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You also need to highly consider "why psychology." "What questions do I want to answer?" Going into a PhD program, they expect you to have a focused direction, letters of recommendation that highlight what your passionate about (not just that you excel academically, they see that in your transcript), and the professional experience to back it up (i.e. research experience and possibly volunteer/work experience). You will make it past the first round, which is all about numbers. However, PhD psychology admissions may accept as little as 3-8 people in a given year. They're looking for the best fit not the best student. Work on that fit.

On the undergraduate level, I would talk to my professors after class/before class. I developed a good rapport with them early on and then asked about their research labs and what they were working on. Most of the mentor/student relationship happened outside of the classroom. It happened in the research lab/through email correspondence/between classes. One of the easiest 'mentor relationships' to develop is with your assigned advisor. The trick there is whether or not your were assigned a good one, some advisors are much better or worse than others. Just keep asking questions, be vocal in classes, be "one of those invested kids" and that relationship is built pretty smoothly.

As others have pointed out, your GPA is fine for many strong programs. The research experience will help, but won't make you a shoo in. In neuroscience research experience is pretty much an assumed credential on your application. So unless the research is exemplary (first author, presentations, etc), you make the credentials for many schools (really anything that's not tippy-top tier). To make yourself stand out, I suggest maybe applying for neuroscience research programs (this summer is almost all filled, but maybe somewhere has openings), getting involved in the affiliations of choice, making connections with faculty, and see if you can form an implement your own research experiment. That will give you stellar credentials. When you write your SOP then, you'll have more concrete reasons why you know you are right for them, not just because you want it, but you have the experience to back it up.

Your undergrad field will have little to no bearing on your PhD choices. The admission committees care about: Strong background in psychology. Proven academically/subject GRE Career direction and passion demonstrated in the personal statement Research Interests and experiences that fit their program Excellent letters of recommendation by people who know you professionally in the field you want to obtain GPA anywhere between a 3.25-3.5 minimum; GRE 60-80 percentile ranking (dependent on program & other qualifications) Professional experiences that demonstrate skills and understanding (VITAE/RESUME) Grades/GRE/GPA only get you into the "consider them" pile. To make it to the 3 people chosen, they want to know why you fit them better than the other applicants. The experience with testing, diagnosis, etc. will a fantastic addition to your future. I'm sure it's molded you. Kidding, you may even be able to show how engineering wasn't right for you, but it helped you see the world in a way that helps you with your new goals. They want to know what professionally makes you, you.

On a quick glance, several of them are actual top-tier universities across a wide range. But it depends on what program. APA Clinical Psychology programs might not have a brilliant neuropsychology program or experimental research. For instance, Princeton University is ranked by US News as #7 in Psychology (#3 Social Psychology) but they have no clinical psych program! If you really feel that rankings are a good gauge for programs, look at rankings in each psychology discipline. US News site might help you narrow by specialty area a bit better.

First off, I'm going to tackle a question before scores. Any program wants to know what type of fit you are for the program. So, why social psychology? Psychiatry is a very different element than social psychology. It's closer to clinical psychology, but it's actually an MD, so without knowing more about the internship and your direction, it's difficult to help you narrow your options. Social psychology is among the most competitive programs out there. You won't find many specific masters social psychology programs, it's a specialty in more the doctoral component. However, on the doctoral level you'll see departments say they accept maybe 3-8 applicants. Now for the good news, there are a good amount of psychology masters programs where there are social psychology professors/focus area. These programs accept more students and have less applicants. When looking for these programs, you really need to seek research opportunities. And this is where your fit and direction come in. Social psychology is more about the academic than the hands-on client interaction. Now for grades. Your scores qualify you for a masters program. If you were saying doctoral, I would be far more worried. However, they are not glowing, so you really need to shine in why you want to be there, and what you want to do.

With your experience, you'd be able to get into a masters program easily enough. For some PhD programs, it will be a bit more difficult. Everything else in your application will need to shine. For some programs, GRE/GPA is a funding cut off source. So you might be accepted, but they might not give you funding. For other programs, they only care about your last two years, your major GPA, etc. There's so much variation that without taking directly with a program (and actually having them answer you), there's no way of knowing. Look at the under 3.0 acceptance thread. If you have your heart set on a clinical psychology program, consider sending out a wide girth. when we say very competitive, these programs accept maybe 8 people out of 200+ applicants. Add a few masters programs in there for back up, send out a large amount of applications. Stuff like that will help you get where you want.

Your interests and goals are admirable. Your experience is relevant. Just keep in mind these programs are ridiculously competitive (200+ applicants; maybe 8 slots). So acquire as many relevant experiences (research, academic, volunteer/job) as possible, and start seeking out strong letters of recommendation from EVERY recommender. Also, keep a wide net of places you apply. Look around to see if other psychology programs besides clinical also appeal. That way you have a wide girth and cover more bases. You'll get in somewhere. With your passion and drive, you're the type of applicant they want. Just a matter of which program your the 'best fit' for.

Honestly, the best citation generator is the one you've worked with any know the quirks of. With citation formats changing so frequently (at least they do with APA), it's better to know what to look for after the fact, so using your comfort zone will help with it.

Unfortunately, it can be a part of any work environment. Remember though, you get out of the program and yourself what you put in. They get what they put in. If they have attitude now, in this program, they'll have attitude in further professional endeavors. Try not to let it get under your skin. Your department, your bosses, appreciate your work. If you still have some in your cohort who are friends, that's all to the better. In my own cohort, that happens too. It can feel rather lonely. I was lucky to make some friends with people who knock me out of my own head and are able to joke about my own quirks (such as being uber critical thinking minded, less counselor). It helps me to balance out the negative criticism with her laughing voice teasing me. If any in your cohort can do that for you, make sure you let them know.

Again, program dependent. Also, some programs make it experience dependent. They want to know that the person who takes the position is fit for the job (or assistantship).

Masters in Counseling or masters in psychology? Most of the counseling psychology programs are disappearing due to professional accreditation agents. Professional accreditation goes to Mental Health Counseling programs, but not to Counseling Psychology ones. If you are looking at a masters in counseling, teaching helps, but they prefer TSS work, direct care (with mental illness, developmental disabilities, drugs and alcohol, etc), crisis hot-line volunteer work, etc. Stuff that shows you are a helping professional. Currently, the summer has a ton of opportunities for camp counselor positions with special needs clients (or any kids really). If, however, you mean more psychology driven, teaching psychology would definitely be a great thing to get on your application and counseling research involvement (think evidence-based practice research). Having the volunteer/direct care work would help, but not nearly as much.

I know, as an athlete, you don't have much free time. But any chance you can volunteer for a crisis hot-line, summer special needs camps, pick up an in-field part-time job, internship, etc? That will give you valuable experience that will help bolster your application.

1. Will good PhD programs in the US want me without research experience? (Will average or not-so-good ones want me?) As you stand now, there's no guarantee that a 'good program' will accept. Usually they look for a triple threat (research, academics, and teaching/leadership) of experiences. You have the makings of a strong Personal Statement. But without the experience, how do the committees know that this is the better direction for you? 2. Is there anything I can do over the next year and a half to offset this lack of experience? What else can I do to be considered a competitive candidate? You're thinking along the right track. Getting experience. The volunteer and hands-on experience is fanastic. Furthermore, there are research summer programs out there. You can also talk to sociology professors about if you can get involved with their projects. Explain that you are considering switching fields and are interested in getting involved in research. 3. Should I consider doing something else instead of a PhD? If you want the PhD. Go for it. I just suggest getting some more credentials on the application when you do! 4. Are there others like me? What do they do? Absolutely. And, most of the successful ones invest the time commitment to strengthen their applications. They work hard entry level jobs, find research opportunities and get involved, find strong recommenders in the field they aspire for etc. It is possible. And go for it.

I'm sure the grades won't be an Achilles's heel. Masters programs are supposed to be more challenging, and a 3.7-3.8 undergrad GPA is considered competitive. SO why wouldn't it be from grad school? That being said, what I suggest to everyone is consider the full package. Is it just your grades that make you eligible for these programs? If so, a 4.0 might not be enough. Having experience (teaching, research, professional, volunteer) is really needed to help elevate your chances. Don't rely on just undergrad experiences, as current as possible is preferred.

Committees understand that some applicants start off weaker their first few years in college and improve. Your GPA is not an immediate "no" but you'll need to really impress them elsewhere in your application. Volunteer work is great, and does work well on an application, but again, will make you a decent applicant, not a strong one. From here, start demonstrating and building a resume on the job you WANT to have. Summer jobs and experiences in the SLP field would benefit you as well. That way, you have professional experiences as well as volunteer ones. Most jobs are more interested in your professional experience. The degree is only a qualifier. Grad school is similar. Heavy research institutions want to see that you have research experience. Heavy clinical programs would prefer seeing clinical experiences. Keep that in mind and get yourself the experiences that help do so. By no means do I suggest giving up volunteer work at the children's therapy center. I just also suggest applying to special needs summer camp jobs, etc.

I would suggest against renting an apartment that way. There are far too many scam artists out there, some even posing as leasing companies. Kidding, smart independent landlords would probably assume YOU are a scammer saying you cannot see the place first. I use to need to hunt for roommates, and used sources such as Craigslist. Anyone who was going to 'send us a check' ahead of time was crossed off the list. We had way too many supermodels interested and sending me their head shots. Try to find a middle man in the area that you trust, as Takeruk suggested, or go with something incredibly reputable. But again, standards and expectations need to be waived/flexible then.

My schedule is different depending on class day/internship day. Class Day: 6:30 Wake up 8:15 Leave for campus 9:00 Arrive 9-5 GA Office Hours including: class coverage, proctoring, tutoring statistics & psych classes, grade assist, etc. 5-8 Class 9:30 Getting back Internship Day: 7:00 Wake up 8:30 Arrive at internship location 8:30-5:30 Internship My GAship & internship are both 20 hours weekly.

Look for specific accreditation standards. The accreditation shows how rigorous the program is nationally, and will hope more marketability after graduation. For instance, CACREP is a counseling accreditation (also for Mental Health: School Counseling), not sure about specific school psychology accreditation, however.

As mentioned before, it can be seen as indecisiveness. You need to tie in the programs with your end goals, and not just look like you're in school for the sake of being in school. Clinical Psychology is a hands on field. Do you have any professional work experience? If not, you'd be better getting a psychology masters or a Mental Health Counseling (maybe with a marriage & family concentration) where you will have internship/practicum experiences. Also, work for summer camps/part-time with clients. If your sociology masters provides those experiences, then you may be able to explain why you went with that specific program. You have to get some research in there. Preferably, research in your interest area. Be very proactive in talking to professors about this ASAP. I've talked to everyone in my masters program, and no-one is conducting research I can help with. Luckily, with the flexibility, I can do two research-focused independent studies. But that is not ideal. As others have said, your scores are not *necessarily* a detriment. They are adequate scores. But you need to strengthen your application with direction, focus and experience.

It is a confusing problem. Without knowing when he will be available, or won't be, it makes your entire situation unstable. If the professor is on sabbatical, don't expect them to have the availability to help you out. The most recent professor I know went to Greece to be with his family for a year since his father was in poor health, and with a young son, he had no time during the sabbatical to help any students out. So, if your POI saying he's not going to be able to help you out, I suggest just letting go of the idea that he might be there. Talk to him, the department, other researchers, etc. to determine what would be a good plan of attack in place of his assistance.

This is a good time to turn to your professor for advice and next professional steps. They will have a good idea of who else in the field could help you with this research, and who would be understanding/accommodating. Since they are the reason you need to consider other options, they should be willing to help you figure them out. Even a few names could be a good starting point.

I had a summer job-one I was thrilled fo. Teaching psychology at a summer camp. I would build my own curriculum, and it was hosted at a university close to me. I was offered the job & told to get them a curriculum. Apparentlyhe never got it. Or my follow up emails or calls. And they hired someone else. I forwarded my initial email to their logisticss person (since it's time stamped proving I did what I said). Now I'm offered public speaking instead. Never wanted to flip off a company before.

Honestly, there's a lot of misconception around how the normal populace understands academia. I've found very few people interested in talking about my field (I'm very keen on the glazed over, "she's talking about brain stuff again"), but they're very interested in whether or not I have talk to them about their stress and provide impromptu counseling! I don't like small talk, but that's just because I know I'm self-conscious and not very good at it. Most people care about something to bond with you about, not what leads to the bond (such as which job, but what does that job mean for your life and leisure time...) Another, connected but different frustration, because I'm on a fixed income with schooling, and it's tight, I'm fed up with needing to explain that my budget and time does not allow for flexibility and "drop of a hat" changes. There's an assumption that, since I'm not wracking in a lot of money yet, I must be mooching. Not that I work hard for a small wage, in the hopes that I'll have the credentials to make more in a job that WON'T burn me out.

I'm a trained counselor, teacher & researcher in psychology -specifically severe mental illness (borderline, autism spectrum, and schizophrenia). I'm interested in cognitive neuroscience surrounding moral/ethical decision making, and their effect on treatment plan development, assumptions and biases in mental health treatment.