whatdonow?

^ 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

Make sure to reach out to all your POIs in some way before the application season begins. It's even better if you can meet them in person. I know that's not feasible for everyone, but say you're at a conference and a POI is there? Introduce yourself!! Ask if they're taking a student!
Also, don't be afraid to contact POIs outside of the core faculty if you're interested in their work. Some programs are very interdisciplinary and may not list all the POIs that can take students on the psych dept page. You can't always figure everything out with a google search. This also applies to grants and current projects. It never hurts to contact a POI and ask about future studies.

Make sure to reach out to all your POIs in some way before the application season begins. It's even better if you can meet them in person. I know that's not feasible for everyone, but say you're at a conference and a POI is there? Introduce yourself!! Ask if they're taking a student!
Also, don't be afraid to contact POIs outside of the core faculty if you're interested in their work. Some programs are very interdisciplinary and may not list all the POIs that can take students on the psych dept page. You can't always figure everything out with a google search. This also applies to grants and current projects. It never hurts to contact a POI and ask about future studies.

School: Virginia Commonwealth University
Concentration: Child-Adolescent Track
Type: PhD
Date of acceptance: 03/1/2019
Notified by: Phone call from POI
Just when I thought getting into a PhD program wasn't happening for me, I got accepted into my top program choice!!! Tears fell after I hung up the phone because of the relief. Feel free to DM for PI!!! IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING WITH ALL OF YOU ❤️