Fall 2019 Psychology PhD Applicants!

[Mickey26]

41 minutes ago, hopefulgrad2019 said:

Hi, this is a question for those of you who have applied more than once. Were you offered any interviews the other times you applied? Just trying to gauge my chances now that I have two interviews and this is my first round! Thanks in advance  

Hey, this is my first round applying too (albeit Canadian schools so keep that in mind). I've had two interviews as well, and one led to an acceptance before Christmas (other still pending decision). So it is 100% possible to be accepted first time applying just focus on nailing those interviews - - good luck!! 

[TrustedTheProcess]

1 hour ago, hopefulgrad2019 said:

Hi, this is a question for those of you who have applied more than once. Were you offered any interviews the other times you applied? Just trying to gauge my chances now that I have two interviews and this is my first round! Thanks in advance  

I don't think it matters how many times you've applied honestly. As my P.I. says, "everyone is ready at different times". I applied two years ago and was waitlisted, but I also wasn't clear on what my research interests were and just tried to mould myself to what I though the lab P.I. wanted rather than to explore my own interests. Now I know exactly what I want to do and confident about it, and I have a lot more interviews. 

[socneuro]

1 hour ago, Jae7 said:

Hey, if you do not mind, could you share the initials of the Stanford POI that called you?? Feel free to send me a DM and thank you for sharing this info!!

I would like to know as well!

[humanisticPOV]

13 hours ago, itsannat said:

I applied to nine schools and have only heard back from one.. starting to get very nervous. Anyone else in the same boat? The one response was an interview invitation but still very nervous. 

I am in exactly the same boat. I applied to 10 and only have one interview so far; but it only takes one! Wishing I had more but so thankful that my interview is at my top school. I hope you hear from more soon!

[humanisticPOV]

2 hours ago, rl12345 said:

SDSU/UCSD applicants to the JDP in Clinical Psych--in the SDSU portal, does "Admission Status" say it's reviewing the file for initial eligibility, or program eligibility?

Mine says "department reviewing file for program eligibility". This hasn't changed since I submitted the app in Oct.

[Psychdreaming143]

2 hours ago, DevSci said:

UCI's interview weekend for the Dev Psych program is this upcoming week (11/13-11/14). Not sure if it is the same for all psych depts (would assume not) but I can try to get a feel when I'm there!

Thank you

 

i reached out to ICI last night and while i didn’t ask specifically about my application, they said they are still reviewing and sending invites so fingers crossed 

[ResilientDreams]

Guys, I got an official offer for Delaware ?? (not psych but wanted to share). 

[Tulsa]

For what program?

[ResilientDreams]

1 minute ago, eevans said:

For what program?

It's an Education PhD program. 

[Tulsa]

Congratulations!

[Doc2016]

This is my third and final attempt.  I don’t think I’m getting interviews for any funded programs, all but one school has sent (at least some) invites.  I applied for a few partially funded, but am not sure at this point if that’s realistic financially (debt from master’s already).  I got 2 waiting lists for funded schools and 1 acceptance (psyd that I turned down) year 1. I received  an interview and subsequent waiting list for 1 school 2nd time.  So, I took a year off of apps and got a full time job running a large federally-funded study. Pub in the works, but a couple presentations.  And now nothing?!?!  The more qualified I get the less competitive I appear to be...  

Edited January 10, 2019 by Doc2016

[xxxxxxxxxx]

19 minutes ago, Doc2016 said:

This is my third and final attempt.  I don’t think I’m getting interviews for any funded programs, all but one school has sent (at least some) invites.  I applied for a few partially funded, but am not sure at this point if that’s realistic financially (debt from master’s already).  I got 2 waiting lists for funded schools and 1 acceptance (psyd that I turned down) year 1. I received  an interview and subsequent waiting list for 1 school 2nd time.  So, I took a year off of apps and got a full time job running a large federally-funded study. Pub in the works, but a couple presentations.  And now nothing?!?!  The more qualified I get the less competitive I appear to be...  

I'm sorry to hear this was the case for you.

It's a combination of stats (your scores), your research experience, your statement of purpose (Was it clear?), your networking skills, and your recommendations (Were they strong?). One of these had to be lacking. I'm more than happy to chat with you through a PM about my experience. Don't give up.

[chopper.wife]

40 minutes ago, Doc2016 said:

This is my third and final attempt.  I don’t think I’m getting interviews for any funded programs, all but one school has sent (at least some) invites.  I applied for a few partially funded, but am not sure at this point if that’s realistic financially (debt from master’s already).  I got 2 waiting lists for funded schools and 1 acceptance (psyd that I turned down) year 1. I received  an interview and subsequent waiting list for 1 school 2nd time.  So, I took a year off of apps and got a full time job running a large federally-funded study. Pub in the works, but a couple presentations.  And now nothing?!?!  The more qualified I get the less competitive I appear to be...  

18 minutes ago, checkingmyemail said:

I'm sorry to hear this was the case for you.

It's a combination of stats (your scores), your research experience, your statement of purpose (Was it clear?), your networking skills, and your recommendations (Were they strong?). One of these had to be lacking. I'm more than happy to chat with you through a PM about my experience. Don't give up.

I would add that it's also sometimes a case of serendipity/right fit at the right time. The factors playing in to why some people are admitted and others are not can be inconsistent and unpredictable. It could be the case that the POIs you applied to had students who they already had connections with apply to them, their pile of applicants was stronger than previous years and they could only choose 1 or 2, etc. Of course, strengthening your application and CV are always going to help you out in the long run, and I would suggest trying again next year! Particularly if you have a pub in the works and can continue working within research. 

Try your best not to take it personally, and keep in mind there is always a lot of moving parts involved with getting accepted or rejected!

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by chopper.wife
bad at typing

[Clinapp2017]

15 minutes ago, checkingmyemail said:

I'm sorry to hear this was the case for you.

It's a combination of stats (your scores), your research experience, your statement of purpose (Was it clear?), your networking skills, and your recommendations (Were they strong?). One of these had to be lacking. I'm more than happy to chat with you through a PM about my experience. Don't give up.

I would agree, but also want to add that funding situations are a crap-shoot, too. It’s hard to know what mentors are taking students each year... heck, some even interview students but don’t take a student because they are in the middle of potentially switching jobs or institutions (this happened to me at one site I interviewed at 2 years ago). So, there are definitely ways to bolster your app as @checkingmyemail pointed out, but it’s not 100% your fault as an applicant. 

 

I’m also not sure if your applicantions are geographically restricted to a certain (highly desirable, competitive) part of the country. This will automatically limit your chances right out of the gate. 

[junior313]

This might seem like an obvious question, but I wanted to clarify for myself: Schools will notify you if you haven't been selected for an interview, right? Or do they send out rejections after people who have been considered are interviewed? I want to know when it would acceptable for me to reach out to the schools that haven't contacted me yet asking about my status. I was thinking I could start reaching out next week or so, but I don't want to seem like I'm rushing them. Some social and clinical applicants to the schools I applied to have heard back, but I applied to cognitive only.

[PsychM]

3 hours ago, hopefulgrad2019 said:

Hi, this is a question for those of you who have applied more than once. Were you offered any interviews the other times you applied? Just trying to gauge my chances now that I have two interviews and this is my first round! Thanks in advance  

This is my third round. Round 1: 7 interviews, 1st alternate at 3 programs. Round 2: NOTHING. However, I basically reused all of my application materials with slight tweaks to update what I had been doing over that year. This was a big mistake I think. Round 3 (current cycle): 2 in-person interview invites so far. In reality, I have applied 4 times but the true first cycle, I was admitted to a master's program so I am not counting this here. I only counted the amount of times I applied ONLY for Clinical Psychology PhD programs. It is NOT uncommon for people to apply multiple times so if you don't get into a program this time, don't lose hope!

From Round 2 to Round 3 I retook the GRE, I completely redid my personal statements and CV etc. 

Edit: This is my experience with CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY PhD programs. This thread has a lot of non-clinical applicants so I wanted to clarify. 

Edited January 10, 2019 by PsychM
Added Information

[hopefulgrad2019]

18 minutes ago, PsychM said:

This is my third round. Round 1: 7 interviews, 1st alternate at 3 programs. Round 2: NOTHING. However, I basically reused all of my application materials with slight tweaks to update what I had been doing over that year. This was a big mistake I think. Round 3 (current cycle): 2 in-person interview invites so far. In reality, I have applied 4 times but the true first cycle, I was admitted to a master's program so I am not counting this here. I only counted the amount of times I applied ONLY for Clinical Psychology PhD programs. It is NOT uncommon for people to apply multiple times so if you don't get into a program this time, don't lose hope!

From Round 2 to Round 3 I retook the GRE, I completely redid my personal statements and CV etc. 

Edit: This is my experience with CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY PhD programs. This thread has a lot of non-clinical applicants so I wanted to clarify. 

Thank you!! I’m applying for clinical psych PhD so this is great info. Best of luck!! 

[PsychM]

7 minutes ago, junior313 said:

This might seem like an obvious question, but I wanted to clarify for myself: Schools will notify you if you haven't been selected for an interview, right? Or do they send out rejections after people who have been considered are interviewed? I want to know when it would acceptable for me to reach out to the schools that haven't contacted me yet asking about my status. I was thinking I could start reaching out next week or so, but I don't want to seem like I'm rushing them. Some social and clinical applicants to the schools I applied to have heard back, but I applied to cognitive only.

Those three domains may have different ways of doing things so if you haven't seen posts from people that applied to the exact same program you applied to, I would keep waiting. I wrote a longer post about this a few pages ago and I am speaking for CLINICAL psych PhD's here,  but many programs will send some sort of rejection via email or mail at some point after they have interviewed applicants, extended offers, and finalized their incoming class. So, that could mean rejections are likely to not be sent until after the decision date imposed by the APA or some other accrediting body for your particular type of program. An applicant who did not interview may also, eventually, just get an email that says to check your status in the application system, this will usually mean rejection. I applied to a program before and heard absolutely nothing from them, I was not invited to interview, and then out of the blue in June, I received a rejection in the mail.  Now, applicants that do interview tend to get their status within a few weeks of the interview (alternate, rejected etc.).

It is fairly typical for invitations to go out through late January and early February as some programs will not interview until March or maybe even later (I have no idea what sort of timeline a Cognitive Psychology PhD program uses). Regardless, don't lose faith yet, there is still quite a bit of time for invites to go out! Many schools resumed classes this week so POIs may just be getting to an initial review or perhaps even reviewing and finalizing the list of who they want to invite to interview. Again, I don't know the timeline for a Cognitive Psych PhD program but I would say if you don't hear ANYTHING by the middle of February, it could mean you are no longer being considered. Another good reference point is, if you know the interview date for a specific program and you don't hear anything from them 2 weeks before that date, you are likely no longer being considered. Notifying people that they are no longer being considered is just not a priority for doctoral programs in many different fields, not just psychology, and it sucks that it is like this! I hope this helps!

[PsyDuck90]

18 minutes ago, junior313 said:

This might seem like an obvious question, but I wanted to clarify for myself: Schools will notify you if you haven't been selected for an interview, right? Or do they send out rejections after people who have been considered are interviewed? I want to know when it would acceptable for me to reach out to the schools that haven't contacted me yet asking about my status. I was thinking I could start reaching out next week or so, but I don't want to seem like I'm rushing them. Some social and clinical applicants to the schools I applied to have heard back, but I applied to cognitive only.

Schools will typically notify you of rejections. Some schools will notify you after they have sent out all interview invites, and some others may do so after they have had the in-person interviews to make sure they don't have to dip back into the applicant pool. 

You can reach out if you'd like, but it probably won't change anything. 

[junior313]

4 minutes ago, PsychM said:

Those three domains may have different ways of doing things so if you haven't seen posts from people that applied to the exact same program you applied to, I would keep waiting. I wrote a longer post about this a few pages ago and I am speaking for CLINICAL psych PhD's here,  but many programs will send some sort of rejection via email or mail at some point after they have interviewed applicants, extended offers, and finalized their incoming class. So, that could mean rejections are likely to not be sent until after the decision date imposed by the APA or some other accrediting body for your particular type of program. An applicant who did not interview may also, eventually, just get an email that says to check your status in the application system, this will usually mean rejection. I applied to a program before and heard absolutely nothing from them, I was not invited to interview, and then out of the blue in June, I received a rejection in the mail.  Now, applicants that do interview tend to get their status within a few weeks of the interview (alternate, rejected etc.).

It is fairly typical for invitations to go out through late January and early February as some programs will not interview until March or maybe even later (I have no idea what sort of timeline a Cognitive Psychology PhD program uses). Regardless, don't lose faith yet, there is still quite a bit of time for invites to go out! Many schools resumed classes this week so POIs may just be getting to an initial review or perhaps even reviewing and finalizing the list of who they want to invite to interview. Again, I don't know the timeline for a Cognitive Psych PhD program but I would say if you don't hear ANYTHING by the middle of February, it could mean you are no longer being considered. Another good reference point is, if you know the interview date for a specific program and you don't hear anything from them 2 weeks before that date, you are likely no longer being considered. Notifying people that they are no longer being considered is just not a priority for doctoral programs in many different fields, not just psychology, and it sucks that it is like this! I hope this helps!

That's so helpful - thanks so much!

[Doc2016]

1 hour ago, chopper.wife said:

I would add that it's also sometimes a case of serendipity/right fit at the right time. The factors playing in to why some people are admitted and others are not can be inconsistent and unpredictable. It could be the case that the POIs you applied to had students who they already had connections with apply to them, their pile of applicants was stronger than previous years and they could only choose 1 or 2, etc. Of course, strengthening your application and CV are always going to help you out in the long run, and I would suggest trying again next year! Particularly if you have a pub in the works and can continue working within research. 

Try your best not to take it personally, and keep in mind there is always a lot of moving parts involved with getting accepted or rejected!

 

Thank you.  I am not taking it personally; I know it is a bit of a crapshoot in a lot of ways and there are SO many factors involved, including my lack of an extensive network.  I am qualified candidate and have a solid application (strong recs, well-written and clear SOP, scores comparable at the schools to which I am applying, etc).  I just feel like it's not meant to be if I don't get in this year.  I can't stand my job, (due to management and other issues, not research in general) and if I go somewhere else I would have to stay for at least 2 more years before applying again.  I am already (at least) several years older than the vast majority of people on here and I am not willing to start 5-6 years more school that late in life.  It's frustrating to be sure, but if that's not the way it goes, it's just the way it goes.  I really appreciate everyone's support though  

Edited January 10, 2019 by Doc2016

[chopper.wife]

4 minutes ago, Doc2016 said:

Thank you.  I am not taking it personally; I know it is a bit of a crapshoot in a lot of ways and there are SO many factors involved, including my lack of an extensive network.  I am qualified candidate and have a solid application (strong recs, well-written and clear SOP, scores comparable at the schools to which I am applying, etc).  I just feel like it's not meant to be if I don't get in this year.  I can't stand my job, (due to management and other issues, not research in general) and if I go somewhere else I would have to stay for at least 2 more years before applying again.  I am already (at least) several years older than the vast majority of people on here and I am not willing to start 5-6 years more school that late in life.  It's frustrating to be sure, but if that's not the way it goes, it's just the way it goes.  I really appreciate everyone's support though  

Fully get that! I'm just sorry to hear it's been such a rough ride for you along the way. I'm not sure how old you are, but my psych degree was my second degree, and I took 2 years off in-between the two. So I am about 5-6 years older than those I graduated with and will be 34/35 when I finish (if I get in this year). It can be frustrating to see those younger than you reaching a goal you have so much earlier than you ever could have, but if this is what you truly want, I think it's worth it! Not to mention, I know many graduate students who are older, it's not at all uncommon. Anyways, not trying to convince you one way or another, but just suggesting that being older and getting into the career you want later in life isn't necessarily a bad thing. If anything, I have heard some of the older students are better able to manage the stress and work/life balance of graduate studies, so I could be to your benefit! Wishing you all the best with whatever you choose!

[Doc2016]

2 minutes ago, chopper.wife said:

Fully get that! I'm just sorry to hear it's been such a rough ride for you along the way. I'm not sure how old you are, but my psych degree was my second degree, and I took 2 years off in-between the two. So I am about 5-6 years older than those I graduated with and will be 34/35 when I finish (if I get in this year). It can be frustrating to see those younger than you reaching a goal you have so much earlier than you ever could have, but if this is what you truly want, I think it's worth it! Not to mention, I know many graduate students who are older, it's not at all uncommon. Anyways, not trying to convince you one way or another, but just suggesting that being older and getting into the career you want later in life isn't necessarily a bad thing. If anything, I have heard some of the older students are better able to manage the stress and work/life balance of graduate studies, so I could be to your benefit! Wishing you all the best with whatever you choose!

I definitely think my age/experience is to my benefit, but I'd prefer not to be close to 50 when I graduate with a doctorate.  Mid-40s was feeling like a stretch.  I can probably do much of what I want to do with a master's, it's just a less direct path. 

[xxxxxxxxxx]

23 minutes ago, Doc2016 said:

 I am already (at least) several years older than the vast majority of people on here and I am not willing to start 5-6 years more school that late in life.  It's frustrating to be sure, but if that's not the way it goes, it's just the way it goes.

 

14 minutes ago, chopper.wife said:

I'm not sure how old you are, but my psych degree was my second degree, and I took 2 years off in-between the two. So I am about 5-6 years older than those I graduated with and will be 34/35 when I finish (if I get in this year). It can be frustrating to see those younger than you reaching a goal you have so much earlier than you ever could have, but if this is what you truly want, I think it's worth it! Not to mention, I know many graduate students who are older, it's not at all uncommon. Anyways, not trying to convince you one way or another, but just suggesting that being older and getting into the career you want later in life isn't necessarily a bad thing. If anything, I have heard some of the older students are better able to manage the stress and work/life balance of graduate studies, so I could be to your benefit! Wishing you all the best with whatever you choose!

I am 5+ years older than the "cohort" of applicants in the research lab I'm working in (they're 21-23? Recent grads, pretty young, both from a maturity aspect and professionally) and can sympathize with the both of you. I however have real life experience and 4+ years in this clinical research field that they do not, so it gives me a bit of a confidence booster that my application materials were much stronger in this aspect. I don't let this get to me whatsoever. Also, this being my 3rd app round, I feel my experiences have truly narrowed down my interests and I know what I want to do with my career, for the rest of my life. This helped me create very strong SOPs this app round vs. the disastrous mess I submitted the last 2 rounds (I was so naive lol).

You can learn a lot from rejections.. it's all about how you respond & persevere  

Edited January 10, 2019 by checkingmyemail

[ItsExistential]

Friendly reminder that if you’re an applicant, even if it’s your second year of applying, you have absolutely no right to tell someone that a piece of their application must be weak if they aren’t getting offers. That’s not how the clinical psych world works. There are more competitive applicants than there are spots, so a lot of it is luck. Social capital also comes into play, so check your privilege. End rant.