imemine

For me, I did look at GREs in the past (mostly for very high or very low scores), and definitely give weight to LORs, but the #1 factor for me was and is the personal statement--how does the applicant speak about research? how do they speak about *my* research in particular?

I completely agree that strong letters make all the difference, but I wouldn't worry so much about who they come from. From my interviews last year I could tell that PIs place a TON of weight on the evaluations of both academic potential and personal character conveyed in LORs, but they don't need to come from colleagues they know well (or even know at all) in order to be effective. 

At the end of the day, be honest about who interests you-- oftentimes one strong fit is all it takes. You can also say you are primarily interested in working with the one faculty member but that you could envision yourself collaborating with X/Y/Z professors in the department in X/Y/Z ways. I did this in some of my admissions essays, it's one way to show departmental fit without claiming to match equally with multiple primary mentors. 

At the end of the day, be honest about who interests you-- oftentimes one strong fit is all it takes. You can also say you are primarily interested in working with the one faculty member but that you could envision yourself collaborating with X/Y/Z professors in the department in X/Y/Z ways. I did this in some of my admissions essays, it's one way to show departmental fit without claiming to match equally with multiple primary mentors. 

When I was going through the process, it helped me to recall what topics I was most drawn to in each of my psychology classes. I had a lot of final papers that allowed me to pick a topic, and I realized I kept going back to the same topic areas (ie. emotion, self, individual differences) for each of these papers. It's okay if you don't have a specific question that drives you, or if you have more than one area of interest. But try to narrow your focus to just a couple of these broad content areas.
Nobody really knows if their research interests are what they "really want to pursue" forever (in fact, your interests are expected to evolve in grad school!), but it stands to reason that if you've been gravitating towards certain content areas throughout undergrad, you'll likely still be drawn to them in grad school.

I agree with a lot of the advice on this thread! Self-reflection is definitely key. It can be daunting at times to think about projects you might want to do in the future, so I'd recommend starting with projects you've done in the past. This includes research studies as well as term papers for class, projects for fun, etc. Think of broad keywords describing each venture-- are there some that repeat more than others? Personally, I found that I had almost always chosen topics related to a handful of keywords (emotion, self, etc.), which led me to solidify my interests. 

I agree with a lot of the advice on this thread! Self-reflection is definitely key. It can be daunting at times to think about projects you might want to do in the future, so I'd recommend starting with projects you've done in the past. This includes research studies as well as term papers for class, projects for fun, etc. Think of broad keywords describing each venture-- are there some that repeat more than others? Personally, I found that I had almost always chosen topics related to a handful of keywords (emotion, self, etc.), which led me to solidify my interests. 

When I was going through the process, it helped me to recall what topics I was most drawn to in each of my psychology classes. I had a lot of final papers that allowed me to pick a topic, and I realized I kept going back to the same topic areas (ie. emotion, self, individual differences) for each of these papers. It's okay if you don't have a specific question that drives you, or if you have more than one area of interest. But try to narrow your focus to just a couple of these broad content areas.
Nobody really knows if their research interests are what they "really want to pursue" forever (in fact, your interests are expected to evolve in grad school!), but it stands to reason that if you've been gravitating towards certain content areas throughout undergrad, you'll likely still be drawn to them in grad school.

When I was going through the process, it helped me to recall what topics I was most drawn to in each of my psychology classes. I had a lot of final papers that allowed me to pick a topic, and I realized I kept going back to the same topic areas (ie. emotion, self, individual differences) for each of these papers. It's okay if you don't have a specific question that drives you, or if you have more than one area of interest. But try to narrow your focus to just a couple of these broad content areas.
Nobody really knows if their research interests are what they "really want to pursue" forever (in fact, your interests are expected to evolve in grad school!), but it stands to reason that if you've been gravitating towards certain content areas throughout undergrad, you'll likely still be drawn to them in grad school.

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

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.

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

Hey all! Last year, someone started a reflections and advice thread, and reading it gave me valuable perspective as I went through the process this past fall/winter. Now that we're all one year older and wiser, I was thinking we can share some insights for next year's batch of applicants!
 
These are some things I learned from this process:
- Don't do this alone.  Looking back at my first draft of my SOP versus the final draft after months of meeting with one of my professors for feedback, it's night and day. I would have been so lost if I had insisted on doing everything by myself. Having a good support system is so, so, so important.
- Publications are overrated.  My biggest anxiety during the app process was that I was at a major disadvantage because I don't have any publications. However, I was pleasantly surprised that PIs seemed so interested in my prior research despite never publishing. I really do think they care more about experience and potential than publication record.
- Recommendation letters matter WAY more than you think they do.  I was shocked by how often my letters were brought up during interviews. The non-academic content of these letters also carries a surprising amount of weight. PIs are looking for genuinely decent people that they can get along with, and they get information about your character from your LORs. 
- Interview visits aren't meant to be formal/stressful.  Every one of these visits was so fun and relaxed. I was shocked by how few candidates were left at that point and how informal everybody was. It was great just to meet so many interesting people and gain the insight I needed to make my decision. 
- You're going to end up where you belong.  I always assumed it would be impossible to get into my top programs. What I didn't realize was that since my top programs were the ones where I had the best fit with PIs' research, I would actually be more likely to get into those programs than ones where I was less of a fit. I found my perfect program match, and they found their perfect match in me!
- You DESERVE your success.  Ultimately, as competitive of a process this is, people do succeed. That person will (at some point, if not this cycle) be you, and when it is, be proud! You've earned it. 

Hi everybody
I hope that wherever you are in the world that you are safe and doing okay. This is a stressful time for the world, and to sound very self-focused, it's been also hard to juggle thinking about next steps in our academic careers. March/April time is really when things either come together or fall apart for us trying to get into PhD programs. In the midst of COVID and the world, society, families, friends all preoccupied with it, it does kind of seem to hampers our current academic success or struggles. I guess I am hoping that this message reaches those people who have either figured out where they will be going and to commend you on how far you've come, because it has not been an easy journey. But at the same time, I want to tell those people who are still figuring it out or just, honestly, so frustrated with the system and looking for something to keep you going.
PhD is just one of those things that is very hard to explain to other people why you are working so hard to get into these programs, why you love what you do that you essentially give up a normal life, what it really means to get into a (or many) program(s) that you are really happy to attend, among other things. It's so hard not to give up. It's so hard during undergrad to stay up one more night preparing for an exam or paper, it's so hard caring about the GRE even though there is no place in academia for it, it's so hard not to be named a co-author on a paper even though you did most of the work, the list could go on and on. I hope this message gives you some piece of motivation to keep going, because we all have been there. We all have asked ourselves these questions and felt down, sad, self-depreciating, depressed, anxious, and sometimes all you can do is cry. But I hope that you keep going and don't give up on your dream to do PhD! It's your dream, keep working hard for your dream
Congrats to everybody who has gotten into the program they wanted to get in! And I hope people still pursuing PhD that you don't give up, you can do this!

I haven’t even made my decision yet but I keep obsessively looking at apartments in my top 2 cities..... it’s a problem?

As a faculty member, this week has been overwhelming and chaotic for us all. Given how scared and uncertain students (and faculty) have felt this week, having recently learned of the existence of GradCafe it occurred to me that hearing from a faculty member might be helpful to some of you and so I planned to start a post expressing my support. However, upon seeing this thread, I wanted to address the initial poster's concern first and then share my thoughts (albeit - I am just one perspective).
My university, like so many, has moved to online-only instruction until mid-April, at minimum. I teach a graduate cognitive assessment class. Even if it were possible to teach test administration online (which I doubt anyone could do well - I certainly cannot), my students have to share some test kits with each other plus given the interactive nature of cognitive testing, it would be impossible for my students to administer a test battery and not touch objects that the testee also touches. #WAISIVCOVID19Outbreak is not the hashtag I want to follow my students or I, because we have an obligation to, above all else, do no harm. The skills-based aspect of my course will be on hold until we can resume in-person instruction. That means I, and my students, will need to be flexible regarding making up the missed classes, but I am willing to give up part of my summer to make sure my students are prepared in the way they need to be.
Let's hope that we're out of the woods by August! That said, as current students, prospective students, and students who will be entering a program in Fall 2020 - it is not your job to worry about how the COVID-19 crisis will affect your education. I understand may of you will worry, and that's okay - but your professors are and will do everything they can to make sure your education continues as planned.
All that said, I hope everyone is okay. For those of you who had to leave campus abruptly, I am sorry. For those of you who had spring-break plans cancelled, I am sorry. For anyone who is scared - you are not alone. For anyone who is angry about this disruption - you are not alone. I can only imagine how hard it must be to be a student or future student right now. Most (I want to believe all of ) your professors are doing the best they can. I realize that may not feel like enough, but it's the best we can do right now. Please take care of yourselves and if you are feeling anxious about the fall, do reach out to current faculty or POIs. We're here.
 
 

I think at this point it's still really early and we should all do our best to not fall down the speculation rabbit hole. If it's still a problem come summer I'm sure plans will be made, but there is no use borrowing worry and stoking the "what if" panic. We're psychologists, let's rise above the fear contagion :).

University of Texas at Austin, PhD counseling psychology. Excited to be living in the great state of Ted Cruz *sarcasm on 1000000%*. But really, I am excited to move to Austin and join this program!!