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Showing results for tags 'counseling psychology'.
Found 20 results
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How personal do I make my personal statement?
psychgirl44 posted a topic in Statement of Purpose, Personal History, Diversity
Hello, I am working on applying to Ph.D Counseling Psychology programs, and I'm struggling with my personal statement. I don't know how "personal" I should make it. A huge life event that greatly shaped my overall character and made me the wise, loving person I am today was a heroin drug addiction I went through as a teenager. My addiction is also what made me realize that my true purpose and passion in this life is so be a mental health counselor. I actually wrote my undergrad application essay on this experience, and I believe it was a significant contributing factor in my acceptance. I know in my statement I have to expand upon my professional and academic experiences, such as research or volunteer experience, but is this all I should focus on? Is it appropriate to write about how my negative experience using drugs was transformed into a positive learning experience full of growth that enabled me to discover my passion? -
Hello! I take the GRE in 6 days. I'd like some advice on how my remaining time would best be spent studying (specifically math). I'm using Magoosh, and while I do great on the easy/medium questions, I really struggle with the hard or very hard ones. Should I continue practicing and mastering these medium level questions or should I focus on learning the hard ones? Also, I plan on applying to Ph.D. counseling psychology programs. Does anyone know how much GRE scores matter or how much weight is given to them for these kinds of programs?
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Hi all! I'm a newbie here at gradcafe, and I have to say it's been super helpful (and encouraging!). I would like some perspective from current and prior MA/PhD Counseling Psychology applicants on the strength of my qualifications for competitive MA programs in Counseling Psychology (with the hope of going on to a Counseling Psychology PhD.) If anyone has any input on how to strengthen my application, it would be extremely appreciated! Strengths/qualifications: Summa graduate of top 30 liberal arts college with 3.84 GPA (3.9 Psychology) Dual major in Psychology and Health Policy RA for two undergrad research labs, one in social psych and one in health psych for a total of 2 years research experience undergrad. 9 months clinical supervised experience in practicum undergrad. TA three semesters. Honors thesis in psychology (received high honors within department). Research coordinator for 1 year (in middle of 2 year agreement) at a major research hospital. Strong LORs from senior psychology profs as well as current PI Potential Weaknesses: Potentially poor quant scores on GRE - I haven't taken the test yet, but my SAT math was only average even though I scored 800 verbal. I'm guessing those results will be similar. No poster presentations or publications Somewhat older applicant - took gap year before college and would matriculate at 25 if accepted this cycle. Questions: Is it recommended to contact a POI even as a MA applicant? Would it be better to take a moonshot and apply for PhD directly despite lack of publications? Thank you so much if you have read this far!
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I am a new graduate student in a Counseling Research Master's program, as preparation for a Ph.D program in Counseling Psychology. I originally applied to the Coun Psyc program at the school, and was accepted into the Master's program. I am planning ahead for doctoral applications, and wanted to know how likely it is to be accepted into a doctoral program at the same school? Is it viewed favorably as a current student, or not necessarily?
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Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on gaining research experience. I am hoping to apply to MA/MS Programs in Counseling Psychology (I've got my eye on UK and Southern Illinois for my top choices) for Fall 2019, with the end goal of eventually getting my PhD. My undergraduate GPA was pretty terrible, but my GRE scores are solid, I am re-taking the two psych courses I did poorly in, and by the time I apply I will have four years experience working as a Mental Health Case Manager. I'm hoping I can get accepted going the masters route and show I am capable of good grades and go from there. So my question is, even for masters programs most say research experience really strengthens your application....where should I look to find research experience ? I did two research based courses in undergrad, and in one I worked with a team to create and run an experiment and presented for Psi Chi...but that's the extent of my research and that was almost five years ago. I've tried applying to some part-time research positions at the local university, but they are limited and I have had no luck getting interviews. Any ideas of where else to look? Will universities take on volunteer research assistants ? What have other people's experiences been with admissions to MA/MS programs (do they look a lot at research, are they generally competitive, will a good GRE help to balance out a poor GPA?)? Thanks all!
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I haven't seen much from Counseling Psychology applicants so far, but I know y'all are out there somewhere! Feel free to discuss your master's or doctoral applications. Mine are an array of 7 doctoral, 3 master's, 1 master's in Clinical Psychology, and 1 master's in Counseling research.
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Hi everyone! I have applied to a few programs in Canada for next year. I was just wondering if anyone has heard from Mount St Vincent (I was waitlisted there after an interview, but they only accept 8 people so I don't know what my chances are...), or University of Ottawa for Counseling? Thanks in advance!
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Hi everyone, I applied to MA programs in psychology and I wanted to know the acceptance rates of them . I have applied to these schools: CSUN Clinical Psych CSULA CSUDH CSUF USC MFT CSUN is my #1 choice school to go to, I went through the interview, but the waiting game is killing me (when I will hear back from other schools). If anyone has direct experience going through the application process for these programs or is a student under one of the programs listed above, please feel free to share your experience with me
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Hey everyone, I have a couple of questions to ask you all. I was wondering, how important are GRE scores in an application for counseling psychology? I have had mixed reviews, but it would be really really helpful if someone can give me their own experience on GRE and applying for PhD programs in counseling psychology (clinical psychology too, since I am planning to apply to some in the future). My next question is: How important is it to attend an MA program right before applying for the PhD? I don't have enough independent research experiences and close working relationships with faculty within labs, and my GPA is not competitive enough, so I decided to apply to MA programs in general psychology within my state (CA). Last question: How important is publications when applying to a PhD program in psychology? Thank you and congrats to the people that got accepted in programs!
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Someone created this last year and I thought it was a great idea to get different perspectives and see how others were coping with their rejections! I think it will be good for us to start one this year, and begin to decompress/start thinking of plan B (or C, or D, E.. etc) after rejections come trickling in. Use the following template if it helps! School: Area/Degree: Rationalization: Comment: Coping tactics:
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My plan A is to get accepted into a doctoral program in Counseling Psychology, and become a licensed psychologist. If I only get accepted into Master's programs, I am wondering whether a Master's in Counseling Psychology versus a Master's in Clinical Psychology would be better? For reference, my undergraduate degree is in Special Education w/core hours in Psychology. I meet prerequisites, but I don't have research experience. I want to do as much research as possible, which is why a Clinical program may be ideal for me. My research interests are mainly in Health Psychology, chronic disease, and disability which seem to be well suited for clinical psychology. If I did a Master's in Clinical Psych I would go on to complete a doctoral program. Here are some of my pros and cons: Counseling Psychology MS: Can apply to doctoral program during second year, essentially transferring to doctoral (potentially.) Less likely to be a Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA.) More likely to be a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC.) Housed in larger universities. Shorter time to Ph.d Clinical Psychology MS: Research seems to be better suited for my interests. Faster time to completion. Can go on to complete doctoral study in a medical center. Clear path to be LPA. Clinical doctoral programs are notoriously difficult to get into/may time a lot of time and money. Will take longer to Ph.d I would love any input from people that have completed Master's programs, or are applying to them. TIA!
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I have my first interview in a few weeks for a doctoral program in Counseling Psychology. There are 5 faculty POI's, and I'm uncertain if each POI takes on one or two students. This school and POI are an almost perfect fit for me in every way. During the interview process, should my focus be on proving myself as a competitive candidate, or showing how I am a good fit? I think it will be quite easy to show that I fit in very well, but since I lack certain aspects of competitiveness I am a little insecure. My plan is to be prepared, be myself, and be as social as possible with everyone. I do bring a different background than many applicants that I hope works to my advantage. TIA!
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So I am seeing on a couple applications that I can describe "are there any other unique factors that we should consider when evaluating your application" What do you guys think they are meaning by this? Is this an opportunity for people who may have low GPA/GRE/No research experience to explain why they are still a competitive applicant? My GRE scores (quant mostly) aren't stellar but I would hate to mention how I'm just not a good standardized test taker if that is not what the question is implying. Any advice is welcome! Oh and good luck to all my fellow applicants who have applications due this week!
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I have completed 5 applications so far for Doctoral programs in Counseling Psychology, with December deadlines. Right now I have 3 more due in January for a total of 8. When it comes to Coun Psychology how many programs should I be applying to? I meet requirements at most, with some safety schools. But I still want enough options considering the area is competitive.
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Which LA state schools have good MSW, Psych or Counseling programs?
Ksyu posted a question in Questions and Answers
Hi everyone! I'm from the Philippines and am planning to apply for State Universities in LA for next year. My goal is to become a counselor/mental health therapist for people with mental health issues. After talking to a friend who is doing her MA in Social Work in NYU, she suggested I look into programs like social work/counseling/psychology but with a more clinical emphasis. I'm applying in LA because my family lives there. Does anyone have any suggestions which state schools have good programs? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! -
I am struggling to decide what school/program I should look for that will give me a degree to do therapy and counseling. For the longest time I planned on getting a degree in clinical psychology, but realized how competitive this degree is, especially in North Carolina. I am asking you all for recommendation on degree and schools where I could get a masters degree in some sort of counseling or therapy. Thank you, advice is greatly appreciated.
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Hi all, I made a thread a few weeks back about the Counseling program at BU and got some good feedback. I am currently deciding between there and Columbia, and was wondering if anyone had any insight into comparing these two schools. In dire need since I gave in two deposits! Thanks
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Hey All!I saw this thread created in previous years and thought it would be great to have a support network! Applied to 12 clinical and counseling programs this cycle. Have completed 3/4 interviews so far. I was wait-listed for a two programs post interview, and alternate for one program pre-interview. Not sure how to feel at this point. This is my second application cycle. Any who.. Looking for a judgement-free zone to discuss the process and offer support to my fellow wait-listers...
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Hi all! I am currently in the process of applying/interviewing for counseling psychology programs with concentrations in school counseling. I have one coming up for Teachers College and was wondering if anyone could share knowledge on these types of interviews! My last was more school/social justice based. I'm not currently studying psychology, and wanted to know if I need to worry about specific psychology questions or any common questions for these interviews!
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I have been tossing and turning the past few days over my decision and I am gonna throw it out to you all and see if I can generate some advice that will help me decide. I am going for my master's degree in mental health counseling with the intention of going on for my PhD. Should I go with the expensive, well-known private university simply for the experience of going to "that school" and the connections I could make at that school and in that large city? This school would cost about twice as much (including living expenses, etc) although I was offered a scholarship that would cover about half of the tuition. Or should I go with the state school, also a good research institution, with the smaller, more intimate program, CACREP accreditation, cheaper tuition and living expenses, and basically all the sensible pros that would flag me down and say "COME HERE" My logical side says go with the state school. You can go with a big name for your PhD. But my loftier side says the private university has such name recognition that it would be worth it just for the networking opportunites and doors that might open because I went there. I am not saying that randomly...I have talked to a few alum of said school who have reported that they were offered experiences, jobs, and other opportunities that they don't think they would have gotten without that "name" on their CV. Plus, I get excited when I think of the "name" school - I just don't when I think of the state school. Sorry if this was long and rambling but any advice would be appreciated. Sensibilities or gut feeling?
