Your Clinical Psychology PhD Application Guide

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by Jennifer White, PhD in Clinical Psychology UAlbany Student

Are you applying to a clinical psychology Ph.D. program? Are you overwhelmed by the process or materials? Whether you are reapplying or this is your first cycle, this blog is for you! I am a second-year Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student at UAlbany, and I’m here to break down what you need to know before you submit your application.

When applying to clinical psychology programs, most of the time you are applying to work under a specific Principal Investigator (PI), which is a faculty member, instead of generally applying to the program. Make a list of which PIs you want to apply to based on their research and clinical fit. PIs do not accept students every year; sometimes websites say whether the PI is accepting a student that year. Other times, PIs may not know until Spring whether they will accept a student and they may encourage you to apply anyway.

Emailing PIs: 

  • Generally, it is favorable to email PIs to let them know you are interested in working with them (September/October).
  • Make sure to include your CV, a sentence about your research, and what current research of theirs you are interested in.
  • If you can’t find information on whether they are accepting a student, this is also an opportunity to ask. This quick exchange can be a great way to help your application get pulled out of the stack.

Your Personal statement: 

  • The aim is to tell your research story while letting your personality shine through.
  • Personal statements include why you are interested in the field and information about research you have done, you are interested in conducting and, your goals post-graduate school.
  • PIs want to know why you want to be a clinical psychologist and what you plan to do with the degree.

Letters of recommendation: 

  • Recommenders should be able to attest to your ability to do research, to succeed in graduate school classes, and/or clinical work. Who writes these letters will look different based on your background. (e.g., if you are coming from undergrad and you only did research under one PI, then you may have 1 letter from them and two other professors who taught you in classes. If you took time off in a post-bacc research position, then all three letters may be from people who you did research/work with post undergrad, with none from professors).
  • Make sure you reach out by early October to give your recommenders time to write your letters.

CV/resume: 

  • Your CV provides a documented timeline for your professional life.
  • Typically, it starts out with your educational institutions, dates of graduation, honors you received, and GPA. If you have presented at a conference or have publication(s), make sure you include those as well! Then, list any research and clinical experience you have.  

GRE:

  • Some schools require the GRE; other schools don’t require it but will consider your scores, and other schools will not look at it even if you submit it. Check the website to see what each school says!

Last reminder: 

  • Make sure you read the website and application information for each school you are applying to. Often, schools have specific lengths for your personal statement, and some schools may require you to answer additional questions or an additional essay. You can view the required materials for UAlbany’s Clinical Psychology – PhD program here.

Good luck! Stay tuned for part 2 where I break down what happens after you submit your application.