psychapplicant21

I will be 28- I have had moments were I've felt concerned about being "too old" but I will say the generic age is just a number and that for clinical programs in particular I would make a confident guess that the average age of entry into a program is quickly rising given how competitive the admission process is now. For those feeling worried about being too old, you will probably have a much "easier" ride because life experience and strong resilience is needed for these programs. In addition, older students may have more research experience/publications so may find certain aspects of the program less difficult compared to younger students with less experience. more experience both professionally and in life is always golden.

I will be 28- I have had moments were I've felt concerned about being "too old" but I will say the generic age is just a number and that for clinical programs in particular I would make a confident guess that the average age of entry into a program is quickly rising given how competitive the admission process is now. For those feeling worried about being too old, you will probably have a much "easier" ride because life experience and strong resilience is needed for these programs. In addition, older students may have more research experience/publications so may find certain aspects of the program less difficult compared to younger students with less experience. more experience both professionally and in life is always golden.

I will be 28- I have had moments were I've felt concerned about being "too old" but I will say the generic age is just a number and that for clinical programs in particular I would make a confident guess that the average age of entry into a program is quickly rising given how competitive the admission process is now. For those feeling worried about being too old, you will probably have a much "easier" ride because life experience and strong resilience is needed for these programs. In addition, older students may have more research experience/publications so may find certain aspects of the program less difficult compared to younger students with less experience. more experience both professionally and in life is always golden.

To those feeling "too" old, I get it, I am turning 35 this summer. I sometimes tell my current PI that I feel sad about not having chosen this career earlier, and he always points out to me how valuable my life experiences have been, how intentional I am and how age sometimes really helps.. Plus he always reminds me that I have my three amazing kids who I love to death and who bring me so much joy (also drive me nuts..) but having a family also taught me how to juggle school, work, research and family and be more organized and intentional with my time. Not to say it wouldn't be nice to be doing this in my early twenties, or even late twenties, but I don't necessarily think it's always a downside to be a bit older. I still have so much time to do what I love, and my kids will be a bit older and more independent once I finish grad school. Plus I feel like a kid at heart lol  

I will be 28- I have had moments were I've felt concerned about being "too old" but I will say the generic age is just a number and that for clinical programs in particular I would make a confident guess that the average age of entry into a program is quickly rising given how competitive the admission process is now. For those feeling worried about being too old, you will probably have a much "easier" ride because life experience and strong resilience is needed for these programs. In addition, older students may have more research experience/publications so may find certain aspects of the program less difficult compared to younger students with less experience. more experience both professionally and in life is always golden.

I will be 28- I have had moments were I've felt concerned about being "too old" but I will say the generic age is just a number and that for clinical programs in particular I would make a confident guess that the average age of entry into a program is quickly rising given how competitive the admission process is now. For those feeling worried about being too old, you will probably have a much "easier" ride because life experience and strong resilience is needed for these programs. In addition, older students may have more research experience/publications so may find certain aspects of the program less difficult compared to younger students with less experience. more experience both professionally and in life is always golden.

I will be 28- I have had moments were I've felt concerned about being "too old" but I will say the generic age is just a number and that for clinical programs in particular I would make a confident guess that the average age of entry into a program is quickly rising given how competitive the admission process is now. For those feeling worried about being too old, you will probably have a much "easier" ride because life experience and strong resilience is needed for these programs. In addition, older students may have more research experience/publications so may find certain aspects of the program less difficult compared to younger students with less experience. more experience both professionally and in life is always golden.

I will be 28- I have had moments were I've felt concerned about being "too old" but I will say the generic age is just a number and that for clinical programs in particular I would make a confident guess that the average age of entry into a program is quickly rising given how competitive the admission process is now. For those feeling worried about being too old, you will probably have a much "easier" ride because life experience and strong resilience is needed for these programs. In addition, older students may have more research experience/publications so may find certain aspects of the program less difficult compared to younger students with less experience. more experience both professionally and in life is always golden.

As someone in my 3rd year, I cannot agree with this more. Your whole life will more or less be grad school for the next 5+ years. Take this time to read any non-academic books you've been interested in, binge a show, travel, spend time with loved ones,, do nothing. You will have some down time in grad school, but not much. So before you start juggling all the multiple responsibilities, take some time to enjoy the stage of your life you're in at the current moment. 

As someone who was in that spot last year - take the time to breathe and enjoy yourself! Read some non-academic books, take a weekend getaway (if your area allows travel), indulge in some hobbies, go out with friends and family.  Because the next 5+ years will not allow you to do nearly as much of any of that as you would like! 
Then, yes, start scouting for housing in your new city, maybe make some connections both within and outside your academic program to ease the transition.  
Congratulations!

I wondered if anyone would be willing to share their experiences asking the program/POI if they would be willing to negotiate the stipend if you have received a more competitive offer at another program? If so, how did you approach this and were you successful? I have heard conflicting messages on this and I know it is dependent upon the program etc.

Congratulations on having multiple offers!
 
As you said, negotiating pay depends on the program. State schools have less flexibility than private schools. Some schools have graduate student unions that dictate pay which can reduce individual negotiating power. You should also do a cost of living comparison because some places offer less but that money goes a lot further in their location. 
 
If you have something outstanding on your application or if you fulfill certain diversity and inclusion criteria, the chances are much higher they will try to offer you something extra. They might have specialty fellowships or ear marked funds that they can pull from if you meet specific criteria. For example, my program had a DEI fellowship that pays $10,000 more in the first year and gets people out of having to teach as a first year. However, this is typically only a 1 year bump that won’t hold over time. Generally, I’ve not heard of people successfully negotiating stipends long-term outside of these types of fellowships or endowments. Given how competitive this year is, I doubt that will change. 

I wondered if anyone would be willing to share their experiences asking the program/POI if they would be willing to negotiate the stipend if you have received a more competitive offer at another program? If so, how did you approach this and were you successful? I have heard conflicting messages on this and I know it is dependent upon the program etc.

I'm an international student applying to the US (I have 3 interviews so far). Honestly the process is not any different in terms of the application. The only thing that is different is you need an F1 visa. Also some PIs/programs may not fund international students but pretty much all of the ones I came across in the US do.

Hi, thanks for reaching out to USC! I’m kinda confused what their email to you means. Does that mean that not all interview invites have gone out? 

I'm shocked to read in this thread that some applicants applied to 15-20+ schools! I heard about this phenomenon, but didn't think it was prevalent. I struggled to find 6 programs that were strong matches. I totally understand applying to a zillion places to try to improve the odds of admission. But, wow - if this trend continues the number of applicants to each program almost certainly will impact the amount of time that committees can spend on individual review. The field has to figure out a better way of getting the right applicants to the right programs. The current system and trends in admissions are not sustainable.

Does anyone know if USC is done with interview invites? 

Does anyone know if USC is done with interview invites? 

Does anyone know if USC is done with interview invites? 

Just a quick reminder: There are programs that are just beginning the process of reviewing applications. I imagine some have not begun yet. Practice self-care during this stressful time. Do things you enjoy (to the best of your ability). Flesh out your Plan B. Many of us needed multiple cycles of applications to finally get into programs. I needed 3. Your timeline is your own. Despite how it feels, you are not in competition. Be well and good luck!

@EileanDonan @PsychApplicant2 @K3lD1Psych I am a BIPOC male and tended to score badly on the GRE (Verbal & Quantitative combined ~305) despite my 3.8 undergraduate GPA with pre-medicine and engineering courses. Still, I was able to get admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) PhD Medical/Clinical Psychology program and proceed to ace all my graduate coursework, research, and clinical training. I am now towards the end of my program and am currently interviewing for multiple elite pre-doctoral internships, including a couple of Ivy League’s.

Hi all, I too am on the boat of applying to 15 programs and hearing radio silence from all of them. I know anxiety levels are skyrocketing these past few days, so join me in saying these words of affirmation for yourself out loud! We are all qualified and deserving of reaching our goals! ?
 
1. If I do my best throughout this process, I will end up at exactly the school and program where I belong.
2. Setbacks and mistakes are a natural part of this process. I’m taking a big risk by being honest with myself about my dreams and goals—and being willing to go after them!
3. At all moments—right this moment—I am being drawn toward the people, places, and opportunities for my highest good and my highest service to the world.
4. There is enough time, money, energy, and opportunities in life for me to make a difference. There is room at the top for me!
5. I am dedicated to enjoying this journey. Not every part will be fun or easy, but I will not let my life whiz by me in a race to “the next best thing.” I live and enjoy my life today.
6. I’m either winning or learning. Even if things don’t turn out exactly as I’d hoped, I will gain valuable lessons that will be invaluable to me and to others in the future.
7. I give myself permission to go after the opportunities that excite me, to reach out to the people I want to meet, and to apply to the schools that I’d love to attend.
8. I am willing, ready, and going to take one step today toward reaching my goals of getting into my dream school. I know that even just one small action is better than doing nothing.
9. I give myself permission to rest, relax, and take a break from thinking about “grad school stuff” all the time. I know that I don’t have to push myself to exhaustion in order to reach my goals, because my goals want to reach me as much I want to reach them.
10. I surround myself with uplifting people and abundant thoughts that affirm my journey toward the graduate program of my choosing.
 

Is it just me, or is it frustrating to other people when people post on the results page to ask if anyone has heard from a certain school? It stresses me out to see the name of a program I applied to on the results page and then I see that someone is just wondering if anyone has heard from the program. Is that type of post allowed on the results page?

I'm sorry I had to say something but I can't believe there are people who are actually posting false interview invites. This is really unacceptable on so many levels. 

School: John Jay CUNY
Type: Clinical Psychology PhD
Date of invite: Jan 13th
Type of invite: Mass email from the director of clinical program
Interview date(s): Jan 29th via Zoom
DM for POI: No
 
My first invite Yay!!