GradPerson

Ahh congrats! (Sorry if this sounds creepy but I interviewed there too and was hoping you would get in when I saw you rally wanted to go there).

Ooh I love sharing things like this. I applied to cognitive programs, so if anyone is looking for experiences in that domain I'd be happy to chat. I don't know how different it is from clinical/counseling, but I imagine there's a lot of overlap and this is what I personally took from the process: Research your POIs thoroughly, and have as solid of an understanding of your research interest as possible. I know sometimes you might still be figuring this out, but spending time thinking about this is never time wasted. It makes writing your SOP so much easier, and faculty are pretty good at telling when you have a genuine interest in the work and a good fit with their lab. The places I was accepted to were the places where my research interests fit best with the research interests of the POI, regardless of my current skillset/what I'd need to learn after arriving at the program. I think partly this is just because it makes it a lot easier to talk with the POIs about follow-up studies and you're more interested in papers they've probably read as well, so it's just easier to interview. My interviews at these programs felt more like conversations compared to the interviews at places where the research fit was still related, but a bit more of a stretch. Also be up front with POIs about your research interests, and don't try to change your interests to fit with the lab in the hopes it gets you an acceptance. You're going to be spending several years in this program, so you want to make sure you're doing work you enjoy. Also, they can tell a student who is truly passionate about what they do from one who isn't. Make sure your letter of rec writers will be able to write you strong letters with specific examples of times you've demonstrated your abilities to be a competent researcher/student. Every POI I talked to mentioned the letter my lab director wrote for me, and while I'd like to say I got in all on my own I know that letter pulled some massive weight in my acceptances. Even some of my rejections mentioned it. My other letter writers were also very kind and wrote strong letters, but the specific examples my main writer was able to include were probably massively helpful. What you think is your top choice might not be your top choice after visiting (and go on all the visits you can). I was so hyped for this one program I was applying to - it was my top choice from the beginning and I spent so much time reading the POIs papers and discussing research with them. The location was also wonderful and I was super excited to move there. I interviewed, got in, and was all set to go there. However then I visited a second program I was accepted to, and actually liked it better. They were more up-front about funding, understanding of student struggles, and just a very chill department overall. They produce great research and great researchers, and have a strong group for the area I research. The POI was also wonderful, and I had a very good feeling after visiting that program that I never would have gotten if I didn't visit and had just accepted program 1. Talk with anyone in your current department who will advise you. Grad students, faculty you've worked with, faculty you haven't worked with, etc. Be respectful of their time because everyone is busy, but I asked for as many opinions as I could get. Current grad students helped me identify potential POIs, and also helped me go over offer letters and some of the things that I heard when visiting programs that I wasn't really sure how to interpret. It really helped, and brought up a lot of things I hadn't considered too. There's a lot of luck and connections that go into this process. So as others have said, rejections don't determine your self worth. POIs talk to several students, and sometimes they might want to take all of them but just can't.

My neighbors blare a TV every single day, for multiple hours. I've reached out to the property managers here but they basically said handle it yourself, and nothing changed, which is the same thing that happened last time I brought up this problem. I only have 4 months left on my lease, but it's terrible living here. I have to wear ear plugs to sleep and listen to white noise to be able to concentrate on work. I'm also really afraid to keep asking them to turn their TV down, because it seems to get worse every time I complain. I also get super anxious that they might do something to sabotage my living situation or (somehow?) my future situation and future lease. They have a way to find out my name, and unfortunately there's a lot people can do once they have that, and these people have shown no consideration for others at all. Can't wait for the minute I move out.

This might be something you could reach out to programs about to start that line of communication. Explain a bit about your background and ask about what their quant program looks for in applicants. All the quant programs I looked at also accepted people with BS/MS degrees in math rather than psych, so I'd say you need a large amount of math under your belt. Probably more than just a regular psych degree would give, but I can't be certain. I'm also not sure what all you did in your stats program, but that might help.

I suppose you could look at acceptance rates for a set of universities you're interested in across the programs you mentioned. But like as a whole I don't think people really compare programs and look for the easiest ones to get into. You could reverse competitiveness??

There's not really any program that's considered "easiest" to get into. Clinical Psych seems to be super difficult (very low acceptance percentages), but other than that I don't think you can make these generalities. There's no such thing as a generic applicant either. Every applicant has a background that makes them either a good fit, not good fit, or somewhere in between between for any given program. This just depends on the program itself, the professors in it that the student could work with, and the skills the program wants applicants to come in with. The better the fit for your program, the better your chances of being admitted, given that your grades and test scores are also okay. There's also interviews, which have varying weights and procedures by program. The best advice for identifying programs that I received is to look over the research papers you've found the most interesting, or the ones that you've used in your research, and try to find professors that way. For example, I wrote a research project proposal and cited two professors I applied to work with for graduate school. Those were the programs I was accepted to, and I think a large part of that was the overlap between our research interests.

Why can't my brain just take some time off of being anxious about things? I get into a program and now I'm looking to move, and instead of being excited I'm just anxious that I'm not going to be able to find a place. I've been kind of an odd tenant at my current place (didn't do well living alone at first, tried to sublet my place so I could move in with people but it didn't work, lately have been dealing with a noisy neighbor and reached out to management about that for not the first time since moving in), and I'm worried when new places check my rental history the place I rent with is going to be like don't rent to them, they're an awful tenant. It's not even rent related - that's always on time & my dad said he would cosign as my stipend will cover rent but we just want to be sure I get the apartment. UGH WHY CAN'T I STOP BEING STRESSED Like in my mind I know I probably haven't been any more annoying than any other tenant - not the best but certainly not the worst - but I can't keep from going down that spiral of you'll never get a place, and you won't be able to go to the program, and then you won't be able to get a job, and it just goes on. Anxiety sucks, y'all.

Has anyone noticed themselves becoming more stressed about everything as application season goes on? I know it's almost over but I've gotten a lot more anxious about practically everything (even unrelated to grad school or school in general) and it seems to have started around late november ? Stress is unfun.