That Research Lady

I have a learning disability, which explains my low grades in the beginning of my academic career, but I did not mention it in my personal statement at all. Instead I had a LOR mention it and only addressed it in interviews if a POI asked about my grades. That way your personal statement and interview allows them to focus on your strengths. Also, it helps when your former professor writes the LOR stating the disability because it shows a professional in the field thinks that this is not a deterrent to your success and they have plenty of years of experience writing with a positive spin.

So the EXACT same thing happened to me this round but I got an interview because the POI was new. I guess it depends on the POI and the institution.

The VA freeze does not include these types of positions anymore. The Director has exempt them (thank goodness).

Also, give these last 3 your all. Go into each interview as far it's the most interesting program ever (because people can sense if your not excited). There were two schools I thought were towards the end of the list and after visiting them I fell in love with both. Keep an open mind and give these last ones a chance to impress you. I'll just add that I only applied to 5 schools that were almost perfect fits for me. It allowed me to take time to thoroughly tailor each application packet and I had an unusually high interview rate. I know applying to many programs can be helpful, but it can be hard to tailor that many applications. I'd agree that a project manager position would be ideal, just in case. Veterans Affairs pays a generous amount for these positions but working in a small lab at a university can help with pubs/presentations. Make sure wherever you get hired that they'll let you be productive!

I agree with the juhidee119. I'll add that APA's videos on the application process mentions that when you're in this situation you can call/email your POI at school #1/#2 and let them know that you have an acceptance to another program but you feel that #1/#2 is a better fit and you will not accept another school until you hear back from them. They said it can bring you up the waitlist (if you're not at the top of it already).

My POI called last week and insinuated I may get an offer but they were waiting to hear about funding. The next day I found out funding was lower than anticipated so now I'm at the edge of my seat. Seems like POIs are reaching out independently so you may want to call or email! I hope were both in next year's cohort!

The wait for word from UConn has me looking at my email like ???

If worse comes to worse and your not accepted, you can always collaborative across programs or at least ask this person if they would be willing to be on your masters and dissertation board. There is always post-doc too! But until you hear for certain, there is still hope. That school may not be their top choice if their holding the position.

I'm pretty certain you've already purchased a suit, but just in case, I bought mine at a thrift store in a wealthyier area. The was $15, a quality brand name retailer, and it looked virtually unworn. I used to be creeped out by buying pre-workout clothes but a $15 suit was worth getting over it!

Oh! Also, maybe if the advisors seem very similar in fit you can start weighting things outside of them. I would consider cost of living, stipend amount, fit with program location, where alumni has ended up (and how that fits into the vision for your career) and amount of student loans normally take out by graduation. (Not to mentioned overall "feel", i.e. is your gut telling you anything.)

If you really think that there is nothing that differentiates them in "fit" for you, I would suggest choosing the established older faculty as your mentor and then do some collaborations with the younger professor during your time in grad school. Then you can get the best of both worlds and have direct mentorship from a know name in the field. I know you said their mentorship style is the same, but I would warn that usually big names in the field are less hands on with their students, whether that's in time or effort. Individuals can differ of course so if you've already probed for that then no worries. Congratulations!

Exactly! I have 1 acceptance, 2 interviews left, and I'm waiting for one school to get back to me...I know I'm not going to get any emails during the weekend but I'm still checking out of habit and then get disappointed that my inbox is empty. Worrying is a terrible habit when it's out of your control. I'm totally going to the gym to de-stress. Thanks for the reality check!!

I think it depends on what your clinical goals are. I know people with associate degrees who get certificates that allow them to work with special populations as a pseudo case manager/counselor. That could be a easy alternative. If you really want to be a licenced clinician, I would suggest doing a PhD that allows you to do clinical work and research. I would imagine it can be hard to get a PhD, go back to school for a masters and then worry about obtaining clinical hours, especially since the research world rewards those who start their career soon after graduation. It's possible I'm sure, but I don't know if it would be worth the juggling. On the other hand, if you could see yourself just getting the research PHD and having a fulfilling career and life, I would go to the program you're excited about. I was trying to figure out the same thing last year and I had to reflect on what my ultimate goals were for my career and it helped me make a decision. You may want to write out a career plan and reflect on what will get you to your end goal. Hope that helped!

My mentor advised me that you should always visit in person if you're thinking of accepting. Faculty may not have much time to spend with you but at least having a brief conversation with them and a student or two will help you make a decision. Not to mention getting a feel for a new campus and town/city.

I'm weighing a newer faculty member at a top ten in clinical psyc vs. a more established person in the field at a top 50. I'd be able to work with both, in theory, if I was at either institution since they often work together, but of course I would have limited exposure to the advisor at the other institution. I'm leaning towards the established faculty member since our interests are better aligned but I'm not sure if I am giving up a major opportunity to have a more successful career by not attending the top ten. Thank you for your responses so far!

Thanks for the response! It's a lot to weigh so I thought getting some clarity on this would help.

I've heard back from one within 1 business day, but another school won't be contacted their top picks until 2 weeks after interviews because they have to hear back about funding. It varies per school. And then if someone is wait listed it may take longer.

When graduating with a PhD in clinical psychology, does the prestige of your graduate program effect your career in the short and long term? My career goals are centered around academic research with an interest in consulting. I'm wondering if the national reputation of a program (ie. graduating from a school in the top ten vs. top 50) is a significant factor in the trajectory of your career.

To be honest, I'm not sure about getting into masters programs, but I can speak to my experience applying for PhD. I also had academic trouble (academic probation several semesters). I stayed 2 extra years in undergrad to pull my cumulative GPA to the minimum most schools take (3.0) and I got a research job that allowed me to have publications and presentations. I am doing very well in the PhD application process because of these things and others like fit, specific interests, etc. I found a way to explain my low gpa as a strength. Only caveat is, my psychology GPA was above 3.5. I think you really have to be sure that this is the carer you want because it will be a bumpy but doable road. You may want to stay in undergrad to pull up your GPA (maybe double major?) to show you can do the academic work and then apply to a masters program. If they see a huge change in your GPA some programs will know your capable. My final suggestion is to seek therapeutic support. College is hard, family loss is hard, and I'm sure the stress from this situation can exacerbate that. It really is just an extra support in a very difficult time. I'm sorry for your loss and I wish you all the best in your next steps.

I was checking the page to see if anyone heard from UConn since I too forgot to ask ? I told myself last week that I wouldn't stress after interviews but here I am....stressing lol

I haven't heard from U of Washington either, but I haven't seen anything on the board so I'm assuming since they get an insane amount of applications that it's just taking a little longer. Good luck!!

Their were some customized portions of the email (ie. name, personal address) but the rest was a stock email.

*Sigh* yes, now I see it. Thanks for the heads up. I was able to meet my POI after applications so my postdoc said I could still get an acceptance without an interview. Not sure how plausible that is but I guess it's time for prayer.

I haven't seen anything for UCONN either. It's my top choice. I know that their POIs weren't sent application material before Dec. 11 (not sure when they got it after that) so I'm trying to be hopeful that they're starting later. NC- Chapel Hill is going to tell everyone officially on Jan. 20th so I'm giving myself two more weeks for all schools to contact me before I accept that I won't be interviewed. I haven't seen any of my school's giving invites yet on threads so....yeah. Ignorance doesn't always feel blissful I guess.