Fall 2017 Clinical Psychology Applicants

[ysi2010]

Congratulations to everyone who has already received admissions offers! I'm playing the waiting game as well, and not yet through with my interviews. I feel fortunate to have gotten multiple invites, but is anyone with me that being constantly exposed to evaluation and at least just...extra attention paid to your presence, is exhausting? It's impossible to fly under the radar at times during interview weekends.

These past few weeks have been kinda emotionally draining even though it's been exciting and fun to meet established psychologists, future colleagues, and learn about each other and the programs. One of my favorite and most refreshing parts of all this has actually been talking to fellow applicants in person :-) seems like everyone has great contributions to (hopefully) make to the field. But, and I say this with  full acknowledgment of my own gratitude...in some ways I really can't wait for this to be over hahah. Having a community to commiserate with is great (regardless of the anxiety-fueled tension that can come up).

Best of luck to everyone!!

[WhereamI]

23 minutes ago, ysi2010 said:

Congratulations to everyone who has already received admissions offers! I'm playing the waiting game as well, and not yet through with my interviews. I feel fortunate to have gotten multiple invites, but is anyone with me that being constantly exposed to evaluation and at least just...extra attention paid to your presence, is exhausting? It's impossible to fly under the radar at times during interview weekends.

These past few weeks have been kinda emotionally draining even though it's been exciting and fun to meet established psychologists, future colleagues, and learn about each other and the programs. One of my favorite and most refreshing parts of all this has actually been talking to fellow applicants in person :-) seems like everyone has great contributions to (hopefully) make to the field. But, and I say this with  full acknowledgment of my own gratitude...in some ways I really can't wait for this to be over hahah. Having a community to commiserate with is great (regardless of the anxiety-fueled tension that can come up).

Best of luck to everyone!!

Good luck - you will do great! Sending positive vibes

[8BitJourney]

42 minutes ago, ysi2010 said:

Congratulations to everyone who has already received admissions offers! I'm playing the waiting game as well, and not yet through with my interviews. I feel fortunate to have gotten multiple invites, but is anyone with me that being constantly exposed to evaluation and at least just...extra attention paid to your presence, is exhausting? It's impossible to fly under the radar at times during interview weekends.

These past few weeks have been kinda emotionally draining even though it's been exciting and fun to meet established psychologists, future colleagues, and learn about each other and the programs. One of my favorite and most refreshing parts of all this has actually been talking to fellow applicants in person :-) seems like everyone has great contributions to (hopefully) make to the field. But, and I say this with  full acknowledgment of my own gratitude...in some ways I really can't wait for this to be over hahah. Having a community to commiserate with is great (regardless of the anxiety-fueled tension that can come up).

Best of luck to everyone!!

It is exhausting (especially if you're an introvert!) but you definitely have the right attitude about it  Its the good type of tiring and seeing other applicants/future advisors is great even if just for networking. One fellow applicant thought I should start making comics after seeing the doodles I was making in my leather folio and it kicked off a pretty calming non-academic convo before we had to meet POIs.

I'll be having a tall glass of wine after this next interview and a White Russian when they're all done. Or cake, I might have cake....Anyway good luck!

[fuzzylogician]

Hi all. Just dropping by to say that the conversation on the previous page seems to have gotten a bit derailed, but I hope that it's back on track now. Let's please try to stay civil, despite any anxiety and tension you might be feeling. Good luck everyone -- it's a difficult time of year for everyone, but that is all the more reason to keep this board supportive and accepting of everyone. (This includes not downvoting posts that don't seem to deserve it, just because you've decided the poster has rubbed you the wrong way! Also being thoughtful about how you post your good news in a way that is sensitive to the fact that it may be bad news to others, or that they are simply still anxiously waiting! Be gracious!)

[DrHope]

Thank you to responses I received on my earlier post. Everyone I've talked to says "get more research" or "get on a publication" but how does one go about doing those things? I am obviously not in school anymore and work a full time job that has nothing to do with psychology just to pay bills. I just don't know the process of getting on research projects or publications when I'm not living close to a school that has professors doing clinical research. This is all a very new process for me so Any and all feedback welcomed. 

[psych0627]

2 hours ago, DrHope said:

Thank you to responses I received on my earlier post. Everyone I've talked to says "get more research" or "get on a publication" but how does one go about doing those things? I am obviously not in school anymore and work a full time job that has nothing to do with psychology just to pay bills. I just don't know the process of getting on research projects or publications when I'm not living close to a school that has professors doing clinical research. This is all a very new process for me so Any and all feedback welcomed. 

Hi there! A few years ago I was in perhaps a similar position as you (working in non psych job, 4 years out of undergrad, realizing clinical psychology was my professional calling,) and I decided to switch jobs in order to get more direct research experience and opportunities for publication. This meant moving and working as a clinical research coordinator at a hospital for PIs who do behavioral and mental health research. I am fortunate to now live in a major city with several big teaching hospitals, so these types of jobs are abundant, but one could also gain similar research experience working for an actively researching psychology professor at a university or even a small college. I also know that the VA and community mental health centers/clinics are involved in research, and therefore likely hire RAs. I know switching jobs is a huge deal (or it was to me!), but I think fully committing myself professionally to pursuing clinical psych research even before applying has helped my application process thus far. Best of luck to you! 

Edited February 8, 2017 by psych0627

[juhidee119]

11 hours ago, 8BitJourney said:

It is exhausting (especially if you're an introvert!) but you definitely have the right attitude about it  Its the good type of tiring and seeing other applicants/future advisors is great even if just for networking. One fellow applicant thought I should start making comics after seeing the doodles I was making in my leather folio and it kicked off a pretty calming non-academic convo before we had to meet POIs.

I'll be having a tall glass of wine after this next interview and a White Russian when they're all done. Or cake, I might have cake....Anyway good luck!

It is so tiring. After many cycles of applying, I'm over the moon that so many schools invited me for interviews. But I'm also an introvert and I have 6 trips in 4 weeks (4 of which involve flying!). I'm broke and tired of being on and rushing off to the airport all the time. I'll be happy when this is done, I (hopefully!) have an acceptance in hand and cake! 

[tomorrowforgotten]

16 minutes ago, juhidee119 said:

It is so tiring. After many cycles of applying, I'm over the moon that so many schools invited me for interviews. But I'm also an introvert and I have 6 trips in 4 weeks (4 of which involve flying!). I'm broke and tired of being on and rushing off to the airport all the time. I'll be happy when this is done, I (hopefully!) have an acceptance in hand and cake! 

YES. A thumbs up couldn't justify how much I agree with being broke and tired of flying. 

It's a GREAT problem to have, but it is exhausting. 

[JacobW83]

Did anybody interview for Texas A&M's Clinical Psych program? I haven't seen any results pop up for their admissions decisions, hoping they'll notify us soon!

[fritolay]

18 hours ago, psychout129 said:

I just had my Pace interview today!  Good luck!

Thank you!!! Any tips or advice on what I should expect? Good luck and hope you get accepted!

[DrGirl]

13 hours ago, 8BitJourney said:

It is exhausting (especially if you're an introvert!) but you definitely have the right attitude about it  Its the good type of tiring and seeing other applicants/future advisors is great even if just for networking. One fellow applicant thought I should start making comics after seeing the doodles I was making in my leather folio and it kicked off a pretty calming non-academic convo before we had to meet POIs.

I'll be having a tall glass of wine after this next interview and a White Russian when they're all done. Or cake, I might have cake....Anyway good luck!

Preach! Even as an extrovert, this is pushing my limits of socializing haha. I'm excited to get this last interview out of the way this weekend and enjoy a celebratory glass of wine.

[YES!!!]

7 hours ago, DrHope said:

Thank you to responses I received on my earlier post. Everyone I've talked to says "get more research" or "get on a publication" but how does one go about doing those things? I am obviously not in school anymore and work a full time job that has nothing to do with psychology just to pay bills. I just don't know the process of getting on research projects or publications when I'm not living close to a school that has professors doing clinical research. This is all a very new process for me so Any and all feedback welcomed. 

So the little that I have figured out in this admission cycle (my first) is that the most crucial component of any application is the research that you have done. I know lots of people with 330+ GRE's and 4.0 GPA's. I am not sure how important these things are in the final analysis. Well, they serve as a great way to thin out a list of applicants to the really competitive programs but in all the interviews I did this cycle I did not have a single comment on any of the academic awards I have nor my GRE scores. Every single interview focused ONLY on the research work I had done and every discussion centered around my publications and their relevance to that particular lab. So, in my humble opinion, (and I could be completely wrong), publications are the most important part of your application (to many though not all schools). If you can't join a lab, contact a POI early in the season (by March when this cycle gets done) and ask how you can conduct some research under his/ her mentorship. That will allow you to stay connected with your POI and also remind the Professor of both your existence and your ability. But you HAVE to get some strong research work in if you are looking at a good school (though I think every school tends to be equally competitive). Mail your POI and ask for guidance on how to work with him on a paper. Initially it will be the literature review etc which will get you into the project and by the time you are designing your research you would have a fairly good idea of how to go about the data collection and other aspects that you will need to manage on your own. As I said, I could be wrong but this has worked out fairly well for me so far. Good luck!

[stereopticons]

16 hours ago, 8BitJourney said:

It is exhausting (especially if you're an introvert!) but you definitely have the right attitude about it  Its the good type of tiring and seeing other applicants/future advisors is great even if just for networking. One fellow applicant thought I should start making comics after seeing the doodles I was making in my leather folio and it kicked off a pretty calming non-academic convo before we had to meet POIs.

I'll be having a tall glass of wine after this next interview and a White Russian when they're all done. Or cake, I might have cake....Anyway good luck!

Omg I'm in the middle of an interview tour and this is exactly how I feel. I'm so exhausted, physically and emotionally. I think cake, alcohol, and a really long nap will be in order. 

[JB6]

On 2/2/2017 at 9:08 PM, WaitingWishing2017 said:

I saw that on the results page. I didn't receive an email of any sort. Tried to check the application page and there was nothing there either. Super confused as well 

I am also in the same boat.

[Psychoplasmics]

17 hours ago, 8BitJourney said:

It is exhausting (especially if you're an introvert!) but you definitely have the right attitude about it  Its the good type of tiring and seeing other applicants/future advisors is great even if just for networking. One fellow applicant thought I should start making comics after seeing the doodles I was making in my leather folio and it kicked off a pretty calming non-academic convo before we had to meet POIs.

I'll be having a tall glass of wine after this next interview and a White Russian when they're all done. Or cake, I might have cake....Anyway good luck!

Ditto. Couple this with trying to fit a weeks worth of work (i.e., classes, teaching, assistantship, research) into 3 days so you can travel every Thursday and Friday and you've got the recipe for a break down. 

[Happy_Green_Inchworm]

I think there was a thread somewhere about interview preparation, but I can't find it, so. 

How do y'all answer questions about "where you'd like to be in 5 years?" I haven't been sure exactly what POI's are looking for with these questions--a general sense of the balance I want between research and clinical work? My ideal job description? I have ideas about what I want, but I haven't planned my life down to the T. 

[Clinapp2017]

3 minutes ago, Happy_Green_Inchworm said:

I think there was a thread somewhere about interview preparation, but I can't find it, so. 

How do y'all answer questions about "where you'd like to be in 5 years?" I haven't been sure exactly what POI's are looking for with these questions--a general sense of the balance I want between research and clinical work? My ideal job description? I have ideas about what I want, but I haven't planned my life down to the T. 

Well, what types of programs are you applying to? If you applied to a Ph.D. program in Clinical, odds are they probably want to hear you say "in academia/a tenure track position at a research institution or research hospital." Gernally, Ph.D. programs tend to frown upon full practice. (DISCLAIMER: this is based off of my experience working with the DCT at my undergrad institution.) Nobody expects you know 100% what you want to do/where you will be doing it. However, they want to know if you are more lreaning towards science or practice. 

 

That being said, most people (myself included) want to practice in some degree, so it's not wrong. 

If you are applying to Psy.D. programs than this is a whole different story. 

[Happy_Green_Inchworm]

7 minutes ago, Clinapp2017 said:

Well, what types of programs are you applying to? If you applied to a Ph.D. program in Clinical, odds are they probably want to hear you say "in academia/a tenure track position at a research institution or research hospital." Gernally, Ph.D. programs tend to frown upon full practice. (DISCLAIMER: this is based off of my experience working with the DCT at my undergrad institution.) Nobody expects you know 100% what you want to do/where you will be doing it. However, they want to know if you are more lreaning towards science or practice. 

 

That being said, most people (myself included) want to practice in some degree, so it's not wrong. 

If you are applying to Psy.D. programs than this is a whole different story. 

That's sort of what I thought. I am applying to Phd programs, and I definitely want to be more involved in research than clinical practice (although I do want to become an effective clinician.) I'm just never sure how specific to get. 

[ServeNStudy]

Anybody else currently in a panic over cancelled flights due to inclement weather in the NorthEast that might prevent timely arrival for interviews? I emailed the coordinator to let her know I'm working on re-booking my travel arrangements but haven't heard anything in reply. This is my first choice school and super competitive so I am freaking out a bit! Ack!

[YES!!!]

14 minutes ago, ServeNStudy said:

Anybody else currently in a panic over cancelled flights due to inclement weather in the NorthEast that might prevent timely arrival for interviews? I emailed the coordinator to let her know I'm working on re-booking my travel arrangements but haven't heard anything in reply. This is my first choice school and super competitive so I am freaking out a bit! Ack!

ServeNStudy you honestly don't need to worry about this. I got a message from one of the schools I was to visit this weekend saying that in case I was unable to make it due to the weather, they would be happy to schedule a Skype interview instead. I am actually not going in any case and had informed them 2 days ago itself but they probably haven't taken me off their interview mailing list yet. Basically schools are taking cognizance of the weather and are factoring that into their schedule. So even if you haven't heard back yet, I am reasonably certain that there is nothing to feel concerned about! 

[ysi2010]

6 hours ago, DrGirl said:

Preach! Even as an extrovert, this is pushing my limits of socializing haha. I'm excited to get this last interview out of the way this weekend and enjoy a celebratory glass of wine.

 

19 hours ago, 8BitJourney said:

It is exhausting (especially if you're an introvert!) but you definitely have the right attitude about it  Its the good type of tiring and seeing other applicants/future advisors is great even if just for networking. One fellow applicant thought I should start making comics after seeing the doodles I was making in my leather folio and it kicked off a pretty calming non-academic convo before we had to meet POIs.

I'll be having a tall glass of wine after this next interview and a White Russian when they're all done. Or cake, I might have cake....Anyway good luck!

Totally with you all...I am an extrovert but it's still exhausting. I have my most concentrated weekend/five days ahead of me...Baltimore to Ny to Chicago. No idea why I did this to myself but again, good problem to have. I wanted to only apply once so i did a good amount of schools and accepted every single interview offer, luckily they magically had non overlapping options.

Definitely joining you on that alcohol and cake. For now to keep energy up, I've just been eating straight up meat and Greek yogurt. And coffee. Hahaha. But yes, I've been spoiling myself with sweets during this entire process and plan to continue doing so..I'll worry about fitness in March

Thank you and good luck to you too!! Positive vibes for all :-) I look forward to learning where everyone ends up.

 

[fuzzylogician]

42 minutes ago, ServeNStudy said:

Anybody else currently in a panic over cancelled flights due to inclement weather in the NorthEast that might prevent timely arrival for interviews? I emailed the coordinator to let her know I'm working on re-booking my travel arrangements but haven't heard anything in reply. This is my first choice school and super competitive so I am freaking out a bit! Ack!

You're not going to be alone in this. I assure you the schools themselves don't really know what to do -- classes may be canceled*, transportation may be delayed or canceled, campuses and roads may not be cleared in time -- everyone is going to be facing the same problem. Whatever happens, they'll solve it at a higher level and either rearrange different visit days or they'll do Skype interviews. You won't lose out on anything just because there happened to be snow! 

* E.g at my school the administration has sent out a "don't be here tomorrow if you don't have to" email, but they haven't officially canceled classes so those of us who teach tomorrow may have to come in, even if the students don't. Everyone's confused. 

[8BitJourney]

I'm kind of concerned honestly. The last time I nterviewed there was a terrible snowstorm and the school did not offer any alternatives to in-person and very few taxi companies were willing to drive in that weather. It took $I00 and a lot of pleading to make it :/ I'm glad other programs are being accommodating but If its that bad again I'm not risking it.

[NeisserThanILook]

Has anyone heard back from USC since interviews? It's been almost a month now and I haven't heard anything myself or seen anything posted here. I emailed the clinical program coordinator last week to ask whether admissions offers had yet been extended and I haven't received a response. It's my top choice and I'm kind of going crazy not knowing, so if anyone could shed some light I would really appreciate it!

[Sdlc1]

20 minutes ago, NeisserThanILook said:

Has anyone heard back from USC since interviews? It's been almost a month now and I haven't heard anything myself or seen anything posted here. I emailed the clinical program coordinator last week to ask whether admissions offers had yet been extended and I haven't received a response. It's my top choice and I'm kind of going crazy not knowing, so if anyone could shed some light I would really appreciate it!

I haven't heard anything either - also anxiously awaiting. Let me know if you hear anything please!