HAC

Just got invited for a skype informal interview @ NYU. Feeling nervous! I still need to submit 2 more applications ?

I am glad it went through. I am still waiting on two of my apps to update my GRE scores but at least I got confirmation emails from the department they were received ?! Traveling is a great idea! I am just trying to keep busy at work by taking on more projects but I am still finding myself refreshing my email 100 times a day ?. 

I am an international too and I can relate...Now the waiting period seems even more stressful...
btw good luck to everyone!

I am glad it went through. I am still waiting on two of my apps to update my GRE scores but at least I got confirmation emails from the department they were received ?! Traveling is a great idea! I am just trying to keep busy at work by taking on more projects but I am still finding myself refreshing my email 100 times a day ?. 

Honestly, I’ve just accepted that it’s no longer in my control and if it’s meant to happen, then it’ll happen lol. 

It's totally normal to worried about whether we can actually succeed in a PhD program. I would like to share with you the four stages of competence, and how I made sense of where we are and how we should proceed. This is copied and pasted from wikipedia.
Unconscious incompetence The individual does not understand or know how to do something and does not necessarily recognize the deficit. They may deny the usefulness of the skill. The individual must recognize their own incompetence, and the value of the new skill, before moving on to the next stage. The length of time an individual spends in this stage depends on the strength of the stimulus to learn.[5] Conscious incompetence Though the individual does not understand or know how to do something, they recognize the deficit, as well as the value of a new skill in addressing the deficit. The making of mistakes can be integral to the learning process at this stage. Conscious competence The individual understands or knows how to do something. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires concentration. It may be broken down into steps, and there is heavy conscious involvement in executing the new skill.[5] Unconscious competence The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it has become "second nature" and can be performed easily. As a result, the skill can be performed while executing another task. The individual may be able to teach it to others, depending upon how and when it was learned. As applicants or new graduate students, it is likely that we are transitioning from unconscious incompetence stage to conscious incompetence stage. We consistently reflect on our own abilities and characteristics during the contemplation and application processes for a new career, and this is when we start to become more cognizant of our shortcomings and what might prevent us from succeeding. The process of self-reflection can cause a wide range of responses such as self-doubt, anxiety, self-denial, etc. Our natural negative bias also lead us to focus more on what we cannot do than what we are capable of, which makes this process even scarier. Also, currently we can only have a vague sense of what we should accomplish in grad school because detailed expectations differ between programs and faculty members, we cannot pinpoint what exactly needs to be done to improve our competence. 
However, I believe that graduate programs are expecting the applicants to be incompetent to function as independent scholars or there is no need for people to attend graduate studies. I think the goal of PhD education is to help us realize what to improve and assist us in making these improvements and becoming competent. I agree with @justacigar and @imemine's point that the most important thing for us is to understand what fuels our passion and what we want to achieve in our lives and careers. I guess this is why "goodness of fit" is valued so much in the admission process, because we can benefit the most from the program only when our goals and ideas of competence align with the training goals of the program. Insight and clarity are key components to our careers and lives in general. When you are in doubt, try to remind yourself what got you this far, and what helped you to decide making this leap.
       

I had MASSIVE imposter syndrome early in this application cycle, and it still rears its ugly head from time to time. In my case, I kept comparing myself to other people and doubted whether my qualifications were impressive enough given the competition. Ultimately, though, it's important to remember that most people also feel like they're just BSing their way through life and trying to look like they know what they're doing! The people who you think are "cut out" for grad school also doubt their abilities, but they follow their passions anyways and don't let their fears stop them. Everybody else is scared too! Besides, if you are admitted to a program, your PI believes that you are absolutely capable of handling a graduate workload; if they're the experts, might as well believe them

Ah, @JoePianist, always short and sweet and to the point. 
To expand, I think it's a natural part of the process to feel inadequate, nervous, or doubtful. I tend to be an anxious person in general and this whole process can certainly amp up those feelings. However, underneath all my anxieties and uncertainties, I know why I'm doing this and what my scientific values are, so I push through and persevere. It's important to keep checking in with yourself to make sure this is what you want, and remind yourself as much as possible why you are applying in the first place. Just remember, you don't have to go to grad school, or pursue this career. You might get interviews and decide it's not the right path for you, and thats okay. But don't let your dream die just because you are afraid or nervous!

Fingers crossed for your last app! Good luck with all of them. Now comes the most frustrating part of applying... the waiting game. How does everyone plan on keeping busy while waiting? 

This is my second time applying for PhD programs and I wholeheartedly believe this is the most stressful part of the application process! ?

All apps are in, just waiting for recs from 2/3 of my recommenders... and they're due in two days? I emailed a reminder to them earlier in the week and have been in contact with both, so I should be able to trust that they'll send them in tomorrow, but I can't help but be anxious about it!!

Finished 9/10 applications, and the last one isn't due until January, so calling it a day until after Thanksgiving. Best luck to everyone else in that final stretch ?

I don't know much about the Social department. I do know that the Clinical one is not accepting internationals this year, that's why I asked. 
For OGS you should be able to apply through the department - check with the grad admin for more information. I think you need a student visa once they start distributing funds to you (which is in the fall). 
The department should consider you for scholarships and fellowships where you are eligible based on your application. So if they confirmed, you are fine.
Unfortunately, I do not have any databases or other resources for funding  It really depends on location and university in particular.
Best of luck!

I submitted five applications and have two left to complete. It is so relieving to be almost done with applications! I hope everyone else is having a productive time during this stressful period before all of the deadlines. I wish us all good luck ? and hope we all get admitted to our dream schools ??!!

I submitted five applications and have two left to complete. It is so relieving to be almost done with applications! I hope everyone else is having a productive time during this stressful period before all of the deadlines. I wish us all good luck ? and hope we all get admitted to our dream schools ??!!

I submitted five applications and have two left to complete. It is so relieving to be almost done with applications! I hope everyone else is having a productive time during this stressful period before all of the deadlines. I wish us all good luck ? and hope we all get admitted to our dream schools ??!!

I'm very happy to hear that! Yeah, I'm looking forward to the month (?) or so after apps are in to really relax.
I seem to leave things till the last minute- I've just completed my SoP for my top school but I've still got the others to write so that's a little scary. But I'm aiming for good enough and know I will get there in the end ?
I like your signature btw! will be adopting that format shortly.

I fully submitted my first application yesterday... I can't believe the application process is almost over!! I feel like once I get the apps in, I can breathe easier knowing it's out of my hands and I've done all I could do (until -- hopefully! -- interview season rolls around and the stress returns, haha). How is everyone else doing?

Some software (e.g., qualtrics) has the option of random assignment (it has an option randomly show between these two categories and show each condition equally). 

Thank you so much for all the valuable suggestions.
@Romedy Kudos to you for your perseverence! And thanks a ton for sharing the lessons you learned. Helps a lot!
@t_ruth Happy to hear a PI's POV. Thank you for piching in! I will reach out to faculty in my areas of interest :)
 @HACand @Psygeek - I will look into opportunities for hands-on research while I explore the Master's option. Thanks for the pointer.
@PsyDGrad90 I have zero background in psychology apart from a 101 and the first year undergrad level statistics/research methods course. Thats why I think a master's will help me get some solid subject matter foundation, sharpening my writing skills, working in the lab etc. It feels like I'd be swimming in the deep end if I were to jump straight into PhD without any background. Perhaps experience as RA in labs, as suggested above, might provide me with some boost. I'll certainly look into it. Thank you so much for information on CUNY and the R1 vs R2 research uni categorisation! 

Oh alright. Do you have any mentors in mind already? Have you also considered looking for RA jobs? I think a big part of any strong psychology application is research experience. You can gain experience in a masters but it may also be possible by working in a lab for some time and building up your resume that way as well. 

I am currently working on the final drafts of my statements. What about everyone else?

I actually can’t see your signature for some reason, maybe because I’m on my phone. Anyway, yeah last year was incredibly disappointing but I think it actually taught me a lot about the process. I am sure my applications have vastly improved since then and I have learned to be easier on myself. You are wise for prioritizing mental health over all else.
My finalized list includes:
UNC, UCSB, UVA, U of T, UCB, UMass Amherst, and UChicago.
 

rooting for you all

You're better off searching Google Scholar for articles that relate to your area of interest and then looking at who the authors are. Then you can visit their faculty profiles, instead of just searching through entire departments.