Do I seem like a competitive application for Counseling and Clinical Psych PhD programs? How can I improve my application? Help me please!

[psychapplication990]

My stats

• 3.9 GPA from well-ranked school

• Worked in several labs for 3 years of undergrad

  • For one summer, I worked in a developmental psych lab and a couples research lab, coding data, entering/managing data, recruiting and communicating with participants

  • I worked in another lab for 3 years, where I first assisted with ongoing studies and then did independent research about perceptions of LGBTQ individuals (the same project I mentioned above)

  • During my junior and senior years, I worked on independent research which I presented twice as a first author, and I also worked on the manuscript throughout that time. I am currently finishing running follow-up studies for that project after which we are planning to try and get it published. This is why I didn't do a senior thesis - I was already working on this project and wanted to stick to that timeline. I am planning to use this as a writing sample as well.

  • Worked in a lab for 1 year on a public health intervention to do with child well-being. I am still assisting on this project and will be a co-author as well as a first-author presenter at a conference next year.

• Clinical experience: 3 internships working at hospitals & private practices, worked with data and with various youth clinical populations

• Currently working as a full-time research coordinator at a lab that is will in line with my interests (mental health in minority populations)

• Most likely, I would have 6 conference presentations by the time I apply. (This could potentially be a bit less if one of them falls through. I've done 2 so far, and I have plans to do 4 more in my current positions). 

• I will most likely have 3-4 pubs when I apply. I would be first author on 2 of those publications with my current plans. None of these are published yet, though. I am going to be a co-author on the public health intervention paper, and a first author on the paper about LGBTQ stereotypes & perceptions (this project is still ongoing, as it as a sequence of 4 studies). Both are in preparation right now. I also am planning to be involved in 2-3 papers at my current positions.

• About me: I am passionate about understanding mental health outcomes in minority populations (specifically, disabled individuals, racial/ethnic minorities, and queer individuals), and I would like to continue researching these topics as well as working with minority youth as a clinician, eventually. I am planning to apply to counseling and clinical psych PhD programs (probably more counseling programs than clinical programs), and ideally would work in a lab that looks at mental health in minority populations (sexual minorities and/or racial/ethnic minorities). I am honestly extremely stressed and feel inadequate. Do I seem competitive, and does anyone have advice how I can improve my application?

[PsyDuck90]

Overall, your profile looks solid. The main thing is to make sure you are applying to faculty with a good research match and you explain your research interests clearly in your SOP. Also, just given the high level of competitiveness for clinical/counseling PhDs, make sure you are applying broadly (as in, not just applying to schools in NYC/Chicago/other desirable cities) and to enough programs (just statistically speaking, if a mentor takes only 1 student per year, then that means a low rate of acceptance for that 1 mentor).