PsychBear92

I have a controversial question for everyone: how much does your Psychology Ph.D. program impact your career immediately and in the long-term? I think we all can agree that success after graduating from any given Psychology Ph.D. program relies upon goodness of fit of each student with their program and mentor(s). However, I it's difficult to ignore that graduating from certain schools will almost always be looked upon favorably by future employers, mentors, etc. For example, I've gathered from talking to people that graduating from an Ivy League school, regardless of discipline, can signal certain positive attributes because of how favorably those schools are typically viewed. Aside from the Ivies, how much does your graduating institution matter for your Ph.D.? Does it matter more for some Psych fields than others (e.g., Clinical, Neuropsych)? Does this impact diminish over time or will it always impact your career? Basically, what I'm hoping to learn is whether someone could potentially shoot themselves in the foot by choosing the "wrong" school? Any and all input is appreciated and I'm hoping to hear from all psych disciplines! Thanks in advance!

Hi there! I submitted my apps on November 29 and I'm very anxious waiting to hear back from my schools. I received an invitation to interview at Louisiana State University and got a soft rejection already from a PI at Texas Tech University. I'm super bummed because Texas Tech was in my top 3. I'm waiting to hear back from Florida State, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Columbia - Teacher's College, Fordham, Florida International University, and the Virginia Consortium for Clinical Psychology. I want to study suicide prevention and risk assessment, focusing on underserved populations (i.e., BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, esp trans folks) and the impacts of social determinants of mental health on suicide. Despite my paralyzing anxiety, I'm feeling cautiously hopeful! I received fairly positive responses from most people who replied to my cold emails in the pre-application season. I've applied to my POI's at Notre Dame in my previous applications and I've reached out to them previously. I bugged one of them beginning in the summer and she didn't respond until November, but she responded regardless, which is more than I got previously. Also the other POI at Notre Dame met with me via Zoom for 30 minutes and found that our research interests seem to align perfectly. They both mentioned they "look forward to reading my application," which they could just be saying to everyone they reply to, but I've got a sense they were genuine. Also, at Florida State, I feel hopeful because my current PI has worked with my top POI there and had positive experiences. I've also worked closely with his most recent grad student admit. Overall, I'm sitting on the edge of my seat. I hate to admit it but I'm obsessively checking the results page on GradCafe. This process requires so much work and money and feels so dehumanizing and discouraging. I would hate to apply for a fourth time. I'm also going through some mind-melting personal issues that pale in comparison, so obsessing over grad school apps almost feel like reprieve from the things I can't control in my personal life. Just know that however you're feeling, you're not alone! We'll get through this! ❤️

Why type of research are you interested in? Having less than optimal scores might not matter much if you're interested in more qualitative work, but it could be a problem if you want to pursue something related to things such as neuroscience and machine learning. What are the average GRE scores for the programs you're applying to? Your scores aren't the best, but not terrible in my opinion. Also, having a 3.98 in your Psych Master's degree could potentially offset your scores because it shows that you can get the work done in real-word situations, which is probably a better indicator of your success as a student compared to the one time you took a high-stakes standardized test. Less and less attention is being paid to GRE scores, as PsyDuck90 said, so you might not even need to retake the GRE. If it were me, I wouldn't spend the extra money and stress for better scores.

I'm applying to Clinical Psych PhD programs this fall. I've literally combed through every APA accredited program to find mentors with good research fit and programs I'm excited for. The two cycles that I applied, I had focused mostly on schools on the west coast (California, Oregon) or east coast (New York, North Carolina). I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area so I wanted to stay close to home and the rare times I traveled outside of California, it was to places on the east coast. This cycle, I've identified numerous mentors in the south (Texas) and midwest (Utah, Indiana). I'm wondering if there's any difference in the degree of competition for spots in different locations. I can imagine that there might be more desire to go to school in places like New York or California compared to places like Indiana, but I don't know! Will focusing on different program locations increase my chances of admission? I'm also interested in working with marginalized populations (e.g., BIPOC, trans) in places where there are policies or cultural attitudes that are more white/cis-centric. California has enough people working towards social justice and equity in mental health, so I want to work were I will be most impactful. I hope this makes sense and I'm open to any thoughts!

I was rejected to Clinical Psych PhD programs two years in a row, so I'm taking a break to garner more experience. I'm applying for the Fall 2023 cycle and I'm taking my time developing my approach to grad school apps. One thing I want to hear from folks is the impact your statement of purpose (also the personal/diversity statement) has on your overall application? I've been told some programs just focus on the first and last paragraphs, while some don't read them at all. I'm going to present a polished essay regardless, but I'm wondering what others have heard. Does it depend on the school, program, reviewer?

I'm finding it hard to believe that any decent portion of folks began their PhD at 21-23. That's assuming someone only needed 4 years for their bachelor's and they were accepted fairly soon after undergrad. I'm biased because I'm non-traditional (enrolled in community college at 21, bachelor's at 27), but I'm more interested in seeing the distribution of PhD starting ages in the 30+ group. As someone mentioned, it feels ageist to lump everyone 30+ together.

Hello, I did my undergrad there and took classes alongside students of their post-bacc extension program. I have heard great things from the program itself. The psych department is fabulous and every professor I met was down-to-earth and genuinely wants you to succeed. I'm not sure how much stats you would need to take, but the required stats class for psych undergrads taught me all about using R and the professor who teaches it is AMAZING. The stats class after that is great for learning graduate level analyses (e.g., factor analysis, multilevel modeling). The great thing about the post-bac program is they assign you a mentor, but they only have a few clinical psych faculty so you might have limited options. The institution in general is fantastic. The campus is GORGEOUS! You can see the Golden Gate Bridge if you know where to look. If you decide to stay after the program, the close proximity of UCSF and Stanford creates a lot of opportunities to boost your CV. My main issue with the school had more relation to the city itself (hope you like paying $2000+ for an apartment). This also means that homelessness and poverty is ubiquitous. Safety is also an issue, but just remain aware of your surroundings and avoid using your laptop in public spaces. You're welcome to DM for other questions!

I am most interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, but there are a few POIs who match my research interests in Quantitative Psych. The next time I apply, I am considering whether to add apps for a few quant programs to the list. I have a few questions about these programs, in relation to how it compares to Clinical, with the understanding that a lot this depends on my experience, faculty, program, etc. 1. We all know Clinical is hypercompetitive, but how much easier would it be to enroll in a quant program? 2. Are these programs typically funded? 3. This one is subjective, but how "impressive" would it be to a PI that I use SEM in my honors thesis? How about taking a near-graduate-level stats class where we learned multilevel modeling, factorial analysis, and some other higher-level stuff in R? I guess I'm trying to gauge my chances for admission and the potential for taking on excessive debt. Feel free to speak about other significant differences between these two programs. I spent the past couple years researching Clinical programs, so I know nothing about Quantitative programs.

Anyone hear from Florida State? I emailed the admissions rep two weeks ago and never received a response.

Would you mind sharing your POI? Either here or DM?

You will receive an email by the decision date, April 15. The issue is that some programs won't update you at all until that day.

I see some results saying they received official rejections from UNC-Chapel Hill. I haven't received anything, but I emailed my POI a couple weeks ago who said they cannot extend an interview. I hate having this sliver of hope when I know I'm 99.99% sure I'm rejected. Ok rant over.

I got that error message too! Not sure what that is about...

This might not be appropriate, but have you tried taking a class at community college? You could try finding a relevant course at a university and ask the professor to audit the class. I think it depends on whether you're trying to learn something practical (e.g., using R) or informational (e.g., experiment designs). Do you have something specific in mind that you're trying to do?

I know exactly how you feel. I'm the first in my family to ~consider~ grad school. I have explained these exact things to them, but I still get the same "well you graduated from blah and you have a good GPA, I'm sure you'll get into tons of places." My mom says "well.... have you considered applying to [alma mater]?" except their clinical psych program is just as competitive (if not more) as others, and I don't have a POI there. My brother will tell me "well if it's so difficult then apply to CSU Chico," which doesn't have anything I'm interested in, but he sees as a cheaper school and is the solution. I also feel that I am so far behind my peers because I earned my bachelor's at 27, and this is why I will never catch up to being competitive or I will in my 40's and get my PhD at 50. It's so frustrating that you are seen as gifted and talented by your family, but the field doesn't acknowledge your potential. Sometimes the gap between expectations and reality feels like gaslighting. It's so exhausting to explain to family and friends how arduous this process is because it's not considered as "elite" as medical school. I encourage you to continue validating your own experience and feelings because they are very real. Also, remember to take care of yourself ❤️

I reached out to my POI a couple weeks ago when invites were scheduled to go out. He informed me directly that I haven't been chosen for an interview, so I'm assuming rejection. However, my application portal doesn't reflect an official decision. Maybe the rejections are PI-specific?

Since when was the application deadline for Purdue Clinical moved to January 15?? ??

No worries, totally understandable! I took a class with MW in my last semester, he was fantastic! I'm familiar with the clinical psych admissions at Cal because I did my undergrad there, and made connections with some grad students.

Would you feel comfortable sharing the PI? Just curious.

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.

Hey there! Yes, you're welcome to DM me, same goes for anyone else.

Hey there! I'm interested in researching self-harm and suicide! I will say that it seems like a niche area, but I found quite a few programs and POIs that would support my interests. I'm sure we applied to similar people and universities, and from your list of programs applied to in your signature I would say you chose some great ones. Is this your first round applying? You're welcome to DM me to chat about programs!

I have an interview next week for an RA position in a nearby lab, in which I would help with recruitment for clinical drug trials. I'm not interested in psychopharmacology (it's the reason I never considered med school), so I'm wondering if a Clinical Psych PI would view experience with med trials differently than a position that is purely academic. The position is at a well-respected institution and receives government funding, so it's not with "big pharma." I know this will vary from person to person, depending on my interests and theirs. Does it even matter? Am I just overthinking this? I don't want to commit to a contracted position that won't provide the professional development I'm looking for.

I haven't yet tried cold-emailing distance labs, but have done lots of cold-calling to local labs. I even cold-emailed some of my teachers at community college asking if they need help with their research methods class. In general, they were friendly and appreciate the email. The worst things that has happened is people won't respond or I get a quick "there are no opportunities available right now." It's also common that I get emailed by the lab coordinator and not the PI, so even if you come off as a weirdo, they probably won't remember it that way, if at all.

I'm tempted to apply for my Master's, but with an abundance of research universities nearby I am staying put for now. I've been applying for RA jobs and volunteer positions. I actively review the Job/Volunteer opportunities page for the Psychology Department of my alma mater. This morning I emailed a grad student in a lab I have been rejected by twice, once for a volunteer position and once for a paid position. We are meeting next week to discuss helping the lab in a capacity greater than the RA position I applied for! I'm looking at resources for students at my undergrad university and others to see what positions are available. I'm also not limiting myself to what is nearby since most schools/labs have adapted for remote work. You're interested in someone across the country? Go for it! I would recommend reaching out to multiple PIs and labs, and contact MORE people than you really intend on working with. The chances of snagging an open position might be difficult to find. I can't say that obtaining a degree in psychology in addition to whatever you already have would help, but I don't see how it would hurt. I think it depends on your grades, GRE scores, and research experience. Plenty of people enter grad school with undergrad experience in different subjects.