WAMC: What Are My Chances

[WindingRd]

161V, 155Q, 4.5AW; 690Psych
4.0 MA Clinical Psych, but a program designed to be a psychotherapist (not for PhD apps)
3.1 BA @ PSU entirely unrelated major almost 20 years ago
1000+ hours clinical experience as pre-licensed psychotherapist
1.5 years as an RA intern at UCLA
1.5 years as a full-time Research Coord running a large study for a major school of medicine - not directly psych, but behavioral medicine
2 first author posters, 2 other pp, no pubs

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[Sharewithme]

Hello,
I'm like to have anyone interested review my graduate school professional statements to Ph.D. counseling psychology programs. If fellow applicants are interested, thank you, and I can review yours, too. If current students or psychologists are interested, I sincerely appreciate it. Please let me know.

Best of Luck to Us,
Sharewithme

 

[Justanothergrad]

Hello,
I'm like to have anyone interested review my graduate school professional statements to Ph.D. counseling psychology programs. If fellow applicants are interested, thank you, and I can review yours, too. If current students or psychologists are interested, I sincerely appreciate it. Please let me know.

Best of Luck to Us,
Sharewithme

Reach out to professors and mentors you have. I'm not sure I can see a reason to think other applicants will know what folks on the other end want. From conversations here and during admissions, I promise many dont and those that do know because of mentors. Skip the middle player.

 

[Dazen]

Hi all,

I'm in the midst of applications for clinical PhD programs now (forensic or trauma/ptsd focus), so this is more of a reality check than a should I go for it, but curious to hear what you'll think of my profile and school list. I have a bit of a nontraditional background so I know I'm already fighting a bit of an uphill battle.

Undergrad: 3.5 in engineering with honors from an Ivy
GRE: 166 V / 168 Q

Research: 4 years in college with 3 different labs. Was fortunate to develop my own research questions in all of them and really see the process through from ideation through to analysis. No direct psych work but focused on mathematical modelling and statistical analysis of qualitative data in ecology (first two years) and social choice/decision theory (last two years). I have a first author publication in a peer-reviewed journal, a paper presentation at an international mathematical modelling conference, and a third author pub. Hoping this will be my strength.

Work: no clinical experience, but a pretty eclectic set of work experiences (intern turned freelance author at a national magazine, quantitative analysis intern in the intelligence community, two years at a top hedge fund doing global macro research then running part of their recruiting strategy).

*Insert generic comment about great recs and personal statement here*

Schools I'm applying to: Washington, Colorado Springs, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, USUHS, Harvard, John Jay

I'm most worried about my lack of psych coursework (took two classes undergrad and did well, taking two online masters classes now, but clearly nowhere close to the academic background of a major, even if I've done significant reading on my own) and a mediocre GPA. While I know no one can say for certain what will strike a particular admissions committee, do you think I'd have a chance at some of my schools?

 

[Sharewithme]

Reach out to professors and mentors you have. I'm not sure I can see a reason to think other applicants will know what folks on the other end want. From conversations here and during admissions, I promise many dont and those that do know because of mentors. Skip the middle player.

Thanks for the reply. I wanted to post to see what your (in general and you specifically is nice, too) thoughts were.

 

[psych.meout]

Hi all,

I'm in the midst of applications for clinical PhD programs now (forensic or trauma/ptsd focus), so this is more of a reality check than a should I go for it, but curious to hear what you'll think of my profile and school list. I have a bit of a nontraditional background so I know I'm already fighting a bit of an uphill battle.

Undergrad: 3.5 in engineering with honors from an Ivy
GRE: 166 V / 168 Q

Research: 4 years in college with 3 different labs. Was fortunate to develop my own research questions in all of them and really see the process through from ideation through to analysis. No direct psych work but focused on mathematical modelling and statistical analysis of qualitative data in ecology (first two years) and social choice/decision theory (last two years). I have a first author publication in a peer-reviewed journal, a paper presentation at an international mathematical modelling conference, and a third author pub. Hoping this will be my strength.

Work: no clinical experience, but a pretty eclectic set of work experiences (intern turned freelance author at a national magazine, quantitative analysis intern in the intelligence community, two years at a top hedge fund doing global macro research then running part of their recruiting strategy).

*Insert generic comment about great recs and personal statement here*

Schools I'm applying to: Washington, Colorado Springs, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, USUHS, Harvard, John Jay

I'm most worried about my lack of psych coursework (took two classes undergrad and did well, taking two online masters classes now, but clearly nowhere close to the academic background of a major, even if I've done significant reading on my own) and a mediocre GPA. While I know no one can say for certain what will strike a particular admissions committee, do you think I'd have a chance at some of my schools?

You should look at the websites for those particular programs or even contact someone directly to see what psychology undergrad courses they require. Some will require specific courses (e.g., stats, research methods, intro, abnormal, social, developmental), while others will just require a certain minimum number of hours of psychology courses, while others still just strongly recommend certain courses or a minimum number of credit hours.

 

[Dazen]

@psych.meout thanks for the ideas! I did use that initially in deciding what programs to apply to, but agree that's something I should look through again before I send in apps.

 

[psy33]

Hi! After months of going through this thread, I'm posting today hoping for some advice.

I am an undergrad in psychology from India and I am applying to PsyD and PhD courses (Clinical Psych) in USA. It would be great if you all could help me out by giving me a real assessment of my chances.

My GRE score is 327 (V: 164 Q:163 AW: 4.5)
My IELTS is 8.5
My GPA is 8.4 on a 10 point scale.

I have worked as a research assistant for a professor's research project on personality assessment, where i did tool construction, data collection, item analysis and factor analysis. I also will be writing a part of the paper.
I am interning at a centre for children with special needs (autism spectrum disorder, ADD, ADHD, developmental delays, physical handicaps etc).
My undergraduate thesis was on transgender population in my locality and the cultural aspect surrounding their gender identity in india and also the relationship of the stress they face with social stigma. This paper is currently under review at a journal.
I have worked in organisations like rotaract where I have held leadership posts.

I feel career wise, i want to ultimately work in private practice or maybe even a hospital setting.

I am aware that my clinical and research experience is not as vast as that of many others applying, but I am hoping that my grades and test scores can help offset that.

Any feedback and insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NervousStudent124]

Brutally Honest (the more honest the harder I'm just gonna push myself )
My Gpa is currently a 3.40, my gpa from summer and winter classes at a community colleges 3.71, for a combined gpa of 3.45 (distributed credit wise across all classes), and a 3.7 in just psychology classes.
I'm taking gap time to work in the field and study for the GRE's (I am pretty good at standardized testing and I will dedicate my life to crushing them).
I have a year of research experience at a Ivy league's brain imaging lab.
Two and a half years of experience at a CT public university's research lab.
A conference award from one of the studies.
3 letters of recommendation from doctors I interned for at the research facilities.
My adviser said I interview very well and that it's my strong point.
I have a handful of schools in mind all around the same level of difficulty,the goal is uconn, looking into Pittsburg as well as come other places. **Edit** for PhD
What are my odds? Any advice?
I plan to work in the field and volunteer in the field during my gap year and to apply for the 2020 school year.
I also am trying to get into Yale's science post-bacc program for the gap year but I'm going to have to see if I can swing that.
Thanks for even reading this, have a great day!

 

[jdawg2017]

Pretty okay stats I think. Being author on a peer-reviewed pub or two from research would be valuable for applying to PhDs. Are you applying to clinical psych or what area?

 

[NervousStudent124]

Pretty okay stats I think. Being author on a peer-reviewed pub or two from research would be valuable for applying to PhDs. Are you applying to clinical psych or what area?

I don't have any publications unfortunately, I might be able to get published in my university's journal but it isn't known. I am looking into neuroscience/psych PhD programs.

 

[SosoLovesChi]

I'm a junior in college and these are my future credentials. I'm wondering if this will be enough to apply to psych Ph.D. programs.

My credentials:
3.9 GPA/4.02 Psych GPA
Dean's List
Psychology Major, 2 minors that I doubt matter
Haven't taken GRE, but I have high hopes. I'm studying right now with plans on taking in in May and then studying again for 6 months and then taking it again. So a year of study time should be ample time to get a really great score.

Awards:
Distinguished Scholar Award (only given to 1 or 2 people a year)
MARC U

Research Experience:
2 semesters of research (7 hours per week) (will have poster presentation SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference & will co-author publication)
8 - 10 week summer research program (will have an oral presentation at research conference)
Senior research project (oral presentation at college and possibly elsewhere, might be able to publish research)

Teaching Experience:
Learning Assitant for 3 courses: 1 lit course, Intro to Psych, Research Methods

Here are some Universities that conduct research that I'm interested in:

1. Indiana University
2. Northwestern University
3. University of Minnesota
4. Columbia University
5. University of Texas at Austin
   
6. University of Michigan
7. University of Florida

I'm wondering if my plan will give me enough research experience to get admitted to these grads school.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[deleted343839]

I'm a junior in college and these are my future credentials. I'm wondering if this will be enough to apply to psych Ph.D. programs.

My credentials:
3.9 GPA/4.02 Psych GPA
Dean's List
Psychology Major, 2 minors that I doubt matter
Haven't taken GRE, but I have high hopes. I'm studying right now with plans on taking in in May and then studying again for 6 months and then taking it again. So a year of study time should be ample time to get a really great score.

Awards:
Distinguished Scholar Award (only given to 1 or 2 people a year)
MARC U

Research Experience:
2 semesters of research (7 hours per week) (will have poster presentation SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference & will co-author publication)
8 - 10 week summer research program (will have an oral presentation at research conference)
Senior research project (oral presentation at college and possibly elsewhere, might be able to publish research)

Teaching Experience:
Learning Assitant for 3 courses: 1 lit course, Intro to Psych, Research Methods

Here are some Universities that conduct research that I'm interested in:

1. Indiana University
2. Northwestern University
3. University of Minnesota
4. Columbia University
5. University of Texas at Austin
   
6. University of Michigan
7. University of Florida

I'm wondering if my plan will give me enough research experience to get admitted to these grads school.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

More research experience and/or products would be ideal. A publication or a presentation at a national conference would be nice to have on your CV. Local/regional conferences are fine but national-level presentations are viewed more favorably. However, I see no reason not to apply this fall, assuming you do well on the GRE and can secure strong letters of recommendation. Questions:

1. Would it be feasible in the meantime to submit an abstract to a national conference that people in your field regularly attend?
2. Does your mentor know anyone at these institutions, or elsewhere? If so, could they facilitate an introduction (eg, at a conference)?

 

[mjr2013]

Hello all - trying to start the very beginning of what is sure to be a long process leading up to applying to PhD programs next cycle, for (hopefully) Fall 2020 admission.

Right now I'm broadly looking at my interests, and trying to find probably 10-15 programs to apply to. I could use some advice/insight as to the types of programs I'm aiming to be qualified for. I'd obviously love to get into a fully funded program, but I'm not sure I have the qualifications. All of below is expectations at time of application 11 months from now:

24yo white male interest in PhD in Clinical, Child Clinical, or Counseling (if the research interests align)
Transfer student at a HYPSM, transferred from a community college
Psychology Major, AAS possessed in Mental Health and Social Work from community college

Community College GPA: 3.92
Community College Major GPA: 3.95 (A in stats)
Current School GPA: ~3.85
Current School Major GPA: ~3.95 (A+ in stats)

GRE: No idea, studying and taking it this upcoming summer

Research Experience: Two years in lab as RA in Fragile X and Autism study, and 1.5 years in lab studying longitudinal early life stress, both fairly typical RA experiences... Hoping to have published paper sent for review on Turner Syndrome in early 2019... Sophomore summer spent on independent research project at residential treatment facility implementing a psychosocial curriculum - moderately successful (had its ups and downs), but culminated in a poster presentation at university level... Junior summer expecting to expand upon this project, hoping to publish in an undergraduate research journal, and present at the same conference, plus maybe one more. Hoping to culminate summer work into honors thesis as well.

Clinical Experience: Prior to transfer, worked for year and a half at residential treatment facility as front line staff with youth in the child welfare (foster care) system. Many have DSM diagnoses. Worked sophomore summer with (masters level) therapist as intern, in addition to the project described above with those youth. I continue to work at this facility on school breaks.

Teaching Experience: Course Development Assistant for a freshman seminar with the same PI I'm hoping to publish with - got the course approved to satisfy an undergrad requirement. Applying to be a TA for the intro psych class next fall and winter.

Work Experience: I worked as a full time school bus driver (while attending school full time also) prior to transfer.

Volunteer Experience: I served on the executive board of my hometown's little league baseball organization for five years prior to transfer, and continue to work with them as a special advisor.

Extracurriculars: I am on the leadership team (VP-level) of three different student groups.

Recs: Preliminarily thinking is that one comes from the PI I am hoping to publish with (I also took a class with him my first quarter here), one from the advisor that I'll be completing both summer projects with, and one from the masters-level therapist I interned and worked clinically with. All three of those would be very good.

Research Interests: Broadly speaking - trauma informed care in youth, youth PTSD, early life stress, interventions aimed at improving life outlooks of traumatized youth.

Career Interests: Undecided to some degree, but I would enjoy some combination of both research and clinical application. Possibly in a children's hospital?

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!

 

[psych.meout]

This goes in the what are my chances thread.

 

[deleted343839]

Nice to see you planning ahead so far in advance. If you follow through on the research products you could certainly be competitive for fully funded programs.

Research Experience: Two years in lab as RA in Fragile X and Autism study, and 1.5 years in lab studying longitudinal early life stress, both fairly typical RA experiences... Hoping to have published paper sent for review on Turner Syndrome in early 2019... Sophomore summer spent on independent research project at residential treatment facility implementing a psychosocial curriculum - moderately successful (had its ups and downs), but culminated in a poster presentation at university level... Junior summer expecting to expand upon this project, hoping to publish in an undergraduate research journal, and present at the same conference, plus maybe one more. Hoping to culminate summer work into honors thesis as well.

Great! Invest more energy into this work. Try to aim for a national level conference presentation. Also, try to publish your work first in a "real" journal. A middling specialty peer reviewed journal will still be viewed more favorably than a HYPSM undergrad research journal. Just don't fall for predatory publishers.

Clinical Experience: Prior to transfer, worked for year and a half at residential treatment facility as front line staff with youth in the child welfare (foster care) system. Many have DSM diagnoses. Worked sophomore summer with (masters level) therapist as intern, in addition to the project described above with those youth. I continue to work at this facility on school breaks.

Work if you have to for financial reasons, but otherwise stop here. You're good. Clinical experience is not a major factor in admissions.

Teaching Experience: Course Development Assistant for a freshman seminar with the same PI I'm hoping to publish with - got the course approved to satisfy an undergrad requirement. Applying to be a TA for the intro psych class next fall and winter.

Same as above. This is great, but you can stop here and be just fine. Or just TA one semester. Unless you have to TA for the $, spend the time you save on your research.

Research Interests: Broadly speaking - trauma informed care in youth, youth PTSD, early life stress, interventions aimed at improving life outlooks of traumatized youth.

Start learning about out who you might work with in the field. Start talking with your PI, your lab supervisors, etc.

Career Interests: Undecided to some degree, but I would enjoy some combination of both research and clinical application. Possibly in a children's hospital?

Not something you need to decide right away, but start looking at the people who are leading the field and look at their career paths. Again, talk to your mentors.

TL;DR: RESEARCH! Keep up your grades up. Ace the GRE. Be an absolute pleasure to teach and work with, and get evidence of it in writing. Not much else matters from this point forward. You have only 24 hours in the day; other things can and should go on the back burner.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Hello all - trying to start the very beginning of what is sure to be a long process leading up to applying to PhD programs next cycle, for (hopefully) Fall 2020 admission.

Right now I'm broadly looking at my interests, and trying to find probably 10-15 programs to apply to. I could use some advice/insight as to the types of programs I'm aiming to be qualified for. I'd obviously love to get into a fully funded program, but I'm not sure I have the qualifications. All of below is expectations at time of application 11 months from now:

24yo white male interest in PhD in Clinical, Child Clinical, or Counseling (if the research interests align)
Transfer student at a HYPSM, transferred from a community college
Psychology Major, AAS possessed in Mental Health and Social Work from community college

Community College GPA: 3.92
Community College Major GPA: 3.95 (A in stats)
Current School GPA: ~3.85
Current School Major GPA: ~3.95 (A+ in stats)

GRE: No idea, studying and taking it this upcoming summer

Research Experience: Two years in lab as RA in Fragile X and Autism study, and 1.5 years in lab studying longitudinal early life stress, both fairly typical RA experiences... Hoping to have published paper sent for review on Turner Syndrome in early 2019... Sophomore summer spent on independent research project at residential treatment facility implementing a psychosocial curriculum - moderately successful (had its ups and downs), but culminated in a poster presentation at university level... Junior summer expecting to expand upon this project, hoping to publish in an undergraduate research journal, and present at the same conference, plus maybe one more. Hoping to culminate summer work into honors thesis as well.

Clinical Experience: Prior to transfer, worked for year and a half at residential treatment facility as front line staff with youth in the child welfare (foster care) system. Many have DSM diagnoses. Worked sophomore summer with (masters level) therapist as intern, in addition to the project described above with those youth. I continue to work at this facility on school breaks.

Teaching Experience: Course Development Assistant for a freshman seminar with the same PI I'm hoping to publish with - got the course approved to satisfy an undergrad requirement. Applying to be a TA for the intro psych class next fall and winter.

Work Experience: I worked as a full time school bus driver (while attending school full time also) prior to transfer.

Volunteer Experience: I served on the executive board of my hometown's little league baseball organization for five years prior to transfer, and continue to work with them as a special advisor.

Extracurriculars: I am on the leadership team (VP-level) of three different student groups.

Recs: Preliminarily thinking is that one comes from the PI I am hoping to publish with (I also took a class with him my first quarter here), one from the advisor that I'll be completing both summer projects with, and one from the masters-level therapist I interned and worked clinically with. All three of those would be very good.

Research Interests: Broadly speaking - trauma informed care in youth, youth PTSD, early life stress, interventions aimed at improving life outlooks of traumatized youth.

Career Interests: Undecided to some degree, but I would enjoy some combination of both research and clinical application. Possibly in a children's hospital?

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!

Mod Note: Merged into the WAMC thread

 

[mjr2013]

Mod Note: Merged into the WAMC thread

Apologies - thought without concrete schools in mind it wouldn't belong. Thanks for moving it.

 

[SosoLovesChi]

More research experience and/or products would be ideal. A publication or a presentation at a national conference would be nice to have on your CV. Local/regional conferences are fine but national-level presentations are viewed more favorably. However, I see no reason not to apply this fall, assuming you do well on the GRE and can secure strong letters of recommendation. Questions:

1. Would it be feasible in the meantime to submit an abstract to a national conference that people in your field regularly attend?
2. Does your mentor know anyone at these institutions, or elsewhere? If so, could they facilitate an introduction (eg, at a conference)?

Thank you for the advice! I've been looking up conferences and I think I'm going to apply to present a poster at this year's Association for Psychological Sciences. The other conference that I planned to attend was ABRCMS. I'm not sure if that counts as a national conference. Before then I'll talk to my mentors about their connections to the institutions that I wish to attend and hopefully, they'll be able to attend APS with me.

I'm also going to make contact with professors where I'm thinking of applying and set up interviews with them before the application period begins. It might be expensive traveling to different universities meeting people, but I think it'll be worth it.

 

[deleted343839]

The other conference that I planned to attend was ABRCMS. I'm not sure if that counts as a national conference. Before then I'll talk to my mentors about their connections to the institutions that I wish to attend and hopefully, they'll be able to attend APS with me.

I don't know what ABRCMS is. I would talk with your mentors about where you are most likely to have an opportunity stand out to potential future mentors.

I'm also going to make contact with professors where I'm thinking of applying and set up interviews with them before the application period begins. It might be expensive traveling to different universities meeting people, but I think it'll be worth it.

I would advise against this. You are unlikely to get many takers anyway.

 

[psych.meout]

I'm also going to make contact with professors where I'm thinking of applying and set up interviews with them before the application period begins. It might be expensive traveling to different universities meeting people, but I think it'll be worth it.

Don't do this. Not only will there not be many takers on your offer to meet up, you may actually hurt your chances if someone finds this behavior to be unprofessional or presumptuous.

 

[SosoLovesChi]

Don't do this. Not only will there not be many takers on your offer to meet up, you may actually hurt your chances if someone finds this behavior to be unprofessional or presumptuous.

Oh, I didn't actually mean interviews, I'm sorry I used the wrong term. I mean just asking if I could meet with them to talk about their research and the university. I will read their publications so I have questions ready and ask about the field of sexuality research (my research interest) in general and ask about other researcher's whose work I might be interested in. When I email them I will try to present myself as a student who just wants to learn rather than one who's just concerned with applying to their grad program, in fact, something they say might make me no longer interested in that particular program, who knows. That's why I want to do this before the application period. I've heard of people who have done this and they've had good results.

 

[Psycho_logist]

Oh, I didn't actually mean interviews, I'm sorry I used the wrong term. I mean just asking if I could meet with them to talk about their research and the university. I will read their publications so I have questions ready and ask about the field of sexuality research (my research interest) in general and ask about other researcher's whose work I might be interested in. When I email them I will try to present myself as a student who just wants to learn rather than one who's just concerned with applying to their grad program, in fact, something they say might make me no longer interested in that particular program, who knows. That's why I want to do this before the application period. I've heard of people who have done this and they've had good results.

Contacting a professor before hand can work out well, even if you only express interest in their work and ask if they are accepting any students. In fact, my advisor usually only invites those who do so for interviews.

I echo others in here - it would be weird to travel to see all of these people in person when a few questions over email would do the trick. In this process, anything that makes you look weird is not going to help you. Any sign of poor judgement likely will sink you. You should also remember these folks are usually pretty smart and have been around the block once or twice - trying to be tricky will only make you look bad.

 

[jdawg2017]

Oh, I didn't actually mean interviews, I'm sorry I used the wrong term. I mean just asking if I could meet with them to talk about their research and the university. I will read their publications so I have questions ready and ask about the field of sexuality research (my research interest) in general and ask about other researcher's whose work I might be interested in. When I email them I will try to present myself as a student who just wants to learn rather than one who's just concerned with applying to their grad program, in fact, something they say might make me no longer interested in that particular program, who knows. That's why I want to do this before the application period. I've heard of people who have done this and they've had good results.

Not sure who you heard this from, but this is not a thing to do and would make you look annoying and assuming to 99% of PIs out there. Imagine being a PI who is teaching, conducting research, mentoring their current students, trying to have a personal/family life. Talking to random people (i.e., you) about their papers and the field of sexuality is not gonna be high on their list of things to do.

The only scenario in which talking to a PI you might have interesting in working with in the future is a) at a poster or talk at a conference you are both attending or b) sending a brief email in the early fall of the application period you are applying in to introduce yourself and inquire about them taking students. Otherwise, it is highly unadvisable.

 

[shootingstars55]

Hi guys!

I'm currently a sophomore undergrad and recently just switched out of pre-med to walk the PsyD path. It was too late for me to drop courses, but my current GPA is a 3.25 and will probably drop to around a 3.1 this semester due to the lack of preparation for my ochem final

Considering that I am a sophomore, and considering that up until now I have taken mostly psych classes, what are the realistic chances of me pursuing a career in Psychology with a PsyD? Will I be able to get into a PsyD program with a 3.3 GPA by the time I graduate (considering worst case scenario if I am not able to bring it up any higher due to failing one class)?

Thanks! Any feedback or information at all would be super appreciated!

 

[WisNeuro]

Expand your search to Phd programs, narrow it to fully funded Phd/PsyD programs with good outcome data. Do very well in the rest of your classes in the next two years. Try to get involved in research labs at your university soon. Do well on the GRE (>80th%). Do that and you should be ok.

 

[deleted343839]

Oh, I didn't actually mean interviews, I'm sorry I used the wrong term. I mean just asking if I could meet with them to talk about their research and the university. I will read their publications so I have questions ready and ask about the field of sexuality research (my research interest) in general and ask about other researcher's whose work I might be interested in. When I email them I will try to present myself as a student who just wants to learn rather than one who's just concerned with applying to their grad program, in fact, something they say might make me no longer interested in that particular program, who knows. That's why I want to do this before the application period. I've heard of people who have done this and they've had good results.

Still, no. You may be able to low-key stalk (some) PIs at national conferences (for example, at a poster session or a social hour), and even then you need to do this with tact. It is over the top to go visit potential PIs on their campuses. You got some bad advice. Generally speaking, this will not help you stand out in a good way.

Not sure who you heard this from, but this is not a thing to do and would make you look annoying and assuming to 99% of PIs out there. Imagine being a PI who is teaching, conducting research, mentoring their current students, trying to have a personal/family life. Talking to random people (i.e., you) about their papers and the field of sexuality is not gonna be high on their list of things to do.

This. Respect people's time and keep things in perspective. Remember it's easy enough for most faculty to get qualified grad school applicants through the usual channels. Stand out on paper or not at all.

 

[wtfook]

Apologies - thought without concrete schools in mind it wouldn't belong. Thanks for moving it.

I know specifically that Dr. Chris Liang at Lehigh University is currently doing research on trauma informed care in schools.

Dr. Christopher Liang | Lehigh University College of Education

 

[SosoLovesChi]

Still, no. You may be able to low-key stalk (some) PIs at national conferences (for example, at a poster session or a social hour), and even then you need to do this with tact. It is over the top to go visit potential PIs on their campuses. You got some bad advice. Generally speaking, this will not help you stand out in a good way.



This. Respect people's time and keep things in perspective. Remember it's easy enough for most faculty to get qualified grad school applicants through the usual channels. Stand out on paper or not at all.

I understand, thank you everyone for letting me know that I was thinking about this in the wrong way.

 

[SosoLovesChi]

I got the idea because I read in this guy's story at the webpage howigotintostanford (you'll have to search that if you want to see; the forum won't let me post links), that meeting with professors beforehand really gave him a leg up in the application process and thought I could do that as well.

 

[shootingstars55]

Expand your search to Phd programs, narrow it to fully funded Phd/PsyD programs with good outcome data. Do very well in the rest of your classes in the next two years. Try to get involved in research labs at your university soon. Do well on the GRE (>80th%). Do that and you should be ok.

Thank you for your reply! I am currently in a research lab, but it is in a cognitive lab. Would it be an issue if I want to pursue clinical but do research in a cognitive lab? Thanks!

 

[WisNeuro]

Thank you for your reply! I am currently in a research lab, but it is in a cognitive lab. Would it be an issue if I want to pursue clinical but do research in a cognitive lab? Thanks!

Not really, getting a quality experience at how research with human subjects is done is key. If you can find a clinical lab in the next couple of years to get some more experience in a different area, that'd be best, but a cog lab could work well, especially if you're thinking of a similar area (e.g., neuropsych).

 

[philosopherpsychologist]

I go to a top ten undergrad institution, and am interested in getting a PhD in Clinical Psych. My GPA is around 3.4 (3.35, but should be able to hit 3.4 after this upcoming semester), and I have no psychology classes under my belt. I am graduating this May and don't have time to take any psych classes. As a philosophy major with financial industry experience, I was originally aiming to work in finance and have work experience in consulting and venture capital, but due to some recent life events I've decided I want to help people for a living and that clinical psychology is the way I can best achieve that goal. I have not yet taken the GREs, so that will be next on my list.

I have been in therapy for over five years, and have a lot of mental illness in my family (as well as my own history of mental health crises, years and years ago, none recently) so I am pretty familiar with the field. I have also read all the great psychoanalysts (Freud, Jung, Adler, Lacan, etc) for my philosophy classes, so I have some good familiarity with the philosophical/practical foundations of the discipline.

What are my chances? What can I do to have a good shot? I know it is very competitive... but I think that this is something worth dedicating myself to.

Thanks!

 

[jdawg2017]

It sounds like you have interesting experience, but none directly relevant to clinical psych PhD programs!

Generally speaking, there’s a tried and true path to gaining admission to a clinical PhD program. First, you need formal coursework (preferably even a major or minor) in psychology. Second, you need research experience in clinical psych, ideally with at least a publication and a few posters to your name. Third, you need letters and mentors from the field who will write you letters of rec for your prospective program. Fourth, you need a good GRE score.

It doesn’t unfortunately sound like you have a lot of that, despite a decent gpa and a lot of finance experience. A post bacc or research masters in psychology may be advisable, but I’ll defer to more senior community members on this point.

 

[PsyDuck90]

@jdawg2017 makes a lot of good points. I would also ask why you want a PhD in clinical psych specifically. What are your career goals? If you are interested in doing therapy, there are several MA level options that are quicker/easier that you can consider.

 

[philosopherpsychologist]

Thank you, a lot of food for thought here. @Hk328 , my goals are to be able to competently and effectively serve clients seeking psychological help in a variety of settings. Ideally I would like to have my own private therapy practice, but I would like to have some versatility and be able to work in clinical settings, teach, etc.

 

[artsyann]

Hi,

I go to a top ten undergrad institution, and am interested in getting a PhD in Clinical Psych. My GPA is around 3.4 (3.35, but should be able to hit 3.4 after this upcoming semester), and I have no psychology classes under my belt. I am graduating this May and don't have time to take any psych classes. As a philosophy major with financial industry experience, I was originally aiming to work in finance and have work experience in consulting and venture capital, but due to some recent life events I've decided I want to help people for a living and that clinical psychology is the way I can best achieve that goal. I have not yet taken the GREs, so that will be next on my list.

I have been in therapy for over five years, and have a lot of mental illness in my family (as well as my own history of mental health crises, years and years ago, none recently) so I am pretty familiar with the field. I have also read all the great psychoanalysts (Freud, Jung, Adler, Lacan, etc) for my philosophy classes, so I have some good familiarity with the philosophical/practical foundations of the discipline.

What are my chances? What can I do to have a good shot? I know it is very competitive... but I think that this is something worth dedicating myself to.

Thanks!

Do you have any research experience? That’s a huge part of what doctoral programs look for. Also, if you have zero psych classes, you are not really positioned as a competitive candidate, no matter what school you came from. Some schools will consider you, but you will most likely also have to take the psychology GRE in addition to the regular one.
In all honesty, your best bet may be to get an MA or MS in psychology to gain research experience. A good program in experimental psych or a clinical master’s with a reserved component are a good place to start.
Your familial history with psychology issues is not something you would put on your applications. The schools generally don’t want to hear about your or your family anecdotes.
My advice is to do a lot of research into programs you might like and what it takes to get into them. Reputable PhD and PsyD programs are highly competitive with acceptance rates typically 1-5%. Without any research experience or psych classes you will likely be wasting your time and money applying.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I go to a top ten undergrad institution, and am interested in getting a PhD in Clinical Psych. My GPA is around 3.4 (3.35, but should be able to hit 3.4 after this upcoming semester), and I have no psychology classes under my belt. I am graduating this May and don't have time to take any psych classes. As a philosophy major with financial industry experience, I was originally aiming to work in finance and have work experience in consulting and venture capital, but due to some recent life events I've decided I want to help people for a living and that clinical psychology is the way I can best achieve that goal. I have not yet taken the GREs, so that will be next on my list.

I have been in therapy for over five years, and have a lot of mental illness in my family (as well as my own history of mental health crises, years and years ago, none recently) so I am pretty familiar with the field. I have also read all the great psychoanalysts (Freud, Jung, Adler, Lacan, etc) for my philosophy classes, so I have some good familiarity with the philosophical/practical foundations of the discipline.

What are my chances? What can I do to have a good shot? I know it is very competitive... but I think that this is something worth dedicating myself to.

Thanks!

Mod Note: I've merged this post into the WAMC thread, and cleaned up a few of the related or double posts.

 

[denimfan]

I got the idea because I read in this guy's story at the webpage howigotintostanford (you'll have to search that if you want to see; the forum won't let me post links), that meeting with professors beforehand really gave him a leg up in the application process and thought I could do that as well.

Well you do have to understand that this experience is very subjective. Perhaps that professor was really open to having in-person interactions. The best place to meet your POI is at conferences. So try to scope them out (usually APA Convention is a nice place) by looking up the programming and go to their presentations or even their students' presentations and introduce yourself briefly and your intention to apply.

 

[deleted343839]

I am graduating this May and don't have time to take any psych classes. As a philosophy major with financial industry experience, I was originally aiming to work in finance and have work experience in consulting and venture capital, but due to some recent life events I've decided I want to help people for a living and that clinical psychology is the way I can best achieve that goal. I have not yet taken the GREs, so that will be next on my list.

Why clinical psychology rather than psychiatry or social work or another helping profession?

I have been in therapy for over five years, and have a lot of mental illness in my family (as well as my own history of mental health crises, years and years ago, none recently) so I am pretty familiar with the field. I have also read all the great psychoanalysts (Freud, Jung, Adler, Lacan, etc) for my philosophy classes, so I have some good familiarity with the philosophical/practical foundations of the discipline.

I would caution you against generalizing your own experiences to a broader understanding of the field. Also, while psychoanalytic theory certainly has its place within the big tent that is psychology, I would not consider it to be foundational. Coursework in psychology should clarify that for you, if you do decide this is your career goal.

 

[smn011]

Hey all.

I went to a fairly competitive university for undergrad (around 20% acceptance rate). I majored in psychology and then got minors in political science and legal studies. My final GPA was 3.06 and my final two years was about 3.5. I am in grad school now as a research assistant and have a 4.0. I currently have five publications with professors where I am an author (2 quantitative and 3 qualitative). I am going to be at two different conferences to present the studies. I am also writing a thesis.

I did talk to many schools and they said it was fine that I did not get my master's in psychology. I know my undergrad GPA is lacking. My GRE scores were 147 Q and 149 V, which I know are not very good. I am also going to take the psychology subject test. I am on the fence about retaking the GRE since a lot of professors I work with say it's not worth it and that I have other things that are more important than a score.

Just looking to get opinions on if I should retake the GRE and what other things I could do to make myself more competitive. Thank you!

 

[Justanothergrad]

Hey all.

I went to a fairly competitive university for undergrad (around 20% acceptance rate). I majored in psychology and then got minors in political science and legal studies. My final GPA was 3.06 and my final two years was about 3.5. I am in grad school now as a research assistant and have a 4.0. I currently have five publications with professors where I am an author (2 quantitative and 3 qualitative). I am going to be at two different conferences to present the studies. I am also writing a thesis.

I did talk to many schools and they said it was fine that I did not get my master's in psychology. I know my undergrad GPA is lacking. My GRE scores were 147 Q and 149 V, which I know are not very good. I am also going to take the psychology subject test. I am on the fence about retaking the GRE since a lot of professors I work with say it's not worth it and that I have other things that are more important than a score.

Just looking to get opinions on if I should retake the GRE and what other things I could do to make myself more competitive. Thank you!

What authorship are you on the papers, what quality of journal did you publish in, what type of conference/what author, and and what is your graduate GPA?

 

[smn011]

What authorship are you on the papers, what quality of journal did you publish in, what type of conference/what author, and and what is your graduate GPA?

My graduate GPA is 4.0. For the publications, I am the first author on two of them. I am the second author on one and third on two of them.

 

[smn011]

My graduate GPA is 4.0. For the publications, I am the first author on two of them. I am the second author on one and third on two of them.

Oh and both of the conferences are for criminal justice. One is the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the other is Criminal Justice Association.

 

[Justanothergrad]

My graduate GPA is 4.0. For the publications, I am the first author on two of them. I am the second author on one and third on two of them.

That puts you (generally) in a very good position, but the GRE is really low so I suspect it will come down to a lot of the type of program you apply to. As you know, some (more frequently clinical than counseling) set hard cut points on GRE and it's unlikely that you will pass that and warrant a larger review. Not all programs do so. It's a step to cut down on applicant numbers and make it manageable on the review end to ensure a steady group of a certain quality are even considered (this is clearly not without flaws). In those cases, you throw money away and they won't necessarily even see your CV highlighting your achievements. Other programs will see it, so I guess the answer is 'it depends'. If you think your GRE will be substantially better/that you can pull it up then I would retake it.If not, I might focus on considering the type of program you are applying to and the geography of that program to maximize the chances. There is a lot of variability here because, ultimately, it depends on how you can do if you take it again.

 

[futureapppsy2]

My graduate GPA is 4.0. For the publications, I am the first author on two of them. I am the second author on one and third on two of them.

I think the combination of your low undergrad GPA and low GRE may get you screened out at a good number of schools, unfortunately (the grad GPA will help a bit but not as much as you may hope). I’d re-take the GRE for that reason.

 

[therapisttobe]

Hey there! I'm an undergrad student thinking of going to grad school for school psychology. Looking at Yeshiva/Ferkauf's school-clinical child psychology program and Pace's school-clinical child psychology program in particular, but curious about any NASP-approved Ph.D or Psy.D programs. I know how competitive clinical psych Ph.D programs are, and that most people take a year or two off after undergrad to gain more research experience, but I was wondering if anyone knew if it was common for people to go right into school psych doctorate programs right out of college. I'm double-majoring in psychology and women's, gender, and sexuality studies and I have a 3.96 GPA. When I graduate, I will have 6 years of experience working with kids w/special needs, 3 years of experience teaching my own classroom at a religious school, 3 years volunteering at a crisis hotline, 3 years volunteering at a domestic violence shelter. I'm also a TA for a child development psychology class and am in a few honor societies.

I don't have much research experience yet, but do plan to gain some more, so Ph.D programs might not be as appropriate (but the funding is a big plus). Anyway, do people think applying to a school or school-clinical child psychology doctoral program right after college is feasible? I want to go straight to grad school, if possible.

Thanks!

 

[psychtrauma]

Sounds like you're well equipped on the experiential side, well done. The high GPA certainly helps and matching that with a solid GRE score you sound like a great pick for most programs. As someone who went through to a clinical psych grad program right out of undergrad (and have many colleagues who have done the same) I'd say it's actually not the "norm" to take a couple years, but it certainly doesn't hurt. The largest prohibitive factor you might face with a clinical program would be the research experience as you mention. If you can get into a lab now, I'd try that and then shoot for what you want. The other nice thing about taking a couple years is it helps you figure out what you want in your career. If you're open to both school psych and a clinical program, it might make sense to wait until you know for sure. It's a long haul to get to the other side and wish you went another route. Best of luck!

 

[therapisttobe]

Sounds like you're well equipped on the experiential side, well done. The high GPA certainly helps and matching that with a solid GRE score you sound like a great pick for most programs. As someone who went through to a clinical psych grad program right out of undergrad (and have many colleagues who have done the same) I'd say it's actually not the "norm" to take a couple years, but it certainly doesn't hurt. The largest prohibitive factor you might face with a clinical program would be the research experience as you mention. If you can get into a lab now, I'd try that and then shoot for what you want. The other nice thing about taking a couple years is it helps you figure out what you want in your career. If you're open to both school psych and a clinical program, it might make sense to wait until you know for sure. It's a long haul to get to the other side and wish you went another route. Best of luck!

Thank you!! Do you mind my asking where you went to grad school?

I definitely plan to gain more research experience so hopefully that will help.

 

[therapisttobe]

Sounds like you're well equipped on the experiential side, well done. The high GPA certainly helps and matching that with a solid GRE score you sound like a great pick for most programs. As someone who went through to a clinical psych grad program right out of undergrad (and have many colleagues who have done the same) I'd say it's actually not the "norm" to take a couple years, but it certainly doesn't hurt. The largest prohibitive factor you might face with a clinical program would be the research experience as you mention. If you can get into a lab now, I'd try that and then shoot for what you want. The other nice thing about taking a couple years is it helps you figure out what you want in your career. If you're open to both school psych and a clinical program, it might make sense to wait until you know for sure. It's a long haul to get to the other side and wish you went another route. Best of luck!

Just to add - while research does interest me, I don’t see myself doing it in the long-term. I see myself either working in a school or doing therapy with children/adolescents, so that’s why the combined school-clinical programs really interest me. And I don’t see myself being happy working full-time in a research lab for a year or two after college either. But then again, who knows!