Stats of Those Accepted into Counseling Psychology PhD Programs

[dontworrybehappy1995]

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. This was just a question for those individuals that have been accepted into or are currently in Counseling Psychology PhD programs, I was wondering what kind of stats you had in terms of GPA, GRE, research, EC's and so forth. I was just hoping to understand if there are areas where I can focus on for the next application cycle to help strengthen my application or if my current stats are good enough. Thank you so much in advance. 

[sunflowergirl97]

Hi! This was my second cycle so I'll share my stats and outcome from each. 

Cycle 1: Applied as undergrad 
GRE: 142 quant; 157 verbal; can't remember my writing score but i think it was a 4. 
GPA: 3.44/4
Research: I was apart of an NIH Grant funded program so I did lots of summer research programs, my own research projects with a faculty member on campus, and I presented at a handful of conferences and symposiums each year. 
ECs: member of Psi Chi, interned at some mental health sites, peer mentor on campus, worked in wellness center on campus, volunteered with NAMI  and other community sites. 
I applied to 11 Counseling programs and was rejected from all but one. Most of the schools that rejected me offered me a spot in their MA program. I ended up joining a Counseling MA program for more exp. 

Cycle 2: Applying 2nd year in my MA program 
Didn't retake the GRE because of COVID. Most of my schools did not ask for the scores either. 
GPA: 4.0/4
Research: Part time research assistant but no new presentations and no pubs. 
ECs: Student leadership, some volunteer hours (limited with COVID), community outreach at my internship site. 
I applied to three clinical psychology programs and three counseling programs. Outright rejections from all clinical programs. Three interview invites and then two acceptances both with funding. I will start my program in the fall. 

I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you wanna talk more 

[frazyfar]

GRE: 145Q; 155V; 6W. 6 of my 19 schools asked for GRE scores - received interview invites from 3 of those 6. These are estimates, I don't remember where I wrote down my ETS password
GPA: 3.8 BA; 3.9 MA
Research: 2 years at time of application; 1 pub under review (second author), 4 posters (2 first author, 2 third). Leading role on a study I helped design.
Clinical: ~280 direct contact clinical work from MA program. Full time salaried work in clinical role at a very prominent science institution, which definitely helped.
EC: Very involved in community service for the past five years but it's unrelated to psychology. Involved in student organizations since my BA, evidenced by significant leading roles. Two semesters of TA. Leadership award from faculty upon graduation from MA.