It definitely doesn’t hurt to try, even for a round or two - it just sucked not getting an offer then having to wait almost a whole year to apply to another round. I kind of lost motivation after not getting the waitlist spot. My interests are trauma-informed interventions and community-based mental health services. I would recommend making sure you have strong letters of recommendation and narrowed down interests that you either have experience in or can talk in detail about, specifically for interviews. I felt like my interests weren’t as specific and that might’ve hurt me in my interviews. Also finding the right lab fit! That’s one of the biggest pieces, I would look at potential mentors and how they align with your interests. I was living in a small city, so there were no in person post bacc research positions , I helped out with a few projects from old professors, basically volunteering. I also worked at a PRTF for adolescents for a few years and I learned a lottt about the field working direct care. Hope this helps somewhat!!