*I is stressed* venting thread for Fall 2020 Applicants

[florafauna]

The waiting is killing me. I am an alternate, and I'm wondering as more and more time goes by, are my chances decreasing as well? The school didn't elaborate on high/med/low alternate, so I'm not sure where I place. 

[Psyche1988]

8 minutes ago, florafauna said:

The waiting is killing me. I am an alternate, and I'm wondering as more and more time goes by, are my chances decreasing as well? The school didn't elaborate on high/med/low alternate, so I'm not sure where I place. 

I’m in the same boat here and it’s killing me. Even I have no idea where I stand on the waitlist. I don’t know how I will wait till April 15

[florafauna]

SAME! It's been over 3 weeks now, and while I want to know, I don't want to email them to ask. 

[-Resilience-]

I hate waiting as well... The school I am waiting for has multiple alternate lists based on faculty/research interests so they cannot tell me whether I'm high, medium or low on the waitlist... checking my email every few hours is driving me nuts!! 

At this point I just wanna know!!! 

[justacigar]

Yeah, I concur with you all! I recently emailed for an update and although there has been some movement, my POI's turn to admit another student hasn't come around yet. The wait is absolutely killer. The uncertainty is terrible!!

I did see a stat recently that like 50% of admitted students end up coming from on the waitlist...hoping I'll eventually make it into the 50%!

[Yep]

2 hours ago, justacigar said:

Yeah, I concur with you all! I recently emailed for an update and although there has been some movement, my POI's turn to admit another student hasn't come around yet. The wait is absolutely killer. The uncertainty is terrible!!

I did see a stat recently that like 50% of admitted students end up coming from on the waitlist...hoping I'll eventually make it into the 50%!

Yeah idk where you saw that stat but idk if that is true. Most high level programs get their first choices and most psyd programs go into waitlist batch of students and so does low tier programs. Just for example, my program offer 5 offers and all first choices took it so quickly that waitlist people got a waitlist email one day and a rejection email a week later.

 

I wish you the best, waitlist absolutely suck especially the fact that they waitlist multiple people for the same POI.

[clinicalpsych.2022]

I feel you guys!! ^^ I interviewed at 2 PsyD programs and 1 Clinical PhD program and I decided after some self-reflection to turn down both PsyD offers because interviewing at the PhD program showed me I need to follow my love for research.. The PROBLEM is now I have 0 offers to keep me warm at night and I am a high alternate on the Clinical PhD waitlist. Am I crazy???  

[Yep]

14 minutes ago, clinicalpsych.2020 said:

I feel you guys!! ^^ I interviewed at 2 PsyD programs and 1 Clinical PhD program and I decided after some self-reflection to turn down both PsyD offers because interviewing at the PhD program showed me I need to follow my love for research.. The PROBLEM is now I have 0 offers to keep me warm at night and I am a high alternate on the Clinical PhD waitlist. Am I crazy???  

NOT AT ALL! If you are motivated go for that PHD it’s worth it!

[Psychological Yam]

ugh... just venting quick but super bummed out right now. i've been waiting to hear from my top choice about funding via a fellowship and just found out i wasn't awarded it, so therefore, they can't accept me unless someone else declines. i'm also next in line on the waitlist at my 2nd choice. my third choice accepted me at the end of january but i don't feel right accepting because i know that i would want to go to one of the other two if i got accepted off the waitlist. i know i have until april 15th to make a decision but i feel bad that i'm potentially preventing someone on the waitlist at my third choice from getting accepted. this waiting game really sucks.

[justacigar]

17 hours ago, Itzik said:

Yeah idk where you saw that stat but idk if that is true. Most high level programs get their first choices and most psyd programs go into waitlist batch of students and so does low tier programs. Just for example, my program offer 5 offers and all first choices took it so quickly that waitlist people got a waitlist email one day and a rejection email a week later.

 

I wish you the best, waitlist absolutely suck especially the fact that they waitlist multiple people for the same POI.

I think "high level" is the key component there. I wouldn't say the school I'm an alternate at is high level necessarily. It's a great program, but I could definitely see applicants choosing to go to another program if they had multiple chances, given the location of the university. I at least know for sure that I am next in line for my POI - it doesn't sound like she has multiple people on her waitlist, though I could be wrong. Also, "alternate" and "waitlist" can mean different things too, I think. But I keep accidentally using them interchangeably lol

Hoping it works out! 

[HopelesslyDevoted]

1 hour ago, Psychological Yam said:

ugh... just venting quick but super bummed out right now. i've been waiting to hear from my top choice about funding via a fellowship and just found out i wasn't awarded it, so therefore, they can't accept me unless someone else declines. i'm also next in line on the waitlist at my 2nd choice. my third choice accepted me at the end of january but i don't feel right accepting because i know that i would want to go to one of the other two if i got accepted off the waitlist. i know i have until april 15th to make a decision but i feel bad that i'm potentially preventing someone on the waitlist at my third choice from getting accepted. this waiting game really sucks.

As someone who is #1 on two different waitlists at the moment with 0 offers, I don't think you should feel bad about preventing people from getting an offer at this point. Even though I know I won't be able to relax until April 15th when people start turning down offers, I get that it's stressful for everyone involved and that even those with offers have to deal with poor timing like this at the very least. This process is so ridiculously competitive that sometimes we just need to focus on ourselves and do what we can to make ourselves feel better. Hang in there, sending good vibes your way!

[UroboroS]

How do ya'll deal with waiting to hear back after interviewing?? Is it acceptable to follow up via email if it's past the date they said they'd contact you?

[psychpsychpsych]

9 hours ago, Psych1313 said:

How do ya'll deal with waiting to hear back after interviewing?? Is it acceptable to follow up via email if it's past the date they said they'd contact you?

Not sure how other people feel about this, but I would give it a couple days after the expected date (sometimes funding decisions get delayed or something), but ya I think it's fine to contact the PI or program coordinator!

[SocDevMum]

On 3/10/2020 at 12:23 AM, Psych1313 said:

How do ya'll deal with waiting to hear back after interviewing?? Is it acceptable to follow up via email if it's past the date they said they'd contact you?

If it's past the date they gave you, I would absolutely say it's ok to send a polite follow-up email. Delays happen (especially now with Coronovirus taking a lot of attention in campus leadership), and a gentle nudge might be all they need to send you their answer.  Good luck!

[collegegrad2014]

Hi everyone, 

Not sure if this would fit in this thread but I interviewed with a program about a month ago and I haven't received a rejection or acceptance. I know that some people received acceptances and other rejections. I'm not sure if I'm on a waitlist but when I reached out to the committee they said decisions would be mailed out mid-march/end of march. I emailed the POI I interviewed with about two weeks ago but I did not hear back from her. Do you think it would suitable to send another email to the POI or should I just assume a rejection and leave it be? 

Thanks,

Stressed Grad Student 

[socialneurofriend]

On 3/11/2020 at 12:57 PM, collegegrad2014 said:

Hi everyone, 

Not sure if this would fit in this thread but I interviewed with a program about a month ago and I haven't received a rejection or acceptance. I know that some people received acceptances and other rejections. I'm not sure if I'm on a waitlist but when I reached out to the committee they said decisions would be mailed out mid-march/end of march. I emailed the POI I interviewed with about two weeks ago but I did not hear back from her. Do you think it would suitable to send another email to the POI or should I just assume a rejection and leave it be? 

Thanks,

Stressed Grad Student 

The committee said mid-march/end of March, so if it were me, I'd wait until April 1st to send another email.

[FingersCrossed58]

If I haven't heard back from a school I interviewed with yet, is that a disastrous sign?

I interviewed the last week of feb and they said upfront that their process would be slow but I'm getting so so anxious. The PI made a point to let me know that he was interested in working with me and really excited about me, so the ghosting feels a little jarring. I emailed the PI on Monday and the department assistant yesterday and it's been radio silence. I know that everyone is super busy and everything right now but I'm just so nervous and stressed about it. I also follow him on twitter and see that he's posting and whatnot, which I wish I didn't know. I just want this process to be over. ? 

[justacigar]

On 3/26/2020 at 7:58 AM, FingersCrossed58 said:

If I haven't heard back from a school I interviewed with yet, is that a disastrous sign?

I interviewed the last week of feb and they said upfront that their process would be slow but I'm getting so so anxious. The PI made a point to let me know that he was interested in working with me and really excited about me, so the ghosting feels a little jarring. I emailed the PI on Monday and the department assistant yesterday and it's been radio silence. I know that everyone is super busy and everything right now but I'm just so nervous and stressed about it. I also follow him on twitter and see that he's posting and whatnot, which I wish I didn't know. I just want this process to be over. ? 

I currently work in academia, and I can say with firsthand experience that the current academic climate, especially for professors, is kind of insane. Profs are having to move entire courses online, potentially learn new platforms, try to troubleshoot novel problems with students, etc etc. I am just a lecturer and it has been incredibly stressful to move courses online. All this to say, I would be patient, and hope to hear back from someone in the department soon. Especially because the POI gave you such encouraging feedback. Don't give up hope yet!

[PsyDuck90]

On 3/26/2020 at 10:58 AM, FingersCrossed58 said:

If I haven't heard back from a school I interviewed with yet, is that a disastrous sign?

I interviewed the last week of feb and they said upfront that their process would be slow but I'm getting so so anxious. The PI made a point to let me know that he was interested in working with me and really excited about me, so the ghosting feels a little jarring. I emailed the PI on Monday and the department assistant yesterday and it's been radio silence. I know that everyone is super busy and everything right now but I'm just so nervous and stressed about it. I also follow him on twitter and see that he's posting and whatnot, which I wish I didn't know. I just want this process to be over. ? 

Decisions aren't solely those of the PI. I know that in my program, even though it's a mentorship model, the program needs to vote and then the graduate dean needs to approve before the offers can come through. There are a lot of moving parts outside of the faculty member's control you have to remember. Add on universities shutting down due to COVID-19, and I'm not surprised there are delays. 

[psychpsychpsych]

Hi everybody

I hope that wherever you are in the world that you are safe and doing okay. This is a stressful time for the world, and to sound very self-focused, it's been also hard to juggle thinking about next steps in our academic careers. March/April time is really when things either come together or fall apart for us trying to get into PhD programs. In the midst of COVID and the world, society, families, friends all preoccupied with it, it does kind of seem to hampers our current academic success or struggles. I guess I am hoping that this message reaches those people who have either figured out where they will be going and to commend you on how far you've come, because it has not been an easy journey. But at the same time, I want to tell those people who are still figuring it out or just, honestly, so frustrated with the system and looking for something to keep you going.

PhD is just one of those things that is very hard to explain to other people why you are working so hard to get into these programs, why you love what you do that you essentially give up a normal life, what it really means to get into a (or many) program(s) that you are really happy to attend, among other things. It's so hard not to give up. It's so hard during undergrad to stay up one more night preparing for an exam or paper, it's so hard caring about the GRE even though there is no place in academia for it, it's so hard not to be named a co-author on a paper even though you did most of the work, the list could go on and on. I hope this message gives you some piece of motivation to keep going, because we all have been there. We all have asked ourselves these questions and felt down, sad, self-depreciating, depressed, anxious, and sometimes all you can do is cry. But I hope that you keep going and don't give up on your dream to do PhD! It's your dream, keep working hard for your dream

Congrats to everybody who has gotten into the program they wanted to get in! And I hope people still pursuing PhD that you don't give up, you can do this!

Edited April 11, 2020 by psychpsychpsych

[vlynn103]

I was invited to interview at my dream school and was told by my POI that I was a perfect fit and he would accept me, but he wasn't accepting a student this year ?? I accepted an offer at another school but it kills me inside that I was so close to my perfect program.

[Phil4192]

Hi everyone! I need some advice and clarity as to what my next step will be. I got an interview to my top choice program, but was ultimately rejected (which hurt because I worked in this lab as an undergrad and the POI even wrote one of my LOR- so, I thought she really wanted me in her lab, but apparently not).

As we all know, this application process is incredibly stressful and emotionally exhausting. Being a clinical psychologist is my dream, but I’m also trying to be realistic. There are hardly any research opportunities in my area, especially since I’m no longer in school. I’ve considered going straight to a local CMHC masters program because I know I would have more research/publication opportunities there, and then trying for my clinical PhD again afterwards. What do you think? 

If it matters, my ultimate career goal is to assess and treat low-SES children’s behavior disorders (oppositional defiant disorder for example) and other problems that come from Adverse Childhood Experiences and other forms of trauma. 

[justacigar]

30 minutes ago, Phil4192 said:

Hi everyone! I need some advice and clarity as to what my next step will be. I got an interview to my top choice program, but was ultimately rejected (which hurt because I worked in this lab as an undergrad and the POI even wrote one of my LOR- so, I thought she really wanted me in her lab, but apparently not).

As we all know, this application process is incredibly stressful and emotionally exhausting. Being a clinical psychologist is my dream, but I’m also trying to be realistic. There are hardly any research opportunities in my area, especially since I’m no longer in school. I’ve considered going straight to a local CMHC masters program because I know I would have more research/publication opportunities there, and then trying for my clinical PhD again afterwards. What do you think? 

If it matters, my ultimate career goal is to assess and treat low-SES children’s behavior disorders (oppositional defiant disorder for example) and other problems that come from Adverse Childhood Experiences and other forms of trauma. 

You said assess and treat - do you want to do research at all? I am a master's level clinician and was doing that sort of work. The reason I'm going back for a PhD is because I realized I wanted to be more research focused. If you want to engage in mainly clinical work with that population, you don't need a PhD, so the masters program could provide you with all opportunities needed. Also, if you do for sure want a PhD, you need to be sure the master's program has research opportunities. I got my masters in clinical psychology and we did zero research.

[Phil4192]

2 minutes ago, justacigar said:

You said assess and treat - do you want to do research at all? I am a master's level clinician and was doing that sort of work. The reason I'm going back for a PhD is because I realized I wanted to be more research focused. If you want to engage in mainly clinical work with that population, you don't need a PhD, so the masters program could provide you with all opportunities needed. Also, if you do for sure want a PhD, you need to be sure the master's program has research opportunities. I got my masters in clinical psychology and we did zero research.

I do enjoy research, but I am not looking to spend my life in academia as a professor or anything like that. I am definitely more focused on clinical work. I applied for a clinical PhD fresh out of undergrad because I felt that it would give me more career options and I would be able to offer a wider variety of services to the population I want to work with. The PhD would also allow me to diagnose and work with children who have more severe mental illnesses/ behavior disorders, correct? 

[justacigar]

4 hours ago, Phil4192 said:

I do enjoy research, but I am not looking to spend my life in academia as a professor or anything like that. I am definitely more focused on clinical work. I applied for a clinical PhD fresh out of undergrad because I felt that it would give me more career options and I would be able to offer a wider variety of services to the population I want to work with. The PhD would also allow me to diagnose and work with children who have more severe mental illnesses/ behavior disorders, correct? 

Not necessarily - I know plenty of masters level clinicians that work with severely impaired children and families with intense trauma histories. A lot of that work is done in community clinics or with MediCal clients (in CA). As a masters clinician you can diagnose as well, at least in CA, and I think it would be the same in other states too. I think the major difference is there are some assessments you might not be able to administer, but that would be rare. 

Do you have a mentor you can discuss this with? Might be helpful!