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Hi @Hope.for.the.best, when I say career counselor, I don't mean the career center on campuses. The career center, at most, might provide a "job inventory" test, but they're usually not the best at analyzing it. And when you need to really work within where you're at right now, it would be superficial help at best. What I mean is a professional career counselor who sits you down, helps you analyze your personal strengths, and helps direct you in future paths that you may not have considered before. They help you navigate the job market more effectively from a personal strengths-based approach.

I can tell you a bunch of jobs with minimal travel, but I wouldn't know what would be a good fit for you! My suggestion is sitting down with a career counselor to discuss your skills, limits, and life goals. They will help you figure out the right direction to go into for your specific needs in your geographic area. Otherwise, I suggest following @lemma's suggestion about a traditional mental health counselor to work on strategies so that your choices are based on your goals/desires, not anxiety.

To clarify, did you take just timed practice tests, or did you also time your practice problems? Go through a section in the ets guide where they talk about one type of math (arithmetic, algebra, etc.) Time yourself just on similar problems and see what your speed is like. If it matches what you want, move on to another type of problem. Narrow down where you are losing time. Then focus on learning strategies beyond equation creation for those specific problem types. Talking to you on other posts, I knew suggesting paying for tutoring software wouldn't be an option. Yes, it is easier with those Magoosh or Princeton. Magoosh specifically times you on each problem and analyzes where your slower spots are compared to their average user. But it can be done without the fancy software. If you're not able to go through targeted timed practice, than you really just need to focus on the entire test and learning the strategies to analyze all equations more effectively for their simple solutions. ETS guide does outline them - as do free youtube GRE guides. The information is out there for free. It just takes more work to get it.

Hmm.. If I've ever come across this way, I apologize. My point is usually that in any professional degree professional work experience in the field is highly preferable. That is typically seen in older candidates which is why those cohorts usually have older average ages. Older applicants shouldn't try to mimic the applications of younger students (which many initially try to do). They should embrace their strengths and where they are in life at the time of application just like younger applicants do. But yes, in a research-driven field like the OP says he's interested in, the cohort is younger.

You're not. As a heads up, I'm also an "adult learner" who had average gre and gpa scores. I wasn't accepted to doctorals my first round either, but was determined to go back. So I started teaching classes, took on more professional responsibilities, and went back for a master that aligned with my experience - and what I thought my goals were. That led me to another field that I love. And I will probably be well into my 40's by the time I finish a professional doctoral degree. It is possible. But it does take more time and energy when you're balancing "real world" responsibilities too. I learned to rely on my family & developing connections, ability to relate as a professional, and just sheer determination to push me through. And no, not all experience is equal. At the same time, I know so many people with first or second authorships, publications, etc. at the 20-21 year old threshold now that it is seen as good research, but not enough to overcome too many years without any.. Sadly.

My cohort had a running facebook group chat. Thry used it mainly for questions and resources during the semester. That was far more useful than any pinterest or forum out there because they knew what I was looking for better (from class discussions) and connected me to more relevant resources.

Unfortunately, solid research experience isn't that unusual. In psychology programs you essentially have to have solid research and academics to land in even a masters program. When the job market plummeted about the time of your UGrad, the grad school market became even more saturated. Psychology was one of the worst programs for that saturation because of it's increased popularity. Now schools have really tough choices regarding amazing candidates. You will be facing off against students with very similar portfolios and less of a 'gap' between their schooling. I suggest either taking a few non-matriculated classes, retakethe GREs, etc. Get back involved in academics. Then you'll move from an average looking student on paper to a 'whoa this guy's determination is amazing. Yes!' But do NOT give up. You can and will get in. It may just take more work and resources than you initially planned.

To elaborate, you're looking at a professional degree & career track. They prefer professional experience. In my MA Counseling program (CACREP accredited) everyone had at minimum 1-2 years professional experience. Most had 5+. They did not require the GRE because they were focused on application of principles over academic prowess. That sounds like the direction you're going, so professional experience is highly in your favor.

Interesting, I usually refer to myself as a 'female' over 'woman' simply because I like the way the word sounds better. Plus, most people don't mistake me for saying I'm a cat (maybe a crazy cat-lady though....). I'll have to keep this in mind when I'm talking to other women in the future.

**Oops... just realized this was a topic a while ago. But in case anyone else asks** I love group interviews. You can size up the competition and illustrate why you're a better fit for the job. You can also demonstrate problem solving and collaborative skills all at once! If you're the candidate that gets the other candidates talking, it says a lot about you being personable and relatable. Furthermore, the interviewers struggle more with keeping a straight face. You can begin to tell what they're looking for about halfway into to. Strategy: bounce off of what another candidate says. "I really like the point that X said. I used a similar technique when I encountered X problem and I did X to solve it" or "I see where X is coming from, but I think I would use a different approach. I would X." And another interviewers favorite, I don't think I heard anyone say this, but I would do X." Write down the name of the other candidates.

Targeted practice. You need to focus on timing yourself during practice tests and practice problems. Find out where you are taking the most time and focus on the time saving techniques at that point instead.

Quite possibly, but not always. You are definitely cut from schools with a minimum GRE score. However, other programs are more holistic. I was admitted to a top ranked school with a v (160) but q (140). I illustrated the quantitative skills else where on my application such as tutoring stats and acing other research/quant classes. But that only worked on a masters level. Honestly, I suggest studying and investing time into retaking the GREs. It would cost less money than sending either more applications or a second year!

Check out the clinical health on here forum too. As you will have a lot of insight there. But your real world experience will be a huge benefit to a counseling program.

Do not criticize an alma mater in the SOP. Same thing as any job interview. Never discuss how horrible the last program or job was. It's even worse in a cover letter or SOP because they cannot see your face. Instead, they have a cold piece of paper to judge you on. That judgment never ends well. No matter how warranted, it usually comes off entitled, whiny, arrogant and/or immature. Instead, focus on your skills, professional interests, and what you need to succeed. Turn your SOP into a piece about self-analysis to discuss any "shortcoming." You can certainly discuss how you became interested in your project work, and the process you took to find the resources needed to accomplish it.

I have done this, and it hasn't phased programs at all. They love the thoroughness, extra motivation, and responsibility it demonstrates. I told programs that I am planning to attend a program in 2-3 years, but I want to really see what would be the best fit and find out how to be a competitive applicant (in the years I'll be prepping). One school pushed for me to apply ASAP, but another school was so thrilled that she took extra time evaluating my resume to provide feedback.

To clarify, my significant other is a philly artist. He has several Philly artist colleagues who teach (I say colleagues because they exhibit together and are in a common critique group). One of his collegues, Maria Teicher, is an instructor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. As for the ranking bit... Temple is ranked #15 for fine arts - which is technically higher than UPenn's ranking (#33). University of Arts is in the top 100; where as Moore, Academy of the Fine Arts, and Drexel are a bit over the top #100 ranking. I'm not sure why that is exactly, but maybe because bigger name universities have more access to internships, fellowships, etc. through the actual museums. I did a brief search last night and the universities I sent you either have grad in Art History or Museum Studies specifically. As I'm not an artist, I really wouldn't know what would be a "good program" to go with (outside what the critique group tells me!). Just so you know, I'm not pushing you to go to Philadelphia. I just wanted you to be aware that your search parameters are missing some large gaps in it for prestige, resources, etc. You may want to look across the nation again to make sure you didn't miss the perfect program.

My pre-writing process always begins with free writing. That helps flush out points I really want to highlight later on without the constraints of structure. However, I then outline any writing including headers, main citations and points I want to address, etc. The outline is my formal guide.

You really aren't alone though. I can remember being reticent and uncomfortable initially. My concerns didn't ebb until I experienced the program and interacted more with my cohort. Overall, I enjoyed graduate school. I adored 1 program and thought another program was okay. My enjoyment really came down to the people (how much did they motivate and inspire me), classes touching on questions that interested me, and opportunities for professional and personal development. My first program was a bit subpar with a lot of that, but provided enough that I knew what I wanted to do next. The second one blew away my expectations. On the negative, I agree with a lot of @UrbanMidwest's experiences. Some of my classes felt like the professors lived in their "research lab" bubble or their 'normal people' counseling bubble. I worked with serious mental illness and severe developmental disabilities. So when I heard professors paint a rosy picture without touching on the types of cases I saw daily, it was frustrating. It felt like if I didn't agree with a specific approach, my comments were either dismissed or unwelcomed. I learned to write the notes, and be more cautious with when I added to a discussion... or at least when to be dissident. Good news! I had an amazing cohort, so several of us would share our interpretations and experiences after classes if it wasn't welcome during class-time.

@poppyos It sounds like you could really benefit from an internship or shadowing experience in a museum. That would give you the ability to see inside the heart of a museum and really see what is the best fit for you. Also, to stick up for Philadelphia: Moore College of Art & Design Tyler School of Art (Temple) Westphal College of Media Arts & Design (Drexel University) Philadelphia Academy of the Fine Arts The University of the Arts ...to name a few beyond UPenn that have programs in museum studies specifically. I certainly don't know all of them as I'm not an artist. My SO is. Some of his colleagues teach courses at local art colleges. We have a huge Mural Arts , a shocking amount of museums, and a strong contemporary art culture in general. I'm not sure if you've looked into any of these programs, but I know several of them are considered strong universities and/or programs in general.

@KevinG I wanted to touch base with you on the clinical psychology piece and licensure because you mentioned acquiring a counseling license as an end goal. You really need to check out the requirements for the state you'll want to practice in. This is a useful guide: http://www.counselor-license.com/ I'm letting you know this because depending on your state, a clinical psychology masters is useless. There are 2 main accrediting bodies CACREP (more about CACREP) and MPCAC (more about MPCAC). CACREP is currently winning the battle because it holds higher standards overall. They require 60 credit hour master programs and believe that psychology and counseling are two different fields with different specialties. Therefore, they are not accrediting clinical psychology programs any more - only counseling based ones. For more on that here: http://www.cacrep.org/for-students/student-faqs-2/ Several states require CACREP accredited programs over MPCAC ones. Additionally, a lot of other states require a 60 credits. So they mean a CACREP program even though it's not expressly identified. I know a lot of students who graduated a MPCAC program only to find out they had to pay for the additional 12 credits after graduate to get licensed! If you look at this and thing "oh good, my state is safe" I say go for it, but be warned that the ACA is really trying to push for concrete CACREP across the board. You also run the risk of more problems than it's worth if you move into a state with CACREP requirements (or decide to start telecounseling in other states). The CACREP programs line up for a PhD Counseling or PsyD Counseling.

Do your schools have a 160 cut off? If so, yes, re-take it. If not, it really will depend on other factors. The biggest I think is this one: How are you performing in the Masters program? Do you have a lot of quantitative and research oriented classes in that Masters? I'm not sure how the PhD PoliSci works, I do know several other top 10 programs in other fields want to see a 160 GRE and/or proof of your quantitative skills elsewhere. If you have that proof, your application makes it to the second level where your fit, LOR, and personal statement make all the difference. For a personal anecdote: I spoke with my alma mater which is a #1 school (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg). They took me in with a 3.42 UGrad; and 3.96 Grad for their 9 month program. Unfortunately, because of unforeseeable problems, I underperformed in their masters program (3.26). I had two rough terms and then two perfect ones. I thought this blew my chances in the water. However, I recently started talking to them about their DrPH program. In one concentration they told me to take extra non-matriculated classes and get a 160+ quant GRE because I was a "good but not the best" fit. However, I spoke to another concentration and, because I'm the exact type of applicant they want, they're only worried about minimum proof of quantitative skills for me to be a competitive applicant. I was told to get either a 160 quant or take extra stats classes. But either would give them the proof they needed. I shared this anecdote because if the program really wants you, they only need the bare minimum to prove you have the raw skills necessary. If you are "just another applicant" then you will have to have perfect scores and fight against others with perfect scores for a top 10 university.

Yes. It is worth your time. You are a strong candidate for any LPC or LMFT program. The only thing I really see against you is possibly that other candidates may have had more directly related family treatment experience (such as working for a BHRS program). The LPC and LMFT are heavily rooted in professional experience, so the adcom might have thought you better line for the LPC than LMFT. Don't let one rejection stop you from accomplishing your goal. Also, as @BackNSchool83 pointed out, your age is not and obstacle. It may actually be a strength to your application. The experiential and 'real world' components are critical in counseling degrees. My MA program had 40 in the cohort, and about 1/4 were over 30. Most others had worked at least 2-3 years in the field.

I'll give a tentative yes as 158 is still above the 60 percentile point. I'm not in STEM, so hopefully you get advice from one of them for that.

I suggest reporting both. It looks like after the first attempt, you studied and made an impressive increase on V, but you were less focused on your Q. The quantitative is close enough that it won't be a hindrance either way. So it won't hurt to submit both of them.

Hi @HSRhopeful, your question is heavily program dependent. Some programs only care about UGRAD GPA, others only about GRAD GPA, and others yet only care that you demonstrate a competency in a given area. Just make sure that the departments you apply to are looking at areas you want to them to evaluate you on! As for the scholarships, as long as they are pertinent to where you are going, yes. If you have one for being left-handed, I doubt they'd care. But if you have a research scholarship, add it in.