MarineBluePsy

GUYS! I was accepted to another school! This one is waiving out-of-state tuition (making this school much cheaper than the other I was accepted to so far) plus giving me a stipend that will cover the tuition with a few extra thousand to spare. Cost of living is much lower at this school, as well. Plus it is a few hours drive from home rather than across the country. Downside is that the school isn't as "prestigious" as my other acceptance though that doesn't matter that much to me personally. One more school to go, but the fact that I could manage to attend a school close to home might be too tempting to pass up. The last school I am waiting on is also across the country, but if I'm accepted is likely to give me better funding. AHH! 

Got the email today and I got accepted to Adelphi!!! Over the moon!!! :-)))

I can't believe I get to say this.....
BUT I GOT IN TO MY TOP CHOICE*!!!!! 
*one of two top choices
Wow. Unreal. 
The stars really aligned for me as I hadn't had any offers before getting this great news. 

Hmmmm interesting question.  If this were my situation I'd also have to consider the cost of living at each location.  An extra $10k can go really far in some places and absolutely nowhere in others.  

So I don't know how many of you are yoga people, but I just did a home practice for stress and anxiety but it really really really helped. Feeling a lot more able to tolerate the stress that's happening around me right now. Yoga with adriene was the name if anyone wanted to try it. (I'm not affiliated in any way but I just feel so chill right now I thought I'd share for anyone else who's freaking/stressing/anxious)

I did it....
I did it...
I got in...

In regards to dental insurance, be on the look out for coupons in the local papers because often you'll find pretty steep discounts for first time patients.  Just double check their reviews online and such and it should be fine.  I did this regularly when I went without dental insurance and even though it meant always going to a new dentist the money I saved was worth it.
As for free birth control it looks like the ACA requires that whether your insurance plan is through your employer/school, private purchase, or discounted through the marketplace.  I found some info about that here.

Just some food for thought, but I wonder if the mix of programs is a good idea.  Sure there is overlap in training and how the degrees can be used, but they aren't identical.  Years ago I had a professor tell me it was important to research all of the degrees thoroughly, pick one, then stick to it otherwise I'd risk seeming confused.  Once I picked a degree it was easier to decide what to do in order to improve one type of application rather than 2 or 3.   

Well, I've already made my decision. It's got the best fit and funding of all of my choices. One school is waiting on a fellowship for me to come through and the other one is just dragging their feet. So I'm not picking a school just to be done, I'm picking the school I really want to be at that just happened to have all of the necessary documents ready early.
I'm going to try to hold off until March 15th.

It'd be foolish not to take the money which was clearly set aside for your future.  If your mom was smart enough to save it for grad school its because she knew you'd really need it then.  If your grandparents had a problem with that plan or intended to hold it over your head then you'd have known about this ages ago.

Whee! Got into an MS program instead of the PhD, but it works!!

I don't know about philosophy, but programs in psychology usually give offers to a very small number of people (5-7) so I can understand if someone is afraid of being identified by saying which program s/he *is going to decline* (especially if the decision is not that final). I don't see any problem with saying which program s/he *has already declined* though.

Thank you for saying this.  I don't at all relate because I've had to fight, struggle, hustle, and claw my way to every opportunity my entire life.  I have often looked at people around me that are similar to yourself and wondered if they ever get that they haven't really had to fight for anything.  Sure eventually life will happen and they'll have to deal with adversity, but until then I've wondered if they're just clueless about their good fortune or aware but don't care that it isn't that way for everyone.  It's nice to know that there is a bit of introspection going on for a some.

Agreed. Now that I have an offer that I'm *pretty* sure I'm going to take, I emailed my last remaining school to see when decisions are going out. I'd rather just get it over with and start a new chapter of my life.

Not if you have the energy to keep doing it!  

It is a lot, but you can definitely do it. I started looking for schools (lazily) in June and had a definite list by October (wasn't kidding about lazily). [If you want tips on how to find schools, let me know.]
I used excel to make a spreadsheet with info that was important to me. Avg time to degree completion, what's funding like, what's the average gpa/gre score, potential advisors and their specialty, attrition, etc.
I made another document for my letter writers with the school name, application due date, type of degree (all clinical phd for me), and a sentence or two about each advisor. I actually ended up using this document and expanding on it, so I put in addresses for sending transcripts, GRE reporting numbers, the personal statement question, login information for each website, etc. I sorted the schools by due date so I could prioritize submission. So then I sent out my GRE scores and transcripts (I sent mine all out within a week, early October). 
You'll already have your CV, writing sample, and transcript together because you gave them to your letter writers.
I chose the most comprehensive personal statement prompt, and wrote 4-6 drafts before it was good enough to start sending out. So it's early November now. I used the same personal statement for every school, and changed little details like switching out "scientist-practitioner model" to "clinical science model" depending on the school. Or adding a line about health disparities if that's an emphasis for the school, etc. For every statement, I changed the paragraph about my research interests/faculty interests/why the school is a fit for me. So I didn't write 17 personal statements. I wrote 1 statement and made revisions, whether it was for length, or taking out some sentences that weren't relevant to the school's particular question.
After your first few submissions, you will become a pro at this. You'll get to the point where you are concerned because you completed a statement in 30 mins. One night I submitted like 4 applications. I'd do every application to completion. Trying to do each one piecemeal and then going back and forth seemed like too much work and potential space for mistakes. You can do one a day roughly (you'll skip some for sanity and fun) and complete 15 applications in 3-4 weeks. 
I was done a couple weeks ahead of schedule for every application deadline (it'll be a wonderful feeling). If you find a level of organization that suits you, it makes it easier.
The hardest parts for me were making a final list of schools and writing my comprehensive personal statement, everything else becomes pretty mechanical and repetitive. 

Guys... I know this is the biggest "first world problem" that the world has ever seen, but...
I really have my mind set on Cornell, but a professor e-mailed me from Boulder offering me more money via fellowship. But that's not even the good part. He gave me his personal cell number and said he'll be calling me in a few days. The name sounded familiar.... because he won the NOBEL F*CKING PRIZE.
And so, for the fourth time this month, I'm going to look over my application materials and see if I accidentally lied somewhere!

Why is "patience" a virtue?
Why can't "hurry the f*ck up" be a virtue?

I was wondering this too.  Sure debt is still debt, but I would be interested in seeing how much of it is from unfunded or partially funded Master's degrees in comparison to just PhDs or PsyDs.

I was over 21 the first time I took a plane anywhere and still haven't traveled much.  I would suggest getting a neck pillow.  Those seats are terrible and your muscles will thank you for the added support.  Mine was so comfy I was able to sleep quite comfortably with it.  Bring hand sanitizer, kleenex, a non perishable snack, and something to read on the plane.  On your layovers don't sit down the entire time.  It is very important that you walk around and stretch to keep your circulation going.

I'm sorry, I know how much that stings.  I do think its good you're motivated to apply again next year.  Based on the stats you've posted I'd say you look like a promising candidate on paper, but as a fellow applicant I'm certainly no expert on what adcoms want.  How was your AW score on the GRE?  Some programs may place a fair amount of importance on that.
Getting back to your original question..... in past application cycles when I needed feedback here are some of the suggestions I was given:
1)  Diversify your experience.  Meaning challenge yourself to gain clinical experience in unfamiliar populations and perhaps even in groups that might make you uncomfortable initially.  Also in terms of research, work on projects outside your interests or even in a different department.  Sure your primary interest may be in widgets, but you can learn a lot from working on a project focusing on poppets.  
2)  Keep reworking your SOP because it likely won't be any good until the dozenth rewrite.  Have a lot of people review it, not your friends and family who will just blow smoke up your rear but people who will rip it to shreds.
3)  If you had to do a PS then be careful of disclosing too much.  We've all had our struggles, but sometimes the crazy is best left in the box.
4)  When choosing which schools to apply to be reasonable.  Yes look at research fit, but also consider how competitive the program is.  There's nothing wrong with throwing your hat in the ring at top tier programs, but more of your applications should be for mid tier programs to increase your odds.
5)  In terms of research fit you want to have focused interests without being too narrow.  Too narrow can imply you aren't open to some of the broader projects a professor or department may have coming up or that you don't want to be challenged.

Nope nope nope!  Danny has never accepted Mindy as she was.  He's always been a grumpy old man who complained about everything about her.  I think the writers were hoping we'd forget this, but if you go back to the earlier seasons you see it all over again.  Then think about how he treats his mom and his ex wife, always controlling everything because according to him everyone else is stupid and he knows best.  That's why I was saying right from the beginning that their relationship wasn't believable.  In real life all the coworkers would have slapped Mindy and reminded her that Danny is a huge ass and she needs someone who gets her and thinks she's sexy.  
For me Danny being even worse this season was the writers finally letting him be himself instead of trying to force him into being a person he isn't.  This was painfully obvious when he kept stalling on the whole marriage thing.  If Mindy were truly his type and the love of his life they'd have been married ages ago and not playing house with a kid out of wedlock.  Then all of a sudden he thinks maybe he doesn't need to get married?  Yeah right.  Then he's like sure we'll get married, but we can wait until Mindy comes to her senses and changes to be someone he knows she can't be?  Yeah right.  So even though he's awful and I hate him this season I like that he's doing his thing.  Good grief...I am so emotionally invested lmao!

My responses are from the perspective of an applicant researching POIs to apply to.....
1)  Is this a Canadian or a US program?  I ask only because there may be a difference in the "usual" time to gain full professorship.  Also did this professor take some time off.....maternity/paternity leave, illness, sabbatical to work on a project outside of academia, caring for child/parent/spouse, etc?  Does this professor also run a private practice?  If so maybe they don't want full professorship and like the balance they currently have.  It is very appropriate for you to ask a POI where they see their career going in the next 5-10 years.
2)  This would be a huge negative for me, probably bigger than the other concerns you've expressed.  If you won't be going on internship until your 7th or 8th year that's a lot of years you're not out establishing your career, paying into retirement, etc.  If clinical hours are being sited as a reason for the lengthy stay then what is the program doing to remedy this?  Are they working to create additional opportunities for students to earn hours?  Are they modifying the existing curriculum so that students can start their hours in their 1st year rather than waiting until a later year?
Regarding the funding, I'd also want to know what's being done to remedy this.  Are the professors not applying to enough grants or just not earning enough grants?  Are students expected to apply for some grants on their own and might be struggling with this process?  Are there outside fellowships or externships that aren't being taken advantage of?  Is the department open to establishing externships in the community since those could provide both hours and funding? 
3)  If the POI has no current grants, doesn't appear to have done much publishing recently, and their most recent students haven't published much then what exactly have they been doing?  Were they funded to write a book?  Did they take on a heavier courseload?  Were they consulting in the community?  Your primary question here should be how will this POI fund you?

Maybe you could ask generally about the length of time it takes to gain full professorship.  As in say from your observation it seems like most faculty reaches full professorship in 7-8 years and you're wondering if this program is different or if other personal choices might change that timeframe and you wonder what the advantages might be.  This could be part of your own research regarding your possible career path rather than you simply being nosy if phrased right.

I definitely empathize with the immense-student-debt situation. To give some background, I'm in my second year as a research assistant/lab manager at an Ivy (and though I'm not paying tuition because I'm not a student, the cost of living is pretty absurd here, and I acquired quite a bit of debt from undergrad). 
One question that might be helpful to ask is whether you've already gained most of what you were going to gain from being affiliated with such a "prestigious" program. One year of research experience is a good amount, and it seems like you've already forged relatively close connections with the "big name" scholars in your department/field. Assuming that these influential folks already know you well enough to be recommenders on your behalf, that might be enough of a take-away from your program. That is, transferring now might save you a lot of money, and even if you wouldn't have the name of this institution on your degree, you would have letters of recommendation from these big name scholars, and that might be more important than having the institution's name on your degree. 
I'm happy to PM if you'd like to talk more/in more detail. FWIW, I'm also applying to clinical/counseling programs (I applied to one of the schools in your signature and have an interview with them upcoming in the next couple weeks).