WAMC: What Are My Chances

[Cogdissonance]

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I could only think of a couple things. You may have already taken these into account but you didn't mention them in your post.

1. Research interests and fit. Do you have specific research interests and did you apply to POI's with a great fit? This is the most important but it sounds like you've done your homework and know a lot about the app process so this probably isn't the case. If you got encouraging responses from POI's than this probably doesn't apply.

2. How many schools did you apply to? Sometimes it's all about the numbers. There are a ton of applicants, especially to competitive schools. I was told to apply to 10-20 schools.

3. How do your stats compare to other applicants at these schools? Do you have a mix of schools? Mostly schools that match your stats with a few reaches and maybe a couple schools where you have better stats.

4. You said you're currently in a number of projects. How long have you been doing research? Some schools want to see a few years of solid research experience.

You sound like a really solid applicant so that's really all that I could think of. If you've already thought of all these things then I have no idea.

Are you sure that you met the minimum psych class requirements for the grad programs? I only ask this because at one school I was looking at applying to they required a psychology course that I didn't take so I didn't even bother applying. If this isn't the case then it could just boil down to the numbers. I'm sure you're aware there are a ton of competitive applicants and not that many spots. I think not being a psych major would hurt you more than your score on the AW part of the GRE, but with that being said, it seems like everything else would of made up for it. I suggest you stay positive. I know that's easier said than done, but it's still early in the process and a lot of people have not heard anything. If at the end, you are not offered admission then think about your next step. It's not the end of the world.

Everything about you seems perfectly okay from here.

Do your research interests overlap with the faculty?
In other words, are you a POI for your POI?

Thanks so much for your input guys. I know it's early, I'm just obsessing. I've been at my RA position for 2.5 years. I applied to 14 places so I know that 3 is a small sample of that and there is a long way to go.

To be honest, I hadn't thought about there being specific pre-requisites like there are in pre-med... I took a psych stats course and abnormal psych, social psych, experimental psych and a bunch of related child-development courses...are there one's I'm missing? Is there a chance a school would let you take any missing pre-recs over the summer before you matriculate?

 

[LHDMMD]

To be honest, I hadn't thought about there being specific pre-requisites like there are in pre-med... I took a psych stats course and abnormal psych, social psych, experimental psych and a bunch of related child-development courses...are there one's I'm missing? Is there a chance a school would let you take any missing pre-recs over the summer before you matriculate?

I don't know about taking a class over the summer. I get the feeling the schools will expect you to already meet the basic class requirements.
Each school is different in the required courses. For the most part, it looks like every school wants the basic classes as you listed above, but some require Biopsych or history of psychology or something. When I was looking at which schools to apply to I was kind of shocked to see this particular class as a requirement. I don't remember what the class was, but I remember thinking that my undergrad didn't even offer it. I was a psych major too, mind you. If you feel like this might be the case it couldn't hurt to compare the required courses of the schools you have yet to hear back from to your transcript. The "Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology" is where I found out about the class requirements but I'm sure you could just as easily look on the school's site.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I don't know about taking a class over the summer. I get the feeling the schools will expect you to already meet the basic class requirements.
Each school is different in the required courses. For the most part, it looks like every school wants the basic classes as you listed above, but some require Biopsych or history of psychology or something. When I was looking at which schools to apply to I was kind of shocked to see this particular class as a requirement. I don't remember what the class was, but I remember thinking that my undergrad didn't even offer it. I was a psych major too, mind you. If you feel like this might be the case it couldn't hurt to compare the required courses of the schools you have yet to hear back from to your transcript. The "Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology" is where I found out about the class requirements but I'm sure you could just as easily look on the school's site.

I agree--I don't see much that stands out other than perhaps not having taken a physio/comp psych class (unless you simply didn't list it). It's been a few years, so I don't remember if anywhere I applied required it, but I think one or two might have.

Beyond that, as you've said, 3 is a rather small sample size. Remember that even if you're the world's greatest applicant, you're likely not going to receive interview offers everywhere you've applied. Some of the specific labs might already have a particular local applicant in mind (happened quite often with my mentor), might have decided not to take anyone, or may have been making a judgment call between you and another applicant and you "lost the coin flip," so to speak.

With your stats, as others have mentioned, I'd honestly be very surprised if you didn't have at least a handful of interview offers when all is said and done.

 

[clinicpsych22]

I applied to 23 PhD clinical psychology programs (made sure I was a good fit with at least 1 research faculty from each institution).
GPA- 3.346 when applied (currently 3.446)
GREs- sucky

double major: Neuroscience and Psychology

Hold membership in a NIH-funded scholarship program for minority undergrads aiming to pursue a research career.

Research- 3 years, most senior undergrad on project
Clinical- employed (3 months now) working with autistic/children with down syndrome
Also, volunteered as a tutor for inpatient adolescence and sat in on supervised group therapy sessions for outpatient adults
Teaching- was an undergraduate teaching assistant (TA) for a behavioral neuroscience course, actually got to teach a lesson on emotion and motivation

Letters- from Dean of Reseach and Graduate Studies (my research mentor), the professor I TA'ed for, and a faculty member involved in the NIH program I am in.

Presented at Society for Neuroscience conference and many other conferences (student & professional)
Manuscript underway for Neurobiology: Learning and Memory journal

Student-Athlete!

Okay, so what do you think my chances are?
*Please be very honest

 

[clinicpsych22]

I applied to 23 PhD clinical psychology programs (made sure I was a good fit with at least 1 research faculty from each institution).
GPA- 3.346 when applied (currently 3.446)
GREs- sucky

double major: Neuroscience and Psychology

Hold membership in a NIH-funded scholarship program for minority undergrads aiming to pursue a research career.

Research- 3 years, most senior undergrad on project
Clinical- employed (3 months now) working with autistic/children with down syndrome
Also, volunteered as a tutor for inpatient adolescence and sat in on supervised group therapy sessions for outpatient adults
Teaching- was an undergraduate teaching assistant (TA) for a behavioral neuroscience course, actually got to teach a lesson on emotion and motivation

Letters- from Dean of Reseach and Graduate Studies (my research mentor), the professor I TA'ed for, and a faculty member involved in the NIH program I am in.

Presented at Society for Neuroscience conference and many other conferences (student & professional)
Manuscript underway for Neurobiology: Learning and Memory journal

Student-Athlete!

Okay, so what do you think my chances are?
*Please be very honest

 

[Naritus]

All apps are in, time to play the waiting game...applied to cognitive neuro/psych programs.

Schools:
Princeton
Vanderbilt
Wash U in St Louis
U Rochester
CU-Boulder
Rice
NYU

Stats:
GPA: 3.9 (Honors Program, large public university)
GRE: V - 165/690 (96%), Q - 158/740 (79%) Quant A - 4.5 (72%)
1+ year research in cognitive lab at a cancer hospital
1+ year research in cognitive neuro lab
3 independent study research projects, honors thesis
10+ years computer programming experience
10+ years business management experience (I'm graduating undergrad at 30... got a late start)
No pubs yet, submitting two papers (both first author) and poster this Spring.

 

[phillips101]

I applied to 23 PhD clinical psychology programs (made sure I was a good fit with at least 1 research faculty from each institution).
GPA- 3.346 when applied (currently 3.446)
GREs- sucky

double major: Neuroscience and Psychology

Hold membership in a NIH-funded scholarship program for minority undergrads aiming to pursue a research career.

Research- 3 years, most senior undergrad on project
Clinical- employed (3 months now) working with autistic/children with down syndrome
Also, volunteered as a tutor for inpatient adolescence and sat in on supervised group therapy sessions for outpatient adults
Teaching- was an undergraduate teaching assistant (TA) for a behavioral neuroscience course, actually got to teach a lesson on emotion and motivation

Letters- from Dean of Reseach and Graduate Studies (my research mentor), the professor I TA'ed for, and a faculty member involved in the NIH program I am in.

Presented at Society for Neuroscience conference and many other conferences (student & professional)
Manuscript underway for Neurobiology: Learning and Memory journal

Student-Athlete!

Okay, so what do you think my chances are?
*Please be very honest

I'm going to venture and say that you it's going to be very hard to actually predict your chances without knowing what your "sucky" GRE score is, considering GRE and GPA kind of goes hand in hand.

 

[syzergy]

I'm going to venture and say that you it's going to be very hard to actually predict your chances without knowing what your "sucky" GRE score is, considering GRE and GPA kind of goes hand in hand.

One school's sucky is another school's awesome.

 

[clinicpsych22]

Well my quantitative and writing scores are just below 50% while my verbal is just above.

 

[clinicpsych22]

So I said sucky but I meant horrific.

 

[Marissa4usa]

So I said sucky but I meant horrific.

I think it may actually be better to just state your scores so that people don't have to look up what it above and below 50th percentile is.
Is your combined score above/below 1200? 1100?

 

[clinicpsych22]

V 152 (56%) Q 145 (32%) A 4.0 (48%)
New GRE

 

[Marissa4usa]

V 152 (56%) Q 145 (32%) A 4.0 (48%)
New GRE

Hm...just based of what I know your application is unlikely to even be looked at. Your background is great, it's just not super-awesome (but even if it was it would likely go unnoticed).

I have been in the same boat ( I took the GRE 5 times!!!), but you likely wasted your money this application round. I don't think it's absolutely impossible but pretty much next to unheard of to get into a PhD program with these scores. So, your best bet would be to re-take this stupid test and apply next year. With higher scores and a publication you should be good to go.

 

[clinicpsych22]

Wow.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Wow.

Unfortunately, Marissa is likely correct with respect to most programs. My frame of reference with the new GRE scores is basically nonexistent (I'm guessing 150 is the average, based on those percentile ranks?), but I'd hazard a guess that your "translated" score on the old scale would be ~1000? This is likely either below or just barely above the cut-off at most instititutions, which generally range from 1000-1100. This, coupled with your relatively low (compared to other applicants) GPA means you probably won't make it past the first round of cuts in many places.

The rest of your experience looks great, and while the student-athlete credential may or may not particularly help a clinical psych application, it definitely can't hurt.

I'd very much recommend studying up for a few months and then re-taking the GRE to see if you can get it up to the equivalent of a 1200 (or, better yet, 1300). If that happens, you'll have a significantly better chance of securing interviews.

 

[beantownpsych]

V 152 (56%) Q 145 (32%) A 4.0 (48%)
New GRE

You've got to retake the GRE. Even with a lot of publications, a 4.0 gpa, great LORs, that GRE score would be a deal breaker for the vast majority of PhD programs. Sorry I don't have better news...

 

[Girlie87]

Hi all 🙂

I have perused this thread and have noticed that often people suggest that some of their schools are "safety" schools whereas others on their lists are reaches. While I have been able to guess that some of my schools are very competitive, I feel like in general my chances are based on my GRE-GPA combination, my research fit with a prospective lab, how well I do on an interview, and a huge cocktail of unpredictable factors.

With that said, I would absolutely appreciate some insight and educated guesses as to how my programs rank in terms of competitiveness.

My list, all Clinical, adult/general track or health psychology emphasis where applicable:

American
Binghamton
Catholic
Drexel
Fordham
Fairleigh Dickinson
Georgia State
Hofstra
Illinois Institute of Technology
Penn State*
Rutgers
Suffolk
UMass-Boston
UConn
Yeshiva

*secretary told me there were 800 of us this year!

BTW, in case you were wondering, I have not received an interview invite yet. It's still early 🙂

Thank you very much!

 

[PhilAwesome]

EIGHT HUNDRED? That can't be right; maybe she meant psych as a whole, not just clinical? I mean, that would be like a 5% acceptance rate for the interview!

Unfortunately, I don't know about "competitiveness"; I'd just look at the admission rates for the schools and rank it by that. But they're clinical Ph.D. programs; they'll all be really competitive. You've definitely played the numbers in your favor by applying to 15 programs, though. Good luck!

 

[Girlie87]

EIGHT HUNDRED? That can't be right; maybe she meant psych as a whole, not just clinical? I mean, that would be like a 5% acceptance rate for the interview!

Unfortunately, I don't know about "competitiveness"; I'd just look at the admission rates for the schools and rank it by that. But they're clinical Ph.D. programs; they'll all be really competitive. You've definitely played the numbers in your favor by applying to 15 programs, though. Good luck!

Thanks, Phil! When I called Penn State regarding my application status, I was shocked when I heard "Oh it's going to take me a while to find your file because there are 800 of you." I asked her to repeat the number! I hope that she was exaggerating, or--even better--that your theory is correct and she was speaking about all psychology programs.
A friend of mine told me that PSU's undergrad applicant number doubled this year, due to the Sandusky scandal.
Good luck to all applicants for this and future years.

 

[annieEEG]

Hi all, i've sent apps to a TON of programs, clinical psych, adults. The highlights are:

American
George Mason
Drexel
Temple
Upenn
BU
UMass Boston
Fordham
Michigan
Harvard

160 (89%) verbal
163 (93%) quant
5.5 analytical

710 psych gre

3.96 gpa

research experience (two labs), volunteer and internship in clinical settings, no publications ....

anyway, haven't heard anything back on interviews, yet, getting stressed (as i'm sure you all are too)....please de-stress me

 

[phillips101]

Thanks, Phil! When I called Penn State regarding my application status, I was shocked when I heard "Oh it's going to take me a while to find your file because there are 800 of you." I asked her to repeat the number! I hope that she was exaggerating, or--even better--that your theory is correct and she was speaking about all psychology programs.
A friend of mine told me that PSU's undergrad applicant number doubled this year, due to the Sandusky scandal.
Good luck to all applicants for this and future years.

Wait, more people are applying due to the scandal? 😕 I guess it's true that any publicity is good publicity.

Anyhows, good luck on your app!

 

[crim84]

Wait, more people are applying due to the scandal? 😕 I guess it's true that any publicity is good publicity.

Anyhows, good luck on your app!

I was thinking the same thing!

 

[Veit]

So I've recently completed applications to a small number of PsyD programs in the NYC area, and finally had time to sit down and get some good old-fashioned worrying done. What concerns me most is my sub-par GPA from college; I want to know just how much that's going to hold me back. This is what my application looks like:
GPA: 3.38
GRE Verbal: 170 (99%)
GRE Quant: 160 (84%)
GRE Writing: 6.0 (99%)
GRE Psych: 750 (92%)
-Experimental 070 (77%), Social 076 (95%)
I also have some experience in the field from three summers of psych-based internships, and some minor research experience but no publications. I took care to explain in each personal statement that I sent out that my low GPA is due to the fact that I'm a double-major and my second major was incredibly difficult for me; majoring in Japanese when you're not good at learning languages is not going to look good on your transcript, I've learned. I tried to justify it some by talking about the ways that I've been able to use the second major in studying psychology, but I'm quite worried that my GPA will automatically disqualify me everywhere.
In case it's important, I've applied to CW Post LIU, Rutgers (clinical), Hofstra, UHartford, Pace, and Yeshiva. So... how likely am I to get any calls back?

 

[Jtenen]

I am new to the forum and I was just wondering if it is harder to get into a graduate program if you studied your undergrad career there. I have a perfect match with a faculty member of the clinical program and have been working with him for a semester. Would a recommendation from such a member impact being selected over other equally qualified students?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I am new to the forum and I was just wondering if it is harder to get into a graduate program if you studied your undergrad career there. I have a perfect match with a faculty member of the clinical program and have been working with him for a semester. Would a recommendation from such a member impact being selected over other equally qualified students?

It really depends on the program. In general, it is more difficult to be accepted for graduate study at your undergrad institution, with this being particularly true if you don't have a strong relationship with a specific faculty member. However, my grad program has faculty who've taken a handful of undergrads who worked with them (usually for 2-3 years) as RAs. To the best of my knowledge, no faculty member in my program has accepted an undergrad who went to our university and didn't work with him/her (or a colleague) as an RA.

Usually, faculty members either make the acceptance calls for their labs themselves (after being informed by the department how many students will have funding), or have a large say in the process. Thus, if you're a good match with a current mentor, you should definitely let him/her know you're wanting to work in that lab for grad school and then see what they say. You may be able to circumvent the entire interview process at the school altogether (which is what happened in the cases mentioned above with my program); conversely, the mentor may give you an honest assessment that you will not be strongly considered, and thus it would save you the time and aggravation of applying and not receiving an offer.

 

[palemoss]

I am a master's psychology student and full time research coordinator (paid) at a community-psych lab at a private Catholic university in Los Angeles.

GRE Score: (Verbal) 158 - 79%, (Quan) 148 - 44%, (AW) 5.5
Undergrad GPA: 3.87
Graduate GPA: 3.8

4 poster presentations
various undergraduate art history paper presenations and awards (that was my major in college)
2 publications
great letters of rec from like the dean of my alma mater

2 years working a lab on soo many projects.

what are my chances? i know i need to do better on my gre i studied for maybe 4 weeks max

 

[getingradschool]

I'm a current applicant for funded PhD programs in clinical psychology at:
U Maine
U Vermont
U Rhode Island
Boston U
Suffolk U
Fordham U
Temple U
Penn State
Drexel U
U Delaware
Vanderbilt

GRE:
V: 154
Q: 152
Analytical: 4.5

Undergrad GPA:
Total: 3.88
Major: 3.89
Dean's list
New England scholar
Summa Cum Laude

Relevant course work:
Double major in human development and family studies

Research experience (25 hrs/week):
3 year undergrad ra
1 year undergrad student lab coordinator
1 year senior honors experiment and thesis
Worked in 2 labs at UConn, 1 lab at Yale U, 1 lab at Hunter College, and at the Institute of Living

Leadership experience:
Psi Chi social chair
Mortar board social chair

 

[arc36322]

I applied to 12 schools, 6 of which have already sent out invites and I have received zero.

Maybe I made a big mistake in applying this year with my GRE scores, but I guess only time will tell....I was wondering what people think of my stats for the heck of it and to see if I have any hope for my remaining 6 schools...

-Went to NYU, majored in Applied Psychology, 3.85 GPA, 3.9 Major GPA, Magna Cum Laude
-Earning my Master's this spring in Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, 3.83 GPA
-GRE's, seem to be my weak point with standardized tests, 560 Verbal, 650 Math, 5.0 Writing
-1 year internship in a psychological research setting during my senior year of undergraduate studies
-1.5 years as a research coordinator at a university research hospital
-letters from supervisor at my job and internship and 1 professor from undergraduate
-focused on POI's with matching interests in personal statement

No Invites:
-Harvard
-Duke
-UPenn
-Penn State
-University of Miami, child track
-Temple

Remaining:
-UCLA
-BU
-Rutgers Psyd.
-Teachers College, Columbia University
-Emory
-Hofstra

 

[LHDMMD]

I applied to 12 schools, 6 of which have already sent out invites and I have received zero.

Maybe I made a big mistake in applying this year with my GRE scores, but I guess only time will tell....I was wondering what people think of my stats for the heck of it and to see if I have any hope for my remaining 6 schools...

-Went to NYU, majored in Applied Psychology, 3.85 GPA, 3.9 Major GPA, Magna Cum Laude
-Earning my Master's this spring in Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, 3.83 GPA
-GRE's, seem to be my weak point with standardized tests, 560 Verbal, 650 Math, 5.0 Writing
-1 year internship in a psychological research setting during my senior year of undergraduate studies
-1.5 years as a research coordinator at a university research hospital
-letters from supervisor at my job and internship and 1 professor from undergraduate
-focused on POI's with matching interests in personal statement

No Invites:
-Harvard
-Duke
-UPenn
-Penn State
-University of Miami, child track
-Temple

Remaining:
-UCLA
-BU
-Rutgers Psyd.
-Teachers College, Columbia University
-Emory
-Hofstra

Don't give up yet. You still have some schools left. Your info sounds great to me. I don't know anything specific about the schools you listed except they are all really competitive. Sometimes it just comes down to the numbers or fit with a POI.

 

[Psych2011]

I applied to 12 schools, 6 of which have already sent out invites and I have received zero.

Maybe I made a big mistake in applying this year with my GRE scores, but I guess only time will tell....I was wondering what people think of my stats for the heck of it and to see if I have any hope for my remaining 6 schools...

-Went to NYU, majored in Applied Psychology, 3.85 GPA, 3.9 Major GPA, Magna Cum Laude
-Earning my Master's this spring in Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, 3.83 GPA
-GRE's, seem to be my weak point with standardized tests, 560 Verbal, 650 Math, 5.0 Writing
-1 year internship in a psychological research setting during my senior year of undergraduate studies
-1.5 years as a research coordinator at a university research hospital
-letters from supervisor at my job and internship and 1 professor from undergraduate
-focused on POI's with matching interests in personal statement

No Invites:
-Harvard
-Duke
-UPenn
-Penn State
-University of Miami, child track
-Temple

Remaining:
-UCLA
-BU
-Rutgers Psyd.
-Teachers College, Columbia University
-Emory
-Hofstra

Have you ruled out U of Miami because of the one invite we heard about today, or do you have more info from your POI? I think some of the schools you've ruled out *might* still be extending invitations. Everything looks good to me, but I do agree that the GRE is probably too low for some of the schools you've listed (I know for example that UPenn usually has a crazy-high mean for the GRE and I think many of the schools on your list may have an un-official cut-off of 1300).

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I applied to 12 schools, 6 of which have already sent out invites and I have received zero.

Maybe I made a big mistake in applying this year with my GRE scores, but I guess only time will tell....I was wondering what people think of my stats for the heck of it and to see if I have any hope for my remaining 6 schools...

-Went to NYU, majored in Applied Psychology, 3.85 GPA, 3.9 Major GPA, Magna Cum Laude
-Earning my Master's this spring in Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, 3.83 GPA
-GRE's, seem to be my weak point with standardized tests, 560 Verbal, 650 Math, 5.0 Writing
-1 year internship in a psychological research setting during my senior year of undergraduate studies
-1.5 years as a research coordinator at a university research hospital
-letters from supervisor at my job and internship and 1 professor from undergraduate
-focused on POI's with matching interests in personal statement

No Invites:
-Harvard
-Duke
-UPenn
-Penn State
-University of Miami, child track
-Temple

Remaining:
-UCLA
-BU
-Rutgers Psyd.
-Teachers College, Columbia University
-Emory
-Hofstra

Your GRE scores aren't going to be enough to automatically knock you out of contention most places, so I wouldn't discount your chances just yet. However, you don't list any publications/posters (although your research experiences sound fairly solid), and you applied to some very competitive programs. Assuming your fit with those programs is solid, then it might come down to the lack of research "output" coupled with the (relatively, not generally) lower GRE scores compared to other applicants.

If things don't work out this year, I'd see if you could get out at least a couple posters between now and the next app cycle. Also, see if you can find a few more "safety" schools in your interest area to which to apply.

 

[beantownpsych]

I applied to 12 schools, 6 of which have already sent out invites and I have received zero.

Maybe I made a big mistake in applying this year with my GRE scores, but I guess only time will tell....I was wondering what people think of my stats for the heck of it and to see if I have any hope for my remaining 6 schools...

-Went to NYU, majored in Applied Psychology, 3.85 GPA, 3.9 Major GPA, Magna Cum Laude
-Earning my Master's this spring in Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, 3.83 GPA
-GRE's, seem to be my weak point with standardized tests, 560 Verbal, 650 Math, 5.0 Writing
-1 year internship in a psychological research setting during my senior year of undergraduate studies
-1.5 years as a research coordinator at a university research hospital
-letters from supervisor at my job and internship and 1 professor from undergraduate
-focused on POI's with matching interests in personal statement

No Invites:
-Harvard
-Duke
-UPenn
-Penn State
-University of Miami, child track
-Temple

Remaining:
-UCLA
-BU
-Rutgers Psyd.
-Teachers College, Columbia University
-Emory
-Hofstra

You'll need publications/presentations to get interviewed at many of those programs. Like someone else here said there is also an unofficial GRE cut-off of 1300 at a lot of top tier programs so if you don't get in this year definitely retake the GRE. I think you still may have a shot a Teachers & Hofstra...

 

[arc36322]

Thank you so much for all of your replies, I haven't entirely given up hope yet.

One more question: Does anyone think I have a shot at the Rutgers PsyD program with my stats above?

I would be thrilled to get in there, but I'm not sure if I'll make the cut.

Unfortunately I didn't mention a POI in my Rutgers and Hofstra personal statements.

Do you think that was a big mistake? Should I email the professors I am interested in working with there or can I get away with not mentioning a POI for those programs?

Thanks a million guys, the anxiety of this process is harsh!

 

[palemoss]

it wouldnt be horrible to email them. sure.

keep us updated.

 

[Psychadelic2012]

Unfortunately I didn't mention a POI in my Rutgers and Hofstra personal statements.

Do you think that was a big mistake? Should I email the professors I am interested in working with there or can I get away with not mentioning a POI for those programs?

If those are conventional programs, you'll be taken on by one professor--that means you need to display a good match. Applying to the program for the sake of just applying to the program seems strange. If your personal statement was crystal clear about your interests/experience and you match well, I would think that would suffice...but if you didn't even have a POI in mind...?

 

[gonl]

I applied to clinical psych PhD programs of various levels of competitiveness. It looks like interview invites have already been sent out for pretty much all the programs I applied to, and I did not receive a single invite.
GPA: 3.95+ (4.0 major)
GRE: 166 V, 155 Q, 4.5 W
Psych GRE: 800
Research experience: 3 semesters in undergrad
Basically I'm not sure if my stats were not competitive enough, or I just need more research experience? I am getting really discouraged because I recently graduated and haven't been able to find an RA position- even unpaid-to gain more experience after applying everywhere I can find in my area of interest. I am not sure what to do now...

 

[Psychadelic2012]

Research experience: 3 semesters in undergrad
Basically I'm not sure if my stats were not competitive enough, or I just need more research experience? I am getting really discouraged because I recently graduated and haven't been able to find an RA position- even unpaid-to gain more experience after applying everywhere I can find in my area of interest. I am not sure what to do now...

Seems like you need more research experience, although you don't say what your experience was in undergrad--were you just an RA? Or did you do your own projects? Most of us have to volunteer for a year or two in addition to spearheading our own projects (thesis or otherwise) to even be competitive. Find someone who is doing research you're interested in and offer to volunteer, then express an interest in doing your own study and publishing/presenting it.

 

[syzergy]

I applied to clinical psych PhD programs of various levels of competitiveness. It looks like interview invites have already been sent out for pretty much all the programs I applied to, and I did not receive a single invite.
GPA: 3.95+ (4.0 major)
GRE: 166 V, 155 Q, 4.5 W
Psych GRE: 800
Research experience: 3 semesters in undergrad
Basically I'm not sure if my stats were not competitive enough, or I just need more research experience? I am getting really discouraged because I recently graduated and haven't been able to find an RA position- even unpaid-to gain more experience after applying everywhere I can find in my area of interest. I am not sure what to do now...

Your stats are all great and very competitive. Your research experience is a little low though, many competitive applicants have ~2 years or more of research experience.

A few things to consider:

Do you have defined research interests and did you apply to work with professors that have matched interests?
Do you have research experience in your area of interest?
What kind of research experience do you have - was it just data entry/transcription? Did you do your own study?
How productive was your research experience - any presentations, papers?
How many schools did you apply to - did you geographically limit yourself? 12-15ish is recommended.

 

[palemoss]

I am a master's psychology student and full time research coordinator (paid) at a community-psych lab at a private Catholic university in Los Angeles.

GRE Score: (Verbal) 158 - 79%, (Quan) 148 - 44%, (AW) 5.5
Undergrad GPA: 3.87
Graduate GPA: 3.8

4 poster presentations
various undergraduate art history paper presenations and awards (that was my major in college)
2 publications
great letters of rec from like the dean of my alma mater

2 years working a lab on soo many projects.

what are my chances? i know i need to do better on my gre i studied for maybe 4 weeks max

 

[gonl]

Thanks for the responses...my research experience was as an RA, I did a little more than data entry (some coding and training other RAs) but did not have the opportunity for independent projects. I guess I knew my chances were not great for this year but I had hoped for at least an interview or two. I have offered to volunteer in labs but have even been turned away from that...I had no idea this process was so competitive and frustrating!

 

[PsychGirl07]

So I've recently completed applications to a small number of PsyD programs in the NYC area, and finally had time to sit down and get some good old-fashioned worrying done. What concerns me most is my sub-par GPA from college; I want to know just how much that's going to hold me back. This is what my application looks like:
GPA: 3.38
GRE Verbal: 170 (99%)
GRE Quant: 160 (84%)
GRE Writing: 6.0 (99%)
GRE Psych: 750 (92%)
-Experimental 070 (77%), Social 076 (95%)
I also have some experience in the field from three summers of psych-based internships, and some minor research experience but no publications. I took care to explain in each personal statement that I sent out that my low GPA is due to the fact that I'm a double-major and my second major was incredibly difficult for me; majoring in Japanese when you're not good at learning languages is not going to look good on your transcript, I've learned. I tried to justify it some by talking about the ways that I've been able to use the second major in studying psychology, but I'm quite worried that my GPA will automatically disqualify me everywhere.
In case it's important, I've applied to CW Post LIU, Rutgers (clinical), Hofstra, UHartford, Pace, and Yeshiva. So... how likely am I to get any calls back?

I was in almost the same exact situation as you. It's actually bizarre. Double major lowered my GPA as well, but you should still be in good shape for the programs you are applying to. I had similar GREs and research experience and applied to most of the same schools. Message me for more info if you'd like.

 

[basedgod]

I am planning on applying to funded PsyD and funded clinical PhD programs. However, my undergraduate GPA is not too good. (3.09). I was not a psychology major and so I have been taking classes at the University of Pennsylvania through their college of Liberal and Professional Studies. Last semester I took Abnormal Psych, Developmental Psych, and Cognitive Science, and have a 3.75 GPA for the semester. I am planning on taking the GREs this summer. I have one semester of undergraduate research experience...I'm planning on getting some more research or clinical experience in before applying next winter...Looking at admissions data from various schools has me feeling like 🙁 I just feel like I won't be able to compete with those being accepted to funded programs...I don't want to go to a PsyD program that will leave me paying off loans for 30 years...and yet I don't know anything else that I would/could pursue....heeeellllppppppp

 

[PsychPhDone]

I would recommend continuing to get research experience in the meantime, even if volunteer, and pursuing a 1-2 year full-time research assistantship. There are several of these in Philadelphia. Look at Penn, the Phila VA, and CHOP to start.

 

[basedgod]

thanks for the input 🙂

 

[tkuhug]

I think you should continue what you're doing - take some psych classes, keep your GPA up, and let graduate schools see that you can handle the coursework.

Additionally, getting a few good solid years of research experience sounds very good. If your grades aren't up, make sure you have a good GRE score, some presentations, and possibly a few publications.

Other than that, sounds like you're doing exactly what you should be doing!

 

[futureapppsy2]

basedgod, I moved your thread to the WAMC thread.

 

[sweetcaroline24]

I'm currently a Junior Undergraduate Student majoring in Political Science and Psychology at a respectable state university. I'm looking to apply to Clinical Psych PhD programs next fall, but just wanted to get some input in how I can boost my application.

First here's a list of the schools that I'm currently looking at, since my main interest is in anxiety disorders (Feel free to suggest any schools that you know of that are strong in this area and might have a good POI!)

Temple University
SUNY Albany
University of Vermont
University of Tennessee
Boston University
SUNY Binghamton
Case Western Reserve University
West Virginia University
North Carolina- Chapel Hill
George Mason University
Kent State University
Louisiana State University

I know that a few of these (Temple, Boston, and NC) are a reach, but who knows, I guess I'll apply to them as long as it's a good research fit.

My Stats:
Undergrad GPA:
3.96 overall, 4.0 in both majors

GRE: Currently have only taken practice tests, but on my last one I got a 166 Verbal, and a 160 Quantitative, but I'll be expecting something a little lower on test day simply because that's how it works!

Research Experience:
When I submit my applications, I'll have three semesters experience in a Depression Research and Treatment Lab, and two semesters working on a project examining craving in marijuana users. I'll also be completing an Honors Thesis my Senior Year.

While I do not have any posters or publications at this point, I'm hoping the summer research experience I have lined up will provide some sort of luck on that home front. The professor is allowing me to develop my own research study (which is currently being formulated) which will be examining specific bio-genetic markers linked to different forms of alcoholism. The study will wrap up in August, so I don't know if it will be possible to submit for posters that late.

Clinical and other experiences:
I volunteer as a Domestic violence counselor, and will be issued my certification by the DOH in June, and I'm also completing a semester long internship working with a psychologist in a high needs urban district. I've also been a TA four times (3 in Political Science, and once in Psych), and am an associate editor at a campus magazine.

Recommendations and Statment:
Three recommendations from professors that I've worked with on research projects, and one recommendation from a professor in Political Science (I figure it can't hurt to add more, since I've had him as a teacher, have TA'd for him three times, reformed his class syllabi, etc)
The statement should be set, since writing is one of my strong suits, but I've been battling over the idea of adding that I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and OCD, which has formed the basis of me wanting to enter the field. Do you think it would be totally inappropriate to state this?

So what else do you think I could do? Unfortunately I think the publications and posters issue will bring me down, even though I really want this. I would have gotten involved in research a lot earlier, yet I was a Pre-Law major until the second semester of sophomore year.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I'm currently a Junior Undergraduate Student majoring in Political Science and Psychology at a respectable state university. I'm looking to apply to Clinical Psych PhD programs next fall, but just wanted to get some input in how I can boost my application.

First here's a list of the schools that I'm currently looking at, since my main interest is in anxiety disorders (Feel free to suggest any schools that you know of that are strong in this area and might have a good POI!)

Temple University
SUNY Albany
University of Vermont
University of Tennessee
Boston University
SUNY Binghamton
Case Western Reserve University
West Virginia University
North Carolina- Chapel Hill
George Mason University
Kent State University
Louisiana State University

I know that a few of these (Temple, Boston, and NC) are a reach, but who knows, I guess I'll apply to them as long as it's a good research fit.

My Stats:
Undergrad GPA:
3.96 overall, 4.0 in both majors

GRE: Currently have only taken practice tests, but on my last one I got a 166 Verbal, and a 160 Quantitative, but I'll be expecting something a little lower on test day simply because that's how it works!

Research Experience:
When I submit my applications, I'll have three semesters experience in a Depression Research and Treatment Lab, and two semesters working on a project examining craving in marijuana users. I'll also be completing an Honors Thesis my Senior Year.

While I do not have any posters or publications at this point, I'm hoping the summer research experience I have lined up will provide some sort of luck on that home front. The professor is allowing me to develop my own research study (which is currently being formulated) which will be examining specific bio-genetic markers linked to different forms of alcoholism. The study will wrap up in August, so I don't know if it will be possible to submit for posters that late.

Clinical and other experiences:
I volunteer as a Domestic violence counselor, and will be issued my certification by the DOH in June, and I'm also completing a semester long internship working with a psychologist in a high needs urban district. I've also been a TA four times (3 in Political Science, and once in Psych), and am an associate editor at a campus magazine.

Recommendations and Statment:
Three recommendations from professors that I've worked with on research projects, and one recommendation from a professor in Political Science (I figure it can't hurt to add more, since I've had him as a teacher, have TA'd for him three times, reformed his class syllabi, etc)
The statement should be set, since writing is one of my strong suits, but I've been battling over the idea of adding that I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and OCD, which has formed the basis of me wanting to enter the field. Do you think it would be totally inappropriate to state this?

So what else do you think I could do? Unfortunately I think the publications and posters issue will bring me down, even though I really want this. I would have gotten involved in research a lot earlier, yet I was a Pre-Law major until the second semester of sophomore year.

If it helps alleviate any anxiety, I was accepted at one of the programs you've listed with a lower GPA (3.44) and similar amounts of research experience. I also had no publications or presentations. Thus, while my case isn't typical, it's certainly possible to secure an acceptance with your stats.

If you aren't able to secure any presentations or pubs, I'd definitely play up the fact that you're designing and running your own study. Many advisors might consider that experience to be even more significant than having your name attached to something on which you may not have played a large role.

As for the personal statement, I'd recommend searching the forums, as your question has been asked a few times before. In general, the recommendation is generally that it all depends on degree. If you mention your mental health history, I wouldn't get specific with it (e.g., "struggles/difficulties with anxiety" at most), and would spend much more time on what I'd done to build on my interest afterward than on how the diagnosis initially sparked the interest.

 

[Psychgirl757]

Hi all,
I'm pretty new joining SDN, but have been driving myself crazy by looking at this for years ( can't help myself!). This is my second time applying and haven't had much luck... again. The first time I had no idea what I was doing and only applied to 6 schools (received 2 interview invites though). This time I applied to 18 (1 interview invite).

I guess my question is that the only weak parts of my application are due to my low undergrad GPA (I was pre-med) and low GRE scores (taken them twice). I have my MA in counseling psychology and graduated with a 3.78. I would like to apply again, but was wondering if anyone had a huge success with raising their GRE scores (by a significant amount). I took the Kaplan course (no help), studied on my own for 8 weeks and still no improvement. Now that the GRE format has changed it has helped me to some degree, but still didn't know if there was anyone out there who has actually raised their scores. If so, any suggestions?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Hi all,
I'm pretty new joining SDN, but have been driving myself crazy by looking at this for years ( can't help myself!). This is my second time applying and haven't had much luck... again. The first time I had no idea what I was doing and only applied to 6 schools (received 2 interview invites though). This time I applied to 18 (1 interview invite).

I guess my question is that the only weak parts of my application are due to my low undergrad GPA (I was pre-med) and low GRE scores (taken them twice). I have my MA in counseling psychology and graduated with a 3.78. I would like to apply again, but was wondering if anyone had a huge success with raising their GRE scores (by a significant amount). I took the Kaplan course (no help), studied on my own for 8 weeks and still no improvement. Now that the GRE format has changed it has helped me to some degree, but still didn't know if there was anyone out there who has actually raised their scores. If so, any suggestions?

Part of it will likely depend on what your scores are/were to begin with, as it'll likely be easier to raise a score of 1000 vs. 1200 (sorry for using the old scale, it's just the one I'm most comfortable with). I was fortunate enough to only have to take the test once myself (way back when), but can let you know what I did if you feel it would help; although if you studied for 8 weeks on your own, we likely used similar methods. I basically just grabbed a Kaplan book and spent 3 months memorizing word definitions, re-learning geometry formulas, and briefly reviewing the scoring criteria for the writing samples. I also borrowed a couple older books from different companies (i.e., Barron's and Princeton Review) from a friend for the additional word lists.

Did you do significantly worse on one area vs. another? If so, were there any particular sections or types of problems in that area that gave you trouble? You've likely asked yourself these questions already, but I wanted to throw them out there just in case.

And depending on where your GRE scores fall, they unfortunately could be one of the main reasons your applications aren't getting past the initial review into the interview offer phase. How do the other aspects of your app/CV look, particularly research experience?