Dazen

I might be in the minority on this one, but I really hope most schools don't move to "not accepting" to Psych GRE. It's a huge help for those of us who don't come from a psych academic background and want to bolster our applications beyond the few required psych courses. Would be totally fine with it being optional though.

I'm also coming from a science background, and what I found when doing research on what coursework I would need to apply for PhD programs, the vast majority wanted to see around 18 credits, including Intro, Statistics, Research Methods, and Abnormal. I'd check on what specific programs' requirements are, but this seemed to cover ~85% for me.

Psych GRE registration is now open!! If anyone didn't know and plans to take it this fall (I am, since I'm not coming from a psychology background academically) I'd recommend signing up!

Update on contacting POIs: I've heard back from a few who were able to confirm they are planning to take a new student this coming app cycle. Still in the process of sending emails out, but it seems like a reasonable time for many.

I was planning to start contacting POIs in the next month, but that's also because of some personal scheduling factors.

My biggest speed bump has been the April Psych GRE being cancelled. Now I'm feeling more pressure to study for the fall, since I'll likely only take it once and want to do well. Otherwise, I'm currently working on my emails to professors asking if they're planning to accept a new grad student. Anyone else facing the dichotomy of "I have so much I still need to do" and "why does the application deadline feel so far away?"

Hi y'all! As I've said elsewhere, I don't have an academic background in psychology, so I was planning to take a few classes through ASU's online program to meet basic requirements (Intro to Psych, Statistics, Research Methods, Abnormal Psych), giving me 25 credits. I know that online courses are generally not seen as favorably as in-person classes, but given the current COVID situation, do you think these would be acceptable to check those boxes, assuming I do well in them? Thanks!

Random question pertaining to applications - what do y'all think about requesting the full text of papers for professors you want to work with through ResarchGate? I don't have access to any academic libraries right now and have no idea how else to keep up with what they're currently working on. Separately, YES! Definitely also worried about the possible impacts of the pandemic on applications this fall. Crossing my fingers that it's not going to be a huge negative for all of us!

@PsyDuck90 thanks so much for the advice! It's frustrating that wilderness therapy is still not accepted in the academic community, given the recent research showing similar efficacy to other inpatient programs and it getting its own insurance code. I'm not surprised, though, and appreciate you explaining this. I should be able to get some psych research through the company and the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council, but will also try to get in touch with some local profs, since this might not be looked upon fondly. The research through OBH is generally conducted and published by Psych PhDs, so at least it has academic validity. And I agree that my SOP is going to be huge. I'm going to start writing it this summer so I have plenty of time to edit and ask for feedback from friends and mentors. In terms of taking pre-reqs, I had been previously advised that online classes weren't looked on favorably. Is this still the case given corona? I should be able to fill in my missing academic background with community college classes, I just didn't expect these to be respected on an application. Also, since I didn't mention it above, I'd like to focus my research on the impact of early childhood trauma and associated mental health issues on juvenile delinquency, especially violent crime among males.

This is a great idea! I would love some advice, since there's still enough time before apps are due to shore up some weak points. I'll be applying for Clinical PhD programs this fall. I received a degree in Engineering with honors from Dartmouth College in 2015 (GPA 3.48). I did research for 4 years in 3 different labs, mostly focusing on mathematical modelling of qualitative systems. My senior thesis was looking at whether voting methods can simulate group deliberation and how people interpreted their opinions changing throughout. I have one paper with first authorship, one with third, and one paper presentation at an international conference. I am fluent in R, Matlab, and statistics, with a strong background in math. I have strong GRE scores (166V/168M/4.0W) and will have strong LORs from professors I researched for in college (although all ecology/engineering professors). I've had some pretty diverse work experiences - editorial intern and freelance writer for Backpacker Magazine, analytical intern at the CIA, and 2 years working at Bridgewater Associates (gotta love that finance life) doing macroeconomic research and then running recruiting and talent strategy for a department. After all this moving around, I decided that I wanted to go back to school and pursue the interest I've had in psychology since high school. I applied for fall 2019 and didn't get any interviews, which I think was in part due to my complete lack of research direction. Since my first application cycle, I've been working as a field guide at a wilderness therapy company with my POI, male juvenile delinquents. I have more than 200 hours per month of direct care, most as the most senior present staff member, ensuring that our clients' basic needs are met and that they stay physically, mentally, and emotionally safe. I have worked at length with our therapists to design and run therapeutic groups for our clients and to ensure that each week meets their therapeutic goals. I have begun helping improve some analytics within our office, and have talked with colleagues about getting involved in broader wilderness therapy efficacy research. I have also been studying for the Psych GRE, which I'll take this fall. I think conservatively I will score in the 75th percentile, based on my prep work and generally being good at standardized tests. I'd love to hear whether y'all think I'm a competitive applicant and what my weak points are. I'm mostly concerned about my lack of experience in academic psychology. I took a few online masters level courses and did well, but know these aren't as well regarded as on-campus courses. I have done significant reading through my job and to study for the GRE, but there isn't a great way of proving this beyond a high score on the Psych GRE. Would this make up for my lack of academic psych background when combined with my current job? I think I have some interesting experiences to add coming from a more quantitative background and with research/publication experience, but know I need to get my foot in the door before these are relevant. I have a list of 17 schools that I'll narrow down once I learn what professors are accepting students, with a broad geographic and competitiveness (from what I can tell) range, although I'm applying to only funded programs. Happy to give the full list if that would be helpful. I've also considered applying to funded masters programs if I haven't gotten interviews to bolster my application for the future. Thanks! Let me know if I can provide any other info that would be helpful!

It looks like the fall subject tests are still going to be offered, but registration for those doesn't open until July. It's certainly a frustrating wait after having April cancelled.

Thanks so much for all of this, it's been incredibly helpful! @Randi S I had never thought of reaching out to grad students. What's generally the etiquette for doing this?

@justacigar Thanks for the advice! I didn't have a great idea of when made sense to contact professors other than some random google searching, so it's good to know that it's better to message closer to the deadline. It'll definitely be frustrating waiting and probably working on more applications than I end up submitting (and I likely won't apply to my whole list anyway), but I'd rather give myself the best chance possible with how competitive the process is. Plus I have a week on/week off work schedule, so it gives me a lot of time for projects like this.

Hey y'all! I'm also planning to apply this fall. I applied for Fall 2019 with no interviews, but had basically no psychology experience (undergrad in engineering, although lots of research/pub/conference presentation experience), so I'm excited to see how the second time around goes after working intensively with my population of interest for a year. I have a list of 17 school right now, though it'll potentially change based on which professors are accepting students. My research interest is the effect of early childhood trauma and mental illness on juvenile offenders. When are y'all thinking about reaching out to profs? I was originally planning on sending out emails over the summer, but with COVID now I'm not sure if 1) they have more free time than they would otherwise once online classes are set up and 2) if they're less certain about funding/taking students for the upcoming year. Good luck to all of us!