Sherrinford

You definitely need to get that score up. On the practice exam, were there specific areas you really did bad on (e.g. geometry, algebra)? Focus on those. Also practice problems...keep doing em'. Read the prep books strategies on how to do problems efficiently. I bet if you had all the time in the world you'd do fine, but the test gives you limited time for the problem sets.

Columbia is a great school and in NYC you would have access to good research opportunities. You mentioned wanting to work with a specific professor, but I would not bank on them taking you as a doctoral student bc they worked with you during your MA. It absolutely does happen, but would be a big risk in my opinion. I have numerous colleagues who graduated from Columbia's MA program and most of them are in PhD programs now. But they all have >100k in loans. PhD programs are expensive to apply to and competitive, it may take you more than one try to get in. Unless you're in a funded program, you're going to have incur more loans as well. I would not recommend that you take on those loans. I went to a relatively unknown modest MA program that was very cheap and still got into a funded PhD program.

I had no posters/pubs and a terrible undergrad GPA. I got my Masters with a good GPA and had 2 years of research experience in two different labs, good letters of rec, my GRE scores were like 161 (Verbal) and 156 (Quant). Didn't get a ton of interviews but got accepted into a fully funded program. This was a few yrs ago.

Undergrad at 21, Masters at 24, started PhD at 25

I've had similar levels of responsibility/work when I was getting my Masters. A PhD was another step up from that. And then in 2nd year once I began doing clinical work...it was something different all-together. My advisor said it best, "in grad school you learn how to juggle." I'm sure the transition for you will be easier than it may be for others. But there is a certainly a unique flavor of intensity that clinical psych grad programs have. Congratulations though, I'm going through it and it's definitely been the most exciting/challenging/meaningful periods of my life.

As a current grad student, enjoy the time you have for you will never see its like again.

That's awesome, congrats. I think that is a solid plan. If you are dedicated and passionate about this field (which it seems like you are), then I am confident you have a bright future in this field.

Everyone has given great advice but just want to add my own opinions. To me, there is no situation in which going to a non-funded PsyD or PhD program is a good idea, especially given the tuition rates at these programs tend to be quite high. Unless you are a drug dealer or heir to a large fortune, you're going to ultimately be dealing with paying premiums with exorbitant interest rates for multiple decades...which will be challenging even if you are in the top 20% salary for psychologists. Clearly research is something that engages and interest you. This is a tough position to be in, and you have other commitments and needs to consider. Unfortunately, life is rarely linear and it requires a lot of course-correction. Think of it this way, a gamble of an extra year or two now...to end up at the career/lifestyle that is most meaningful for you for the rest of your life...not the worst deal in the world. You are privileged to even be able to consider these options. Now of course it is a risk and there is no guarantee you will be admitted should you apply again. So if you plan to, you better do your research, talk to professors/researchers in the field, and maximize the potency of your application.

This is true but a little exaggerated. The part I would object to is the "many high quality PsyD programs." Baylor and Rutgers are excellent programs that are leagues above the other PsyD programs, and their degree structure/content is incredibly similar to that of a PhD. As suggested by users above, if projected debt is not a concern, you should prioritize your choices based on APA match rate statistics.

Your dedication and commitment is impressive! Research experience is definitely one of the most important factors for admission into funded PhD programs so you're on the right track. OP, your path to a grad program does not have to be linear. In fact, for a lot of students and even current faculty, their paths certainly weren't linear.

Got my MA straight out of undergrad, applied in 2016 (I was 24), started in 2017 (at 25).

This is going to sound a little harsh, but your post is making you come off as a bit entitled. It is very rare that students, especially at the undergraduate level, are able to design and conduct their own studies in a research lab as soon as they join one. In fact, I would even say it's uncommon after a year. Helping out with the PI and the graduate students' ongoing projects, potentially using some of their data to create a poster are much more realistic goals. Typically you will only be given lower level duties when you start in a lab, as trust is something that has to be built. All of us in grad school have started our research beginnings doing things like data entry, it is normal. But to answer your question, I guess it depends on what your main goals are. If it's to get to do your own study in a relatively quick time-frame, you may not want to stay in the lab unless you're willing to commit to spending at least a semester or two working there first.

For yourself, you should also look into some cost projections of graduate debt if you are limiting yourself to PsyD programs. Even at Rutgers, their PsyD is not fully funded. I believe Bayler is the exception.

While this is possible, I will say that it is certainly not the norm. There's a wide range of programs and different types of programs. Some are research focused, some are clinically focused, some are balanced etc. Some are funded, and others aren't. Typically, the funded programs are research-oriented and will be looking for research experience. Out of all my peers in clinical psych programs, only one of them had very limited research experience. OP: It's difficult to say. Compared to the usual applicants I've seen at interviews/final stages, you do not have as much research/clinical experience. However, with good GRE scores and strong LORs, assuming the quality of your research experience has been good (above just data entry), if you find a PI who is a really good fit with your experience/interests, I would say you should probably give it a shot and apply. But you should be realistic about your chances and have a contingency plan. The purpose of my post is not to dishearten you, but just emphasize that it is a very competitive (e.g. 4-7 applicants out of a 100-200 get admitted) process and many people end up applying a second time.

Not doomed necessarily. You can still have quality research experience without a publication necessarily. Posters should be more reasonable a goal or something attainable. I am in a funded PhD program, did not have any pubs or even posters. But I did have decent research experience.