FeministPsychologist

I would personally go with options 1, 3, and 4. The first one because he can speak about you in multiple different aspects, and I'm sure can write you the most wonderful letter. The second one because he has a clinical background. And the fourth one because he probably knows about your passions really well and can explain why you would be a good fit. I'd say #3 is actually a solid option too because he has a clinical background, but because you haven't had a class with him, nor do you do research with him, there would need to be some explanation of the relationship. Otherwise, 3 can easily replace 2 because of the unique skill set you are getting with that professor.

Applied first at age 21 (also graduated undergrad at 21), reapplied at 22 and will be starting shortly after I turn 23 Having to reapply really reaffirmed my passion for and dedication to the field, so I can't say I regret how things played out.

I second what @hlr20 said! Themes not only allow you to express your interests in a clever way, but can also make your personal statement much more cohesive and meaningful. Thank you for sharing your outline! Here is an idea of the outline I used for most of my statements (which I then tailored to each program I applied to based on a format they expected). Keep in mind, I applied to a scientist-practitioner program so it's not solely about research. PARAGRAPH 1: Personal story; introduce theme. Strong hook that connects to a theme you are trying to convey. Thesis = I am applying to X program at Y university to do Z research. PARAGRAPH 2: Relevant volunteer/job experiences (my research interests correlated much more with my non-research experience in terms of the population I am interested in working with) How have you grown through these experiences? How have these experiences influenced the research interests you are pursuing? PARAGRAPH 3: Research experience What have your previous research experiences taught you? What gap have you noticed in research? PARAGRAPHS 4/5 - WHO do you want to work with in this program (if applicable), and WHY this program? What are your specific research interests, and which professor are you interested in working with based on those interests? How can their experience help you? How will this program specifically help you reach your goals? Try to tie in aspects of the program to your personal interests. (Ex: The social justice orientation of this program aligns with my desire to support marginalized populations.) Make sure to explicitly mention your goals and tie them in to the training provided by the program (Ex: The vast teaching opportunities in this program will help me be prepared for a career in academia.) PARAGRAPH 6 - Summarize, explain societal/community impact Why is this research needed, and why is it urgent? Why are you the best fit for this type of research and program?

Here it is! Why do you want to be pursue this field? What are your goals/how can a PhD help you attain your goals? What are you looking for in a graduate program? What interests you in our program specifically? What research are you interested in doing? If you were to design a study, what variables would you study and what methods would you use? (Usually they are wanting to get an idea of what you will do from start to finish). What are your strengths and weaknesses? What skills do you think will be helpful for completing a PhD? What challenges do you anticipate facing in graduate school? How will you handle these challenges? What are you looking for in an advisor? How have you shown initiative in your learning process? What was a difficult interpersonal experience you had in your life, while in your undergraduate or graduate program, and how did you deal with it? Name a time you failed to accomplish something. What did you learn from this experience? What is something that isn’t on your resume/CV, but you believe would be important for us to know?

For interviewing skills, I looked back to questions I was asked in the previous cycle and thought about which ones I could prepare for better, especially in regards to solidifying my research interests, potential dissertation topic, and designing a study. I struggled with those questions the most, personally, because it was hard not to sound like a jumble even if I mentally knew what to say. Additionally, I created a list of slightly random questions that I had seen in guides and on this forum so that it would be easier to answer unexpected questions, even if they weren't the same ones. I'd be happy to share my list Exactly what @buckeyepsych stated for the first question you had!

Trying to like this, but GradCafe says I'm out of reacts So exciting!! See you there

I'm trying to react/like all of these responses, but apparently I've crossed my limit for the day This is so, so true! Thanks for bringing this up. Yes!! This is such a good point!! And we shouldn't feel bad about reapplying, nor do we owe an explanation to anyone about why we aren't starting immediately.

Hi all, I wanted to start a thread to allow us all to share our thoughts and reflect on this application cycle now that it is almost over. This was my second time applying to Counseling Psychology programs, and I know that I have learned a lot about myself (and the ridiculous admissions game) through this process. To give you a bit of background, my first application cycle, I applied to 6 programs (all CounPsy) and though I had a mix of preliminary and in-person interviews for 4 of them, I was eventually rejected from all. I was devastated, and literally had mental breakdowns every few days. So, I really understand the struggle of having to wait, but never getting the news you want. This time, I applied to 17 programs (yeah I know, it is a lot!). I interviewed at 9 - one of them being a School Psychology Ph.D. program - and out of those, ultimately was rejected from 1, waitlisted at 1, and received offers from 7. Based on my experience, I want to share a few thoughts and pieces of advice: Rejections do not determine your self-worth. Please do not feel like you are not qualified/smart/unique enough if you did not get in. I say this because my first time applying was last year, and I have not really gained any more relevant experience since then. I didn’t even change my personal statement besides 2-3 sentences. I improved my interview skills a little bit, but the big difference was where I applied. Which brings me to #2. Last time, I was picky about location/perfect fit. This time, I chose to apply to places where I would actually bring something new to the lab/POI, and I was flexible about location as well. You might think “I would never go here”, but sometimes the interview will change your mind. That happened to me with multiple programs this time. So my advice for both new applicants and applicants who are applying again, is that do not be stuck to one area if it’s possible. Of course, family/partner relocation and finance might be something you have to consider with this. Submit apps early! I submitted materials a month in advance in case I missed anything. Of course, if this is not financially possible for you, then try to review the checklist of materials for each school multiple times. This will give you enough of an idea to fix something if needed. If you can’t afford to interview in person, don’t. Out of my 9 interviews, I did 6 over Skype/phone (although one of them didn’t have in person interviews). I was accepted to 5/6 of the programs I interviewed at on Skype, and 2/3 for the ones in-person. In fact, one of the programs strongly discouraged Skype interviews, and still ended up accepting me in the first round. This goes to show that your interviewing skills can sometimes matter more than your in-person presence. And if you do get in, you can always visit during dates that are more convenient/cost-effective as well. Be proud of yourself for completing and submitting your applications. That is a difficult task in itself. If you got to the interview stage, congratulations on that as well. No matter what the result, don’t give up on your dream of getting a Ph.D. I hope this reflection can be insightful to folks in some way. If you would like to ask any questions, I’d be happy to answer! It would be awesome if all of the wonderful Ph.D. applicants out here could share their reflections as well I’m sure you all could bring much more to this conversation!

I’m also going to UTK’s Counseling Psych Program! ?

For those who have applied to PhD programs in Psychology (non-clinical) at the University of Florida (Gainesville), have you received a rejection if you weren’t invited to an interview? The only reason I ask is that in past years they have sent out rejections, but I haven’t received any communication from them and even though I’m aware that decisions have probably been made, it would be nice to receive a definite no.

Yeah, I definitely get what you're saying. Thanks for your help!

Hi all! I wanted to ask what others have done or recommend doing in this situation. I was waitlisted pre-interview (about 2 mos ago), and the in-person interview for the program took place about 1 month ago. Is it okay for me to reach out to my POI for information about my status? He had told me he would be in touch, but I haven’t heard from him. I want to convey my continued interest in the program, but don’t want to seem hasty either. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Not recently - I last emailed with my POI in early January. Have you heard anything?

I really needed this today. Thanks for your kind words—you’re right, we got this

I applied to the PhD program in Counseling Psychology and though rejected from that, I was offered a spot for the MA in Counseling with $15K merit scholarship.