JacobW83

School: UT Austin
Area/Degree: Counseling Psychology
Rationalization: Unfortunately, the POIs I was interested in were retiring (this was not indicated on the website and I only found out by emailing the POIs), and the other POIs listed just did not line up with my research interests. I was hoping there would be new faculty who might match, but the website was not up to date at all so I really went in blind.
Comment: (No official rejection yet, but it seems they've already sent interview invitations so I'm expecting rejection) I expected this result since I didn't match with current POIs listed on the website, but was hoping for a potential miracle. Oh well!
Coping tactics: Really pouring myself into the two interviews I have, which are really great fits for my interests and goals. I'm enthusiastic about these programs and professors, and I'm hoping I can nail the interview and get an offer! 

School: UMass Boston
Area/Degree: Counseling PhD
Rationalization: I'm not "mature" enough for a PhD until I've done a Master's, apparently. They said they wanted someone w/ an MA in a related field or "more post BA clinical experience" but honestly I think it just boils down to "you're 22 and we're scared you'll burn out and cost us grant money"... it seems like they put more emphasis on clinical work over research (because, hey, I was actually employed part time in a clinical setting for a year in addition to doing full time work for research). Their loss.   
Comment: Offered a spot in the MA program, idk if I'll take it. I'd rather not spend two years doing unpaid clinical work when I could just earn more money doing research/clinical stuff for pay. 
Coping tactics: Focusing on achieving my final form: a bird comprised totally of salt and hatred. Gonna email POIs to see if the lack of clinical experience is what killed it for them or what. 

I *think* this is just a standard "we've received all your materials and are now reviewing them" message, which wouldn't indicate a decision in either direction

I've kinda heard the opposite - that interviews are the most critical part of the process. Prior to the interview all the applicants are just a combination of comparable achievements and experiences; the interview process is what demonstrates who you are as a person, it determines "fit". The POIs know they're choosing someone to work with for the next 4-6 years, so personal fit is huge.

I've kinda heard the opposite - that interviews are the most critical part of the process. Prior to the interview all the applicants are just a combination of comparable achievements and experiences; the interview process is what demonstrates who you are as a person, it determines "fit". The POIs know they're choosing someone to work with for the next 4-6 years, so personal fit is huge.

In my experience, most POIs will bring in about 3 people to interview per spot. I think the ranges I've seen were 2 minimum, 5 maximum, for one spot. 

Anxiety is gonna be part of grad school. I understand the desire to prepare as best you can for the interview, but really the interview starts the minute of the first event. Some programs take the input of grad students, some don't, but you will gain NO benefit from skipping an event. The best case scenario of skipping is that the grad students don't remember you much; the worst case is that the grad students find you withdrawn and difficult to engage with in a group setting (this is BAD for grad school). 
Highly recommend you go, meet people, be friendly, and try to use the event to enjoy yourself. Typically they'll say the event is totally optional, but they hold it for a reason and you want to get as much (positive) visibility as you can

I love when people flood the results page with fake results for 10 different schools..............

I love when people flood the results page with fake results for 10 different schools..............

I love when people flood the results page with fake results for 10 different schools..............

The last few weeks has inspired me to change my research focus to "self doubt and endless rumination."

I don't know about most of these, but I don't believe UT Austin has sent out any Clinical (or Counseling, for those who care) invites yet. According to previous years, the Clinical program seems to invite relatively late compared to other programs; I wouldn't expect to hear from them until probably the last week of January. Counseling Psych should be a week or two prior to that. 

Just got an interview at University of Houston's Counseling Psych program! Anybody else?

I just got an email invitation to interview with Texas A&M's Clinical Psych program! I had a couple tech issues getting all my app materials together so I was kinda thinking I wouldn't hear anything from them at all, and especially not so early, so this is a very pleasant surprise!

I agree with stereopticons, I wore a suit for the actual interview on my first round of apps and I'd say like 80% of the other male applicants did too. It's better to err on the side of overly-formal with this opportunity, rather than risk dressing too casually. 
For the dinners/socials it kinda depends on the context. The one I went to was super casual at a grad-student's house (no PoIs there) and everyone was dressed in typical "going to a friend's dinner party" semi-formal stuff. I'd definitely email the grad students or coordinators as the interview date approaches to check about typical expectations for those events, because some may be in more formal contexts than others -- but you also might feel uncomfortable arriving in a suit&tie when everyone else is in jeans and polos. 

If anyone applied to A&M's Clinical Psych program, it seems they've just sent out email invites to interview on campus 1/23-1/24.

I actually have no idea, but I did this as well. I emailed them a couple months ago expressing interest in their work and asking if they were accepting students. Typically the response was, "Thanks for your interest, yes I'm accepting. I'll keep an eye out for your application, let me know if you have any questions." 
So, although I don't expect it to improve my chances by any means, I felt like it'd be nice to write back and say that I did indeed decide to apply and to thank them for their initial response.