Katie B

Welcome to Sam! I'm a current clinical masters student there if you want to connect!

It's highly unlikely that you'll find any other Clinical programs whose deadlines aren't December 1st or even earlier. If this cycle wasn't kind to you (often it takes several rounds) why don't you take the year to improve your application or gain more experience? Applying to places that are the best fit for your goals and interests will give you the best chance at admission and satisfaction once you're in the program. Is there a reason you're so insistent on trying to get in on this round?

So I'm a current student in a psych grad program, but when I was in the application phase, all of my schools were across the country. I'm from Indiana and I applied to schools in Texas, Oregon, and Washington. It does suck moving away from your best friends, but it's completely do-able! My advice for you is to be looking for apartments now and planning ahead. I honestly don't remember if MSW programs do interviews (my best friend is getting his MSW at our alma mater so he did not have to interview), but if there is an interview process then I would really ramp up the housing search after getting an interview invite and if you have to travel there for interviews, see if you can swing it financially to stay a day or two extra to see the potential city. The last thing I'll say is moving is way more expensive than you would think! Try to be prepared and don't be afraid to ask your program if they have any kind of moving assistance for new students. Good luck!

I'm currently a Masters student at Sam if you have questions! I can't answer for everything involving the doc program, but I can for many of the other aspects of Sam and life in Huntsville!

The majority of the programs I applied to (Masters-wise) were unfunded. It's very rare to find a Masters that has funding, plus I was geographically limited to where I could apply at that level since my partner lived in Texas. I wasn't going to separate us for 2+ more years for anything less than a doctorate. Where I'm currently at offers several scholarships and TA/RA positions, but the debt is real, I won't lie about that.

I think you'll be perfectly fine, especially since you're applying to Masters programs! I had an abysmal Quant score myself (147) due to the same test anxiety you're talking about and I got several PhD interviews, one acceptance after waitlist (I turned it down for lack of funding), and acceptances from all the Masters I applied to as a backup! I'm currently in a Clinical masters program at Sam Houston State. Good luck!

I moved from Indiana to Texas and I drove it! I only brought what could fit in my car which means I left my furniture in Indiana. The cost to try and ship these items just wasn't worth it to me when they were old and due to be replaced anyway. The biggest problem I had was packing all my books, I had four or five boxes and that was after donating a massive amount. I reduced my possessions by almost 50% I'd say, but most of it was clutter left over from undergrad that I never used. Unlike most, I did have the benefit of moving in with my SO and the cost of replacing furniture like a table or desks was split in half because of this. We also bought second hand furniture or did the cheap Ikea. The only things we splurged on were a new bed and a couch, which were essential for us (I have scoliosis and have to have a good bed). The whole process was more expensive than I had anticipated but I had been saving for a year before I moved. Start saving as early as you can and price things out as much as possible.

The research skills are transferable; however, if what you were doing in the social lab isn't related to your interests, then make sure your SOP gives a good picture of how you can apply those skills and what your actual interests are. I also think you should think about what kind of research experience is, did you only do data entry or did you help write the paper? Did it (or could it) result in a publication? Two years of basic RA duties may not be enough to show that you can stick with a project through its completion. As far as your GPA goes, it's a bit on the lower end but that's not the end of the world. An otherwise great application (especially good GRE scores) can completely outweigh this. Honestly, the purpose of a Masters is to boost a GPA, gain research experience and clarity in your research ideas, and to prepare you for the different kind of rigor that grad school requires. I will never discourage a Masters, I'm currently in a clinical MA, but you should be aware that the majority of programs are NOT funded at this level. If you have debt from undergrad, you'd only be adding to that because it is very hard to work during grad school. Conversely, if you're able to secure a position as a paid RA or Lab Coordinator/Manager in a lab that matches your interests/methodologies then you could get nearly the same benefits as a Masters. It shows that you can do research and see it to completion, that you're serious about the field, and gives you more experience and possible a publication or two, all without the cost of a Masters. Ultimately the choice is up to you and what financially works for you. I took a gap year and during that time I was unable to secure a RA position without potentially moving cross country (Indiana to West or East coast) which I was in no way financially stable enough to do. Therefore, I applied to 7 PhD programs for Fall 2019 and a few Masters as backups. After interviews and waitlists, nothing panned out at the doctoral level and now I'm in my third week of a MA and I love it. It was the right choice for me, but may not be for you!

I've just started a MA in clinical psych and during the orientation panel ALL of the professors at my university stressed that you shouldn't do a thesis unless it's absolutely necessary. The field as a whole is moving away from the necessity of a thesis to enter doctoral studies and as long as you have the equivalent research experience (publications too if you're able) then your application is no less valued than applicants with a thesis completed. Good luck!

Not sure if you've already gotten an answer to this question as most aid notifications have gone out by now, but for graduate students we are only qualified for unsubsidized student loans from FASFA which means they'll start gaining interest immediately and the max you can take out a year is $20,500. If you need more than that, you have to go through private loans or something other than FASFA and government assistance. P.S the interest rates for these loans are fixed at 6.08%

Listen to what @PsyDGrad90 said. Your match to the program based on research interests, goals, and training models is way more important than where you feel you are "best suited" for based on GRE scores. Find places you feel you would be successful at and then worry about making your application as strong as it can be for that individual school, repeat 10-12 (or however many schools you apply to).

I would question taking the subject test at all for going into clinical PhD programs, especially if you had a psychology undergrad major and a good GPA. When I did my applications for Fall 19, not a single program required the subject test and even when I was doing research into programs, only one required it (I narrowed down my list from over 30 programs initially). Is there a solid reason you want to take it or could you save yourself the study time and the money in an already long and expensive process?

I strongly recommend UCONN's program! I have a friend who did his Masters there and is now doing his PhD in the program. It's been a great place academically for him and if you're not steady on your Latin beforehand, they help you tremendously with that.

If you're not already actively looking, then I think you have some time, but I hope you're already actively saving for the move! I'm moving cross country and it's adding up to be much more than I anticipated already, the fees you don't think of like utilities set up, random deposits, higher than average security deposits, etc can kill your budget if you don't plan ahead. Luckily, I'm moving in with my partner and I planned for the worst in terms of cost, but I still feel the stress.

Following this post because I relate too much! Moving to Texas in only 20 days, to a city I've only been to twice, and I'm struggling to balance wrapping up everything here in Indiana, working full time, finding last minute time with friends, my parents' divorce, family health issues, and getting back into school after a gap year. This is also the first time I'll truly be living on my own, not with my parents or in a college campus apartment, and I really don't know what I'm doing! Feeling the pressure, but still excited for my program to start in the Fall!