No research experience...help

[jconroy11]

I will be graduating from Vassar College in May.  My grades are pretty good, GPA is 3.73.  GRE score above 155 in Math and 169 on Verbal.  I had an internship in a psych hospital for the summer.  Is there any chance of getting into a PhD program without research experience?  If so, which ones.  I am also willing to go for psyd.  Any advice??

Thanks

Jen

[nugget]

I'm curious to know why you are in such a hurry to begin your PhD. If you only apply to schools that will be more forgiving of your lack of research experience then you might miss out on some really good schools and scholarships. If I were in your shoes, I would take a year or two off to acquire research experience. Do you have some free time this year to get some experience part time?.

 

While I'm not in your field of interest, I have some friends who are. From what I hear it seems that a PsyD program would be easier for you to get into. But it is less prestigious than a PhD in clinical psych and may limit your career opportunities.

 

If you can achieve your career goals and objectives with a PsyD and don't want to take a break for a year or two, then by all means apply to PsyD programs and see what happens. Best of luck to you.

Edited September 7, 2014 by jenste

[jconroy11]

Thanks for the advice.  I would rather keep going and am going to apply to PsyD programs as well.  The end result is I want to be a psychologist, hopefully in private practice who specializes in anxiety and depression.....both of which I am starting to feel

[gellert]

You will not get into any Ph.D. programs without research experience, so save your money.  Not to mention, Ph.D. programs, even in clinical, are predominantly research-based - so if you don't like research (and as you are unwilling to take two years off to do research, I assume you do not), you will not have a very good time.

 

I'm not sure if PsyD programs require research experience; they are less competitive, but given the number of applicants to grad schools these days, I wouldn't be surprised if they do. 

 

If you want to be a psychologist so badly, why not take time off?  Programs will still be there in two years, and you will have saved more money (which you'll need to pay for the expensive PsyD programs) and will have a much better chance of getting in somewhere. 

Edited September 8, 2014 by gellert

[spunky]

You will not get into any Ph.D. programs without research experience, so save your money. 

 

i wrote a paragraph, read this and decided it pretty much summarized everything i had said. 

 

so... ditto that. 

[lyrehc]

You're probably more likely to get into an EdPsy program but it may not take you to where you want. 

[jconroy11]

In the long run, I want to be a psychologist, hopefully with a private practice.

[nugget]

In the long run, I want to be a psychologist, hopefully with a private practice.

 

Well then now you know what to do to get there. I think all of the above comments contain sound advice. Best of luck to you.

Edited September 10, 2014 by jenste

[when]

I think if you're keen on applying this year and can afford the expenses, go ahead. It's a good learning experiences, and although I agree that you would be extremely lucky to get into any clinical program without any research experience (not least because supervisors will be reluctant to take someone on who may just drop out because they have no idea what research is about), there is no harm in trying. And if you don't get admitted this time around, I would strongly suggest spending the next year volunteering in labs that do research in your area of interest and can write you good letters of recommendation.

[Applemiu]

In the long run, I want to be a psychologist, hopefully with a private practice.

 

You can also get a master in Social Work and get licensed as a LCSW.

[Applemiu]

I will be graduating from Vassar College in May.  My grades are pretty good, GPA is 3.73.  GRE score above 155 in Math and 169 on Verbal.  I had an internship in a psych hospital for the summer.  Is there any chance of getting into a PhD program without research experience?  If so, which ones.  I am also willing to go for psyd.  Any advice??

Thanks

Jen

 

Actually a friend of mine got into the Long Island University Phd program with the same kind of background (one clinical internship). She also got some other offers. So definitely apply! Even if you don't get in anywhere, having applied will help you tremendously next cycle.

[jconroy11]

thanks for some positive news... I was beginning to feel like I shouldn't even bother...

[nugget]

thanks for some positive news... I was beginning to feel like I shouldn't even bother...

 

I hope you did not misunderstand some of the advice given above. We do not think you should not bother at all. Just not right away, without any research experience. Your GPA is great. I think you are in too much of a hurry to get on with your career. If you take 2 years to acquire research experience (or even get some in this year part time while in undergrad, followed by another year of full time experience) then you should be a solid applicant, with some great reference letters, GRE scores and a strong SOP to complete the package.

 

If you are serious about this, take the time needed to gain research skills. At the end of your career when you are 65 years old, you will not notice that 2 year delay to get into the field, trust me on this.

 

(Note: I assumed you are in your 20s and do not have a family or children, as this fits the profile of many grad school applicants. If my assumptions are wrong, then I retract my comments as this is a huge time commitment and it may not be worth sacrificing this time that could be spent with your family). Whatever decision you end up making, I wish you the best of luck!

Edited September 17, 2014 by jenste

[jconroy11]

I didn't take offense at any advice, no worries.  I think I am actually more worried about finding a research job then I am getting into a grad school program.  I appreciate any and all advice given!

[nugget]

Glad to hear that. Some people start out by volunteering 5 hours per week for a couple of semesters to gain experience. This makes it much easier to find a paid job later on. Others ask profs they have a good rapport with, who have similar academic interests and whose classes they've done well in. If you don't speak up much in class and your profs don't know who you are, take the opportunity to connect with them. Ask questions in class, chat with them after class or during their office hours on occasion about something discussed in class or ask about their research so they know who you are and have a good impression of you as a keen and bright student. One of them might end up employing you next year.

Edited September 18, 2014 by jenste

[juilletmercredi]

One thing that was briefly mentioned is that PsyD programs usually do not offer funding, so you will have to borrow pretty much the entire cost of attendance to go to one.  You don't really want to do that, because that's six-figure debt, and clinical psychologists don't make six-figure salaries (at least not early in their careers).

 

Yes, it's still early in the year, so if you are a senior at Vassar I would look up the research interests of your professors and ask one of them if you can assist them with some research.  Jannay Morrow does some work on mood disorders and mental control, and Michele Tugade does research on positive emotions and the coping process, which could be related to mental health.  Either of them might be a good choice for a future clinician.

 

After acquiring 9 months of research experience, at the end of your senior year you may be able to apply for lab manager positions/project coordinator/research associate positions in university labs and other kinds of organizations to get more experience.