*I is stressed* venting thread for Fall 2020 Applicants

[Justice4All]

7 minutes ago, PsychPhdBound said:

It's probably for the same reason that we all apply to so many places. They want to make sure they have options and find the best fit candidate, and for some that's hard to do over Skype. Definitely frustrating! But I kind of get it. I was at an interview where there were 6 of us for one slot and I got waitlisted. But that just means the PI felt a stronger connection with someone else, so what can you do.

That's a good perspective! I felt like 9-12 was a bit excessive, but I can definitely see how a program would want to just ensure that they are finding the right fit with an applicant. In the end, I'll just choose to trust the process and not sweat it! 

[Grad_School_Hopeful]

20 hours ago, stressssed said:

Created just an account just to post this: I had an interview this weekend for my top school and there were SEVEN people being interviewed to work with my desired PI, including myself. This isn't taking into consideration that they had a second interview day, so there were likely more potential students that were interviewed the day I didn't attend. I have faith in my abilities and how I presented myself, but it also sucked knowing that I still had so many people to compete against. It's my first year applying, and I'm not too familiar with how the process works, but from scouring these forums I'm led to believe that this situation isn't typical.

Unfortunately that's not at all uncommon but definitely frustrating. I think it's great that you're confident in how you presented yourself and your abilities, that's usually the hardest part for me when I know there are a bunch of other qualified people I'm competing against. Love your username by the way. 

[SocDevMum]

On 2/18/2020 at 7:25 AM, PumaDuty said:

Anyone else married or in a committed relationship during this process? I feel so much more pressure because we need to choose a place that works for the both of us. I can’t wait until we know for sure!

Yup.  Married with kids (teenagers, 2 still at home).  We discussed the possibilities for a full year before applying anywhere - we had to consider schools, $$$, potential travel needs for all of us, plus what universities would be in-state wherever we landed that might have programs of interest to the teens.... it was a trip. I'm grateful to have a fully supportive family, and a husband who is flexible.  Now that it's all decided, everyone is very eager to finish this school year out and get moved. Me most of all!

[yikespsych]

On 2/14/2020 at 5:18 PM, 192020 said:

Did anyone else receive that UofL update email? If we're getting an update about offers coming in in the next coming weeks, is that a good sign? 

Update - I just received the update email, pretty sure it's the same one you did! Weird how it was sent out at different times. Keeping my fingers crossed for both of us....

[SocPsyPhDWannabe]

2 minutes ago, yikespsych said:

Update - I just received the update email, pretty sure it's the same one you did! Weird how it was sent out at different times. Keeping my fingers crossed for both of us....

Did you get an interview? I haven't heard a peep from them.

[mmmmcoffee]

hey folks, 

i'm having a LOT of trouble deciding between offers... i love my potential mentors and programs and happen to have great fit at my accepted institutions. also, i'm waiting on one more official offer which will make the decision harder....

any insights on how to decide? cog psych people - is there any good decision-making literature you can point me towards? lol

[yikespsych]

16 minutes ago, SocPsyPhDWannabe said:

Did you get an interview? I haven't heard a peep from them.

Yeah, I had interviewed with them at the end of January but heard nothing since then until this email (this is for clinical)

[SocPsyPhDWannabe]

4 hours ago, yikespsych said:

Yeah, I had interviewed with them at the end of January but heard nothing since then until this email (this is for clinical)

Gotcha! I applied social, so maybe the process is different? Just holding out hope as the rejection letters start flowing 

[Keepin'ItPositive]

Hi all! I know that this is a common talking point, but I would love some advice. I have recently been accepted at both my top PhD program and my top PsyD program. Both are fully funded and include stipends, so at this point the bulk of the decision is between which degree would be the best to pursue in the long run. At this point, I most likely see myself wanting to pursue a career in applied work. I would really appreciate some advice, especially because a large reason people seem to flock to PhD's over PsyD's is the funding, and that isn't a deciding factor in this case. Thanks y'all!  

[SoundofSilence]

6 hours ago, Keepin'ItPositive said:

Hi all! I know that this is a common talking point, but I would love some advice. I have recently been accepted at both my top PhD program and my top PsyD program. Both are fully funded and include stipends, so at this point the bulk of the decision is between which degree would be the best to pursue in the long run. At this point, I most likely see myself wanting to pursue a career in applied work. I would really appreciate some advice, especially because a large reason people seem to flock to PhD's over PsyD's is the funding, and that isn't a deciding factor in this case. Thanks y'all!  

First of all, congrats! That is awesome!

This might be an over-simplification, but if you are going for a mostly clinical career, a funded PsyD sounds awesome. 

Make sure you check internship match rates and completion rates for both. In theory, a PsyD should focus more on clinical training and be shorter in duration. 

A PhD makes more sense if you want to pursue a research or academic career. The reputation of the program/ supervisor pedigree is also important for future post-docs and academic positions.

Try and get a sense of where students of the program go after graduation - how many of them are licensed, how soon after graduation they get licensed, what types of roles they pursue, etc.

This should help clarify if the outcomes of the program match your career direction. 

[PsychPhdBound]

10 hours ago, Keepin'ItPositive said:

Hi all! I know that this is a common talking point, but I would love some advice. I have recently been accepted at both my top PhD program and my top PsyD program. Both are fully funded and include stipends, so at this point the bulk of the decision is between which degree would be the best to pursue in the long run. At this point, I most likely see myself wanting to pursue a career in applied work. I would really appreciate some advice, especially because a large reason people seem to flock to PhD's over PsyD's is the funding, and that isn't a deciding factor in this case. Thanks y'all!  

I would definitely look at completion rates and placements for each program, and then I'd pick the one that aligns best with my career goals (since all other things seem to be equal). And if all of that for some reason comes out a wash (with seems unlikely), then I'd start considering location preferences. Is one in a better climate? More affordable city? Closer to family? Etc. Good luck!! Definitely a nice "problem" to have, since it sounds like no matter where you end up you'll have a great experience!

[Keepin'ItPositive]

10 hours ago, SoundofSilence said:

First of all, congrats! That is awesome!

This might be an over-simplification, but if you are going for a mostly clinical career, a funded PsyD sounds awesome. 

Make sure you check internship match rates and completion rates for both. In theory, a PsyD should focus more on clinical training and be shorter in duration. 

A PhD makes more sense if you want to pursue a research or academic career. The reputation of the program/ supervisor pedigree is also important for future post-docs and academic positions.

Try and get a sense of where students of the program go after graduation - how many of them are licensed, how soon after graduation they get licensed, what types of roles they pursue, etc.

This should help clarify if the outcomes of the program match your career direction. 

Thank you!! There is a little part of me that wonders if I will end up wanting to pursue a career in academia, and I fear that pursuing the PsyD could limit my options in that area of the field. Both programs have strong match rates and completion rates, and are the same length of time. The hardest part of this decision has definitely been that both of the programs are amazing and would get me where I want to go--now just to figure out which degree will be my best fit!

[Keepin'ItPositive]

7 hours ago, PsychPhdBound said:

I would definitely look at completion rates and placements for each program, and then I'd pick the one that aligns best with my career goals (since all other things seem to be equal). And if all of that for some reason comes out a wash (with seems unlikely), then I'd start considering location preferences. Is one in a better climate? More affordable city? Closer to family? Etc. Good luck!! Definitely a nice "problem" to have, since it sounds like no matter where you end up you'll have a great experience!

Thank you for your help! I am definitely grateful for the opportunities. I'm gonna have to start weighing location into the decision as well I believe!

[andhowdoesthatmakeyoufeel]

For anyone who has received rejections after interviews, how did that go? Did you still hear from the PI, or did you have to wait for a generic graduate school rejection? 

[Psych20]

1 hour ago, Keepin'ItPositive said:

Thank you!! There is a little part of me that wonders if I will end up wanting to pursue a career in academia, and I fear that pursuing the PsyD could limit my options in that area of the field. Both programs have strong match rates and completion rates, and are the same length of time. The hardest part of this decision has definitely been that both of the programs are amazing and would get me where I want to go--now just to figure out which degree will be my best fit!

If you're considering a career in academia, then I'd suggest the PhD because it allows for more flexibility post graduation. Assuming you don't mind the longer process and the addition of research while in the PhD program. I decided to go for my masters first, thinking I wanted to go the clinical route. I'm so glad I didn't jump into a PsyD immediately because now after a year and a half I love the research I'm doing as well as the prospect of teaching, so I decided on pursuing a PhD over a PsyD. 

[Keepin'ItPositive]

47 minutes ago, Psych20 said:

If you're considering a career in academia, then I'd suggest the PhD because it allows for more flexibility post graduation. Assuming you don't mind the longer process and the addition of research while in the PhD program. I decided to go for my masters first, thinking I wanted to go the clinical route. I'm so glad I didn't jump into a PsyD immediately because now after a year and a half I love the research I'm doing as well as the prospect of teaching, so I decided on pursuing a PhD over a PsyD. 

Thank you that's really helpful! I'm starting to think I could have a similar experience and that the world of academia could become more compelling to me as a career option as I get started in research. Thanks for sharing your experience.  

[Psych1st]

So basically my program has 5 spots but 9 professors interviewed. My POI said they are low on the list, and essentially as people decline offers, the next professor can make an offer. It's been a month since the interview and I've heard nothing. I know being patient is important but it's getting to be difficult. What if I'm waiting but I'm not even the first on my PI's list? What if they don't even get to make an offer? I just want to know one way or the other and I really don't want to wait until April to find out. 

[Cantremembermyusername]

4 hours ago, andhowdoesthatmakeyoufeel said:

For anyone who has received rejections after interviews, how did that go? Did you still hear from the PI, or did you have to wait for a generic graduate school rejection? 

I got rejected after an interview last year, I got an email from the program director but it was pretty standard. They also spelled my name wrong which I think is pretty disrespectful considering I came in for two days of interviews. My main PI was not part of the admissions committee though - perhaps if she was I may have heard from her directly. Good luck! 

[saludmental]

I know the answer to this question is probably "it depends" but I was curious to how important the name/recognition of the school impacts obtaining an APA internship or future job? I am assuming that if you do well at any university and get things published, then you won't have any trouble in the future. I was extended an offer to a school that is not ranked in any aspect, but I love the program so much and my POI, so I think I will be able to excel and form meaningful relationships there. What do you guys think? Do you think the name of the school matters?

[PsyDuck90]

40 minutes ago, saludmental said:

I know the answer to this question is probably "it depends" but I was curious to how important the name/recognition of the school impacts obtaining an APA internship or future job? I am assuming that if you do well at any university and get things published, then you won't have any trouble in the future. I was extended an offer to a school that is not ranked in any aspect, but I love the program so much and my POI, so I think I will be able to excel and form meaningful relationships there. What do you guys think? Do you think the name of the school matters?

Rankings don't really mean much in clinical/counseling psych. Look at the student outcomes data. Schools are required to report APA internship match rates. 

[Psych1st]

Week 4 has ended, no updates, feeling sad 

[Psychedbeyondrepair]

Had such a strange interview yesterday. It truly defined the concept of “best fit” for me. I left there feeling ok with that rejection. Starting to get nervous as I have 2 interviews left  and the program I felt I was the best fit for waitlisted me after interviewing. 

This process has been so exhausting, it’s my second application round and now I’m battling the flu. I don’t know if I can do this a third time. How do people stay motivated? 

[Yep]

2 hours ago, Psychedbeyondrepair said:

Had such a strange interview yesterday. It truly defined the concept of “best fit” for me. I left there feeling ok with that rejection. Starting to get nervous as I have 2 interviews left  and the program I felt I was the best fit for waitlisted me after interviewing. 

This process has been so exhausting, it’s my second application round and now I’m battling the flu. I don’t know if I can do this a third time. How do people stay motivated? 

I feel your pain. I guess how I stayed motivated was I saw incremental progress through each cycle 

1st: no interviews 5 programs

2nd: 3 interviews 10 programs

3rd 9 interviews 4 acceptances 20 programs

also it’s important to maybe apply to programs that’s aren’t as ideal as fully funded to raise your chances of getting in

 

[379337933793]

2 hours ago, Psychedbeyondrepair said:

Had such a strange interview yesterday. It truly defined the concept of “best fit” for me. I left there feeling ok with that rejection. Starting to get nervous as I have 2 interviews left  and the program I felt I was the best fit for waitlisted me after interviewing. 

This process has been so exhausting, it’s my second application round and now I’m battling the flu. I don’t know if I can do this a third time. How do people stay motivated? 

I had a similar experience with one of my interviews. The whole experience was bizarre/Lynchian/unsettling. However, I feel like it was good to see what a 'bad' (for me) program looks like in comparison to my other interviews. 

It's been a month since my top choice interview and I haven't heard anything or seen anything on this website so I'm beginning to think I'll need to apply again...how I will stay motivated is a mystery. I've always been very active and self motivated but I think this might be the first time in my life I'm experiencing burnout. A big concern is figuring out what to do for the next year to strengthen an application. I've started applying for different full time jobs on the assumption I'm not getting in this round

[xChrisx]

1 minute ago, 379337933793 said:

I had a similar experience with one of my interviews. The whole experience was bizarre/Lynchian/unsettling. However, I feel like it was good to see what a 'bad' (for me) program looks like in comparison to my other interviews. 

It's been a month since my top choice interview and I haven't heard anything or seen anything on this website so I'm beginning to think I'll need to apply again...how I will stay motivated is a mystery. I've always been very active and self motivated but I think this might be the first time in my life I'm experiencing burnout. A big concern is figuring out what to do for the next year to strengthen an application. I've started applying for different full time jobs on the assumption I'm not getting in this round

No news could be good news. I think you should bite the bullet and email the DCT.