and the wait begins!

Changes to this cycle, and how to cope waiting for interview invites

If you are one of many applicants that applied this year, CONGRATULATIONS! It is essential that you celebrate every single milestone of this process. I personally popped open a bottle of Sparkling Rosé, just to feel extra fancy. I already have my eye on a slightly better bottle of champagne for when interviews roll in, and will splurge on some Veuve Clicquot when I’m admitted – notice I said when not if! I’ve got to speak some positivity into the universe this round. Even as I type those words, I feel a bit presumptuous. How dare I assume that I will get in anywhere this year? Imposter syndrome is all too real. 

So, before you read any further, make sure you celebrated in whatever way brings you joy!

As an applicant with multiple rounds of application experience under my belt, I’m noticing a huge uptick in anxiety this round. This can likely be attributed to the large increase in applicants to clinical psychology programs. Many programs are reporting anywhere from a 50 – 100% increase in applications. This sounds super scary! Most of knew when we applied that the odds were not in our favor. Normally, the chances of admission are around 2 – 5 % for research-focused APA-accredited PhD programs. Now, for many of the most competitive schools, these chances are closer to 1%. The numbers DO sound a bit terrifying, but 1% isn’t really that much different than 2%.  

Many folks on twitter and other online forums have been hypothesizing about the change – why such a large increase in applications this year? Here are some of the thoughts I’ve seen circulating around:

-       Removing the GRE made admissions more accessible

-       There has been a huge increase of interest in the field and mental health in general due to the pandemic 

-       Those graduating are entering a slumping job market, and interest in graduate school usually spikes in times of economic recessions 

I’m very excited to see that admissions are more accessible as a result of removing the GRE requirements, and this seems like the number one driving force between application differences. Some schools that elected to keep the GRE required are not seeing an increase as large compared to programs that removed it as a requirement. However, as an applicant still trying to gain admission into a program, it is very discouraging to see these huge numbers. 

I’d also say there is compelling evidence to suggest that the pandemic-induced economic recession is another important reason so many folks decided to apply to graduate school this round. After the dotcom crash in the early 2000’s and during the Great Recession from 2008 - 2009, applications to graduate programs rose across all disciplines. It was difficult to find clinical psychology specific numbers, but anecdotally this checks out.

So, what about interest in the field? I think it’s definitely possible that interest in mental health career paths has potentially increased, though I’d be curious to see data from other psychology subdisciplines or master’s level programs. Some professors and professionals have also been highlighting the possibility that folks are applying to doctorate programs without needing a doctoral level education. Perhaps we need to educate grad school hopefuls on alternatives to clinical psychology PhD programs. 

I’ve been thinking a ton about what the increase in applications means for those of us that applied this year. One of the big questions I have is, will the increase in applications translate to an increase in competitiveness? It takes years to prepare for PhD applications. Gaining meaningful research experience takes time, and it also usually takes time to nail down specific research interests. My personal prediction is that while this will likely mean a slight increase in competitiveness, I don’t think it will be an equal increase. 

Moving forward, if the interest in the field persists, I do wonder how we can make clinical psychology more attainable for applicants. Perhaps increased number of qualified applicants could equal more funding? However, the mentorship model does limit the size of an incoming cohort, and programs would run the risk of diluted training if they take a cohort too large. Overall, I’m interested in how (and if) the field will shift following this year. 

Shifting to the wait ahead of us – it’s really vital to take care of your mental health during this weird in-between time. You might find yourself compulsively checking application portals, GradCafe, or SDN. Maybe your anxiety ramps up every time you get a phone call or email (hi, this is definitely me). Perhaps your ability to focus has diminished greatly since hitting “Submit”. However the worry is manifesting, pay attention and address it! I’ve already taken a weekend break from forums and chatrooms, and plan to take a few more breaks in the coming weeks. Mid-December tends to be a busy time for notifications, but some initial data from programs indicates they will likely be behind schedule this year due to the influx of applications. Basically, that means we can breathe and chill out. 

If you celebrate any holidays, focus your energy on fun family traditions, even if you aren’t planning to see family this year. Make sure you remind yourself of all the other wonderful parts of life that don’t revolve around your education and career. Sometimes, I get so caught up in grad school (and what comes after it) that I lose sight of other goals I have. 

These are the things I want to focus my energy on in the coming weeks: 

-       Getting outside and enjoying the cool weather

-       Trying new recipes 

-       Reading for fun (recent reads include The Vanishing Half, Where the Crawdads Sing, and Untamed – definitely recommend all three!)

-       Playing more games

-       Revising and writing papers 

-       Prepping for the new year with a bullet journal and planner

How are you going to take care of yourself?