mentorship during admissions
Where to find a mentor, and what to do if you can’t.
There has been a long break between posts – I wish I could pinpoint exactly why, but it’s a multitude of things. The pandemic seems to find new ways to interfere with my extracurricular activities, the new semester at San Jose State just started and Zoom teaching isn’t necessarily my preferred method, California is on fire…I could go on and on. Anyways, I’m making a goal for myself to be a bit more regular with posting here – I find writing posts really helps me gain clarity about the admissions process, and I feel like I’m living my values when I share the brief knowledge I have with others. So, I’m putting that goal into the universe!
Mentorship is a topic close to my heart – the mentoring I’ve gotten over the past year has shaped me into a better applicant, future researcher, future graduate student, and person. It’s important for me to have exemplary examples of what effective mentorship looks like, because I hope to one day be an exemplary mentor myself. Working with someone who values mentorship so highly has helped me understand why becoming a mentor is a value I hold, and how I can work to thoroughly live those values in the future.
As clinical psychology PhD applicants applying to work with specific mentors, it might seem obvious that great mentorship is super important. The connection between you and your mentor in graduate school is one that can facilitate growth and learning, and that will hopefully morph into a lifelong relationship. We spend hours sifting through labs, contacting potential PIs, and deciding who we can see ourselves working with for 5+ years. Most folks that provide advice on the PhD application process stress the importance of lab and mentor fit. What many fail to mention is the importance of mentorship during the application process – I’ve seen application mentorship mentioned a handful of times, but it’s never stressed to the point I think it should be.
I had some guidance during my first round of applications, and I’m grateful to those individuals for the support they were able to provide. They were realistic about my chances and helped me revise my statements to an acceptable level. However, my second round, I had a mentor who pushed me outside of my comfort zone, encouraged me to re-evaluate my motivation, and facilitated conversations that examined my scientific values in a way I hadn’t before. We have continued our mentor-mentee relationship into this cycle as well, which has been instrumental in preparing me not only for PhD applications, but for my career beyond graduate school as well. After my disappointing results from last year’s admissions, my mentor helped reframe what I viewed as a failure – I embraced the extra experience I would gain in my current position, rather than thinking of it as a sort of punishment for not being good enough to get into a graduate program. It was important to realize that my career had already started, with or without graduate school or a PhD. I want to make the most out of my time as a research assistant, not just as a means to an end, but because it is a whole, standalone experience.
After experiencing firsthand the variance in mentorship and the essential value it provides, I also recognized that good mentorship is hard to find. Many applicants are navigating the admissions process alone, or with very minimal oversight. I would argue this furthers the inequity of the graduate admissions process, meaning that great applicants aren’t able to put forth a competitive application. There are resources available online, and the good news is some faculty members are doing their part to increase transparency during admissions (see: Dr. Schleider at SUNY Stony Brook – she has created an admissions document tailored to her lab; @JSchleiderPhD on twitter). However, the absence of good mentorship can directly influence the amount of time and effort it takes to gain admittance into a program. There are tons of inequities in the process – sometimes, clinical psychology can feel like a popularity contest. In some ways, it’s all about who you know, and who those people know. Basically, it’s the Six degrees of Kevin Bacon but with a psych twist – Six degrees of Sigmund Freud, perhaps?
So, where do you find an admissions mentor, and what do you do if you can’t find one?
The best mentor is going to have intimate knowledge of you as a researcher, as a student, and as a person. This might look like:
1. An undergraduate thesis advisor
2. A PI that you worked for as a research assistant/research coordinator/project manager
3. A faculty member you TA’d for
4. A faculty member you took classes with as an undergrad/master’s level student (if you had a semi-strong relationship)
Bonus: these are all the types of folks you’d maybe want to use as a letter of recommendation writer. Including this extra facet to your relationship will help them write an even better, more detailed letter when the time comes.
Perhaps the most important characteristic is that the person wants to be a mentor. It can be difficult to gauge this organically, but it is possible. Lukewarm interest in mentoring an applicant could backfire and end up being just as unhelpful as going it alone. To parse this out further, ask some questions about their ability and willingness to mentor you. Questions you could ask include:
1. Do you have time in your schedule to mentor me through the application process?
a. I have found that consistent and reliable check-ins with a mentor are super helpful. Even better if you work together and are able to have spontaneous lunch chats!
2. How familiar are you with current PhD admissions?
a. This is important – if they are an established researcher that is a bit far removed from the process, they might not have relevant info.
3. Have you mentored other applicants?
a. If they have, they know what mentorship at this stage entails. If not, maybe they are excited to venture into mentoring.
4. What sorts of application mentorship would you be willing to provide?
a. They may only have time in their schedule to focus on revising your statements, or maybe their expertise lies in helping mentees refine their research interests. If you find you need additional mentorship in other areas, that could be a good opportunity to build a relationship with another potential mentor.
For some applicants, there may be additional considerations. First-gen applicants may want a mentor that understands how being the first in your family to apply to PhD programs presents unique needs. International applicants might want a mentor that has a background working with international students, and can help them navigate through the process of applying and attending. Black, indigenous American, or other applicants that come from groups historically oppressed by racist academic institutions or policies might want a mentor that has successfully navigated applications as a member of those groups. Various resources, legislation, and other supports are available to specifically help the above groups successfully apply to graduate school – having a mentor that can direct you to these resources is helpful and necessary.
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So, you found a potential mentor, and they agreed to help you with the admissions process – fantastic! Now, the focus should be on making the most out of your relationship. Chances are your new mentor is a busy person. They are likely a full-time researcher or faculty member juggling multiple roles in multiple places. Because of their packed agenda, it’s a good idea to schedule meetings, so that the time is blocked off on their calendar. Just having the time set aside isn’t usually sufficient enough to make sure the meeting is spent well – I would recommend mapping out what you hope to accomplish during each meeting. Creating an agenda is a great way to do this! It might be helpful to have “themes” for mentorship meetings as well: solidifying a research interest, writing personal statements, getting statement feedback, preparing for an interview, etc. This will help you stay focused on the particular tasks at hand, rather than worrying about all elements at once.
It might also be helpful to request “homework assignments”, or tasks they recommend you complete independently between mentorship meetings. Take the initiative and show that you are committed to the process, because applications are essentially the tip of the iceberg. Demonstrating to your mentor (and to yourself) that you are committed for the long haul is important. Attending graduate school is a huge decision that deserves thoughtful reflection.
The final tip I will leave for making the most out of a mentor-mentee relationship is to take LOTS of notes. Take notes before, during, and after meetings to make sure your questions are answered. Reflect on the meetings later. Ask for book recommendations or other resources you can peruse, and take notes while reading. Journal about the process and take time to really understand your why.
There may be some of you that read this post and feel daunted by the task of finding a mentor. Maybe you are returning to education after a long hiatus. Maybe the pandemic has greatly reduced the amount of interaction you have with faculty or supervisors. Maybe you lost your job all together and don’t have access to your previous employers. Lacking consistent, helpful guidance can make admissions feel lonely and daunting. Never fear – a ton of resources exist to help you master the process yourself!
I have a previous post about online resources that was shared earlier this year, but there are few additional items I want to share. First, there is a few fantastic books that you can buy. The first is The Insider’s Guide to Admissions in Clinical and Counseling Psychology ($25), and the other is a book called Graduate Study in Psychology distributed by the American Psychological Association ($60). A note here: it looks like the online APA database discussed here has the same information as the APA book. You could save some money by getting a subscription to the online search tool. While you will need to invest some money into these resources, the hope is that they will help make your applications exponentially better which may save you money in the long run.
In addition, a great place to look for resources is your current university or alma mater. Some psychology departments hold informational meetings regarding graduate school admissions, and you may be able to gather a significant amount of information by attending one. It could also be a way to connect with professors that might have additional insights.
The last place I’ll mention is Twitter! I’ve been working to actively become involved on #AcademicTwitter and I’ve learned a ton. I was able to find an informational meeting set up by a faculty member on the east coast, which I never would have heard about otherwise. Making connections wherever you can is a great generalizable skill. Networking is not a natural strength of mine, so getting some minor experience (even if online) has helped build my confidence.
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One important thing to keep in mind – mentorship can come from multiple sources. If you are struggling to nail down a primary mentor, try to look for opportunities to learn from whoever you can, whenever you can. Connect with faculty or PhD level researchers that want to share their knowledge about admissions, even if briefly. Connect with current graduate students and ask their advice about the process. Soak up whatever information you can! Regardless of how many sources you have during this process, its likely you will eventually hear conflicting information about how to write statements, how many programs to apply to, what questions are important to ask in an interview, and so on. My advice is – go with your gut. Do what feels good for you, and you can rest easy knowing that you made authentic decisions while saying true to yourself.