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TrustedTheProcess

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  1. Like
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to Psyche007 in Interview Tips!   
    I was invited to participate in this cycle's Clinical Psychology PhD interviews. Here's some basic insight on being interviewed by current PhD students in a group setting:
    We were looking for people who were open and insightful, as evidenced by some level of self-reflection. I asked students which population they'd have the most personal difficulty working with. Many answers demonstrated a lack of empathy, "I can't imagine why someone would ever do X." The best responses indicated meaningful introspection, offering a personal reaction to something specific. If you're asked strengths and weaknesses, the same applies. By now, everyone should know NOT to humble brag by stating their weakness is taking on 50 different projects because they like to stay busy. We were looking for honest vulnerability over a superficial assessment of deficit. Perfectionism, procrastination, and over-work is par for the course for most students applying for doctoral programmes. You can always offer a genuine weakness first and then illustrate how you use a strength to compensate. Be yourself. Relax. Obviously, be a professional and appropriate version of yourself, but we want to know if you'll fit in as a person. You've already met the academic standard. We want to know if we'll like being around you and working with you. This is a chance to know if you want to be around us. On that note, own who you are. Some people presented as disinterested and unsure of themselves. During the interview, they offered snippets of information that indicated they felt they didn't fit in an academic environment. It was off-putting. The students interviewers came from different years, 1-4. We had to complete a ratings scale that focused on our assessment of applicant personal qualities. We briefly discussed each student and agreed upon the scores. Make sure you present to us what makes you stand out as a person and not just a student, at least for clinical programmes. It's your chance to make a great impression. Don't be forgettable. Out of approximately 20 students, about 8 had very similar research interests. Don't be afraid to get granular in order to differentiate yourself. Be mindful of how you non-verbally react to other applicants responses. We can see if you're annoyed or think something is stupid. Don't be late and don't sit where the other applicants can't really see you, i.e. in the row behind everyone.  Think about attending the pre-interview mixer, if there is one. You may end up talking to someone who interviews you the next day, which certainly makes things more comfortable.
  2. Like
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to PokePsych in Interview Tips!   
    Some things I saw people do that gave of bad vibes:
    - Not talk with anybody (creep vibes) or only talk with people who are in their prospective lab. We are ALL going to give feedback on you as grad students if we can. NEVER say things like oh 'I don't want to talk with X/X's prospectives/X's grad student because I'm not going to go to their lab anyway' - that is just rude). It doesn't mean that you have to talk with EVERY person in the room, but try to just talk with people and just ask where they're from and what their research is about. Probably ask what they like about their current school and what the school could do better.
    - Generally don't say things as oh I don't have an research questions, I just like analyzing data or things like that. Know what you want to do - even if it's just a broad topic that you feel comfortable talking about. Like what are you interested in?
    - Try to avoid making negative comments about your current institute. It's fine to ask about work-life balance and mentoring style. But don't frame ti as 'is PI easily available, because my current one is never there'.
  3. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from Psyched Coffee Bean in Fall 2020 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Good luck everyone!  I think those of you with lots of schools on your list are making a good call! I started with 24-25 schools on my list and cut down to 15 and eventually just applied to 12 during the application process. It's way easier to cut rather than add schools! 
  4. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from ResilientDreams in What's your age when you apply for graduate program for the first time and when you get into one?   
    First applied as a college senior at 21 and got in two years later at 23 after working full time! 
  5. Like
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to psycstudent2018 in Fall 2020 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Hi all,
    I'm very excited to begin the application process (excited to get it over with that is). This will be my second time applying. I applied in 2018 to four schools, was accepted into a masters, waitlisted for an interview at University of Northern Illinois, and accepted into Nova Southeastern. However, since I was just applying for the experience that year I took some time off to get lab managing experience and build my resume! 
    Now, I have 2 years post-bacc experience, two second-author published journals, a manuscript in progress, two first author posters, three second author posters, one third author symposium, and over a year experience volunteering in a domestic violence shelter leading psychoeducational groups. My GPA is around a 3.6 and my GRE scores were V-166 Q-155 AW-4.5
    So, without further ado here's my list of schools (12)... under the assumption that all these professors are accepting and I have the funds to apply to 12.
    GW University | JG, CR UPenn | MF, SJ, EF, AR CUNY JJ | MA, PC, ME, CSW Teachers College at Columbia | GB Yale | MO, DG Virginia Tech | RJ, MA Clark University | AH, KPR Penn State | SA, KB, GM University of Michigan | ABogat, ABurt,  AL University of Northern Illinois | DB, ML, HO, AR University of Nebraska-Lincoln | DD, DH University of Utah | PK, SC, CB Fingers crossed! I'm about to start writing my personal statement now. 
    When is the best time to start contacting these professors to see if they're accepting students?
  6. Like
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to FeministPsychologist in What's your age when you apply for graduate program for the first time and when you get into one?   
    Applied first at age 21 (also graduated undergrad at 21), reapplied at 22 and will be starting shortly after I turn 23 Having to reapply really reaffirmed my passion for and dedication to the field, so I can't say I regret how things played out. 
  7. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from psychedoncafe in Reflections & Advice for Future Applicants   
    After applying three times, I think the aspects of my application that made the biggest difference the time I got in were: 
    Good undergrad GPA, GRE scores above 85th percentile, excellent LORs (ideally from people you have done research with, not just professors) 8+ manuscript publications and 10+ conference posters (when I interviewed, most of my cohort that got in appeared to have this much) Commitment to research in specific field - all my productive research projects and lab experiences have been specifically in my area of interest. I know a lot of people who have 4+ years of research experience like I had but not all necessarily in labs of their specific research interests.  Networking with P.I.s at conferences (particularly in the summer and fall before your application cycle, let them know you will be applying to their specific lab, also I introduced and networked with as many graduate students in those labs as I could) APPLY TO MANY PROGRAMS - I have talked to many grad students and the sweet spot looks to be about 10-13. That may seem like a lot, but with the amount of luck that goes into this process, you need to maximize your chances. It's pretty common to apply to that many and then only get like 3-5 interviews. I have seen lots of people with really good applications but they only apply to 3 schools, which lowers their chances by a LOT.  Going off this, my PI asked me to pick a good selection of schools, with different "difficulty levels" of getting in. Obviously with PhDs all are competitive, but some are even more so. For example, some schools have around 700 applicants a year, whereas others have 300 (this could be because of location, renown, etc.). You should also consider average GPA, GRE, research experiences etc. of recent incoming classes and compare how you stand when you consider applying to schools. I picked a selection of schools from a variety of different difficulty levels (I used Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology for this and highly recommend). Keep in mind that if you want to get into a super competitive program - you might need even upto 5 years of post-grad research experience. Also even when ranking these schools PLEASE consider your research fit and interests. A school might match up with your GPA, GRE and have fewer applicants, but a PI will not interview you if your research interests don't fit pretty well.  If you all have any questions about this feel free to PM me! When I asked PIs something they were looking for in potential grad students, something some of them said was "resilience". Academia can chew you up and spit you out in a lot of ways, so it's important to keep trying if this is your passion. Good luck everyone and don't lose hope!
  8. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from imonfire98 in Fall 2020 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Good luck everyone!  I think those of you with lots of schools on your list are making a good call! I started with 24-25 schools on my list and cut down to 15 and eventually just applied to 12 during the application process. It's way easier to cut rather than add schools! 
  9. Like
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to PsychHeather in Fall 2019 Psychology Doctoral ACCEPTANCES!!   
    YAY! I get to post
    School: Adler University (Chicago)
    Concentration: Clinical
    Type: PsyD
    Date of Acceptance: April 11th
    Notified: Email 
     
  10. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from MostlyClinicalPsychology in Fall 2020 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Good luck everyone!  I think those of you with lots of schools on your list are making a good call! I started with 24-25 schools on my list and cut down to 15 and eventually just applied to 12 during the application process. It's way easier to cut rather than add schools! 
  11. Upvote
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to MiddleOfSomeCalibrations in Fall 2020 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    I have 33 schools/59 POIs on my list right now. I know some of them won't end up taking grad students, but I'll probably still be applying to ~20-25 programs!
  12. Like
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to nwn in To MA or not? Toward a PsyD/PhD in Clinical Psychology   
    Apologies for the late reply, work and life has had me too occupied to check TGC lately. Thank you all for responding to my queries.
    I see... that makes sense. I would believe that PsyD programs, on the flip side, would prefer practice-oriented students with some relevant experience then.
    Thank you very much for the advice. It has really shed some light for me. In the end, I have decided to turn down the MA offer at UBC. It takes 2.5 - 3 years to complete, and financially speaking, it is very difficult for me to afford the tuition without any funding / loans, not to mention I will have to spend additional years catching up with the courses for PhD. I highly doubt I'd be able to enter a PhD/PsyD program, but I'll try applying directly to these programs for the Fall 2020 intake. In the meantime, I'll work on improving my GRE scores.
    As for research experience - in my country (SEA), there really aren't as many opportunities in research labs as there are in NA, they are usually allocated for existing (undergrad/graduate) students or would require an MA/PhD. Furthermore, positions in academia (RA / TA / Tutor) here tends to pay peanuts compared to my current job, though I'm aware it'll be a trade-off I have to be willing to make. To be honest, I also have some doubts...I don't mean to devalue the institutions in my country, but would research experience in foreign institutions be recognized by American universities when evaluating applicants? On another note, would working as a research analyst in a local/multinational company also constitute as research experience? 
    p/s @Neverland Congratulations on getting into the PsyD program!
  13. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from nwn in To MA or not? Toward a PsyD/PhD in Clinical Psychology   
    Based on your stats, I would say you don't have to pursue to MA, especially if it's not directly in the field you want to go into. I would say work for a few years, get more productive research outcomes i.e. publications, posters, etc. and maybe work full time in a productive research lab with these opportunities. You have a good GPA and undergrad background in psych, and I personally think a masters is only worth it to improve your GPA before applying. Additionally, there are many research grants that you only qualify for your first year of graduate studies, and I know people that did masters before a phd program that regretted this decisions as they were ineligible to apply for these. My current PI/boss really turned me away from doing a masters and says often it just puts people in debt and productive research opportunities are not guaranteed. Hope that helps and feel free to PM me if you have any questions! I worked full time for 2 years before applying and getting into a Phd program. 
  14. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from Psyche007 in Reflections & Advice for Future Applicants   
    After applying three times, I think the aspects of my application that made the biggest difference the time I got in were: 
    Good undergrad GPA, GRE scores above 85th percentile, excellent LORs (ideally from people you have done research with, not just professors) 8+ manuscript publications and 10+ conference posters (when I interviewed, most of my cohort that got in appeared to have this much) Commitment to research in specific field - all my productive research projects and lab experiences have been specifically in my area of interest. I know a lot of people who have 4+ years of research experience like I had but not all necessarily in labs of their specific research interests.  Networking with P.I.s at conferences (particularly in the summer and fall before your application cycle, let them know you will be applying to their specific lab, also I introduced and networked with as many graduate students in those labs as I could) APPLY TO MANY PROGRAMS - I have talked to many grad students and the sweet spot looks to be about 10-13. That may seem like a lot, but with the amount of luck that goes into this process, you need to maximize your chances. It's pretty common to apply to that many and then only get like 3-5 interviews. I have seen lots of people with really good applications but they only apply to 3 schools, which lowers their chances by a LOT.  Going off this, my PI asked me to pick a good selection of schools, with different "difficulty levels" of getting in. Obviously with PhDs all are competitive, but some are even more so. For example, some schools have around 700 applicants a year, whereas others have 300 (this could be because of location, renown, etc.). You should also consider average GPA, GRE, research experiences etc. of recent incoming classes and compare how you stand when you consider applying to schools. I picked a selection of schools from a variety of different difficulty levels (I used Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology for this and highly recommend). Keep in mind that if you want to get into a super competitive program - you might need even upto 5 years of post-grad research experience. Also even when ranking these schools PLEASE consider your research fit and interests. A school might match up with your GPA, GRE and have fewer applicants, but a PI will not interview you if your research interests don't fit pretty well.  If you all have any questions about this feel free to PM me! When I asked PIs something they were looking for in potential grad students, something some of them said was "resilience". Academia can chew you up and spit you out in a lot of ways, so it's important to keep trying if this is your passion. Good luck everyone and don't lose hope!
  15. Upvote
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to huskypsych in Reflections & Advice for Future Applicants   
    ^ this is still my biggest takeaway but I also want to say:
    -If you can, do everything in your power to find a strong mentor for this process, ideally someone who got the degree that you want to get. They know the process well and it's a nice balance between all of these anonymous opinions you can find online and the advice of friends and family, who probably hold you in unconditionally positive regard. Find an awesome professor (or even advanced grad student) who will offer frank advice when needed but who still has your best interest at heart.
    -While obviously applying to the maximum number of schools you can is a good strategy in terms of upping your chances of being admitted somewhere, I actually wouldn't necessarily give the advice to apply to a ton of schools to everyone. If you have a relatively niche research interest and/or you have certain other standards you want your program to have (i.e. having to do with funding, research rigor, teaching/clinical opportunities), the truth is there probably aren't 15-20 schools that fit the bill. Especially if you are like me and you are just getting started in your life post-undergrad, waiting another year (and another....and maybe another...) for the perfect program is probably a better choice long-term than attending a program that doesn't meet your standards.
    Those are like my most important pieces of unsolicited advice lol. I am always happy to exchange messages if someone wants to talk more
  16. Upvote
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from FeministPsychologist in Reflections & Advice for Future Applicants   
    I would say it's all about how you present your story and your path to research. If there was a lab in your area of interest but you preferred to work at another lab at the same institution for some reason, for example, your POI might question if you were serious about pursuing that field. The more niche your interest, the more understanding your POI would be, I would think, if it is generally harder to get those experiences. Although it's ideal to find a lab that checks off all those boxes, I think that's definitely a good idea to pursue research experiences at a lab that's 1) productive and will allow you to get paper and poster experiences and 2) will teach you statistical and research methodology you hope to use as a grad student. Then, it's all about packaging and how you present and justify those experiences to your POI. 
  17. Upvote
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from FeministPsychologist in Reflections & Advice for Future Applicants   
    After applying three times, I think the aspects of my application that made the biggest difference the time I got in were: 
    Good undergrad GPA, GRE scores above 85th percentile, excellent LORs (ideally from people you have done research with, not just professors) 8+ manuscript publications and 10+ conference posters (when I interviewed, most of my cohort that got in appeared to have this much) Commitment to research in specific field - all my productive research projects and lab experiences have been specifically in my area of interest. I know a lot of people who have 4+ years of research experience like I had but not all necessarily in labs of their specific research interests.  Networking with P.I.s at conferences (particularly in the summer and fall before your application cycle, let them know you will be applying to their specific lab, also I introduced and networked with as many graduate students in those labs as I could) APPLY TO MANY PROGRAMS - I have talked to many grad students and the sweet spot looks to be about 10-13. That may seem like a lot, but with the amount of luck that goes into this process, you need to maximize your chances. It's pretty common to apply to that many and then only get like 3-5 interviews. I have seen lots of people with really good applications but they only apply to 3 schools, which lowers their chances by a LOT.  Going off this, my PI asked me to pick a good selection of schools, with different "difficulty levels" of getting in. Obviously with PhDs all are competitive, but some are even more so. For example, some schools have around 700 applicants a year, whereas others have 300 (this could be because of location, renown, etc.). You should also consider average GPA, GRE, research experiences etc. of recent incoming classes and compare how you stand when you consider applying to schools. I picked a selection of schools from a variety of different difficulty levels (I used Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology for this and highly recommend). Keep in mind that if you want to get into a super competitive program - you might need even upto 5 years of post-grad research experience. Also even when ranking these schools PLEASE consider your research fit and interests. A school might match up with your GPA, GRE and have fewer applicants, but a PI will not interview you if your research interests don't fit pretty well.  If you all have any questions about this feel free to PM me! When I asked PIs something they were looking for in potential grad students, something some of them said was "resilience". Academia can chew you up and spit you out in a lot of ways, so it's important to keep trying if this is your passion. Good luck everyone and don't lose hope!
  18. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from imonfire98 in Fall 2019 Psychology - Where are you going?!   
    I will also be attending Miami University's PhD program  PM me if you want to connect!
  19. Upvote
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to letsgetclinicalclinical in Fall 2020 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD   
    Hello, it’s so great that you are planning early on where you’d like to apply! More generally speaking, I think keeping an organized spreadsheet with 1) program names, 2) program mission, 3) program model, 4) at minimum two potential mentors you’d work with, 5) average gre scores of prior accepted cohorts (past two years only), 6) average time to graduate, 7) average EPPP scores, and 8 ) average gpa of accepted cohort (past two years only) and 9) financial aid info is the bare minimum for what you should know for all of your programs. For Clinical PhD programs, it’s best to apply to as many as 10-15 or more. For Counseling PhD, 7-10 is best. I’d love to provide individual feedback and support you especially since I’ve interviewed and received acceptances from programs you’ve mentioned. Please DM me  also, word to the wise - with greater prestige comes greater competition. Know this when applying to places like UNC Chapel Hill or Boston College. I don’t mean to discourage you at all, but this is already such a competitive process so I found that it helped me to rank my chances on “goodness of fit” to my programs’ averages. Even then, it was still competitive! 
  20. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from Schrödinger's Other Cat in Fall 2019 Psychology - Where are you going?!   
    I will also be attending Miami University's PhD program  PM me if you want to connect!
  21. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from psychhealth101 in Fall 2019 Psychology - Where are you going?!   
    I will also be attending Miami University's PhD program  PM me if you want to connect!
  22. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from dancedementia in Fall 2019 Psychology - Where are you going?!   
    I will also be attending Miami University's PhD program  PM me if you want to connect!
  23. Like
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to imonfire98 in attn: 1st Years. What are some things you wish you knew about grad school for incoming first years?   
    This can be about anything. Research, school, life in general? What were the learning curves, or learning moments? LAY IT OUT!
  24. Like
    TrustedTheProcess got a reaction from 1|]010ls10o in What to do after application cycle ends with all rejections   
    Speaking as someone who worked for two years before being accepted, DON'T BE AFRAID TO COLD EMAIL PROFESSORS YOU LIKE. I literally thought my current PI's research was cool, so I emailed her, sent her my CV and cover letter, interviewed, and was offered a research assistant position that turned into a research trial coordinator position. She wasn't advertising the position or anything, so keep in mind sometimes you just need to email people rather than waiting for a formal posting on a website. I have super niche interests as well, so this worked well for me. 
  25. Like
    TrustedTheProcess reacted to PsyDuck90 in Deciding where to apply??   
    Yes, research fit is one of the biggest factors, as you are rarely applying to the program as a whole and more so applying to work with a specific faculty member. You can start by going onto the APA website that lists all of the accredited programs. Go to the individual websites of different programs and peruse faculty. One of the easier ways that I found when I was making my list was to look at publications in my area of interest and seeing where those faculty are located and then looking at those programs. A lot of people also recommend buying The Insider's Guide Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. This book describes all programs and ranks them on a scale of research vs clinical emphasis. I personally did not use it and just went off of information from school websites, but a huge number of people find it very beneficial. APA accredited programs are required to report student outcome data, so many have a page or PDF that described outcome data in regards to internship match rate and licensure rate. The majority of them also include data on how many applications they receive, how many students they accept each year, and the Quant, Verbal, and Writing GRE scores and GPA. This can give you a sense of how you stack up to the average accepted student for that program. Most people apply to between 10-15 programs given the low acceptance rate. The stats are that you have about a 1-2% chance of being accepted to any one program, and about a 10% chance overall. Having a mix of R1s, R2s, and even R3s is recommended. R1s are usually the most competitive. 
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