It's exciting to read about everyone else's search!
Programs of Interest: PhD Community Psych/Developmental Psych/Social Work/Human Development/Social-Urban Policy (A little broad - my interests center on the impacts of housing instability and community violence on adolescent development)
Schools I'm Applying to: UChicago (Social Work & Hum Dev); Loyola (Dev Psych); Northwestern (Hum Dev/Social Policy); UIC (Urban Planning/Policy & Comm Psych); DePaul (Comm Psych)
Not considering schools outside of Chicago which is limiting but I wouldn't be happy moving. If you know of other programs I might have overlooked please let me know!
Worried About: Funding - I like the programs at UIC and DePaul, but they offer minimal funding and I refuse to take out loans. GRE Quant Score - studying pretty hard, but I'm really abysmal at mathematical reasoning. Undergrad in unrelated Soc Sci discipline from a school better known for STEM and architecture.
Not Worried About: 1 year research experience as an internal evaluator for a major OST provider and 1.5 years as a research assistant at a UChicago affiliated policy research center. One in press book chapter, two low-scoring journal pubs, one in prep journal pub, lots of reports for lots of different funders mostly in my areas of interest, lots of invited presentations. Lots of undergrad awards. 3.75 gpa. Great letters of rec.