PsyDuck90

1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.

1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.

1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.

1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.

1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.

Developing strong coping skills now will serve you well in the future, especially when you start your program. Between meeting program milestones like comps and dissertation defense and applying for internship and possibly practicum placements, there are a lot of anxiety-inducing processes when going for a clinical psych PhD/PsyD. Diaphragmatic breathing, distraction, positive reframing, and so on are useful skills to start practicing now. 

Do you have Zoom meetings for that program all day? I would honestly reach out to whoever and ask about flexibility. Chances are, they probably didn't realize that you are in a different time zone. 

1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.

1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.

1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.

1. Make sure you are prepared to discuss anything that's on your CV, especially any posters/presentations. So if you've got something that you presented a few years ago, make sure you refresh your memory. 
2. Be familiar with the current work your POI has put out in recent years. Make sure you have a pitch on what you can bring to their lab. Maybe have an idea or 2 for potential projects, just in case they ask. Why does their work interest you? What skills do you bring to the table? 
3. Be familiar with various aspects of the program overall. Have a good response if/when they ask why this program. Research match is 1 (very) important part of it, but what else about the program do you like? Are there particular practicum placement options you like? Are there specific course offerings that stand out? Outside of the standard curriculum required for APA accreditation that is. Reading through the student handbook (should be available online) is a really good way to assess program culture/policies/expectations/etc. 
4. Have questions. Have questions for your POI, as well as any other faculty, and any current students you may meet with. Make sure these questions aren't easily answered by reading the online written material or the handbook. Use the available information to craft questions that show you have spent time looking into this program and are invested in it. Don't be afraid to ask the same question to multiple people. You can also ask questions about the city/surrounding area, especially to current students. 
5. I cannot stress this enough. Be a person! You are not a robot with 0 personality. While you obviously want to remain professional, be you. You will be in this program for a minimum of 4-5 years. That means the faculty and other students will be engaging with you for a number of years. They are looking for capable, but they are also looking for people they can see themselves working with for 5 years. Being likable goes a long way. I just got my letters of recommendation for my next round of externship applications, and all my letter writers devoted the last paragraph to how likable and responsible and easy to work with I am. I don't think they all unanimously thought that was important to include by accident. People like working with people they like. Be natural and be you, since that's who you'll be for the foreseeable future.

Programs can apply for APA Accreditation on Contingency, meaning they meet all requirements other than outcome data (graduated cohort) and, for the purposes of internship apps, etc. are viewed identically to full accreditation. I would ask the program when they expect to submit for accreditation on contingency. They should be working on that ASAP. 

Yeah, there's a few random states that allow it, but it is not the norm and a psychologist is a doctoral level practitioner. States like Texas and Missouri as I just learned (thank you) allow someone to be a psychology associate or something along those lines. I just looked at the Missouri statutes and it looks like they revised them in 2018 to not allow licensure at the masters level. Also, I looked at the websites for both of those universities and it doesn't look like Mizzou-Columbia offers a clinical psych MA outside of the PhD. 
In general, this is why it's so important to review state statutes and licensing requirements, as they change state to state and also over the years. When looking at programs, it's important to look at where you may want to practice and make sure you meet all those requirements. 

Also, just as an added FYI, the vast majority of PhD programs in clinical or counseling psychology are fully funded with tuition remission and a stipend. Your opportunity costs in that you are quitting your full time software job are definitely considered a financial loss, but cost of tuition is irrelevant for most programs. You typically serve as a teaching, research, or graduate assistant (or a combination of all the above) in exchange for the financial compensation. 
While there are some theoretical underpinnings that differ between counseling psychology and clinical psychology, the license is the same and the differences have really disappeared over the years.
I will also say that your research interests are very broad. I would spend some time really thinking about what you want to focus on (it's ok if your work shifts later), and try to get some research experience within that specific content area. Admissions committees and PIs want to see a clear, thought out process of what you have done and what you want to do. Even if it isn't a traditional path. Having such a broad range of interests can actually work against you. 

Yeah, counseling, MFT, and LCSW are only license-eligible at the master's level. There is no doctoral level licensure for those fields. That's why, if you want the doctorate but also want a clinical license, you need the actual master's degree. This is separate from clinical psychology and counseling psychology, which are only license-eligible at the doctoral level, although there are a few states that allow for a master's level psychological associate, but those are the minority. 
OP, are you a strong research match for all of these programs? What are your career goals? When applying for doctoral programs, a faculty research match is a must, especially when programs have a mentor model. You are essentially applying to work with a specific faculty member. If you are not a good research match and simply applying for geographic convenience, your chances of acceptance drop significantly (clinical psychology has an 11% acceptance rate overall). A program that bills itself as clinical science (such as Vanderbilt) is especially focused on research. 

Yeah, counseling, MFT, and LCSW are only license-eligible at the master's level. There is no doctoral level licensure for those fields. That's why, if you want the doctorate but also want a clinical license, you need the actual master's degree. This is separate from clinical psychology and counseling psychology, which are only license-eligible at the doctoral level, although there are a few states that allow for a master's level psychological associate, but those are the minority. 
OP, are you a strong research match for all of these programs? What are your career goals? When applying for doctoral programs, a faculty research match is a must, especially when programs have a mentor model. You are essentially applying to work with a specific faculty member. If you are not a good research match and simply applying for geographic convenience, your chances of acceptance drop significantly (clinical psychology has an 11% acceptance rate overall). A program that bills itself as clinical science (such as Vanderbilt) is especially focused on research. 

Each university is different, but literally the entire world was (and is) severely impacted by the pandemic, so your circumstances are probably more normative than you realize. The US and UK have had a particularly difficult time with the pandemic, especially given the general political climate in the US and the new strain recently discovered in the UK. 

An informal interview and a pre-interview are the same thing. Some faculty reach out to speak with students before finalizing lists for invites to the formal interview day/weekend. 
Getting responses from 2 programs is great. It doesn't mean that you are accepted though. Do the interviews with the 2 schools and then if/when you get acceptances, that's when to worry about which program to pick. The interviews will be able to give you a much better idea of which program you prefer if given a choice. 

I would just test out outfits on Zoom and see what works best, as most schools will still probably expect professional attire. 

Procrastinating faculty member here :). I agree with the above, although I think this year we will cut you all some slack - we know that Zoom fatigue is real, and that being physically comfortable can help with that. I personally will be completely fine with a dress shirt or nice cardigan over a blouse, rather than a full blazer. To add, though, please consider taking some time to make sure your Zoom setup avoids some common problems. To wit:
1. The (other) halo effect. It's especially important during an interview to make sure that your face is adequately lit and that there isn't a strong light (sunny window or artificial lighting) behind you that makes you a silhouette. It's hard enough to get personality across via Zoom, and being able to clearly see your face helps a lot. No need for a fancy setup, just make sure to test your lighting at multiple points of the day and adjust accordingly.
2. Framing. This is tricky, I realize, but it's helpful for a lot of us to be able to view body language from more than just a disembodied head :). Think about the news anchor frame and try to approximate that. This also has to do with angles - if you're sitting directly in front of a laptop looking down (or up) at it, depending on the distance it can look like a looming face. Also test run your attire to make sure that the camera angle doesn't reveal anything you don't want it to reveal.
3. Eye candy. I don't judge anyone's Zoom space decor or similar (unless it is obviously inappropriate), however I have been distracted by items within view. So just check that your artwork, doodads, books, etc., are not distracting or overly cluttered, even if they're really cool. As with your professional attire, the goal is to make sure you and your ideas are the focus.
4. Props. Obvious prop placement, like making sure your copy of the DSM-5 or "Discovering Statistics Using R" is clearly viewable, are amusement-inducing, but not actually helpful. Also, many folks use their bookshelves as background - nice choice, but please make sure the titles are all appropriate, and that you don't inadvertently reveal an interest in some psychological area/approach that is inconsistent with the program to which you're applying. We can't help it - we WILL read legible titles.
5. Pets. I love 'em. Can't get enough of them, and to my mind pets are exempt from Item 2 above, but not sure everyone would agree. That said, we understand if you get a visit during our meeting :).
Thank you for your posts, all - I'm trying to anticipate applicants' anxieties so we can try to mitigate them during the interviews, and your opinions and questions are helpful. Good luck!

I would just test out outfits on Zoom and see what works best, as most schools will still probably expect professional attire. 

It sounds like that person is seeing some sort of an overlap and is interested in working with you in some capacity. They may be shifting their work slightly or just be generally interested in you as a student. I would prep for both. Either way, in my experience you don't just work with your primary mentor. While I have my primary lab that I work in, I've helped on posters/manuscripts with other faculty with slightly different interests. Also, when it comes time to pick your committee, it's much easier when you already have a good working relationship with several faculty, especially if those faculty work well together. And my making strong connections was doubly helpful when my primary advisor decided to take a 1 year leave of absence for this academic year, leaving me to needing a new advisor to help oversee my dissertation. I had a faculty member volunteer to step in because I had established a good relationship with them over the last 2 years so it made the whole "relocation" process much easier. 

It sounds like that person is seeing some sort of an overlap and is interested in working with you in some capacity. They may be shifting their work slightly or just be generally interested in you as a student. I would prep for both. Either way, in my experience you don't just work with your primary mentor. While I have my primary lab that I work in, I've helped on posters/manuscripts with other faculty with slightly different interests. Also, when it comes time to pick your committee, it's much easier when you already have a good working relationship with several faculty, especially if those faculty work well together. And my making strong connections was doubly helpful when my primary advisor decided to take a 1 year leave of absence for this academic year, leaving me to needing a new advisor to help oversee my dissertation. I had a faculty member volunteer to step in because I had established a good relationship with them over the last 2 years so it made the whole "relocation" process much easier. 

MOD NOTE
Just a reminder to all: please do not post requests for POIs on this thread. This thread is only for posting interview invitations. Posts simply requesting for POIs will be removed. 
Edit: I have moved all none interview notifications to the general Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD thread found here. Please relegate any conversations about anxiety/general conversations/etc to that thread.
Thank you. 

MOD NOTE
Just a reminder to all: please do not post requests for POIs on this thread. This thread is only for posting interview invitations. Posts simply requesting for POIs will be removed. 
Edit: I have moved all none interview notifications to the general Fall 2021 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD thread found here. Please relegate any conversations about anxiety/general conversations/etc to that thread.
Thank you.