WAMC: What Are My Chances

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JJSB said:
Hey everybody,

I'm a junior undergraduate and I'm starting to prepare for the process of applying to graduate programs for clinical in the fall, with the ultimate goal of getting into academia. I'm in the process of finding individual schools that I might be interested in, and I'll be taking the GRE over the summer and the subject test in September. While I'm confident that I would be accepted into an MA program, I'm concerned about whether my existing credentials are good enough to go straight into a PhD program, given how competitive they are.

My GPA for psychology is 3.92, but my overall GPA is only 3.6ish- I had a rough freshman year, which is bringing everything down. Research-wise, I'm working on an honors thesis and a poster, and I'm a co-writing a paper along with two professors and a graduate student. However, the poster won't be presented until next spring, and the thesis and the paper potentially may not be finished until after application due dates, as well. GRE scores and individual fit notwithstanding, do I have a shot at getting into a/any clinical PhD program, or would a master's degree be more realistic, as an intermediate step?
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I think your GPA is good enough for a PhD program for sure- considering their are some people who make it in Clinical Psych programs with a UG 3.0 gpa. Plus Your psychology GPA says more about where your interest lies so this is really important. As far as I'm concerned your grades are more than Okay. What are GRE scores? This will only determine if you fit the schools cutoff scores- the GRE is often used to eliminate the count of applicants. So if you have pretty good GRE Scores, Is their any way you can present in at least one psychology conference before the Spring? You can submit just an abstract and work on the poster. I would definitely boost your research experience even by submitting your Honors Thesis for publication- 1 publication would look really good + recommendations. If you can get a pub, poster presentation, then I'd say you'd have a really good shot assuming you apply to programs that focus on your interest in research. Honestly speaking many if not most clinical psych applicants have years of research with work that reflects that. The clinical program emphasizes heavily on research. I've seen people make it that have minimal research experience- but they usually have near perfect GRE scores 315+ (So if this is you- APPLY). You can always apply to some PhD + MA programs and like you said, you have a good shot of getting into an MA program. But if you don't want to attend MA program you can always just work as a research assistant and with your grades+the additional research(Poster,Pub, etc), you shouldn't have an issue getting in.
 
EmelyM23 said:
Hi, totally off the realm of what you are even asking, But i noticed you have super good GRE scores, May I ask how long you studied, and what you used. I will be taking it in 2 months. I will also apply to a lot of the schools you are applying to and your credentials all look great.
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I'm so sorry, I didn't even see this until now! I actually didn't study at all. I walked in to take it cold, as a "practice run", with the intention of retaking it if my scores were terrible. They somehow ended up being okay. I've always been fairly decent at standardized testing, so that's probably it. I did flip through some books at the store though, and I liked what I saw in Gruber's prep book. They explain very clearly how to tackle questions, good explanations for getting correct answers, etc.
 
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@Wendi22 @WisNeuro @EmelyM23 Thanks for the feedback. I'm dreading taking them again (but then again, who isn't)...going to be a long summer of studying.

Withstanding GRE scores...knowing that I have a specific population/mentors in mind that I want to work with, and whose research fits my interests, would you say that my application is competitive enough for doctoral programs?
 
PBpsych37 said:
@Wendi22 @WisNeuro @EmelyM23 Thanks for the feedback. I'm dreading taking them again (but then again, who isn't)...going to be a long summer of studying.

Withstanding GRE scores...knowing that I have a specific population/mentors in mind that I want to work with, and whose research fits my interests, would you say that my application is competitive enough for doctoral programs?
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I understand your dread as like I said I took the test several times until I saw an improvement. You have good research going. I cannot tell you with any certainty that you will or will not get in as the process may be a little different at each school and it is a competitive process (so many variables). I will let the others chime in on their experience while sharing my own. My personal experience is that sometimes having a mentor that knows someone at a university (so a leg up some how) can help you get an interview. However, lots of schools have GRE requirements that simply must be considered and thus you may not make it past interview. Some schools also use a formula that gives points for different aspects of your application and a low GRE will hurt. My current school uses a process whereby you apply to a specific professor and are interviewed and primarily picked by that professor- so fit matters considerably more.

I applied for programs a few application cycles. The first two times I applied with lower scores (like 300 combined score) and this third time I applied with the higher scores. First two times, I got into a psyd (DU), a counseling phd (UGA), and 2 NYC schools with the lower scores and 4 posters, a paper presentation, and a paper under review. Counseling program was a bad fit and the others did not offer enough funding. Last cycle, I got into a funded phd program with the higher GRE scores and the paper officially being published. I hope that helps!
 
Wendi22 said:
I understand your dread as like I said I took the test several times until I saw an improvement. You have good research going. I cannot tell you with any certainty that you will or will not get in as the process may be a little different at each school and it is a competitive process (so many variables). I will let the others chime in on their experience while sharing my own. My personal experience is that sometimes having a mentor that knows someone at a university (so a leg up some how) can help you get an interview. However, lots of schools have GRE requirements that simply must be considered and thus you may not make it past interview. Some schools also use a formula that gives points for different aspects of your application and a low GRE will hurt. My current school uses a process whereby you apply to a specific professor and are interviewed and primarily picked by that professor- so fit matters considerably more.

I applied for programs a few application cycles. The first two times I applied with lower scores (like 300 combined score) and this third time I applied with the higher scores. First two times, I got into a psyd (DU), a counseling phd (UGA), and 2 NYC schools with the lower scores and 4 posters, a paper presentation, and a paper under review. Counseling program was a bad fit and the others did not offer enough funding. Last cycle, I got into a funded phd program with the higher GRE scores and the paper officially being published. I hope that helps!
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Thanks much, Wendi!

Apologies, I should have re framed my question a bit better.
Obviously, nothing is guaranteed within this field.
Going to continue doing what I'm doing (and yes, studying for that dreaded test again).
Doing what I can to calm my nerves, and this forum has been a great resource.

Thanks again!
 
PBpsych37 said:
Thanks much, Wendi!

Apologies, I should have re framed my question a bit better.
Obviously, nothing is guaranteed within this field.
Going to continue doing what I'm doing (and yes, studying for that dreaded test again).
Doing what I can to calm my nerves, and this forum has been a great resource.

Thanks again!
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No apologies needed. I phrased it more that way to explain that if you have the money for applications and the time to complete them then trying may be worth it ...it is certainly not unheard of to get a nice surprise and be called in for an interview for a school you thought your stats were too low for but higher GRE scores would set you up nicely
 
Wendi22 said:
No apologies needed. I phrased it more that way to explain that if you have the money for applications and the time to complete them then trying may be worth it ...it is certainly not unheard of to get a nice surprise and be called in for an interview for a school you thought your stats were too low for but higher GRE scores would set you up nicely
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For sure. I've bought myself a 5lb study book (which someone on here recommended) and will be cracking that open soon...just giving myself a small break after completing the subject test!

Thanks again!
 
Subject: Business to MA in School Psychology Advice Needed

Hello All,

First, I'd like to thank everyone for this wonderful forum. I've recently gained a lot of interest in School Psychology and have spent quite some time reading various posts.

I'm posting this in hopes of receiving advice on getting into a Master's in School Psychology program with an undergrad Business degree.

Background:
I'm 33 years old and graduated with a Bachelor's in Business Admin from a mid-tier local state school in 2006. I graduated with a 2.7 but I was fortunate to get some good roles in customer relationship/sales positions at various firms. Since graduating, I've worked primarily in retail banks for approximately 1-2 years each, and kept switching to a different bank after poor reviews due to low sales. The jobs weren't a great fit for me, but I stuck around for the decent money, only to finally realize and accept I don't feel happy or fulfilled in these roles.

However, I do like working with people, and I've become interested in pursuing a Master's Degree in School Psychology. I'm currently focusing on schools such as LIU Hudson and LIU as well as Touro College and Penn State. What are my odds of getting into such programs? What is the job market like for master's graduates with such degrees?

If there is a chance, I'd greatly appreciate any advice on getting into these programs. I've taken 1 psychology course in undergrad, which I understand is another limitation. Any other advice such as opportunities with Psychology given background are also welcome.

Thank you all for your time.
 
Hey guys!

I am currently a junior in college, and I switched from a dual major in Biochemistry and English to a major in English with a minor in Psychology. My first two years of college have been rough as this past semester I was dealing with health issues, so my overall gpa is closer to a 3.3 (due to not doing as well in some of my biochem courses), but my major gpa in English (and psych minor) is a 4.0.
I know it's a long way off, but I want to apply to clinical psych PhD programs. Since I am not a psychology major though and i had a rough time in biochem, I don't know how serious I would look to a better clinical psych program
Here are some stats so far (and things I plan to take/accomplish in the near future)
Overall Gpa: 3.3 (I can raise this to about a 3.5-3.6 by the time I have to apply)
Major Gpa: 4.0

Relevant Psych courses:
Intro psych
Developmental
Abnormal
Personality
Research Course
Research Methods
Upper level psych statistics

Extracurriculurs:
2 years research experience Neurobiology lab
-spent one summer performing research full time, did a supervised project and presented said research
2 years research experience in affective science, pathopsychology lab (focused on schizophrenia research)

President of on campus literary journal
Trained for local crisis intervention hotline, volunteer
Volunteer at local women's domestic violence center
Officer of National Alliance Mental Illness organization on campus (involved in campus mental health awareness and community reach-out)

What can I do to distinguish myself as a candidate despite having a not stellar academic background? Beyond letters of rec, I don't know which GRE's to take, how well I should do on them, and whether I am missing some of the more relevant psych courses that I should take. And how bad will being an English major affect my chances of getting into a Psych PhD program? Before anyone asks why I'm not switching to psych: I do really like english, and to graduate on time (and not have to pay an exorbitant amount of money) I figured I would study a major that I really enjoy and take relevant pre-req classes for psych at the same time.
 
Hello,

Not going to say much because other individuals will likely be able to help more. BUT......I will say a girl a year ahead of me in my MS psych program was an english major in undergrad. She did very well in the program and is now an adjunct professor and LPC. She applied to doctoral programs after completing her MS degree (she had good GRE and 4.0) but was rejected from all the programs. She did say she applied to very competitive programs though and I think she had very narrow interest.

That being said I am not sure what your chances are of going straight into a phd program are but you have good research experience going on. I think programs will list the required classes and if you have them you are certainly eligible I am guessing! As for the GRE - it is general and psychology that you will likely need to take since you are not a psychology major. The higher the scores the better!
 
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psyched_out said:
What can I do to distinguish myself as a candidate despite having a not stellar academic background? Beyond letters of rec, I don't know which GRE's to take, how well I should do on them, and whether I am missing some of the more relevant psych courses that I should take. And how bad will being an English major affect my chances of getting into a Psych PhD program? Before anyone asks why I'm not switching to psych: I do really like english, and to graduate on time (and not have to pay an exorbitant amount of money) I figured I would study a major that I really enjoy and take relevant pre-req classes for psych at the same time.
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1. I think you're doing OK academically, especially with another year to improve your GPA. It looks like you've taken a good general sequence of psychology courses. If you have room for a couple more, see if you can take another course with a previous professor (one you like) to strengthen your relationship with them. It would be nice to see an A in a more biology-related psychology course like physiological psychology, brain & behavior, behavioral neuroscience, perception, etc. A course in testing/psychometrics or introductory clinical/counseling psych wouldn't hurt either. Go to office hours, chat about your career interests, get on your professors' radar. Keep those A's coming.

2. Your research experiences look good so far. Give some thought to how well those experiences line up with what you want to study in graduate school. If you can't easily describe a relationship between your research interests and the lab experiences you've had so far, then you should seek more relevant experience to improve your fit with programs and faculty.

3. Line up your letters of recommendation early and make sure to remedy any issues or weak points in response to feedback.

4. Take the general GRE; study hard so you can do well the first time. Don't bother with the psych GRE unless you must have it for a specific program application.

5. Yes, the English major is a little unusual, but if otherwise you've shown yourself capable of doing well in psychology coursework and as a lab volunteer, I think your application is worth a serious look. Remember, fit is so very important. You should chat with your professors about how to present yourself with your academic background. On the plus side, no one will be afraid that you won't know how to write. 🙂
 
Hi Everyone! Previously, I applied to several clinical psych programs and I did not make the cut (didn't even get interviewed). I have since completed a Master's of Science in School Psychology hoping to increase my chances at a doctoral degree. I am still debating between pursuing a doctorate in school psychology or in clinical psych, although I think I am leaning towards clinical. I am interested in these programs, and would welcome anything that you could share with me about them (and my chances of them):

University of Kentucky - School Psychology and Clinical
University of Louisville - Clinical Psychology
University of Connecticut - School Psychology
Loyola - School Psychology
East Carolina U - Paediatric School Psych
San Diego State - clinical
DePaul - Clinical
Notre Dame - Clinical
University of Pittsburgh - Clinical
Vanderbilt - Clinical
University of Houston - Clinical

Here are my stats:
3.97 Master's GPA
3.3 Undergrad GPA (although 3.9 in final 2 years)
GRE (161, 155, 4.5) (V/Q/A)
4 conference presentations
3 RA positions
0 publications

Any thoughts? Any feedback at this stage in the game would be incredibly helpful. Thanks!!
 
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Gradgoal said:
Hi Everyone! Previously, I applied to several clinical psych programs and I did not make the cut (didn't even get interviewed). I have since completed a Master's of Science in School Psychology hoping to increase my chances at a doctoral degree. I am still debating between pursuing a doctorate in school psychology or in clinical psych, although I think I am leaning towards clinical. I am interested in these programs, and would welcome anything that you could share with me about them (and my chances of them):

University of Kentucky - School Psychology and Clinical
University of Louisville - Clinical Psychology
University of Connecticut - School Psychology
Loyola - School Psychology
East Carolina U - Paediatric School Psych
San Diego State - clinical
DePaul - Clinical
Notre Dame - Clinical
University of Pittsburgh - Clinical
Vanderbilt - Clinical
University of Houston - Clinical

Here are my stats:
3.97 Master's GPA
3.3 Undergrad GPA (although 3.9 in final 2 years)
GRE (161, 155, 3.5) (V/Q/A)
4 conference presentations
3 RA positions
0 publications

Any thoughts? Any feedback at this stage in the game would be incredibly helpful. Thanks!!
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I do not know much about school psychology programs but may I ask what your long term goals are and reasons for desiring a doctoral degree? May help 🙂
 
MamaPhD said:
Don't bother with the psych GRE unless you must have it for a specific program application.
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I do agree with this but just want to add to make sure to triple check the subject test is not required before deciding not to take it. Also be sure to have picked all the programs you want to apply to and be certain you will not want to add more. This test is less readily available (where I am from anyways it is twice a year) so deciding not to take it and later finding out you needed it can be frustrating. I went to the websites of a couple clinical psych programs and already found many requesting subject test for non psychology majors so again just make sure.
 
Wendi22 said:
I do not know much about school psychology programs but may I ask what your long term goals are and reasons for desiring a doctoral degree? May help 🙂
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Ultimately, i'd like to open a child-focused private practice. If I do a doctoral degree in school psychology it will have to be based on education, but if I do clinical then it will broaden my skills and allow me to take on more roles.
 
Gradgoal said:
Ultimately, i'd like to open a child-focused private practice. If I do a doctoral degree in school psychology it will have to be based on education, but if I do clinical then it will broaden my skills and allow me to take on more roles.
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Okay it looks like you got some good research experience going which is great ! Some of those programs are highly competitive which means the GRE scores have to be as high as possible. Writing score for the GRE may be slightly low as I think a 4.0 is around the 56th percentile which means a 3.5 is a little on the low side. One other degree that might get you in the right direction is a PhD in counseling psychology. Not sure if you have looked into any programs but there are some that are highly similar to clinical psych programs and applying to a few may not hurt. This is just a suggestion as you may not have a look into this as an option. Just make sure to read closely about any program you apply to (whether it be school clinical or counseling) and make sure it will be a good fit for you. Fit is very important in the application process.


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Thank-you so much for the feedback! That is a good suggestion about looking into counselling psych. You also mentioned that some of the programs I listed are very competitive...I am a foreign applicant so I am not as familiar with the programs as I'm guessing Americans are, can you comment on which programs you were referring to?

Also, I made a mistake above, I got a 4.5 on analytical writing, not 3.5
 
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Gradgoal said:
Thank-you so much for the feedback! That is a good suggestion about looking into counselling psych. You also mentioned that some of the programs I listed are very competitive...I am a foreign applicant so I am not as familiar with the programs as I'm guessing Americans are, can you comment on which programs you were referring to?

Also, I made a mistake above, I got a 4.5 on analytical writing, not 3.5
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That is great- a 4.5 is a good score. Funded PhD programs in general are competitive. For example, University of Kentucky receives around 250 applications for 8 spots. Your GRE scores are around the average of those typically admitted (Avg is 161V and 156Q), which is great. However, many applicants will also have high GRE scores. This means you have to distinguish yourself by having more research than fellow applicants and by being a better fit for the program. My program receives around a similar number of applicants and there are 6 people in my cohort. It is rough out there. I do not say any of that to discourage you not to apply but to encourage you to work hard 🙂 Here is a link to a fact sheet that may be helpful.

https://psychology.as.uky.edu/sites...l Psychology Grad School Fact Sheet_1210a.pdf
 
Hi everyone, I am an international student who is looking for some advice with regards to applying to clinical PhD programs. My background and credentials are obviously a bit different, so I would very much appreciate any and all feedback, as I have no idea what my chances are. I am hoping to become a neuropsychologist eventually and would thus love a program with a strong focus on neuropsychology and CBT. Here is a summary of my credentials:

Undergrad GPA: 3.4 (I completed my undergrad in psychology at a reputable UK university, UK equivalent: 2:1. I should also mention that my grades improved a lot towards the end of my degree.)
1st Grad GPA: 3.95 (I did a masters in clinical psychology at a top UK institution, UK equivalent: Distinction.)
2nd Grad GPA: 3.77 so far (I started a masters in organizational psychology after my first masters because there is so little funding for international students who want to do clinical psychology in the UK at the moment. However, I have since realised that it is not for me and that I really want to be a clinical psychologist/researcher after all.)
GRE: I am planning on taking it this year once I have finished my studies. I have about 2 months to prepare for it and am hoping that will be enough to do well.

Research/clinical experience:
I worked as a RA during my clinical masters for a multi-site clinical trial for 8 months.
I am working as a RA at my current university (8 months so far).
I am also hoping to get a job as a RA/Lab Manager/Clinical Coordinator for a year or so starting in the fall to improve my research experience.

I have previously worked as a support worker at a psychiatric hospital in a ward for adults. I have also worked as support worker for a psychiatric crisis team. This was a post I held for about three years during my undergrad. I worked full-time during summer and winter holidays (the ward and the crisis team were part of the same hospital, which is why the two overlap).

Publications:
None so far, but I am currently working with my previous supervisor and am hoping to publish my clinical MSc thesis by the end of the year, which is very neuropsychology focused.

As I mentioned previously, I would love to go to do a neuropsychology/CBT focused program, but I find it difficult to know what my chances are. I recently purchased the Insider's Guide to Clinical and Counselling Programs in Psychology and have seen that a lot of programs have a GPA cut-off. However, I am not sure how to calculate my GPA? Do the universities only focus on undergrad GPAs or should I select schools based on my clinical masters GPA? Or combine the two/three? If anyone could help shed some light on this, that would help me out a lot!

So far I don't know where I can apply, but I would love to go to UCSD/SDSU, USC, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, University of Arizona, or Yale, if possible. I know these are very competitive institutions, so again, I am not sure what my chances are. I would also be happy to go to any other California universities, as my partner who I will be moving to the US with is from there. However, I am hoping to do a funded degree so some of the smaller universities are not really an option for me.

Thank you very much for reading this! Sorry if my credentials are a little bit confusing, if you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks again for your help, any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!
 
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calgan20 said:
I will be applying this fall, just throwing myself out there to see what my chances may be. I intend to apply to Washington State University's Clinical Neuropsych program

GPA: 3.6, 4.0 in psych
Honors student, member of Psi Chi
AA in paralegal studies (not helpful, I know, hoping it's not hurtful)
Research: will have 6 months in a neuropsych lab, 1 year total in a cognitive lab by time I apply, will be managing this lab for all of 2016-2017
1 poster presentation at university symposium
Working on a senior thesis under our faculty neuropsychologist
Clinically, have 1 year of experience at a suicide hotline, 6 months of internship time under a school counselor
Will be taking GRE's this summer
Anticipating strong letters of recommendations from 3 doctorate level professors.

Previous work experience before returning to school includes 6 years in veterinary medicine as a technician and receptionist.
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I am sure others on here will be more familiar with that program as well as that concentration area. But I do know that the GRE will be important. To be competitive for that program you will need at least a 160 for verbal and a 157 for Quantitative (of course these scores will put you right up there with other applicants so higher would be better). I am sure they get somewhere between 150-200 applicants per year. As far as research you have completed/produced is it the poster or is there anything else going to be completed before December deadlines?
 
calgan20 said:
I will be applying this fall, just throwing myself out there to see what my chances may be. I intend to apply to Washington State University's Clinical Neuropsych program

GPA: 3.6, 4.0 in psych
Honors student, member of Psi Chi
AA in paralegal studies (not helpful, I know, hoping it's not hurtful)
Research: will have 6 months in a neuropsych lab, 1 year total in a cognitive lab by time I apply, will be managing this lab for all of 2016-2017
1 poster presentation at university symposium
Working on a senior thesis under our faculty neuropsychologist
Clinically, have 1 year of experience at a suicide hotline, 6 months of internship time under a school counselor
Will be taking GRE's this summer
Anticipating strong letters of recommendations from 3 doctorate level professors.

Previous work experience before returning to school includes 6 years in veterinary medicine as a technician and receptionist.
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If you are only applying to one program, your chances are pretty low no matter what your qualifications are, in most cases. GPA is good, research experience looks good, senior thesis will be a bonus, clinical experience is ok, but doesn't set you apart, previous work experience is a wash, and some of it will ride on your GREs.
 
calgan20 said:
Thank you! Definitely aware that GRE is the biggest hurdle. I appreciate you giving me an idea of the cutoffs I'm looking for.
I will have a couple studies in progress at the deadline, none will be completed by that point, unfortunately.
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I too was wondering if you are ONLY applying to that program or is that just the one you are most interested in so you asked about it specifically?
 
calgan20 said:
I don't have the ability to move, due to my spouse's job. It's the only school that is logistical for us, but it happens to be my dream school due to the program and research they are doing.
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That might be the case..but the # of schools that a person should apply to is abut 15 programs..for you to have a fairly good shot of having at least 2-5 of those schools give you an interview, and hopefully one of them accept you!
 
calgan20 said:
I don't have the ability to move, due to my spouse's job. It's the only school that is logistical for us, but it happens to be my dream school due to the program and research they are doing.
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Best of luck, just remember that this school is likely to get 175-200 applications, most of those having similar stats, and they will accept about 5-7 into a cohort. Also remember that you'll need an internship down the road, and limiting yourself geographically there can also cause problems. It's not impossible, just makes things exceedingly difficult for you going forward. After that, you'll also have to think about postdoc if you are going the neuro route. That is not an area of the country that is rich in these types of positions/training programs.
 
calgan20 said:
I don't have the ability to move, due to my spouse's job. It's the only school that is logistical for us, but it happens to be my dream school due to the program and research they are doing.
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Oh I understand the married thing and spouse's job...it is hard. I was in a similar spot in that my husband had a great job that he was doing well at. I went ahead and applied to many programs with his encouragement just to see what would happen (other wise I would always wonder). Once I got a funded offer in another state my husband ended up leaving his job and getting a new one. I got 1 funded offer after applying to 6 schools. Certainly not the right choice for everyone though. I say all that just to say that if you really want to make this happen you could always keep applying there if it does not work out this go around or just send a few more applications out that are not too far away just to see what happens.
 
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Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum, but I have been reading posts without an account for a while. I just want to know if I have any chance to get into a clinical PhD program.

GPA: 3.286 -- not at all proud of this. started out as a business major (typical, I know), but I struggled a bit and didn't do so well in the beginning of college. I worked really hard to bring this up and thus my transcript has a strong upward trend. Last two semesters I made the dean's list and even got a 4.0 the last semester before graduating.
Psych GPA: 3.779

Psych & Psych-related courses I've taken:
- General Psych
- Social Psych
- Abnormal Psych + Lab
- Cognition
- Physiological Psych
- Adolescent Development
- Statistical Methods
- Neuropsychology
- Conditioning and Learning
- Personality Psych
- Research Methods
- Psych of Relationships
- Systems of Psychotherapy

Research & Clinical Experience:
- One month as RA for Albert Einstein College of Medicine (short time, but better than nothing)
- One semester as RA for well-respected professor at Rutgers University
- I have a 12-month contract to be a part-time RA for Montefiore Medical Center

GRE (I definitely want to retake this since I have more time to study now and know I can do better, but this is just for reference):
- Verbal: 157, 74%
- Quant: 156, 65%
- Writing: 4.0, 56%

Psych GRE (HORRIBLE score... 10000% retaking this. I will admit I was not at all well prepared for this, but I am taking the steps to fix that now):
- Overall: 600, 39%
- Experimental: 61, 44%
- Social: 59, 36%


I haven't narrowed down this list yet since I'm still doing research, but I will still include this for reference. I know that many of these are reach schools for me.
- USC, PhD
- UCLA, PhD
- Palo Alto, PsyD/PhD
- SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral, PhD
- Alliant San Diego, PsyD
- Alliant Los Angeles, PsyD
- La Verne, PsyD
- UCF, PhD
- Nova Southeastern, PsyD/PhD
- UMiami, PhD
- FSU, PhD
- Rutgers, PsyD
- Adelphi, PhD
- CUNY Graduate Center, PhD
- Hofstra, PhD
- LIU Post, PsyD
- Columbia, PhD

Would appreciate any input and I will make sure to update info once I retake the exams. Thanks in advance!
 
fritolay said:
Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum, but I have been reading posts without an account for a while. I just want to know if I have any chance to get into a clinical PhD program.

GPA: 3.286 -- not at all proud of this. started out as a business major (typical, I know), but I struggled a bit and didn't do so well in the beginning of college. I worked really hard to bring this up and thus my transcript has a strong upward trend. Last two semesters I made the dean's list and even got a 4.0 the last semester before graduating.
Psych GPA: 3.779

Psych & Psych-related courses I've taken:
- General Psych
- Social Psych
- Abnormal Psych + Lab
- Cognition
- Physiological Psych
- Adolescent Development
- Statistical Methods
- Neuropsychology
- Conditioning and Learning
- Personality Psych
- Research Methods
- Psych of Relationships
- Systems of Psychotherapy

Research & Clinical Experience:
- One month as RA for Albert Einstein College of Medicine (short time, but better than nothing)
- One semester as RA for well-respected professor at Rutgers University
- I have a 12-month contract to be a part-time RA for Montefiore Medical Center

GRE (I definitely want to retake this since I have more time to study now and know I can do better, but this is just for reference):
- Verbal: 157, 74%
- Quant: 156, 65%
- Writing: 4.0, 56%

Psych GRE (HORRIBLE score... 10000% retaking this. I will admit I was not at all well prepared for this, but I am taking the steps to fix that now):
- Overall: 600, 39%
- Experimental: 61, 44%
- Social: 59, 36%


I haven't narrowed down this list yet since I'm still doing research, but I will still include this for reference. I know that many of these are reach schools for me.
- USC, PhD
- UCLA, PhD
- Palo Alto, PsyD/PhD
- SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral, PhD
- Alliant San Diego, PsyD
- Alliant Los Angeles, PsyD
- La Verne, PsyD
- UCF, PhD
- Nova Southeastern, PsyD/PhD
- UMiami, PhD
- FSU, PhD
- Rutgers, PsyD
- Adelphi, PhD
- CUNY Graduate Center, PhD
- Hofstra, PhD
- LIU Post, PsyD
- Columbia, PhD

Would appreciate any input and I will make sure to update info once I retake the exams. Thanks in advance!
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Oops! Forgot to add that I am given credit for technical writing assistance as part of my semester-long research assistantship
 
P.S. According to the conversion chart, these are my GRE scores on the old scale (not sure how accurate this really is):
Verbal - 560
Quant - 720
 
fritolay said:
Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum, but I have been reading posts without an account for a while. I just want to know if I have any chance to get into a clinical PhD program.
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Sure, you have a chance--And you're doing a lot of the right things. Keep working on gaining research experience, and get those GRE scores up. (Your GRE General scores aren't bad but they also aren't stellar). If there are any opportunities to present posters at conferences in your research work, definitely take advantage of that. It may take a couple tries (i.e., more than one round of applications), but you could get into a solid program.

Why are you applying to Alliant? I would consider dropping those if I were you.
 
thewesternsky said:
Sure, you have a chance--And you're doing a lot of the right things. Keep working on gaining research experience, and get those GRE scores up. (Your GRE General scores aren't bad but they also aren't stellar). If there are any opportunities to present posters at conferences in your research work, definitely take advantage of that. It may take a couple tries (i.e., more than one round of applications), but you could get into a solid program.

Why are you applying to Alliant? I would consider dropping those if I were you.
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Thank you very much for the response and advice! Now that I've done more research, you seem to be right about Alliant. I was keeping it as a safety school, but it doesn't seem to have a good reputation from reading through the forums.
 
Hi guys,

Another PhD hopeful here. After spending my time creeping through the boards, I wanted to put my own information out there and see my chances. I'm currently in a master's Clinical Psych program. I want to apply to PhDs in Clinical Psychology. Eventually, I want to specialize in Neuropsychology. My dream school is Drexel - which I know is very competitive. Personally, I think I need a lot more work, but that's what I'm currently trying to work towards.

Undergrad Major: Biology/Psychology Interdisciplinary
Undergrad GPA: 3.22
Undergrad Psych: 3.40
Current Master's GPA: 4.0

Past Research Experience:
-Research Assistant to Neuropsychologist for 6 months. Poster from that research presented at Undergrad Poster Symposium.

Current Research Experience:
-Research Trainee in a Pediatric Neuropsychology Lab since January 2016. Working on three different research projects. Two posters to be hopefully presented at International Neuropsychological Society in February 2017.
-Research Assistant in Behavioral Neuroscience Lab since June 2016 (this month).

Clinical Experience:
-Practicum Student in a Neurobehavioral Outpatient Unit for a summer.
-This fall (2016) and spring (2017), I will be a neuropsychology extern for a pediatric hospital as part of my master's program. I will administer neuropsychological tests, interpret the data, formulate treatment plans, etc.

GREs: (Will be retaking along with Psych GRE)
Verbal: 154
Quantitative: 155

Anticipating strong letters of rec from PhDs, including at least two neuropsychologists.

Anything you could offer would be helpful 🙂
 
Neuropsych_Hopeful said:
Hi guys,

Another PhD hopeful here. After spending my time creeping through the boards, I wanted to put my own information out there and see my chances. I'm currently in a master's Clinical Psych program. I want to apply to PhDs in Clinical Psychology. Eventually, I want to specialize in Neuropsychology. My dream school is Drexel - which I know is very competitive. Personally, I think I need a lot more work, but that's what I'm currently trying to work towards.

Undergrad Major: Biology/Psychology Interdisciplinary
Undergrad GPA: 3.22
Undergrad Psych: 3.40
Current Master's GPA: 4.0

Past Research Experience:
-Research Assistant to Neuropsychologist for 6 months. Poster from that research presented at Undergrad Poster Symposium.

Current Research Experience:
-Research Trainee in a Pediatric Neuropsychology Lab since January 2016. Working on three different research projects. Two posters to be hopefully presented at International Neuropsychological Society in February 2017.
-Research Assistant in Behavioral Neuroscience Lab since June 2016 (this month).

Clinical Experience:
-Practicum Student in a Neurobehavioral Outpatient Unit for a summer.
-This fall (2016) and spring (2017), I will be a neuropsychology extern for a pediatric hospital as part of my master's program. I will administer neuropsychological tests, interpret the data, formulate treatment plans, etc.

GREs: (Will be retaking along with Psych GRE)
Verbal: 154
Quantitative: 155

Anticipating strong letters of rec from PhDs, including at least two neuropsychologists.

Anything you could offer would be helpful 🙂
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My quick reaction: particularly if you can up the GRE scores, you should be a competitive applicant at a variety of programs.
 
Neuropsych_Hopeful said:
-This fall (2016) and spring (2017), I will be a neuropsychology extern for a pediatric hospital as part of my master's program. I will administer neuropsychological tests, interpret the data, formulate treatment plans, etc.
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Are externs in masters programs allowed to be doing the interpretation, treatment planning, and other more advanced components of neuropsych assessment?

I thought those were relegated to at the very least doctoral interns and fellows, if not licensed psychologists, and masters-level people were limited to psychometrician-like roles. Or am I wrong?
 
psych.meout said:
Are externs in masters programs allowed to be doing the interpretation, treatment planning, and other more advanced components of neuropsych assessment?

I thought those were relegated to at the very least doctoral interns and fellows, if not licensed psychologists, and masters-level people were limited to psychometrician-like roles. Or am I wrong?
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That's exactly what I thought as well. But in my acceptance letter to this externship site, it said I will be completing 300 direct and 300 indirect clinical hours, along with supervision. For this supervision, I will be expected to discuss all patient cases, have files, current and completed clinical notes and reports, and justify patient case conceptualizations made and assessment techniques used. I was assuming the reports would include recommendations and/or treatment plans.

Maybe I have misinterpreted what's expected of me? But I don't think I will be solely constructing the recommendations and treatment plans by myself. I would guess that I'm just working or aiding my supervisor.

My apologies as I don't believe I have a clear yes or no for you at this time.
 
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Hi all,

I'll be a senior in undergrad this coming year, and I'm debating on whether to apply to graduate school in clinical psychology this year or to get a job as an RA or a Lab Manager for a year or two before applying.

I have a 3.97 GPA from a highly regarded liberal arts school with a psychology major and a lot of coursework in neuroscience and hard science as well. I am taking the GREs soon but have consistently 164-166 Verbal and 161-163 Quant on practice tests. I have experience with clinical research and experience in a research hospital setting with data collection, analysis and manuscript preparation (which might result in a publication, but unclear as of now), and clinical psych research at a well regarded psych lab with a well known PI. I ran an independent study for my research methods class and a qualitative research class, and have presented posters at sessions at my undergrad institution, but not at conferences. I also have RA experience here and there at my home institution. I will complete an honors thesis next year in clinical psych. By the time I attend graduate school if I apply and get in this cycle, I will have had 2 years of research experience, part time during the school year and full time during all 3 summers. I also have experience with tutoring and teaching at my home institution. My letters of rec will be good as I have strong relationships with my professors and my research advisors. I have clinical experience on an inpatient unit co-leading inpatient groups. I also have experience on residential life and peer counseling.

My lack of publications and presentations is my main worry about applying now, and I would hope that if I got a job as an RA this would be stronger in a year or two. I'm really really undecided on whether to apply this cycle or not. On one hand, I feel emotionally and academically mature enough to handle graduate school. I believe I have enough research exposure to be successful in graduate school, however I'm aware that I'll be applying with people who have far more experience than I do. I have a clear sense of my research interests and I've had an easy time identifying programs and mentors in line with my goals and research interests. I think I could succeed as an RA as well, but I would really only do this in order to make my application stronger and gain more technical skills.

I'm looking to apply to some clinical science programs and some equal emphasis programs depending on the mentor, all of which are highly rated and funded. Please weigh in if you have insights! Hopefully my story might give some clarity to other current undergrads as well!
 
Hi everyone,

I'm glad I stumbled upon this forum for some advice. I'd like to put myself out there for some feedback.
------
Recent graduate who majored in Psychology and Social Behavior (started as a Biomedical Engineer)

3.43 overall GPA (3.68 in the last 2 years, if that means anything)
3.59 psych GPA (psych classes + stats/research methods)

2 years as a research assistant in a clinical Child Development Lab exploring effects of maltreatment (March 2014 - June 2016)
1 poster presentation at a conference (Western Psychological Association, second author) and a poster presentation at my school's research symposium (first author)

Years of experience with literature review through school courses...I've done research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, child maltreatment, color perception, and personality.

Multiple years of experience as an advocate for children of various populations (homeless, refugee, victims of abuse) -- this includes tutoring, taking care of, and providing for them.
------
I've had several hiccups along the way. I entered undergrad as a Biomedical Engineering major and finished my first year with a 2.8 GPA. I quickly realized there was no way I was going to survive the physics and math courses so I dropped the major. I really wished that my high school offered an AP Psychology class. The first time a took a psych course was Spring quarter of my freshman year and I absolutely loved it. I stayed at school over the summer to complete the other introductory psych courses in order to switch majors. Sophomore year was going great until I got news about my dad being diagnosed with lung cancer. I lived a 6 hour card drive away from home, so it was rough. I managed to do relatively well...fast forward to today and I managed to close out my undergrad career on a positive note. Now I'm currently looking at lab positions in an academic setting, or jobs as a behavioral therapist before taking the GRE and applying for Fall 2017 enrollment. It might take longer, I'm not sure yet.

Do programs take into consideration a change in majors when you apply? I thought I could include this in my personal statement.

My dream school is the University of Georgia, because of location (family/relatives), the clinical program faculty (whom I share common research interests with), and the fact that I grew up loving their football program (I started watching football when I lived in GA as a kid for 1.5-2 years). I feel like my chances are pretty low given the circumstances. I'm anticipating strong letters of recommendation from my research advisors and the principal investigator of the lab, and am banking on high GRE scores to boost my chances (even if it's only a tad bit). I am from California and am willing to move anywhere for my future. I'm also contacting faculty members from potential programs and am trying to talk with them individually to build an early relationship (asking them about their research, their publications, etc).

My guess is that I'm going to have to shoot lower than UGA to have a chance at a program.

Second option is going the master's route first, but I would prefer to jump straight into the Ph.D. program because of financial reasons. I really appreciate the feedback.
 
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Hi everyone, I'm interested in these programs: Duke Clinical, University of Virginia Clinical & School, and University of Pittsburgh Clinical.

I'm wondering what my chances are in getting accepted...

Research - 4 years of experience (RA work, theses, and volunteer), match with faculty research at each school to a moderate-strong degree
Publications - 1 paper (maybe 2 by then)
B.Sc (3.6) and M.Sc degree (3.93) in psychology discipline
Clinical experience - worked doing assessments (2yrs)
GRE: 161/155/4.5
Conference presentations: 5 (3 major ones, 2 small ones)
 
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Hi all!

I'm wondering if I might have a chance at being accepted into a Ph.D. program straight from undergraduate, or if I'd better apply to a Masters in General or Clinical Psychology program to give me a leg up.

My credentials:
B.A. from Hofstra University, Psychology Major, Class of 2016, GPA: 3.66 (Overall), 3.63 (Psychology)
Psi Chi Member
Volunteered as online therapist with Mental health startup (random credential, I know)

GRE (retaking this in 3 months): 157 (Verbal, 74% below), 147 (Quant, 28% below: really need to improve this one), 3.5 (Analytical Writing, 38% below: not sure if this is considered much in applications but I will see about improving it though I'm focusing mostly on the math)

Psych GRE: 630 (50% below), 61 (Experimental 44% below), 62 (Social 47% below)

Research Exp: Senior honors thesis, defended with high distinction
Research project (built into Research Methods coursework) in 2nd year, presented findings with a poster at Long Island Psychology Conference

I don't really have an idea in regards to PhD programs, still researching. But I've made note of a couple Masters programs that could be good for jumping into a PhD down the line.

Thanks for your attention!
 
GPA is ok, GRE (quant and writing) are no bueno, definitely need those to be MUCH higher. Writing matters more than you'd think. Research exp, hard to know without knowing what you have in addition to the honors thesis (which many/most applicants will bring in). I'm not sure I'd play up the "therapist for online startup" thing as some would see that as practicing without competence depending on what exactly it was.

Tl;dr version, if you can get the GRE up considerably, and have research experience, you have a shot. If not, I'd go with the masters route.
 
WisNeuro said:
GPA is ok, GRE (quant and writing) are no bueno, definitely need those to be MUCH higher. Writing matters more than you'd think. Research exp, hard to know without knowing what you have in addition to the honors thesis (which many/most applicants will bring in). I'm not sure I'd play up the "therapist for online startup" thing as some would see that as practicing without competence depending on what exactly it was.

Tl;dr version, if you can get the GRE up considerably, and have research experience, you have a shot. If not, I'd go with the masters route.
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Thanks WisNeuro! I think that the Masters route might be the better option. I'm still retakig the GRE regardless. I've heard that sometimes PhD programs won't accept many masters credits leading to me having to repeat some material, but I guess that's a risk I'll have to run.
 
I'm curious to know whether I am qualified to get into a PhD program or should I say forget it and go the masters route.

Available information:

GPA: 3.63 (no grade below a B) (Junior year GPA -- 3.79 first semester. 4.0 second semester.)

GRE: taking at the end of summer.

Research Experience: 1 yr in a behavioral pharmacology lab, starting honor thesis this year, and NIH/NIDA summer research student at a medical college working with mTBI. Also plan to have at least one poster presentation by time of application.
 
jtm1995 said:
I'm curious to know whether I am qualified to get into a PhD program or should I say forget it and go the masters route.

Available information:

GPA: 3.63 (no grade below a B) (Junior year GPA -- 3.79 first semester. 4.0 second semester.)

GRE: taking at the end of summer.

Research Experience: 1 yr in a behavioral pharmacology lab, starting honor thesis this year, and NIH/NIDA summer research student at a medical college working with mTBI. Also plan to have at least one poster presentation by time of application.
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All hinges on that GRE, other stuff looks decent, but the GRE could make or break the app.
 
WisNeuro said:
All hinges on that GRE, other stuff looks decent, but the GRE could make or break the app.
Click to expand...

Any idea on what score I should aim for? I mean, obviously I'll be aiming for a perfect score. I guess I'm asking what kind of scores would put my app in the "break" section?
 
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