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Ok, but as Justanothergrad mentioned, what is your fit for a doctoral program if you're already ostensibly doing assessment (hopefully appropriately within the scope of your training and licensure) and therapy? What does the program have to offer you that you don't already do and what can you contribute to it?

Unless you've done more than what you posted, you really don't have much in the way of research experience, which is primarily what doctoral training would have to add to what you already do. It sounds like you collected test data for piloting/standardization/norming/etc. of psychometric instruments, which, while good, isn't really the level of research experience necessary for a doctoral program. What faculty are more looking for is that you're able to synthesize the literature into questions, specific aims, and hypotheses about a gap in the literature, design a study to investigate it, and pursue said study through completion, hopefully to a publication or at least a conference presentation.

Did you present any original research at these conferences you attended?

Thanks for the questions. I realize that school psychology isn't very well understood...we use neuropsychological assessments as part of work, in some states it is required by law to determine if a child has a disability, this kind of lack of knowledge about school psychology its kind of sad actually but I won't get into that. I work within my scope of practice, I just want to be clear on that.

I do not have a lot of research experience outside of my undergraduate thesis. As a graduate student I took research methods, and a whole host of other classes in stats, and research methodology but I did not develop my own research out of graduate school. My hope is to do so as part of a Phd program.

The reasons I want to pursue a Phd

1) Research Interest, I have questions, I want to pursue them, I want to contribute especially around the subjects of post traumatic growth and the development of research based interventions in conjunction with assessments, as well as other interests.

2) my aim is to become a practitioner that provides neuropsychological assessments to people beyond the age of 22, contribute to the field, and conduct research around my interests.

This list is not exhaustive, the people whom I work with clinical psychs and neuropsychs have encouraged me as well in this direction just based on my work, my interests, and their experiences in psych programs. I suppose I am posting here to get an understanding of what I may be lacking, is research experience the only thing you guys are seeing?

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One thing you'll want to make sure you address is why this degree will fit your needs and the previous two areas (school and counseling) have not. If I'm looking at your application, I see you bouncing around and that suggests a fairly unclear set of career goals so I would be prone to ask things like when did these interests develop, are they actually real versus written up to apply, etc. Your research output also doesn't stack up well with what I would expect for someone with two masters as I would hope that by this point, publications (not presentations) would be there. This isn't to discourage you, but there are some questions I would have related to if it is worth my time (for lack of a better way to put it) to train you, since I expect you won't be helping me much with research and I'm uncertain about the degree to which this field is the one you actually want to be in.

There is also the point WisNeuro raised.

My MA, and EDS is one program. School psych programs are built this way, same school, 1 program no jumping around. They are not two masters. You are correct I do not have a lot of research experience although I have taken a whole host of courses in research methods, stats, and research methodology. My program was applied, students in the doctoral program are writing dissertations now, I took the applied route although I developed a lit review, research question as part of my school psych degree but decided to not purse the doc degree at that program as if offered nothing I had not already learned and did not lead to larger scope of practice or options as it was a Ed.D. Please ask your questions, I welcome them.



Thanks!
 
I feel like I should add, the education in a clinical psychology program and the option of a neuropsych track would provide an extensive amount of knowledge I do not have, and skills as well. I am seeking additional skills, knowledge, as well the ability to research my interests, contribute to the field, and become an actual psychologist, not solely a school psychologist. In my program I always wanted to know more, research more, and my research interests had no where to go, at the start of the program and in my application I was very clear, but once in the program it was very clear that there was no support for my research interests. I considered leaving, but that made no sense as I learned assessment, school systems, and so much more. I love my job, I love doing assessments on children, implementing interventions, using behavior analysis, all at work but I want to do that and more. I hope this helps. Please ask questions, express concerns, have opinions, share your thoughts, let me know what I need to do!

Thanks
 
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I am neither, I am a school psychologist. I conduct my own tests, score them, and interpret them. I don't think I should downplay that at all.

School psychologists are qualified to administer psychoeducational testing, not neuropsychological testing as put forward by the HCG. Play up the experience with testing sure, but if I was recruiting a student and they told me they were independently administering and interpreting neuropsych evals, instant decline.
 
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School psychologists are qualified to administer psychoeducational testing, not neuropsychological testing as put forward by the HCG. Play up the experience with testing sure, but if I was recruiting a student and they told me they were independently administering and interpreting neuropsych evals, instant decline.

Again, I am not here to explain my field at all.
 
Again, I am not here to explain my field at all.

Again, I am just giving you advice on how many board certified neuropsychologists will see that particular piece of information and react to it. Take that and do what you will to increase or decrease your chances as you see fit.
 
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I would prefer opinions about my field be left somewhere else, if there isn't anything else to be said to me about my questions, please just keep your views to yourself or share them with the National Association of School Psychologists.
 
Again, I am just giving you advice on how many board certified neuropsychologists will see that particular piece of information and react to it. Take that and do what you will to increase or decrease your chances as you see fit.

I understand that. My post was not my application though. I came here for something else, not a debate about my field of psychology. We do neuropsychological assessments, it is embedded in our work, so is clinical assessment, behavioral assessment, sometimes we do tests that other specialists like OT's or SLP's might administer. I am sure this steps on the toes of a lot of professionals not just neuropsychs, I have similar reaction when I recieve outside evals. There is a split in the psychology field about school psychologists..but I am not here to debate that...not at all. It's been there for a while, and I am not concerned about it.
 
Not sure you're getting the point. This is something that you will likely have to talk about in personal statements and/or interviews. How you answer it will likely have a good amount of influence on decisions of offers for admittance. Feel free to accept or disregard any advice. How you ultimately help or hurt your own chances is always up to you. If you insist to potential PIs that you are entitled to practice outside of your scope, they will likely not take it that well.
 
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I am sure this steps on the toes of a lot of professionals not just neuropsychs, I have similar reaction when I recieve outside evals. There is a split in the psychology field about school psychologists..but I am not here to debate that...not at all. It's been there for a while, and I am not concerned about it.
You should be... since stepping on people's toes isn't a great way to get into a program. There is a lot to unpack from the last few messages, but I think it underscores an important consideration as you move forward looking for programs that hammers in to what I asked when I first responded - "why do you need to train for a PhD in clinical psych and a specialty in neuro"? As you change careers, your may find yourself having to pick a side about what services qualify for provision by which providers, what is sufficient training, and what "neuropsychology" is defined as at the practice level. These are important things that are likely to come up early, particularly given your training and the way you discuss having done neuro testing.I work with a large number of neuro folk, either in research capacities or as colleagues. This will come up.

The feedback you are getting is about how to frame and discuss the scope of your experiences. Take the feedback for what it is though and feel free to keep it or ignore it. The WAMC thread is an opportunity for folks in the field/making these decisions to give feedback to applicants.
 
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I understand that. My post was not my application though. I came here for something else, not a debate about my field of psychology. We do neuropsychological assessments, it is embedded in our work, so is clinical assessment, behavioral assessment, sometimes we do tests that other specialists like OT's or SLP's might administer. I am sure this steps on the toes of a lot of professionals not just neuropsychs, I have similar reaction when I recieve outside evals. There is a split in the psychology field about school psychologists..but I am not here to debate that...not at all. It's been there for a while, and I am not concerned about it.
The point other people here are trying to make is not that certain measures are solely the realm of certain professionals, but rather that saying that you perform "neuropsychological assessments" as a school psychologist in either your personal statements or in interviews can and likely will come back to bite you. This is going to be especially true when you are applying for programs to with neuropsych tracks and/or neuropsych faculty. They are going to have their own perspectives on these things and trying to deflect criticism in this manner will not help your case.

Furthermore, your attitude towards the actual neuropsychologists here when they are politely trying to help you for free is also unhelpful. Is this how you're going to respond when you're inevitably be asked about the scope and responsibilities of your current role when it comes time to interview for programs?
 
The point other people here are trying to make is not that certain measures are solely the realm of certain professionals, but rather that saying that you perform "neuropsychological assessments" as a school psychologist in either your personal statements or in interviews can and likely will come back to bite you. This is going to be especially true when you are applying for programs to with neuropsych tracks and/or neuropsych faculty. They are going to have their own perspectives on these things and trying to deflect criticism in this manner will not help your case.

Furthermore, your attitude towards the actual neuropsychologists here when they are politely trying to help you for free is also unhelpful. Is this how you're going to respond when you're inevitably be asked about the scope and responsibilities of your current role when it comes time to interview for programs?

I feel like expressed appreciation and explained myself more than once. I also don't understand how much appreciation or gratitude I am supposed to display. I am kind of uncomfortable at this point. I appreciate the feedback and will discuss my use of neuropsychological assessments as testing measures and leave it at that . Beyond that again the only thing I have been told, is about the lack of research, is there anything else?
 
You should be... since stepping on people's toes isn't a great way to get into a program. There is a lot to unpack from the last few messages, but I think it underscores an important consideration as you move forward looking for programs that hammers in to what I asked when I first responded - "why do you need to train for a PhD in clinical psych and a specialty in neuro"? As you change careers, your may find yourself having to pick a side about what services qualify for provision by which providers, what is sufficient training, and what "neuropsychology" is defined as at the practice level. These are important things that are likely to come up early, particularly given your training and the way you discuss having done neuro testing.I work with a large number of neuro folk, either in research capacities or as colleagues. This will come up.

The feedback you are getting is about how to frame and discuss the scope of your experiences. Take the feedback for what it is though and feel free to keep it or ignore it. The WAMC thread is an opportunity for folks in the field/making these decisions to give feedback to applicants.

I do not represent all school psychologists, but the role steps on toes, my title is my title and my work is my work, if it makes people uncomfortable ...I can't do anything about that besides to encourage them to take it up with NASP or the APA. I don't think its appropriate that school psychs do a lot of things .. I feel that we should have doctoral level training, I am not sure if this is coming across or not. I have always had this view, and it is why I want a full education, not the limited education school psych programs provide across multiple psych disciplines. My understanding of neuropsych assessments is very limited, I still have to interpret the reports that come in and I have to use the NEPSY and other instruments in my work. This is my current role, right or wrong..it's my job. I have learned a lot about how to frame my experiences from these responses....I do use a number of psychometric measures and tests. I love assessment, its my most favorite part of my work, I will admit that this is part of my reasons for going further...I am good at it, but want to know and do more. I will take the advice given here like I stated in my other reply and say I used those instruments as part of my psychoeducational evals..and leave it at that, is there anything else you guys see?

Thanks
 
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Thought I'd drop in here.

Undergrad and MA GPA both were 3.6

GRE: Verbal I believe was 162 last time and Quant 154? Writing I think 4 or 4.5

I've been in 2 research labs: one right after undergrad for a year. I did a lot of field work doing research in public schools in low income areas in NYC and helped the lab advisor with a small conference she put together. Did a lot of administration of the intervention, filming, organizing materials for myself and the rest of the lab, administering surveys/research materials, and data entry.

In undergrad I worked on a research project and presented it at my schools psych conference.

During my MA I was in a lab for the whole 2 years. I worked on research with clinical patients, adults and children and during my last year of the MA got a competitive spot through my lab assisting on site at a hospital in a low income area with research and clinical work.

Work in the lab was attending meetings coding clinical and research videos, administering the questionnaires to the clinical research patients, filming research paradigms, administering interviews, transcribing interviews, attending workshops. I did not do any data entry despite offering to help (I was basically locked out by a small nasty girl clique in my lab who took over doing that unfortunately)
Clinical work included filming clinical sessions,and working with assisting administering the clinical intervention to child patients.

I completed 2 MA theses: 1 clinical qualitative project related to my lab and 1 quantitative project not related to my lab.

I presented the quantitative one at a fairly competitive international conference this spring (SRCD)

I graduated in may 2017 with my MA. I took a gap year to do the GRE and apply to PhDs right after graduation. I applied to 3 programs in NYC/LI, 1 in Virginia, 1 in utah, and 1 in Colorado. I was rejected with no interview from all except 1 unfunded PhD on LI. I got waitlisted then accepted, started there in fall 2018, then dropped out early on becuase it was too much stress to work and do the PhD and too much debt.

I've been applying (not aggressively but probably to about 15-20 positions) to paid RA and research coordinator positions in NYC and havent been so successful. I did have one phone interview though!

I'm on the fence on if I want to apply to clinical phds again or not. I'm 27, working class (my parents are divorced on both on disability, no support from them ever financially/with school/car/etc), I waitress in NYC and have through college, and my spouse is my HS sweetheart from blue collar town doing blue collar work. We want to get married and have children etc, I never imagined this process would take so long. I always thought I'd be halfway through a PhD at this point. it's really frustrating to me it hasn't panned out yet.

So please be honest; WAMC, and should I just give up and accept the pay cut and apply for MSW programs so I can get in somewhere and get working sooner. Start a family as a SW and maybe when I'm older and my kids are grown try again for PHD...

Dunno what's a better life choice for me right now. I really want to be a psychologist but I cant just keep working hard and putting all my effort and energy into something while my life is on standby with no results. Thanks
 
I do not represent all school psychologists, but the role steps on toes, my title is my title and my work is my work, if it makes people uncomfortable ...I can't do anything about that besides to encourage them to take it up with NASP or the APA. I don't think its appropriate that school psychs do a lot of things .. I feel that we should have doctoral level training, I am not sure if this is coming across or not. I have always had this view, and it is why I want a full education, not the limited education school psych programs provide across multiple psych disciplines. My understanding of neuropsych assessments is very limited, I still have to interpret the reports that come in and I have to use the NEPSY and other instruments in my work. This is my current role, right or wrong..it's my job. I have learned a lot about how to frame my experiences from these responses....I do use a number of psychometric measures and tests. I love assessment, its my most favorite part of my work, I will admit that this is part of my reasons for going further...I am good at it, but want to know and do more. I will take the advice given here like I stated in my other reply and say I used those instruments as part of my psychoeducational evals..and leave it at that, is there anything else you guys see?

Thanks
More directive feedback will be hard to give with regards to competitiveness until you have your GRE scores in. If you can, and I suspect this isn't a possibility or one that you've been able to locate from your previous responses, I'd try to get involved in any sort of research you can between now and the fall. If you did a thesis, try to submit it for presentation and, if possible, publication (even submission will help drastically - even if not accepted). Attending conferences, much like GPA, is of little value for professors evaluating competitiveness.
 
I do not represent all school psychologists, but the role steps on toes, my title is my title and my work is my work, if it makes people uncomfortable ...I can't do anything about that besides to encourage them to take it up with NASP or the APA. I don't think its appropriate that school psychs do a lot of things .. I feel that we should have doctoral level training, I am not sure if this is coming across or not. I have always had this view, and it is why I want a full education, not the limited education school psych programs provide across multiple psych disciplines. My understanding of neuropsych assessments is very limited, I still have to interpret the reports that come in and I have to use the NEPSY and other instruments in my work. This is my current role, right or wrong..it's my job. I have learned a lot about how to frame my experiences from these responses....I do use a number of psychometric measures and tests. I love assessment, its my most favorite part of my work, I will admit that this is part of my reasons for going further...I am good at it, but want to know and do more. I will take the advice given here like I stated in my other reply and say I used those instruments as part of my psychoeducational evals..and leave it at that, is there anything else you guys see?

Thanks

What about applying to doctoral programs in school psych as an advanced standing student?
 
Thought I'd drop in here.

Undergrad and MA GPA both were 3.6

GRE: Verbal I believe was 162 last time and Quant 154? Writing I think 4 or 4.5

I've been in 2 research labs: one right after undergrad for a year. I did a lot of field work doing research in public schools in low income areas in NYC and helped the lab advisor with a small conference she put together. Did a lot of administration of the intervention, filming, organizing materials for myself and the rest of the lab, administering surveys/research materials, and data entry.

In undergrad I worked on a research project and presented it at my schools psych conference.

During my MA I was in a lab for the whole 2 years. I worked on research with clinical patients, adults and children and during my last year of the MA got a competitive spot through my lab assisting on site at a hospital in a low income area with research and clinical work.

Work in the lab was attending meetings coding clinical and research videos, administering the questionnaires to the clinical research patients, filming research paradigms, administering interviews, transcribing interviews, attending workshops. I did not do any data entry despite offering to help (I was basically locked out by a small nasty girl clique in my lab who took over doing that unfortunately)
Clinical work included filming clinical sessions,and working with assisting administering the clinical intervention to child patients.

I completed 2 MA theses: 1 clinical qualitative project related to my lab and 1 quantitative project not related to my lab.

I presented the quantitative one at a fairly competitive international conference this spring (SRCD)

I graduated in may 2017 with my MA. I took a gap year to do the GRE and apply to PhDs right after graduation. I applied to 3 programs in NYC/LI, 1 in Virginia, 1 in utah, and 1 in Colorado. I was rejected with no interview from all except 1 unfunded PhD on LI. I got waitlisted then accepted, started there in fall 2018, then dropped out early on becuase it was too much stress to work and do the PhD and too much debt.

I've been applying (not aggressively but probably to about 15-20 positions) to paid RA and research coordinator positions in NYC and havent been so successful. I did have one phone interview though!

I'm on the fence on if I want to apply to clinical phds again or not. I'm 27, working class (my parents are divorced on both on disability, no support from them ever financially/with school/car/etc), I waitress in NYC and have through college, and my spouse is my HS sweetheart from blue collar town doing blue collar work. We want to get married and have children etc, I never imagined this process would take so long. I always thought I'd be halfway through a PhD at this point. it's really frustrating to me it hasn't panned out yet.

So please be honest; WAMC, and should I just give up and accept the pay cut and apply for MSW programs so I can get in somewhere and get working sooner. Start a family as a SW and maybe when I'm older and my kids are grown try again for PHD...

Dunno what's a better life choice for me right now. I really want to be a psychologist but I cant just keep working hard and putting all my effort and energy into something while my life is on standby with no results. Thanks
It sounds like you have some very good credentials and experience. The main problem seems to be that you're not applying to nearly enough programs and you need to make sure they're diverse enough. Typically, the recommended of applications is at least 12-15 and half of your applications are in the NYC area. I know that seems like a lot of work and money, but when you're concerned about time and putting off other goals and milestones in your life, it really is just a drop in the bucket.
 
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PS. I removed all schools in TX from my list. I refuse to move somewhere that legally allows doctors to refuse to treat LGBTQ folks based on religious objections. It sickens me. Also won’t consider Alabama, Mississippi, or Arkansas. It’s hard enough to include Florida!
Doesn't this just perpetuate those problems, because more progressive-minded people avoid or leave those places, thereby reducing the voter base who would push for change?
I mean, civil rights activists didn't tell Black Americans to leave the South because of Jim Crow, they actively went there to push for change.
 
My point was that you're writing off entire states when there are some really great schools there (e.g., UAB). You could be getting a great education while simultaneously be working towards a change in a topic that's important to you.
 
Was hoping to get some additional advice from others, so I decided to join SDN! I'm planning to apply to clinical PhD programs this upcoming cycle after 3 years out of undergrad:

  • Undergrad GPA: 3.43
  • GRE: 160V/159Q/5AWA
  • Research Experience: 2 years at a lab as an undergrad working with maltreated youth (and what ultimately persuaded me to pursue a graduate degree), 2.5 years on a national-level, multi-site study exploring adolescent brain development (particularly how substance use affects brain changes), and 1 year in a neurogenetics and development lab also working with a high-risk adolescent population.
My biggest downside is not having a publication under my belt aside from 2 poster presentations. I understand that pubs are starting to become increasingly common in applicants so I am extremely worried this will keep me from being more competitive. It certainly would have made up a bit for my middling GPA. I tried my best to get that up to a 3.5 before my senior year so that I could do an honor's thesis but that first year as a biomedical engineer hit me hard. I've talked to several professors about my options regarding grad school and they have all told me that there is no reason to go the Master's route first, go straight for the doctoral programs. While that gives me some confidence I'm not quite sure what I'll be able to get into.

My top choices right now (in no particular order) are Penn State, University of Oregon, University of Denver, and Rutgers University. This list will most definitely expand with more schools that I feel I will have a better chance of getting into.
 
Dunno what's a better life choice for me right now. I really want to be a psychologist but I cant just keep working hard and putting all my effort and energy into something while my life is on standby with no results. Thanks

I would definitely sit down and sketch out some timelines and goals for the fully funded plan. A lot of the time we're looking at 1-2 years in the application cycles, 5 years in grad school, 1 year internship, 1-2 years of postdoc. These are all typically pretty busy years, especially those grad school years. It's a pretty big time and money sink. Are the time and money losses absorbable?
 
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Was hoping to get some additional advice from others, so I decided to join SDN! I'm planning to apply to clinical PhD programs this upcoming cycle after 3 years out of undergrad:

  • Undergrad GPA: 3.43
  • GRE: 160V/159Q/5AWA
  • Research Experience: 2 years at a lab as an undergrad working with maltreated youth (and what ultimately persuaded me to pursue a graduate degree), 2.5 years on a national-level, multi-site study exploring adolescent brain development (particularly how substance use affects brain changes), and 1 year in a neurogenetics and development lab also working with a high-risk adolescent population.
My biggest downside is not having a publication under my belt aside from 2 poster presentations. I understand that pubs are starting to become increasingly common in applicants so I am extremely worried this will keep me from being more competitive. It certainly would have made up a bit for my middling GPA. I tried my best to get that up to a 3.5 before my senior year so that I could do an honor's thesis but that first year as a biomedical engineer hit me hard. I've talked to several professors about my options regarding grad school and they have all told me that there is no reason to go the Master's route first, go straight for the doctoral programs. While that gives me some confidence I'm not quite sure what I'll be able to get into.

My top choices right now (in no particular order) are Penn State, University of Oregon, University of Denver, and Rutgers University. This list will most definitely expand with more schools that I feel I will have a better chance of getting into.

That GPA hurts, the GRE helps that somewhat. The research experience helps, but people may like to see more production turnover from those years in posters/pubs. Is there a reason you are picking those schools? FIt is probably going to be the best thing for you in applying, how much of a compelling story you can make as to why those programs are a good fit for both parties.
 
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It sounds like you have some very good credentials and experience. The main problem seems to be that you're not applying to nearly enough programs and you need to make sure they're diverse enough. Typically, the recommended of applications is at least 12-15 and half of your applications are in the NYC area. I know that seems like a lot of work and money, but when you're concerned about time and putting off other goals and milestones in your life, it really is just a drop in the bucket.

Thank you.

I really should have applied to more programs for the fall 2018 start but I was concerned not only with application fees but travel fees. I overestimated my ability to get interviews clearly and didnt want to apply to more programs than I could afford.

I also am from the NYC area and dont have a car which limits things...I wanted to stay in the area if I could and never considered leaving for college and never did, until PhD applications and at the time the idea wasnt very keen to me.

Now I'm considering being more broad if I apply again
 
I would definitely sit down and sketch out some timelines and goals for the fully funded plan. A lot of the time we're looking at 1-2 years in the application cycles, 5 years in grad school, 1 year internship, 1-2 years of postdoc. These are all typically pretty busy years, especially those grad school years. It's a pretty big time and money sink. Are the time and money losses absorbable?

I honestly dont know, that's what I'm weighing right now. Becuase let's say I do get in somewhere after applying thos cycle, I'd be starting in 2020 at 28. So that's looking at mid 30s by the time I get licensed (if all goes according to plan, and since nothing has so far I'm not really expecting much) So I'll have virtually no money saved for a house or a wedding let alone kids by then. My partner is not in an income bracket to be able to put that much aside to cover everything really.

That's why lately I've been thinking of just doing a social work degree instead..so I can contribute and start a family sooner. It just sucks cause I did and do really want this.

I'm thinking maybe I'll apply to both kinds of programs next cycle and that way if I don't get into phds I will be able to just do that instead and say I do get in somewhere I can make that choice then
 
I honestly dont know, that's what I'm weighing right now. Becuase let's say I do get in somewhere after applying thos cycle, I'd be starting in 2020 at 28. So that's looking at mid 30s by the time I get licensed (if all goes according to plan, and since nothing has so far I'm not really expecting much) So I'll have virtually no money saved for a house or a wedding let alone kids by then. My partner is not in an income bracket to be able to put that much aside to cover everything really.

That's why lately I've been thinking of just doing a social work degree instead..so I can contribute and start a family sooner. It just sucks cause I did and do really want this.

I'm thinking maybe I'll apply to both kinds of programs next cycle and that way if I don't get into phds I will be able to just do that instead and say I do get in somewhere I can make that choice then

Definitely something to consider regarding long-term plans. From what you say, you're looking at your 40's sometime when you'd be ready to have saved a down payment on a home. And that's if you have no loans and presumably no kids. Childcare costs will eat up a college tuition type payment every year. My biggest advice at this juncture would be, if you are applying to doctoral programs, only consider fully funded, having a significant number of loans will just push out your family goals that much longer.
 
@ExploringOptions:
You do realize that Wyoming is probably more conservative than Texas, right? Like, extremely conservative.

I’d might raise an eyebrow at your lack of research productivity for a second year masters student. One or two posters, no oral presentations, and no publications after a year and a half of grad school when you’re applying to non-clinical programs would worry me. It could definitely help if you could get that paper published.
 
I’ve only done one year of grad school. I start my second year this fall. I’ll have another full project (my thesis) I am applying for my conferences next year. The main one falls in March, with a application deadline of 10/1, which is why i didn’t apply this year, but I have all my data to apply for next year. I had one local conference poster presentation and a talk as well. I am also applying to a brown bag symposium.

Yes, I know about Wyoming. It’s not high on my list at all, but the program is one I would really like it, so I haven’t removed it. Everyone tells me it’s really awful to live there too, so it’s not super high, but part of ones I am considering. Basically, if I got in nowhere else and got in there I would go rather than not be able to go at all and if that makes sense.
Woah, now we're going off the rails, let's get back to the stated questions.
 
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Was hoping to get some additional advice from others, so I decided to join SDN! I'm planning to apply to clinical PhD programs this upcoming cycle after 3 years out of undergrad:

  • Undergrad GPA: 3.43
  • GRE: 160V/159Q/5AWA
  • Research Experience: 2 years at a lab as an undergrad working with maltreated youth (and what ultimately persuaded me to pursue a graduate degree), 2.5 years on a national-level, multi-site study exploring adolescent brain development (particularly how substance use affects brain changes), and 1 year in a neurogenetics and development lab also working with a high-risk adolescent population.
My biggest downside is not having a publication under my belt aside from 2 poster presentations. I understand that pubs are starting to become increasingly common in applicants so I am extremely worried this will keep me from being more competitive. It certainly would have made up a bit for my middling GPA. I tried my best to get that up to a 3.5 before my senior year so that I could do an honor's thesis but that first year as a biomedical engineer hit me hard. I've talked to several professors about my options regarding grad school and they have all told me that there is no reason to go the Master's route first, go straight for the doctoral programs. While that gives me some confidence I'm not quite sure what I'll be able to get into.

My top choices right now (in no particular order) are Penn State, University of Oregon, University of Denver, and Rutgers University. This list will most definitely expand with more schools that I feel I will have a better chance of getting into.
A couple of tidbits that come to mind:
We actually have several students in our program who applied without publications and got in; posters are a measure of productivity and you should talk about them in your statements, especially if you are first author. If you can speak with your current mentors about turning one of those posters into a publication, at least you can show that you are proactive in moving things ahead, and it would minimally be in prep by the time you apply and something you can talk about more eloquently on interviews.
Re the GPA, it's good to have at least one letter writer address why it's on the "lower" end of what these programs typically accept (my program had an informal GPA cutoff of 3.5, but considered lower if a student started off in PreMed, had personal issues in undergrad, etc). Also good to include your Major GPA in your CV if it is better (helps as well to have good grades on your transcript for research-relevant courses, especially Stats).
You are applying to quite competitive programs, especially in the field of child/adolescent psychology; regardless of any perceived weaknesses, it's good to expand the list, especially given the popularity of your interests (which I assume are maltreatment, adolescence, neuroscience given your past experiences and programs you are applying to).
Don't forget to also add clinical experiences to your CV - many child/adolescent-focused programs take this piece seriously; they don't want to put someone in the room with a client without the ability to handle the challenges that come with it.
 
Hi, everyone. I am an international junior student majoring in psychology and sociology at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. I have followed SDN for quite a while, searching for information about clinical psychology doctoral program. I could see that you are all distinguished members. Therefore, now I would like to seek suggestions from you guys. I will appreciate your help!

My resume includes one publication at a small journal (not SCI and conference), one combined research and clinical internship experience in a hospital (summer), one mixed research and clinical internship in an autism childcare center (summer), some volunteer experiences such as Crisis Text Line and volunteer counselor at a youth service and etc., one international psychology student organization (president and founder), as well as a bunch of additional training such as Essentials of CBT at Beck Institute, Substance Use Disorder Certificate, Grief Support Specialist and so on (they are essentially many courses). And this summer, I may have another lab experience and a job with behavioral intervention to children with autism.

However, my GPA is only slightly above 3.0. And I consider my research experience may be limited compared with others.

Do I get a chance to get into a fairly good PsyD program directly, as shown below? Do I have an opportunity to get into a relatively less competitive Ph.D.program such as Gallaudet University? Do I seriously need a Master degree to improve my performance?

I have attached a school list with those PsyD programs I consider decent, and I can have the opportunity to apply (not including Rutgers and Baylor since I think they are too competitive and huge cohorts since I have seen much negative information about them in SDN).


Palo Alto University
Pgsp-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Loyola University Maryland
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
La Salle University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Widener University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Roosevelt University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
University Of Indianapolis
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
University Of Denver
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Loma Linda University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Wright State University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Pace University
Psy.D. In School-Clinical Child Psychology
Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, Pa
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Spalding University
Louisville, Ky
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Yeshiva University
Bronx, NY
Psy.D. In School-Clinical Child Psychology
George Washington

Mod Note: I've merged this into the WAMC sticky thread (which caused a deletion of the attached poll). However, as an alternative, you could edit your post to list out the options originally included in your poll.
 
Hi, everyone. I am an international junior student majoring in psychology and sociology at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. I have followed SDN for quite a while, searching for information about clinical psychology doctoral program. I could see that you are all distinguished members. Therefore, now I would like to seek suggestions from you guys. I will appreciate your help!

My resume includes one publication at a small journal (not SCI and conference), one combined research and clinical internship experience in a hospital (summer), one mixed research and clinical internship in an autism childcare center (summer), some volunteer experiences such as Crisis Text Line and volunteer counselor at a youth service and etc., one international psychology student organization (president and founder), as well as a bunch of additional training such as Essentials of CBT at Beck Institute, Substance Use Disorder Certificate, Grief Support Specialist and so on (they are essentially many courses). And this summer, I may have another lab experience and a job with behavioral intervention to children with autism.

However, my GPA is only slightly above 3.0. And I consider my research experience may be limited compared with others.

Do I get a chance to get into a fairly good PsyD program directly, as shown below? Do I have an opportunity to get into a relatively less competitive Ph.D.program such as Gallaudet University? Do I seriously need a Master degree to improve my performance?

I have attached a school list with those PsyD programs I consider decent, and I can have the opportunity to apply (not including Rutgers and Baylor since I think they are too competitive and huge cohorts since I have seen much negative information about them in SDN).


Palo Alto University
Pgsp-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Loyola University Maryland
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
La Salle University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Widener University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Roosevelt University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
University Of Indianapolis
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
University Of Denver
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Loma Linda University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Wright State University
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Pace University
Psy.D. In School-Clinical Child Psychology
Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, Pa
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Spalding University
Louisville, Ky
Psy.D. In Clinical Psychology
Yeshiva University
Bronx, NY
Psy.D. In School-Clinical Child Psychology
George Washington
I don't know that I would consider Gallaudet University to be "less competitive" or that I would recommend applying there even if it were. It's pretty unique program as the university focuses on hearing impaired populations. I wouldn't go there unless researching and working with hearing impaired populations is something of specific interest to you.

As far as I know, the vast majority of the programs you cite are unfunded or just provide a pittance so they can claim that they are "funding" their students in advertising materials.

I get that you don't want to complete a terminal master's program if you don't have to, but your GPA is fairly low for doctoral programs. More importantly, unless you are independently wealthy, attending one of these unfunded programs is not a good idea. You're talking about a tradeoff between completing a terminal master's program vs. going into hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt from just tuition at one of these programs.
 
Hi all,

I'm new but I've been enjoying this forum and wanted to give this a shot. How might my credentials fare for the coming application cycle?
  • GPA: 3.65, neuroscience major/psych minor (i'm not sure what my within-major GPA is, but probably closer to 3.5)
  • 1 manuscript in submission limbo (3rd of 3 authors), 1 poster presentation delivered recently
  • 1 year honors thesis investigating startle response in MBSR participants
  • 1 year in a decision-making EEG lab in Tel Aviv doing all data acquisition and pre-processing, helping design experiments, and assisting with literature review
  • 1 year in a lab at Yale as an RA on multiple projects - recruiting subjects, conducting interview, cognitive, and physiological assessments around stress and addiction. Also helped design and implement a study of MBSR for patients with autoimmune hepatitis.
  • 1 year spent at a buddhist monastery of sorts
  • currently 2 months into an RA position at the VA helping with a study of a mind-body intervention for veterans
  • A couple years working per diem as a mental health assistant
  • A (very infrequent) per diem position helping a PI set up and test an EEG system for studies of meditators
  • yet to take the GRE, but my practice tests yield high verbal and considerable room for improvement in quant (working on it)
I'm mostly interested in working in clinical labs that conduct psychophysiology/neuroscience research somewhere in the realm of affect, anxiety, stress, trauma, and mind-body interventions.

Some programs with labs that seem to fit the bill:
  • Columbia
  • Kent
  • The New School
  • Michigan State
  • SUNY Buffalo
  • Vanderbilt
  • Virginia Consortium
  • U Tulsa
  • SUNY Stony Brook

Thanks in advance!!
 
Definitely something to consider regarding long-term plans. From what you say, you're looking at your 40's sometime when you'd be ready to have saved a down payment on a home. And that's if you have no loans and presumably no kids. Childcare costs will eat up a college tuition type payment every year. My biggest advice at this juncture would be, if you are applying to doctoral programs, only consider fully funded, having a significant number of loans will just push out your family goals that much longer.

Yeah so a home before that will probably have to be a down payment entirely by my partner...

It sucks cause I do really want it but idk if my heart can take any more rejection and delays.

And yeah I actually just dropped out of an unfunded program (adelphi). I went for a few weeks and it wasn't for me, plus the insane costs.

I'm looking a bit into social work programs too in my area and I really love and wanna go to Fordham but it's also really expensive (35k). Affordable alternative would be hunter..but I went there once (for an MA in psych) and literally just walking on the campus and going to financial aid I decided to not sign up and ended up going to another MA program I was accepted to. It was just too much a city high school atmosphere. I don't think they have a separate building for grad school, I have to do more research.

It sucks I think Fordham MSW would be a good fit but I already have I think 60 or 70 k in loans. I'm sure I could get some financial aid but still adding another 30k or so to that for SW? Idk. Although I'm sure Fordham could garner better connections and placements to higher paying positions? And they have concentrations in trauma which is my area of interest. Fordham would be a great fit but that cost on top of what I have already makes me a little nervous...upwards of 6 figures of loan debt for a social worker freaks me out but here they do pull like 75 k so it's not as income poor of a career choice as other areas...if you take enough clients or go clinical?

Idk at this point! I just want to do what's best for my career goals but it unfortunately seems really at odds with what's best for me financially :(

And either way I want to do practice and clinical work, academia is toxic as **** for me. I would love to run a lab and teach and do practice but the environment of grad school is so disgusting I really dont want to be apart of the elitist system.
 
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Hello,

I am writing to ask for advice around how to enhance my likelihood for admission into a PsyD program. I know that there are several things I need to do to become a solid candidate, but I am not exactly sure what those things are.

Stats:

I graduated in 2015 with a MSW from a school in NYC with a 3.6 gpa.

My GRE scores are: V-164 Q-147 A-5

My undergraduate degree is in a social science, but not psychology. I graduated with a 3.75 gpa from a state school.

Deficits:

Quantitative GRE Score

I have clinical experience but no research experience beyond the research methods courses I completed in grad school.

My only psych coursework was a general psychology course taken in undergrad.

Plan:

I know that I need to increase my quantitative scores and gain research experience. I also intend to take 15 credits in psychology.

I am taking a GRE prep course to help improve my quant score. I believe that I can improve all three as I took the test the first time with no prep to get a baseline.

I work in a clinical role at a university and can take 6 credits per term for free. The courses I am considering, based on the admissions requirements at several schools, are: Developmental Psych, Psychopathology, Learning/Cognitive, Statistics, and perhaps Social or Experimental Psychology.

I would love to find a part-time research position. I am definitely willing to do research work unpaid as I need the experience. I am also willing to leave my current position to get full-time paid research experience.


Questions:

First, does my plan seem appropriate or are there other things I should be considering?

Is there a best practice around calling people to inquire about research opportunities? I honestly have no idea where to begin with this part—for example, would I simply cold-call various places? As I mentioned, I work at a university. We recently moved here (>6 months) and I don’t have substantive professional relationships yet. Since I will be taking psych classes at the university where I am currently working, I am wondering if it would be appropriate to reach out to professors in the department to inquire about research opportunities? If not, what would be a better approach? Does it matter that I am not interested in pursuing doctoral studies here?

Any guidance anyone is willing to provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time and labor in responding to my post.


Notes:

From my research on the forum I have noticed that when people inquire about PsyD programs there are generally concerns raised about the large debt sometimes incurred from students attending unfunded PsyD programs. While my hope is to become competitive enough to gain at least partial funding, if this did not happen I would not have to take out any loans to pay for a PsyD. We are able to pay out of pocket without taking on any debt.

Since I mentioned that we recently relocated, I think it might be important to share that we are geographically flexible and not bound to this area. When it is time to apply, I will be doing a nationwide search. My husband’s field is incredibly flexible and we can be based anywhere with consistent internet access.

Mod Note: I've merged this into the WAMC thread.

I'll let others respond in more depth, but broadly, I think your current plan is a good one. Getting the necessary psych coursework, improving the Quant score, and getting at least a year's worth of research experience should go a long way toward increasing the competitiveness of your application. I don't know if the 3.6 graduate GPA will necessarily hurt you, but the 3.75 undergrad GPA is fine.

And yes, I would say it's entirely appropriate to contact professors of your current program to see if any are taking RAs. Same goes for cold-calling professors/labs at nearby programs. You would probably just want to talk with any potential professors at your university about the fact that you also work there in a clinical role, just in case of the potential for any dual relationships.
 
Note that your clinical role at the university will only minimally improve your application. Certainly the opportunity to take classes is great though.

Getting quality research experience and clarifying your research interests should be a priority. It's definitely doable for you to find a paid entry-level RA position. However you'll need to be clear with PI's about your goals -- landing your name on publications and presentations is often a long-term reward but is not always given.

Volunteering part-time with a professor and reading about areas that you're interested in researching is certainly a good start.

With regard to the PsyD -- the quality of training is not worth the time or financial investment. How will a doctorate help you achieve your goals? You'll need to be able to answer that clearly in a personal statement, particularly because you already have an msw.
 
Hi all! I'd love to get some feedback on my chances!

About me:
  • Undergraduate GPA: 3.68
  • Major: Psychology, Minor: Human Development
    • Major GPA (I don't remember exactly, but I think this is it): 3.8
  • GRE: 155V/148Q/5W
    • (Note: I know my quant score is low, I took it in undergrad and recall giving up half-way through, but I intend to retake it and have been getting ~154 on the practice tests. Goal is to aim for 155-160 if possible)
  • Undergraduate research experience:
    • Approx. 1 to 1.5 years total
    • Labs included:
      • Suicidal Behaviors & Psychopathology
      • PTSD Assessment
      • [University name] Couples Study
      • a Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Psychological Education project
    • Volunteer experience:
      • Victim Advocate for the Rape Counselors of [Region]: 1 semester/approximately 5 months
      • Intern for the local VA's Clinical Psych Doctoral program director (helped prepare the data for their upcoming accreditation evaluation)
  • Professional research experience
    • 3+ years as a research coordinator for the US Department of Veterans Affairs
      • ~2.5 years working in a suicide (prevention), depression, PTSD, and trauma/TBI research lab
      • ~1 year working in a health services research lab (main projects include a quality improvement project aimed at increase opioid safety measures and a health psychologist driven tobacco cessation project)
  • Publications
    • 1 second-authored peer-reviewed article on PTSD in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders
    • 1 first-authored article submitted to New England Journal of Medicine
    • 1 second-authored book chapter on TBI
    • Possibly 4 more publications to submit before/by the fall (will likely be second-author on 2, and first on 2)
  • Presentations
    • 1 presented workshop
    • 2 paper presentations at AAS
    • 6 poster presentations (3 as an undergrad)
    • 1 invited talk/presentation
Schools I am thinking of applying to (Clinical Psychology, PhD):
  • University of Denver
  • University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
  • Auburn University
  • Harvard University
  • Boston University
  • University of Washington
So, what do you think?

My PhD-level friends, colleagues, and mentors think I'm a great candidate but I can't help but acknowledge there is some bias in how they feel about me given our personal relationships and worry there is something more I can be doing to make myself a competitive candidate (like get that GRE score up!) before applications are due.

Any insight or advice you may have will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you! :)
 
Your research experience sounds very good and your GPA is competitive for sure. Definitely focus on the GRE as I'm certain you would be on some initial cut-lists with your quant score -- despite your strong research experience. Also suggest you expand your list of schools to 15 or so. You have filled up your CV but once you make it to interviews, fit and personality matter just as much. Best to up your odds and apply to as many good fits as you can. Also seek guidance from as many mentors as you can on your personal statement. Trauma/PTSD/TBI are all hot areas and lots of applicants apply with those interests. Think hard about how you can distinguish yourself, what's missing in that area, and what you can to add to it.
 
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My PhD-level friends, colleagues, and mentors think I'm a great candidate but I can't help but acknowledge there is some bias in how they feel about me given our personal relationships and worry there is something more I can be doing to make myself a competitive candidate (like get that GRE score up!) before applications are due.

Any insight or advice you may have will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you! :)

Re-take the GRE. Talk with your mentors/investigators about your training goals and listen to their advice. You do need more programs on your list. I have no idea what your career goals or research interests are so I really can't comment on program fit, but you are aiming high. That's not to say you shouldn't apply to those programs (again, assuming a good fit with your interests), but there are a lot of high quality, funded programs that are not quite so competitive. Consider programs with strong VA affiliations if you're interested in possibly continuing the type of research you've been involved in up to now. Especially within the VA, those ties can be very useful.
 
I'm currently an undergrad student attending a private university in NYC. I'm graduating in June of 2020 and have been planning on applying to psyd programs this fall. My top choice is the Ferkauf program at Yeshiva.

Here are my stats:
- Psych GPA: 4.0
- Overall GPA: 3.8
- Attended neuropsychiatric educational program at Brigham & Women's Hospital/Harvard University
- Shadowed a psychiatrist and her team (consisting of clinical psychologists) at Lenox Hill Hospital
- Clinical volunteer at the General Medicine Unit at Weil Cornell NY Presbyterian Hospital.

I plan on taking the GREs (both the general and the subject test) in late August.

At some point during my undergraduate career, I thought I wanted to go to medical school so I have all the premed prerequisites under my belt. (I have always been torn between going the psychiatrist route and the psychologist route). But long story short, due to my living situation, I am being pressured to attend graduate school immediately upon graduating undergrad. I'm a single parent living with my extended family, so I'm kind of a tough spot. In essence, I plan on going the psychologist route so I have a place to stay with my daughter while I complete school.

However: because I took all of these science courses I wound up becoming a tutor for organic chemistry this past year and will continue to tutor for it until I graduate. I tried getting positions as a psych tutor and they were all full.

I'm worried that my application will come off unfocused due to the general volunteering and the tutoring of chemistry. Also, I have no research experience. I am applying for a position for psych research at my school which I will most likely get (I've known the professor for years) but I guess I am still worried that the chances of me getting into this school are unlikely.

Assuming I kill the GRE's, do I have a chance at this school? Will saying that I am organic chem teacher make me seem unfocused?

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated!
 
Hello! What are my chances??
I am preparing to apply for PhD programs in Counseling Psychology this fall to begin school in 2020.

Current stats:
*Current* Masters Student Marriage and Family Counseling - GPA 3.78
Undergraduate GPA: 3.35
GRE: V 163/ Q 156/ W 5

Presentations:
(international) 1 poster, 2 assisted professors in stand up PowerPoint
(state) poster presentation
(accepted but not yet presented) 2 posters, 1 PowerPoint lecture w/ professor

Research: Principle Investigator,
April 2019-November 2019

Publications: 1 manuscript in progress

Teaching experience: September 2019- November 2019 assistant teacher Counseling Theories

Clinical experience: 250hrs internship direct counseling & group therapy

letters of recommendation: 2 great ones from professors, one good one from professor I’m doing research under

Other; D1 college athlete

my worries: not enough research, not enough publications, low undergrad gpa (sports -_-). What do you guys think? I’m not looking for an ego pump, I just don’t want to feel anxious and at least know what to expect. I have about 30 schools rn and I have to budget to apply to about 15-18
 
Hello! What are my chances??
I am preparing to apply for PhD programs in Counseling Psychology this fall to begin school in 2020.

Current stats:
*Current* Masters Student Marriage and Family Counseling - GPA 3.78
Undergraduate GPA: 3.35
GRE: V 163/ Q 156/ W 5

Presentations:
(international) 1 poster, 2 assisted professors in stand up PowerPoint
(state) poster presentation
(accepted but not yet presented) 2 posters, 1 PowerPoint lecture w/ professor

Research: Principle Investigator,
April 2019-November 2019

Publications: 1 manuscript in progress

Teaching experience: September 2019- November 2019 assistant teacher Counseling Theories

Clinical experience: 250hrs internship direct counseling & group therapy

letters of recommendation: 2 great ones from professors, one good one from professor I’m doing research under

Other; D1 college athlete

my worries: not enough research, not enough publications, low undergrad gpa (sports -_-). What do you guys think? I’m not looking for an ego pump, I just don’t want to feel anxious and at least know what to expect. I have about 30 schools rn and I have to budget to apply to about 15-18
Everything looks pretty good, actually, but the question is, why are you applying for doctoral programs now when you're not even done with your LMFT program?
 
I'm currently an undergrad student attending a private university in NYC. I'm graduating in June of 2020 and have been planning on applying to psyd programs this fall. My top choice is the Ferkauf program at Yeshiva.

Here are my stats:
- Psych GPA: 4.0
- Overall GPA: 3.8
- Attended neuropsychiatric educational program at Brigham & Women's Hospital/Harvard University
- Shadowed a psychiatrist and her team (consisting of clinical psychologists) at Lenox Hill Hospital
- Clinical volunteer at the General Medicine Unit at Weil Cornell NY Presbyterian Hospital.

I plan on taking the GREs (both the general and the subject test) in late August.

At some point during my undergraduate career, I thought I wanted to go to medical school so I have all the premed prerequisites under my belt. (I have always been torn between going the psychiatrist route and the psychologist route). But long story short, due to my living situation, I am being pressured to attend graduate school immediately upon graduating undergrad. I'm a single parent living with my extended family, so I'm kind of a tough spot. In essence, I plan on going the psychologist route so I have a place to stay with my daughter while I complete school.

However: because I took all of these science courses I wound up becoming a tutor for organic chemistry this past year and will continue to tutor for it until I graduate. I tried getting positions as a psych tutor and they were all full.

I'm worried that my application will come off unfocused due to the general volunteering and the tutoring of chemistry. Also, I have no research experience. I am applying for a position for psych research at my school which I will most likely get (I've known the professor for years) but I guess I am still worried that the chances of me getting into this school are unlikely.

Assuming I kill the GRE's, do I have a chance at this school? Will saying that I am organic chem teacher make me seem unfocused?

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated!

Mod Note: Merged into the WAMC thread

To briefly respond, your GPA is solid, as are the other experiences. However, the lack of research experience is likely to be an application killer at most programs. I would say it's still worth applying, especially if you're able to do well on the GREs and get in some amount of research experience, but it might be an uphill battle. However, folks more familiar with Ferkauf could probably provide more info.
 
Everything looks pretty good, actually, but the question is, why are you applying for doctoral programs now when you're not even done with your LMFT program?

I was originally going to wait till graduation, but multiple professors encouraged me to try now and not to be self-defeating about my own capabilities!
 
Hi all! I'm a rising college senior at a competitive liberal arts college hoping to apply to clinical psych Ph.D. programs this fall to start in fall 2020, but I'm considering taking time off to get an RA position as I'm aware it might help my chances of getting into a good program. Any thoughts/advice appreciated!

Current stats:
  • Major: Psychology, Minor: Politics
  • Undergraduate GPA: 3.62
  • Junior year GPA: 3.92 (hoping to bump my GPA in the coming school year -- I've heard of putting junior/senior GPA separate on apps/CV)
  • Psych GPA: 3.67
  • GRE: will be taking soon
Presentations:
  • 1 poster presented at a national conference
  • listed as an author on 1 poster presented at another national conference
  • presented research at 2 school poster sessions
  • Will be submitting posters to national conferences for the upcoming year (expecting to give ~2 more professional presentations by end of senior year)
Publications:
  • 1 submitted
  • 2+ in preparation, I think it's likely that I'll be a co-author on more than one published paper by the end of my final year of college.
Research: 2 years total, 2 summers of full-time research
  • Topics of interest and research experience: psychopathology, personality disorders, suicidality, self-harm
  • Current position: senior research assistant and lab coordinator
  • 2 years of research in the same lab at school
  • 1 semester of research abroad in Denmark (worked in a hospital, part of an international research team of medical doctors, psychiatrists, and neuroscience Ph.D.students)
  • 1 summer (3 months, full time) of research at Yale working on a clinical trial of a medication
  • - I have been able to get a lot of experience working with different people and different lab settings/dynamics. I have experience with all stages of the research process, from initial design to publication. I have experience giving clinical assessments to research participants and have done a lot of work with SPSS and am learning R. Most of my research (all but the semester in Denmark) has been on the same research topic, so my work is focused and my goals are to remain in this research area.
Other:
  • I have been awarded research funding two summers in a row from my college and received a grant to attend the conference I mentioned above.
  • I have experience as a volunteer for Crisis Text Line
  • I have years of tutoring experience and will be a TA in the fall for a psych disorders class
Grad programs I'm considering:
  • Harvard
  • Penn State
  • UMass Amherst
  • University of Washington
I'm considering other schools that have relevant labs, but these would be my top choices. Any thoughts on my chances if I were to try to go straight in from undergrad?
 
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