Katie B

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!

As you can see in my signature, I applied to a majority of Texas schools and I interviewed at Texas A&M so if you end up having questions about there I might be able to help!

Hey! Any of my fellow graduate students going to SHSU in the Fall? I'll be attending there for a Master's of Arts in Clinical Psychology and would like to connect!

I love meeting other first generation students, it makes me feel less alone considering neither of my parents know anything about college or grad school. I come from a very small town in semi-rural Indiana and getting my education gave me a healthy outlet to overcome many family struggles. I completed undergrad in Spring 2018 with a Bachelor's in Psychology and a second Bachelor's in English with a minor in Spanish, both being honors degrees. I'll be attending Sam Houston State University's MA of Clinical Psychology program in the Fall of 2019 and will reapply to PhDs after that!

I submitted it with my application and each of them had a copy of it in front of them

I did an in-person interview this past Thursday at UHCL and would be willing to share my experience! They asked me a few questions about my CV and my previous experiences, why I was interested in their program, my goals, etc. It was very short! I was done with the entire process in two and a half hours including waiting time.

Honestly, what @PsyDGrad90 said nails down a lot of it! I would also consider making a list of what qualities are most important to you in a program and then you can use that list as a comparative tool when you're researching a particular program. Additionally, location and funding were two important factors to me when I was compiling my list of programs to apply to so be sure to keep those in mind if they're important to you as well! Don't forget to account for cost of living, practicum opportunities, things to do, and safety when you're looking at location. You may not live there forever, but 5-6 years is a significant portion of your life to be miserable in a place. Lastly, I would recommend checking out the website of the APA division of your research interest. Many of them have links to programs or professors doing research/ having specializations in your area of interest. So if you know you're interested in pediatric psych like my friend, check out Division 54's site, I know that they have a list of programs specializing in pediatric psych!