admission into graduate studies in clinical psychology (PHD/PSY.D)

Graduate School
1

I am a senior now, dreading graduate deadlines, as I am worried about wasting my time spending hundreds of dollars on applications. I am going to Florida International University in miami (FIU), and my stats are kind of mediocre.

I have a 3.117 GPA, I started research in may 2015, and I graduate in may 2016, so I would have had 1 year of psychology research when i graduate. I have 2 150’s on my GRE (45%) and I didn’t do anything spectacular besides an honors thesis that I am currently doing (I am procrastinating a lot). I do not think it will be publishable because I kind of suck at writing.

I have a minor in biology, but i got C’s in all my bio classes, which I loved dearly, but again C’s. The only thing going for me is that i work for a well respected PI, who pioneered the field of developmental psychobiology. He is an inspiration, but I don’t think he can save my application lol. I also work as a neurofeedback technician at a pretty good rehab center, and although that sounds nice on paper I don’t do anything crazy. I hook clients up to a computer and ask what movie they are watching (worked here since august 2015).

I love the rehab setting, and clinical psychology would be a great fit, but my entire application sucks compared to my competition. I would LOVE to get into a neuroscience program, but I have no chemistry/math/Physics experience, and if i do cognitive neuroscience I still have a crappy application. I also love physiology (I am pretty good at it despite my grades) but again bad application. What do I do?

I am 4 semesters from a biology degree, is it worth it? I am 6 semesters from a BS in Neuroscience at a close university, should I go back to school and fix my mistakes? Or should I do some crappy masters at a private expensive school and get a good GPA and apply again?

I want to work in academia as a professor, however that could be an end goal. I would love to do clinical psychology and work for 10 years then go into teaching when I am old.

Goals - PhD./ time for family/ good job outlook/ low stress/ money $$$

2

You might want to work for a while, then see where your true interest lies and lay out a plan to reach your goals. A masters might be a good place to start but if you go to a program which is not Ph.D.-granting, you might be able to be funded as a Teaching Assistant.

3

I also recommend working for a while. Keep in touch with your well respected PI. Some time off from school will help you decide if you really want to get a PhD. The PhD students I know are people who felt that school was really their thing - - the writing, the studying, etc. were activities they felt good at and they saw themselves doing these things for the rest of their lives.

4

@juillet Any advice for the OP?

5

Man, I thought I posted this yesterday. Good thing CC saves replies.

Several things

  1. You wouldn’t be competitive for a PhD in clinical psychology. The field is uber-competitive, and a 3.12 GPA is lowish plus you will only have one year of experience by the time you graduate. Plus, if it is November and you are just now mulling it over, you’re starting a bit late - the earliest deadlines are in December and early January, and it takes time to solicit recommendations and write a statement of purpose.

Instead, what you should do is try to gain more research experience. See if you can get a job as a lab manager or research coordinator in a psychology lab (or in a related area - psychiatry, public health, education, etc.), or do a post-baccalaureate program like NIH’s IRTA or Pittsburgh’s Hot Metal Bridge. IF you get 2-3 years of post-college research experience, and take a few graduate-level psychology classes and do well in them, you can beef up your app. Another option is to get a master’s in psychology. I normally don’t recommend it, but in your case you need both research experience and to prove that you can achieve in a graduate setting.

  1. If you are going to get a PhD at all, you should get one in the field you are truly passionate about, because a PhD is a long slog and you need to be passionate about research in order to succeed in it. SO don’t settle for clinical psychology if that’s not really what you want to do. If you really want neuroscience, take the steps to prepare yourself for a neuroscience program. I don’t think I would take an additional 6 semesters to graduate, but you can take some classes as a non-degree student after you finish. A master’s program would also do the trick, although it doesn’t need to be a crappy one (or at a private school).

  2. Academia is a field that doesn’t really allow for you to “work for 10 years and then go into teaching”. First if all, assuming that you are a 21-year-old senior, 37 (6 years for PhD + 10 years) is not “old” :smiley: Secondly, though, academia is a field that demands progression. If you want to be a professor, the route is PhD program -> postdoc -> academic job. If you step off the treadmill, it’s really difficult to get back on because you have to show a developmental progression of work.

To be really honest, it’s also not a career that allows for time for family, has a good job outlook, OR is low-stress. It’s actually the opposite of that - long hours, poor job outlook, super competitive, and relatively high-stress particularly pre-tenure.

6

I am a senior now, dreading graduate deadlines, as I am worried about wasting my time spending hundreds of dollars on applications. I am going to Florida International University in miami (FIU), and my stats are kind of mediocre.

I have a 3.117 GPA, I started research in may 2015, and I graduate in may 2016, so I would have had 1 year of psychology research when i graduate. I have 2 150’s on my GRE (45%) and I didn’t do anything spectacular besides an honors thesis that I am currently doing (I am procrastinating a lot). I do not think it will be publishable because I kind of suck at writing.

I have a minor in biology, but i got C’s in all my bio classes, which I loved dearly, but again C’s. The only thing going for me is that i work for a well respected PI, who pioneered the field of developmental psychobiology. He is an inspiration, but I don’t think he can save my application lol. I also work as a neurofeedback technician at a pretty good rehab center, and although that sounds nice on paper I don’t do anything crazy. I hook clients up to a computer and ask what movie they are watching (worked here since august 2015).

I love the rehab setting, and clinical psychology would be a great fit, but my entire application sucks compared to my competition. I would LOVE to get into a neuroscience program, but I have no chemistry/math/Physics experience, and if i do cognitive neuroscience I still have a crappy application. I also love physiology (I am pretty good at it despite my grades) but again bad application. What do I do?

I am 4 semesters from a biology degree, is it worth it? I am 6 semesters from a BS in Neuroscience at a close university, should I go back to school and fix my mistakes? Or should I do some crappy masters at a private expensive school and get a good GPA and apply again?

I want to work in academia as a professor, however that could be an end goal. I would love to do clinical psychology and work for 10 years then go into teaching when I am old.

Goals - PhD./ time for family/ good job outlook/ low stress/ money $$$

mod note: merged two very similar threads by same OP.