psychnerd5798

Wholly agree; my experience was similar. Further, it gave me an opportunity to fine-tune my career objectives after "trying on" different clinical roles. Being able to speak knowledgeably about my experiences was an asset in interviews, as after graduation from my MA program I was able to get a paid clinical position in a highly respected science institution. I was also able to anticipate application rejection with the comfort that I am still qualified for a career in psychology; not necessarily the one I wanted, but one that I am happy with. 

Saw this on r/gradadmissions  

I did not. I only received an interview for Immaculata. I probably was cut before they even got to interviews. 

I wish I didn't even waste my time applying this cycle, wow. 

Anyone else still heard nothing from any of your programs? At this point I’m assuming rejection from all of them.. Hoping I’m not alone but also hoping no one else is going through this! 

If you want to reach out to professors to network with them, I would recommend waiting a month so after they become less busy with application/interview season. I don't think it will be annoying to reach out- you can always say you are interested in the work they are doing, hoping to apply to graduate school in the future, and interested in gaining more experience in the type of work they are doing. Then ask if they have any volunteer positions open (including remote work since some labs may still be working virtually and may not require you to move). If they don't have any, they may sometimes connect you to someone who does. 

I saw ...  still have a tinyyyyy bit of hope that they might send out more over the next few days but it’s certainly getting smaller by the hour. 

Thanks for the update! I still haven't heard anything from George Mason, so this is helpful. 

I wish you luck with W&M, I went there for undergrad! Loved it, wishing you the best

Am I the only one who immediately checks all the applicant portals as soon as they wake up? I wonder if applicant portals are updated throughout the day, or just once a day? Anxiety much! lol

For those looking for post bac RA & research coordinator positions, I used these sites to job hunt:
https://gupsychology.wordpress.com/
https://psychologyjobsinternships.wordpress.com/
https://undergrad.psychology.fas.harvard.edu/post-graduate-research-jobs
http://clinicalpsychgradschool.org/pbacc.php
https://psych.wustl.edu/news/psychology-research-opportunities-undergraduates-post-bacs
https://main.hercjobs.org/jobseekers/index.cfm
I think ultimately I wound up finding my RA job on Indeed, so that's also a good place to look. I cold emailed some people with no success (I don't think it's weird to do that!) and searched career portals of hospital systems & universities I was interested in.

Applying to these graduate programs has been an eye-opening experience. It seems that the training of future psychologists is governed by the narrow needs and interests of a few faculty members, rather than the pressing mental health needs of the communities. So many dedicated people, eager to devote their lives to clinical psychology, are not able to gain access to the profession because entrance is so tightly regulated. If medical school admissions were run this way, there would be almost no physicians. I think the APA should reconsider the academic model for training and licensing of clinical psychologists, for this system fails to serve interests of future practitioners and patients alike.

I would love to join, I'll bring the tequila ?
But real talk, I'm sorry you are feeling dejected and I totally understand. This process is soul-sucking. 

Fourth time clinical psych PhD program applicant here and I ended up with 6 interviews this cycle! The only real difference I could identify this time around is 1 first author publication and a couple years of neuropsych testing experience. I just wanted to say keep on trying if this isn’t your year. Keep seeking out research and clinical opportunities and know that it’s absolutely a numbers game. Best of luck to everyone!

I asked an acquaintance who is at Rutgers PsyD now and she said she got her email about an interview on Jan 30th. However, this was 3 years ago. I assume similar timelines though, and I think they usually have their interviews around the same time each year.

I haven't - anxiously waiting..

Absolutely! Anyone can DM me as well if they want to chat  (Apologies in advance for how long this is)
Since last cycle I ended up maintaining a connection with a PI I interviewed with and was waitlisted for last year (obviously didn't end up getting in) and we have been working together on a research project. I cannot stress enough that if you end up getting waitlisted at schools you interview for and nothing else works out keep those connections and make it clear you are still very interested in their work/program and plan to re-apply for their lab next cycle if they accept a student again. Then mention briefly that you would love to collaborate on research with them should any opportunities be available. If they seem receptive to that, follow up a few months later and show you are truly interesting in that connection/opportunity. 
I also ended up getting really lucky and finding work on a study that is directly related to my research interests, so that gave me a tonnnn of really thorough and focused experience. This really helped me to be more refined in my interests and showed that I had experience in it and know that is what I want to work with.
In this study I was also able to get extensive experience both with research and clinical work, as I conducted 100+ clinical interviews with participants. If you have any opportunities for research work that also allow you to integrate direct clinical work with your population, that is so helpful in showing you are a well rounded candidate for all the demands of these programs. 
Lastly it is allllll about connections. Immediately after finding out I wasn't getting in last cycle I spent months reviewing each and every program and each and every faculty member in every clinical phd program to find the best fits and build a list I could share with my colleagues in the field. I know networking it literally everyone's least favorite thing but it is SO important. I reached out to past and current colleagues/professors, colleagues of colleagues, and shared with them both my potential programs and POIs. From there I was able to form a few connections with faculty in the programs and I feel that gave me a HUGE leg up not only in having a connection but also being able to say I already spoke with someone in the program and have more info on it than just from the website and from that I am really interested in your program for xyz reasons (shows dedication and thorough interest). 
Hope this helps with trying to organize thoughts for your year in between cycles, though I hope it doesn't come to that for you  Wishing everyone luck! 

Apologizes in advance if this is the wrong place to post, but does anyone have any advice on getting post bac positions? This application cycle is looking to have no favored well for me (still have some programs to hear back from but I want to be realistic) and to ease my anxiety I decided it would be best to start looking for jobs. I'm signed up on the Div 53 list serv as well as have looked on clinicalpsych.org but so far it's very limited.
Any advice? Thanks so much again!

Let's start our own grad school lol

Hi all, just wanted to throw out some advice that my neuropsychologist coworkers gave me. My one coworker is a very well renown neuropsychologist and she said that at least half the RA's in her lab don't get admitted to clinic psych programs the first round (after working with her for a few years and having pubs). Another neuropsych I work with said that she had to apply twice herself and then she got into Fordham her second round. Depending on your CV, you should be applying to 15+ schools  to hedge your bets. She sometimes even recommends 20 or more depending on qualifications. She told me to apply to about 13 and I have a undergrad in neuroscience/psychology with a GPA of 3.7, I have a master's in neuroscience and psychology (joint), I have four publications, two conference presentations and now five years of clinical and academic experience (me actually performing neuropsych evaluations daily). I applied to 11 schools and have gotten two invites. They continually tell me that not getting an invite or getting in, has less to do with me as an applicant, but likely many other scenarios that are unknown. Please don't give up and believe in yourselves! If you don't get in this round, find ways to bulk up your CV and show that you are taking steps to improve areas for the next round. So many people have to apply multiple times. You all are wonderful and kind and keep in mind that we are applying in a pandemic as well! Sending lots of love to everyone during this insanely stressful time!

I actually asked this on Academic Twitter (lol) and the consensus was it's not weird at all!

Anyone else having a hard time focusing on work/school/interview prep because of the inauguration? Or, is that just me ? 
Feeling very grateful for the overall supportive nature of this forum. Sending positive energy and wishes of acceptance to everyone here. It's been a grueling process for sure, but I am thankful I am not alone in this boat ❤️ 
Sorry for the side note!

Would it be helpful for us to put together a “coping with disappointment” thread full of kind words, validating statements, and advice from people who have been there? 

Is it a big no go to reach out to programs to get a better idea of timeline if we haven't heard back yet by next week?

Ugh thank you so much for saying this, you're absolutely right.