Fi19

As a current grad student, enjoy the time you have for you will never see its like again. 

For everyone attending a clinical psychology PhD/PsyD programme this fall, how are you spending your time until the semester begins?
What kind of preparations are you making?
What kind of contact have you had with your POI/advisor/mentor, if any?
Spoken to any current/former grad students from your department?
Living arrangement/moving?
—
I was thinking of grabbing my old stats, anatomy, and pharmacology textbooks from storage for some refreshers, plus my DSM V and some other misc psych books.
My POI will email me in the next few weeks with some reading material, grant and funding information, and grad student referrals.
In the meantime, I’m reading his last few publications and generally itching to begin.
We’re not sure where we’ll be living just yet, as my wife has some career changes coming up, but we currently live about 45 minutes or so from the university.
I’ve already been on campus to find out the earliest I can get my ID, parking pass, and student credentials for access to the journal databases.
I can’t stop thinking about starting. I know it will be here quicker than I realize. I know I’m obsessing. I’m just so excited.
Roll on orientation!

If I could go back and retake the GRE, I would take as many practice tests as possible. The material is important, however, getting down the rhythm of the test will help you the most. 

I really liked Magoosh (you can do a free trial, or google for a discount code, there's so many out there); it was especially helpful with the math as it basically re-teaches you all the math you need! Magoosh also has a number of free resources you can google. For example: http://magoosh.resources.s3.amazonaws.com/Magoosh-GRE-Vocab-eBook.pdf
I also highly recommend you download the Magoosh GRE flash card app for your phone (free!)--I find this was more helpful than the Magoosh GRE Vocabulary Builder which was multiple choice. 
Buy: any edition of the official ETS GRE Guide. Made by the test makers, and any edition will do as they don't really change the question much.
I found that the Kaplan books were kinda meh from my experience. Their tests also seemed too easy compared to the real GRE. Best of luck!  

I personally found Magoosh helpful (did the 6 month plan), as well as membean for the verbal section (this was my weaker area). 

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?

How to respond to a rejection letter (from https://www.socialpsychology.org/reject.htm)
 
Graduate Admissions Committee
Department of Psychology
Big Deal University
Collegeville, USA
Dear Committee Members:
Thanks for your letter of March 30. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your rejection at this time.
This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of schools, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.
Despite your outstanding record and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my current career needs. Consequently, I will begin taking classes as a graduate student in your department this August. I look forward to seeing you then.
Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.
Sincerely Yours,
[Name Withheld]

I think I've forgotten how to not be stressed.
I have all my results from programs now and I'm still checking the results page obsessively. I don't know what I'm trying to find lol.

DePaul University.
Clinical Psychology, Community Track.
Feel free to PM if you’ll be attending DePaul as well. I’d love to connect

DePaul University.
Clinical Psychology, Community Track.
Feel free to PM if you’ll be attending DePaul as well. I’d love to connect

Formally accepted my offer for the University of Houston today! 
This was my 3rd round and I'm 3 years post masters, so this is a great feeling. I am celebrating by cuddling with my dogs and planning my honeymoon (why I thought it was a good idea to get married during grad school application/interview season, I have no freaking idea)

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?

Everyone else has given you great advice so I don't have anything to add, but I just had to LOL at this. I've run into some bizarre interests of professors before but this takes the cake.

Okay, that’s very different than not being TT. I don’t think that’s bad thing. My current mentor says they can be good because they tend to be very motivated to publish, up on current methods, and potentially more open minded. Although I suppose they might also feel more stress at trying to reach tenure, but I think some of that probably depends on the environment of the department. My current school and department is very supportive and gives their untenured faculty first crack at funding when taking on new students so that they can get tenure.

This is important; I cannot offer advice on this as I have a very senior PI, but my recommendation is if you go to either of those schools you should identify a prospective back-up mentor immediately who is more senior and could help you in the event your junior non-TT PI leaves and you want to stay. 

Honestly, whether you get a degree in clinical/counseling is less important than if you become a licensed psychologist. Now, that being said, there will be differences that @sassyyetclassyhas mentioned, but that's not to say that you can't work with the clinical population in the future. Practicum sites and internships for clinical also tend to be at community mental health clinics and hospitals, as well as places like VAs, and counseling centers at other universities.
Edit: I should mention that you can usually find these internship sites and whatnot on the Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data PDFs of different programs (for example, UNL has their clinical psych internship sites baked into it from 2010-2018.)

It's really a program by program difference. I can think of a few VERY highly regarded counseling programs that have practicum sites at community facilities and hospitals. Moreover, YOU have the choice of what practicum sites you apply to. So if you're in a counseling program but want to work with (for example) severe mental health... you can do that! Just apply to more acute sites. Most respectable programs have connections with most of the same sites as clinical programs in the same geographic area.
A few posters above mentioned that Clinical tends to be at hospitals and Counseling at UCCs, but this DEFINITELY varies by geographic location. In the cities I'm looking at (mainly Boston, NYC, and Philly), this is not the case at all. Counseling programs compete for the same sites as Clinical programs and are on equal footing.
THAT SAID. Some post-doc and post-grad opportunities may have a bias for one or the other. The one that quickly comes to mind is that UCCs tend to prefer hiring LCSWs or Counseling Psych grads, but this is not a hard-and-fast rule.

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?

The OP clearly stated there are major issues to be figured out with each program, and that’s why the OP hasn’t turned down any offer yet. Don’t see any problem with someone being scrutinized about that.
However, I do agree that if someone is holding multiple offers just because they can, then that’s a different story. Please release your spots if you know for sure you’re not attending a certain program.
Ps: please don’t continue the results page drama on this thread and please be supportive of each other. ?