PsyDuck90

Chicago School has a pretty poor reputation, so I would steer clear of that one. The size of their last year's incoming cohort is larger than my entire PsyD program's entire program....including staff. At minimum, you want a program that is connected to a university. Those tend to have better training programs versus the ones that are a business such as Chicago School and Alliant (Argosy was the biggest, but they were shut down recently). 

Sounds like you are looking for validation and support of your own conscripted answer, and not the perspectives and insights of those who already navigated this path....

Very quick. I feel like I just started but I'm already about to start 3rd year and studying for comps. 

I think that's a good sign in that they see a potential for working with you and are interested in talking further, but I'm not sure if that's a significant boost in chances. 

If you are hesitant and money is a factor, you may want to not apply this cycle and instead focus on the technical specialist position or finding a research coordinator position and find some way to maybe at least get a poster submitted to a conference. Many of them are online lately due to COVID like EPA, and that will strengthen your application. Would you be able to use some data from 1 of the labs you've been working in? PhDs like to see research products since a big part of doing research is disseminating it to the scientific community.
All 4 of them are R1 research universities, so they're all ranked pretty highly. Research fit is 1 of the biggest factors faculty look at during admissions, so if you want to expand the list, it would more so be based on where the people are doing research you want to do. I'm not familiar with your area of interest so I wouldn't really be able to give you suggestions. One way to find more potential programs is to look at journal articles (the more recent, the better) and see where the authors are based out of, and then checking to see if those faculty are still involved in that line of research. 

As long as you graduated, I don't think the length of time matters. I have US colleagues in my program (also US) who graduated in 3 years instead of the standard 4. 

Is there a specific reason you want a MA in clinical psych rather than going for a master's in counseling (license-eligible) or PhD/PsyD?
Wake Forest, William and Mary, Villanova, and William Paterson are all programs that have funding. I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. 

@EmpatheticMastermind, I think the biggest hurdle is explaining the jump and fleshing out a clear thought process in your SOP of how you got to this point and where you want to go. It sounds like this will be a key component, since you have a non-traditional application. Your stats and R knowledge are definitely a plus. However, depending on the PI, your experience at the wilderness therapy company may actually be a negative, as this is not considered an evidence-based treatment and more of a fringe kind of thing. Some may find this experience valuable, but I've come across academics who view these kinds of things in maybe not the most light, akin to slapping the "therapy" label onto camping activities. If you get questions about this in the interview, I would just have a strong, cogent answer prepared in the back of your mind. Another thing that may be beneficial is to try to get some more traditional psych research experience under your belt (which I understand is more challenging during the pandemic). Also, most programs have some pre-reqs, like abnormal psych, research methods, etc. that incoming students should have. If you have not taken these, getting a start on those at a local community college or online can be a good idea as well. 

Yeah, I feel this really hard too. I'm fortunate enough to be in a program already, but I just turned 30 and while all my other friends are buying houses and having babies, my husband and I are stuck in this waiting game since we can't afford kids right now (I can't take time off from practicum without making myself less competitive for internship). It makes it even more evident when a few of my cohort-mates got in straight out of undergrad. I love them, but it's hard not to be the teeniest bit jealous that they will be 26 (younger than I was when starting) when we graduate and I'll be 33. It seems like there is always another hurdle. I truly wish all of you the best of luck in your application cycles. I hope you find your perfect fits!

It really depends on the program. My university-based PsyD is pretty research heavy and the vast majority of students have extensive research experience, including pubs and/or research coordinator positions at pretty prestigious AMCs. Other PsyD programs don't really care about research experience too much. 

I would interpret this as meaning it is optional. If they were not accepting it at all, I would assume they would use language such as "the GRE will not be accepted" rather than "not be required." However, as @justacigar said above, there's really no way nf knowing how admissions committees at schools where it is optional will use them to make any sort of decisions. Even during regular application seasons, it's never 100% clear which programs/committees/PIs put a lot of stock in GRE scores over other aspects of applications. This year is going to be a whole new can of worms. 

You'll need to calculate your gpa for undergrad and masters. You have to report this even if your schools didn't calculate it. I recommend you remove names of schools and professors in your post. You don't need to include all of that in this setting.
Your application is good. Don't stress yourself out about not having a first-author paper yet. Study for the GRE. Magoosh is a good value. I would avoid reporting your current scores because of the low Q score.  I would strongly advise you to expand your search beyond those three states. Identify professors you want to work with rather than places you would like to live. If you pursue a career in this field you will need to relocate multiple times (internship, postdoc, job). Also be careful about you discuss your art unofficial recreational therapist experience. A google search tells me this requires a license. Make sure you don't misrepresent your credentials.

I would interpret this as meaning it is optional. If they were not accepting it at all, I would assume they would use language such as "the GRE will not be accepted" rather than "not be required." However, as @justacigar said above, there's really no way nf knowing how admissions committees at schools where it is optional will use them to make any sort of decisions. Even during regular application seasons, it's never 100% clear which programs/committees/PIs put a lot of stock in GRE scores over other aspects of applications. This year is going to be a whole new can of worms. 

Hello there! 
Let's take it one at a time
It's great that you are looking into APA accredited programs only - make sure you check their internship match rates, funding, etc. You've probably looked into that, but it's worth mentioning. 
The MA degree is a big selling point and should compensate for not taking psych undergrad classes. However, make sure you check each program, because some require an undergrad thesis or similar.
Caveat here - personal statements for PhD programs are a little different than undergrad ones for admissions; while the path of how you decided between psychiatry and psychology can be a great addition, the backpacking/travelling may not. Reputable PhD programs, even balanced ones, are way more focused on your research experience, your research ideas and what skills you bring to the program.
 
The letters of recommendation sound great - ensure that they talk about you as a research assistant and what you've learned and how you've grown; just because someone is famous/known expert, it does not translate into a great letter for you. Of course, the equation changes if these famous PIs are known to the programs where you apply or have good connections there.
A paper is great. Do you have posters as well? Or any avenue where you can present some of the work to bolster it further?
You seem to be interested in spiritual concepts (looking at this + the Spirit Mind Body specialization in the MA). While there is nothing wrong with that, what I'd like to stress is that it's important you go into the application process with clearly defined interests. If you'd like to continue research on schizophrenia, you probably have a good case for that already, if you want to research something else, just make sure your "story" is detailed enough so that POIs aren't confused regarding what you want. 
 
Volunteer hours are great for more balanced programs and counselling, but they may be less relevant for more clinical science orientations. 
The baseline GREs don't look too bad - with some study and your background you will have a great V and AW score and your Q can increase nicely with some practice. So this should be good. Do a lot of practice problems though, besides the original PowerPrep. Those are too easy compared to how the GRE is right now.
Overall, you seem to have a strong application (with the caveat that it's just my own opinion). However, interviews and admission are not guaranteed for anyone. 
To ensure best results, I would approach this in two ways - first, ask your supervisors/ letter writers about contacts they may have at different schools or which programs they would recommend that match your interests. Networking is a way that many people use to get noticed in this competitive process.
Second, make sure your application package tells one cohesive story regarding your interests - what you'd like to research during the doctoral program, what you'd like to do in the future with the degree, what is the impact, etc. 
Third/optional step - you can contact POIs ahead of time and see if you can understand how you'd fit into their lab, what you can bring to the table and how they can help you reach where you want to go.
Hope this helps. Best of luck!

I second what Sigaba said. Also, even successful faculty get their work edited. I am currently working on a manuscript with my advisor, and she sends drafts to her colleagues all the time for feedback, and they deliver. Writing is always a process, and people will always see things that you don't in your own writing. Even when you submit to journals, readers are providing feedback. 

This professor is showing you a great deal of respect by "bleeding" all over your drafts. The detailed comments are an indication that he's treating you like a peer and/or that he's attempting to mentor you.

The challenge you face is to acknowledge how you feel then to put those feelings aside so that you can wrestle with his recommended changes. (Easier said than done! I once got so worked up over some coaching I received that the departmental chair took me to lunch so he could calm me down. It's not a good essay, he said.)

Do what you can to understand how the recommended changes improve your work and give you an opportunity to grow as a scholar and, maybe, a person as well. At the same time, do what you can to develop a sense of where you want to draw the line -- are points where you want to stick to your initial approach? If so, how would you explain your position to your professor. What will you do if he insists that you make the recommended changes?

(Here, I recommend that you learn from my experience -- do not say yes or no right away. Say something along the lines of "This is a lot of food for thought..." and then give yourself time to figure what you really want to do. The big picture here is not pleasing someone you may respect or admire, but to develop your sensibilities as a professional academic.)

To address your question, I've been on both sides of this dynamic. Long story cut short, while I'm very conflicted about my experiences and my choices as a graduate student, I know I'm much better off from having a couple of professors willing to kick my ass up and down the hallways and stand on my head during office hours. The professors who leaned in  and helped me improve my critical thinking and writing skills to the point where I could earn jobs in vastly different industries.

I don't think there is any harm in asking. 

Always apply to APA accredited schools that offer funding. The PhD is a long route 5-7 years and even if you are funded, its barely enough for one person to live on, let alone a family. Taking on an unfunded program will mean that you would be in significant debt for a much longer time and you would need much longer than finishing your program to just "break even" with your finances.
It looks like you are geographically restricted and are considering this when applying for grad school, but it is also important to think about this when you apply for internship and post-doc. These application processes are also very competitive and may require you to move to a different state twice, even if you get into a program in your geographical area. Its important to consider whether or not this is a dealbreaker for you.
Finally its important to think about what you would like to do as a clinician. Master's level clinicians can provide psychotherapy, and psychologists can provide psychotherapy and assessment. As someone credentialled with a masters degree, if you wish to teach, you can adjunct some classes (though the pay is usually a bit low for this ~4,000-5,000 a class each semester). The only difference which you outlined is the ability to conduct research independently and the ability to condict assessments. Consider what you would want for a standard day in your practice. And be realistic in your expectations. Most say they want to do research, teaching, and clinical work, (myself included) but in reality most end up choosing 1 or 2 of these things due to time constraints/quality of life/maximizing income.
And a side note, in my experience, ageism shouldnt be an issue. Several students in my program started in their mid 30's-and early 40's so they're not the traditional applicant and did not have an issue.

I've heard that the research opportunities are limited for the masters students except for the few "favorites" and there is a lot of favoritism within the student-faculty interactions and therefore animosity among all the students. The program is absurdly expensive and people don't walk out feeling like they got their money's worth. Those who do not get into the New School's PhD program (which is only accessible for the "favorite" masters students) have a difficult time getting accepted to other PhDs because the research opportunities were kinda stale and they didn't get to push out posters and projects. It also isn't necessarily aptitude and skill that leads a student to become one of the "favorites." Again, these are all things I've heard through the grapevine. I have never actually step foot into the school so it is not personal experience and I can't claim the veracity. Also, I just looked up tuition for the program and it said "N/A" in that part but for funding says that all incoming students are considered for fellowships, not that they all get them. So it's a little sketchy to me that the university is not up front about the potential costs. 

Yeah, it's fine. In fact, it may give you a leg up depending on how much individual control faculty have vs a committee in making admissions decisions. I would maybe just inform the faculty member that he is your top choice and ask if he still feels comfortable with writing a letter. 

As far as I know, PAU is incredibly expensive. Also, be wary of programs that have a specialized focus of interest/specialized tracks. Often, but not always, its just a marketing tool to get people to pay high amounts of tuition. If you are interested in LGBTQ issues and want to research in this area, find a funded school with a research mentor that studies the population. As well, most clinical psychology programs do cover how to work with LGBTQ populations in your multicultural psychology course. 

If you have formally accepted and deferred an offer, that is considered a commitment from you to attend that program. While technically yes, you can apply to other programs (unless your program says explicitly otherwise, which some do, check the conditions of your deferral), it is generally frowned upon to do so. Academia is a surprisingly small world. If a professor from your original program happens to chat with a professor from a program you're applying to, you could end up in a sticky situation and jeopardize your admissions at both institutions. You also risk your reputation in your academic field.
So, technically, yes you could apply to other programs. But I would not recommend doing so. If you do, proceed with caution.
 

The Maryland 1 is so weird. I'm still not sure what the utility of it is for them if they've already admitted you.
Previous coursework just means that you took a class in undergrad that covered developmental psychology and another that covered social psych. If those were the names, that makes it easier to prove equivalency, and they may ask for syllabi if the content was covered but the school just named it something weird. 

Most program systems won't allow you to even add a 4th rec writer. I would drop the McNair writer and keep 1-3. Another thing to ask yourself is...who would write you the best letter and pick the top 3 that way. 

There is definitely a risk. However, if a program has some solid faculty, it could be a good gamble. Also, even if the program loses accreditation status later on, if you graduate while it still has the contingency status, you have graduated from an accredited program. It's not a chance I would take from Dr. Smith's Psych Shack School of Psychology, but can be a good bet when it's housed in a reputable department such as UC Irvine.