Im A Doctoral Student...

**Shatani** · 09-01-2004, 03:37 AM

am i alone?? any psych majors out there??? come be friends with me! :lol :lol :lol

**tlynn1974** · 09-02-2004, 04:53 PM

Psych major checking in.

I will be receiving my undergrad in psychology in August of next year (December at the VERY latest).

I have a question for you Shatani (and anyone else that can help)! I want to start grad school in September of '06 . I hope to pursue my PhD in Psychology. I am specifically interested in forensic psychology.

I have been looking at grad schools and they are VERY competitive. The three main universities in my area only accept 3 - 8% of its applicants. Average gpa of 3.6 - 3.8 and high GRE scores.

One reason I am trying to start grad school in '06 vs. '05 is to give myself more time to prepare for the GRE. My question is, what else should I be doing to better my chances of being accepted to grad school?

Thanks to anyone who can help!!

**jennifer** · 09-02-2004, 05:49 PM

Hello fellow psych majors!! I have an undergraduate degree in psych and just finished grad school. I didn't pursue psych though, I went for public administration.

tlynn,
One of the things that helped me out for grad school was getting to know people at the school I wanted to attend. Like the director of the program or just some faculty and staff. That helped me a lot because my GRE scores where not that hot. I don't do those types of tests very well so I kind of had to get myself out there. You'd be surprised the help you'll get by just introducing yourself and letting them know your interested in their program.

Also, for grad school don't forget to look into a graduate assistantship. These positions pay for full tuition and provide a stipend. Federal grant money is not available for graduate school, only federal loans. So it will be a good way to cut back on some of those loans

Hope this helps!

**Shatani** · 09-04-2004, 05:05 AM

Originally posted by tlynn1974@Sep 2 2004, 11:53 AM
Psych major checking in.

I will be receiving my undergrad in psychology in August of next year (December at the VERY latest).

I have a question for you Shatani (and anyone else that can help)! I want to start grad school in September of '06 . I hope to pursue my PhD in Psychology. I am specifically interested in forensic psychology.

I have been looking at grad schools and they are VERY competitive. The three main universities in my area only accept 3 - 8% of its applicants. Average gpa of 3.6 - 3.8 and high GRE scores.

One reason I am trying to start grad school in '06 vs. '05 is to give myself more time to prepare for the GRE. My question is, what else should I be doing to better my chances of being accepted to grad school?

Thanks to anyone who can help!!

oooooh, girl thats my field!!!! but im getting a psyD, not a phD....

i dont know...i feel like im not a good person to ask this....i havent done anything spectacular....and ive never been rejected from a school....

um....i did pretty well on the GRE and im told i interview well....i dont really practice or anything, im just comfortable and my trick this year was letting the interviewer babble about herself...she loved me!! hahaahaha

i think the best thing you can do going in is to know your stuff...know about the school and why you want to go there...mention specific stuff that drew you there...also, they like to ask you what your plan is....and you may or may not have an actual plan (and you will soon learn that plans change all the time!) but have a plan that you will tell them about and work in how that particular school will further you in that plan....

as for the test....its not hard...the best thing you can do is practice practice practice!! i like the GRE bette than the SAT because youre not penalized for being wrong, so it takes the edge off of guessing!

i got one of those study books with the CD...i honestly never even looked at the book! its all about the practice tests....

since youre taking a year off it would be VERY beneficial to get some experience in the field....i dont think theres much out there in forensic psych for a bachelor's, but anything psychological looks good to them...i spent my year off as a residential counselor working with children...its just good to get something under your belt, you know?? oh, and if you can get in on some research too...that would be EXCELLENT...especially for the phD programs...they love that stuff...talk to some of your undergrad profs...see if any are doing anything youre interested in....being published is akin to being a GOD to those programs!! and even if youre doing volunteer work, anything in social services will be good....

and now to plug my school!

i goto widener university....its a psyD program in clinical psych with SO many options....they have a forensic concentration as well as dual degree programs!! theres the psyD/JD...which is a really intense program where at the end youre a doctor AND a lawyer and it takes six years....and then theres tons of masters you can get, mostly for free and within the time it takes to get your doctorate...its the second best program in the country (first is rutgers, but they dont do forensics, or i would have appied there!) and its the oldest psyD program in the country....its good stuff...

i could go on and on, but alas this reply is just way too long!! i wont feel bad if you dont read it :lol :lol :lol
~T~

AKAHLF · 09-04-2004, 12:58 PM

Another doctoral student in clinical psychology checking in! *waving*

I am a fourth year student, also getting a PsyD. I'm almost done, too. Next week, I'm completing the clinical competency exam and then will apply for internships.

I am ready to be out, cause I feel like this ---> :coffee

Your school sounds very much like mine. We (Nova Southeastern University in FTL, Florida) have several concentrations - Forensics, psychodynamic, neuropsychology, serious mental illness, and health, as well as joint degreed programs and a post-doc masters in psychopharmacology.

I am in the psychodynamic concentration, and was recently published in SEFAPP (Southeast Florida Association for Psychoanalytic Psychology) Psyche & Sol - Spring/Summer, 2004! :d)

leeltweety · 09-04-2004, 04:46 PM

I'm an undergrad in psychology and I shall graduate by next fall (which is 1 year and a half early). I plan to go to Law School after but I'm still considering grad school for psychology.

Has anyone heard of Black Psychology? I just found out about it and if I do get a specialization in the field, this is where I'll be heading.

**Shatani** · 09-05-2004, 02:13 AM

Originally posted by AKAHLF@Sep 4 2004, 07:58 AM
Another doctoral student in clinical psychology checking in! *waving*

I am a fourth year student, also getting a PsyD. I'm almost done, too. Next week, I'm completing the clinical competency exam and then will apply for internships.

I am ready to be out, cause I feel like this ---> :coffee

Your school sounds very much like mine. We (Nova Southeastern University in FTL, Florida) have several concentrations - Forensics, psychodynamic, neuropsychology, serious mental illness, and health, as well as joint degreed programs and a post-doc masters in psychopharmacology.

I am in the psychodynamic concentration, and was recently published in SEFAPP (Southeast Florida Association for Psychoanalytic Psychology) Psyche & Sol - Spring/Summer, 2004! :d)

coooooool!!!! Nova Southeastern was on my list, but i didnt end up applying there....

im going into my second year!!! was doing the dual degree with a masters in CJ, but it was too much work and not much payoff!! i found myself taking stuff i didnt care about to fill a requirement and i left that mess behind in undergrad....so, im gonna do two concentrations, maybe three....forensic, school (i LOVE testing!) and family....

good luck on the comps!!!!!! i know that is a HELLISH time!! i am not looking forward to it...at all! oh, and congrats on being published!!!! :app :app :app

i might look into that post-doc psychopharm program at your school....do you know that my schools lousy excuse for a psychopharm class is a 3-day seminar?!?!! how can they possibly think thats enough!?!?!

well, anyway....its cool to connect with you ladies!!!
~T~

**Shatani** · 09-05-2004, 02:16 AM

Originally posted by leeltweety@Sep 4 2004, 11:46 AM
I'm an undergrad in psychology and I shall graduate by next fall (which is 1 year and a half early). I plan to go to Law School after but I'm still considering grad school for psychology.

Has anyone heard of Black Psychology? I just found out about it and if I do get a specialization in the field, this is where I'll be heading.

early graduation!! wooo!!!

my cousin is currently persuing a doctorate in african american studies at temple....she loves the program....i dunno of any other schools that offer it, though....but it DOES exist!

**Mizblisslife** · 09-05-2004, 05:01 AM

Graduate in Psychology checking in.
I majored in Cultural and Social Pysch. Absolutely LOVED it.
:app :heart
Not sure whether I want to pursue a PhD yet.

**Salsybabe** · 09-05-2004, 09:53 PM

I was a psych major in college. I graduated in May. I double majored in English and Psychology. I'm deferring graduate school for a year, so I won't be going until the fall of 2005. Currently I work as a research assistant in a hospital for a pediatrician. It's more medical and developmental psych stuff. The program I'm deferring is a master's program in counseling psychology at Howard U. My ultimate goal is a PhD in Counseling Psychology. I'm also considering one or two School Psychology PhD programs.