Getting slightly discouraged. Any advice would be great!

[Chowder]

I've previously been told I stand a better chance of getting into licensure/MA than doctoral programs. Seeing that I haven't been successful with my applications so far, I'd like a second opinion from this forum.

Here are my credentials:

• BSc. in Psychology (with Upper Second Class Honours) - final year thesis awarded First Class Honours
• M.A. in English Studies (with Distinction) - thesis awarded A
• Postgraduate Diploma in Education (English)
• 1 year teaching experience (ESL) - current job
• 3 years research assistant experience (education, psycho-education, youth, linguistics)
• 2 years student lab research (cognitive psychology)
• 1 poster presentation at an international peer-reviewed conference (as solo author)
• 1 symposium presentation (as fourth author)
• Other irrelevant work/internship experiences (I've tried many fields)

As a side note, past professors and supervisors have all commended me on my writing and eye for detail, and would always encourage me to get something published (but I never ended up doing so because work got in the way). Unfortunately, I'm terrible with standardized tests, so my attempts at the GRE have been rather poor (155V, 144Q, 3.5AWA).

I know my background might seem better suited for school/educational psychology programs, but do I have a shot at clinical programs too? Any recommendations for schools that fit my profile (regardless of stream) or even just tips to strengthen my application would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

[8BitJourney]

Sorry that your previous attempt wasn't successful. This last cycle was pretty brutal. As for your questions I really feel like your GRE had more to do with not getting to the second round rather than your experience. Many schools use a minimum GRE and GPA to weed out applicants and a GRE below a 300 is going to be a red flag especially if you only applied to top-tier clinical programs. Where did you apply to and how was your fit with those professors? If you plan to re-apply to clinical there are many programs that incorporate both cognitive and clinical or education and clinical but are still housed in clinical departments but why not go for school psych or counseling psych?

[wrighna]

You seem quite qualified on paper. As @8BitJourney mentioned, depending on the schools you applied to and their minimum standards, your GRE scores alone might have bumped you from making it to the second round. Is re-taking the GRE a potential option? If yes, is there anything that would be helpful to feel more comfortable taking the test? If you felt you adequately prepared, there might be some sort of exposure task that might help anxiety around the test-taking itself. 

Otherwise, I think it wold be important to find a really good fit between what you want to research going forward and the mentors with whom you are applying to work. In your statements it will be essential to tell the story of how your experiences thus far make you a really good person to work with that particular mentor, in that particular line of research. I don't think it's negative that you have had so much "on the ground" experience and aren't applying straight out of school-- it's more about crafting the narrative about why you are the right candidate.

[Clinapp2017]

Sorry the last application round(s) haven't treated you well. What are your clinical research interests, specifically, and your career goals? From what I've see here, you have a lot of experience, but these are two pretty big problems you need to address:

 

1) Your GRE score. As mentioned, most schools won't even look at someone below a 300. What you even see at most "good" programs is an average ~320 among the applicants who are ultimately chosen. 

2) You said it yourself that you've "tried many fields," so why is clinical psychology a logical field to be in for you? Pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psych (assuming you want to go the academia and research route) is an 8 year minimum journey (grad school. internship, 2-year post-doc) until you are employable as a low-level faculty member. It is not a small committment, so faculty may see your experience and jumping from field to field as something of concern. Your passion and committment to clinical psych would have to be portrayed extremely well in your statement of purpose and letters of rec. 

 

 

[Chowder]

Thank you all for your kind responses!

8 hours ago, 8BitJourney said:

Sorry that your previous attempt wasn't successful. This last cycle was pretty brutal. As for your questions I really feel like your GRE had more to do with not getting to the second round rather than your experience. Many schools use a minimum GRE and GPA to weed out applicants and a GRE below a 300 is going to be a red flag especially if you only applied to top-tier clinical programs. Where did you apply to and how was your fit with those professors? If you plan to re-apply to clinical there are many programs that incorporate both cognitive and clinical or education and clinical but are still housed in clinical departments but why not go for school psych or counseling psych?

I actually only applied to three schools, one of which was UBC Okanagan. I've been particularly interested in this program because it's one of the few departments that offers clinical-forensic research, of which the PI I wanted to work with is an expert. I've met said PI before at a conference and chatted, and it seems like our research interests are a good fit, but I guess you're right—my GRE scores brought me down!

I know that going for school or counselling psychology programs seems like the sensible thing to do, but I'm just not as passionate about either stream as I am about clinical psychology. I've lurked about these forums long enough to know that passion plays only a minor part in surviving the long journey of grad school—without it, I might as well not get started!

8 hours ago, wrighna said:

You seem quite qualified on paper. As @8BitJourney mentioned, depending on the schools you applied to and their minimum standards, your GRE scores alone might have bumped you from making it to the second round. Is re-taking the GRE a potential option? If yes, is there anything that would be helpful to feel more comfortable taking the test? If you felt you adequately prepared, there might be some sort of exposure task that might help anxiety around the test-taking itself. 

Otherwise, I think it wold be important to find a really good fit between what you want to research going forward and the mentors with whom you are applying to work. In your statements it will be essential to tell the story of how your experiences thus far make you a really good person to work with that particular mentor, in that particular line of research. I don't think it's negative that you have had so much "on the ground" experience and aren't applying straight out of school-- it's more about crafting the narrative about why you are the right candidate.

I am planning to re-take the GRE again, but my problem is that my teaching job really does not allow me to set aside time for studying, as I'm always busy marking and prepping. I'm particularly lacking confidence for the Quantitative section because I practically don't remember a thing about high school math and thinking about relearning everything gives me a lot of anxiety. (I'm fine with doing research statistics though.)

7 hours ago, Clinapp2017 said:

Sorry the last application round(s) haven't treated you well. What are your clinical research interests, specifically, and your career goals? From what I've see here, you have a lot of experience, but these are two pretty big problems you need to address:

1) Your GRE score. As mentioned, most schools won't even look at someone below a 300. What you even see at most "good" programs is an average ~320 among the applicants who are ultimately chosen. 

2) You said it yourself that you've "tried many fields," so why is clinical psychology a logical field to be in for you? Pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psych (assuming you want to go the academia and research route) is an 8 year minimum journey (grad school. internship, 2-year post-doc) until you are employable as a low-level faculty member. It is not a small committment, so faculty may see your experience and jumping from field to field as something of concern. Your passion and committment to clinical psych would have to be portrayed extremely well in your statement of purpose and letters of rec. 

You've raised a very important question—my clinical research interests are all over the place. I do, however, particularly want to study the use of mobile apps in mental healthcare (especially for adolescents). I see myself being more of a researcher with occasional consulting gigs in the future than just a practitioner, hence I've been looking at PhD programs more than PsyD ones.

To be perfectly honest, when I was an undergrad, I thought I'd finish my degree and just leave psychology for good, hence the job hopping! I did, however, enjoy doing research, so my first job straight after graduation was as an RA for an IT in education project. But as time passed, I realized the specific type of research I enjoyed doing was psychological research, specifically forensic. My undergraduate and MA theses were on aggression and forensic linguistics, respectively. Only went into education after teaching some young offenders in a prison as a volunteer and really liking it. While teaching pays well where I live and I certainly am loving what I do, it's not my passion. So for me, going for a doctorate in psychology was never the 'logical' step, just one that I've come to WANT to take.

As for why I'm choosing clinical over forensic programs, simply put, I'm not sure I necessarily want to work in forensic settings in the future. I do know that I want to do research that contributes to mental health overall, having been affected by it my whole life (not necessarily myself). Besides, over here in Asia, forensic psychology isn't that big; those working in the field typically have a clinical background. Perhaps this is more of a practical thing?

Not sure if my above explanations make sense, but if they don't, I guess I have a lot of reflecting to do!

[8BitJourney]

7 hours ago, Chowder said:

Thank you all for your kind responses!

I actually only applied to three schools, one of which was UBC Okanagan. I've been particularly interested in this program because it's one of the few departments that offers clinical-forensic research, of which the PI I wanted to work with is an expert. I've met said PI before at a conference and chatted, and it seems like our research interests are a good fit, but I guess you're right—my GRE scores brought me down!

I know that going for school or counselling psychology programs seems like the sensible thing to do, but I'm just not as passionate about either stream as I am about clinical psychology. I've lurked about these forums long enough to know that passion plays only a minor part in surviving the long journey of grad school—without it, I might as well not get started!

I am planning to re-take the GRE again, but my problem is that my teaching job really does not allow me to set aside time for studying, as I'm always busy marking and prepping. I'm particularly lacking confidence for the Quantitative section because I practically don't remember a thing about high school math and thinking about relearning everything gives me a lot of anxiety. (I'm fine with doing research statistics though.)

You've raised a very important question—my clinical research interests are all over the place. I do, however, particularly want to study the use of mobile apps in mental healthcare (especially for adolescents). I see myself being more of a researcher with occasional consulting gigs in the future than just a practitioner, hence I've been looking at PhD programs more than PsyD ones.

To be perfectly honest, when I was an undergrad, I thought I'd finish my degree and just leave psychology for good, hence the job hopping! I did, however, enjoy doing research, so my first job straight after graduation was as an RA for an IT in education project. But as time passed, I realized the specific type of research I enjoyed doing was psychological research, specifically forensic. My undergraduate and MA theses were on aggression and forensic linguistics, respectively. Only went into education after teaching some young offenders in a prison as a volunteer and really liking it. While teaching pays well where I live and I certainly am loving what I do, it's not my passion. So for me, going for a doctorate in psychology was never the 'logical' step, just one that I've come to WANT to take.

As for why I'm choosing clinical over forensic programs, simply put, I'm not sure I necessarily want to work in forensic settings in the future. I do know that I want to do research that contributes to mental health overall, having been affected by it my whole life (not necessarily myself). Besides, over here in Asia, forensic psychology isn't that big; those working in the field typically have a clinical background. Perhaps this is more of a practical thing?

Not sure if my above explanations make sense, but if they don't, I guess I have a lot of reflecting to do!

So a little background on myself: throughout undergrad I was clinical psych phd or bust. No counseling, no school and no social work. However, in my second cycle, after going through programs with a fine tooth comb and 2 of my top choice giving me offers (1 clin  and 1 couns) I went with the counseling program. Yes they're some 'drawbacks' if you want to call them that but the line on what research is done in the two types of programs are blurring (and I also interviewed at forensic psych focused labs housed  in clinical and counseling departments in the US). 

[Chowder]

2 hours ago, 8BitJourney said:

So a little background on myself: throughout undergrad I was clinical psych phd or bust. No counseling, no school and no social work. However, in my second cycle, after going through programs with a fine tooth comb and 2 of my top choice giving me offers (1 clin  and 1 couns) I went with the counseling program. Yes they're some 'drawbacks' if you want to call them that but the line on what research is done in the two types of programs are blurring (and I also interviewed at forensic psych focused labs housed  in clinical and counseling departments in the US). 

Thanks for sharing! Did you get funding for the counselling program? And which forensic-focussed labs did you interview at, if I may ask?

[eternallyephemeral]

10 hours ago, Chowder said:

I actually only applied to three schools, one of which was UBC Okanagan. I've been particularly interested in this program because it's one of the few departments that offers clinical-forensic research, of which the PI I wanted to work with is an expert. I've met said PI before at a conference and chatted, and it seems like our research interests are a good fit, but I guess you're right—my GRE scores brought me down!

As for why I'm choosing clinical over forensic programs, simply put, I'm not sure I necessarily want to work in forensic settings in the future. I do know that I want to do research that contributes to mental health overall, having been affected by it my whole life (not necessarily myself). Besides, over here in Asia, forensic psychology isn't that big; those working in the field typically have a clinical background. Perhaps this is more of a practical thing?

Hi OP,

I've bolded the two parts of your post here that stood out to me.

First of all, you can't, can't, can't just apply to three schools and get discouraged, especially with clinical. Even an amazing person with perfect everything might not get in anywhere if they only applied to three schools. With clinical programs, you're going to need to look at over ten schools, from what I've seen as successful in the past.

The second point is one I want some clarification on. You said you applied to UBC for a clinical PhD program, which I presume is somewhat funded. You are in Asia now. Are you applying as an international student? Because speaking from experience, that can kill your chances just as fast as a low GRE can, without the ability to change it so easily. Public schools across Canada and the US have funding structures that mean international students costs a LOT more, so typically they can not fund as many (if any) international students, making your chances even more dire than they already are in clinical, which has a lower acceptance rate than med school, as most people know. So keeping in mind that private US schools (as there are no private universities in Canada) see international and domestic students as equally expensive, I would consider those, unless you see that a sizable fraction of the accepted students at a publicly funded school are international.

If you are in fact a citizen of the places you applied, then ignore the sentence above. But this can be a huge barrier for people applying to funded graduate programs. Trust me, I'm pretty irritated about it too : )

[transfatfree]

I agree with all other posters on why you didn't get in. Being an international student is a major issue given the budget cuts. Canadian schools are not so good in terms of funding but U.S. private schools are extremely competitive. If you are really interested in research, you can try PhD in psychology programs with a mental health research focus. Those will be less competitive but won't enable you to get licensed. Another thing you may want to consider is whether you want to stay in the U.S./Canada or go back to your home country after graduation as tenure-track positions everywhere are difficult to get.

You had some good experiences but since then you have pursued another career. It may take more elaboration in your personal statement to convince potential supervisors that you're committed as well besides worries about adaptation because there are many local applicants with similar profiles but more recent experience. So I'll suggest you look further into different programs and understand what they allow you to do in the future. In the U.S., all clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs enable to become a licensed psychologist. You may want to reconsider other options and apply to other programs in addition to clinical psychology programs.

I was also an international applicant, working full-time as a teacher, studying part-time for my master's, RAing part-time, and preparing for my applications at the same time. I ended up in a PhD program in School Psychology that I really like. Making time is very important. You can make use of your commute time, get up earlier to study before you go to work etc. GRE is just an exam you need to spend more time on and there are a lot of materials available.

[Chowder]

7 hours ago, eternallyephemeral said:

Hi OP,

I've bolded the two parts of your post here that stood out to me.

First of all, you can't, can't, can't just apply to three schools and get discouraged, especially with clinical. Even an amazing person with perfect everything might not get in anywhere if they only applied to three schools. With clinical programs, you're going to need to look at over ten schools, from what I've seen as successful in the past.

The second point is one I want some clarification on. You said you applied to UBC for a clinical PhD program, which I presume is somewhat funded. You are in Asia now. Are you applying as an international student? Because speaking from experience, that can kill your chances just as fast as a low GRE can, without the ability to change it so easily. Public schools across Canada and the US have funding structures that mean international students costs a LOT more, so typically they can not fund as many (if any) international students, making your chances even more dire than they already are in clinical, which has a lower acceptance rate than med school, as most people know. So keeping in mind that private US schools (as there are no private universities in Canada) see international and domestic students as equally expensive, I would consider those, unless you see that a sizable fraction of the accepted students at a publicly funded school are international.

If you are in fact a citizen of the places you applied, then ignore the sentence above. But this can be a huge barrier for people applying to funded graduate programs. Trust me, I'm pretty irritated about it too : )

Hi! Thanks for your reply. Yes, I realize I will have to do better this time round with researching more programs and applying to them. My discouragement came from what people have said about my credentials, however. I've been told my experience is not relevant enough for a successful clinical psych application.

I should clarify that I'm actually a Canadian living abroad, but have international qualifications as I studied university in England. Is this a problem?

2 hours ago, transfatfree said:

I agree with all other posters on why you didn't get in. Being an international student is a major issue given the budget cuts. Canadian schools are not so good in terms of funding but U.S. private schools are extremely competitive. If you are really interested in research, you can try PhD in psychology programs with a mental health research focus. Those will be less competitive but won't enable you to get licensed. Another thing you may want to consider is whether you want to stay in the U.S./Canada or go back to your home country after graduation as tenure-track positions everywhere are difficult to get.

You had some good experiences but since then you have pursued another career. It may take more elaboration in your personal statement to convince potential supervisors that you're committed as well besides worries about adaptation because there are many local applicants with similar profiles but more recent experience. So I'll suggest you look further into different programs and understand what they allow you to do in the future. In the U.S., all clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs enable to become a licensed psychologist. You may want to reconsider other options and apply to other programs in addition to clinical psychology programs.

I was also an international applicant, working full-time as a teacher, studying part-time for my master's, RAing part-time, and preparing for my applications at the same time. I ended up in a PhD program in School Psychology that I really like. Making time is very important. You can make use of your commute time, get up earlier to study before you go to work etc. GRE is just an exam you need to spend more time on and there are a lot of materials available.

As a Canadian, I should still be seen as a 'local' applicant for schools in Canada, although my overseas degrees might suggest otherwise. Definitely need to work on figuring out how to package the explanation for my career shift.

Ideally, I'll be staying in North America after finishing the PhD (never got used to life in Europe or Asia), but I like to keep the door open, hence my caution about applying for programs that will be recognized where I currently am too. Here, an Educational Psychology qualification will only allow you to work in school settings and so forth. Sounds like it's different in Canada/U.S.?

[8BitJourney]

10 hours ago, Chowder said:

Thanks for sharing! Did you get funding for the counselling program? And which forensic-focussed labs did you interview at, if I may ask?

PM'd you

[eternallyephemeral]

14 hours ago, Chowder said:

Hi! Thanks for your reply. Yes, I realize I will have to do better this time round with researching more programs and applying to them. My discouragement came from what people have said about my credentials, however. I've been told my experience is not relevant enough for a successful clinical psych application.

I should clarify that I'm actually a Canadian living abroad, but have international qualifications as I studied university in England. Is this a problem?

As a Canadian, I should still be seen as a 'local' applicant for schools in Canada, although my overseas degrees might suggest otherwise. Definitely need to work on figuring out how to package the explanation for my career shift.

Ideally, I'll be staying in North America after finishing the PhD (never got used to life in Europe or Asia), but I like to keep the door open, hence my caution about applying for programs that will be recognized where I currently am too. Here, an Educational Psychology qualification will only allow you to work in school settings and so forth. Sounds like it's different in Canada/U.S.?

No problem, regarding the citizenship thing, you should be alright for Canada (no matter where you live(d), if you're Canadian, you are eligible), but if you're applying to the US, consider very well funded public programs with international grad students and consider private schools if they happen to fit with your research.

People might say that your experience isn't relevant at first glance, but this is why admissions committees do more than a quick glance at your application. Everything people are saying here about making the clear connection between what you've done and how it prepares you for clincal work is SUPER important. It's not impossible, but it might be more challenging.

I don't know too much about school psych, but what I know about PhDs is that you don't have to work in the area that you studied, in a broad or a specific sense. For example, I'm going to industry, into a position that may or may not be directly relevant to what I studied. Obviously, qualifications are more limiting, but there are endless things you can do with any of these degrees!

[eveline]

Have you tried Magoosh to boost your GRE Q score?  As you've probably heard numerous times, these scores are unfortunately "gate keepers."  Magoosh is relatively cheap and just watching a couple videos + doing prac problems is usually helpful. 

[CakeTea]

Concur with eveline, I used Magoosh and it is affordable. You can tailor the learning package (in your case quant intermediate level). You can self study at your own pace with online tutorial support, fits with your employment schedule. Factor in 100 hours study time over 2 months, you need self discipline. If you know maths teachers, do not hesitate to ask for help. 144Q is below average and may not pass the GRE cut off at most programs.

3 schools is a small sample size, others apply to 10 schools and get dinged. They re apply.

[eveline]

Montclair State U in NJ has a new PhD Clinical Psychology program with deadline May 18: https://www.montclair.edu/chss/psychology/graduate-programs/phd-clinical-psychology/

New program = most likely less strict criteria for getting in. The late deadline speaks to that. 

[8BitJourney]

31 minutes ago, eveline said:

Montclair State U in NJ has a new PhD Clinical Psychology program with deadline May 18: https://www.montclair.edu/chss/psychology/graduate-programs/phd-clinical-psychology/

New program = most likely less strict criteria for getting in. The late deadline speaks to that. 

Yep though for next year they'll be adhering to the regular December deadline I think. Though its a complete crapshoot on funding and accreditation to enroll in a brand new program, no matter what assurances they give (sorry MSU its true).

[wrighna]

On 4/30/2017 at 11:03 PM, Chowder said:

I am planning to re-take the GRE again, but my problem is that my teaching job really does not allow me to set aside time for studying, as I'm always busy marking and prepping. I'm particularly lacking confidence for the Quantitative section because I practically don't remember a thing about high school math and thinking about relearning everything gives me a lot of anxiety. (I'm fine with doing research statistics though.)

Dang, I'm sorry that's your situation. I'm trying to remember how time-consuming my studying was. I think I did like 3 hours per week for 5 weeks? I'm more of a short burst person, so I would do like 30 min at a time.

Also, totally agree, quant is THE WORST. Honestly the study thing I found was the most bang for my buck was taking practice tests and then only reviewing ones I got wrong. The ETS (the people who host/make absurd $ off the GRE) offer 2 free tests: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/ Another option is to buy the $25 Kaplan prep book, which then gives you access to 6 more tests online. There might be other books that also have online tests, but that was what I used. Kaplan has the advantage of allowing you to only work on quant problems, rather than taking a full test, and then when you get something wrong it marks it and gives you a detailed explanation of how to do the problem. 

I found that helpful for A) figuring out what was even going to be on the test, and B)learning shortcuts for the problems I continually messed up. 

[Oshawott]

Honestly, I think the only thing keeping you from getting through the door is the GRE's. While schools don't necessarily have an "official" cut-off, if they get a lot of applications, its an easy filter.

I would consider using Magoosh to study verbal and quant, and do a lot of practice tests to get used to the testing situation. Even if you are a bad tester now, you can learn to be a better one (especially since Magoosh and other prep materials teach you how to strategically approach questions).

The ETS also publishes their issues and analytic type questions. While you don't need to go over every single one, getting used to the structure of the types of essays you are expected to write will help. It's been awhile since I wrote this so I don't recall how to best approach this but they're also pretty formulaic as well.

With your experience, if you can bring up your Quant and Verbal to decent levels I'm sure you'd have a good shot at getting in.

[wtfook]

On 5/1/2017 at 1:03 AM, Chowder said:

I am planning to re-take the GRE again, but my problem is that my teaching job really does not allow me to set aside time for studying, as I'm always busy marking and prepping. I'm particularly lacking confidence for the Quantitative section because I practically don't remember a thing about high school math and thinking about relearning everything gives me a lot of anxiety. (I'm fine with doing research statistics though.)

I think the first thing you have to do is review all the math that will be on the test, however anxiety provoking and daunting that may feel. I don't know what your budget is. If it's high, you could get a tutor. If it's not, you could get a GRE study guide instead. I actually found ones online for free (do a google search and see what you find). Usually, study guides will outline all the math you need to know along with sample problems and then short quizzes. I set a date for my test and then created a study schedule for how many topics I would cover per day. On the weekdays I would study a few topics of math and then on the weekends I would take quizzes to brush up on what I had learned. I did this every night before bed and after work. If you feel like you'll need a lot of time to review your Quant, then set your test date for many months from now. Apps aren't due until Dec 1 at the earliest so you could set your test date for September and have several months to study. I find that the most important thing is to be methodical. Create an actual physical schedule either on a spreadsheet or google calendar and be detailed about how you split up your time. For example, "Monday I will review area formulas and Tuesday I will review linear equations." 

If the study guides you find aren't teaching you enough math in the way you need, try Khan Academy or again, googling. When I need to brush up on random math concepts, I've found that there are awesome videos and websites out there that break down the math into more basic language that are designed for high schoolers. Research statistics may seem like something totally removed from high school math but it's not. There are elements (especially in Regressions) that will pop up when doing statistics math. If you feel ok with research stats, you can do GRE math! I am a true believer that everyone can do the stuff they teach in high school. It's just a matter of finding a way to digest the knowledge in a manner that works for you.

[Chowder]

Everyone's advice here has been wonderful so far! I'm so glad I posted. Thank you all. 

On 2017-05-02 at 9:38 PM, eternallyephemeral said:

No problem, regarding the citizenship thing, you should be alright for Canada (no matter where you live(d), if you're Canadian, you are eligible), but if you're applying to the US, consider very well funded public programs with international grad students and consider private schools if they happen to fit with your research.

People might say that your experience isn't relevant at first glance, but this is why admissions committees do more than a quick glance at your application. Everything people are saying here about making the clear connection between what you've done and how it prepares you for clincal work is SUPER important. It's not impossible, but it might be more challenging.

I don't know too much about school psych, but what I know about PhDs is that you don't have to work in the area that you studied, in a broad or a specific sense. For example, I'm going to industry, into a position that may or may not be directly relevant to what I studied. Obviously, qualifications are more limiting, but there are endless things you can do with any of these degrees!

Agreed. Right now, I feel like my first priority is to improve my GRE scores and then identify all the skills from my existing experiences that can be applied to clinical work for my personal statement. Still sounds like a long way to go, but I've been feeling slightly better after reading all these tips, so I reckon that's already a good start.

On 2017-05-02 at 10:39 PM, eveline said:

Have you tried Magoosh to boost your GRE Q score?  As you've probably heard numerous times, these scores are unfortunately "gate keepers."  Magoosh is relatively cheap and just watching a couple videos + doing prac problems is usually helpful. 

I've heard mixed reviews about Magoosh: some swear by it while others think it only gets you passing scores. You lot are quite convincing so far though, I might just look into registering for it!

On 2017-05-04 at 6:40 AM, wrighna said:

Dang, I'm sorry that's your situation. I'm trying to remember how time-consuming my studying was. I think I did like 3 hours per week for 5 weeks? I'm more of a short burst person, so I would do like 30 min at a time.

Also, totally agree, quant is THE WORST. Honestly the study thing I found was the most bang for my buck was taking practice tests and then only reviewing ones I got wrong. The ETS (the people who host/make absurd $ off the GRE) offer 2 free tests: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/ Another option is to buy the $25 Kaplan prep book, which then gives you access to 6 more tests online. There might be other books that also have online tests, but that was what I used. Kaplan has the advantage of allowing you to only work on quant problems, rather than taking a full test, and then when you get something wrong it marks it and gives you a detailed explanation of how to do the problem. 

I found that helpful for A) figuring out what was even going to be on the test, and B)learning shortcuts for the problems I continually messed up. 

I have an extremely short attention span when it comes to mathematics because I'm not at all confident with formulas, so a part of me thinks this is a huge reason why I'm so discouraged from applying to graduate schools. I keep expecting myself to fail and having to retake the GRE again and again, which, as you've mentioned, does not come cheap!

Thanks for the recommendations! I have a few books that friends have so kindly lent me, but I just don't know where to start. As soon as I crack a page open, nerves hit me. SIGH.

On 2017-05-04 at 8:18 AM, Oshawott said:

Honestly, I think the only thing keeping you from getting through the door is the GRE's. While schools don't necessarily have an "official" cut-off, if they get a lot of applications, its an easy filter.

I would consider using Magoosh to study verbal and quant, and do a lot of practice tests to get used to the testing situation. Even if you are a bad tester now, you can learn to be a better one (especially since Magoosh and other prep materials teach you how to strategically approach questions).

The ETS also publishes their issues and analytic type questions. While you don't need to go over every single one, getting used to the structure of the types of essays you are expected to write will help. It's been awhile since I wrote this so I don't recall how to best approach this but they're also pretty formulaic as well.

With your experience, if you can bring up your Quant and Verbal to decent levels I'm sure you'd have a good shot at getting in.

This is such an encouraging reply, thank you! Yes, I think I'll check out Magoosh. It sounds straightforward enough—I wouldn't want to have to deal with more confusion alongside math!

On 2017-05-04 at 0:48 PM, wtfook said:

I think the first thing you have to do is review all the math that will be on the test, however anxiety provoking and daunting that may feel. I don't know what your budget is. If it's high, you could get a tutor. If it's not, you could get a GRE study guide instead. I actually found ones online for free (do a google search and see what you find). Usually, study guides will outline all the math you need to know along with sample problems and then short quizzes. I set a date for my test and then created a study schedule for how many topics I would cover per day. On the weekdays I would study a few topics of math and then on the weekends I would take quizzes to brush up on what I had learned. I did this every night before bed and after work. If you feel like you'll need a lot of time to review your Quant, then set your test date for many months from now. Apps aren't due until Dec 1 at the earliest so you could set your test date for September and have several months to study. I find that the most important thing is to be methodical. Create an actual physical schedule either on a spreadsheet or google calendar and be detailed about how you split up your time. For example, "Monday I will review area formulas and Tuesday I will review linear equations." 

If the study guides you find aren't teaching you enough math in the way you need, try Khan Academy or again, googling. When I need to brush up on random math concepts, I've found that there are awesome videos and websites out there that break down the math into more basic language that are designed for high schoolers. Research statistics may seem like something totally removed from high school math but it's not. There are elements (especially in Regressions) that will pop up when doing statistics math. If you feel ok with research stats, you can do GRE math! I am a true believer that everyone can do the stuff they teach in high school. It's just a matter of finding a way to digest the knowledge in a manner that works for you.

These are all really great tips. Thanks for sharing your experience! It's good to know that balancing between life and studying for the GREs is possible because these days, I barely have time to myself. I do get about a month off in the summer, so that will likely be my hardcore revision period. Which study guide do you find most useful? I have a few and have no idea which one to start with.

[wtfook]

22 hours ago, Chowder said:

These are all really great tips. Thanks for sharing your experience! It's good to know that balancing between life and studying for the GREs is possible because these days, I barely have time to myself. I do get about a month off in the summer, so that will likely be my hardcore revision period. Which study guide do you find most useful? I have a few and have no idea which one to start with.

I really liked Gruber's Complete GRE Guide. The one I used was for 2012 because I took my test in 2013. I'm certain he has an updated one out now. It provided general strategies for attacking the questions as well as strategies specific to the sections. It also had a long vocab list and a complete breakdown of all the math you might encounter in the Quant section. The book also includes practice tests. I was able to find it for free online but it appears to be pretty cheap on Amazon as well. It's definitely math heavy, which is good for you. I basically used that book to review all my math and then took practice test after practice test, perfecting my strategy and timing. I basically took every single practice test I could find anywhere which totaled to probably 7-9 practice tests total.