Apply Right Away or Gap Year

[neurologic]

I have 2 more years of my undergraduate degree to go and will be doing my Honours thesis next year. I will most likely be writing the GRE this summer and hope to get accepted to a Clinical Psychology program eventually. There's a grad student I am working with now who has offered to help me with my application and applying for funding.

I realized I may as well write the GRE this summer so I have time to retake if I need to. My GPA is competitive but will only improve as I take more classes. If I apply next year I will have my name on 2 posters, but if I wait another year there's a strong possibility I will have a publication or two as well.

Originally I was going to wait until I finished my degree, apply, and take a gap year. But the grad student seems to think I should apply next year. They will be leaving next year, which is why they're offering help now. Money is an issue for me, so I'm just trying to decide if it's worth to apply next year when I am a good applicant, or wait another year when I know I will be a great applicant? I was wondering what other people's experiences have been with situations like this? Also, if I don't apply next year, I will still accept the help to get some of my application ready, but I'm wondering what parts of the application it makes sense to get ready that far in advance?

[PsycUndergrad]

I wouldn’t place so much importance on whether this grad student will be available to help or not. It’s great that you have a mentor, but I don’t think you should base your decisions on it. Even if you decide to wait to apply, you can still get advice now or ask other people to comment on your application. 

I took a gap year because I needed more experience and to solidify my research interests. I’m glad I did, and honestly wished I had taken more time off when the business of grad school began. 

I don’t think it would hurt to apply next year as long as you personally feel ready, and are okay with potentially not getting into as strong of a program/needing to reapply. 

[springxsummer]

19 hours ago, neurologic said:

I have 2 more years of my undergraduate degree to go and will be doing my Honours thesis next year. I will most likely be writing the GRE this summer and hope to get accepted to a Clinical Psychology program eventually. There's a grad student I am working with now who has offered to help me with my application and applying for funding.

I realized I may as well write the GRE this summer so I have time to retake if I need to. My GPA is competitive but will only improve as I take more classes. If I apply next year I will have my name on 2 posters, but if I wait another year there's a strong possibility I will have a publication or two as well.

Originally I was going to wait until I finished my degree, apply, and take a gap year. But the grad student seems to think I should apply next year. They will be leaving next year, which is why they're offering help now. Money is an issue for me, so I'm just trying to decide if it's worth to apply next year when I am a good applicant, or wait another year when I know I will be a great applicant? I was wondering what other people's experiences have been with situations like this? Also, if I don't apply next year, I will still accept the help to get some of my application ready, but I'm wondering what parts of the application it makes sense to get ready that far in advance?

I am on my second application cycle. I aimed for counselling last cycle, and this year I am also applying to clinical. The entire process of applying and ultimately getting rejected was admittedly a little disheartening, but I do feel that going through the process once has set me up for a better chance of success this year. I know the process (at least for counselling), I have a better idea of what I want in a program, and I've learned from my mistakes last round. That being said, I think taking a year off can be incredibly valuable and it may be better to focus your energy on pursuing the opportunities you have in front of you right now instead of on writing applications. There's no "right" answer, really.

[_angua]

Only you can make this decision, but I will say that taking a year off can be super helpful if it increases your motivation and gives you time to really think about why you want to go to grad school and prepare your applications. I definitely did not regret taking the extra time (and also I was able to work and save up money for my move!)

[Aghhhhh]

I agree with mostly everyone here. Applying to grad school can be super expensive, and even more expensive if you need to fly out to interview sites. It is definitely worth it to take some time off to make some money, preferably while working in a research lab and gaining even more experience. If you know that your application will be even better and make you stand out as a competitive applicant, I'd say to wait another year! 

[BnTAcT]

I applied last year and got in to a program that ultimately I knew wasn't right for me. I really wish I hadn't of applied last year because it was a waste of time and money since I realistically didn't know EXACTLY what I wanted to do and I believe that showed in my applications. While your resume is impressive now, it will only get better AND you will have a better idea of what your ultimate goal is and what the best way to get there is. 

 

It is also very nice to have some time in my early twenties where I'm not stressed about school! 

 

Good luck!