crunchygum

I only have been on two interviews, but neither have asked that yet. In fact I found out after the first interview was over, there were a few questions they actually were not allowed to ask (including where else we applied, where our top choices were, etc.) but that was only for one school. As for if you do get asked that question..think of the positives. You applied to that school for a reason, and if you are going for an interview would hopefully go to that school if accepted, so just think about why. Tell them what you like about their program, research, or clinical training and why it would be a good fit for you.

so far out of two interviews, everyone i have seen has been wearing a suit. not a must, but a strong recommendation, id say. as for the informal grad student dinners, don't overdress. there was one guy wearing a suit when everyone else was dressed down, and he seemed really out of place and awkward. its a delicate balance

for which program? a phone call sounds promising..i received an email from mine (clinical) and an invitation for an interview on January 30th, so sorry if that is bad news.

thanks, best of luck to you too! im off to my first tomorrow, so we will see how it goes!

i'm also planning on going with a suit. for the dinners the night before with faculty/graduate students, i am thinking khakis and a button up shirt with a tie and a sweater over top, because that is what i am most comfortable in. personally, my hair is a little less orthodox than most males, so i always compensate by making sure i strep my clothes up a notch, and am of the opinion that it rarely hurts to over-dress.

I first got am email from my potential advisor letting me know about the interview, and then she called me to explain the details of the interview process for me in particular. I assume it will be different everywhere, but if it helps, she told me that on my interview day I will be meeting with three different professors. I am very thankful she told me who, so I may do a little background research on their work as well. She also said that a portion of the day will be spent meeting and talking with other graduate students in her lab, and finally in the evening, all of the clinical labs will have a little reception to show their work to those of us there for interviews. Basically, I am expecting to meet with multiple professors for each school I am interviewing at, but this one in particular has a very strong focus on collaboration, so they may put a bigger emphasis on meeting others

11 PhD programs and I have heard back from 2. most others seem to have already extended interviews as well. I prepared myself for a lot of rejection, but I felt, and had heard I had a pretty strong application. anyways, for those of you who have heard back from some, I think the best thing is to focus in on potential interviews, and really give it all youve got for those. I know plenty of people who got 1 interview out of 10+ and that one made all the difference in their life.

i dont want to give up hope, but I think I saw elsewhere online that clinical interviews had gone out. not a huge surprise, as it was the biggest stretch for me based on scores alone.

hm, guess i missed out on UPenn and Miami, perhaps? I applied clinical for both

I applied to Pitt's clinical program and havent heard anything yet

Hm, well I received an invitation for an interview from Penn State last night, which was pretty shocking, I wasn't expecting anything to come through this soon, so it seems that anytime now word could be going out in the next week or two. Very exciting, and very nerve-racking!

After receiving my first clinical PhD interview, I am also interested in this topic. I have a phone interview with the professor I hope to work with on Thursday which is scarily soon, before the actual in-person interview in February. There isn't much time to prepare, but I plan on really going over their program as a whole, and reading a lot more about the kind of work that she does. I think with a phone interview, it is important to keep the conversation moving, so I plan on preparing questions about the program, the kind of work I could do, and could help on. I think the same goes for any interview, that its important not only to answer concisely, but to have intelligent questions prepared.

Best of luck! Just sent out my last one, I wasnt sure if I wanted to apply, but the deadline was the 15th, and I figured I may as well. Now we begin the fun waiting game!

It really is an awesome feeling, isn't it? Where did you apply to? My final list came out to 11: Duke University of Miami Virginia Commonwealth University University of Pittsburgh University of South Florida University of Arkansas UT Austin UVA University of Pennsylvania Arizona State University Penn State University

For one of the schools I am applying, the professor I would ideally like to work with has on their personal page that they will be accepting students for the fall of 2011. They also explicitly state not to contact them with questions from potential applicants. I am curious if he will be accepting students next fall, but also don't want to bother him. THere is another in the department I could work with, but the fit is not as good, so I don't know if it is worth double checking for 2012 and bothering him or not.

Hm, not the best answers, but I suppose mail is possible. However, with Thanksgiving being this week, I dont really see much happening there. I talked with another professor in my department, and he said not to worry since schools often know there can be difficulties when it comes to things like this. Certainly won't be looked at favorably, but it might not be a disqualification or anything, since they may not even start looking at apps for a few weeks after they all come in

One of my letter providers is away on sabbatical this semester, and I won't be able to see her until after December 1st. Most of my submissions are online forms, which she said she can do, but some require letters to be mailed, and paper forms that I will need to provide for her. So basically, it is inevitable that those recommendations will be submitted and received by the school after the deadline. Does anyone know how negatively this will be perceived?

Took them today and got an instant score, not a range. V: 157 Q: 160. Was hoping for better on both, and based on practice tests I had been doing better, but hopefully these arent too bad

Thanks a ton for the advice, I can definitely understand the criticisms. I guess I was worried that the statement wasnt personal enough, and it seems as though it isnt, but for reasons that differ than what I had first thought. I will comb through it and fine-tune my wording so it explains what I learned and why that is important/relevant, rather than simply what I've done, if I understand the suggestion correctly.

Any others in this boat? With most application deadlines December 1st, we are in crunch time, and I am submitting and finalizing my applications this week. Where are you applying, what are you interested in?

Well as it turns out, she did respond to me and is more than happy to write a recomendation, but thank you everyone for your help

My biggest worry is that it is too straight-forward, but I really dont know what to do for this kind of thing, or how to differ a statement of purpose from a personal statement. I will add another concluding paragraph for each given school I am applying to mentioning who I hope to work with and what I know of their work and why i am interested. " After competing and excelling in a number of state-wide and national engineering competitions in high school, with plans to attend a major engineering university, there was no doubt of my future career. It was never more apparent I liked engineering than during the first week of classes; but, I quickly learned I loved psychology, and that realization is responsible for my current path. In the past two and a half years I have had the fortune to continue involvement as a research assistant in two psychology research labs at Virginia Tech, the Center for Applied Behavior Systems, directed by Dr. E. Scott Geller, and the Cognition, Emotion, and Self-Regulation Lab, under the supervision of Dr. Bradley White. In the fall of 2009 I began assisting in the Center for Applied Behavior Systems collecting data for a variety of projects ranging from alcohol abuse prevention, to intervention based studies to promote pro-social behaviors. While the first two semesters provided the perfect introduction to psychological research, I knew there was more to learn. After a year of work as a research assistant, I sought the opportunity to become more involved in the research process as an independent, undergraduate researcher, with the newfound responsibilities of assisting in the development and implementation of a brand new research project. In the weeks prior to the beginning of the semester, I was exposed to just how I had to learn, from thorough literature reviews, to the process of acquiring and ensuring IRB compliance. With careful and thoughtful guidance from Dr. Geller, and Ryan Smith, a graduate student who oversaw the alcohol-related research, we were able to design a new study to examine the effects of alcohol intoxication on the processing of facial emotion recognition. Rather than a typical alcohol lab setting using low doses, the naturalistic setting allowed for more realistic drinking conditions, but provided a new set of challenges to consider. From the first day of discussing the project, the first night of collecting data, and following through the final analyses, the indescribable feeling of excitement and intrigue was ever present. Every new challenge was a new opportunity to learn and grow, and my first exposure to the application of statistical analyses will never be forgotten. With the assistance of Ryan Smith and Dr. Geller, I had the opportunity to present alongside them at the American Psychological Association. Concurrently, I joined the Cognition, Emotion, and Self-Regulation lab under the direction of Dr. Bradley White in the Fall of 2010. With the focus of cognitive tasks and psychophysiological measurements, this provided a fresh glimpse into the wide breadth of what psychology has to offer. Through our weekly laboratory meetings, I was able to develop a newfound appreciation for the scientific rigor of psychological research, as we were regularly presented with relevant research articles and taught to understand, interpret, and apply them. Duties as a research assistant included interviewing participants and conducting a controlled psychological questionnaire, as well as administering cognitive tasks, and measuring physiological responses to various stimuli. Although my research experiences helped to bolster my knowledge, they were not the sole influence on my professional interests. In the Spring of 2010, I volunteered at the local elderly care day facility as an activities assistant, planning daily activities to encourage participation and exercise of the mind and body. Though many were impacted by dementia, As the Secretary of my service fraternity, we participated frequently in events with the local middle school, partnering with food drives, and helping to put on a spring carnival, which first helped me realize my interest in working with youth. The following summers between spring and fall semesters were spent working with kids on a professional level, allowing for a hands-on application of psychology. Developmental psychology provided the background knowledge, and being in classrooms teaching lessons and encouraging positive play with kindergarteners provided the real-world understanding of human development. A senior-level course on social and emotional development would culminate these past experiences with a greater understanding of individual development as it can relate to the greater system of familial, societal, and cultural influences. This combination of practice and knowledge created a foundation for exploration of further training in the application and understanding development. After two years of working with an elementary school camp, in 2011, I began work with Autism Outreach, Inc, as an associate ABA therapist both in 1:1 sessions and in a camp setting, epitomizing the unique and individual nature of development. Though camp sessions were 4.5 hours per day, I have never had a more challenging yet rewarding personal experience. Each day we would follow a lesson plan, but would inevitably have to alter the plan and improvise on the spot to emphasize teachable moments, learning the necessity of flexibility. There are few feelings I have experienced more rewarding than working on an interdependent team to share in the experience of a difference in someone’s life through the application of principles of psychology. Everyone faces challenges in life, whether it is autism, stress, anxiety, or substance abuse, and the science of psychology enables an amazing power to learn more about a problem and study how to help it. Since graduating, I have taken on the role of coordinator for the Center for Applied Behavior Systems, remaining involved in the academic world as I sought the next step for growth. The position has been a rewarding experience, sharpening critical thinking, attention to detail, and overall organization abilities. Daily duties include conducting literature reviews, facilitating the collection of data, maintaining and managing computer databases, and aiding in the preparation of research documents for presentation, and facilitating weekly Center meetings of 45 undergraduates and 5 graduate students to discuss current research projects, and aid in the introduction to the psychological research process. In August of 2011, I had the honor to present at the American Psychological Association convention in Washington, D.C., alongside Dr. Geller, Ryan Smith, and other researchers in a symposium on our research. Presenting was an unparalleled experience as the culmination of over a year of hard work, but the rest of the conference proved to be even more beneficial, to be in the presence of leading researchers practicing in the domains I hope to enter. The most important thing I could learn in my undergraduate career was how much more there is to learn. As much as I have gained from my experiences as a research assistant and undergraduate courses, I feel excitedly anxious and fully prepared for the next level of growth. A quote from a graduate mentor has guided my search for just what the next level should be, “Just because you are doing something does not mean you are doing the right thing”. The introduction I have had of the world of psychology as an undergraduate has only made me more eager to continue education, but I want to make sure it is the right education. There are many programs and paths that can lead towards generically ‘making a difference’ in the world, but my passions and experiences have led me to know a graduate training in clinical psychology will be the optimal combination of interest and practical education."

THanks, think I should reference that myother was away? I dont want to give her the impression that she was a last choice, but I also dont want her to think I am unconscientious, or that I expect a great reference from her. ...ok after typing that out I realize it sounds like a pretty bad idea, but I do feel bad about asking the new professor. At the very least I guess there is still the chance that the other will respond, but I probably should have a backup ready

Unfortunately I am very bad when it comes to procrastination; my deadlines are December 1st for nearly every school, so I feel as though I am running out of time. However, I do appreciate the reassurance, perhaps she will still be checking emails, and I have heard from others who know she is still in the area, so that gives me hope. She will already be my weakest reference, so switching to another is not that bad, I just dont want to be in the situation when I still dont know and then am asking the third professor with merely a week or two to go before it is due, especially with Thanksgiving thrown in there

It is certainly possible that they missed the request, or intended to respond and never did. I would say there is no harm in sending a follow-up message, perhaps acknowledging that they may be too busy or unable to provide a letter, if that is the case.