Hi all, I am interested in pursuing a doctorate in Psychology and after doing a lot of research on psychology programs, the Psyd is definitely the best fit for my educational and career goals. I am hoping to compile a competitive application for the Fall of 2019 and I am looking for some advice & feedback. Given that some Psyd programs are quite costly, I am targeting more competitive programs that offer at least some funding.
As background:
I graduated in 2005 with a bachelors in Psychology- not a stellar GPA, 3.3. I then completed a Masters in Social Work in 2007, with a GPA, 4.0. I worked in a research lab during both years of my MSW program doing qualitative interviews, participant outreach and some data entry but have no other real research experience, presentations, or publications. I worked in the field of social work for 6 years after graduating with my MSW and then took 4 years off (by Fall 2019, it will be 6 years) to stay at home with my small children. I have a lot of clinical/hands on experience to highlight in my application from my work experience. I am starting to study for the GRE and am hopeful that with the ample amount of time I have to study for it, I will be able to score well.
Advice/Questions:
As I have been out of the workforce for the last several years and out of school for much longer than that, my references are quite stale at this point. I especially hesitate to contact previous professors as it has been so long. I am considering taking an undergraduate psychology course at a local university to get an updated academic reference. Any out there have experience in getting some updated references/recommendation letters, particularly academic references, years after graduation? Any advice for me? If I were to take an undergraduate psych class, any recommendations on what would be particularly helpful to have refreshed for a doctoral program (ie. statistics vs. a intro psych class vs. a random class of interest)?
Secondly, I am considering volunteering in a psych lab at a local university (if this is possible to do) to obtain more research experience and for another updated recommendation letter. Any advice on what types of research tasks/experience would be most useful?
Any other general advice you might have for me in compiling a competitive application- given a lower undergrad GPA and a period of being out of the workforce? And any recommendations on Psyd programs that offer funding? Also, are there any Facebook groups for individuals going through the process of applying to doctoral programs in Psychology?
Thanks so much in advance!
Christy