Worth Applying When Desired Mentor is not Reviewing Applications?

[xv2000]

Hey all,

So I've really been interested in working with one particular individual for a while at UGA in a Clinical PhD program. As part of the application process, we are instructed to indicate one or two faculty members we would be interested in working worth. The issue is that my desired mentor has indicated on his faculty page that he will not be reviewing applications for admission for the semester I'm applying for.

Is it still worth applying to the program do you think? It's a weird situation since I'm primarily interested in personality disorders in adults and this professor is the only one in the department that focuses on that. Just about all of the other faculty focus on children & family or neuropsychology.

Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks all!

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[PsychPhDone]

Hey all,

So I've really been interested in working with one particular individual for a while at UGA in a Clinical PhD program. As part of the application process, we are instructed to indicate one or two faculty members we would be interested in working worth. The issue is that my desired mentor has indicated on his faculty page that he will not be reviewing applications for admission for the semester I'm applying for.

Is it still worth applying to the program do you think? It's a weird situation since I'm primarily interested in personality disorders in adults and this professor is the only one in the department that focuses on that. Just about all of the other faculty focus on children & family or neuropsychology.

Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks all!

If there's noone else who is a good fit, no.

 

[rerope]

Nope. It'll either look like fishing or that you didn't pay enough attention to the program's website.

 

[Justanothergrad]

No.

 

[blakjak12]

I agree; no. I can't see an applicant having very good odds if there isn't a clear research mentor, even if you are a strong candidate otherwise.

 

[Justanothergrad]

I agree; no. I can't see an applicant having very good odds if there isn't a clear research mentor, even if you are a strong candidate otherwise.

Also importantly, even if the person is the best candidate in the application field and perfect in every way, why would you want to go somewhere to study something under someone else who focuses on something that you aren't interested in.

 

[psych.meout]

Also importantly, even if the person is the best candidate in the application field and perfect in every way, why would you want to go somewhere to study something under someone else who focuses on something that you aren't interested in.

Yeah, don't talk yourself into going to someplace where you'll be unhappy or unsatisfied with the research. It will seem like not a big deal right now, but it will be miserable if you hate the research that will be taking up a good chunk of your time and will be crucial to meeting major milestones in the program.

Alternatively, if your interests overlap with another lab as well, maybe ask faculty in the program if there are opportunities for cross-lab collaboration so that you could still potentially do the research you're interested in with the POI you like, e.g. personality disorders across the lifespan and predicting adult psychopathology or impaired executive function or or neuropsychological features in adult personality disorders.

 

[xv2000]

Thanks for all of your responses, everyone! I don't think I will be applying to this program.