Rejected from everywhere?

[Dazanfekte]

Ok, I think such a topic should also exist. 

 

I didn't get to any PhD program. I applied to 9 of them, 8 were in US. I'm now really trying to understand what I did wrong.

 

If anyone has the patience to give me insight I'd really appreciate it. Maybe some other people like me could also benefit from it. 

My purpose is to understand what I have been doing wrong. It is true that I should add more volunteer and practical training to my experiences, but I have been grabbing any opportunity in Poland despite language difficulties. For example, I have been on waiting list to volunteer in hospitals here since November, and I am told that there are no spaces available anywhere in this city until April. 

So in the meantime I have been trying to hook myself up with similar opportunities in my home country. Though travelling is very inconvenient at this moment. 

 

Here is how my CV look like - I have crossed out names and personal info:

 

I'm a female student from Iran. Would it matter what my nationality is? I don't know. 

 

 

Experiences:

 

2014 – 2015 Assisting MA student in Games Lab, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Polish Academy of Sciences

 

2013 – 2014 Laboratory of Brain Imaging, Neurobiology Centre, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Assisting MA student

 

 2013 – 2014 Investigator in a government-financed scientific grant , Neurobiology Centre, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences

 

2013 – 2014 Wola Hospital, Psychiatric Inpatient Ward, Student Traineeship ( two months)

 

2012 – 2013 Department of Neuropsychology, University of Warsaw, Volunteer in Rehabilitation traineeship with brain damaged patients (six months)

 

Education:

 

2010- 2014 – MA, Neuroscience and Neuropsychology (5 years program)

Warsaw International Studies in Psychology at Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Poland

GPA (4.3 / 5) 

 

2005- 2009 – BA, French Literature

Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature, University of Tehran, Iran

 

Honors & Awards:

 

2012 – Special Prize for Scientific and Cultural Achievements - The Best International Student in Poland. Perspektywy Educational Foundation

2012 – Best Language-related Article, Language Exchange International. Open Call For Language Related Articles

2005 – 2009 Top Student, University of Tehran.

2005 – Exceptionally Talented Student. Ministry of Education and Science. Acclaimed as the Exceptional Talent in the Nationwide. University of Iran Exam in Foreign Languages and Literature

 

Publications: 

 

3 publications under review in International journals, in the field of affective psychology.

1 leading author (Behavioral study) , 2 co-author (1 behavioral, 1 neuorimaging study)

 

Poster Presentations:

 

4 in total. International poster sessions in Poland, Australia, Israel.

 

Certificates:

 

2014 – Certificate of participation in Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy Institute of Training and Psychotherapy, Warsaw, Poland

2009 – Certificate of participation in Specialized Training of Behavioural Management of parents: Positive Child Rearing. Iranian Psychological Association, Tehran, Iran

2009 – Certificate of Participation in Specialized Training Course: Suicide and Intervention Methods. Iranian Psychological Association, Tehran, Iran

2007 – Level intermediate – Attestation in French language and Francophone civilization. University of Genève, Switzerland

 

Other Activities:

 

2013 – Invited Speaker. Invited by Director of "Al-Maszrik" Institute. Faculty of World Studies, University of Lodz

2013 – Invited Speaker. Lech Walesa Institute

 

Languages:

 

Persian: Native

English: Fluent

French: Advanced

Polish: Intermediate

 

Test Scores:

 

GRE - V: 67%, Q:48%, W:80%

TOEFL iBT: 118 / 120

 

I'd appreciate any thoughts, ideas. 

 

 

 

[FeministCorgi]

I feel like I am in a similar place. Rejected to 3, waitlisted to 2, no news from 3. As an undergrad I did had conferences, a publication, an honors thesis, and presentation under my belt. I was feeling a bit confident but then rejections are starting to roll in. Usually, it is about fit. In your SOP you have to make sure you are driving the point of why you fit in this particular program and why that particular program is unique for your needs, research, and future prospects. 

 

Don't take the rejections personally, sometimes it takes 2 cycles to get in instead of 1... I know it sounds horrible but it has nothing to do with your intelligence or ability to produce scholarly work. Sometimes, the application process is just this random thing and becomes similar to winning the lottery. Think of it in Hunger Games fashion, you can increase your chances of getting called but there is no sure way to be called and the person who could be lacking would be the Primrose and get lucky (well unlucky in comparison to the reference but I think you get it).

 

Best <3!!!

[thissiteispoison]

Do you have a professor from college or grad school with whom you are close? If so, ask him or her to read over your application materials next time around. Especially if the professor has been on a committee before.

 

Despite how much we Americans probably complain about how few American students there are, it's a lot harder to get in internationally because professors here aren't likely to know the professors writing your letters of recommendation. This means you need to stand out more in other ways.

 

Although GRE scores aren't everything, I would start by upping those as well, because not only can they use a little improvement, they are also something you can improve upon just by studying super hard and trying your best. 

 

Also, what US schools did you apply to? I think a lot of international students tend to apply to only the top schools, and ignore some schools at the tier just below those which are also fantastic schools. To get into the top US schools you need to be basically perfect, an awesome research fit, and also have a little bit of luck. If you're an international student that's even more true.

[student896]

Clinical Psych may be the single most competitive grad program, period. It's not that you've done anything wrong, your app looks great (although your GRE scores are below cutoff for many schools)... but essentially you are competing for 1 spot per school (your POI - if they even end up being allowed to take a student). Your best bet is to form a relationship with them well in advance of applications and make them want you. Next year when you apply, contact POIs VERY early, try to skype with them and get them to look at your CV, plant a seed and make them want you. I'm convinced it's the only way to get in. And I would re-take the GREs, because some schools will not look at your application unless they meet a certian cut off.

[Dazanfekte]

I feel like I am in a similar place. Rejected to 3, waitlisted to 2, no news from 3. As an undergrad I did had conferences, a publication, an honors thesis, and presentation under my belt. I was feeling a bit confident but then rejections are starting to roll in. Usually, it is about fit. In your SOP you have to make sure you are driving the point of why you fit in this particular program and why that particular program is unique for your needs, research, and future prospects. 

 

Don't take the rejections personally, sometimes it takes 2 cycles to get in instead of 1... I know it sounds horrible but it has nothing to do with your intelligence or ability to produce scholarly work. Sometimes, the application process is just this random thing and becomes similar to winning the lottery. Think of it in Hunger Games fashion, you can increase your chances of getting called but there is no sure way to be called and the person who could be lacking would be the Primrose and get lucky (well unlucky in comparison to the reference but I think you get it).

 

Best <3!!!

Thank you for the heartwarming words

Especially the hunger games reference made the evening less overwhelming thinking of this whole past months!

I wish you all the bests and good news.

[Dazanfekte]

Do you have a professor from college or grad school with whom you are close? If so, ask him or her to read over your application materials next time around. Especially if the professor has been on a committee before.

 

Despite how much we Americans probably complain about how few American students there are, it's a lot harder to get in internationally because professors here aren't likely to know the professors writing your letters of recommendation. This means you need to stand out more in other ways.

 

Although GRE scores aren't everything, I would start by upping those as well, because not only can they use a little improvement, they are also something you can improve upon just by studying super hard and trying your best. 

 

Also, what US schools did you apply to? I think a lot of international students tend to apply to only the top schools, and ignore some schools at the tier just below those which are also fantastic schools. To get into the top US schools you need to be basically perfect, an awesome research fit, and also have a little bit of luck. If you're an international student that's even more true.

I applied to (what I figured as being more diverse) these programs : U Binghamton, Stony Brook U in NY, U Buffalo, Utah State U, Houston, U Texas at Austin, U Georgia, Washington U in St. Louis,.

I narrowed the extremely high number of universities first based on the research focus, then by state, and then depending on how the professors would reply to me. 

But truly it is very different, complex, and scary for people out of states. The variety, and the fact that I have no real first hand experience about anything there makes half of the info I swallow rather abstract... 

[Dazanfekte]

Clinical Psych may be the single most competitive grad program, period. It's not that you've done anything wrong, your app looks great (although your GRE scores are below cutoff for many schools)... but essentially you are competing for 1 spot per school (your POI - if they even end up being allowed to take a student). Your best bet is to form a relationship with them well in advance of applications and make them want you. Next year when you apply, contact POIs VERY early, try to skype with them and get them to look at your CV, plant a seed and make them want you. I'm convinced it's the only way to get in. And I would re-take the GREs, because some schools will not look at your application unless they meet a certian cut off.

Actually this is an interesting tip.

I knew beforehand that I should get in touch with POIs and try to establish some connection. And I actually did try to. Of course I decided to apply quite late (took GREs in November) and it was extremely hectic. 

But culturally, I was not sure how much I can insist on getting more information about their work, or ramble about what I like to do / learn. So when a few professors replied that " I encourage you to apply" , I got back like " Is there anything else I should know about your project before I apply?". This was besides the fact that I had actually read at least one paper written by that POIs, and I would try to bring it up in my first e-mails. But in all instances I was told that the rest will be clear after the application reviews. 

I still don't know what an appropriate but more persistent communication would look like in such instances. 

But I think this idea of skype interviews is really great. So thank you for that

[SDxx]

Hi. I am wondering what I could do for the next round. My profile is below.

Applying to MS/PhD CS - specialization AI/ML/Robotics

 

Education:

EE, from big state school

GPA 3.82

GRE - 167Q/162V/4.5AWA

 

Work experience:

3 years as embedded software engineer (new product development engineering center)

1 year as software QA (new product development engineering center)

3-4 side projects at uni and jobs

 

1 2nd author publication

1 2nd author patent

 

Awards:

Nothing too big. Just some departmental scholarships and awards (related to academic performance)

 

I think one mistake I made was applying to top schools only (5 of them). Maybe I should apply to more? Also, what type of schools best fit my profile.

[thissiteispoison]

Also as far as your nationality goes, my first thought was "why would any school do that?" But, um: http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/sites/default/files/iranian_student_admissions_2_2015.pdf

 

I don't think they could make a case for clinical psych being used for nuclear development, but honestly, who knows. I expect this sort of thing to come from The Onion, not a university.

[Dazanfekte]

Also as far as your nationality goes, my first thought was "why would any school do that?" But, um: http://www.umass.edu/gradschool/sites/default/files/iranian_student_admissions_2_2015.pdf

 

I don't think they could make a case for clinical psych being used for nuclear development, but honestly, who knows. I expect this sort of thing to come from The Onion, not a university.

Hehe... you actually looked it up

Well it's not a new thing. My ex had a European full scholarship from Erasmus program in metallurgy back in 2010. But the embassy didn't grant him a visa because that year one stupid journalist made a even more stupid comment about the French president. This is exactly what the embassy told him. so bam... a year of his life was wasted right there. 

That's why at some point, I was a bit suspicious (paranoid?) that what if it's about the ambiguity of how I may dress, or be religious, or be a tight a** ? 

I didn't stick to the idea though:) 

We do have a lot of problems in that area. Especially granting visa is complicated and for the past 5 years many of my Iranian fellows received Single Entry visa to US. Good number of my friends haven't visited home / family for a while now. 

It's just politics unfortunately. On the good note of these rejection letters, I found a very welcoming and encouraging side to the American academia. Something I didn't experience a bit in Europe (which is why I want to move out). 

[Gemini_Kanon]

Hey, im also an international applicant. Im from south america, and i understand its hard to look up for universities in another countries. 

 

I understand that the best universities are located in USA or Europe, but have you considered south america?. At least in my field, Brazil its a pretty good choice.

 

Most of south american universities are not considered "top universities", but i can guarantee that you will not see something like http://www.umass.edu...ions_2_2015.pdf here...

[Rose Tyler]

You seem like an incredibly solid applicant. It's possible you may not have done anything wrong; there were just applicants with different profiles that caught the eye of your programs, perhaps with a better research fit. Clinical psychology is extremely competitive. The only thing that caught my eye is that your quantitative score is low.

[localh85]

Couple suggestions:

 

Your experiences literally tell me nothing other than you were alive at those places. What did you do, more importantly, what did you accomplish? 

 

You just briefly go over your publications. You might expound on them, such as, what impact did they have (if you know at all)? What gaps in our understanding do they address?

[Dazanfekte]

Couple suggestions:

 

Your experiences literally tell me nothing other than you were alive at those places. What did you do, more importantly, what did you accomplish? 

 

You just briefly go over your publications. You might expound on them, such as, what impact did they have (if you know at all)? What gaps in our understanding do they address?

 

I expanded these CV points on my SOP. Like I mentioned in separate paragraphs what I did in each place, and closed them with what I learned from them. 

But honestly, I am planning to switch to another line of research. My experiences were all in affective neuroscience and I would like to switch to interpersonal relationships and LGBT. So I know that it would be hard to knit the experience to future goals. For example part of my internship was with brain damaged patients but again it is not my career goal so I could not connect it with what I was applying to. I did for example manage to correct a long lasting incorrect diagnosis of my patient, I also taught her some English despite her persistent aphasia. So I tried to knit these to aspects of creativity, and bonding with patients... 

Or say I won this prize for best international student in Poland, and I explained why "I" won it. But who knows, it may be of least glory for a professor in US. 

Somehow I sucked at all of it. Perhaps at the SOP now that I think... 

[Fred Garvin]

Your nationality would matter to me, but in nothing but good ways. Unfortunately I don't chair any admissions committees, but if I did...

I'm a great admirer of Iranian - Persian - history and culture. I also knew a couple first generation Iranian-American students as an undergrad and they were incredibly kind and educated people. Their families were great as well. Finally, I know that Cyrus the Great was a champion of religious freedom and free political expression... and that was 2500 years ago!

If there's one country in that region I hope the West can eventually come to an understanding with, it is Iran. The similarities between our respective peoples far exceed the differences.

Best of luck to you...

[Cpoco]

Your GRE V and Q are low. Could be part of the reason. 

 

*Don't worry. It seems I am also getting all-rejection this year. You are not alone.

[FinallyAccepted]

To the OP, I echo everyone else in getting your GRE scores up. That's a quantifiable and objective thing that you can change.

 

You might see what kind of grants you can apply for as well. Since PhD programs in clinical psych should be fully funded, some of those funds may be available for American students only. If you came with your own money, at least that wouldn't be affecting your application adversely. I don't have further details as I only applied to American schools and am American myself.

 

Finally, remember that, like others mentioned, clinical psych is pretty much the worst PhD program to try to get into, so it may also take multiple years to find the best fit research-wise, as well.

 

Good luck to you.

[Dazanfekte]

Your nationality would matter to me, but in nothing but good ways. Unfortunately I don't chair any admissions committees, but if I did...

I'm a great admirer of Iranian - Persian - history and culture. I also knew a couple first generation Iranian-American students as an undergrad and they were incredibly kind and educated people. Their families were great as well. Finally, I know that Cyrus the Great was a champion of religious freedom and free political expression... and that was 2500 years ago!

If there's one country in that region I hope the West can eventually come to an understanding with, it is Iran. The similarities between our respective peoples far exceed the differences.

Best of luck to you...

 Thanks for all the compliments   It is really nice to read positive words about one's culture and country, especially in our times. 

[afrojack4]

Was in the same boat last year. Rejected from all the universities I had applied to. Was really confused and in a bad place mentally. Took sometime for me to accept reality and move on to work with the opportunities I had. Just tried reaching out to every prof I thought was working in my field of interest and asked them if I they had opportunities in their labs, either paid or unpaid. Accumulated a years worth of research experience like this. Luckily it was in a place very close to my POI so I could contact him as well and get work in his lab. I have the feeling that this year's applications will also probably end up being rejects. But I'm not too worried this time, since I have been through the same experience before. It has taught me a lot of things and brought me a lot closer to where I want to be. Just stay patient and keep trying to work in the field of your interest so you don't lose your edge.