Schy
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Posts posted by Schy
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2 hours ago, clinical_sike said:
All the advice I have read about the PhD admissions process says that applying to 10+ programs is advisable, but applying to around 14 programs is recommended. This is because of the extremely competitive nature of fully funded PhD programs. It is 100% unfair, however, fee waivers exist for those without the means to pay application fees (although I would argue that they are confusing to procure).
Because acceptance rates are 10% and below, it makes sense why this would be recommended to us, because it increases chances of admission. I would say this was even more important this year with 2-3x the applicants. But even applying to 10 schools may not work because acceptance rates are increasingly being met at between 1-5%. That is between a 1-5 in 100 shot of getting accepted, so applying to a bunch of schools is very reasonable in my mind. Even if you apply to 100 schools at a 1% acceptance rate, you still have a ~36% chance of getting rejected to every single school. You also have a ~63% chance of getting accepted to at least one. But who's gonna apply to 100 damn schools?
Thats why you have to know these chances and really boost your CV to match with specific programs. I saved up for a long time because I did research on this and thought of it as a small investment in my future that will have a big payoff later on. I would definitely not recommend applying to under 5 programs and banking on getting in. Especially if it meant putting your life on hold in hopes of having a small, small shot at acceptance. It is so risky. But ultimately, this whole process discriminates against people of color and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
That’s what I did last time. Honestly I only applied to the one because someone brought it to my attention! The program was looking to *expand* and include more disadvantaged people. Like I mentioned before my area of research is super specific. So I took whatever advantage I could and ran with it. When it came down to it she told me verbatim is was between me and someone with a masters. And she wanted to let me know ASAP in case I wanted to apply to MA/MS ABA programs that still had open deadlines. It was actually my first year not applying to a clinical program and I got soooo far.
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9 minutes ago, PhD1Day said:
I'm so sorry to hear this. I only applied to one program last year and also was rejected. I honestly had not clue that people applied to so many programs at once (it seems too expensive)
I did apply to 3 programs this round and I'm hoping at least one pays off. I wish you luck in your future endeavors- something will work out for you!!
Best of luck to you as well! I truly appreciate the kind words. Sometimes I have to remind myself that what is meant to be will be, but also, this is a huge world and we all have huge lives and we can find happiness, fulfillment, and our goals anywhere.
9 minutes ago, NervousNelly12 said:I feel this. I have never received feedback or tips for next time. I've heard that most credits from master don't transfer in PhD and you have to redo a thesis anyways, I'm not sure if anyone can speak to that. I know spending money on a masters is daunting to me, so I feel how disappointing that is to hear. While that PI recommended it, I know that other PIs would recommend differently so don't take that as the only solution.
I am happy she gave me some feedback. I wish I could paste the whole email (I did in the discord lmaooooo). She has never been anything but genuine. I can say for sure this is a psychology PHD program with doctoral training in behavior analysis. I heard from others in the discord that clinical programs are more likely to accept people with 'only' BAs. I talked to my current PI who I've been doing post-bacc research with and she is so against me wasting money on a masters. So ultimately.........I am a little angry about the suggestion. Hopefully this anger can act as some fuel for my future.
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So I got rejected from the one program I applied to. I feel like I could write a book about why I decided to do that (lol). My research interests are pretty specific/behavior analysis programs seemed to fit/there aren't many people that research what I want to research/whatever. But I did it and I felt good about it. But ultimately I got rejected and the PI suggested I pursue a masters first (in the end she chose a someone with a masters over me IT MAKES SENSE). This is my third cycle and honestly at this point I guess getting a masters is my only choice if I really want to pursue this/a phd and I have to be honest I'm really not happy about that. I understand all of it but I am so not happy.
- xChrisx, PsychMamaof2 and OhPsych
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13 hours ago, NotYourMothersGrad said:
On the note of competitiveness, diversity, and disadvantages - have any of you who have interviewed noticed just how many white applicants and white grad students there are in the labs you're applying to? I know whiteness doesn't = inherent advantages 100% of the time, but it feels very weird to me the faculty, current grad, and applicant racial and diversity background that still seems homogenous..
This is one of the reasons why I didn't apply to certain programs. If I can't tell from your lab website/social media that you're making an effort to be anti-racist than I know that I wouldn't have a good time spending 5+ years in that area/lab.
The lab I'm HOPING AND MANIFESTING that I get to be apart of did a really good job of showing its interviewees that they care about social justice. While the PI is white and majority of her doctoral students are white (one latina in the group), everyone made me feel so welcome and we talked a lotttttttt about the disparities in healthcare. As an ethnically black women, but racially Asian these things felt important to me because I don't always feel 100% comfortable in completely white spaces.
lol i have no idea why i worded it that way, but the point is im biracial but appear more asian than I do black.
- toopsychedout, ImAFreudNot, PhD1Day and 4 others
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8 minutes ago, kch16 said:
Before things on the forum get too hectic I wanted to bring this back around. As a first-time applicant I am extremely disheartened by the way the field handles admissions. Have things only recently gotten this bad, or have they always been this way? Is there anything we could possibly do to address it as a concerned group (e.g. open letter)?
This is my third time applying and I can confidently say that the field just handles admissions this way. It's truly abysmal. However, I have noticed that a lot of programs are becoming more self-aware? For example, programs that are deciding get rid of the GRE completely. I do wonder how much the university itself has a say in how a program runs things....
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1 minute ago, PsychBear92 said:
THIS! I come from an educationally and economically disadvantaged background. My father basically has an 8th grade education, and I have more extended family who have been incarcerated than have graduated from college. Just getting my Bachelor's felt like an insurmountable goal. Also, having transferred to my university from community college severely limited research opportunities because I only had two years to finish my degree. Not saying that people who have taken out loans for education do so on a whim, but I have it drilled in my head that "people like me" can't afford entry into academia.
I think academia needs more people like all of us. I sincerely hope each and every one of us reach our goals. I think those of us that stick with academia are going to have to help pick up the pieces.
- EileanDonan, CoffeeErryday, justacigar and 7 others
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On 1/19/2021 at 8:41 PM, PsychMomOf2 said:
I was so hoping to hear from Rowan today, but kind of glad I didn't see anyone on the results page post about them, I'm trying to hold on to any glimmer of hope ?
Hi! I'm actually a research assistant for one of the faculty at Rowan. My alma mater! We just talked (literally yesterday) about all the applications that the department received. Invites definitely haven't gone out, but they will soon! If you have any questions I can try and help!
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8 minutes ago, justacigar said:
I'll just post my twitter here for everyone: @jess_froe
I want to be friends with you all!
Just followed! ❤️
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23 minutes ago, justacigar said:
I actually asked this on Academic Twitter (lol) and the consensus was it's not weird at all!
Seeing as I recently made an academic twitter...... does anyone want to become mutuals? Dm me for my @
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8 minutes ago, ResilientQueen said:
Has anyone gotten an interview this cycle with an average stat in some area (i.e lowish GPA but good research experience?). I know the programs said they will look at us holistically, but self doubt is definitely creeping in. It would be great if someone can affirm they received an interview/interviews and aren’t an absolute superstar in every area ?
the GRE not being needed this round of applications was definitely my saving grace lmao I don't think I scored higher than 151 in either area. apart from that I had good GPA however only ONE OF my LOR was from someone in academia
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4 hours ago, clinical_sike said:
Congrats!!!! May I ask which university? Also, how what do you think made you stand out in your prelim? Any tips? Thanks:)
thank you!!
University of florida! But it wasn't for a clinical/counseling program. I think one thing that definitely helped was that I had contact with my POI before the interviews. I emailed her about my interest in the fall and she offered to meet with me so we talked then. I also attended a virtual conference she was speaking at and emailed her some thoughts/questions a day later. I did everything I could PRE interview time to make sure my name was on the forefront of her mind.
When it came time for the preliminary interview I was panicky and didn't know how to prepare so I prepared for questions all those questions that you can find online. However the interview was so different from what I imagined. She may have asked four questions max and because we had spoken with each other before she said to me "I'm asking these because I had to ask everyone else, but I have a pretty good idea of what your answers will be" so for me it was like a refresher.
However the 'official' interview will be a lot more intense. She told me to be prepared to speak with her for an hour and also requested that I send her two research ideas before our meeting so that we can talk about them during the interview as well. She also sent out an email to the current doctoral students introducing me and told me to expect to interview with the members.
I think to prepare for these interviews, I'll continue reading the labs research, as well as my own. and I'm lucky that I have this one expertise that the POI is interested in utilizing it in her studies so I'm gonna make sure I can communicate what I want to communicate in an easily digestible and effective manner.
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1 hour ago, bss1234 said:
Thought I'd come on here and see if anybody could offer some thoughts/advice as to what my next steps could be: For a little background I'm a BIPOC male about to finish up undergrad this semester and so I applied to a mix of masters and PhD programs in clinical and counseling psychology. I haven't heard back from masters programs yet but I've gotten a few rejections from the PhD ones and while I'm not throwing in the towel I certainly know how competitive these programs are and apps went up everywhere this year so I'm not feeling great about my chances. I applied to a few masters programs so I could get my GPA up (3.2 so not terrible not amazing either) and get more research experience if I choose to apply again. However I have a significant amount of debt in student loans from undergrad and I really don't want to take on more debt and it's not even guaranteed that I would gain admission into a PhD program afterwards. I've been applying to paid research positions too but I know those are also just as competitive and I fear I may not be able to secure one of these positions either. Basically unsure as to what I should do next and if I should consider other research jobs that won't be in psychology but could allow me to support myself financially and begin paying off loans. Sorry to clog this forum with my situation but just wanted some ideas. Thank you in advance whoever reads this!!
So I also haven’t taken on a masters because the financial stress isn’t something I can feasibly do. I won’t say it’s been easy but it’s been doable. I already had a job throughout undergrad that was able to accommodate my schedule and when I got a volunteer position at a research lab my paying job continued to be flexible with me. While doing this won’t increase your GPA it will increase your experience and I think you can get into programs even with your GPA. I think the trick is to sell yourself in the right light. Sucky things happen!!! Sometimes it’s our GPA. sometimes it’s lack of a masters.
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I guess I did great during my preliminary interview because my POI just invited me to an official one next week and told me she was preparing an email to introduce me to her lab if I was still interested AND OF COURSE I AM. I am so shocked. On Monday when we had the preliminary interview, she told me to expect to hear from her in a few weeks..............its been THREE DAYS. I am so happy.
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Just now, Schy said:
I would say if it was a top choice program/POI/you had contact before it wouldn't hurt to send a follow up. They may be able to offer some valuable insight on ways you can improve for next time! Whether it's common or not I'm not sure matters. What matters is that you do what you can to access feedback, and ultimately, learn from something that can be shitty and discouraging.
I wanted to add that this is my third time applying to phd programs. The first time around I only had 6 mos experience and my Alma mater actually interviewed me! It was exciting! But I only had a bachelors and again 6 mos. research experience. It was a blessing in disguise being rejected. My second time I was still stuck on applying to clinical psych programs. My general research interest is pretty unique? I learned after my second round it would be best for me to apply to more behavior focused programs. Before the third round and before Covid I decided I was going to stick with what I knew. I had a paying research job. A lab I love! A fantastic research mentor who has been my guiding light in all of this! But a former friend and lab member reached out and recommended I apply to this one program that she was attending. I ended up applying, recently had an interview, and now I'm playing the waiting game. The possibility of being rejected might be high for more (I suck at interviewing) But I know what I love to do. So if an outcome occurs that I don't particularly like I know i'll be in a position to ask for some feedback and make the adjustments for my phd hopeful future. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't give up. You KNOW you're going to become a phd. There's no doubt about that. ?
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I would say if it was a top choice program/POI/you had contact before it wouldn't hurt to send a follow up. They may be able to offer some valuable insight on ways you can improve for next time! Whether it's common or not I'm not sure matters. What matters is that you do what you can to access feedback, and ultimately, learn from something that can be shitty and discouraging.
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Had my prelim interview yesterday and while I think it went well I can't help but overthink some of my answers and regret some of them ? i tried to prepare for the interview, but it was nothing like i expected!
My POI and I have been in contact with each other multiple times over these last few months. Most of our interview involved her explaining to me what the next step in the process would be and how the program works at the school (qualifying exams, entering the phd program without a masters, the coursework load, special certifications, etc). I think she asked me 4 questions max and they were questions she pretty much already knew the answer to but felt as though she needed to ask them since she asked the other applicants.
This is my third year trying to get into a phd program so fingers crossed ?
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8 minutes ago, shutupsigmundfreud said:
Does anyone have any tips for coping after receiving rejections? I had a first-round preliminary interview this week that I thought went really well and was (in my eyes) a perfect research match. I was super excited to hear back from the professor, but I just got a rejection in my email with the standard "it was an especially competitive year". It's making me super nervous because now I have 3 rejections (2 assumed) and 0 interview prospects, and if I couldn't land an interview at a place that seemed like the ideal match, I'm just really getting down about my chances at the rest of the schools and what I potentially did wrong in the preliminary interview. Is anyone dealing with a similar thing?
This is my third cycle, so I understand that feeling. What I've done between cycles has been really important. I've really focused on research and I've been in a good position where I've been apart of a post-bacc. I haven't made the financial decision to pursue a masters, and where I may be lacking in academic experience, I have an abundance of hands-on working and research experience. Being rejected is never easy, but now it gives you an edge where you can learn from this 'failure'. How you respond to this will be important.
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I found this google doc on reddit last night with a various different questions and advice! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z6lq4AHhJTcTh3PX_YbN6W1u645Gl_a8gIaOT8bhFY0/edit
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7 hours ago, spring2000 said:
I just had a preliminary interview today, so I don't think all official invites have been sent out yet
ahhh can you let me know how it went? I've spoken with my POI (university of florida) over zoom before (back in September) but I have an official preliminary interview in a couple weeks and I'm psyching myself out ? I know they might be different, but would you say yours was primarily conversation based?
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21 hours ago, a_mills54 said:
Hi everyone!
I noticed on the big list of interview offers that people were listing both University of Kentucky and University of Florida for their clinical psychology programs. Does anyone know if these schools tend to release all of their interview requests on one day or is it spread out by POI? Should I give up hope that I will get an interview offer from these schools since it seems like a lot of people have already gotten interviews for these programs? Thanks!
I applied to UFs behavior analysis program and I'm sure it could be different from the clinical, but my POI reached out directly to invite us to preliminary interviews earlier in the week. I was told that other POIs are on their own time constraints. don't give up hope yet!
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I received an email from my POI to fill out a survey before I scheduled a preliminary interview and WHEW is this thought provoking. I started answering some but found I had to sleep on some of the questions. I have to keep reminding myself to be honest and TRUE. I don’t need to write down what I think they want to read. I need to write down exactly how I feel.
- Chugwater2020 and justacigar
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50 minutes ago, pomegranateleaves said:
Thanks for starting this thread! I haven't heard anything from my schools just yet, but I assume they will definitely be conducting interviews online. However, in person interviews are so much more than just the interviews itself - we get to tour the campus, attend some info sessions, meet with faculty, meet with doctoral students, eat free food, and more. The interviews will probably be really easy to transition to an online format. I'm curious to see what they will do for the rest of the regularly scheduled things if not completely just getting rid of them completely for this cycle.
Hopefully we all get to find out very soon heheh.........fingers crossed for all of us! It's certainly going to be an interesting experience.
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1 hour ago, katgoheen said:
It's December 1st finally! Just wishing everyone the best of luck! Applications have been a stressful time. I hope you all take time to celebrate being finished this stage of the process.
I agree! celebrate being finished with this stage of the process, but also celebrate the fact that you're in a position where you are applying to phd programs! All of us have put so much work into building up our applications and we shouldn't take that lightly. ❤️ We have done so many great things while preparing for this moment.
Wait another year or unfunded PhD :/
in Psychology Forum
Posted · Edited by Schy
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I'm so sorry to hear that you're in this situation ? Personally, I think I'd wait. I'm actually doing that now (not applying to masters because I don't want the debt!). The great thing about PhDs is that they SHOULD be funded. You are providing a service to the school and in turn they are shaping you and helping you set and reach goals that you wouldn't be able to do otherwise. I'm not sure how things would work in the future if you decided to apply to palo altos program, if there's any chance that it will impede on your progress as a post-doc/PhD I say DEFINITELY don't do it. But if people don't bat an eye at it....than maybe its just a matter of if you want more school debt. These are hard decisions to make and no one can make them for you. I'm a firm believer that we make the best out of any situation we're in and I believe you can do that as long as Palo Altos program doesn't look bad in the future.