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Hi all! I know there are some similar threads here but my situation is unique enough that I figured I would post and see if anyone had any thoughts on my chances of getting into a PhD in psychology at this stage. My goal: I'm in my early 30s and I've known for some time that I'd like to become a psychoanalyst. I have realized that the foundational step for doing so would probably be to complete a PhD in psychology with a psychodynamic focus. Then I would go on to complete training in an institute, ideally with a contemporary Freudian or Lacanian focus. My background: BA comparative literature & philosophy (3.97 GPA); MA anthropology (3.95 GPA), Harvard. Have worked in tech for the last 6 years as a UX researcher. Most recent GRE scores IIRC were 169 verbal/155 quant. I also undertook ~6 years of my own psychoanalysis with a Lacanian analyst, which changed my life immeasurably for the better–this is really why I want to pursue this path, and I'm sure a training institute would be interested in this info, but not sure if it's relevant info for a PhD program. My relevant experience (or lack thereof): I have plenty of research experience but I'm not sure how relevant it would be, if at all. In my current career as a UXR I do, of course, create qualitative research protocols to test product design/usability remotely and in lab settings. I have done hundreds of one-on-one interviews, ethnographic research, international research, contextual inquiry, group ideation, etc. I also have some quant background (survey design) and some experience working with vulnerable populations in this research. I'm aware that this research is not methodologically rigorous and is usually just used as a directional test for business decision-makers, but perhaps it has some weight? As an MA student, I conducted months of ethnographic fieldwork in Russia. I'm fairly well-versed in the history of psychoanalytic thought (especially Freudian/Lacanian) but unfortunately most of this is via self-study. I have a strong background in continental philosophy/critical theory from my BA/MA coursework. I volunteer at a homeless services org and work directly with the population they serve. Questions: Do I have a chance at getting into any PhD in psych, even a psychodynamically/psychoanalytically focused one? I'm aware that to do a PhD/PsyD I would most likely need to take some foundational psych courses for credit (abnormal psych, experimental psych?). Assuming I do that... I'm wondering if that would be enough to even approach fitness for a PhD in psych? I'm looking at programs with a psychoanalytic or psychodynamic focus (Duquesne, Columbia, Adelphi, among others) so I wonder if my SOP/reason for pursuing the program would be compelling in the eye of those admissions committees? What about research interests? I have a few specific areas of interest in terms of theory and the types of clinical practice situations I'm interested in–but as I stated, my interest is really more in getting into a very specific type of clinical practice and deepening my foundation in psychodynamic theory/clinical practice. That said, I'm wondering also about how to best go about refining those research interests for a PhD application. Is a PhD even the right move? Other options would include a PsyD, an MSW, or just going into a qualifying psychoanalytic training program in NYC that makes one eligible for LP licensure at the end. These options seem less appealing to me–PsyD because of cost, MSW because it might make me slightly less competitive as a training institute candidate or as a private practitioner, and LP licensure because I don't want to be tethered to NY for the rest of my career. So it seems like the PhD would be best, but not sure Open to hearing any thoughts folks might have.

So based on last year's timeline, I am assuming I am a post-interview reject for Berkeley, which is so disappointing, as it's my dream school/POI. If that's true, seems like there are a lot of us this year based on the results board. I'm almost considering an anonymous call to the department to see when they are planning to notify people unless anyone else has done so. But last year rejections went out the 15th, so maybe I'll wait 'til tomorrow...

Sorry you're feeling pessimistic about this cycle . Seems like the further we get into February, the more difficult it feels. When you say Fulbright handled applications on your behalf, what exactly do you mean? I don't know if it's exactly a death knell to send a statement without specific reference to professors you'd like to work with as long as your work is a good fit for the department and you mention specific faculty members elsewhere on the application. Did you correspond with any professors before applying?

@nesasp, congrats on your coming move! I lived in Boston for awhile and rented several apartments there. Finding an apartment is tough, but not as bad as somewhere like NYC. You are unlikely to find anything along the T that's affordable, unfortunately. You could probably find a studio or maybe a small 1-br for under $2000 in Somerville, just not in the area right by Tufts. My tip would be to look along Broadway, in the Winter Hill or East Somerville neighborhoods, which are further east on the other side of town but will be cheaper. For something more spacious, look in Medford (South or West Medford neighborhoods) or Arlington (ideally near Broadway/the 87 bus so you can easily get into town). If it's at all possible for you, my #1 piece of advice is to visit here beforehand and stay in an AirBNB or with a friend and spend each day of your visit searching, or have someone in Boston complete the search for you. It is very difficult to rent an apartment here without physically being ready to go see something or sign a lease. Also, use the for rent by owner section of Craigslist, because you can sometimes find below-market rentals without the non-refundable broker fees. Also, always call, never email.

@phyanth, congrats! I would just say be as thoroughgoing as you can about anticipating how the interview might go given the info you have. Write down questions you might expect to be asked given your interviewers' backgrounds and practice answering them. Have a short list on hand of people you've read/consider yourself in conversation with in case you blank. And have at least one thoughtful question ready to ask them about the program/departmental culture. (All of this advice comes from my rumination on my failings in my own interviews, lol.) But I'm sociocultural, so YMMV. Good luck, though!! @lylark, so true-- it's so hard to know how it went! I bet you did fine, though.

How are people feeling post-interview? I've had two so far, so I feel lucky, but I don't feel that either of them went well... at all. I feel like if anything I hurt my chances. It'll feel so rough if I come so close only to sabotage myself interview-wise...

To the people asking about Harvard here/on the results board, we were told in the email that the "medium short list" consisted of less than 10% of the applicant pool. The email seemed to imply that all finalists were being interviewed and said that the department administrator would follow up in the next few days to set something up. She has since done so (with me, anyway). I would assume that some communication has been initiated with all finalists by this point, but there's no way to know for sure... Hoping that doesn't mean bad news for those asking.

Hi @telesto, my note said something similar--that the interview was a chance for subcommittees to get another impression of candidates as people, but that it isn't necessary to do if a time conflict or other issue makes it difficult. I'm doing one, mainly because I want to show my interest in the program as best I can. I think unless you'll run into issues with the technology or timing, there's no reason not to! And I'd say that it probably doesn't hurt to send a double email the day before your requested date just to confirm the interview time.

So many more Berkeley interviews coming up on the results board than in previous years! I can claim one. But I'm curious about how big their shortlist is this year... from the email I got (which was from the head of the adcom, not my POI), it sounds like there are a lot of interviews to schedule. I remember last year someone said they heard it was around 20, but there were many fewer interviews on the results board then. Any other invited folks want to share their experience?

Sorry in advance if this is a silly question! When I was planning to visit my top choice department this fall, I contacted my POI there (let's call him professor A) asking if he'd be willing to meet. He responded immediately, saying he was on leave overseas for the semester, but was very enthusiastic about my research, said he was accepting new advisees, and encouraged me to apply. I thought it went fine, though I wish I'd asked for a Skype meeting or something. Anyway, when I visited the department I met with another professor there who I thought would be a good fit as well, but by the end of the meeting I felt less sure. And anyway, I know Prof. A would probably be the best adviser as our research aligns almost perfectly. Here's my question-- now that I've applied to the first program, is it at all appropriate to email Prof. A. to let him know I did decide to apply? We work in a somewhat unusual geographic area and I would imagine he could pull for a potential advisee if he thought the research was worthy. I know I should have reached out again earlier! (I've been slapdash about the process, admittedly.) Anyway, tl;dr... I've heard of people emailing POIs after they're on the waitlist to reassert their interest in a program; do people ever email after applications are sent out?

Ugh, also feeling like I might have overestimated my chances with my schools! I had a strong application and an MA from a good university (interdisciplinary, but I worked in their anthro. dept., which is top ten). I only have "perfect fit" POIs in two of the schools, though, and there are certain things about my application I think could really slash my chances... I applied to 5 schools, 4 of which are top 10... I am now freaking out and want to throw in some more applications for January, but mostly I'm afraid of hassling my letter writers again after telling them I was done with apps! Any advice on this? Should I just bite the bullet and email them?

Sorry you're feeling nervous! Believe me, you're not alone... As @bioarch_fan said above, your scores are awesome, but no one can say what your chances are for sure. That's not only because we don't know who the other applicants are for your schools, but also because having a compelling SOP and a POI who works in your area of interest and is willing to sponsor your research is super important too! That being said, I have no idea how committees look differently upon international applications (if they do at all). I'm sure committees keep it in mind if an applicant is ESL and does not work in English-speaking institutions. But honestly, beyond that, I wouldn't assume international applicants are treated differently. Is your friend also applying in archaeology too? Maybe he got an early interview because he had already developed a relationship with a POI? That happens sometimes. And what does "a chance to get an offer" to UA mean? It sounds like he's super confident and experiencing some successes already, but don't write yourself off just yet!