Chances of getting into Wayne State or UM Ann Arbor for neuropsych--anyone in either of these programs?

[psych_33]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm currently a senior getting ready to graduate a year from now. I'm not actually looking to apply to grad programs for about another year or two, but I'm looking to get an idea of what schools could be a good fit for me right now. I'm really interested in WSU and UM-AA for grad school, but I know these can be insanely competitive programs, so I'm wondering if anyone on here is in either program that could offer insight as to whether I stand a slim chance of getting in or not. Here's all of my "stats" for background:

 

Academic information:

• Undergrad institution: UM-Dearborn
• Major: Psychology; Minors: Music & German.
• Current GPA: 3.4 (should be higher by the time I graduate; I got all A's this semester, they just haven't been added into the system/calculated into my cumulative GPA yet, and I have about 9 more classes to take and I've gotten the most difficult courses out of the way already)
• When I graduate, I will graduate with a BA in psychology, with honors (having completed my own research project for an honors thesis.)

 

Work/research experience:

• I currently have a research internship at the UM Health Systems psychiatry-neuropsychology section (my supervisor/mentor there also graduated from WSU, so I could potentially get a great letter of rec from her.) They also want to hire me after I graduate, hence why I'd like to wait a year or two before applying to grad programs, in order to gain more research experience working at UMHS and build up my resume a little. I also use SPSS a great deal at my internship, which is a plus.
• I'm also currently a teaching assistant for a well-known tenured professor at UM-D for his psychology internship seminar course. My duties as a TA include: contacting internship sites, placing interns, doing site-visits, and grading the interns' assignments.
• I'm also currently a supplemental instructor, meaning I attend lectures of psych and soc courses that I've already taken, take notes like a model student, and hold two hour-long sessions a week for students to come in and review.
• It's not really relevant, but I also manage our campus radio station and I have been working there since January of 2010.
• Also, not extremely relevant, but I'll be teaching German to middle-school children at UM-Dearborn for UM's Gulo Gulo program next month.

Grad school/career interests:

• I'd like a PhD in clinical neuropsychology.
• I'd love to end up being a pediatric neuropsychologist, but I'm open to working with all age ranges, I just prefer children. I'm a neuropsych nerd though, I'm interested in all things neuropsychology, so I'd honestly be happy to attend any institution that has a great neuro program, I'm just leaning towards WSU and UM-AA because they're both good programs in great cities that I love. (I honestly do not wish to go to grad school outside of MI because I have two amazing siberian huskies and I wouldn't want to move and have to leave them behind with my mom, or take them with me out-of-state and have them be home alone while I'm gone at grad classes all day.)

 

So, anyone in either program that could offer insight? Is there anything I should be doing in preparation for either program that I might not be doing? Anything in particular that could give me an "edge" as an applicant? I do plan to take the psych GRE even though it is optional for both programs, and I also wish to retake the regular GRE next summer because I didn't have much time to study before I took it the first time around and I was sick the day I took it, so it was brutal and my scores came out barely above average. I also plan on contacting professors of interest about a year or so from now, but not quite yet since I won't be applying for a year or two and professors may go on sabbatical leaves or they may not be accepting more students by the time I apply. Anything else I should be doing? Do you think its possible that I have a chance at either program?

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I would really appreciate your feedback!

Edited April 24, 2014 by psych_33

[nessa]

why those two programs? Your grades and GREs need to be good, as you know, but more important is research experience & fit. Taking a year or two to work full-time in a lab and develop your research interests sounds like a good idea for you. While working, try to be as proactive as possible about getting involved in the studies, rather than just running subjects and submitting IRB proposals (which are important, but will not get you into grad school). Good luck!

[Cog-Neuro Guy]

I would add that one doesn't receive a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology - the degree itself would be conferred in clinical psychology with somewhere around 30 universities (give or take a little) providing an embedded "track" in which you can take courses in clinical neuropsychology, neuropathology, clinical neuropsychology assessment, etc. Your undergraduate background sounds great, so I wouldn't worry. I would focus on getting a good deal of clinical neuropsychology research and clinical experiences as this will set you apart from your competitors. I am sure you have heard the saying before; you would be trained first and foremost as a general clinical psychologist with an add emphasis in neuropsychology secondary to your general practitioner skills. Courses provide one avenue to become competent, however, an integration of a good deal of research (posters, manuscript), peer-reviewing manuscripts with your advisor and even providing neuropsychological assessments in a clinical setting would put you in a higher tier than those who completed some behavioral neuroscience and/or psychobiology courses during their undergrad. 

 

Hope this sheds some light. Good luck!

Edited April 25, 2014 by Cog-Neuro Guy

[psych_33]

why those two programs? Your grades and GREs need to be good, as you know, but more important is research experience & fit. Taking a year or two to work full-time in a lab and develop your research interests sounds like a good idea for you. While working, try to be as proactive as possible about getting involved in the studies, rather than just running subjects and submitting IRB proposals (which are important, but will not get you into grad school). Good luck!

I don't think you read my entire post. I explained why I picked those two programs (they're both great, in cities that I love, and I have siberian huskies that I don't want to leave behind/move out of state with) I also know they would be a good fit because I've looked up some of the current professors' research interests, and I like them all. (It's hard to find things I wouldn't want to study in psychology. I'm a true psych nerd. Haha.) I am definitely involved in my studies, I have had straight A's for the past three semesters, I just had a rough freshman year that weighed down a little on my GPA. Luckily, I still have this semesters' credits and my next 9 classes to factor in to my GPA before I graduate. I know the GRE is important, I plan on taking it after graduation so I can have more time to involve myself in preparing for it. Thank you for your comment.

[psych_33]

I would add that one doesn't receive a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology - the degree itself would be conferred in clinical psychology with somewhere around 30 universities (give or take a little) providing an embedded "track" in which you can take courses in clinical neuropsychology, neuropathology, clinical neuropsychology assessment, etc. Your undergraduate background sounds great, so I wouldn't worry. I would focus on getting a good deal of clinical neuropsychology research and clinical experiences as this will set you apart from your competitors. I am sure you have heard the saying before; you would be trained first and foremost as a general clinical psychologist with an add emphasis in neuropsychology secondary to your general practitioner skills. Courses provide one avenue to become competent, however, an integration of a good deal of research (posters, manuscript), peer-reviewing manuscripts with your advisor and even providing neuropsychological assessments in a clinical setting would put you in a higher tier than those who completed some behavioral neuroscience and/or psychobiology courses during their undergrad. 

 

Hope this sheds some light. Good luck!

Thank you, I know PhDs are in clinical with an emphasis in neuropsych, both WSU and UM-AA have clinical programs that allow neuro specialization. I'm currently working on research (not just for my honors thesis, but also to present posters at conferences, etc) and my internship is at a neuro clinic that places a heavy emphasis on research and they try to involve me in as many things as possible. Thank you for your reassurance that I'm on the right track.

[personalityresearcher]

[*]I'm also currently a teaching assistant for a well-known tenured professor at UM-D for his psychology internship seminar course !

Hmm...I didn't know Dr. Loeb was well-known.

(BTW if you're going for "famous" at that school might want to stick to Susana Pecina ...ask Robert Hymes, he'll tell you that)

Your position at U of M could be a big boost, provided I'm remembering correctly that it's in psychiatry/directly related to your interest.

You need those GRE scores up - 90th percentile both subsections, ideally.

Even with stellar scores, LORs, and a great SOP, don't get your hopes up for either school - they'd be plausible, but not necessarily likely, even for President Obama . It's clinical. They're both Tier 1 research schools - they're uber tough to get into - it's nothing about you per se. It's just how it works. But definitely apply - if things go as you anticipate, I'd say you'd have a shot.

TLDR other posts/replies :/

Aaaaaaaaaaand with this post I just blew my identity...for all the stalkers and chronically bored/procrastinators...

Edited April 25, 2014 by personalityresearcher

[nessa]

I don't think you read my entire post. I explained why I picked those two programs (they're both great, in cities that I love, and I have siberian huskies that I don't want to leave behind/move out of state with) I also know they would be a good fit because I've looked up some of the current professors' research interests, and I like them all. (It's hard to find things I wouldn't want to study in psychology. I'm a true psych nerd. Haha.) I am definitely involved in my studies, I have had straight A's for the past three semesters, I just had a rough freshman year that weighed down a little on my GPA. Luckily, I still have this semesters' credits and my next 9 classes to factor in to my GPA before I graduate. I know the GRE is important, I plan on taking it after graduation so I can have more time to involve myself in preparing for it. Thank you for your comment.

 

for a PhD program, you will want to have a relatively focused interest in one area of research, and have chosen your schools based on that focus. Although being interested in psych in general is great, you will want to demonstrate that you have narrowed your interests down to a few specific areas (child neuropsych is a good start, but will probably need to narrow down a bit further), and that people at the schools you are applying to work in those areas. Interest in schools based primarily on geography is generally a red flag- those are both great programs, but there are plenty of others outside of Michigan as well. I may be overly critical of this but schools will want to know where else you are applying, and may wonder if you only are applying to schools in Michigan. For schools like Michigan and Wayne State, it is all about research research research- experience and fit. That's what you should focus on to get in. Good luck!

[personalityresearcher]

I agree with the last post - you'd need to narrow that interest - e.g., are you interested in a certain disorder/symptom? A specific population? Treatment or etiology?

From my experience, there wasn't a lot of schools asking where else you applied. I don't think it'd be a red flag, provided you were able to demonstrate interest in something specific and there were researchers at the programs studying it.

As I'm sure you know, restricting yourself to a certain geographic location could make it significantly harder to get in somewhere. But it's a personal preference for some people, I guess.

Edited April 29, 2014 by personalityresearcher

[QASP]

Most people apply to ~12 clinical psychology programs, and many of those highly qualified people do not get in. I love dogs, AND the state of Michigan, but this is not a reasonable way to apply for graduate school in such a competitive field. Especially given that you have selected a competitive specialty within that field. If you are serious about getting a PhD in this field you may have to move.

 

The psych GRE is not going to give you an edge, the only reason to take it is if you are applying to schools that require it. The primary edge you can get is by having research interests that perfectly match up with your potential future mentors.