psychologygeek

Hi, I'm reapplying to Clinical & Neuropsychological programs this year! I had a few interviews in 2019 but nothing panned out, so I decided to get a Master's from a program that will really boost my clinical and research experiences. I made some great friends on here last time, so hoping to do the same now!! Good luck everybody

Be wary if you're pursuing Neuropsychology like myself. Funding package aside, the cohort size concerns me and the work that neuropsychologists do in the Amen Clinics are equally concerning as well. For those reasons, I decided not to apply.

I am getting my MA from SIUE and I love it! Full disclosure, I am in the adult program, but the child program is great too. Most of us are fully funded + complete a yearlong clinical practice and thesis.

I'm excited! I applied last time and did not get in despite having several interviews, but I did enter a fully funded masters program with a clinical practicum. Because of that, I feel much better prepared this time. Still stressed as hell, but feeling a bit more at ease nonetheless.

This is...concerning, to say the least, especially given the number of programs I'm applying to. Wouldn't mind a DM sharing the name of the school

Hi! Sorry for the late reply. As for my GRE, I know my math is lowish, but for me it is probably the best score I can possibly get. I did get A's in all of my college math courses including Alg, Calc, Inferential Statistics, and Psychological Statistics, which my interviewers seemed to care about more (I can't speak for all programs, but this was a big relief for me). As for my research experience, I have first/co-authored/published/presented multiple papers, and did data entry and project analysis for an Ivy League school last summer (I honestly felt like my presentations helped more than the Ivy internship, interestingly enough). Ultimately, I did get several PhD interviews but not an offer. I did feel extremely honored to get interviews, as I am only 21, was interviewing with some AMAZING applicants, and changed my major to Psych my sophomore year. However, I did get Masters offers from UT San Antonio, University of Chicago, and Southern Illinois U. Since I am interested in clinical work, the critiques I got from my PhD programs were that I did not have enough clinical experiences compared to other applicants. Ultimately, I am happy to choose the Masters route since I can get even more clinical/research work in, and I also received funding offers comparable to those of PhD programs. Thank you for the advice! I wish someone had told me to look more seriously into more master's programs early on instead of viewing it as a "last resort", and I do recommend it for others who may be in a similar position as me:)

This is super helpful, thanks! I think that I was getting sucked in to the temptation to read every little detail

Thank you! My mom said I should use it to my advantage lol

YES! PM Me!

Wait, are we interviewing at the same program?! It would be nice to see a friendly face lol.

Hey, y'all I'm having problems coming up with some questions based off of my PI's research (the place I'm interviewing at doesn't adhere to a strict mentorship model, but I want to at least show that I read their stuff). I am interested in the research they have put out, but I'm having problems coming up with specific questions. My interview is on Saturday. Does anyone have any advice for this? I want to make sure that I make a good impression. Thanks!

Thanks for this! I almost always say that I "really enjoy" or "am passionate about" in an interview setting. However, I say "love" a lot in day to day life which is why I typed it, lol

You could try and tie it back to a mentor relationship that you enjoyed For example, I have a very communicative and interactive relationship with my research mentor in undergrad. If a prof said they have a similar style, you could say something like "I really enjoy that mentoring style. I have a similar relationship with my current research mentor, and I really feel like I do my best work in an environment such as the one you described" I also really love to say that I LOVE learning (which I do!). This also highlights the fact that you would take critical feedback well, etc.

This was so incredibly helpful! You are a godsend

Hi y'all...anxiety post here I have my first (and only) PhD interview this week. It is at my top program, and it is my only chance this year to get into a PhD program.I have an interview at a Master's program that I also like, but I would love to jump straight into PhD. I love absolutely everything about the program and I truly believe I am a great fit for them (i'm really not just saying that!). However, that doesn't change the fact that I am nervous as HELL. I am less nervous for the interview (because I feel like I have mock interviewed enough to at least having a basic idea of how to answer), and more nervous for things like the social and chunks of time between interviews to interact with current students and other applicants. I want to make a good impression and be myself, but I am worried about either coming across as TOO social or too reserved. I am also nervous that some of my answers are kind of long-winded, especially for questions such as "so tell me about yourself" "why are you a good fit for this program" "what are your strengths and weaknesses" etc. Also, I am in a cast and on crutches. The school really has bent over backwards to accommodate me which I am SO thankful for, but I'm worried about sticking out like a sore thumb or coming across as high maintenance. Overall, I guess I'm just nervous because I love the program so much and really want to make a good impression. There's really no point to this post, I just NEED to vent, lol.

Thanks for this! I never thought to look them up on twitter. I am thankfully a good interviewer, but is is of course the time leading up to the interview that is wrought with anxiety and sleepless nights, lol. Also, thanks for the info about the general vibe. I think I can speak for alot of us, but especially myself, when I say that it has been soooo easy to get pulled into the details of questions and forget that, at the end of the day, they're truly just trying to get a feel for how we would be to work/learn/socialize with, lol

Following this bc I'm wondering the same thing!

I have asked before interviews if its ok if i jot notes dow and normally they're pretty impressed! As long as it doesn't completely consume you, I think jotting down notes is fine!

Going off of my above comment, if anyone has any tips or tricks on how to weave personality into the interview answers, please lmk! This is my biggest fear going into the interview. I have been told that time and time again that the interview is a "personality check." I am worried about my personality or my experiences getting swallowed up or diminished by some of the questions that are, well, not very personality-esque. It is so so important to me to be able to let my personality shine through during the interview! things like hobbies, personal experiences, etc. I don't want to leave the interview knowing that I sounded like a robot, haha Help!

Thank you for this! I will definitely PM you- I have family in Dallas but they'll be far more well off than I so I'll need to figure out where to live, lol. The website and my application currently seems to be very focused on the environment being supportive and interpersonal. On my application, they even asked if I have been through or experienced anything that might benefit me as a student and clinician, which I greatly appreciated. Do you recall if they ask any questions aimed in that direction? (i.e. non-academic background, personal suitability for clinical psych, etc.) I have obviously prepared the standard questions about research interests, research experience, etc, but I want to find a way to weave my personality into the interviews as well. I do think that it gives me a bit of an edge, and I have gone through some experiences that make me stand out a bit more. If you or anyone has tips on that, it would be much appreciated! Thanks so much for the info! This is my top choice, so I'd really love to succeed.

I am applying to a program that has less of a research focus. However, if there are a few things i'd like to talk about that aren't on my CV that are still applicable (i.e. personal experiences and how that ties into my pursuing psychology, etc), should I find a way to weave those in? The school I'm interviewing at seems to be really all about interpersonal connectivity and personality, so I am trying to find ways for them to see my personality outside of questions about clinical work, research, etc.

Yes! I know that it's not fully funded. Thankfully I have some money set aside because I went to undergrad for free (thanks FAFSA lol.) I also applied for financial aid to see if I could get anything. UTSW is my top school because of the breadth of neuropsychology training they perform, so that's worth its weight in gold to me. Thank you for the information on the mentorship model! I was a bit confused by their website. If it's not a typical mentorship model, will the interview be different? I noticed on the agenda that they have two 30-minute interview sessions. Once in the morning, and once in the afternoon. it was less time than I expected!

I have a question about potential PI's My interview coming up is at UT Southwestern- there is research involved ofc but this is a VERY clinically oriented school. there are clinical rotations etc all before the interview. On the application, it asked me to list two professors who I might be interested in working with. However, the website doesn't say much about wether its a mentorship model or if you work with the whole department. Has anyone had interviews at a clinically-based program before? What should I expect? Thanks!

This was so helpful, thank you! My first interview is in a few weeks- I'm pretty nervous! This program is a perfect fit for me, so I'm hoping they feel the same about me

I wouldn't be worried. Any obstacle that was hard for you to overcome is something notable that makes you who you are! I haven't had my interview yet, but the overwhelming majority of people have really called it a "personality check" so just be yourself!