TigerMem

@meggieleigh123 Did you ever reach a decision regarding these two degrees?

@MettaSutta Semi-off topic, but when you deferred your admission, did Columbia allow you to keep/defer your scholarship also? I was accepted to an MA program at Columbia in the Fall 2019 with a scholarship also, and am just curious.

I'll be at TC in the Fall doing my MA part-time while working. Finishing the program "fast" isn't important to me. I want to take time to build relationships with professor (who will likely serve as future recommenders), getting into and contributing to a research lab, and publishing and presenting. @TR95 do you plan to work outside of school?

Mother Psychology professor Consultant to international I/NGOs (I.e. UN, UNICEF, etc) Entrepreneur

It would be difficult to get around Memphis without a car. Wouldn't rely on our public transportation (MATA) - its horrible. Strongly recommend having your own car/personal transportation.

I applied (and surprisingly was accepted) to TC's program. If my financial aid is sufficient, I will likely go there in the Fall because the program is a good fit for me (it is multicultural and social justice oriented, and has faculty doing global mental health work, which aligns perfectly to my research interests). I think its less about which school is "better" (they both are very good programs and do well getting their students into PhD programs) and focus more about which school aligns with your research interests.

Is there any one on this board who is a current or former student from University of Michigan's joint PhD Social Work program? If so, do you mind private messaging me - I will be applying to the program next year and needed input on a specific matter.

Thank you. I talked to a professor from Fordham last week and the conversation was really helpful. I guess I underestimated how willing professors are to meet/talk to students. I'm going to continue to reach out/talk to professors - I want to make sure I'm applying to schools that will be a good fit for me and my interests. Thanks again and good luck with your applications!

@scthorne I'm primarily interested in child and family welfare, poverty and economic mobility; juvenile justice, and trauma. I have a BA in psychology and am also interested in the intersection between social justice, psychology, and education - researching (and providing solutions to) issues like the school-to-prison pipeline, economic inequalities and racial disparities in education, etc. I want to study social work with an international focus and am especially interested in schools that have a global focus and/or faculty doing work in this area. Career wise, I want to teach, conduct research, author books, and consult with domestic and international agencies (i.e. the United Nations, World Bank, etc.). Thank you for suggesting having informational interviews. Great idea. How do you initially go about setting them up? Do you usually give the faculty members your CV via email or in person?

Hi all, I will graduate in May with an MSW and my plan is to get my LMSW, secure a job, and start applying to PhD Social Work/Welfare programs for Fall 2019 entry. I wanted to get advice on how to strengthen my application and opinions on if I have a shot at getting in. My current MSW GPA is 3.75 from a public state university. I have an undergrad 3.09 cumulative GPA and a 3.79 major (Psychology) GPA; 2-3 years of clinical experience (including internships); no research experience or publications. I'm working on my personal statement and retaking the GRE. (My first-time GRE scores were 150V, 145Q, 4.0A but I didn't study much). I'm applying to 8-10 PhD programs (my top choices are Berkley, Penn, U of Chicago, Brandeis, & Columbia) and a few researched oriented Master's programs, like University of Oxford's MSc in Evidence Based Social Intervention and Policy Analysis. From doing a little research and reading previous threads - it appears that PhD Social Work/Welfare programs aren't as competitive as other fields, for example PhD Clinical Psychology programs, but are still difficult to get into. I don't know if its imposter syndrome at play here, but I'm worried that I wouldn't be a strong applicant for PhD programs, especially with my lack research experience. Any input would be much appreciated!

Hi all, I want to get a PhD in Developmental Psychology but I worry my credentials aren't good enough and am looking for some advice. My background: 1. Undergrad Cumulative GPA: 3.09 , Psychology (Major) GPA: 3.79 2. GRE Writing (4.0), Quant (148), Verbal (150) 3. No research experience, but a few years of clinical experience 4. Graduate in May with MSW I'll definitely be retaking the GRE and was also thinking about getting a research-based Master's before applying to PhD Developmental Psychology programs. NYU's Master's in Human Development and Social Intervention program aligns PERFECTLY with my interests and goals: studying human developing and then applying this understanding in the real world to implement interventions to address issues that directly affect disadvantaged populations. But from what I'm reading NYU is a very competitive and difficult school to get into. I'm also concerned that my MSW might be viewed as a disadvantage because its in another (but closely related) field and is clinically based. Does anyone know any programs similar to NYU's Applied/Developmental Psychology program? Any tips how I can strength my application? Thoughts on getting a Master's in Psychology before applying to PhD programs? Waste of time? Other thoughts/opinions are welcome. Thanks in advance!

I forgot to ask, those of you who will be living on your own/renting, what month do you plan to/did you move into your places? I've found an apartment, but I'm on the fence about when to apply/begin my lease. I live with my parents currently and there's no "deadline" for me to move out, but I'm ready to leave the nest. (I'm in my mid twenties and it will be my first time living on my own. I stayed home during undergrad, with no regrets.) Part of me wants to apply/sign my lease next month (May), but the frugal part of me wants wait to move until July, allowing me to save a little more money during those couple of months. Any input?

Hey y'all ! Congrats to every who's been accepted! I'm starting my MSSW at UT Knoxville this Fall. This is my second time starting grad school. Got accepted into a M.S. Psychology program last fall and had partial funding, but soon realized it wasn't the right fit for me. So I decided to leave and pursue social work because it's a better fit for my interests and career goals. I'm hoping the second time is the charm. I'm also applying for a few scholarships and waiting to hear back from the school regarding funding. Most likely will be work part-time to offset some of the costs. Any who, good luck to everyone in your studies!

I applied for the 2 year online program.

Via email. I applied to the Knoxville Online program. I'm pretty sure J. Scagnelli said that applications were being answered in order received and it took about 3 weeks from the date I submitted my application, for me to receive the decision letter. Not sure if this applies to the Nashville program too, but good luck!

1:47 pm (CST)

Just received my acceptance letter today.

Have you called or emailed them to confirm?

Have you heard back? I applied for Fall 2016 and haven't received a decision letter yet, but it's still early.

My background is in the counseling field and I considered doing a Master's in Counseling, however my interests lie primarly in research and from my understanding, counseling programs focus more so on 'practice' as opposed to conducting research. I wouldn't be opposed to a Counseling Psychology PhD program necessarily, but my first choice and interests are in Clinical Psychology.

Thanks for the input. I think I'm going to wait until the end of this month before making a final decision. Forgot to mention that I applied to a MS in Gen Psyc program as well, but won't find out if I've been accepted until the end of May. My concerns with this program are limited/nonexisting funds and the program's quality is questionable ( I spoke to a student in the MS Psyc program and she informed me that, with the exception of a few classes, they couldn't take psych classes becayse they were reserved for the doctoral students, so majority of their classes were from other departments). But since I know that I want to eventually get a PhD in Clinical Psych, it may be more sensible to stay with the Psychology, even if I have to pay out of pocket and the program is subpar. A lot to think about. Right now, I'm just going to focus on increasing my GRE scores and getting research experience. I've started emailing psych professors and a local research hospital to volunteer in their research labs, but no luck or responses so far. I plan on personally visiting the professor, but they may be hesistant accepting me into their research lab since I'm not a current psych major. Have any of you had any luck landing a position in a research lab (including volunteer) while out of school/not in the school's psych program?

After graduating in 2013 with a B.A. in Psychology, I did not continue on to grad school primarily due to the fact that I didn't know what area of psyc I wanted to specialize in (i.e. experimental, school, clinical, etc.). Now, I know I want to get a PhD in Clinical Psychology, with a concentration in child and family(I want to become a Child & Family Psychologist). However, my numbers aren't that great: GPA: 3:09 Cum.; 3.79 Major (my cumulative GPA is low bc I goofed off my first 2 years of college (i.e. poor study habits, lack of direction) ) GRE: 148 Q; 150 V; 4 writing No research experience Few letters of rec (didn't take the time to form good relationships with my professors) I want to spend this year improving my application so I can start applying for doctorate programs for Fall 2016. Right now, I'm primarily focusing on gaining research experience, but it's difficult doing so not being a current psychology student. I applied and got accepted into a Master's in Sociology program with a full assistantship + stipend for Fall 2015 and I want to volunteer in psyc research labs in the meantime. Questions: Does this sound like a bad idea? (I'm worried that Clinical Psyc programs will see my Sociology classes as a conflict; or think I'm indecisive) Should I try to get into to a Master's in Psychology (school or education psychology)? (i.e. my concern with this is that limited funds are available and if I went this route, then I'd likely have to pay out of pocket for my master's and finances is a HUGE factor in my returning to school) My apologizes: this post is all over the place. I made a lot of mistakes throughout my undergrad education by not getting proper guidance, so I'm trying to get all the help I can. Any advice, general tips/suggestions, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!