metalpsychperson

Based on my experience interviewing at a few programs and being on the opposite end of interviews at my program, this really does not seem to be an issue at all. Plenty of people bring notes with questions and what-not. I referenced a list of questions during interviews myself and it didn't hold me back.

Alliant is not reputable. Do not waste an application there and do NOT waste your money going there. In fact, it's advisable to avoid professional schools altogether. You do not need to attend a program that focuses entirely on LGBTQ mental health to study/practice in that area. Look for universities with a faculty member who does research in that area, and apply to those faculty members' labs. There are TONS of programs with faculty that specialize in LGBTQ mental health.

I started studying at the beginning of my last summer vacation, took the exam early fall, and applied late fall / early winter. It was the perfect amount of time, I think.

I never tried Kaplan because it's waaay too expensive IMO. No idea how good it is.

Really? I found the Magoosh problems much harder than the ones on the actual test, and a bit harder than the manhattan 5 lb book. I scored significantly lower on magoosh practice tests than I did on the actual tests or the ETS practice tests. This might be the first time I've ever heard of someone who disliked Magoosh. I don't think I would have scored nearly as high as I did without it. It helped me way more than the Manhattan book. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Lol at the guy downvoting anyone who recommends Magoosh. We're just relaying our experiences in case they help someone else. Nobody is saying you have to like it.

You can only use a simple on-screen calculator. And if you're decent at mental math (I'm not) you're probably better off limiting calculator use as it really eats up time. Second your recommendation of Magoosh. It's by far the best GRE study aid out there.

That is really odd. The deadline to make decisions is in only 2 weeks! Maybe you're waitlisted and they're trying to be vague about it?

I second naming at least a couple of POIs in the SOP (and of course explaining why you're interested in their lab). I wouldn't have gotten into the school I will be attending if I had only been considered for one lab.

There's a reason most people don't apply to any more than 20 clinical doctoral programs. You'd have better chances submitting 15 fine-tuned, tailored applications than 30 generalized ones. A really good, tailored application is time-consuming. And I can't imagine your letter writers would be happy about being asked to send out 30+ rec letters for one student. Besides, you can only attend so many interviews before you need to reject the rest due to schedule conflicts. I think 8-15 schools is a good range to aim for.

Sounds like you're on the right track. Just keep it up and choose the schools you will be applying to wisely. Don't limit yourself geographically unless you absolutely have to, and pick schools that you have a good shot at getting into (with the exception of one or two reaches - I got into my reach school so it's possible). And of course pick programs that are a good fit with your interests and experience, and emphasize this good fit in your SOP. For the GRE, Magoosh is by far the best study aid and well worth the money. I don't think I would have scored near as well as I did if it weren't for Magoosh.

Thanks! I was actually accepted off the waitlist from that same program and have accepted the offer, so it all worked out in the end! Before I asked I got the same vague "alternate for admission" letter, and turns out I was actually first alternate for my POI. So that probably doesn't imply anything about your place on the waitlist. Chances are it doesn't hurt to ask, but even if the risk of asking is small, it's not really worth taking since knowing won't really affect anything.

I asked, but only after someone else on the waitlist informed me that they asked and got an answer. Didn't want to risk asking without being sure they would disclose the information. One of the schools I interviewed at automatically waitlisted everybody at the interviews who weren't given first offers, but they informed us of this. Not sure how common this is. They were a PsyD program and applicants applied to the program, not a POI, so I think their process differs from the usual.

I switched majors in my second year, and it took about a year for me to realize I wanted to do clinical (was initially interested in behavioral neuroscience). My GPA is actually exactly the same as yours, interestingly enough. I got into a great program on my first application cycle despite my late start (although I was initially waitlisted). Also, many people take a year off after undergrad to apply or go through multiple application cycles to get in. So two years is plenty of time to get the experience you need so long as you hit the ground running. Don't doubt yourself! Getting that research experience is essential. I had an honors thesis, a conference presentation, and a couple of years as an RA in a couple of labs. If I were going for a second application cycle I would have tried to go to more conferences, get that thesis published, and get some clinical experience. Clinical experience is not essential (especially straight out of undergrad), but it can help a lot if you can find an opportunity. As for the GRE, I strongly recommend Magoosh; it is well worth the money. Also, don't limit yourself to your alma mater; most people apply to 8-15 schools and while it's good to have a preference, it's best not to get all your hopes set on one place. Definitely do lots of research on the application process early on. There's a lot of information out there that will help you immensely!

I was first alternate for my POI.

I just declined my offer from IUP as I was accepted off a waitlist elsewhere.

Just messaged you, but KS in case others are waiting.

Just got a call from my POI at Baylor and I'm in! Will most likely accept. Super excited of course. I really didn't think this would happen!

Just got a call from my POI at Baylor and I was accepted off the waitlist! Will most likely accept. Super excited of course, although it's crazy to think I'll probably be moving back to Texas in just a few months!

I also have an acceptance from a program which is not fully funded, which I plan to attend if I am not accepted off a waitlist because I also have external financial support which will allow me to graduate without any debt. If I had to take on any debt I would probably decline. Some people online have judged me for this decision, but I've found that the money I would save by waiting a year and getting into a fully funded program would not be much more than the amount of money I would gain by getting into the field a year earlier. My decision was also partially based on the fact that I'd much rather attend a PsyD program than a PhD program, so my fully funded options are very limited. Since you're looking at PhD programs, it would make more sense for you to try again than it would for me. I think it really depends on three things (1) the reputation and stats of the program (not necessarily ranking), (2) how much more it will cost you than a fully funded program, and (3) your personal financial situation. Would you be fine messaging me the name of the programs in question? It's really hard to say whether they're worth attending without knowing more about them. Also, do you think you might want to work in academia, or are you strictly interested in clinical work? Program reputation seems to be much more important in academia/research than in clinical work. You sound like a really competitive applicant, by the way. I don't think programs care so much about undergrad GPA so long as your grad GPA is strong, and all of your other stats seem top-notch. If you do decide to try another year, I think you have a really good chance of getting into a fully funded program so long as you are strategic when choosing where to apply to, write good personal statements, and do well in interviews.

I'm in the same situation, except I'm holding out on 2 waitlists. I've decided I'm going to go to the partially funded program if I'm not accepted elsewhere because I can handle it financially without taking on any debt. But it's still a lot of money, so I'm really hoping I get accepted off a waitlist.

This seems really excessive. Nearly all clinical programs require an interview, and you can generally only attend 3-5 interviews max depending on the scheduling. The usual recommendation for clinical programs is to apply for 8-15, and maybe fewer if you're going for PsyD programs.

Have you checked the results search here on grad cafe? I wouldn't assume anything until you hear from them. You might want to shoot an email to the first one, just to ask whether they've sent out first offers yet. And if you haven't heard from any of the others by next week you might want to email them too. By 3-4 weeks after the program's last interview I don't think it would be inappropriate to ask, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Did any of the profs or current students at interviews say anything about how long it usually takes them to make first offers?

Do you care at all about doing assessment? If all you want to do is psychotherapy, you can do that easily with the MA. But if you really want to administer assessments, you should go for a doctorate. I wouldn't count on a PsyD program to allow entry into academia (you may be able to work as adjunct faculty but you won't be very competitive for tenure-track positions), so the main advantage of a PsyD over an MA in mental health counseling is that it provides the opportunity to administer assessments. Also, the PsyD may be more appropriate if you want to work with clients who have more severe psychopathology. It also depends on your financial situation. If you will have to take on a significant amount of debt for the PsyD, it could be extremely difficult to pay off that debt on a psychologist's salary. As for the schools you are considering, I've heard of them, but I do not know enough about them to comment upon them. I am personally wary of PsyD programs housed in professional schools so I only applied to university-based programs, but I understand that there may be some professional programs that are comparable to the university-based ones.

I know it's been beat to death already. But yes, Magoosh is by far the best GRE study aid out there. I did very well on the GRE and I don't think I would have done nearly as well without Magoosh. I watched all the videos, took notes, compiled the notes into one big document to study, and took several practice tests plus some smaller sets of practice problems. Also, remember that the practice tests on Magoosh are harder than the actual test. I scored much higher on both parts of the actual test than I did on any Magoosh practice test. The two practice tests provided by ETS are the closest to the actual thing; if you haven't taken them already I suggest taking them close to the actual date of the test, after you've taken all the Magoosh tests you can handle.

Thank you! IUP is the one I was accepted to. Seems to be a really good fit (same as Georgia Southern). If only they had better funding. ?