4.0 cancels that out)
Three research projects - two of which have resulted in national conference presentations, 1 will very likely be published (but not until after interviews next year)
Several solo presentations of theoretical papers at major national and international conferences
Excellent LOR's (including one from my POI)
Six years clinical experience
Several leadership positions related to local APA divisions
Teaching UG psychology courses at university

I'm applying to a few Counseling Psych programs in the northeast. One of my LOR's is also coming directly from my POI.
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Your CV is great. What are the odds you can get your GRE scores up a bit? Did you study a lot? Were you nervous for the test? If it helps, I had a very similar profile the last year I applied (M.A. degree, one submitted paper, leadership, etc.) and I was accepted at 5 of the 8 programs I applied to. My GRE scores were substantially higher though (680-V and 740-Q on the old scale). Not sure how that's weighted. I'd say you have a decent shot either way, but improving your GRE will only help.
 
Damn, good show on the GRE western. I agree with you, 50Minute should do whatever they can to buoy that GRE. A lot of places will weight that pretty highly. At the moment you're roughly in the 40th % for quant, and 67th% in verbal. Ideally, you'd like to be 75th+ in verbal and quant, with more emphasis on verbal.
 
thewesternsky said:
Your CV is great. What are the odds you can get your GRE scores up a bit? Did you study a lot? Were you nervous for the test? If it helps, I had a very similar profile the last year I applied (M.A. degree, one submitted paper, leadership, etc.) and I was accepted at 5 of the 8 programs I applied to. My GRE scores were substantially higher though (680-V and 740-Q on the old scale). Not sure how that's weighted. I'd say you have a decent shot either way, but improving your GRE will only help.
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I studied for a full one year. To give you an idea of where I started from, my practice Verbal was 148 (compared now to 155), my practice Quant was 145 (compared now to 150), and my AW was 3.25 (compared to what will probably be a 5 or 6). I spent an average of 10 hours per week studying over the past year and took 7 practice tests too. I've seen my scores steadily increase. Based on some of my practice scores, I know I can probably score a few more on each section, but I'm not sure I can break 160 on the Verbal, which I would really like to do. The good news is that I know my weak spots and I have worked on them assiduously with the right study materials, but I am only improving so much and am getting exhausted with studying (basically why I finally booked the test). So yeah, I studied a lot, and yes, I was definitely nervous for the test. I don't know what more I can do but to keep on studying my weak spots and reviewing where I'm strong. If you're curious, my weak spots are that one long RC passage, inference-based RC questions, word problems, combinatorics, coordinate geometry (I actually saw a parabola on my test!!!), and getting anxious/fatigued during the test. Some of these areas I do better on when I practice them outside of a full test, even under timed conditions. But when the heat is on, boy is it on. The only good study route I have not yet done is a Kaplan Prep Course, but I feel like they would just teach me the same strategies I already learned on my own over the last year.

WisNeuro is right - your GRE scores are phenomenal on the new scale: 165 Verbal and 158 Quant. No way I am scoring that high. I am retesting in a few weeks and then maybe one more time after that, and picking my best scores. I would be happy with a 153 Quant and 160 Verbal. I am going to rely on my best scores and my attractive CV and hope that cuts it (with a nice SOP to furnish, of course). I feel my CV is evidence of my ability to do well in a PhD program, and I would want me if I were a faculty member, but the reality is that these scores do get reported/decide who is a more attractive candidate.
 
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50MinuteHour said:
\I am going to rely on my best scores and my attractive CV and hope that cuts it (with a nice SOP to furnish, of course). I feel my CV is evidence of my ability to do well in a PhD program, and I would want me if I were a faculty member, but the reality is that these scores do get reported/decide who is a more attractive candidate.
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Darn-- I was really hoping you had been underprepared for the GRE. Given how much you've studied already, I think you're right that your best bet now is to focus on writing great SOPs. Apply widely-- A lot of profs will look past the GRE, but some won't. If you can find 12 or so quality programs that are a good fit with your research interests, I think you'll still have a good shot of getting in (even if your current GRE scores end up being your best). I'll keep my fingers crossed.
 
thewesternsky said:
Darn-- I was really hoping you had been underprepared for the GRE. Given how much you've studied already, I think you're right that your best bet now is to focus on writing great SOPs. Apply widely-- A lot of profs will look past the GRE, but some won't. If you can find 12 or so quality programs that are a good fit with your research interests, I think you'll still have a good shot of getting in (even if your current GRE scores end up being your best). I'll keep my fingers crossed.
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Yeah, location is another issue. I am committed to applying to schools in the northeast because I have some very specific areas of study that few profs are interested in. The people I want to study under and receive mentorship from are all there in the northeast, and even at that, fewer schools than most offer fully-funded programs and stipends. So, I'm only applying to a few Counseling Psychology programs that meet these criteria. I am aware this hurts my chances, but I am a bit older/experienced and know what kind of training experience I want. I could relocate for a year somewhere for internship and that would be fine, but I couldn't do an entire program away from the northeast, do research that I'm not interested in, and go further into debt. So yeah, my hope is to score a little higher on the GRE, which I believe is possible (but probably not a major score increase), and then submit a solid SOP and good LORs. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed too!
 
GPA: Undergrad Biopsychology 3.2; Grad Clinical Neuroscience 3.5
GRE: 164 V, 157 Q, 4.0 writing, haven't taken the psych GRE yet
Research experience: over 3 years as a research assistant at 2 labs, clinical research in behavioral emergency medicine, and preclinical work in behavioral psychology.
Pubs/posters: 1 paper, 3 posters at SfN
Other experience: Work in emergency department, and lots of volunteer experience.
LOR: No problem here. 1 Clinical Psychologist, 2 PhD basic science, 2 PhD professors.

Where should I apply? What are my chances? Anything to beef up?
 
NeuroQueen said:
GPA: Undergrad Biopsychology 3.2; Grad Clinical Neuroscience 3.5
GRE: 164 V, 157 Q, 4.0 writing, haven't taken the psych GRE yet
Research experience: over 3 years as a research assistant at 2 labs, clinical research in behavioral emergency medicine, and preclinical work in behavioral psychology.
Pubs/posters: 1 paper, 3 posters at SfN
Other experience: Work in emergency department, and lots of volunteer experience.
LOR: No problem here. 1 Clinical Psychologist, 2 PhD basic science, 2 PhD professors.

Where should I apply? What are my chances? Anything to beef up?
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Your GRE scores are good, they'll offset the low GPA to a point. Research experience with actual productivity (posters and pub) are great as long as they are refereed. Doing fine in other experience, I wouldn't waste time getting any more of that, diminishing returns. Assuming your LOR's are good, you're a fairly strong candidate. As to where to apply, that is entirely dependent on your career/research/clinical aspirations.
 
WisNeuro said:
Your GRE scores are good, they'll offset the low GPA to a point. Research experience with actual productivity (posters and pub) are great as long as they are refereed. Doing fine in other experience, I wouldn't waste time getting any more of that, diminishing returns. Assuming your LOR's are good, you're a fairly strong candidate. As to where to apply, that is entirely dependent on your career/research/clinical aspirations.
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What do you mean by "refereed"?

Thank you for the feedback. I am interested in a career in research with a professorship. In grad school, I would like to study behavioral interventions in health psychology and receive training in neuropsych assessments. Any recommendations?
 
NeuroQueen said:
What do you mean by "refereed"?

Thank you for the feedback. I am interested in a career in research with a professorship. In grad school, I would like to study behavioral interventions in health psychology and receive training in neuropsych assessments. Any recommendations?
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Several dozens of programs will give you that, although career wise you will likely have to choose one over the other. What would you like to research while in graduate school?
 
What are my chances of getting an interview and/or accepted into a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program?

Overall GPA: 3.1
Major GPA: 2.8
Minor GPA: 3.0

I got a bunch of C's, two D's, a few A's and a few B's. I never got an F. I also have solid work experience. Let's say at a school like ASU or CSUF or NMSU or a for profit school like South University, what would my chances be?
 
airportfan said:
What are my chances of getting an interview and/or accepted into a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program?

Overall GPA: 3.1
Major GPA: 2.8
Minor GPA: 3.0

I got a bunch of C's, two D's, a few A's and a few B's. I never got an F. I also have solid work experience. Let's say at a school like ASU or CSUF or NMSU or a for profit school like South University, what would my chances be?
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This is just n=1, but I had almost identical stats to yours (plus no relevant work experience) and managed to get into several solid mental health counseling programs. It's really all about how you sell yourself.
 
chicandtoughness said:
This is just n=1, but I had almost identical stats to yours (plus no relevant work experience) and managed to get into several solid mental health counseling programs. It's really all about how you sell yourself.
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I have not taken my GRE yet, but I am studying for it and I hope to score in the 50th percentile or above. I'm trying to aim for the highest, but that exam is hard. However, I got two D's, a bunch of C's, some A's, and quite a few B's. I am hoping those two D's in my major do not bias the people who are reading my application. I hope they give me a chance for me to explain. I got them because of my hard struggles and because I went to a crappy high school and was not prepared for college. It took me 3 years to understand college and to obtain study skills. However, from what I was told, depending on the school, they might not look at the individual classes. I do have a good solid work experience, so I hope this makes up for those two D's and those C's.
 
chicandtoughness said:
I have yet to find any adcoms of masters-level programs who go in-depth in your transcript that way. I had at least one F, two D's, and a whole ton of C's - all of them in my major. Not one has anyone brought it up, even in interviews. If you have good work experience, really sell yourself on that. Have confidence and never make excuses for yourself ("I went to a crappy high school and was not prepared for college" is not something people want to hear).
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From what I read, some programs accept between 50-80 applicants. However, there are some that only accept 12-20 applicants. I was worried that I would not get anywhere because of my grades. I hope I get into a program, preferably my first choice, but if not, just somewhere.
 
I just took the GRE today and I got my scores when I was finished. Wont get the writing scores for a while but here is how I did:

V - 150 (45th percentile)
Q - 145 (21st percentile)

I know these aren't good and I do plan to retake it. I am applying to two schools for fall of next year: Montana State University and Ryerson University. I am going to be applying to Experimental Social Psychology programs. I have an overall GPA of 3.76 and an Institutional (last 2 years) 4.0 GPA. I am doing an undergraduate thesis with my mentor which I should be finishing up by the end of this year. I have applied for a grant at school for our project and will be applying for another one in the next couple of months. I have my 3 letters of recommendation (2 of which are from professors I've assisted in lab work). I will also (hopefully) be attending two conferences next year in February and April to present my project.

What I am wondering is, even though I know I will be retaking the GRE, is all of this going to be enough to get me into the program of my choice? These two specific schools don't have a GRE cut-off or score requirement from what I've seen on their websites. I have also gotten into contact with each professor I want to work with. One professor advised that I get greater than the 60th percentile on my quantitative score because I failed College Algebra the first time I took it. But when I retook the course I made a "B." This was only his advice and I'm not sure what to think about it. The reason I'm applying to only two schools is because what I want to study is very specific and these two schools have professors who study exactly what I want to research. Am I over reacting? Will all this extra work I've been doing and will be doing possibly make up for these horrid GRE scores? Even if I retake it and only do a bit better I still don't feel confident.
 
Your_Name_Here said:
These two specific schools don't have a GRE cut-off or score requirement from what I've seen on their websites.
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Just because there is no "official" cut off doesn't mean that there isn't an informal one that the adcoms use. For me, the poor quant skills are a huge red flag - how do you plan to do experimental psych if you're struggling with basic math? Depending on the complexity of your project, you're going to run into linear algebra, statistics, regressions, and all sorts of stuff. What is your ugrad thesis on?
 
chicandtoughness said:
Just because there is no "official" cut off doesn't mean that there isn't an informal one that the adcoms use. For me, the poor quant skills are a huge red flag - how do you plan to do experimental psych if you're struggling with basic math? Depending on the complexity of your project, you're going to run into linear algebra, statistics, regressions, and all sorts of stuff. What is your ugrad thesis on?
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Yeah, we had a sister experimental program alongside our clinical program. Quant is more important for that type of work and was weighed more heavily. I would be similarly concerned, you're expected to do a good deal of research in experimental programs and need to have a solid grasp on statistics, usually moreso than in clinical programs. Programs are going to want to see some evidence that that GRE score is not indicative of your ability to grasp higher level math and stats concepts.
 
chicandtoughness said:
Just because there is no "official" cut off doesn't mean that there isn't an informal one that the adcoms use. For me, the poor quant skills are a huge red flag - how do you plan to do experimental psych if you're struggling with basic math? Depending on the complexity of your project, you're going to run into linear algebra, statistics, regressions, and all sorts of stuff. What is your ugrad thesis on?
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It may be a red flag but just as an example when I took the SAT I scored around a 900, which is way below average. According to that test I should have done terrible in college classes. Yet here I am with a 4.0 for the past two years.

WisNeuro said:
Yeah, we had a sister experimental program alongside our clinical program. Quant is more important for that type of work and was weighed more heavily. I would be similarly concerned, you're expected to do a good deal of research in experimental programs and need to have a solid grasp on statistics, usually moreso than in clinical programs. Programs are going to want to see some evidence that that GRE score is not indicative of your ability to grasp higher level math and stats concepts.
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I've taken elementary statistics and psychological testing courses, which were very stat heavy and I got "A's" in both classes. I may be bad at algebra and geometry but I do very well in statistics for some reason. In the Psychological Testing course specifically I ran statistical tests using Excel and SPSS such as Anovas, regressions and factor analyses for my final project and I did fine. My undergrad thesis is on impression formation and stereotyping of physically androgynous individuals.
 
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Honestly, they'll be looking to see if someone can master stats in an applied setting. Undergrad basic stats are pretty low level and don't help all that much at teh grad level beyond ground level foundational knowledge. Hopefully it comes through in your thesis.
 
WisNeuro said:
Honestly, they'll be looking to see if someone can master stats in an applied setting. Undergrad basic stats are pretty low level and don't help all that much at teh grad level beyond ground level foundational knowledge. Hopefully it comes through in your thesis.
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I'm hoping that it will as well. What I don't understand is why there is so much reliance on the GRE. I can understand the algebra part, that is a fundamental of statistics. I can calculate mean, median, modes and standard deviations. But geometry has nothing to do with statistics and geometry is half of the GRE.
 
Your_Name_Here said:
I'm hoping that it will as well. What I don't understand is why there is so much reliance on the GRE. I can understand the algebra part, that is a fundamental of statistics. I can calculate mean, median, modes and standard deviations. But geometry has nothing to do with statistics and geometry is half of the GRE.
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It's far from perfect, but it's the best imperfect predictor the committee has.
 
WisNeuro said:
It's far from perfect, but it's the best imperfect predictor the committee has.
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Hopefully when I retake it I can raise my Quant score up 7+ points at least. That's the only thing I'm worried about. Thank you for your help!
 
Your_Name_Here said:
It may be a red flag but just as an example when I took the SAT I scored around a 900, which is way below average. According to that test I should have done terrible in college classes. Yet here I am with a 4.0 for the past two years.
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Yes, but since adcoms are not granted the gift of foresight, they can only use past results as a predictor of future success. Yes, I know that's flawed, but in absentia of anything else, it is the best indicator. The issue with your GRE is not only is it below average, it is WAY below average, which does not signal high achievement to me. Sometimes, with stellar stats in the other areas, one can overlook that... but you also failed College Algebra and then got a B in it. College Algebra of all classes should be an easy A for someone who wants to do experimental psychology. You need *something* to show that your math is up to snuff. Did you get A's in advanced math classes? (Did you take any advanced math classes?!)

Also, when the professor you're applying to work under says, "Get your GRE quant score up".... well, I would get the score up. He's probably sat on some committees before and knows his stuff :)

Psychological Testing course specifically I ran statistical tests using Excel and SPSS such as Anovas, regressions and factor analyses for my final project and I did fine. My undergrad thesis is on impression formation and stereotyping of physically androgynous individuals.
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Running simple tests in software has nothing to do with understanding the actual statistics... but I'll let that one slide. Even so, you're going to need to know enough to scrub data (bane of my existence) and how to choose proper statistics (e.g. when do i want to use a Freidman vs a McNemar, and *why*). Perhaps you already know, in which case I apologize.
 
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