Fall 2019 Clinical Psychology Applicants (PhD, PsyD)

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...Why was this thread not a thing?! LOL The main psychology thread has gotten so overwhelming with people across so many different areas. It’s too hard to keep up. I also enjoy reading the invites vs. the applicant threads separately.

All my fellow Clinically Psychology PhD/PsyD applicants, please feel free to keep this specific thread going with your thoughts, worries, comments, exciting and depressing stories, and all in between... We are all in this miserable hell of a ride together for at least another month or two lmao..  #canitbeoveralready

[pineapplepizza]

I'm only applying to 1 clinical program but looks like the main application thread is mainly clinical people haha

[ASDadvocate]

I applied to 4 clinical psychology programs and 5 school psychology programs. I spent the last 3 years working in a research program involving both fields, but my training and the vast of my experience is in special education. I'm really nervous that my background would be looked at as not psychology-e enough! Have been religiously looking at my email and application status on the website, as well as these forums. Very anxious to say the least! ?

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6 minutes ago, ASDadvocate said:

I'm really nervous that my background would be looked at as not psychology-e enough! Have been religiously looking at my email and application status on the website, as well as these forums. Very anxious to say the least! ?

For the clinical programs you applied to- Are you applying for child clinical? I could see how your special ed experience could be an asset to these. 

And don’t worry, I am doing the same... have you read my username LOL. I’ve checked my email at least a smooth 21 times today. Just “casually login in” to see absolutely nothing ?

[ASDadvocate]

12 minutes ago, checkingmyemail said:

For the clinical programs you applied to- Are you applying for child clinical? I could see how your special ed experience could be an asset to these. 

And don’t worry, I am doing the same... have you read my username LOL. I’ve checked my email at least a smooth 21 times today. Just “casually login in” to see absolutely nothing ?

Haha! Exactly! I'm hoping that maybe late December / early January will bring some news. 

I applied to one adult clinical because the research I'm interested in is being done by a POI in that program. But all others are in child or combined clinical and school psychology (UVA and JMU). Are you doing adult or child? 

Glad I can share these anxieties with others ?

[AlexandraF]

I just submitted my app to my 3rd program tonight. Im trying with 3 schools- well see what happens. Interestingly (or insanely) somehow I ended up applying for 3 totally different reserach topics. I hope they don't ask me about my other apps on interviews :0

Can I just say -- it is a serious project just to get the apps together, so congrats to us for all of that!

And yes- I can join the checking emails group ?

 

[LindsPhD]

57 minutes ago, ASDadvocate said:

I applied to 4 clinical psychology programs and 5 school psychology programs. I spent the last 3 years working in a research program involving both fields, but my training and the vast of my experience is in special education. I'm really nervous that my background would be looked at as not psychology-e enough! Have been religiously looking at my email and application status on the website, as well as these forums. Very anxious to say the least! ?

I'm in a very similar boat!  I ended up deciding against school psych programs, but applied to a special ed phd and clinical psych because the PIs were (seemingly to me) directly in line with my research ideas  -- which are pretty well defined perhaps because I'm an older applicant.  I'm scared that I don't stand a chance against psych ppl though.

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2 minutes ago, AlexandraF said:

 Interestingly (or insanely) somehow I ended up applying for 3 totally different reserach topics. I hope they don't ask me about my other apps on interviews :0

How did you pull this off! Those Statements must’ve been exhausting ? What did your recommenders say about your different interests across the programs?

For mine, I kept it broadly to my main focus (and my experiences, which are very specific to my area of interest and population), but added on to every individual Statement something that each POI was simultaneously working on/had experience with. 

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30 minutes ago, ASDadvocate said:

Are you doing adult or child?  

Adult clinical!

[ASDadvocate]

39 minutes ago, LindsPhD said:

I'm scared that I don't stand a chance against psych ppl though.

I have a lot of anxiety about this too. One thing my supervisor (an assistant professor of clinical psych) told me that brought me lots of hope is that I have lots of clinical/practical experience working directly with the population I'm interested in, which is a plus. Hopefully this will save us ?

[ASDadvocate]

39 minutes ago, checkingmyemail said:

Adult clinical!

Cool! Which programs are you applying to? the adult clinical I'm applying to is UNC Chapel Hill.

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8 hours ago, ASDadvocate said:

Cool! Which programs are you applying to? the adult clinical I'm applying to is UNC Chapel Hill.

It feels like a sh*tload, 15 in total ? All trauma + anxiety disorders focus

Here goes another long Sunday....... sigh 

[ASDadvocate]

14 minutes ago, checkingmyemail said:

Here goes another long Sunday....... sigh 

Sigh indeed! Are you ever worried that you may get multiple interviews for the same day? When I'm feeling hopeful about getting interviews, I then worry about this ?

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5 minutes ago, ASDadvocate said:

Sigh indeed! Are you ever worried that you may get multiple interviews for the same day? When I'm feeling hopeful about getting interviews, I then worry about this ?

Yes, this is actually a possibility! Several of the programs I applied to have the same exact "Interview" dates, which is ridiculous. I wonder why the CUDCP doesn't regulate this, clearly competitive candidates with multiple interview offers are forced to make a decision which disadvantages them in the end. ?

[ASDadvocate]

6 minutes ago, checkingmyemail said:

Yes, this is actually a possibility! Several of the programs I applied to have the same exact "Interview" dates, which is ridiculous. I wonder why the CUDCP doesn't regulate this, clearly competitive candidates with multiple interview offers are forced to make a decision which disadvantages them in the end. ?

With so many programs, and the majority of them holding Friday or Monday interviews, I'm assuming it would be difficult to have it any other way. I guess it's their way of regulating the amount of opportunities any given candidate is given. Somewhat like the whole 'don't hold more than two acceptances/admittances at a time. Just praying that top choices reach out so that this doesn't even become a thing. 

[Clinapp2017]

2 hours ago, checkingmyemail said:

Yes, this is actually a possibility! Several of the programs I applied to have the same exact "Interview" dates, which is ridiculous. I wonder why the CUDCP doesn't regulate this, clearly competitive candidates with multiple interview offers are forced to make a decision which disadvantages them in the end. ?

It’s hard to get all the DCTs on board with having unique interview days because academic calendars don’t revolve around interview days... in fact, interview days are often set as the dates that are the most convenient for faculty, which (not surprisingly) means a lot of schools share the same day. 

 

My personal recommendation having gone through this process with 7 interviews and multiple acceptances is to accept the first interview you are offered for a day that potentially overlaps with other schools. Programs understand that other schools have the same interview days. If they are making you an offer, they probably think you’re competitive and worthy of their interview slot and time. 

 

If you wind up with overlapping days, ask the second school that offered you an interview if there’s an alternate day available (there often are) or what the best way to interview would be. Without being an a$$ you can state that you are very interested in the later school’s offer but already made an agreement to travel to a school that reached out to you earlier. 

 

It it really isn’t the end of the world. I’m attending a very good program now that I had to originally Skype at (and arranged an off-interview date visit) because of an overlapping committment. 

[justacigar]

14 hours ago, ASDadvocate said:

I have a lot of anxiety about this too. One thing my supervisor (an assistant professor of clinical psych) told me that brought me lots of hope is that I have lots of clinical/practical experience working directly with the population I'm interested in, which is a plus. Hopefully this will save us ?

I am a psych background person, but have minimal research experience and lots of clinical/hands-on experience with the population I want to work with and was worried it wouldn't be enough, so that makes me feel better! One of the professors I talked with made it seem like I should downplay my clinical background and beef up my research interests but now I'm worried I went TOO far towards research and left behind my clinical interests. LOL, each day a new concern, it's exhausting

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The spam emails. Are driving me insane. I AM LOOKING AT YOU OLD NAVY ?

[ASDadvocate]

6 hours ago, justacigar said:

I am a psych background person, but have minimal research experience and lots of clinical/hands-on experience with the population I want to work with and was worried it wouldn't be enough, so that makes me feel better! One of the professors I talked with made it seem like I should downplay my clinical background and beef up my research interests but now I'm worried I went TOO far towards research and left behind my clinical interests. LOL, each day a new concern, it's exhausting

It is exhausting! I really think that it depends on the program, school, and professors you're applying to and what the strengths and emphasis of each are. I'm hoping to work with individuals with ASD in community settings. If I had never worked with this population in these settings, I would be in for a rude awakening. I think this is an important part of the process too! Cheering for you and all your clinical experience!

[Silverrida]

9 hours ago, justacigar said:

I am a psych background person, but have minimal research experience and lots of clinical/hands-on experience with the population I want to work with and was worried it wouldn't be enough, so that makes me feel better! One of the professors I talked with made it seem like I should downplay my clinical background and beef up my research interests but now I'm worried I went TOO far towards research and left behind my clinical interests. LOL, each day a new concern, it's exhausting

I'd say this was a good move. I think what a lot of clinical applicants forget is that, at the end of the day, a Ph.D. is a research program. I'd argue schools are interested in training you to perform clinical work their way. They want to know you can conduct research; they will take care of beefing up your clinical work. All that is to say you probably cannot go too far toward emphasizing research.

[xChrisx]

It's a new weeekkkkkk.

Half my Dec 1 deadline schools historically send out interview invites this week.

Tulsa, Notre Dame and Baylor.

Hope you guys aren't freaking out as much as I am.

Edited December 17, 2018 by Oluwachristabel

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1 minute ago, Oluwachristabel said:

It's a new weeekkkkkk.

Half my Dec 1 deadline schools historically send out interview invites this week.

Tulsa, Notre Dame and Baylor.

Hope you guys aren't freaking out as much as I am.

Oh I'm a complete emotional sh%t show and it's not even 9:30AM EST. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG WEEK..........

[PsychWannabee]

17 hours ago, checkingmyemail said:

The spam emails. Are driving me insane. I AM LOOKING AT YOU OLD NAVY ?

It's just too much. I had to unsubscribe from every email list I was on. Even emails I actually like to get... ?

Edited December 17, 2018 by PsychWannabee

[xChrisx]

13 minutes ago, checkingmyemail said:

Oh I'm a complete emotional sh%t show and it's not even 9:30AM EST. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG WEEK..........

We can do this!

Edited December 17, 2018 by Oluwachristabel

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10 minutes ago, Oluwachristabel said:

We can do this!

TGC is basically telling me I’m annoying and have “liked too many things today” LOL so I can’t like this. 

It is comforting to know I’m not the only one refreshing this damn forum + my email every 5mins from my phone  ?