What are my chances at a Clinical Psychology Ph. D.?

I will be senoir this coming Fall and I am contemplating giving some doctorate programs a shot. I scored a 1260 (670 V + 590 Q) on the GRE. My quantitative score is disappointing and I might retake it. I currently hold a 4.0 through 107 credit hours - although I guess I am not attending a "prestigious" school. I still have some tough courses left (Human Physiology is one of them) so I might graduate with a 3.9 or so, but hopefully no lower than that...


Here are the schools I am considering for a Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology:


Texas Tech


Sam Houston State


North Texas


SMU


UT Southwestern


LSU





I will help two faculty members with their research project this coming year and I plan on volunteering to get some "real world" clinical experience. I know how competitive Clinical programs can be, so I kind of feel like this might be too little too late... If there are any grad students out there - How much do you fell this will hurt my chances of being admitted?





Thanks!

What are my chances at a Clinical Psychology Ph. D.?
Well, your scores are certainly in the range that would make youi competative and your experiences are at least slightly above averaae.





A lot will depend on your personal statement, your recommendations and your writing style, I would predict. I would suggest that you carefully pick who writes your recommendation letters. You will want them to stand out from a simple 'yes, I recommend' to something that describes your character...especially your ability to commit and work with people.





Also, you should probably apply to between 10 and 20 different programs with a mixture of difficulty and prestige. I applied to 15 and got selected by four. This allowed me to pick based on cost and support offerred by the university. Some offerred financial support by means of teaching and research opportunities while others did not.





Ultimately I choose to accept an offer from a mid-range school which was in an ideal location I loved with financial assistance.





Best of luck to you. Feel free to write me to ask more detailed questions.
Reply:Well, you have a 4.0 gpa, so that's pretty good. As for Anatomy %26amp; Physiology, that's a class that's extremely different from psychology. There's much more involved and it is muc more difficult. However, as I mentioned earlier, your gpa is good, so don't sweat it.
Reply:I'm currently working on my dissertation in clinical psychology. It's important to know whether the schools you're applying to have a research or a clinical focus. Many of the most prestigious schools don't specialize in training clinicians, so you must decide whether you intend to do psychotherapy or research.





Choose the professors you do research with carefully. Professional reputation crosses campuses, and you don't want your vita to reflect your work with 'doctor sleazebag who does unimportant research while sleeping with clients and undergrad research assistants.'





The number of positions open at a program is often determined by how many professors are in need of new researchers. You aren't typically invited to interview by the program as a whole, but by a specific professor who thinks your vita reflects characteristics that he or she could use in his or her research team. Focus on programs which include professors who are doing work related to your experience or interests.





Finally, remember that most everyone invited to the interviews are considered to be on essentially equal-footing. The interviews are the most crucial part. Many smart-but-profoundly-disturbed students successfully make it through to the interviews, the professors intend to form a cohort of students who have a low likelihood of driving professors or other students crazy over the course of the next 5 or 6 years.





Finally, when I went through the interview process myself, each of the applicants (including myself) had painstakingly reviewed the Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology by Mayne, Norcross, and Sayette.





Good Luck.
Reply:I actually have a MA in Clinical Psych. Its tough getting into clinical phd programs. Most schools only accept like 4 or 5 people out of hundreds of applicants. BUT don't get discouraged you have ALOT to offer. Your already doing al lthe right things that will get you in the door - at least an interview. Most schools look for grades, GRE scores, but also experience. Most times its hard to aquire experience while in school so your already a leg up by doing research this summer. Make sure that the departments you choose to apply to read up research on teh faculty there and try and make a direct connection with at least ONE faculty member. It wouldnt even hurt to email that professor and talk about what they did research on (professors love that) - that way when you do apply and that professor see's your name it will stand up. Ultimately when applying for a doctoral program the goal is to connect with a faculty member there who's research interests match yours. The more experience you gain will help you. Don't sweat it if you get a 3.8 or a 3.9 or a 4.0 thats not everything. I'm sure you will get in. Make sure you apply to ALOT of differnent schools - better to have options when you get in than no options at all. Ok I'll stop rambling about psychology now.. I just love the topic. GOOD LUCK!!
Reply:I'm not a grad, but my adivce to you would be go for it- if you don't try, than you'll never know. and I can almost guarentee you that even if this doesn't work out, you'll appreciate the effort you put into it and learn something about yourself too, good luck.

home teeth cleaning