Any advice appreciated!

[gengrad]

After receiving a MA that put me in significant debt, I have entered my first application cycle and I am not feeling optimistic. I applied to 6 schools and got 3 interviews. I was wait listed after 1 interview and have 2 interviews left to go. I can't help but think to backup plans because I just don't feel competitive enough for a psyD. My options are also significantly limited by cost. Nonetheless, I am not even halfway through the application cycle and I am feeling discouraged. My research background is not particularly strong, neither are my GRE scores. I've looked through many of the previous threads here but feel more confused than ever. Im still new to all of this, but...Am I out of my league? 

My questions are:

 

is it common for people to apply multiple years in a row for programs? / is it worth it?

is it common to get off the wait list? / if I don't, should I reapply next year?

 

are there viable backup options for working in the clinical field with just a masters? 

[clinicalapplicant]

1. It is definitely common to apply multiple years in a row. You received 3 interviews from the 6 programs you applied to, that's pretty awesome! It is so horribly competitive, and many applicants get 1 or 2 interviews if any at all, so consider yourself a fairly competitive applicant. I was accepted on my first try to Master's program(Counselling Psychology) and then applied for 3 years in a row for my Ph.D (Clinical Psychology). So don't give up! You still have two interviews

2. It isn't unusual at all to be accepted off the wait list. I was for my Master's program! As for applying again, only you can really answer that. There's the matter of finances, and whether this is something you really want to pursue. If you're thinking of giving up after one cycle, you might want to ask yourself if this is really the field you want to go in. Because from your success so far, you really are a competitive applicant and I don't doubt you'll receive interviews again if you re-apply. 

3. That really depends on where you're situated. I live in Canada, and clinically speaking, it can be difficult to find employment (unless you go off on your own in the private sector and even then it can be hard to get clients). If you're aiming for research jobs, they are competitive but generally I find there are more research positions than clinical.

My advice to you is recognize how great you're doing this cycle! It shows how competitive you really are, and you should be proud of your success thus far. Try not to let yourself get bogged down because you "only" got 3 interviews, because it's really quite amazing! 

I hope this helps