That Research Lady

Happy to hear it worked out!! Good luck with applications!

I'm personally weary about post-bacs since you cannot receive traditional financial aid. If you have the money, it's definitely an option. I was in a similar experience, where my last year of school I finally realized I wanted psych but had only taken an intro course. My cum GPA was a 3.0 at that point. I stayed an undergrad for an extra 2 years to do nothing by Psyc courses and double majored. It was the best option for me because (1) I could still get financial aid for those two years, (2) I definitely raised my cumulative GPA, (3) I was older and only focused on Psyc classes so my Psyc GPA was very high. I then worked full time in research for a few years to gain as much experience as a M.A. but get paid (and start paying down my loans). My gpa was lower than yours so you may not have to work as long as i did. When I applied I was accepted into several fully funded programs. It is a HARD and LONG road but I knew that was my goal and that it was worth it. If you feel the same I would suggest considering it. I didn't want to wait this long to get into a program but I find that being a little older and having the experience and persistence can serve you really well in these programs.

I'm not sure if you're still debating the question at hand, but I would think the research position would serve you best. Personally, if I was an advisor that you applied to work under, I may be concerned that you are not dedicated to a PhD if you've been working in non-research private sector positions for the past couple years. It certainly never hurts to have more publications, presentations, or to expand your network by working with new PhDs. I received one of my interviews because a lab advisor knew faculty at the school. You sound sure that a PhD is what you want so why wouldn't you take the position that would help improve your chances towards that goal? Saving more money is certainly provocative but I don't think it's a strong enough reason to not build your CV as much as possible. Just my opinion.

Absolutely you can. I received double time after sending my accommodations in. My biggest suggestion is do this ASAP. It is a long process (it took me almost two months) and I actually had to postpone my applications for a year because I didn't apply soon enough. The accommodations will be honored for at least a year so don't worry about requesting accommodations too soon.

I think your stats look fine, but, as said, the GRE will really help or hurt your application. I'd also focus on the personal statement and ensure it's relevant to each advisor/school. Lastly, I'd say don't sell yourself short. It might help to worry less about which schools you think will accept you and focus on making sure you're applying to schools with good fit. I had some cringe worthy stats but I found that research/interest fit gave me a leg up. Why spend a ton of money to apply to schools you may not be excited about (or may leave you in a ton of debt) and spend the next 5 years unsatisfied. I saw people with lower stats get interviews and get it. Just focus on your apps and the interview. You may surprise yourself ?

@gdala Im actually working out the same issue with my partner now (who is thankfully willing to drive a little further than I am). I commuted for undergrad and during the drive I often listened to recorded lectures, text books on audio, or just my recorded voice going over course content. I'm an auditory learner so it worked well for me. However, I'm still having similar concerns as you, since I'm beginning a PhD program and haven't been in school for years. Thank you for bringing this up on the forum!

Now that the dust has settled, I hope everyone has a successful year ahead of them! Thank you all for sharing, venting, crying, and cheering with me. The support on the forum was so helpful.

When you send a cv, add a cover letter as well. It makes you look more serious/professional. Also don't be afraid to move for a paid position! The northeast is a great place for this. I did and it was worth the experience (and extra pocket change). Full time work in research really helped fine tune my interests and was one of the reasons I did well this application season. Good luck!

I gave up an extra 10,000 a year in stipend money for a program I felt was a better fit and was closer to home. If you feel one place will give you the education you're looking for and the people are easier to work with then it's not necessary an unwise choice. Just really have to figure out your values and choose accordingly.

Released my offer at UMBC. Hope this helps someone on the waitlist!!

Thank you both! This thread has helped me stay positive so I'm happy to contribute to that for others. I'll be going to UConn @8BitJourney

Just got off the wait list and received an offer from my top school! I will be accepting as soon as I get the official paperwork and releasing my other offer. Don't lose faith! The wait list is moving!

Honestly (to me), it sounds like the choice to stay local compromised your fit for labs and that could be the issue. My grades were not as strong as yours and I applied to some difficult schools for admittance but received offers, with the feedback that my interests were very well aligned with the lab's. It sounds like your application was strong enough to get you interviews at many of the schools you applied to (which is an accomplishment), so I'd reflect on what to strengthen during interviews as well. Or consider working out of state for only a year or two and then applying to local schools again. I did not want to relocate geographically either, but I live in an area where the programs are the most competitive in the nation and actually found that having interviews from reputable schools across the nation helped during an interview with a POI close to home. I understand that sometime relocating is not possible (which I often told my mentor) but the advice I received was, it's only 4 years (or 1-2 for an RA position) and then you can go anywhere for internship/postdoc/etc. 4 years goes by very quickly and if you are less than 5 hours away from home you will likely be able to return often. I know it isn't always that simple but I'd hate to see you gather more debt for a degree you may not need. I worked instead of getting a masters and the money/experience can be very helpful.

This wait gets increasingly harder every day. I feel like I'm being dramatic but maybe this is a shared experience ? Other posters' good fortune is giving me hope though!

I worked at an ivy league my first 1.5 years and then the VA for my remaining time as an RA and I loved it. It wasn't in my topic of interest but I feel it allowed me to get experience that helped me stand out in applications. Clinical psyc admissions is competitive but those experiences helped me have options for admissions, so I'm grateful. It also pays very well compared to other positions. I almost convinced myself to stay in the VA instead of applying to grad school. I would advise that RA positions within the VA can look different so don't be afraid to ask about presentation/publication opportunities during interviews. Also, my position as an RA is among the list of exempt positions at the VA. I know my center will be hiring soon so if you're willing to move just message me and when they post the position I can send it to you.