Rejection Thread (Fall 2017 applicants)

[ellieotter]

On 1/20/2017 at 9:52 AM, bdeck said:

Has anyone gotten formal rejection letters? I have only gotten one rejection from my POI but haven't received any formal rejection emails or letters. Is this abnormal?

I got a formal rejection email from the program coordinator if that counts, kind of thankful because it eliminated any false hope I had

[Clinapp2017]

36 minutes ago, bdeck said:

Very similar situation for myself also, I just chose not to report my psych gre. My neuro/bio percentile score was like 90th percentile or something like that but my social was around 20-30th

Bahahaha basically same for my psych gre. I'm a strong applicant for the field I want to go into, and frankly I don't give any sh*ts about social psych at all because it has little to do with medicine/neuropsych. But heck, I guess people are moving that you have to be "well rounded" before you "specialize." 

[C is for Caps Locks]

It might just be anecdotal but many of my current profs have often said that GRE/Subject Exam scores/all criteria are much higher now in general for applicants so programs have become increasingly picky (I had one professor who joked he would never have managed to get into grad school now).

So even though yeah, a Clinical Psych program isn't necessarily related to Social Psych, it's another metric the programs can use to weed people out (when we've talked about it here, the profs have just said that there are so many good applicants that even not-exactly-relevant or minor things can make a big difference).

At least we can all suffer through the increasing bureaucracy together?

Edited January 25, 2017 by C is for Caps Locks

[bdeck]

4 hours ago, Clinapp2017 said:

Bahahaha basically same for my psych gre. I'm a strong applicant for the field I want to go into, and frankly I don't give any sh*ts about social psych at all because it has little to do with medicine/neuropsych. But heck, I guess people are moving that you have to be "well rounded" before you "specialize." 

Same track and same reasoning.

[MemphisMeli]

School:  University of Memphis
Area/Degree: Clinical Psychology PhD Program
Rationalization: I wasn't as qualified as other applicants
Comment: I knew before I applied that it would be a long shot, even though I already work with my POI.
Coping tactics: Working on my MSGP application, staying busy with classes and teaching and generally continuing to be awesome! 

 

(BTW, all invitations for interview have been extended by UofM Clinical PhD program according to other professors I have spoken with in the department).

[Le Chat]

School:  The University of Kansas
Area/Degree: Counseling Psychology PhD Program
Rationalization: Was not as competitive/lack of fit and funding.
Comment: I would have turned them down anyway at this point.
Coping tactics: Preparing for upcoming interviews.

[juhidee119]

School:  Indiana State University
Area/Degree: Clinical Psychology PhD Program
Rationalization: lots of better applicants I guess 
Comment: just glad I got an answer, waiting sucks 
Coping tactics: prepping for interviews 

[Le Chat]

Note that this is an assumed rejection, but the interview is tomorrow. Lol

School: University of North Texas
Area/Degree: Counseling Psychology PhD
Rationalization: I did not meet the prerequiste 24 hours of psychology courses.
Comment: I knew I would not be invited. 
Coping tactics: None needed. 

[Psychoplasmics]

School Name: Utah State University
Area/Degree: Clinical-Counseling Psychology
Rationalization: Who knows. Too many known and unknown variables to consider.
Comment: Presumed. Never received invite.
Coping Tactics: Prepping for interviews and doing school work.

[ellieotter]

School Name: Sam Houston State
Area/Degree: Clinical Psychology
Rationalization: Assuming my terrible GRE scores or that maybe not all my materials were received via the Postal Service.
Comment: Presumed. Interview weekend is next week.
Coping Tactics: Prepping for interviews, listening to my uber supportive friends tell me how awful living in Huntsville TX would be, haha (whatever helps right?)
 

School Name: University of Missouri-Columbia
Area/Degree: Clinical Psychology
Rationalization: Again, GRE scores probably had something to do with it.
Comment: Presumed. Interviews are in a couple days and I haven't heard anything. Pretty bummed about this school. 
Coping Tactics: Prepping for interviews, doing my new workout regimen in hopes it will relieve the stress...so far not working

 

[8BitJourney]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2017 at 11:30 AM, Clinapp2017 said:

Bahahaha basically same for my psych gre. I'm a strong applicant for the field I want to go into, and frankly I don't give any sh*ts about social psych at all because it has little to do with medicine/neuropsych. But heck, I guess people are moving that you have to be "well rounded" before you "specialize." 

I think people check because if you take the EPPP you'll need to be familiar with multiple subsections to pass so consider the psych GRE its less reliable little brother!

[HappyLab]

School:  George Mason University
Area/Degree: Clinical Psychology PhD
Rationalization: I'm really not sure how to rationalize it as my GRE was quite high, I have a few pubs, great references, and tons of volunteer experience in the field. Maybe thinking it has something to do with them only being able to take a certain # of International Students.
Comment: No official rejection yet, but no interview (and a batch went out the first week of Jan). This is also my second time applying to clinical programs (1st time was 2 years ago before my MA). 
Coping tactics: Trying to refocus on the schools I DID interview for, and reframe it as "Hey, if they didn't like what they saw, then I wouldn't be a good fit there anyway!". Tough to process at first, but it will all work out!

 

I have been through the devastation of not being accepted anywhere during the first time I applied to Clinical programs a few years ago. This thread is AMAZING because it happens to all of us, and the important thing is  to recognize it and keep focused on where you want to be. Good things will happen , even if it's not the direct path that you pictured! 

[WaitingWishing2017]

School:  University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNCG)
Area/Degree: Clinical Psychology PhD Program
Rationalization: Possibly due to low GRE scores, and my research interests weren't entirely aligned with my POI. 
Comment: UNCG's Clinical Psych page states " The review process for applicants has been completed. If you have not been invited for an on-campus interview, you are not among the candidates under consideration for the 2018-19 cohort. We wish all
applicants success in the pursuit of their academic endeavors. " I have not received an invitation, so one can conclude! 
Coping tactics: Hoping to hear back from other schools...

[Clinapp2017]

On January 27, 2017 at 8:26 PM, 8BitJourney said:

I think people check because if you take the EPPP you'll need to be familiar with multiple subsections to pass so consider the psych GRE its less reliable little brother!

This is a fair point, but that's also what 5 years of classes and practicum experienced are for.

[HopefullyDr]

School: Idaho State University
Area/Degree: Clinical Psychology PhD Program
Rationalization: Not a great fit 
Comment: I was hoping for an interview, but I only related to one POI in the program
Coping tactics: Was accepted into one of my higher choices so I am okay. 

[8BitJourney]

School: University of Washington
Area/Degree: Clinical Psychology PhD Program
Rationalization: Dug around the site and saw that neither of my POIs were taking students
Comment: Got so excited over the fit I forgot to email and check. Though the place where you find which faculty is taking students is kinda buried in my opinion
Coping tactics: focusing on other interviews

[Lucyshoneypie]

School: Princeton University
Area/Degree: Cognitive Psychology PhD Program
Rationalization: POI accepted only one student, and despite it was a close call (I was the second choice), he chose the other candidate since s/he had published some articles while I hadn't.
Comment: I knew I wasn't getting in when I didn't receive any interview, but now knowing that it was a really close call makes me feel worse,
Coping tactics: Haven't received any other offers/interviews (the two other schools I applied to haven't send  them yet, I think) so not well. Especially knowing that I did all I could to get accepted, and then learning that I was rejected due to something I couldn't help with (you can't really publish in undergrad in our school, it is a non-US state school) feels really bad :/

[pineapplemangoes]

On 1/24/2017 at 5:38 PM, marsbars said:

School: University of Kansas
Area/Degree: Social Psychology PhD
Rationalization: 82 applicants for 4 spots
Comment: none
Coping tactics: Lesson planning for the job I have now- and trying not to obsessively check my email

Ayy I was rejected from that program too! We can be rejection buddies 

[dormcat]

School: University of Minnesota
Area/Degree: Social psychology 
Rationalization: I wasn't going to take subject test when only 1 of 12 schools I was applying to wanted it. My quant gre score was sub 80th percentile. Other than those two things I thought it was a great fit. 
Comment: It was my second choice so I'm bummed but I got into my first (and probably third) choice(s) so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 
Coping tactics: Focusing on the other acceptances 

[marsbars]

School: University of Wyoming
Area/Degree: Social psychology 
Rationalization: Expected it; got a red-flag when I e-mailed my top choice POI and he never responded
Comment: Bummed because I had kind of romanticized the idea of living so close to the mountains/nature- plus the campus seemed beautiful and the people friendly
Coping tactics:I would like a beer- but that's a no-go because i'm sick- coping will be a cookie ,and some positive thoughts about other programs I haven't heard back from 

[carebear12345]

On 1/20/2017 at 8:27 AM, dormcat said:

I got an official rejection from UCLA the yesterday, and based on the results page Michigan and Duke also sent out rejections this week. My guess is that schools rejecting folks this early already have their first, second, and waitlist choices figured out. 

Any idea if the Michigan State rejections are generic?  I didn't get a rejection, which is weird because I didn't get an interview either.  Same with Idaho State and I know those are generic.  It just seems weird that I didn't get a single interview from all schools, but yet, I'm in the amorphous void of not getting the rejections either.

[Lucyshoneypie]

2 hours ago, carebear12345 said:

Any idea if the Michigan State rejections are generic?  I didn't get a rejection, which is weird because I didn't get an interview either.  Same with Idaho State and I know those are generic.  It just seems weird that I didn't get a single interview from all schools, but yet, I'm in the amorphous void of not getting the rejections either.

Same here :/

One of my professors told me that state schools are extra slow this term. since they want to be sure they will be grated federal funding before accepting students. And after Trump's stopping of environmental funds, they are afraid that the education funds will also be cut. I am not really sure if that might be affecting my neither-interview-nor-rejection situation, but I'd like to hope. 

[dormcat]

4 hours ago, carebear12345 said:

Any idea if the Michigan State rejections are generic?  I didn't get a rejection, which is weird because I didn't get an interview either.  Same with Idaho State and I know those are generic.  It just seems weird that I didn't get a single interview from all schools, but yet, I'm in the amorphous void of not getting the rejections either.

I couldn't tell you. I got an interview at MSU for human development so I don't know where the psych department is. 

[ellieotter]

7 hours ago, carebear12345 said:

Any idea if the Michigan State rejections are generic?  I didn't get a rejection, which is weird because I didn't get an interview either.  Same with Idaho State and I know those are generic.  It just seems weird that I didn't get a single interview from all schools, but yet, I'm in the amorphous void of not getting the rejections either.

Same thing happened to me with Nebraska-Lincoln. Everyone was getting interviews or rejections and I was sitting in silence. Someone told me they probably had different tiers of how they reject and that mine was on the way..they were right, I got mine a week after everyone else. I'm sure that's not the news you wanted to hear but that is what happened to me personally. Hoping that you get better news than me!

[dancedementia]

On 1/18/2017 at 3:41 PM, JacobW83 said:

School: UT Austin
Area/Degree: Counseling Psychology
Rationalization: Unfortunately, the POIs I was interested in were retiring (this was not indicated on the website and I only found out by emailing the POIs)...

Can you PM or post your POI? I ask because there are a few faculty members I am very interested in working under (they match my research interests to a T), but I also wouldn't be applying for PhD for another 1-2 years. I need to be let down gently lol.

Edited February 7, 2017 by dancedementia