Jon-Jon Johnson

I also have a friend who was accepted into high tier clinical programs in her mid-30s, so it is definitely doable. From her journey, the biggest thing you will probably have to address is not your age per se but rather whether you are truly ready and able to start down that path given your other sidetracks. Non-traditional students can be seen as bringing a lot to the table that 22-year-olds cannot, but it is also a bit of a question mark along the lines of the programs wondering whether you will end up abandoning the whole thing a year or two in because you need and/or want to return to a job with a regular income (for instance). The above is just an example, and it may be somewhat unlikely that anyone would ever ask or comment directly about it, but the idea is to put yourself in their shoes and think about what would potentially raise questions about your application, and then cut them off at the pass. If you can address them as part of your SoP narrative, that can be a good way to make a preemptive strike and nullify that issue from the get-go. Hopefully what I'm trying to say makes sense; I don't know how good my try is. Oh, and there are more formal things like you needing to take GREs again since your last set of scores is (presumably) now more than five years old, so I would start looking into that as well.

Chiming in to offer another data point, but I also know of no schools that only send a snail mail letter for acceptance notifications nowadays, so you would definitely hear via phone and/or email (and that come before any eventual physical letter). At that time, I am sure you could let them know which address is best to use for you as well.

To reemphasize a portion of the above, any questions now should solely be for your benefit as you try to gather any additional information to make your decision. Since you already have the offer, there is no need to dig around for "filler" questions that you ask just for the sake of asking questions (as you sometimes may have encountered during those 9 hour interview days). If you have nothing pressing, you can thank your POI for being available and assure them that you will be in touch if/when any additional questions arise. If you have nothing brilliant, insightful, or pressing right now, it's not like they will rescind the offer

Let's just say I knows peeps with direct ties to the process there. Gotta stay incognito. Sorry for breaking your heart though I still love you Okay, no more smilies. ...

In that case, try to look outside your undergrad school to other nearby schools that may have profs better suited to chat with you a bit. Perhaps your school's profs can call a friend or a friend of a friend to make introductions. Or perhaps you're in or near a big enough concentration of colleges that you can try to get involved with the work of a quant prof at one of them. In any case, it is probably a good idea to get a little more hands on with quant psych, both for your decision making as well as your CV strengthening if you do decide to go that route, so the best path will still take a bit more oomph than message boards can provide. Think of it as a research project in and of itself.

Also be aware that some clinical psych programs only allow clinical students to take clinical courses, so minoring in clinical may be less likely of an option than minoring in quant, which is always available as an option for clinical students. That said, clinical programs are also the tougher acceptance rates, so it's a call you'll have to make for yourself. Either way, I'd suggest having a chat with and asking for input from some profs you respect rather than just relying on us anonymous dopes.

From my knowledge, the UCLA clinical psych phone calls did indeed go out on 2/14. Decisions were made earlier that day.

Just to agree with what was mentioned earlier, very few (read: nearly zero) clinical psych programs admit someone without an interview, but as you can see above, that varies widely for non-clinical programs. The results section on this site is a fairly accurate representation of how schools are playing out, but if you absolutely, 100% need to check about one, feel free to contact the admissions office to inquire about their application/interview/acceptance process and schedule.

I am obviously not the first poster, but I have a background similar to the two of you (apologies for keeping it vague here as my story is fairly recognizable amongst those who know me, and I prefer to remain anonymous). When I applied to psych programs, I did not have a ton of research lab experience and no publications, but I was still able to be competitive in some highly selective programs. My recommendation is to definitely build up that research experience as best you can throughout this year, even if it doesn't result in publication. Creating and presenting a poster presentation or conference talk would be a great notch to add onto the CV belt, and you can knock those out much faster than publications (although you still probably want to get the wheels in motion fairly soon so as to ensure you meet conference submission deadlines). Also, really work to build relationships in the academic world via both your personality and work ethic to ensure that your recommendations really stand out. Finally, as for coming from a non-psych background, you picked up skills and experiences that most applicants will not have. Use them to your advantage, including addressing them directly as strengths within your statement of purpose, and you will be able to stand out as someone who could bring a unique skill set to the table.

I would consider retaking it if you are planning on applying to top tier programs and think you can boost each of them up 2-4 more points. It sounds like you have already checked them against your targeted schools, so that will be your call to make, but you do not necessarily need to stress about 95%iles if your scores fall within range. I disagree about needing an 800 on the subject GRE. I would take it if one of your schools requires it of course, but even amongst top schools where it is required, it is not as well-regarded or critical in the decision making process as the standard GRE unless you are coming from a less traditional background, e.g., non-psych undergrad who needs to demonstrate that the core psych background is there. (There's a reason so many schools don't require that test at all.) Again, higher is always better, but even for the cream of the crop, you certainly do not need a 99% on the psych GRE just to be competitive. Overall, GREs are most important for getting your application past the initial screening where they weed out the low numbers. If your scores are in the right range for the school, the rest of your application takes over from there. Hitting a school's (unpublished) cut-off mark is definitely critical, but when it comes to a final round, no decent school is going to turn away an applicant with a better SoP, recommendations, experience, and/or research match just because their GRE scores are a point or two lower than the competition.

Just to add my blunt two cents, quite frankly, when I see someone describe themselves as "unempathetic" and then I consider the fact that they're probably being generous about themselves, it reads to me like "I'm a presumptuous a-hole with questionable social skills," especially since this is psychology and not a socially-challenged tech field (and I safely say this after many interactions with the most techy of the techs.) Not saying that that's you, of course. Maybe you mean it in some other way that escapes me. However, if that's how any given person comes across in-person, then yeah, I wouldn't be chomping at the bit to have them as a peer lab member.

UCLA clinical invites have all been extended at this point. From past experience, they usually have not sent official "check this website for your rejection letter" emails until late February.

I do not know if the entire process is wrapped (multiple interview weekends? not sure), but I have heard from others that at least one interview weekend has already occurred, and some offers have since been extended, so the window for UCSB may be rapidly closing, if not already shut.

I can't speak to specific POI's, but UCLA's clinical program made calls to everyone this evening with interview offers.