Do I even have a shot? PsyD and PhD programs in Clinical Psychology

[Biopsychosocialyzing]

I am applying to PhD and PsyD programs in Clinical and Counseling Psych. For personal reasons I can only apply in the New York area, I threw in 2 schools in PA thinking I might be able to drive there but it's logistically not really ideal. My GRE scores are horrid. I honestly highly doubt that my quant score will improve much. I haven't taken the test yet but in all practice exams I get about 141 - 145 (!!) in Quant and 160 - 162 in Verbal. So at least the verbal is promising. Thank GOD some programs don't require it this year but 3 I am applying to do, and 2 others "stronly" recommend submitting scores. I am feeling somewhat defeated and feel like I have no chance.

Bit of my background:

I have undergrad credits in political science (with a super bad GPA) from Europe but I never finished that one and moved to the US and finished my degree here with a better GPA (3.75), then I did a Masters in Counseling from NYU and graduated with a 4.0. I have 3 years of clinical experience working in a hospitals substance abuse outpatient clinic and in private practice for the past 3 years. I also worked in 2 research labs, in one I have been for almost 3 years now at NYU. I have 1 publication (possibly 2 soon) and lots of clinical trainings. 

These are the schools I am applying to: Yeshiva (PsyD Clinical Psych), Columbia (PhD Counseling Psych), LIU Brooklyn (PhD Clinical Psych), LIU Post (PsyD Clinical Psych), Pace (PsyD School-Clinical Psych), Rutgers (PsyD Clinical Psych), Widener University (PsyD Clinical Psych), LaSalle (PsyDClinical Psych)

Anyone feel like I have any chance with my background at these schools? Well except for Columbia  

Thanks!

[PsychApplicant2]

All of the advice I have been given about applying to Clinical PhD's was to never geographically restrict yourself. I think you have a good chance with your GPA and research experience, but you need to find a mentor that is a really good fit with your research interests. Plus, admissions is a crapshoot anyways. But if you can, try to apply to schools all over the country... geographically restricting yourself to one area isn't a good idea. 

[Psyche007]

PsychApplicant2 is right - don't constrain yourself unless you absolutely have to.

If I had applied nationally, I would have had to live away from wife and daughter for a few years. That wasn't something I wanted to do, so I had to apply to a single programme. It meant ignoring fully-funded programmes, which nearly everyone on here will tell you NOT to do, and for good reason. It meant ignoring R1 schools, which nearly everyone on here will tell you NOT to do, unless you have NO chance of an R1 even as a dream school. It meant not spending 2 years on a Master's degree to get formal research experience, posters, and publications.

I basically did everything 'wrong', but my life circumstances dictated it.

You have to ask yourself if once it's all said and done, will you be satisfied with the choices you've made? 

If you're applying locally, see if you can go to an open house and talk to some of the students. I did with my programme and it was invaluable. I made contacts and friends that have continued into my 2nd year. If you have mentors/POIs narrowed down, see if you can arrange five minutes to discuss their work and how it aligns with your interests. 

Be bold. Make it happen. At the end of the day, they still have to accept YOU and not just your credentials.

[Clinapp2017]

Usually people who say "I cannot apply for personal reasons to places outside of X" normally have solid reasons, so I trust you on it OP and don't. want to push extra hard like other posters. They are correct, though, that right out of the gate you limit your chances. NYC is one of the most sought  after areas to live in and some of the programs have stellar reputations (other ones are not well thought of at all -- do the research), meaning there will be floods of applications. What will distinguish you for a PhD program is research experience (which it sounds like you don't have?) and fit with the mentor(s) you apply to at the programs. PsyD models tend to reward clinical work more in post-bacc training, so you may be better positioned for these fields, though I am not a proponent of PsyD programs unless they are a good fit for the student AND the funding situation is good.

 

The thing to consider with all of these schools are what is the funding situation; do you have to pay tuition, or do you pay you a stipend? The change in earnings potential from MA in counseling given you are already working to doctorate (esp PsyD) is not that great... it gets even worse if you take on debt and shell out a large chunk of your monthly income to pay off the predatory student loans. If you have another income stream (partner, family) you may be fine, but I genuinely don't recommend people bank on other income streams.