On average, how many application cycles do people go through before they enter a Clinical Psychology PhD program of their choice?

[1|]010ls10o]

It's been a while for me so I'm wondering if others went through or are going through the same experience.

I can add other questions (how many times taken the GRE, psych GRE, etc) if people are interested.

Edited January 29, 2018 by 21ny14

[FacelessMage]

I went through 4 application cycles before being accepted. I took the GRE and psych GRE twice (my scores expired right before my last application cycle since I wrote the exam really early in undergrad and then didn't apply until after I graduated due to health reasons). 

[Piagetsky]

This is a great question and something I've wanted to know very much myself, but these results are going to be skewed due to the fact that people who got in are not as likely to still be on this board as people who did get in.  (Awesome people like Faceless and Noor aside)

[1|]010ls10o]

44 minutes ago, Piagetsky said:

This is a great question and something I've wanted to know very much myself, but these results are going to be skewed due to the fact that people who got in are not as likely to still be on this board as people who did get in.  (Awesome people like Faceless and Noor aside)

That's what I thought too, yet it seems to be the predominant choice so far! Not ruling out the obvious sample bias, but it's interesting to know that the number of people who only applied once and entered a program is so high in comparison. Figured it'd be lower.

Also slightly regretting not breaking the 5+ years into more specific numbers but I didn't want to poll to have too many choices.

Edited January 30, 2018 by 21ny14

[Sherrinford]

I got in my first cycle very close to the deadline, much to my immense confusion and surprise.

However, my professor, many of the tenured professors in the department, as well as some of my colleagues had to apply twice before getting in. I don't have any statistics, but if I had to take a guess anecdotally it'd be 2.  

[1|]010ls10o]

45 minutes ago, Sherrinford said:

I got in my first cycle very close to the deadline, much to my immense confusion and surprise.

However, my professor, many of the tenured professors in the department, as well as some of my colleagues had to apply twice before getting in. I don't have any statistics, but if I had to take a guess anecdotally it'd be 2.  

I think the idea of reaches and safeties muddles my question. When you say getting in, are you saying being accepted to 1+ program? Or being accepted to a program you really wanted to go to (dream school, reach, etc)? 

Let's say hypothetically I were accepted into a less strong program, but wanted to enter a stronger one (better stipend, more renowned PI). In this case I would personally re-apply and mark 2 cycles. Maybe that's a secondary/alternate question.

[Psychoplasmics]

3 cycles for a funded Ph.D. program. Took the GRE 3 times (didn't change at all, really), took the Psych GRE twice (score went up a lot).

[1|]010ls10o]

22 minutes ago, schizometric said:

3 cycles for a funded Ph.D. program. Took the GRE 3 times (didn't change at all, really), took the Psych GRE twice (score went up a lot).

Ack, I wish I included that in the original question. Yes, I'm primarily interested in funded PhD programs.

What did you do differently for the second time you took the psych GRE? I retook it and only increased 20 points (from 82nd percentile to 88th%).

[Psychoplasmics]

3 hours ago, 21ny14 said:

Ack, I wish I included that in the original question. Yes, I'm primarily interested in funded PhD programs.

What did you do differently for the second time you took the psych GRE? I retook it and only increased 20 points (from 82nd percentile to 88th%).

I bought some materials the second time and paid for an expensive online class the third time. 

[ContentFaces]

I took the General GRE three times, Psych twice. My second general GRE score was actually the highest out of the three, and my psych was 40th percentile points higher the second time around!

[Sherrinford]

On 1/30/2018 at 11:18 AM, 21ny14 said:

I think the idea of reaches and safeties muddles my question. When you say getting in, are you saying being accepted to 1+ program? Or being accepted to a program you really wanted to go to (dream school, reach, etc)? 

Let's say hypothetically I were accepted into a less strong program, but wanted to enter a stronger one (better stipend, more renowned PI). In this case I would personally re-apply and mark 2 cycles. Maybe that's a secondary/alternate question.

That is an important part. There are certainly lots of PsyDs and some PhDs that have much more lax admissions criteria. I've also known quite a few people who had acceptances the first time, but reapplied again because they wanted to go to a different or better program. My answer would still remain 2. 

I got into my dream school, and was very lucky that things rolled into place. My PI was accepting 2 students that year, and I think one of the students above me on the list decided to go somewhere else. 

[PsyDuck90]

I've known a lot of people who have taken 2 cycles to get into their programs. Some of that is also the tough decision of whether to go to a school you kind of want to go to or hold out for the chance of your top school. 

Edited February 3, 2018 by Hk328
Wrong reply for thread.