Fall 2020 Clinical & Counseling PhD/PsyD

[throwaway92]

Is there any possibility of someone being blacklisted from programs because of a history (i.e., 8 years ago) of a mental health struggle, even if nothing about this was disclosed on the application or during the interview? Wondering whether a psych hospitalization would show up on a background check and dissuade a program from extending admission after an interview.

For context, I have been very stable since then, graduated from college with a good (>3.5) GPA, have good GRE scores, have 3+ years of clinical research experience with excellent LORs, no trouble getting interviews to clinical programs (this is not my first round). EDIT: I just wanted to add that I have 3 publications in print and 2 in press, along with a number of poster presentations at local and national conferences.

However, none of the interviews, even the ones I felt went super well, have materialized into an offer, and in most cases I have been flat out rejected following the interview with no explanation. 

Wondering if I'm just searching for an excuse in my disappointment, or whether I should be worried that my previous struggles are going to make it impossible for me to get in anywhere...

Edited March 11, 2020 by throwaway92

[penguinqueen]

36 minutes ago, throwaway92 said:

Is there any possibility of someone being blacklisted from programs because of a history (i.e., 8 years ago) of a mental health struggle, even if nothing about this was disclosed on the application or during the interview? Wondering whether a psych hospitalization would show up on a background check and dissuade a program from extending admission after an interview.

For context, I have been very stable since then, graduated from college with a good (>3.5) GPA, have good GRE scores, have 3+ years of clinical research experience with excellent LORs, no trouble getting interviews to clinical programs (this is not my first round). EDIT: I just wanted to add that I have 3 publications in print and 2 in press, along with a number of poster presentations at local and national conferences.

However, none of the interviews, even the ones I felt went super well, have materialized into an offer, and in most cases I have been flat out rejected following the interview with no explanation. 

Wondering if I'm just searching for an excuse in my disappointment, or whether I should be worried that my previous struggles are going to make it impossible for me to get in anywhere...

Unless there was a criminal component to your prior mental health records, it should not appear in a background check as that is protected information between patient and doctor/hospital. I don't think that would be accessible unless you signed release forms allowing your mental health providers to share. 

Unfortunately, very very qualified applicants such as yourself don't get accepted every year. There are just so few spots for so many qualified candidates and it absolutely sucks. The quick rejections were likely just from their first choice taking the offer very quickly upon receiving it. 

As for your past, you clearly got a lot of interest this year as seen in the interviews, and they wouldn't have invited you unless they really thought you would be a great incoming student! At the point of interviews, all the invitees would be qualified and the PI would likely be happy with any of them, and it's more about personality and research fit. Sorry to hear this year didn't work out, but you have a lot of great experience and I have all the faith in you that it will soon!! 

[Yep]

48 minutes ago, throwaway92 said:

Is there any possibility of someone being blacklisted from programs because of a history (i.e., 8 years ago) of a mental health struggle, even if nothing about this was disclosed on the application or during the interview? Wondering whether a psych hospitalization would show up on a background check and dissuade a program from extending admission after an interview.

For context, I have been very stable since then, graduated from college with a good (>3.5) GPA, have good GRE scores, have 3+ years of clinical research experience with excellent LORs, no trouble getting interviews to clinical programs (this is not my first round). EDIT: I just wanted to add that I have 3 publications in print and 2 in press, along with a number of poster presentations at local and national conferences.

However, none of the interviews, even the ones I felt went super well, have materialized into an offer, and in most cases I have been flat out rejected following the interview with no explanation. 

Wondering if I'm just searching for an excuse in my disappointment, or whether I should be worried that my previous struggles are going to make it impossible for me to get in anywhere...

Honestly, and this is just my opinion, if you were interviewed then that is indication that the program doesn’t care about your history at all.

every applicant, student in a doc program, and faculty constantly reiterate that obtaining an interview at this high of a level (avg doc program stats 100-250 applicants, 15-25 interviews offers, 4-8 applicants accepted) means you are competitive enough and it’s all about fit/ match. If programs had an issue, trust me, they wouldn’t offer an interview invite.

You sound like your a good applicant did you apply to lower tier programs, partial funded programs, or non-funded programs?

 

 

side note: I work for a background check due diligence company and no way the program can obtain that information. Zero chance! (Unless it was criminal)

Edited March 11, 2020 by Itzik

[throwaway92]

2 hours ago, Itzik said:

Honestly, and this is just my opinion, if you were interviewed then that is indication that the program doesn’t care about your history at all.

every applicant, student in a doc program, and faculty constantly reiterate that obtaining an interview at this high of a level (avg doc program stats 100-250 applicants, 15-25 interviews offers, 4-8 applicants accepted) means you are competitive enough and it’s all about fit/ match. If programs had an issue, trust me, they wouldn’t offer an interview invite.

You sound like your a good applicant did you apply to lower tier programs, partial funded programs, or non-funded programs?

side note: I work for a background check due diligence company and no way the program can obtain that information. Zero chance! (Unless it was criminal)

 

2 hours ago, penguinqueen said:

Unless there was a criminal component to your prior mental health records, it should not appear in a background check as that is protected information between patient and doctor/hospital. I don't think that would be accessible unless you signed release forms allowing your mental health providers to share. 

Unfortunately, very very qualified applicants such as yourself don't get accepted every year. There are just so few spots for so many qualified candidates and it absolutely sucks. The quick rejections were likely just from their first choice taking the offer very quickly upon receiving it. 

As for your past, you clearly got a lot of interest this year as seen in the interviews, and they wouldn't have invited you unless they really thought you would be a great incoming student! At the point of interviews, all the invitees would be qualified and the PI would likely be happy with any of them, and it's more about personality and research fit. Sorry to hear this year didn't work out, but you have a lot of great experience and I have all the faith in you that it will soon!! 

Wow, thank you both so much for these replies. Ive been so nervous that I have just been throwing money away applying because of this. It is definitely hard to face rejection yet again especially when I can't just easily blame it on something like a low GPA score or lack of research experience, but the encouragement is really validating to hear. I don't want to give up on my dream and will keep trying!

@Itzik - I applied to funded and partially funded programs. I can't afford any student debt on top of what I have from my undergrad. I think I applied to a good mix of programs, nothing super top tier but I have a bit of a more niche research interest so I mainly was just paying attention to research fit with potential mentors. 

[ur.future.therapist]

Hello! Has anyone received/accepted an offer from SUNY Albany’s Counseling Psychology PhD program? Specifically with PI: JM? 

[thirdtimecharmed]

Hi everyone - has anyone accepted an offer from George Mason, specifically poi: TC? Thank you! 

[psychedtobePhD]

Has anyone heard from Illinois Institute of Technology post interview? They said admission decisions would be made the middle-end of this week so I’m assuming I wasn’t accepted but confirmation would be nice ?

[seeyounextyear]

As expected (for me), I did not get any offers this round. I was applying to go straight out of undergrad though and only applied to 3 schools knowing it was a long shot. But I have two questions for future applications cycles. 

I am looking at clinical psych research positions for next year (I think I'll be working at Yale) and am wondering if I should apply for a PhD programs this coming Fall to attend in Fall 2021? That would mean I would take the research job (which is a one-year contract and built for people trying to get their PhD one day), work there for a year, then do a PhD the next year. My concern with this option is that any letter of recommendation from there they'll only know me as an RA from July 1 until writing their letter in November at the latest. That's barely five months. Should I work there for a full year and THEN apply so that they'll be able to say they've worked with me for a year and a half?

My other question is should I retake the GRE? I have the time to study but don't know if my scores warrant a retake. My scores were: 159 on Quant (70th percentile) , 164 on Verbal (92nd Percentile, and 94th Percentile on writing. Should I try to bring up my math score? Is it worth the money?

Thanks everyone.

[GradCafeAdmin]

Has anyone heard from Rosalind Franklin University post interview?

[Aghhhhh]

6 hours ago, ekilgallon said:

As expected (for me), I did not get any offers this round. I was applying to go straight out of undergrad though and only applied to 3 schools knowing it was a long shot. But I have two questions for future applications cycles. 

I am looking at clinical psych research positions for next year (I think I'll be working at Yale) and am wondering if I should apply for a PhD programs this coming Fall to attend in Fall 2021? That would mean I would take the research job (which is a one-year contract and built for people trying to get their PhD one day), work there for a year, then do a PhD the next year. My concern with this option is that any letter of recommendation from there they'll only know me as an RA from July 1 until writing their letter in November at the latest. That's barely five months. Should I work there for a full year and THEN apply so that they'll be able to say they've worked with me for a year and a half?

My other question is should I retake the GRE? I have the time to study but don't know if my scores warrant a retake. My scores were: 159 on Quant (70th percentile) , 164 on Verbal (92nd Percentile, and 94th Percentile on writing. Should I try to bring up my math score? Is it worth the money?

Thanks everyone.

I wouldn't worry re: recommendation letters! The best relationship I've had with a faculty member was one where we only worked together for 5 months before she wrote me a letter. As long as you do good work and make sure to focus on building a relationship, it shouldn't matter too much. (Btw, I did get in to a school this round, as an fyi!)

I also would definitely not retake the GRE, your scores are great. As far as I've heard, the GRE mostly acts as a cut-off--and your reading & writing scores are superb, so don't worry too much about it.

It probably comes down to research experience, so just make sure to start off your position strong and try and get as many opportunities as possible!

[clinicalpsyhopeful]

6 hours ago, ekilgallon said:

As expected (for me), I did not get any offers this round. I was applying to go straight out of undergrad though and only applied to 3 schools knowing it was a long shot. But I have two questions for future applications cycles. 

I am looking at clinical psych research positions for next year (I think I'll be working at Yale) and am wondering if I should apply for a PhD programs this coming Fall to attend in Fall 2021? That would mean I would take the research job (which is a one-year contract and built for people trying to get their PhD one day), work there for a year, then do a PhD the next year. My concern with this option is that any letter of recommendation from there they'll only know me as an RA from July 1 until writing their letter in November at the latest. That's barely five months. Should I work there for a full year and THEN apply so that they'll be able to say they've worked with me for a year and a half?

My other question is should I retake the GRE? I have the time to study but don't know if my scores warrant a retake. My scores were: 159 on Quant (70th percentile) , 164 on Verbal (92nd Percentile, and 94th Percentile on writing. Should I try to bring up my math score? Is it worth the money?

Thanks everyone.

I worked at Yale as an RA this past year and at the time of applying my rec letter was from my supervisor who had only known me since May, it definitely helped me get into a clinical program this year. I'd say definitely apply for Fall 2021!

[Psychintraining]

5 hours ago, GradCafeAdmin said:

Has anyone heard from Rosalind Franklin University post interview?

I have not either!

[PsychHuman]

Is anybody still waiting to hear back from University of Wisconsin-Madison post-interview? Feel free to DM me!

[Somasatori]

Hi all, I noticed someone asked about the accepted status I posted in my results from PAU's PhD program. I interviewed on the 29th of February. Hope this helps for whoever was asking. I'm still waiting to get my access to put in my deposit. PAU was my number one choice, so I've already accepted via email. Good luck to everyone!

[Yep]

For those that have accepted their offers. Have you received your financial award package? 
 

Through schools going remote, I imagine that everything is gonna be delayed. I just wanted to see if other students are on the same boat as me

[yeeboi]

Been scouring the forums for a post about it but couldn’t find anything. Has anyone got accepted from UMKC - University of Missouri Kansas City? Or simple know whether their cohort has been filled for Fall 2020?

[psycali]

Has anyone been accepted to Baylor PsyD and intend to accept offer??

[Micsmith1814]

I think I posted this a few weeks ago but bringing it up again. Has anyone heard from Teachers College (POI:GG)? I reached out to him and the director of clinical training but have not received a response yet. 

[hindsight2020]

On 3/11/2020 at 12:49 PM, throwaway92 said:

Is there any possibility of someone being blacklisted from programs because of a history (i.e., 8 years ago) of a mental health struggle, even if nothing about this was disclosed on the application or during the interview? Wondering whether a psych hospitalization would show up on a background check and dissuade a program from extending admission after an interview.

For context, I have been very stable since then, graduated from college with a good (>3.5) GPA, have good GRE scores, have 3+ years of clinical research experience with excellent LORs, no trouble getting interviews to clinical programs (this is not my first round). EDIT: I just wanted to add that I have 3 publications in print and 2 in press, along with a number of poster presentations at local and national conferences.

However, none of the interviews, even the ones I felt went super well, have materialized into an offer, and in most cases I have been flat out rejected following the interview with no explanation. 

Wondering if I'm just searching for an excuse in my disappointment, or whether I should be worried that my previous struggles are going to make it impossible for me to get in anywhere...

Honestly I really don't think so....I too was hospitalized many years ago, and since being hospitalized, I am graduating with a great GPA and GREs, work experience in a helping profession (omitting additional identifying information because it's a small world we're in), and am very stable. I have several presentations that are accepted for the APA conference this year. 

I was accepted to two fully funded programs (not clinical, but that wasn't my chief interest). IMO the biggest thing is personality and fit with advisor. If you don't get any acceptances this year, I would advise practicing for interviews with mentors who can give you tips on self-presentation.....are you an active listener? Are there ways in which you could be more friendly/open? 

Additionally, I count myself lucky in that I have worked in front of people for a LONG time. During that time, I've learned that little things in terms of your appearance go a long way! I'm not talking about a major cosmetic overhaul, but make sure you're taking care of yourself and that this reflects in your self-presentation. 

Little tips:
Put on those crest whitestrips for a week before interviewing - everyone appreciates a nice smile! Make sure you look good in your interview pants and shirt - don't starve yourself or feel the need to hustle in to the gym, but DO make sure that your outfit fits you at your current size well. It seems obvious, but I noticed at interviews that a lot of students seemed to overlook these details. Remember, you are essentially interviewing for a 100k grant if you are going for full funding: spend the 50$ on making sure your smile looks nice, and the extra money for a well fitting outfit if you need to (mine ran me about 120$). I am *not* rich, but I do believe that little investments like this pay off.

[patricia25]

Okay, so I have a dilemma if anyone has any advice for me... I’ve been accepted to 3 schools (only holding on to 3 because one has yet to send the official offer, once I receive the official offer I will release the other 2). However, I was randomly invited to interview with a school at the end of February, asking if I was still interested (I’m almost positive they had already had their official interviews and this was a last minute invite of some kind). However, because of their spring break, and now COVID 19, they are unable to set up an official date with me for when this interview will be. What I’m nervous about now is meeting the April 15 deadline for my decision due to all of these delays - does anyone know if they might plan to extend this deadline? Or any tips on what I should do?

[MyAmygdalaDoesn'tLikeThis]

Could anyone who heard from Western Michigan University post interview message me please!

[ROGERthat22]

On 1/26/2020 at 9:49 AM, Psychintraining said:

I also declined Wright State’s offer back in 2018 (which meant I chose to get a masters instead and am now applying to balanced PhDs this round)! This is really interesting (and validating) to me that I’m not the only one who felt something off with the program enough to forgo doctoral study rather than go there. It’s surprising since their match rates are great but idk, the students seemed miserable, the program was SO disorganized, and Dayton is so bleh. What made you decide to turn down your offer?

That is so interesting that I wasn't the only one. Send me a message and we can discuss further!!

[ROGERthat22]

Anyone accepted into Spalding's PsyD program? I just accepted!

[Mbp213]

Sending love and peace to y’all! This is such a wild time, and so many of us were already in such a state of uncertainty about our futures with waiting to hear back about acceptances, funding, etc. All I know is there will definitely be higher demand for psychologists after all this ? Be well!! ?

[FingersCrossed58]

Has anyone heard back from University of Virginia for clinical (not curry school)