Junior with 3.4 gpa

[Smith/j]

Hi everyone,

I just finished my junior year with a 3.4 gpa, psych gpa 3.7 and I am planning on applying to clinical psychology PhD programs this fall. My question is since my gpa is low should I wait till I graduate or I have a chance to get accepted?

Extra note about me. 

3 internships, to clinical one research, and i am working on a poster presentation hopefully by end of the year. 
one year RA experience and present.

Taking GRE test end of next month.

[3rdgenpsych]

I would get an RA job for a year or two after you graduate and then apply. It makes you a lot more competitive, gives you lots of research and sometimes clinical experience as well which is what programs want to see. If you are able to get enough experience and even get a publication or two from the RA position, it will help your application a lot. Also make sure your GRE scores are competitive. This will show programs that even if your GPA is low, you can handle graduate school work.

Best of luck! 

[justacigar]

Depending on what you are hoping to study, clinical experience doesn't really hold as much weight as you think it would. It's great to have some clinical experience, but it seems like you need to beef up your research experience and try to get some posters/pubs on your CV. I say this as someone who applied for the first time a few years ago with a similar background (mostly clinical experience, one year of research experience, PLUS I had a masters) and had zero luck because I just wasn't competitive enough compared to folks that have multiple years of research work and pubs. 

I know it's frustrating when you are so ready to dive into graduate work, but I promise you the more varied experiences you get, the more solidified your interests become and it will make you a stronger applicant. 

[Arcadian]

Unless the application fees are going to make a dent in your funds, go ahead and apply, but also start looking for RA positions in the meantime. That way, no matter what happens, you'll be good.

If you don't apply, you'll always wonder "what if I had just applied? Maybe I would've been accepted."

If you apply and don't get accepted, you'll have no doubts in your mind, and you'll feel good about your RA work.

[Smith/j]

Not necessarily worried about Research experience because by the time I graduate I will have two years of experience as RA and two summer internships. This fall I am also working with one of my professors on a research project and I am taking a grad level seminar class ( its a presentation and research based class). The only worry that I have is my GPA, but I guess you are right I should just apply I could learn the dos and don'ts if nothing else.

[Dazen]

I agree with the above posters that it's worth applying this year to see what happens, but I would definitely still be thoughtful about research experience. While you'll have some solid experience by the time you apply, it's really the bare minimum to get accepted, especially without poster presentations at regional/national conferences or publications. Not trying to dissuade you, just putting things in perspective.