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Psychological Yam

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  1. Like
    Psychological Yam got a reaction from poserchild in Fall 2021 Industrial Organizational Psychology PhD/MS   
    i go to depaul if anyone has any questions! just dm me

    also, i applied to FIU during my round of apps, and never heard from them, and no one on my thread / in the results did either, so don't be surprised if they never get back to you lol
  2. Like
    Psychological Yam got a reaction from purposelessplayer in If I knew then what I know now (Officially Grads version)   
    Just finished reading everyone's tips and putting them into a Google Doc for use this fall. Thanks so much for sharing your input! ❤️
  3. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to SocDevMum in Best Schools - Industrial Organization Psychology   
    What are your research interests? These are all great programs, but the research focus is quite varied, and when it comes down to decision time, similar research interests are what's going to push you to the top of the list - or the bottom if there's no good match.
  4. Upvote
    Psychological Yam got a reaction from RyanS in Will dropping a class with a W affect admittance?.   
    i dropped two classes while in undergrad - one unrelated to my major (dropped macroecon as a psych major) and one directly related to my degree (io psychology), for very different reasons. i still got into a phd program. do well overall, your dropped class is literally a drop in the bucket.
  5. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to Rispycat in Industrial Organization Psychology Master's Programs   
    I agree with Psychological Yam overall. Esp about the minnesota programs. IUPUI is a great MS program and has one of the best track records in terms of student funding but they do have a diversity science lens. If you have questions about their program feel free to dm me. ☺️
  6. Downvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to nęm0 in The problem with Defering to Fall 2021   
    Hi,
    Some of yall/most of yall are going to choose to defer to Fall 2021. It seems like good choice due to the current US situation. But here is a small problem. You are going to mess up this upcoming application cycle. 
    So please take one for the team? Start your classes online?This year's applicant will be eternally greatfull to you. We promised to hold a party for you when we see each other on campus in the fall.
    Sincerely, A 2020 applicant 
    #fuckCOVID
  7. Upvote
  8. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to PsyDuck90 in Looking for Psychology Grad Schools (MA and PhD)   
    I'm so sorry about your dad's passing. I would also like to echo a lot of what transfatfree mentioned above, especially in regards to school psych. Also, most PhDs are funded, so you wouldn't be paying any tuition. Instead, you usually work as a research assistant or teaching assistant and get a stipend along with a tuition waiver. Just as a note, schools in desirable metro areas such as California get a lot of applicants simply because of location. You want to apply to PhD programs based on research fit with potential mentors. The typical clinical psych student will apply to about 10-15 schools. I would also recommend you check out Mitch's Guide to Grad School: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://mitch.web.unc.edu/files/2017/02/MitchGradSchoolAdvice.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjTi4TJporqAhX4g3IEHctyADIQFjAAegQIBRAC&usg=AOvVaw3UbQzDdWDrXVeX0-L58VK9. This is a really helpful starting point to distinguish between different types of degrees and career paths. 
  9. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to transfatfree in Looking for Psychology Grad Schools (MA and PhD)   
    I am sorry about your dad's passing. It must be difficult to navigate the process by yourself when you were going to have help. 
    Your goal appears more aligned with the roles of school psychologists who conduct psychoeducational testing and often coordinate accommodations in schools. Psychometricians are used in other contexts (e.g., administering tests under the supervision of neuropsychologists) and may not require an advanced degree, depending on their functions. You can find more information about what a school psychologist does and school psych program information at the National Association of School Psychologists website: https://apps.nasponline.org/standards-and-certification/graduate-education/index.aspx
    Getting into a PhD program typically requires some to substantial research experience so your competitiveness depends on your experience. An MA in general psych is usually considered to be a springboard for PhD programs that ask for more research experience. The psych PhD programs at UC Merced and Riverside are research degrees and not eligible for licensure. UC Riverside does have a PhD in school psych though. Grad school acceptances are made separately so what you describe will not happen.
  10. Upvote
    Psychological Yam got a reaction from Artifex_Archer in If I knew then what I know now (Officially Grads version)   
    Just finished reading everyone's tips and putting them into a Google Doc for use this fall. Thanks so much for sharing your input! ❤️
  11. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to ThousandsHardships in Working out/going to the gym while in academia   
    I love university gyms and their group fitness classes!! The school I did my master's at also had wonderful PE classes open to all students. I'd take four PE classes every term (about two hours a day, four days a week total).
    I had been overweight since elementary school. I had never even been able to jog a single mile nonstop, and exercise of any kind made me feeling sick in ten minutes and would leave me winded and unable to function for the entire day. But by the end of my master's, I was deemed petite and muscular. I was able to run 10K races no problem and take military conditioning as a class (training with the cadets). I found a love for kickboxing and eventually found that even after an hour or two of intense exercise, I'd still be fully functional again within five minutes, as if nothing had happened, save the occasional bit of muscle fatigue.
    I kinda stopped exercising again after moving to France, but I fully intend to get back into it when I start school again. Fortunately I didn't gain too much weight this year, from what I tell. My new school unfortunately won't have PE classes to take, but I will take advantage of gym membership and use it to participate in group exercise classes. I've never had a passion for exercise, so those classes really help with motivation.
  12. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to bibliophile222 in The Positivity Thread   
    I was just going through some old files from undergrad and found something that made me cry from laughter.
    My undergrad was online at a for-profit school, so there were some students that, well, maaaybe weren't ideal candidates for higher education, to put it politely. In one class there was this girl who wrote INSANE discussion posts. In addition to the terrible grammar and lack of insight into the topic, her posts were incredibly long and veered from wild tangent to even wilder tangent. She found vocab words (I'm guessing from the thesaurus in Word) that made no sense in context but substituted them in for simpler words. 
    So it turns out that I saved all of this girl's bizarro discussion posts in a Word doc and was able to reread them all. It feels like Christmas!
    I think my favorite line is "The cusp is that ants are a common living thing these days. That will never go away. The cogent is how many are there???"
    Amazing.
  13. Upvote
    Psychological Yam got a reaction from needanoffersobad in If classes are online in the Fall   
    i'll be starting this fall, regardless of if it's online or in-person. there's no point in trying to defer. while it would certainly be difficult to start my phd program online, it's "easier" than trying to figure out an alternative plan for the next year.
  14. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to Adelaide9216 in The Positivity Thread   
    Received another offer to be published in a book chapter!!! 
  15. Like
    Psychological Yam reacted to PokePsych in International Student concerned about Coronavirus outbreak   
    Why on earth would you 'blame China'. Cut the xenophobia plz. At this point so many governments & places are too blame. Its not like the trump administration has been moving on this fast enough - may as well blame them?!
    RE graduating: Contact your university. Most places I know are making amends. Both in my country of origin and here in the States people are having classes (although online), doing exams, etc. So we will be getting grades etc. The university you are working with may also be a bit more lenient in terms of grades (e.g., my grades were due by mid October) - talk with administration.
    RE: reapplying - depends. Wouldn't worry about it now. Potentially ask the uni you plan on accepting if you can defer your offer till the next semester/year after. Wouldn't be unlikely they're more lenient now.
    RE: Uhm. I think they still should decide which school they want to go too? There's still a choice to be made. And hat should be an informed choice. But note that for American/not international students this trade off may be different for many other reasons. 
  16. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to Psyche007 in Mental Illness in The News   
    You might need to steer us to some kind of profile that outlines who you are and what this is for, undergrad, graduate, publication, etc, etc.
  17. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to PsyDuck90 in Do I stand a chance? If not, any suggestions would be appreciated!   
    I'm curious about how you know that you want to be a clinician if you have no psych background. I don't ask this in any malice. I just know people commonly have misconceptions about the day to day life of a professional therapist (most of my clients don't even know what to expect when first engaging in therapy).
    Also, I generally try to dissuade people from pursuing any sort of clinical degree online. While certain fields lend themselves well to online learning, psychology/counseling isn't really one of those. These programs require clinical placements, and it can be difficult to get clinical placements if you have to find them on your own (if you are online, the likelihood the program has connections in your area is lowered). Also, many of the skills you learn in your courses are really about human communication. I understand the draw to online learning, but you don't want a surgeon who did his/her med degree online, do you? There is quite a bit of "hands on" learning that takes place in graduate counseling/psychology education which is difficult to achieve in an online format. I say this as someone in a clinical psych doctorate program who is currently online due to COVID-19. I see a significant difference between our classes at the beginning of the semester and our classes now via Zoom. 
  18. Like
    Psychological Yam got a reaction from psychpsychpsych in Coronavirus & Academia 2020   
    i'm definitely concerned that my school might push back us starting until winter quarter (jan 2021)! anxiously waiting to hear any solid information before i uproot and move my life this summer.
  19. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to PsyDuck90 in Deciding between MAIOP at Roosevelt vs. Chicago School of Professional Psychology   
    Without knowing much about either program, I'd choose Roosevelt over Chicago School. Professional schools have the reputation of being diploma mills and the Argosy closure last year didn't help that sentiment. 
  20. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to ErinWestgate in Amidst this pandemic.... anyone applying this winter? (Fall 2021)   
    Hi all - I just dropped by to update the forum on the Psych Grad Wiki but saw this post, and wanted to allay a few concerns with some information. I'm faculty at an R1 psych dept - we will be accepting PhD students this fall. That right now isn't in question; we need graduate students to TA our classes (UF is fully funded; students receive a stipend + tuition waiver, in exchange for TA work) and assist in research. The real question is how many, which depends on a lot of factors. For instance, we want to prioritize funding for students already here, who may need an extra year given the impact this has on the academic job market. That might mean less funding to admit new students. But some of us have funding from grants or from startup, which aren't already allocated, and which can go towards recruiting new students. Those factors - how much money is available, what pot it's coming from, and whether current students need those funds - will vary a lot from department to department, and from university to university. So while the number of positions may decline or vary, there will still be labs accepting graduates students this fall. None of our accepted students are deferring, and none plan to (I was on our admissions committee this year, for the department), and I haven't heard of that happening elsewhere. This is for funded grad programs - most PhD programs, a few master's programs, etc. 
    For programs where you pay tuition/no stipend, I would not expect this to affect grad admissions much if at all; the universities need the revenue from paying students, master's students included. 
  21. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to xdj17 in Fall 2020 - Where are you going?   
    University of Houston for I/O Psycholog!
  22. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to goldenxpenguins in Reflections & Advice from Fall 2020 cycle   
    Hi everyone, I hope that you are all doing well! I feel like I've learned so much from this past application cycle and wanted to share it just in case those applying next year (or beyond) can find it useful. Everyone who has commented on this post has made some great points that I will be echoing in my own post, so I hope that's okay! 
    1. A low GRE score will NOT always lead to the rejection of your application. Now let me preface this by saying that I applied to a mix of programs (i.e., Developmental Psychology, Human Development, and Communications) with a low GRE score (149 V/148 Q) and fully expected my application to be thrown out immediately. I prepared quite a bit for the exam, but it never really panned out the way I was hoping for the two times that I took it. However, the rest of my application was pretty strong, so I think that helped me out a lot. The applicant profile for a few of the programs that I applied to consisted of GRE averages well into the 160s, so I thought that I had absolutely no chance. Definitely strive to get a high GRE score if you can, particularly if you are applying to competitive programs, but don't beat yourself up if that doesn't happen.
    2. Quality of your research experience is important! The kind of research experience that you have when you apply is HUGE and really makes a difference. A little background about me is that I didn't start doing research until the summer before my senior year (really late compared to most applicants). This was mainly because I had no idea that you needed research experience to get into grad school (particularly PhD programs) and didn't find out until I entered a program as a sophomore that helps URM (and often first-gen, which I am as well) students with navigating the application process. Also, my undergrad institution never really promoted research as a thing to do. When I applied, I had two years of experience including an REU at a large R1 university and being a research assistant in an independent research lab. I also took basically two years off after I graduated to gain more experience because I knew there was no way that I could be a somewhat competitive applicant if I didn't. I was able to do my own projects on topics that I was interested in and got to be part of all aspects of the research process including manuscript writing (with my REU project). From what I heard during my interviews with faculty members, that initiative really stood out. Don't be afraid to take a few gap years! 
    3. Get multiple people to read your application materials (especially SOP). Your statement of purpose is probably one of the most, if not the most, important piece of your application. Once you feel like you have a solid draft ready, send it to as many people as you can to get their feedback. For example, my grad student mentor from my REU program was instrumental in helping me fix my SOP. He told me that I should be letting the admissions committee and my POIs know about what I will bring to their research if I was in their program as opposed to just restating the work that they did. This would look like me saying "I want to work with Dr. Brown because she does research on minority youth development" vs. "I hope to expand on the work of Dr. Brown by looking at how racial stereotypes in the media affect minority youth". Out of the two options, I chose to do the latter for my SOPs and I think that helped them to stand out for the most part. 
    4. Organization is key! The grad school application process can be very long and stressful, especially if you are applying to multiple programs like I did (8). I believe that the main reason why I didn't get completely overwhelmed is because I stayed organized. Some of the resources that I used were Trello and Microsoft Excel. When I started researching programs, I created a detailed spreadsheet on Excel that included application fee amounts, whether the program offered a fee waiver, necessary application materials, etc. It was nice to have all of the information in one place instead of having to go back to the program website each time to find the info that I was looking for. To keep track of whether my letter writers submitted their LORs and when I uploaded different aspects of my application (e.g., SOP, personal statement, writing sample), I used Trello. This is a great tool to use as you can keep a running checklist going of when everything gets sent in, so you don't have to worry about something missing from your application.
    5. Apply for fellowships! Don't be afraid to put yourself out there when it comes to applying for fellowships. Admissions committees like to see that you are trying to get external funding and you never know, you could actually get it! I went back and forth on whether it was a good idea for me to apply for the NSF GRFP because I didn't think I had a chance at all. I decided to just go for it and I ended up getting honorable mention! Also, since the GRFP application was due before PhD applications, I was able to use those essays as a template for the ones I wrote for grad school. If you feel like you can put together a solid application, why not do it and see what happens? You could surprise yourself.
    6. Interviews are not as bad as you think they will be. I know that the thought of being interviewed by a faculty member can cause a lot of stress and anxiety because of various reasons. You have no idea what questions you will be asked, you don't know if you are answering the questions in a way that shows that you know what you're talking about, and you don't know what impression your interviewer has of you. I went in to my interviews thinking that I would be grilled about everything that I have ever done, but it was the total opposite! I actually really enjoyed all of my interviews because they felt more like conversations. I never got a trick question or one that I couldn't answer, which I was quite surprised about. My advice for interviews would be to definitely prepare (maybe even overprepare) for all of them. Once you get your interview schedule, be sure to know a bit about the work that each of your interviewers do. For your POIs, you should definitely know most of the work they do and have read at least one article of theirs. For non-POIs, I would say to read abstracts of their work instead. By doing this, you will be able to show them that you took the time to actually do research on them and will also be able to steer the conversation in a new direction. My other advice for interviews would be this: HAVE QUESTIONS READY! The main thing that you will hear over and over is whether you have questions, so you need to have some! I created a master list of interview questions that I compiled from r/gradadmissions on Reddit, posts on GradCafe, and ones that I thought of myself and split them up into three sections. One section included questions that I wanted to ask my POIs specifically, the other section had questions for non-POIs, and the last section was for questions that I wanted to ask grad students. I was told at all of my interviews that I had very thought-provoking questions and I think that really helped me stand out as an applicant! I also made "profiles" for each faculty member that I interviewed with that included their picture, their research interests, some info about a project or article that I liked of theirs, and a few questions that I wanted to ask them. You definitely don't have to do this, but I used those when I didn't want to go through my long list of interview questions as a kind of "snapshot". Overall, when interviewing, just be yourself and everything will turn out fine! 
    7. Trust your gut. This is a HUGE one. If you go to an interview/recruitment weekend and don't feel great vibes about the program, lean into that. My top program ended up changing quite a few times because my original #1 didn't give me the best feelings when I went there. One of the things that I did when I went on visit weekends was that at the end of each one, I wrote a little blurb related to how I felt about each school and that really helped me to come to terms with which program was the best fit for me. The program that I will be attending in the Fall is definitely not the one I thought I would be going to, but it is the one that is for sure the best fit for me and my goals. Don't be surprised if your top school becomes the last school on your list and vice versa. Being able to speak with students in each program was very beneficial in helping me make my final decision, so don't be afraid to talk to them! 
    8. Be proud of yourself! Last, but not least, be proud of yourself! Applying to grad school is not an easy task by any means and if you are able to prepare even one application, that's amazing! Even if the application cycle doesn't go the way you want it to, you should still be proud of everything that you have accomplished up to this point! I never thought this cycle would go well for me, but I'm so grateful that it did. I don't think it has really sunk in yet that I will be headed to a PhD program in a few months. If no one ever tells you that they are proud of you, I just want to say that I'm proud of you! You are putting yourself out there and that in itself is a great achievement. 
    I apologize for this long wall of text, but I hope that what I wrote is helpful! 
  23. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to MrsDoubleE in Reflections & Advice from Fall 2020 cycle   
    Great advice & reflections so far.  Many of the points mentioned by @imemine @Modulus @Randi S are solid and don't require reiterating, however, I would like to elaborate a bit on one piece I think has been overlooked thus far, and that is clinical experience. I've also included some reflections from my own experience.
    For some background, this was my second time applying to clinical psych PhD programs.  I was a drastically different candidate this time around and I can attribute that and my success to several key improvements I made in the two-year gap I took between application cycles.  I hope this is helpful & adds something to this thread!  I admittedly have many more tricks & reflections and I am happy to chat in more detail if anyone has questions-just PM me.  
    2 Key Improvements worth noting: if you read nothing else, read this  
    Clinical Experience!!! - I found as many ways as possible to get formal clinical experience.  If you are applying to CLINICAL psychology programs, the top programs that specialize in training scientist-practitioners want to see that you have experience working with some type of clinical population or in a clinical setting.  Candidates with substantial clinical experience absolutely have a leg up.  This can be in any area or with any population, as long as it's valid, relevant clinical experience.  There are creative ways of doing this--e.g., I work in a neuroscience lab based in a research hospital, and I put time into networking with the neuropsychologists connected to our unit which led to incredible opportunities to be involved in patient clinical care in ways I didn't think possible at my current level.  I loved it, I learned a ton, and as a bonus, it really impressed interviewers.    
    Majorly beefed up my research experience - I took a full-time position in an academic hospital setting. I interviewed at several very highly competitive programs & in mingling with other candidates found that almost ALL of the most competitive candidates had full-time research experience outside of an undergrad, casual/volunteer position.  Not only does this demonstrate your skills in data collection, grants, data analysis (whatever the case), but this gives you a real life introduction to what a life in research would look like, and a chance to think about what type of questions you want to try to answer as a researcher--THAT'S what future PI's are looking for.    
    Also of Note:
    >> Fit, seriously, fit.  You don't realize it until you are in it, but fit it so powerful.  This is also not just fit, as in them accepting you, but also fit, as in you accepting them.  I have a quite specific clinical neuroscience/imaging/specific-clinical-population background that finding a good fit for while applying was a challenge, but during interviews I started to see where I would be happy and flourish and where I would feel confined and limited; that was very important for me.  One last thing to consider in this realm, specific to clinical psych people, do you want to be primarily a clinician (who conducts secondary research) or a researcher/academic? Choose your program wisely...         
    >> Don't overlook the importance of your CV!  Your CV should be organized, succinct, detailed, and highlight all of your best features.  Send it out, have people read it, make comments, change things, and shape it up. My CV came up over & over again at interviews- POI's, interviewers, and students all referred to my CV.  Your CV should work in conjunction with your personal statement-don't be redundant.    
    >> Another tip re: grades (GPA), GRE scores, & other formalities such as writing samples; these are the things that get you in the door-put the work into it.  Many top R1 programs receive between 300-650+ applications for, on average, 7 spots; they make cuts from the jump and that's just the way it goes.  If you score in the 70th+ percentile on the GRE you are in the clear & you can rest knowing your application should at least get reviewed- you owe it to your mental state & your wallet to ensure you get this far. 
    >> Finally, on interview day-yes, dress & act professionally (clinical programs are evaluating your capacity to be a professional, so demonstrate that), but don't be afraid to show your real self (within reason ?).  In addition to all of the important points made by other posters, I will just add a couple of thoughts  
    Chat with other candidates, get to know their interests and backgrounds (even if you are interviewing to work with the same POI).  If you are both there, you are both qualified, there is no need to act as if they are your opponent.  I ran into a few people at multiple interviews & I have stayed in touch with some candidates I met along the way about acceptances, plans, etc.  THESE ARE YOUR COLLEAGUES!  Some may even be in your cohort.  Start making connections now.  As mentioned above, assume you are being evaluated throughout your entire interview (social events, lunches, everywhere--all the time).  Ask thoughtful questions, listen to current students when they talk, make small talk with other PI's during lunches (ask about their work, what it's like to live there..ect.)--showcase the many shining parts of your personality-it goes a long way.   **This process is definitely stressful & so much of it is out of the applicants control.  Find things about it that make you laugh or smile, find people to lean on and commiserate with when things get tough, i.e., peers who are also applying or recently admitted grad students.  Feel proud when you submit your apps- it's a lot of work!  Get excited about checking out new cities during interview time.  Take time to get a massage, or go to the park, or just shut your brain off when you need it (and you will need it!!!).  In fact, the question of how you cope with pressure and stress will come up at interviews, demonstrating that you have already started working out these skills is bonus! Lastly, good luck to all!  Remember, if it doesn't work out the first time, that's just an opportunity to come back 10x stronger the next time.      
  24. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to SocDevMum in Reflections & Advice from Fall 2020 cycle   
    All of this  
    Research fit is everything. Every. Thing. It doesn't matter how awesome your GRE score is, or if you have a half dozen presentations on your CV, if the research fit isn't there, you're not likely to get an interview, much less an offer.
    Relationships are next. No one likes to hear it, but it's true in life, and it's true in applying for grad school.
    Reach out to POIs well before the application cycle starts. Don't wait to email til you submit your application. 
    When you do reach out, have something to talk about besides asking if they will be accepting a student. Do your research, read a few of their papers, find out what they study and indentify how it matches to your interests. Have a couple of intelligent questions about their studies to ask. Be able to carry a conversation.
    Talk to your letter writers well in advance too. Discuss the program and POI with them, and make sure they are going to write the glowing letters you need.  Give them every tool you can to write the best possible letter - your CV at the very least, but maybe they could use some descriptions of the research you've been doing, or the populations you want to work with, anything to give them some real depth to write about
    Talk to grad students in the programs you want to apply to, before you apply. I was able to remove a couple programs from my list before I paid all the monies to apply after chatting with grad students and getting their perspective on the department, lab or university culture. This also helped me prepare for interviews and visits, because I already had a friendly face who was somewhat invested in seeing me do well.  Grad students see everything, take advantage of that.
    When you get an interview: Be social and friendly, but not obnoxious. Get to know the other candidates. You never know who might end up in your cohort, but you also should remember that academia isn't that big - you will likely be bumping into these people again and again in other places. Don't leave a bad taste in their mouth because you feel the need to be uber-competitive.
    As for the actual application materials- write them, set them aside, and then revise them. And then do it again . 
    Go to your mentors, your letter writers, a trusted GA, and ask them to tear it up for you and make suggestions. Then seriously consider their suggested edits - after all, they clearly made it into grad school, so something must have worked right  
    Before you submit your personal statement, have someone outside of your field read it.  Does it make sense to them? Does it read intelligently? Most importantly, does it "sound" like you? Your personal statement needs to be an accurate reflection of your personality as well as your research interests. A personal statement that is painful to read will get your application sent right to the garbage bin.
    Oh! And don't accept an offer that is not fully funded, at least not for PhDs! If they want you, they will pay for you. Don't sell yourself short. You are a brilliant scientist with worthy ideas, and do not settle for less than fully funded.  There is no reason to take on tens of thousands in debt (in America at least) for a job that will very likely never pay you that much!
    This process is emotionally grueling, not to mention expensive.  Don't waste money and energy on programs that aren't a great fit, have a difficult culture, or won't communicate with you.  You're going to spend the next 4-6 years with these people, so set yourself up for success from the get-go.
  25. Upvote
    Psychological Yam reacted to Modulus in Reflections & Advice from Fall 2020 cycle   
    My two cents from applying to clinical psychology programs FOUR times and having a wholly different experience this time around:
    Selecting Programs Apply to the maximum number of programs for which: You can make a compelling argument for research fit with a faculty member (see below for further fit discussion). You can honestly imagine yourself attending. Do not overthink this one, but don't under-think it either. If you find yourself considering something as a "safety", but when you imagine yourself only getting that offer, you feel like you would consider reapplying, you might want to drop that one from your list. Your individual budget/finances allow. If possible, do not geographically limit yourself. Apply to fully-funded, accredited (APA and/or PCSAS) programs. If you stray from this advice, your mileage may vary and the rest may not apply. Attempt not to "pre-rank" the programs in your mind, either by your own assessment of who/what/where you think you'll like, or by relying on some external ranking system. PhD programs are not "ranked" like undergraduate programs.  Beyond funding, consider the research productivity (quantity and quality) of the particular lab you are entering and the post-docs/tenure-track positions achieved by recent grads. Review program and faculty websites to ensure your intended mentors are considering taking students this round. Unless the faculty member’s web page specifically says they do not want applicants to reach out, send a brief, polite e-mail expressing your interest in applying (and/or inquiring as to whether they are reviewing applications for their lab).  If you find yourself at a conference or talk with faculty members to whom you are applying, you may make a polite, quick introduction there instead (or additionally). You want your name to ring a bell when they read applications. Applications and Interviews Fit is everything.  Research fit. Do your research on your research interest. As others have said above, there is a huge difference between a candidate who can talk about how they want to work with "kids with anxiety" or "study drug use", and a candidate who is familiar with the specific literature in their area of interest (especially that of the faculty member to whom they are applying to work with). It is even better if you can prove your ability to conduct research in this specific area. (More on that in a later section.)  Re-iterating from above, but don't apply to programs you (or others) perceive to be "high-rank" or "prestigious". Apply to work with individual mentors who happen to be employed by specific institutions. Consider the fit of "your list". This is something that I personally really struggled with in my previous application cycles. While it made sense to me why I was applying to so many "different" programs/mentors (I was originally interested in the forensic area, which is admittedly not as well defined as others), I know that it made it harder to tell a clear story about what I saw next in my life. Don't present yourself at a fork in the road--know which path you're traveling down. If an interviewer (or application) asks you to list other programs you are applying to, you want them to say "Oh yeah, that makes sense, my colleague so-and-so is there." Personality and attitude. You will be spending more (waking) time with the folks in your lab than probably anyone else in your life for the next 4-6 years, so both your potential mentors and lab mates are considering this. They want a sure thing. This means walking a fine line so that you're not too stiff and formal and hard to read, but also that you avoid any sort of faux pas.  Be you. Don't be afraid to mention hobbies or interests outside of academia. There are labs/mentors out there who really want someone who has no life outside of their research, but if that isn't you, don't pretend it is. Don't be formal, don't be informal. Be appropriately collegial.  Be the best version of you. My recommendation is to talk to those who know you best. Ask about how you present yourself. Ask for honest feedback about things you typically do and say that may not bother them, but that they can probably see as red flags. My friends and mentor both heard from me, "Be completely honest. Is there anything you see me do or say that you want to say, 'Oh no don't do that in an interview!', even if you really think I know better than to do that." The answer will hopefully be something small, like "you wring your hands when you're nervous" or "sometimes you talk too quickly", but even if it's big business, you'd rather know sooner than later.  Scores open doors, but your CV is the key. I think everyone knows that you need to have a good GPA and GRE to get into grad school--but this is really only important in the first stage of application review. I think (hope) it will become less important there too--and have seen movement towards that as programs begin to realize that these scores (especially those from standardized tests) do not uniformly reflect potential to succeed in graduate school and have systematic biases that work against individuals who have already been marginalized in other ways (i.e. racial minorities, low SES).  Some universities say that they holistically review all applications and have no strict cut-offs. This might be nominally true, but I don’t think it changes the base advice. If one of these scores is particularly low, you're going to want to have an explanation if asked in an interview. You additionally will want at least one of your letter writers to be able to speak specifically to how it is not a true reflection of your performance and potential (more to come below). This is one place where connecting with faculty before submitting your application can also help—essentially you want to have a reason to be pulled from the initial pile of applications into the smaller pile that undergoes full review.  More important in showing your ability to be a productive, successful graduate student is proof that you are already producing and succeeding. While it is possible to gain admission to a Clinical Psychology PhD program without presentations or publications, applicant pools are becoming increasingly, almost impossibly competitive. The vast majority of fellow applicants on my [ten] interviews this season were Master’s degree students/recipients or laboratory managers/research staff in positions which allowed for independent research contribution. Choose your letter writers wisely.  Anyone can write a nice, positive letter that suggests you’re a relatively stable, capable human. Do not include more than 1 letter of this generic quality. For at least two of your letters, you want a writer who can and will go above and beyond to provide specific examples that show your potential and indicate true enthusiasm for your future career. Relatedly, do not choose writers solely based on the prestige of their position or institution, or even their eminence in the field if they cannot speak specifically about you. The admissions committee is reviewing your CV, not theirs. For example, you should choose the pre-tenure, direct supervisor for your undergraduate honors project instead of the famous emeritus professor whose class you took alongside 250 other students.  I’ve got lots of insights on this, but these are the main points. Feel free to PM me with any questions about this grueling process.
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