PsyberPsych3311

There's not a clear cut answer on whether you *need* to contact a prof before applying and do pre-application networking. But it is a fairly common practice among applicants. But whether it actually helps.. I think it varies widely depending on the professor. I received two PsyD (small cohort, mentor match model) acceptances - one of the profs I didn't contact at all before applying (it was a late addition to my application list). The other, I emailed and they responded and told me that the program's policy is to not have pre-application communication in an attempt to level the playing field. But, I'm sure the opposite is true for some people! I know of profs who have responded to emails by setting up phone calls or video calls, by connecting the applicant with their students, or by not responding at all. Professors get a lot of emails during application season, so if you decide to email, make sure you have a question or reason for emailing them. Ask a brief question about the future direction of their research or current projects, verify that they are accepting students (if it's not on the website), or ask if they would be willing to take a short call. There are a few stories of profs responding rudely to pre-application emails, but in my opinion, that helps you cross them off of your list. Harvard's clinical psych faculty have this interesting video series about application FAQs and touch on emailing/reaching out a bit in the 3rd video. I found it very helpful - the info is not just Harvard-specific: https://psychology.fas.harvard.edu/pro-tip TL;DR - emailing them seems unlikely to hurt if you do it right. It might not help with admissions. But it could.. the most likely benefit is getting information.

Here is the more updated version of that crowdsourced Advisor Directory from Psychin Out: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SB-y2AxbDhu5UGZbdh-GQ9DemBVPFfz0sW-pb6LW5j8/edit#gid=1240366318 There are a ton of entries!

Be warned though, there are a few regular posters on Student Doctor Network that can be very vocal and negative.. sometimes they make good points, but the tone can be pretty discouraging if you're new to the field. I've found that you will find much more negativity about PsyDs on websites like SDN than you will find in real life. But in general, there is a lot of overlap between PhD and PsyD (particularly PsyDs that are university-based, with small cohorts and funding). There might be less emphasis on research productivity in a PsyD, but you'll still do a dissertation and plenty of PsyD students publish or present. You won't necessarily escape research in a PsyD and plenty of (or most) PhDs end up with a clinical focus. Which is good, because research and clinical practice inform one another. Good luck!

I agree - you can't escape research with a doctorate, PsyD or PhD. Do you have a strong research fit with the PhD (or PsyD for mentor match programs) professors you are applying to? And will your application clearly show that fit? If not, I would probably wait and apply later. It's not 100% impossible to get in to a PhD or competitive PsyD without research posters/pubs, but the people who manage it are going to have extremely good fits and big bonuses elsewhere in their application (like skills and experiences, not scores/grades). An unsolicited personal aside - I think there's great benefit to waiting and not going straight out of undergrad. Of course there are people that go straight in and do great, but having a couple (or more) years to really refine your interests, gain more experiences, etc can make grad school more productive. I know it can feel like there's a ticking clock, but I promise there isn't. It's a personal decision, but something to keep in mind if you decide not to apply or don't get in this round. Everyone I know that had to or chose to wait will tell you that they're better for it (myself included).

I haven't interacted with the program, so everything I know is just what I have heard but I think you could sum it up as: the reputation is not as poor as PsyD/PhD programs at for-profit institutions, but the reputation is trending down. I have been told that there are neuropsych profs in the program that work with the Amen Clinics, which have an extreme lack of sound scientific evidence. So if neuro is what you are interested in, I would be very very cautious. The size of the cohorts concerns me. Mentorship is crucial in doctoral programs and should be the rule, not the exception. If there is something specific about the program that is a good fit for your interests and you are comfortable standing out in your cohort and working harder to get mentorship, then okay. But personally I think there are other PsyD programs with better reputations (or some with equal reputations) with smaller cohorts.

It is concerning for that program! I'm not sure if it's evidence to say that this is happening in a lot of programs though. APA accreditation is actually a pretty low bar, so being accredited doesn't mean there won't be struggles (or worse), and one program having trouble doesn't mean all are. I think COVID provided programs with the opportunity to show how strong they are in their ability to adapt and re-prioritize ...or not. If someone has evidence that this is the situation across the board, please share, but until you hear that, I would stay positive and focus on what you can control! Brainstorm good questions you can ask grad students or during interviews that will give you the information you need to make an informed choice.

I don't think your undergrad GPA ruins your chances. Your master's GPA shows that you can handle graduate coursework. Psych doctoral admissions really rely on the combination of all application components, and it's hard to predict which factors one school with prioritize versus another. I recommend focusing on what you can control now (interview prep, application materials, etc) and go for it! It sounds like you have a decent shot, but give other programs a chance too. Your professors might be able to offer more insight to your chances and ways to improve them.

APA accreditation is definitely important for School Psych doctoral programs!!! Same accreditation process for all Health Service Psych programs, which includes Clinical, Counseling, and School. Attending a non-APA accredited school psych doc program would be just as unwise as attending an unaccredited clinical or counseling program - limits internship options and career options outside of a public school setting. There are a lot of Masters/Specialist level-only School Psych programs and APA does not accredit those - NASP does. Just want to clarify the difference in case anyone is looking at school psych!

For the clinical programs I looked at and applied to this year, I would say the range was about 16-26. But that included some pretty low COL places. Also tuition waivers/remission can vary, so definitely take that into account. Full tuition waivers are common, but there's also partial waivers and schools that waive out-of-state tuition and still require in-state tuition (which can be super cheap in some states but still).

School: University of Houston - Clear Lake Type: Health Service Psychology (clinical/school combined) PsyD Acceptance/Waitlist/Rejection: Accepted Type of Notification: Email from DCT Date Notified: 2/26 DM for POI: Yes

I was informed that their interview day is currently scheduled for 2/26.

I received an email interview invitation that said we would have a chance to talk to faculty on interview day, but feel free to reach out to POIs in the meantime if we have questions.. I don't think they meant procedural admissions questions, because they also included the information for the admissions secretary, said that person would send zoom links, etc, and to contact the secretary with questions as well. What would you make of this? My POI had a policy of no informational interviews prior to applying, so I have plenty of questions, but I don't want to reach out with questions that are best for interview day if that's not what they meant.. I also don't want to seem uninterested. Am I overthinking this?

I feel this too! But FWIW, I found it really helpful to search the results page by specific programs I applied to. I saw that most of the programs I applied to didn't extend invites until mid-late Jan in previous years and did few informal interviews. I guess you never know if this is the year they decide to change their timeline and process, but I'm not focusing on that! It's kept me calm.