JoePianist

Yes

In general, that’s the norm for large R1 research programs generating a lot of research grant money across all disciplines, though that’s a bit of a rarity for doctoral psychology programs.

I’d recommend just emailing the graduate psychology department and ask them directly about what exactly they’re asking for in the “Statement of Interest” – I never had to answer anything like that when I had applied to PhD Clinical Psychology programs a few years ago, so I can’t offer much more insight

Send both

Nope, don’t kid yourself on that.

This is true, @Psychcat23

Unless there’s a contracted agreement in writing for your acceptance at this dream program, never place all your eggs in one basket. You need to apply to a few more.

yes

Speaking for my own PhD Clinical Psychology program, they actually have a secret cut-off score they’ve decided ahead of time but won’t tell prospective applicants. If I recall correctly, their GRE cut-off score last year was around 310, so roughly 305 each on Verbal and Quantitative. For the GRE Writing section, you need to score at least a 4/6 in general for most programs.

Nah, you solid.

In other words, to answer the OP’s topic question: yes.

Honestly, you’ll need to network with psychology researchers who know professors in doctoral clinical psychology programs. From there, you’ll want to build a relationship with a professor who may be willing to advocate for you with the admissions committee despite your GRE scores. Another way to directly network with clinical psychology professors is to attend research conferences where they will speak or present research — don’t be afraid to walk up to them after their talk, introduce yourself, and then discuss your interest in their work.

Honestly, many students who get accepted into an APA-accredited PhD Clinical Psychology program haven’t had any research publications. Have you done any research posters to present at any research conferences? In the very least, you’ll want 2-3 first author posters before applying. The liberal arts college where you work may have some local research conferences where you can present a first-author poster. Perhaps you can also contact a trusted professor leading one of the psychology studies you assist and ask them for guidance on your career goal. For the GRE, you should be okay as long as your quantitative and verbal scores are in the 50th percentile. You’ll need to score at least a 4 on the writing section. I know some programs will be a little lenient on the verbal and writing scores for students whose first language is not English. What are your specific research interests in terms of career goal? You don’t need to necessarily have experience working in a “clinical psychology lab” but you do need experience working on projects related to the research labs you plan to apply for in doctorate Clinical Psychology programs.

If this is something personally important to you, seriously include it in your CV and briefly mention it in your personal statement if it relates to your interest in mental health. Mental health clinicians advocate for pursuing personal passions – if you come across a professor who holds your participation in Miss America against you, then they aren’t worth your time.

The GRE is your entry ticket for the admission committee to even look at your application. The first step in their evaluation process is throwing out applications that don’t make the 50th percentile for both the Quantitative and Qualitative sections. For the Writing section, you need to score a 4 or better.

That quant score is pretty rough — for a Counseling Psychology PhD program you need to be around 50th percentile

Honestly, I do find it strange that the POI’s you had applied for and worked under previously treated you that way with the process, assuming that you felt that you had a close relationship with them ? If the POI felt the same way, there should have been a biased preference for you – that’s largely how this process works but nobody talks about.

1. Will you also receive substantial funding from School 1, or will you need to take out any loans if you attend there? 2. For School 2, have you discussed how long your POI there is planning to stay at that institution? In the case that POI doesn't work out (he/she leaves the institution suddenly, you don't get along with them), are there any other professors in the program whose research area generally match with yours?

Anything with Windows 10 and at least 8 GB of RAM.

Like @EileanDonan said, graduate school loans are no joke, and the debt accumulated from those PsyD programs honestly isn’t worth the pay potential you’ll have as a doctorate psychologist. If you still have your heart set on a doctorate, saving up money by working in a full-time position for a few years (whether it’s research or clinical) is your best bet.

They had a mentor with good connections.

I think that’s actually a good point, from what I know of faculty now

Yes, most programs send invites in waves, but they're completely done sending invites at this point unfortunately.

Unfortunately, that seems to be the case — all of those programs have already extended their interview invites by this point.

Yes, expect these many interviews from any type of doctoral psychology program