Waiting272

I don't think it's a make or break to have 90th percentile, and this is mostly based on what my professors on the admissions committee told me. However, I think it's best to have at least 75th-80th percentile given the sheer volume of people applying - they have to start filtering somewhere. The important of the exam all depends on the program itself. Some value it more than others. The most helpful thing to study, in my opinion, is the practice exam that the ETS posts on their website. I know a couple questions from that exam showed up when I took it.

I graduated when I was 22 and applied shortly after turning 24! I'll be starting the program when I'm 25. The two gap years between graduating undergrad and applying was a great learning experience (also a great breather from school ahah), and really confirmed for me that 1) this is really what I want to do/am passionate about and 2) I am firmly committed to the idea of going back for grad school. You got this OP!!

Not a problem! I'm not sure if you have already accepted the position or if you are still considering other places. If you have accepted to work there with the student, I think it's fair to say they already want you to be in the lab! Thus, it might be easier to ask to meet with the student and mention you hope to have opportunities to bolster your application in the upcoming cycle, where you are in the process, and then maybe ask if they have any suggestions for who to get the final LOR. This way it's not super direct, but enough info that they know where you're going. If you're not a part of the lab yet and are interviewing for it, then I think this is also a great situation because they may likely ask you why you want to job this lab/this project. You can mention your interests and also your future plans. When it comes time for questions, you can mention what you seek from the lab and what opportunities there are to get an LOR/what is the process for going about that in this particular lab. Hope this helps!

That's awesome that you will get to work on a cool project! My suggestion would be to mention your intentions of applying next cycle before you join the PhD student for several different reasons. As you mentioned, LORs from PhD students are not revered as highly as those coming from a faculty. With this in mind, you can probably ask further or whether there's any opportunity to work closely with the supervisor/advisors while on the project in hopes to get an LOR from them. Another thing to consider is maybe they can recommend you to work with other faculty who are within the same department while you work with the student.

To all of the above, I totally agree. I do feel like I'm settling if I went for one of the two - my top choice did not end up getting funding this year and thus can't admit me. Pretty bummed about it knowing that it's so close but just not close enough. On the other hand, I don't know for sure whether I can strengthen my apps enough in time for the next cycle because of my current position/lab (not many opportunities to contribute to pubs/posters/etc). I can leave, start elsewhere for 2 years and come back to try again but I feel scared and hesitant to do that. ?

Really hope that someone out in this online community can give some guidance. Maybe writing this out will help me with my decision too - I don't want to hold two offers!!! If anyone has any suggestions/advice I greatly appreciated. Just to give some background, I would like to be a program with a good balance between research and clinical experience. School A: generalist model, faculty match after you join the program Pros: There are 2 POIs that I can see myself wanting to work with (pretty good research fit), I have had steady contact with already On the east coast not too too far from my hometown and 15 min drive from a big city Seems like decent opportunities for externships and conference presence Students seem to like the clinical experience they get out of the program Cons: Partial funding - looking at about 80k+ in loans Not a heavy research emphasis, though it seems like it's what you make of it Possibility that you won't get assigned to your first choice lab --- this REALLY concerns me Did not get to see the psychological center that students get training at like most other schools, makes me concerned that I don't know what I am signing up for There seems to be a lack of enthusiasm/support from the program for students, but this is just based on my 3 hour visit there School B: faculty match model from the start Pros: POI is very research oriented, which was what I sought for when I first applied balances out with the clinical focus of the program The sense of community on campus was stronger, seemed like more resources available to students (at least undergrad) DCT seemed to support students through and through and is very well organized Got to see the psychological center - seemed well equipped for training students/supervision Cons: Area of interest is not a super good fit Partial funding - looking at about 90k+ in loans Not a heavy research emphasis for the program overall, but PI is very research focused Very high cost of living in the area, will likely need loans to cover cost of living Not a convenient location to move to, transportation by car or train is going to be relatively difficult Ranks lower than school A Any thoughts?

Definitely try to broaden the range of schools you're applying like the person above suggested. I made the mistake of going for too many R1 university programs and not enough R2 or R3 ones. Nothing wrong with shooting for the competitive ones but you might be pleasantly surprised by programs that you haven't considered before.

Thanks for the advice! I was on the fence because it seems like a lot of people reached out to their POIs. I'll just wait a little longer before contacting the admin.

When reaching out to schools 3 weeks post-interview to inquire about status, is it better to email the POI or call the program admin?

Any one got news from TC Columbia for clinical psychology post interview? The initial invite letter said 3/1.

I will be completely honest that I may be biased: I lived in Philly my whole life so far and have great love for the city!!! Feel free to PM me if you want to hear more about living in the area as you make your decision. I went to high school right next to LaSalle so I am very familiar with the area. The area that LaSalle is located in is definitely more residential (and a lot more quiet compared to center city). Lots of opportunities to do outdoorsy stuff like the huge stretch of land/park by Kelly Drive, the trail by the Schuylkill, etc. There are also plenty of events going on in the city so if you ever want to get out and do something it's one train ride away. Commute is super convenient by public transportation.

For those who got acceptances to AU, are you planning to take it? Just wondering about whether funding will flow to other labs!

Do you mind PMing me too?? I'm also in a similar situation! Much appreciated

I keep refresing the results page on TGC and my email every 5 minutes to see there are any updates from schools post-interview. I dare say this is the worst part of the application process. Somebody. Please. Help.

I am in the same boat as you with the same program! Financial concerns are weighing in heavily for me. On top of loans for tuition, it seems like it is an area where it would be beneficial to have a car for commute. I have traveled by public transportation my entire life, so this is another piece of financial concern. In terms of research, I thought that I would be happy in a clinically focused program when I first started applying. This is no longer the case, thus, I am also concerned about lack of immediate mentorship from a faculty upon starting a program. I'm over the moon for getting accepted!!! But for now, I am holding onto this this one offer until I head back from all other schools I interviewed at.