WAMC: What Are My Chances

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Please Help! I was just recently accepted into a handful of PsyD that are of very good quality, like university of Denver and PGSP. I love what they have to offer in terms of training but I'm terrified that the cost is going to ruin me or at the very least burden my family greatly. I'm thinking of possibly waiting another year and applying to more competitive funded or partially funded programs, but part of the reason I didn't do that last year was because I was worried I wasn't competitive enough to get into those. Not that I got into a lot of the more quality PsyD programs, I am wondering if I am more competitive than I think and should wait a year to apply to better funded Psy programs.

BA in psychology from a UC, Summa Cum Laude
GPA: 3.54

GRE: Verbal: 162/ Quant: 156 /writing: 5

3 years research experience + honors thesis of publishable quality (but did not publish)
1 year exp as a peer counselor with intensive diversity, crisis management, and counseling training under a phd
2 years exp as a Life Skills trainer, doing clinical + self-care work at a residential rehab house for those with TBI

Summer intern at a foster home in Japan


3 letters of rec, one from work and two from PIs that I have worked with, one who is the current psych chair and one who was at the time an associate dean of his school. The last person is currently on sabbatical so I have a feeling I cannot count on his letter and will have to drum up another one somewhere if I apply again this year.

WAMC of getting into a decently funded PsyD program like:
Hartford, Indiana State, IUP, Wideners, or even Rutgers?
 
Thanks so much for your prompt reply! That's very encouraging to hear... Do you really believe I have decent enough stats to get into a good school for a clinical phd? I had heard that those spots were very very competitive, and without publications or a perfect GRE or GPA they were all but impossible to get into without a lot more experience than what I have.

I feel I am a decent candidate but not an especially outstanding one (perhaps not in the 90th percentile is what I mean), which is partially why I aimed for Psy d in the first place. I am also most interested in clinical practice rather than research, although I don't mind it but I don't want to be caught in the stress of a tenure track.

I guess the only other thing I have going for me is I've found I'm a decent enough interviewer. Not that I radiate charisma or anything but I'm pretty good at generating thoughtful answers to questions on the spot if I have to.
 
Notsure-asaurus said:
Thanks so much for your prompt reply! That's very encouraging to hear... Do you really believe I have decent enough stats to get into a good school for a clinical phd? I had heard that those spots were very very competitive, and without publications or a perfect GRE or GPA they were all but impossible to get into without a lot more experience than what I have.

I feel I am a decent candidate but not an especially outstanding one (perhaps not in the 90th percentile is what I mean), which is partially why I aimed for Psy d in the first place. I am also most interested in clinical practice rather than research, although I don't mind it but I don't want to be caught in the stress of a tenure track.

I guess the only other thing I have going for me is I've found I'm a decent enough interviewer. Not that I radiate charisma or anything but I'm pretty good at generating thoughtful answers to questions on the spot if I have to.
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You don't need a perfect GRE or a perfect GPA to get in, and you don't need 10 years of experience or even any publications to get in. This also highly depends on which programs you're aiming for. Some are much more research oriented and thus want their students to come in with significant research experience (i.e. presentations, papers if possible) and others want you to show that you've at least worked at a lab and know the basics of what research is about (your 3 years experience will be more than adequate). Instead of buying into horror stories from people who may or may not be in phd programs themselves, just go on the websites of programs you're aiming for and see what their students' average stats are. Each program is required by APA to publish accepted students' GPA and GRE. Some programs will also include information such as how many presentations and how many papers. From my experience, there are definitely programs that have an average 700+ GRE and average GPA of 3.7. There are also other programs that have averages of 600+ and 3.2 GPA. This information also varies from year to year. My year's cohort mostly came in with publications but lower GPA and GRE whereas previous years came in with less publications but higher GPA/GRE.

Once you've figured that out, the next important thing is to focus on research research research. Which areas do you want to go into? What topic do you want to study? If necessary/possible, seek out an RAship until next year's application cycle. Getting into a "good school" for clinical psych phd goes way beyond GRE and GPA. Your mentor will have to work with you for the next 4-5+ years, and so other things count too, such as interest in their area, "match", personality, career goals, etc. Your GPA is definitely fine. Your quant GRE may be on the lower side, depending on the type of program you're aiming for (some are more quant heavy than others) and your mentor (some mentors care more about GRE than others). You seriously don't need to be in the 90th percentile.

I say go for it, worse thing that could happen is you waste a couple hundred dollars in application money. In the long run, this is nothing compared to a PsyD.
 
Education:
Major Psychology
Minors Philosophy, Neuroscience, Sociology

G.P.A. :
3.74

G.R.E. General Scores :
Quantitative 161 (81%)
Verbal 159 (81%)
Writing 5 (93%)

G.R.E. Psychology Scores :
Overall 730 (86%)

Experimental Psychology (79%)
Social Psychology (87%)

Jobs:
2 Years as an Academic Peer Tutor
2 Years as a Peer Mentor
2 Months at Psychiatric Hospital as Mental Health Tech.

Volunteer:
1 Year as R.A. in a Lab
1 Year Mental Illness/Health Advocate working with campus counseling center
2 Years Volunteer at Suicide Hotline


Posters:
2 1st Author Regional Conference Posters
5 1st Author National Conference Posters
1 2nd Author National Conference Poster

Papers:
None

After getting rejected from about 10 clinical psychology programs I decided that I am going to apply again next round. Everything listed above were in the applications that I sent this round except for the 5 1st author posters and 1 of the regional conference posters.

My current circumstances do not allow me to do much more research (no resources and no place to do so) so I am wondering whether or not the added posters add anything substantial to my application?

I got two pieces of feedback from one of the programs that I applied to.

The first piece of feedback was to increase research productivity (e.g., posters and paper publications).

The second piece of feedback was about my personal statement. It was "too existential". I am not quite sure what this means. Thoughts?

I applied to clinical psychology programs that ranged in competitiveness last time around and am going to do the same again.

Anyways, general thoughts on chances next time around?
 
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Education: BA, Psychology with Honors from Some Average State University
*if it wins me brownie points, I have went through Calculus II
Scores:
GPA: 3.34 overall (recalculated including schools from which I transferred); 3.6 (on my official transcript & diploma); 3.69 (last two years)
GRE: 159 V (81st percentile); 161 Q (81st percentile); 4.5 writing (78th percentile)
Psych GRE: 680 (69th percentile?)
​
Research Experience:
  • Honors Thesis & follow-up related to my research interest and completed by me - start to finish (with oversight from my advisor, of course)
  • 3 years working as an RA
    • 3 years with my thesis advisor (clinical psychologist)
    • 2 summer RA jobs with 2 different researchers (IO & clinical)
    • 2 semesters in social psychology lab
Publications:
  • Manuscript in preparation: 1st author
Presentations:
  • 8 total
    • 4 Regional or Other Cool Conferences (1st author & 3rd author)
    • 4 undergraduate showcase events (1st/2nd/3rd author)
Clinical Experience:
6 months: Shadowed people working with psychiatric patients​
LORs:
3 specific detailed strong letters from tenured track psychology faculty - did research with two of them; 1-3 class with each of them; known them all for 3 year years​
SOP:
Avoided all kisses of death. Proofread by me, others, & instructor.
​
Schools:
Do I stand a chance at any funded PhD clinical program? An experimental (funded) PhD program?
 
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Mandolin140 said:
Education:
Major Psychology
Minors Philosophy, Neuroscience, Sociology

G.P.A. :
3.74

G.R.E. General Scores :
Quantitative 161 (81%)
Verbal 159 (81%)
Writing 5 (93%)

G.R.E. Psychology Scores :
Overall 730 (86%)

Experimental Psychology (79%)
Social Psychology (87%)

Jobs:
2 Years as an Academic Peer Tutor
2 Years as a Peer Mentor
2 Months at Psychiatric Hospital as Mental Health Tech.

Volunteer:
1 Year as R.A. in a Lab
1 Year Mental Illness/Health Advocate working with campus counseling center
2 Years Volunteer at Suicide Hotline


Posters:
2 1st Author Regional Conference Posters
5 1st Author National Conference Posters
1 2nd Author National Conference Poster

Papers:
None

After getting rejected from about 10 clinical psychology programs I decided that I am going to apply again next round. Everything listed above were in the applications that I sent this round except for the 5 1st author posters and 1 of the regional conference posters.

My current circumstances do not allow me to do much more research (no resources and no place to do so) so I am wondering whether or not the added posters add anything substantial to my application?

I got two pieces of feedback from one of the programs that I applied to.

The first piece of feedback was to increase research productivity (e.g., posters and paper publications).

The second piece of feedback was about my personal statement. It was "too existential". I am not quite sure what this means. Thoughts?

I applied to clinical psychology programs that ranged in competitiveness last time around and am going to do the same again.

Anyways, general thoughts on chances next time around?
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If you're applying to research heavy programs (or even programs that are more balanced but still place an emphasis on research), what's probably getting you is the fact that you only have one year of RA experience. Many people that I saw during the interview circuit had 2 years of experience, even if they didn't get an pubs out of them (although a pub is great). As far as your personal statement goes, I'd be happy to look over it if you want another set of eyes! Just PM me.
 
Hi!

I'm a psych student at an average state school. I was originally a science major but I transferred so my degree only had my new school's gpa which is much better than my old school's since I'm no longer taking hard sciences.
GPA on my transcript: 3.8
GPA if you combine all semesters 3.45
Psych GPA: 3.9

I haven't taken the GRE yet but I'm quite good at standardized testing so I imagine I'll do very well (I was in top 90th percentile for SATs)

Research experience:
1.5 years as a research assistant
project 1: A meta-analysis which my dean has told me is far above most undergrad research in difficulty. I am writing a paper with my mentor now and he has told me I will be first author (and I PRAY it will be published before I apply. We have a rough draft of everything but the discussion section.) I have presented it at two conferences including one that is international and considered prestigious in that field
project 2: I designed a study last semester but we did not get as many Ps as we had hoped so it has been on the backburner to writing my meta-analysis

Volunteer work:
2.5 years at a sexual assault crisis line
1 semester as a peer crisis counselor

Schools: All are clinical PhDs unless noted

UT- Austin
UVM
indiana bloomington
Boston University
URI
Colorado State (counseling)
u of maine
university of washington, seattle
NYU (counseling)
drexel
virginia commonwealth
ASU
university of florida
utah
UN las vegas
palo alto
Widener (psyd)

Thank you everyone!
 
trafficlight said:
Hi!

I'm a psych student at an average state school. I was originally a science major but I transferred so my degree only had my new school's gpa which is much better than my old school's since I'm no longer taking hard sciences.
GPA on my transcript: 3.8
GPA if you combine all semesters 3.45
Psych GPA: 3.9

I haven't taken the GRE yet but I'm quite good at standardized testing so I imagine I'll do very well (I was in top 90th percentile for SATs)

Research experience:
1.5 years as a research assistant
project 1: A meta-analysis which my dean has told me is far above most undergrad research in difficulty. I am writing a paper with my mentor now and he has told me I will be first author (and I PRAY it will be published before I apply. We have a rough draft of everything but the discussion section.) I have presented it at two conferences including one that is international and considered prestigious in that field
project 2: I designed a study last semester but we did not get as many Ps as we had hoped so it has been on the backburner to writing my meta-analysis

Volunteer work:
2.5 years at a sexual assault crisis line
1 semester as a peer crisis counselor

Schools: All are clinical PhDs unless noted

UT- Austin
UVM
indiana bloomington
Boston University
URI
Colorado State (counseling)
u of maine
university of washington, seattle
NYU (counseling)
drexel
virginia commonwealth
ASU
university of florida
utah
UN las vegas
palo alto
Widener (psyd)

Thank you everyone!
Click to expand...
Why do you want to go to graduate school? UT Austin/Indiana to widener/Palo alto has to be about the widest range of schools you can get...

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
 
pdresearch said:
Do I stand a chance at any funded PhD clinical program? An experimental (funded) PhD program?
Click to expand...

Yes. Your stats are in line with accepted applicants in general. Your overall GPA is a little low and might get you crossed off the list at a few places, so apply widely. Make sure to tailor your personal statements to either the experimental or clinical programs-- Don't write a general one. Be specific about your career goals and why you want clinical training in the clinical statements. Actually, get a prof from clinical to read over the clinical statement if possible.

Good luck!
 
nessa34 said:
Why do you want to go to graduate school? UT Austin/Indiana to widener/Palo alto has to be about the widest range of schools you can get...

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
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Each of those schools have a POI that highly align with my interests. Specifically, UVM, Austin, UNLV, and Bloomington do EXACTLY what I want which is fairly specific.

Also, I'm not comfortable with the idea of not getting in so I like that I'm applying to a wide range. The input I receive here actually might sway me away from the 'easier' schools because of their lack of funding/poor student:teacher ratios..but only if I'm competitive enough.

Thanks for your time 🙂
 
But what do you want to do? Some of those programs effectively cut you off from doing traditional academic research (Widener, Palo Alto). Others, while respected in the field, are very clinically oriented and therefore not the best match if you want to a research career. And, at the other end, some of those schools are very research heavy and not ideal if your end goal is to do clinical work.
 
Oh, I see! I want to research, it's what I love. I know that widener and palo alto are not research oriented which is why they are very much on the bottom of my list but, like I said, the prospect of not gaining acceptance is terrifying to me.

What I would love to hear is that I am competitive enough for the research-oriented programs so I don't have to apply to the easier programs. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I would accept an offer from palo alto which is why I've been combing through this forum for answers- I still have lots of time to decide where exactly I will apply (although I believe that list is pretty accurate, save a few)
 
trafficlight said:
Oh, I see! I want to research, it's what I love. I know that widener and palo alto are not research oriented which is why they are very much on the bottom of my list but, like I said, the prospect of not gaining acceptance is terrifying to me.

What I would love to hear is that I am competitive enough for the research-oriented programs so I don't have to apply to the easier programs. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I would accept an offer from palo alto which is why I've been combing through this forum for answers- I still have lots of time to decide where exactly I will apply (although I believe that list is pretty accurate, save a few)
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Better to apply to better funded, more research oriented schools that are in line with your interests and to work as an RA or do a master's if you don't get in, than to go to a program with poor outcomes that's not in line with your goals. almost everyone at my program took time between undergrad and phd, so don't base your choices on needing to start right after undergrad.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
 
I'm actually taking a year off. I'm not comfortable going the master's route, honestly...which is why I want to know what my chances are
 
It's hard to tell what somebody's chances are without an actual GRE score; the difference between very good and great on the GRE is important at places like UW. The rest of your stats are fine, GPA's a bit low but the upward trend helps. If you aren't willing to consider a master's degree or similar if you apply the first time and it turns out you're not competitive, choosing another field is probably better than taking an acceptance at a school that is not going to help you achieve your goal.
 
Hello everyone! I'm curious to see WAMC on getting into a PsyD or PhD program because I have a bit of weird situation. I graduated from an average state school Psychology program with an okay GPA (see below) then immediately became an officer in the military (went through a college training program). Now I've been working in the military as a Behavioral Scientist for 4 years and I'm considering getting out and applying for a doctoral program.

I'm currently stationed overseas and have very few in-person programs available, so I've started on an MSW hosted here by a US university because the military is heavily focused on people getting a higher education. I've toyed with the idea of getting a Psychology masters online because I thought it would be better than having a partial MSW (I only have 2 years left overseas and it's a 3 year program) but I've heard theres a stigma with online programs. Please correct me if I'm wrong in thinking this.

I'm leaving my overseas assignment in 2 years so I have a little bit of time to make my records look better. Even though I'm leaving the military, my husband will be staying in, so I'll be limited to schools depending on where he gets stationed in the states. Enough about my story, here are the stats:

Overall GPA: 3.35
Psych GPA: 3.40

GRE: Verbal 430 / Quantitative 440 / 4 Analytical Writing
(I had to take this for a military program and was given a week a week to study, I know I can do better than this now)
No Psych Subject test yet

Work experience:
- I worked in a military research lab for 2 years on social networking based studies and human factors engineering, unfortunately none of my work got published but I'm hoping some of the PIs I worked with will be publishing soon
- Havent had any experience counseling but I'm applying to work with the Red Cross at the military hospital here and if I stick with the MSW program I'm required to do a practicum with a LCSW
- Did a 5 month training with the Army on Psychological Operations. Not sure if this is relevant but it was the qualifying course for the job I currently do.
- Currently working in Behavioral Influence area of the military - specifically how the US military can influence and persuade our adversaries. It's not all bad, sometimes this capability is used in place of lethal weapons (bombs etc.) so part of my job has been to fight for this "soft science" approach into war
- Some stats experience in my job since everything has to be empirically sound before we conduct an operation, but we also have full-time Stats PhDs working this area for this so I don't do all of the calculations myself.

Reason for career change:
- As you can see I've steeped into the "psychological warfare" side of things if you can call it that. I've learned an amazing amount of information on behavioral modification and seen how effective this capability can be. I would rather use this information to help people get better (sounds cliché but it's true) and I'm extremely interested in psychology and it's use for counseling.
- My end goal is to come back and work for the military as a civilian Psychologist
- I'm also having a hard time getting stationed at the same base as my husband so leaving the military is an inevitable solution

Letters of reccommendation: I've done really well in what I do for the military so I know I can get some very good letters of reccs from higher ranking military officers, problem is none of them are PhDs or work in Psychology.
Some of my other options are:
- PhDs I worked with in my previous job:
- Statistics PhD (PI on one of my projects)
- Computer Science PhD (one of my mentors)
- There is one Cultural Psychology PhD who I knew well in my job but never worked on his projects
- A PhD in Biostatistics that's currently a department head in a Human Sciences programs at a State University (was a mentor on one of my programs)
- Unfortunately I graduated 5 years ago and I haven't kept in contact with any of my old Psychology professors

Any advice or information you can give is greatly appreciated!
 
Hello all, I am at sort of a crossroads here...my end goal is to obtain my PhD in Clinical Psychology and I am trying to decide how to make myself more competitive.

Undergraduate graduating in May at a mid-sized nationally recognized liberal arts college.
Major: Psychology
Minor: Sociology
GPA: 3.65
GRE: 155 V 150 Q 4.5 W 680 Psych
Awards: Latin Honors (Cum Laude)
Activities: President of Psi Chi, several club memberships, Psychology Peer Mentor (psychology 101), Peer Mentor for the College Counseling Team, Suicide Hotline Volunteer.
Clinical Work: Volunteer on an inpatient psychiatry unit for 4 summers.
Research Experience: Assisted with two separate studies while volunteering on the IP unit; Interned with two separate labs this past summer: one at the NIMH the other at a VA.

Do you think it would be more beneficial for me to work as an RA for a couple years (I have several interviews this upcoming week) or get a Masters (I've been accepted to two programs) before I apply to Clinical PhD programs? I realize my GRE scores aren't great and can see that I need some more research experience. I am not certain that I would have opportunities for publishing while at these RA positions (will find out during interviews) but it would be nice to get paid. The Masters might allow more opportunity for publishing as well as teaching and perhaps even some clinical experience but the programs are only partially funded.

Any advice would be sincerely appreciated.
 
Hello SDN,

I recently had a quarter life crisis and realized that I wasted precious time and opportunity in my academic career.
  • BA in Psychology (2.4 GPA… don't ask).
  • MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3.6 GPA).
  • LPC in November with NCMHC certification.
  • Provisional clinician for about 2 years (Still going).
  • No research experience/publications (Might be presenting something as 1st author at a local exhibition soon).
  • Good letters of recommendation secured.
  • Rushed to take GRE for MA admission without studying and will certainly retake the sucker (840, 6 on writing).
WAMC (generally) of getting into a Counseling/Clinical Psych Ph.D. program?
Other than retaking the GRE and writing an astounding personal statement, how could I raise my chances of acceptance?
Should I even bother at this point with $76,000 in student loan debt weighing over me?

Thanks guys
 
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NPW3816 said:
Hello SDN,

I recently had a quarter life crisis and realized that I wasted precious time and opportunity in my academic career.
  • BA in Psychology (2.4 GPA… don't ask).
  • MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3.6 GPA).
  • LPC in November with NCMHC certification.
  • Provisional clinician for about 2 years (Still going).
  • No research experience/publications (Might be presenting something as 1st author at a local exhibition soon).
  • Good letters of recommendation secured.
  • Rushed to take GRE for MA admission without studying and will certainly retake the sucker (840, 6 on writing).
WAMC (generally) of getting into a Counseling/Clinical Psych Ph.D. program?
Other than retaking the GRE and writing an astounding personal statement, how could I raise my chances of acceptance?
Should I even bother at this point with $76,000 in student loan debt weighing over me?

Thanks guys
Click to expand...

Just a couple quick thoughts while I wait on a patient to get here:

  • The undergrad GPA may hurt you in some places, but the fact that you completed your MA and are currently working in the field will be a plus; I believe counseling psych programs in particular tend to appreciate that sort of experience.
  • Your biggest initial (i.e., screening phase) stumbling block is going to be the GRE scores, as a total <1000 is likely to preclude your application from even being reviewed at many/most programs. If you can raise it to 1100-1200+ (old scale), that'd be a solid goal.
  • Your next biggest stumbling block will be the lack of research experience; if at all possible and feasible, look into doing some part-time RA work (even if on a volunteer basis) at a local university/for local private practice folks actively conducting research.
  • The loans--if they're subsidized, awesome; if not, see if you can at least make interest payments while enrolled, as compound interest is rough. Regardless, this is going to make attending a fully-funded program of primary importance to you.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
Just a couple quick thoughts while I wait on a patient to get here:

  • The undergrad GPA may hurt you in some places, but the fact that you completed your MA and are currently working in the field will be a plus; I believe counseling psych programs in particular tend to appreciate that sort of experience.
  • Your biggest initial (i.e., screening phase) stumbling block is going to be the GRE scores, as a total <1000 is likely to preclude your application from even being reviewed at many/most programs. If you can raise it to 1100-1200+ (old scale), that'd be a solid goal.
  • Your next biggest stumbling block will be the lack of research experience; if at all possible and feasible, look into doing some part-time RA work (even if on a volunteer basis) at a local university/for local private practice folks actively conducting research.
  • The loans--if they're subsidized, awesome; if not, see if you can at least make interest payments while enrolled, as compound interest is rough. Regardless, this is going to make attending a fully-funded program of primary importance to you.
Click to expand...

Thanks Doc,

You gave me some valued insight.
If I make interviews, I'm prepared to answer to the tarnished undergrad GPA. I'm also thinking that the 1100+ range is a feasible goal. The research debacle is the only thing keeping me up at night. I had originally planned on having my ducks in a row before application deadlines this December, but I'm gleaming that my best bet is to get as much research experience in as possible.
 
NPW3816 said:
Thanks Doc,

You gave me some valued insight.
If I make interviews, I'm prepared to answer to the tarnished undergrad GPA. I'm also thinking that the 1100+ range is a feasible goal. The research debacle is the only thing keeping me up at night. I had originally planned on having my ducks in a row before application deadlines this December, but I'm gleaming that my best bet is to get as much research experience in as possible.
Click to expand...

Generally speaking: the more research experience, the better, yep. I want to say I had somewhere around 1.5 years by the time I'd applied, and based on responses I've seen/heard here and in person, 1-3 years seems to be the most typical number.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
Generally speaking: the more research experience, the better, yep. I want to say I had somewhere around 1.5 years by the time I'd applied, and based on responses I've seen/heard here and in person, 1-3 years seems to be the most typical number.
Click to expand...

Say, did I mention I'm having a QLC?

With all jokes aside, should I be concerned about turning 26 in a month and investing 2 years into research and practice? Immediate pros: Make greater payment on existing student principle, gain research experience, more clinical experience. Cons: Loss of momentum/drive, potential loss of academic contacts
 
NPW3816 said:
Say, did I mention I'm having a QLC?

With all jokes aside, should I be concerned about turning 26 in a month and investing 2 years into research and practice? Immediate pros: Make greater payment on existing student principle, gain research experience, more clinical experience. Cons: Loss of momentum/drive, potential loss of academic contacts
Click to expand...

That's tough to answer, honestly, and is something you'll likely just need to do some soul searching about. Spending the time gaining the research experience could be "dangerous" for the reasons you've listed re: losing momentum and drive, but when it comes to academic contacts, you'll likely be making some new ones in the new lab. Additionally, spending time in a research lab will give you a first-hand view of what much of your time might look like while in grad school; in that respect, it's almost a mix of a pre-med student shadowing a physician and volunteering in a hospital.

As for the age, I started grad school in my mid-20's and took my sweet ol' time getting through, and I know plenty of folks who began in their late 20's.

My advice would be this: consider applying for the next admissions cycle, once you've raised that GRE score, and see how it goes. If you've had a chance to get some research experience by then, awesome; if not, who knows, maybe you'll still land some interviews. Regardless, it'll help you go through the process of getting the application materials together, getting your letters of rec in order, etc. If things don't pan out for you during the next cycle, apply during the one after that. At that point, you'll hopefully have had a chance to get over a year's worth of research experience, which should help alleviate any red flags immediately thrown up by a total absence of such experience.And feel free to check with other members here about this, but as I mentioned above, I'd strongly recommend looking heavily at counseling Ph.D. programs that fit your research/clinical interests, as they seem to value having a masters and prior real-world experience to a greater extent than most clinical Ph.D. programs.

In the mean time, keep doing what you're doing now (like you said, pay down existing principle, continue furthering your career, etc.). It never hurts to have Plans B, C, D, and E, just in case, so the extra time may allow you to develop and work toward those as well.
 
AcronymAllergy said:
That's tough to answer, honestly, and is something you'll likely just need to do some soul searching about. Spending the time gaining the research experience could be "dangerous" for the reasons you've listed re: losing momentum and drive, but when it comes to academic contacts, you'll likely be making some new ones in the new lab. Additionally, spending time in a research lab will give you a first-hand view of what much of your time might look like while in grad school; in that respect, it's almost a mix of a pre-med student shadowing a physician and volunteering in a hospital.

As for the age, I started grad school in my mid-20's and took my sweet ol' time getting through, and I know plenty of folks who began in their late 20's.

My advice would be this: consider applying for the next admissions cycle, once you've raised that GRE score, and see how it goes. If you've had a chance to get some research experience by then, awesome; if not, who knows, maybe you'll still land some interviews. Regardless, it'll help you go through the process of getting the application materials together, getting your letters of rec in order, etc. If things don't pan out for you during the next cycle, apply during the one after that. At that point, you'll hopefully have had a chance to get over a year's worth of research experience, which should help alleviate any red flags immediately thrown up by a total absence of such experience.And feel free to check with other members here about this, but as I mentioned above, I'd strongly recommend looking heavily at counseling Ph.D. programs that fit your research/clinical interests, as they seem to value having a masters and prior real-world experience to a greater extent than most clinical Ph.D. programs.

In the mean time, keep doing what you're doing now (like you said, pay down existing principle, continue furthering your career, etc.). It never hurts to have Plans B, C, D, and E, just in case, so the extra time may allow you to develop and work toward those as well.
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Reading your response has been the proverbial benzo to my anxiety that I'll be reading more than a couple of times.
You earned those letters, doc.
 
I will be (likely) having three posters being presented at the upcoming NAN conference. I was 2nd author on all 3, all 3 will also be turned into manuscripts with 2 of those 3 likely to be turned into and accepted for publication and a 4th manuscript being completed with a neurologist in a different department. Before I start counting my chickens so to speak, I wanted to find out from my fellow forum friends to see what kind of impact will having these poster presentations at NAN plus the 4 manuscripts (3 of which I will be second author on) will have on my Ph.D. applications for counseling and clinical psychology? I am currently a master's student in cognitive neuroscience and conduct my research (for the past year) in a neuropsychology department at a prominent medical university.

Thanks for any insight.
 
CogNeuroGuy said:
I will be (likely) having three posters being presented at the upcoming NAN conference. I was 2nd author on all 3, all 3 will also be turned into manuscripts with 2 of those 3 likely to be turned into and accepted for publication and a 4th manuscript being completed with a neurologist in a different department. Before I start counting my chickens so to speak, I wanted to find out from my fellow forum friends to see what kind of impact will having these poster presentations at NAN plus the 4 manuscripts (3 of which I will be second author on) will have on my Ph.D. applications for counseling and clinical psychology? I am currently a master's student in cognitive neuroscience and conduct my research (for the past year) in a neuropsychology department at a prominent medical university.

Thanks for any insight.
Click to expand...
Moved to WAMC.

Have any of the your manuscripts actually been accepted yet or are you just now submitting them? The publication process is really slow and rather unpredictable, so it's not a good idea in general to assume manuscripts will be accepted to a certain journal or by a certain time.
 
We will be submitting them this summer, my PI is very confident; again, I know it is not wise to start counting the chickens, but he is a big producer within the field of neuropsychology, and the general word on the block from my colleagues in the school's Ph.D. program is that he is not one to present to a journal if he doesn't believe in it having a significant chance of getting accepted. Theoretically (I think that would be a better way to put it/ best case scenario), how would these look? Would these accomplishments help offset a significantly low GRE?
 
Hello all, I'm as new as they come here.
I happened on this site by chance when I was looking something up, and have basically scared myself.

So, now I'm hoping there's some thread of hope for me, because I really want to continue my education after undergrad.

Alright, currently. I'm a Junior. I'll be a Senior this fall. I'm a B.S. Psychology Major with a Minor in Applied Statistics and Data Analysis.
Cum. GPA: 3.02
Psych GPA: 2.79 <---I have a very logical excuse for this...but it is also dumb. I will say it involved six flags and an almost law suit.

I have yet to take the GRE (but will)
And I'm trying to raise my GPA to a 3.4

I'm currently doing my own research with a professor, that I will be presenting this saturday at a conference. I'm also presenting data collected from my research at a SAS day conference May 2. I plan on continuing my current research through my senior year and presenting at another conference hopefully.
Also, I'm studying abroad in Scotland for part of this summer.

Compared to what other students are posting here, I'm feeling really down haha.

Well, I guess, my question now would be, applying for PhD programs are a long shot right? (still gonna do it though, since you never know), but I was planning on Masters degrees. Which, I was also wondering, I've decided I'm going to apply to a program in London, and I know credits and different countries and what have yous are very iffy, but is a terrible idea to apply to a school out of the country and come back and apply to PhD programs here? Would it help or hinder me?
And is my minor a good enough plus to help me? Cause I mean, I'm pretty good at Statistics now. Like...if you need help in Excel or want some SAS help...also SPSS, still learning it, but it's fairly simple. And, a little tiny bit of R (I need to brush up on it though).
 
CogNeuroGuy said:
We will be submitting them this summer, my PI is very confident; again, I know it is not wise to start counting the chickens, but he is a big producer within the field of neuropsychology, and the general word on the block from my colleagues in the school's Ph.D. program is that he is not one to present to a journal if he doesn't believe in it having a significant chance of getting accepted. Theoretically (I think that would be a better way to put it/ best case scenario), how would these look? Would these accomplishments help offset a significantly low GRE?
Click to expand...

Pre-PhD/PsyD publications are generally always going to look great (even more so if it's a high-IF journal and/or with big names in the field). That being said, whether or not it causes POIs to look past a significantly low GRE probably depends in part on just how low said score is.
 
Hey everybody, I am about to begin an MSW program this coming Fall and I have a couple of questions about potential options in the future. My bachelors degree is in Psychology, I also have an associates degree in Criminal Justice; the latter was earned because I decided part way through school that I wanted to become a police officer. As such, I really did not put as much effort (as little as needed to pass) into school as I should have. After working for a couple years in the field I realized what a huge mistake I made doing the bare minimum and not taking advantage of the opportunities available to me as an undergrad. I'm going for my MSW because I did not have the background to make it in to a clinical psychology program and felt this would be a great way to get experience practicing psychotherapy ( I'm generalizing, I know the two are NOT at all the same) and hoped I could participate in research, gain clinical experience, and hopefully do well enough to earn myself a place in a PhD program. Who knows, I may find that I am perfectly happy as an LCSW, I just keep going back and forth and as such am wondering if it is even an option for me, the PhD that is. Is this doable? My undergraduate GPA was 3.04 and I have yet to take the GRE. Will experience as a clinical social worker (research, psychotherapy) and a good graduate GPA/GRE score (just assume I do great) make up for my subpar undergrad GPA? Thanks in advance for any and all insight!
 
poeticjustice said:
Hello all, I am at sort of a crossroads here...my end goal is to obtain my PhD in Clinical Psychology and I am trying to decide how to make myself more competitive.

Undergraduate graduating in May at a mid-sized nationally recognized liberal arts college.
Major: Psychology
Minor: Sociology
GPA: 3.65
GRE: 155 V 150 Q 4.5 W 680 Psych
Awards: Latin Honors (Cum Laude)
Activities: President of Psi Chi, several club memberships, Psychology Peer Mentor (psychology 101), Peer Mentor for the College Counseling Team, Suicide Hotline Volunteer.
Clinical Work: Volunteer on an inpatient psychiatry unit for 4 summers.
Research Experience: Assisted with two separate studies while volunteering on the IP unit; Interned with two separate labs this past summer: one at the NIMH the other at a VA.

Do you think it would be more beneficial for me to work as an RA for a couple years (I have several interviews this upcoming week) or get a Masters (I've been accepted to two programs) before I apply to Clinical PhD programs? I realize my GRE scores aren't great and can see that I need some more research experience. I am not certain that I would have opportunities for publishing while at these RA positions (will find out during interviews) but it would be nice to get paid. The Masters might allow more opportunity for publishing as well as teaching and perhaps even some clinical experience but the programs are only partially funded.

Any advice would be sincerely appreciated.
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I would go the RA route, get as much experience and as many posters/pubs as you can, and make connections. If you are able to do that in a paid position vs going into a mound of debt for grad school, seems like the best option to me.
 
ahpsych said:
I would go the RA route, get as much experience and as many posters/pubs as you can, and make connections. If you are able to do that in a paid position vs going into a mound of debt for grad school, seems like the best option to me.
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Thanks so much for your advice, ahpsych. Fingers crossed on a job offer. Best of luck to everyone on here!
 
Hi all,

Here are my stats:
-bachelors gpa (psych major): 2.4 (parent died when I was in school, wasn't really able to pull it together after that)
-masters in special ed gpa: 3.8
-masters in developmental psychology (from a high ranking uk university so no gpa, but did very well)
-was a research assistant in college and throughout both masters programs
-still involved in research (working on a paper as 2nd author through well known local university)
-currently a sped teacher
-gre: verbal 161, quant 150, writing 4.5

I'm hoping to apply to school psych phd programs (and maybe a few psyd programs?) next fall, but am really afraid my low undergrad gpa will keep me from getting my foot in the door anywhere. Any advice/thoughts are appreciated! Thanks!
 
pccgrad said:
Hi! Thanks in advance for any input. I earned my B.S. in two years at 20, starting a highly regarded M.S. Clinical Psych program and because of major conflict with my thesis chair withdrew my third semester with a 3.2gpa. I studied teaching for one semester at a 3.9 and now, I'm one class away from completing my M.S. pastoral counseling (GPA 4.0) at a decent school.

I have several publications, a ton of presentations, GRE approaching 1400 and an undergrad GPA of 3.7. I spent the last year in Afghanistan as a mental health specialist and in Dec will graduate and apply to Counseling Psychology PhD programs.

Do you think this major incident of having withdrawn from a grad psyc program will be a KOD for applications? I'm applying to the least competitive Coun Psyc PhD programs in the country where I also have a good research fit. I'm not sure what I would do if I couldn't pursue doctoral study. Is it still possible? I'm not sure if this should go in WAMC or not. Thank you!
Click to expand...

Mod Note: Went ahead and moved this to the WAMC thread.
 
pccgrad said:
Hi! Thanks in advance for any input. I earned my B.S. in two years at 20, starting a highly regarded M.S. Clinical Psych program and because of major conflict with my thesis chair withdrew my third semester with a 3.2gpa. I studied teaching for one semester at a 3.9 and now, I'm one class away from completing my M.S. pastoral counseling (GPA 4.0) at a decent school.

I have several publications, a ton of presentations, GRE approaching 1400 and an undergrad GPA of 3.7. I spent the last year in Afghanistan as a mental health specialist and in Dec will graduate and apply to Counseling Psychology PhD programs.

Do you think this major incident of having withdrawn from a grad psyc program will be a KOD for applications? I'm applying to the least competitive Coun Psyc PhD programs in the country where I also have a good research fit. I'm not sure what I would do if I couldn't pursue doctoral study. Is it still possible? I'm not sure if this should go in WAMC or not. Thank you!
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Walk me through this: you graduated from undergrad, enrolled but did not complete a master's, enrolled but did not complete another master's (? What is this teaching degree?), and are now completing a master's? If so, the problem of not going through on your commitments is a major red flag. Really, the only way around it would be to have an extremely convincing story that your letter writers (not you yourself) stressed was an isolated series of incidents that is no longer an issue. Also, why a phd? Do you want to do research? Are your publications & posters somewhere near your area of research interest for grad school?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk
 
Stats:
Gpa 2.9(and rising)
Gre: 148/148/4 (planned retake)
Paid experience in a group home for more than 8 months and increasing.

Goal: licensed psychologist(psyd preferably)

I am living in Indiana and have resources to use CoDV and Chapter 31 benefits. Should I apply to masters program, and if so does it matter if it was a distance program or b&m program; in terms of applying to state psy.d programs in the future. Would being a veteran help me go from bachelor's to do total program or merely stay on the bachelors->masters->doctoral pathway?

(Note: post-bac is not an option)
 
CuriousResearcher said:
Stats:
Gpa 2.9(and rising)
Gre: 148/148/4 (planned retake)
Paid experience in a group home for more than 8 months and increasing.

Goal: licensed psychologist(psyd preferably)

I am living in Indiana and have resources to use CoDV and Chapter 31 benefits. Should I apply to masters program, and if so does it matter if it was a distance program or b&m program; in terms of applying to state psy.d programs in the future. Would being a veteran help me go from bachelor's to do total program or merely stay on the bachelors->masters->doctoral pathway?

(Note: post-bac is not an option)
Click to expand...

Mod Note: Moving this to the WAMC thread.
 
CuriousResearcher said:
Stats:
Gpa 2.9(and rising)
Gre: 148/148/4 (planned retake)
Paid experience in a group home for more than 8 months and increasing.

Goal: licensed psychologist(psyd preferably)

I am living in Indiana and have resources to use CoDV and Chapter 31 benefits. Should I apply to masters program, and if so does it matter if it was a distance program or b&m program; in terms of applying to state psy.d programs in the future. Would being a veteran help me go from bachelor's to do total program or merely stay on the bachelors->masters->doctoral pathway?

(Note: post-bac is not an option)
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Unfortunately, the GPA and GRE scores are both going to work against you when applying to doctoral programs. The paid experience can be nice for personal statement material, and some programs like that folks have it, but in general, it tends to neither help nor hurt most folks. In your case, a masters does seem to make sense to help you get some research experience (which is very, very important) and to help you raise the GPA and show that you can handle grad-level coursework. If you combine that with a stronger GRE profile, you'll be well on your way to improving your overall application strength.
 
Hi everyone. I am interested in applying to grad school for clinical child psych. I know my chances for a phd are rough but honestly I really am more inclined towards the psyd programs (especially yeshiva-- yes, i know its expensive)
anyone want to give me some feedback on how you think i would do? (keeping yeshiva's psyd as my main goal in mind)

Interest in working with anxious children, bilingual/bicultural/minority populations (Latinos and African American), and early parent-child relationships/attachment styles
GPA: 3.48- small rigorous liberal arts school... mostly Bs and B+s
GRE: first rounds 154 and 154 on math and verb. planning to get those up on round 2! 4.5 essay
Research experience: a year of research at school, 1.5 years as a RA at a major psychiatric institute in ny (adults- paid), 2 years as an Assisting Teacher and TA in toddler classes at Barnard's Toddler Center (paid), internships with child life programs
Rec letters: 2-3 will be Strong, one good
Publications: will have 2 publications as second author by the end of next year, one poster as second author
extra: I am a bilingual english-spanish minority

thoughts?
 
I just took the GRE and am trying to decide what my next step should be for applying to Clinical Psych Ph.D. programs for Fall 2015. My scores were average at best and I need to decide where I should go from here.

I currently have a BA in Psych from May 2013. My GPA was 3.48. V-GRE is 154 and Q-GRE is 151. (scores are unofficial so I am still waiting on writing). I am currently working full time in a research lab since late Sept. and am presenting 2 posters at upcoming psychology conferences and have additional clinical and research experience from undergrad.

In terms of my application I am wondering what the next step I should take is. I am not sure where to go since I feel I am just below what some schools have listed as mean scores, but I feel I have a good backing of research experience.
 
mg04veri said:
I am not sure where to go since I feel I am just below what some schools have listed as mean scores, but I feel I have a good backing of research experience.
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If your scores are below the mean for the places you plan on applying, I would retake the GRE. While 1 year of full-time post-bac research experience and 2 posters is great, the simple fact is that a large number of applicants at the competitive programs will have that too, in addition to better GRE scores. So, straight up, retake it with the goal of getting your scores above mean for admittance. If you don't think that's possible, maybe you should reconsider where you are applying. Of course, GRE is typically just a single, objective screening factor... research fit is also important, yada yada yada. Point is, if you feel you can raise your scores, do everything you can to raise them, since it is actually a modifiable part of your application- unlike GPA or undergraduate institution attended.

Other things, if you were wondering- take the Psych GRE so that you are not limited in where you apply. Also, if you do very well, it will leave an impressive mark in the face of lower GRE scores. Find your 3 letter writers and make sure they are covering (between the 3) both your research and clinical knowledge/experience/potential. Lastly, spend the majority of the time looking up POI and program interests and philosophies, respectively. Then work on tailoring personal statements to each place you will apply. These guides are very helpful; not sure if there is a later edition out or soon to be released.
 
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I'll also add that your Quant score, in particular, is going to cause issues in getting your application fully considered at many programs.
 
Hi, I'm a little confused which path to take moving forward. My stats aren't great, so I was considering doing an MA first in Psychology, and from there applying to PhD programs. I've been accepted to an MA program already (in CA), but would like to know whether I should directly apply to Clinical Psychology PhD programs instead of taking 2 years to complete the Masters. Here are my stats:
Cum GPA: 3.5 (lowered due to premed classes!)
Psych GPA: 3.82
GRE Scores:
VR: 154
QR: 155
AW: 4
I realize my GRE scores are pretty low, so I'm planning to RETAKE it!
Research experience: 3 yrs at a cognitive neuroimaging lab as a research assistant while an undergrad, finished an honors thesis, 1 yr of cognitive neuropsych research post-grad, and currently being interviewed/reviewed for a clinical study RA position. (no pubs, or abstracts)
Clinical experience: 2+ yrs of volunteering in a recreational therapy department, overseeing patients with dementia, etc.
I was wondering what my chances would be in applying for clinical psych PhD programs in CA: including UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD. USC, etc. Also, I'd like to know whether it would be more valuable to get my Masters first or obtain a full-time clinical research position at a hospital?
Thank you!!
 
still h0ping said:
Hi, I'm a little confused which path to take moving forward. My stats aren't great, so I was considering doing an MA first in Psychology, and from there applying to PhD programs. I've been accepted to an MA program already (in CA), but would like to know whether I should directly apply to Clinical Psychology PhD programs instead of taking 2 years to complete the Masters. Here are my stats:
Cum GPA: 3.5 (lowered due to premed classes!)
Psych GPA: 3.82
GRE Scores:
VR: 154
QR: 155
AW: 4
I realize my GRE scores are pretty low, so I'm planning to RETAKE it!
Research experience: 3 yrs at a cognitive neuroimaging lab as a research assistant while an undergrad, finished an honors thesis, 1 yr of cognitive neuropsych research post-grad, and currently being interviewed/reviewed for a clinical study RA position. (no pubs, or abstracts)
Clinical experience: 2+ yrs of volunteering in a recreational therapy department, overseeing patients with dementia, etc.
I was wondering what my chances would be in applying for clinical psych PhD programs in CA: including UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD. USC, etc. Also, I'd like to know whether it would be more valuable to get my Masters first or obtain a full-time clinical research position at a hospital?
Thank you!!
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Particularly if you can raise the GRE scores, you application looks solid to me. However, unfortunately, schools in CA are notoriously competitive, even by "typical" clinical psych standards. I'd imagine they tend to have numerous folks with similarly solid applications who also have posters/pubs. Thus, if at all possible, I'd strongly encourage you to widen your geographic range.

However, that's not to say you shouldn't apply; you definitely should.

As for the masters, in your case, I don't know that it'd really be necessary or worthwile. The full-time research position would likely net you the same benefits while also getting you a salary.
 
Hi AcronymAllergy,
Thanks for your very helpful input! I'll look into other programs outside of CA, and see if they have labs doing research focused on what I'm interested in. I'll see if I do end up getting the job, then consider taking the job over the MA.. The job is not super interesting, but it will be paid, and help with the resume. I'm not sure if I'll get any publications towards the end of the job though. Are most Masters programs conducive for getting a publication out, or is usually only a thesis as the end goal?

And thanks Therapist4Chnge, these do seem to be super competitive, so I'll be a little more flexible with other options out there.
 
Tha
A Blue Duck said:
I'll also add that your Quant score, in particular, is going to cause issues in getting your application fully considered at many programs.
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Thanks so much for this I was having a tougher time putting especially the Quant score in perspective because a lot of the schools listed scores in the old GRE format.

What is the general score I should be shooting for? Also I was looking at some of the APA approved Counseling Psychology programs as well, the score seems to be slightly lower but is not listed for every school. Will a Counseling Psychology program ultimately put me at a disadvantage compared to a Clinical Program?
 
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