Doc2016

I can definitely relate!  This is my third round applying and I am quite a few years older than you.  If I start NOW I will finish when I am 45.  I have been accepted to 2 partially-funded PhD programs so far and can't decide what to do.  Do I give up 4 years of income and spend an extra $100k+ on top of my already large student loan debt to... make basically the same money I can in my current situation?  Sure, I'd be "following my dream," but is my dream worth that much money, really?  I've been going back-and-forth all over the place. I also applied to MSW programs because I moved to NYC after my master's that leads to an MFT.  MFTs don't have anywhere near the same number of opportunities in NY as in CA, they love MSWs here.  So I could do that and just work clinically.  Or I could pursue a career in research, which is what I am doing now.  Anyway, this isn't helping you, but know you are not alone.
I have started going through the things that matter to me: money spent, income lost, expected salary, location, research opportunity, job opportunities, match with students, career goals, etc. and weighing each item.  What things are MOST important to me?  Once I have finished, I will add everything up and hope it helps me make a decision. 
Good luck figuring it out and let us know what you decide!
 

I personally wouldn’t this early.  The POI isn’t going to forget to tell you if you do get accepted and the person ahead of you does have until 4/15.  I’ve been on 3 waiting lists in past years and I feel like I was told immediately (within a day or so) of when they knew I wouldn’t get in.  Maybe if you haven’t heard anything by EOM?  Side note: if you haven’t done a “where am I on the list?” email, that’s an option, depending how the waitlist was offered (I know some give info up front).  It sucks.  It’s a waiting game for everyone, schools and students alike.  ?

School: Yeshiva University/Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
Concentration: Clinical Psychology with Health Emphasis
Type: PhD
Date of acceptance: 2/20/2019
Notified by: Email from admissions; formal letter to follow within a week. MY FIRST ACCEPTANCE!!!!! ?

School: St. John’s University 
Type: Phd Clinical Psychology 
Date of invite: 2/8
Type of invite: email
Interview date(s): 2/28

I can say in NY, MSW is definitely more respected and opens more doors.  I was a pre-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in CA, and have found opportunities for anything other than LM/CSW to be severely lacking. 

School: Kean University
Type: Combined School and Clinical Psychology PsyD
Date of invite: 2/1
Type of invite: Email
Interview date(s): 2/12

This is my third and final attempt.  I don’t think I’m getting interviews for any funded programs, all but one school has sent (at least some) invites.  I applied for a few partially funded, but am not sure at this point if that’s realistic financially (debt from master’s already).  I got 2 waiting lists for funded schools and 1 acceptance (psyd that I turned down) year 1. I received  an interview and subsequent waiting list for 1 school 2nd time.  So, I took a year off of apps and got a full time job running a large federally-funded study. Pub in the works, but a couple presentations.  And now nothing?!?!  The more qualified I get the less competitive I appear to be...  

Ha ha ha!  I feel ya.  I think my apps were a mess year 1.  I don't know how I got ANY interviews!  I will say, most of the people I interviewed with both years said my clinical experience is what set me apart from other candidates.  

Friendly reminder that if you’re an applicant, even if it’s your second year of applying, you have absolutely no right to tell someone that a piece of their application must be weak if they aren’t getting offers. That’s not how the clinical psych world works. There are more competitive applicants than there are spots, so a lot of it is luck. Social capital also comes into play, so check your privilege. End rant. 

I definitely think my age/experience is to my benefit, but I'd prefer not to be close to 50 when I graduate with a doctorate.  Mid-40s was feeling like a stretch.  I can probably do much of what I want to do with a master's, it's just a less direct path. 

This is my third and final attempt.  I don’t think I’m getting interviews for any funded programs, all but one school has sent (at least some) invites.  I applied for a few partially funded, but am not sure at this point if that’s realistic financially (debt from master’s already).  I got 2 waiting lists for funded schools and 1 acceptance (psyd that I turned down) year 1. I received  an interview and subsequent waiting list for 1 school 2nd time.  So, I took a year off of apps and got a full time job running a large federally-funded study. Pub in the works, but a couple presentations.  And now nothing?!?!  The more qualified I get the less competitive I appear to be...  

This is my third and final attempt.  I don’t think I’m getting interviews for any funded programs, all but one school has sent (at least some) invites.  I applied for a few partially funded, but am not sure at this point if that’s realistic financially (debt from master’s already).  I got 2 waiting lists for funded schools and 1 acceptance (psyd that I turned down) year 1. I received  an interview and subsequent waiting list for 1 school 2nd time.  So, I took a year off of apps and got a full time job running a large federally-funded study. Pub in the works, but a couple presentations.  And now nothing?!?!  The more qualified I get the less competitive I appear to be...  

This is ridiculous.  I went through old results to see when all my schools traditionally send invites.  Other than the one that already rejected me, none send invitations until last week in Dec, early Jan.  Yet all I can do is obsess and check my email and these boards to see if anything happens.  I mean, it is HIGHLY unlikely that something will come through before Christmas.  But still...   ugh, this process. 

Soooooo, I'm doing this thing again.  You'll notice my name is Doc2016... not so much.  I'm very back and forth about how I will do, some days I am positive I will get 3-4 offers, and other days sure I won't even get any interviews.  This is round 3 for me (previously lacking really solid research), and likely my last.  I was accepted to 1 Psy.D. program and waitlisted on 3 Ph.D.programs in those 2 years.  I turned down the Psy.D. because I decided a Ph.D. was more appropriate for my career goals.  
I've been working for over a year full time at NYU School of Medicine as a research coordinator on a federally-funded randomized control trial with target of 500 participants...  so it's a lot, and I am literally the only person managing the study, 6 interns, and 2 full-time non-research staff.  I am really hoping this experience will get me (at least closer) to the top of the stack.  Also have over 1000 clinical hours from my master's program - I originally planned to just be a master's level clinician.  Most of my schools are in NYC, and not all funded (ugh!), but my husband has a great job here.  We could move, but he likely won't find a comparable position, and the closest he'd get would have to be in a city (as opposed to a college town), hence the choices.  My interest is schizophrenia and serious mental illness.  I am applying to:
John Jay (#1), Fordham, Hofstra, Fairleigh Dickinson, St. John's, Yeshiva / Ferkauf, Adelphi, LIU Brooklyn
Indiana U - Purdue U. Indianapolis, U. Illinois Chicago, U. MD Baltimore County, U. MD College Park (reach), Temple (reach)
Not really sure why I am posting except to flush out some of the emotions that come with this process.  Wishing luck, and sanity, to everyone!  

I currently work as a project manager on a study at NYU School of Medicine after receiving an MA in Clinical Psych (license eligible).  I think it's hard to say whether you will enjoy it without knowing you, but there are definitely jobs out there, whether doing coordinating, clinical/diagnostic interviewing, or something in between.  If you are passionate about research, I say go for it.  For the record, I love research and the majority of my job - the reasons I don't enjoy my job have more to do with my lab than research as a whole.  That said, I do also miss clinical work.  

I currently work as a project manager on a study at NYU School of Medicine after receiving an MA in Clinical Psych (license eligible).  I think it's hard to say whether you will enjoy it without knowing you, but there are definitely jobs out there, whether doing coordinating, clinical/diagnostic interviewing, or something in between.  If you are passionate about research, I say go for it.  For the record, I love research and the majority of my job - the reasons I don't enjoy my job have more to do with my lab than research as a whole.  That said, I do also miss clinical work.