Need Advice - Choosing Masters Programs to eventually go to Clinical PHD

[MechanicalFox]

I am posting for my significant other (I am a Mechanical Engineering Student myself). She is a great student but got rejected from all her PHD programs. We are now going through the process of receiving Masters interviews and Acceptances and so far she is 3/3 of the 10 she has applied to. We are trying to prioritize finances for schools she should go interview at vs. asking to do interviews on the phone and figuring out what schools should be on her priority to go to overall. Keep in mind as we ask questions, her goal is to get a Phd in Clinical Psychology after her Masters. 

The first question we have is, does it look better to attend a school who has a Clinical Phd program or better to attend a highly ranked Masters only school? 

For example, she has applied to Farleigh Dickinson, and LIU - Brooklyn, ranked #125 and #139 respectively on US News for Clinical psychology, presumably for having clinical Phd programs. She has also applied to several Clinical Masters programs who don't necessarily show up on the US News ranking radar such as Western Carolina and Cal State Fullerton and she has also applied to highly competitive general psychology programs such as Villanova and Drexel (who, Drexel does have a PHD program).

I thank you in advance. We haven't had a lot of guidance out of  her undergraduate program and I have been doing the best I can to help her in what has been a really stressful process.

 

[psychicas]

go to the funded masters programs e.g., villanova or william and mary! I think those are known for their masters programs. I don't know if the rank of the clinical phd program in the school matters, unless there is a high acceptance rate for there masters to go into that particular schools phd. hope that helps! I'm biased towards the strong general masters.

[Rose Tyler]

I'm in a similar situation, rejected from all doctoral programs and now interviewing at two masters. I'm kind of surprised that schools with clinical PhD programs are admitting students to terminal masters. I agree with above, ask about acceptance rates to the PhD program, especially if she hopes to attend that school. Acceptance rates to doctoral programs would probably be a good question to ask of any potential program. Funding is definitely also something to ask about and keep in mind. 

 

Personally I think the experiences that you'll gain at a particular program and how well you fit there based on research interests and just personal fit are far more important than any arbitrary ranking.

[Heaven'sMaiden]

I am in a similar situation. I am worried that if I don't go for the masters and I apply again that I will lose a year. I am thinking that if I finish with a masters in Clinical at least I can work in the field and reapply.  But that is just my 2 cents

[neural-plasticity]

I definitely agree about going to a funded school. Also, just from my own knowledge, I met two students at two different clinical psychology PhD programs who went to Villanova, so that program seems to have a fairly good success rate of feeding students (who want to go to clinical) into clinical programs. That's definitely an important feature. The master's program I went to was in clinical but specifically stated they weren't geared towards licensure, but as a step toward a PhD.

Edited March 14, 2015 by neural-plasticity

[MechanicalFox]

Thanks guys! There is definitely a common them in the responses so far, we really appreciate you taking the time and posting! To anyone else please feel free to keep adding onto this. The mor einformed we can be the better. 

[Saila09]

What is her goal? Getting a master's may not help her get into a PhD psych program...

 

PhD psych programs look at many factors, and research experience is a big one. You mentioned she is a "great student" - so is almost everyone else applying to graduate school. Does she have any research experience (posters, pubs)? How was her GRE? GPA? Letters of Rec? Did she have a strong and focused personal statement? These are the factors that help people get into PhD clinical psych programs. If she was rejected outright (no interviews), my guess is that she was grossly under-prepared. It's great that she wants to prepare. I just want to let you know that you can prepare with or without a master's degree. You can get a master's degree and still be under-prepared. Also - a master's will not help her finish her PhD later on. It may get her out of a class or two, but that's it.

 

Best of luck and please let me know if you have other questions.

[Heaven'sMaiden]

I am in a similar situation. I am worried that if I don't go for the masters and I apply again that I will lose a year. I am thinking that if I finish with a masters in Clinical at least I can work in the field and reapply.  But that is just my 2 cents

I am in a similar situation. I have good research experience, good GPA, good letters, but bad GRE. I was recommended by the Clinical Ph.D coordinator to go for a masters  and I am considering it  because if I apply again and I don't make it in then I lose a year and have to work at my crappy job. If I finish my masters I prove that I can do graduate level work and I can also work within the field. I know that masters are cash cows and that there is not much funding but at least afterwards I would be able to work and gain experience ( at a job I like) and I figure that I can do research with the people in the masters to further prove myself. But this is just me.