This is my second time applying, and this time around could not be any more different from the first. Two years ago, I applied to PhD programs in Human Factors Psychology without really having any idea of my interests or what I wanted to do. I was rejected to all of them, and in hindsight, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. In the last two years, I got my master's, gained a lot more research experience (e.g., publications (including master's thesis), experience with grant writing), and put a lot of effort into figuring out my true research interests (which happen to be in cognition and instruction, specifically within multimedia learning environments, educational games/simulations, etc.). I also retook the GREs (this time studying a lot before) and improved my score quite a bit, from 1100 to 1370. Finally, I conducted a comprehensive review of every possible PhD program for which I might be interested and was very careful in only choosing programs/potential advisors that I knew fit me very well. Oh, and make sure you contact via email all your potential advisors well in advance to let them know that you're interested and make sure they will actually be accepting students.
I hope this is helpful to anyone out there who is applying for the first time (or for that matter, second or third) and wasn't successful. I can honestly say that as disappointed as I was the first time, I could not be happier that I wasn't accepted then. Plus, it's a good story to put in your SOP. This time around I've already been getting some good feedback, being accepted to UCF (the school for which I received my bachelor's and master's) and was invited (expenses paid) by my dream advisor to my dream school, UC Santa Barbara, for their recruitment weekend. So, don't stress too much over whether you'll get in somewhere because it is definitely possible to improve your application significantly for next time.
