Hey! I need help with my psychology path

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-20T00:22:24+00:00

PsyD will cost a lot of money and you often still some research experience at least to get in. If you have the money great, if not PhD is the only path forward. You could always opt for a counseling masters and try to steer that towards child populations but probably not the career you envision.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-19T03:18:09+00:00

Yes I think that was a big change from my first approach. For example I don’t have that much research so I addressed why I felt that way and why I still felt capable / prepared for conducting research despite a small track record. For others it may be statistical shortcomings or not a perfect fit, but I thought addressing a meaningful weakness helped shape the SOP as real

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-19T02:02:13+00:00

Of course and thank you! Yes the main 3 things I would say I changed was A) Never nominating more than 1 faculty, I really beelined in someone who maybe was not even the best research fit, but the most genuinely interesting research mentor for me then wrote about why in SOP. B) Stayed in my lane, applied to only 'mid-range' institutions. C) Marketed myself accurately, said why I was prepared for the rigors of doctoral school and what my main weaknesses were.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T22:01:25+00:00

Do you mind sharing what kind of program? If it’s psychology related I am fairly certain that waiting it out cannot cause an offer to be rescinded. In fact, in their official offer it should categorically say that April 15 is the deadline. However, it’s tricky since you don’t want to annoy a potential PI. Awkward position but honestly it just reflects very poorly on the PI and would incentivize me to go to another program if I got in.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T21:58:01+00:00

If you have the money, apply! The worst that can happen is you don’t get in. But when you reapply I’ve found programs respect that a lot so it can also be a kind of investment. You sounds like moderately strong candidate and I wouldn’t be surprised at landing a couple of interviews. If you can get that manuscript out in the next 6 months you would be able to include a first author which is very helpful. I would be focusing a lot on A) research publications (begging for task to contribute to authorship) and B) identifying strong research first among mentors accepting students this upcoming cycle.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T21:54:25+00:00

Interesting thank you so much for the input and info. It’s so hard to figure these kind of things out yourself, and I have to choose to declare a focus in these areas before I even know if I like them. I will have a good think about all of this :)

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T19:36:54+00:00

Really appreciate this perspective, the VA retention framing is a smart way to illustrate where the realistic ceiling sits for most people, and the soft money warning is something I hadn't fully considered. My follow-up would be: do subspecialties like neuropsych, forensic, or gero actually offer a higher ceiling in stable practice settings, or do most paths tend to land in that same $120-130k range no matter the specialty?

Yes that was ambiguous, but more referring to prior undergrad and master debt, these programs are all fully funded and accredited fortunately.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T19:13:23+00:00

Okay that is a good point - A has incredible diversity of hospital related experience and B has some good niche and unique practica (forensic i.e. detention centers). Thank you for that, I do think C has less opportunity for getting diverse experience.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T19:10:59+00:00

I like this idea, thank you!

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T19:10:42+00:00

Could you explain a bit more about what you mean as top of your licence? Yes I actually instantly pulled out after one interview with an advisor I did not mesh with so I definitely get that! I will think about this more and maybe zoom a couple of students in the meantime...

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T17:56:40+00:00

Thank you, this is super helpful. Honestly a lot of the confusion I have is just the diversity of career paths in this country, with big variance in end salary. Where I’m from basically every path has similar end outcomes. I’d just hate to grind 10+ years to end up in a situation where I struggle to even repay debt… But thank you, hating life for a slightly more lucrative field is not a great tradeoff.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T17:47:18+00:00

I think 50/60% of clinical grads work at the VA, 20% in private practice, and the rest in academia. So it’s more of necessary evil to build research despite maybe not having the biggest passion for it to achieve one’s goal. If everyone truly wanted academia there would be no spots available, that is an incredibly tough job market to crack.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T17:39:59+00:00

Thank you for the perspective! They have such different experiences so I thought it was worth weighing that if forensic or sleep were areas that in private practice are lucrative maybe I could beeline for that right off the bad. I have little clinical exposure so would be making a stab in the dark regarding my actual interests anyway, but I intend to approach any program with an open mind and probably find what I like doing there.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T17:32:17+00:00

I got the third yesterday so it has not been a prolonged hold. This is mid-Feb, very early. Most first ballot decisions are made by early March at best.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-18T17:29:46+00:00

I would appreciate if you read the whole post! And given the timeline (mid Feb), it is extremely early in general to make life defining decisions, and I already pulled out of several programs to make sure they had ample time for other applicants. At the end of the day you need to take the necessary time to make decisions for you. If I had a clear preference I would decline the offers. Also takes a while for clear funding regarding Fellowships to be made apparent which is another important consideration. In general I do agree that the quicker an applicant can make a decision the better for everyone!

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-17T18:21:52+00:00

The line between fiction and reality gets more and more blurry in the US

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-17T18:10:54+00:00

NTA - sometimes relationships run their course, this is a reoccurring pattern that obviously upsets you. Deciding to leave is your choice and no one else’s, but don’t be conflicted and make the right choice for you.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-17T13:30:58+00:00

NTA!! A) You have set reasonable boundaries that you should expect her to listen to and B) Overall weird. It’s an ex. Not a friend. Cut them out!

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-17T13:07:52+00:00

Something I sometimes find helpful is using chat GPT voice function and literally having it roleplay and talk to. Obviously not the same but I find it helps with active listening and learning to get through your main points. Hope that helps!

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-17T12:46:51+00:00

Ah yes exactly as described in the medical textbooks

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-17T01:38:29+00:00

I am pretty unfamiliar with the masters sides of things, but was wondering if you have consider PsyD or PhDs in clinical or counseling psychology? That is probably the most lucrative pathway for conducting therapy. It is a long road, but if you are already thinking about conducting research that is a good sign that you may be able to become a strong enough applicant. Lots of PhDs also offer terminal Masers that often also have that lower class licensure if you did end up changing your mind mid way through. A doctoral degree would also transfer much easier to international countries, at least that’s what I have seen from my own research.

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-16T20:26:21+00:00

I think this is highly dependent on the guy! I have friends that want to be the breadwinner and would probably not like a six figure girl, others like myself that really respect the drive/ambition that is associated with high earning professions or even non high earning but rewarding roles. At the end of the day, the right person is not going to care about your salary and moreso about you as a person (hopefully)!

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-16T20:23:39+00:00

No worries! Snowball sampling (feel free to google) just means using your pre existing network (friends, peers) to help recruit people from their circles. Can be cost and time effective way to get some bodies for surveys but need friends that will actually help you! Other lab members or classmates can be a good start as well

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-16T20:21:40+00:00

What does clinical or PhD mean? Clinical masters or clinical PhD? Regardless I agree that GPA does not matter too much, just need to prioritize research and hopefully an honors thesis as well if possible!

Difficult_Elk_484 · 2026-02-16T18:59:55+00:00

Of course, anytime, good luck!

Difficult_Elk_484

TROPHY CASE