PsychPhdBound

Congrats on getting into your top choice!

I feel you! I had an interview last week and COMPLETELY fell in love with the program and have been day dreaming about receiving a good call. So now if I get rejected the fall feels like it's going to kill me. Luckily I should hear by the end of the week, so at least I'll know sooner rather than later. Good luck to all of us!! ?

It's really nice to feel like a program really wants you! Good luck in making your decision!

My husband and I are also trying to figure out where we should go on vacation before making the move! We're currently trying to decide between relaxing beach or exciting adventure (I'm leaning more towards adventure ?).

I think it would be a good idea for everyone to take a moment and a slow, deep breath. We are all going through a very stressful process and it can be easy, especially on anonymous online chat boards, to get worked up and/or misinterpret poster's tones/intentions. So let's breathe and try to be mindful of our words. To the OP, there are so many factors that go into decisions and at the end of the day none of us know what got us in vs. kept us out. Try to remain positive, focus on your work, and know that when it's the right fit it will work out. Good luck to all of us in these final weeks!!

I would definitely look at completion rates and placements for each program, and then I'd pick the one that aligns best with my career goals (since all other things seem to be equal). And if all of that for some reason comes out a wash (with seems unlikely), then I'd start considering location preferences. Is one in a better climate? More affordable city? Closer to family? Etc. Good luck!! Definitely a nice "problem" to have, since it sounds like no matter where you end up you'll have a great experience!

It's probably for the same reason that we all apply to so many places. They want to make sure they have options and find the best fit candidate, and for some that's hard to do over Skype. Definitely frustrating! But I kind of get it. I was at an interview where there were 6 of us for one slot and I got waitlisted. But that just means the PI felt a stronger connection with someone else, so what can you do.

'Good' is where you have the best fit and will find support for the work you want to do. Everything else is noise.

This is basically exactly what I did. I've been accepted to one program, waitlisted at another, and waiting for a decision (coming next week!!) from a third and they are all in my top three. So when I got an interview invite to a school I was less interested in I declined so someone else could take the spot. I know that program is someone else's dream school so I'd hate to do anything to negatively impact anyone else's experience (if I can help it). This is a stressful process and I can definitely understand the urge to hold onto everything, but I still need to feel like I'm being true to the kind of person I want to be.

I don't have kids but will be starting my PhD at 37, so you're definitely not alone (even though it can definitely feel like we are ?)

I'm also waitlisted for a program I'm REALLY interested in, so I'll keep my fingers crossed for both of us

Heading into interviews tomorrow and Tuesday. Couldn't make the official weekend so I'm here a few days early. Really worried that I'm already at a disadvantage since I'm not here for the "official" visit because they might misinterpret my schedule conflict as lack of interest in the program (which it is not). Has anyone else been in this situation? Does anyone have any advice to share?

Yeah, this is bananas

Mine too! I was waitlisted at one and accepted at another, with one more interview left to go. It was great being surrounded by others who shared my passion for my research topic and really reignited my excitement about grad school. The application process had really left me drained and discouraged and the interviews, even the one I ended up getting waitlisted for, just filled my tank back to full! Obviously still take them seriously and prepare (I read A LOT of articles before each one), but also be sure to enjoy the experience and get a feel for the people. If you get in/accept, these are going to be folks you spend alot of time with :).

Yes, hopefully people won't horde offers. I know they are nice to hold onto but someone is out there waiting to love the one you're going to turn down. So make their day :).

Would also love to know the advisor

I'm not in clinical, which I understand is different, but I am applying to Psych PhD programs (with pretty good success) and my quant score was very much not 50%+, so I think there will always be exceptions to the rules and you never know what that secret sauce is. All we can do is share our own experiences.

Ugh, he sounds like someone who would be an awful advisor. This was an awful interview because of him, not you! You're amazing and brilliant and absolutely qualified to be in a PhD program. Doesn't sound like someone I'd want to work with for 5-6 years. I want to be somewhere where I'm appreciated, not that makes me cry during first impressions, but I know this is a very personal process. About the letter, that is unfortunate if it's true (not that you're lying but that he might be exaggerating), but hopefully your LOR writer wouldn't have agreed to submit a letter if they didn't believe in you. Try to stay strong but if you need some time to sit in the disappointment, then you take it! I'm in my own pit today :).

I've been waiting all week for news to come from a program I fell in love with last weekend. But it's 6pm EST on Friday, so I guess I should start trying to move on :(.

If the person who posted about acceptance into UK's Developmental program, I'd love to know who you'll be working with if you'd gave to share

Not sure which comments in particular you were responding to, but in case it was mine, I agree that blanket statements are not wise. That's why I specified that my comments were regarding social/developmental programs, not clinical, and that I've been told it "could be" a sign of a poorly funded program, so it was important to keep that in mind when interviewing and to ask about funding available to students (not just tuition, but travel and conferences).

I was one of five this past weekend at an interview, and that was mentally brutal. So sorry that you're going through this! Fingers crossed for all of us!!

I can't make an interview weekend at a "top" program (had already confirmed another visit) and they won't pay for me to come another time (which is a bit frustrating, since they know we are likely to have conflicts). They said they would "feel bad" making me pay my own way and have offered for me to connect to department faculty and grad students via Skype, but am I totally screwed? Has anyone gotten into a top 5 program doing just virtual interviews? Part of me feels like they are just annoyed that I'm not coming since my PI told me she's never had a candidate miss interview weekend (which I find hard to believe over the course of a 30 year career).

All of my interviews have offered to reimburse/pay for my travel and accommodation (developmental/social programs). I've been told it a school asks for you to conver the costs you should be mindful about asking in the interview about funds available to students in the program (since it could be a sign of a poorly funded program).

Yes! I had an interview this past weekend and felt GREAT the whole time and the few days after (we stayed to explore the city a bit). But then when I woke up yesterday (Monday) morning, I felt totally paralyzed and was checking my email constantly. I really loved the program and the city is somewhere we could build a great life so now I'm stuck in this "oh my god, they're not going to accept me" loop ?