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Reality check me: I've been out of school for 2 years, and I think I'm finally ready to get my s**t together and apply to some PhD programs buuuuut, I'm nervous about whether/where I could actually get in. For context, I'm interested in Biochemistry/Biophysics/Structural Bio programs, ideally labs that are focused heavily on protein/protein interactions, protein structural studies, and/or binding dynamics. I'm also pretty picky about location, as one of the main things holding me back from applying before now has been fear of having to move to some boring town/flat area and give up my hobbies (I'm an avid hiker/backpacker). I'm looking into schools in Washington State, British Columbia (I'm a dual US/CA citizen), NorCal, and maybe MT/ID/WY/OR (not much up there, I know). Do I have a chance? - Graduated from a tiny but fairly well-respected private school in the midwest with 3.8 GPA, double major in biology and biochemistry - Was in a first year HHMI-funded research course and presented a poster at a national conference at the end of freshman year - TA'd for the above class all 3 years after that - Worked a summer with biochem faculty on protein/protein interaction project, got nowhere, had a poster at some tiny local conference - After graduation worked in an Ivy league lab for year, again didn't get much for results, quit because the PI was toxic and the research was dull - Since pandemic times I have worked as a park ranger, pharmaceutical manufacturing tech, and hiked a 600 mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail - I have probably 2 good LORs, not sure where a third would come from - No publications - Haven't taken the GRE, but I'm a good test taker I'm white and a female, btw

Hi! I'm new to this forum but have a question about what my options might be for postgraduate studies in counseling psychology. Here's a bit of a background: I'll graduate in May 2019 from Penn State with bachelor's degrees in journalism and psychology with likely around a 3.7 GPA, and I've spent most of my undergraduate career stuck between those two degrees (essentially debating whether I wanted to go to graduate school for psychology or enter into a communications-related job right out of school). For that reason, most of the extracurricular activities/work experience I've had has been in the communications field (for ex., editor at my school's primary media outlet and a corporate communications internship this summer). But after different work experiences and lots of inner debate, I've decided that a degree in counseling psychology would be the most fulfilling career path for me. I wish I could have somehow come to this conclusion sooner, but I'm hoping my choice to have psychology as a second major left me with a few options. I've considered applying to either master's programs or PsyD programs, and I have also considered applying to programs abroad (I spent this past semester in the UK and would apply there). For now, I'm taking steps to prepare for the GRE, but I'm hoping to get some insight/suggestions (possibly from someone who's been in a similar position before where they weren't always sure they wanted to go to graduate school and might not have prepared the same as other psychology students). A potential path I've considered is getting research experience during the summer of 2019 and applying for graduate counseling certificate programs in the UK for the 2019/20 academic year, before applying to a master's or doctorate program. Any insight would help -- thanks!