YES!!!

Very good advice but you know it's tough to let go and have faith. Particularly for those who are applying after some earlier attempts. It's a very crazy situation but I guess there is nothing to do but somehow hang in there. I think within a couple of weeks everything will fall into place for everyone so even if this time is tough, it's temporary. I really wish the process was less brutal but it's a simple case of demand and supply in this steam of study, isn't it? Good luck to everyone and remember, this too shall pass!

Personally I think you MUST visit the campus before accepting. This is where you will live for the next 5-6 years. You HAVE to love the place, the lab, the people - everything. If it is possible to make the trip, please do so. Just hanging around the lab (legitimately of course and not lurking ) will give a really good sense of how things function there. There is nothing worse than being stuck with a group or a place you don't really relate to. And if after visiting you still think it's the best place for you, then of course start looking for an apartment that you love as much as your program

If you like a program and find out from the data of previous years that is available that you can live with the stipend they offer, then I think you can pretty much say good bye to all other interviews lined up. Too much time, money and stress goes into the travelling and preparation for the interviews and if you prize them less than what you already have, it doesn't make much sense enduring the ordeal. But be sure that there is an actual offer on the table before you decline the other interviews (as I'm sure you have already). Good luck and many congratulations!

Your strike rate is amazing. Getting interview calls at 11 out of 16 is incredible. Now to just close on your top choice! Good luck!

I was reading somewhere that getting admission into a Clinical Psychology PhD program is more difficult that any other admission at the graduate level. More difficult than getting into law school, medical school, engineering school - anything. Getting in ANYWHERE is a fabulous achievement. Well done. Now go out and do some incredible research!

Given how ruthless the scrutiny is at every school, you should absolutely banish the thought that you tricked anyone into giving you admission. This cycle the admissions process has apparently been brutal. There have been a greater number of applicants this year than ever before. So if someone has offered you admission, it is because they think you are the perfect fit for them. Nothing else. And admission depends on so many factors that have nothing to do with your specific skill sets that I don't think anyone should take a rejection personally. You have got one. That's the exact number of places you can say yes to. So say yes and congratulate yourself. You have done the (almost) impossible

That's really amazing 8Bit. I guess there is nothing you can do about the other interviews lined up for the moment but just interview everywhere you have been invited. How fabulous it would be when you get the chance to compare several offers before picking the best one. Congratulations!

Berkeley confirmations started being sent out at the end of January / first week of Feb itself. You may want to mail them to check your status there.

Honestly you can only just sit it out and wait to see how the final admissions list looks like. What will be, will be. No need to get upset about anything. You've done the best you could. Now it's totally out of your hands. Why fret over something.that you have no control over at all? I hope you get into the program of your choice this cycle itself. Good luck!

I think you have every right to connect with your POI to clarify any doubts that you have about accepting the admission offer. Honestly it will be good for both of you. Its a 5 year journey (at least). It's crucial that you are totally aligned with the lab you choose to join. No one minds answering questions really. If you can speak with some grad student in that lab first it might be more helpful but definitely you should feel free to address all doubts before taking a final call. Congratulations on the multiple hits. Hope they are all so good that the final decision about where to finally join gets really difficult for you to make

I wish there was a way to know for sure what works. I have basically put it down to being lucky. It is a given that we are all prepared going into the interview, we are all good enough to be there, we all know our stuff. What happens next is a function of chance as much as of anything else. Perfect present fit, future fit, great GRE's, strong publications, brilliant LoR's - God alone know what makes it works. Sometimes people with all of these also end up getting sidelined for some reason. So honestly, there is no straight formula that applies here. BUT I hope that all of us have greater luck in the process than we had even hoped for!

5000 times is just the right number of times you should say thank you on being accepted. It is a great moment for you and you should enjoy it to the fullest. Picking which offer to accept is the only sort of acceptable anxiety one should have to endure this season. Many congratulations

Great points 8bit. Much more valid than my understanding! Hope your interview related travel situation is all sorted out?

From the little that I know, the most important thing is to have strong publications and a perfect fit with the lab you want to be admitted to. Again, I am not an expert but I would suggest reading through all the publications of your desired lab you can find online, particularly the ones with your POI as first or second author. See how closely what you want to do is aligned with these papers. Then write to your POI explaining what you want to do and how that work will take forward the work being done in his /her lab. Your published researches will establish your ability to do research and place you at a level where your research competence will not be questioned (if at all something like this is done!). It's also about getting lucky. Your cohorts may be strong one year, not so strong another year. It's just so many things that must come together that it's crazy. In any case there is still time. Hopefully some interview calls will come through still. Good luck!

Wow. Given that you are faculty, there is the possibility that some of you could be reviewing the applications of some of us here. THERE goes my chance of making a good impression during the interviews!!!! But on a serious note - thank you and sorry for having caused so much inconvenience!

Thank you @Eigen and @fuzzylogician for taking the time to step in and mediate on this matter. I really hope we can all just put this behind us and focus on doing the best we can through the rest of the application season. Small disagreements and their resolution only make the community stronger. I hope that is how it works for us here as well. Good luck to everyone for all the interviews ahead. Stay strong and stay safe!

I really hope you get all your interviews in - on campus and over Skype. The good bit about all of this is that there are only a few weeks to go before it is all decided. How exciting! Have fun in the interviews and let them know you are fabulous

Thanks 8BitJourney for the guidance. I think the method you have suggested is the best way to go about this. Thanks again and good luck with your interview(s) this weekend!

Honestly wear what is most comfortable and practical (within reason). The POI's all know that its a tough time weather wise and as long as one doesn't turn up looking like he/she just walked in out of a blizzard there should be no problem! And there is absolutely no need to buy a briefcase unless you think you will need it later. In any case at most schools there is a sort of waiting room where the applicants wait between interviews (if there are multiple interviews - with the POI, other Profs, Grad students etc). So you can easily leave your bag pack in this room and head to your interview with just your folder or diary or anything else you want to carry your things in.

A question for those who have been here before - how much time do I have before I have to respond to the offer made by a school? I mean, after showing a lot of enthusiasm in a program and a POI over the past many months I can't suddenly go silent when they have made an offer, can I? I would like to wait till the results of some other schools are declared as well (which should be no later than the end of February) but what attitude do I take for now with the ones that have made a formal offer without getting their backs up? I know the bird in hand perspective but I'd really like to wait as well Thanks, in advance, for the advice

This is crazy. You need to write to your POI and the grad office about this. There is no way they can cancel your interview slot because of this weather emergency. They HAVE to allow you to interview over Skype. Come on - everyone is doing it these days, so why not this school? Send out an email to your POI and request that you not be penalized for the doings of an inclement weather!

ServeNStudy you honestly don't need to worry about this. I got a message from one of the schools I was to visit this weekend saying that in case I was unable to make it due to the weather, they would be happy to schedule a Skype interview instead. I am actually not going in any case and had informed them 2 days ago itself but they probably haven't taken me off their interview mailing list yet. Basically schools are taking cognizance of the weather and are factoring that into their schedule. So even if you haven't heard back yet, I am reasonably certain that there is nothing to feel concerned about!

So the little that I have figured out in this admission cycle (my first) is that the most crucial component of any application is the research that you have done. I know lots of people with 330+ GRE's and 4.0 GPA's. I am not sure how important these things are in the final analysis. Well, they serve as a great way to thin out a list of applicants to the really competitive programs but in all the interviews I did this cycle I did not have a single comment on any of the academic awards I have nor my GRE scores. Every single interview focused ONLY on the research work I had done and every discussion centered around my publications and their relevance to that particular lab. So, in my humble opinion, (and I could be completely wrong), publications are the most important part of your application (to many though not all schools). If you can't join a lab, contact a POI early in the season (by March when this cycle gets done) and ask how you can conduct some research under his/ her mentorship. That will allow you to stay connected with your POI and also remind the Professor of both your existence and your ability. But you HAVE to get some strong research work in if you are looking at a good school (though I think every school tends to be equally competitive). Mail your POI and ask for guidance on how to work with him on a paper. Initially it will be the literature review etc which will get you into the project and by the time you are designing your research you would have a fairly good idea of how to go about the data collection and other aspects that you will need to manage on your own. As I said, I could be wrong but this has worked out fairly well for me so far. Good luck!

A vindictive individual can not claim to serve any society or community. Such individuals serve only their own pettiness. And incidentally I have responded in great detail to anyone who has bothered to mail me in private. I am hesitant to name my POI here because I am wary of vindictive individuals who might choose to contact my POI(s) and attempt to falsely discredit me before them. I do realize that this is a difficult time for everyone (as it was for me till just a few days ago when things fell nicely into place), but at no stage till I take to abusing or harassing any individual. And I do agree ServeNStudy that this entire admissions process needs to be revisited to make it less distressing for all concerned!

Hi WhereamI - yes I did interview both on the phone and on campus. Though I also know that invitations to interview are still going on and will be happening till 15 Feb. I just got one early since I had been in touch with my POI for almost 6 months. I am sure you have a shot still.