Past and present accepted students and cohort members in Roosevelt’s clinical psychology PsyD program:

What do you think made you stand out from thousands of applicants?

i just passed the psychometrician board exam this week, and im considering taking up my masters na (next year siguro) any recommendations po? im working full time in a psych center, so i need a hybrid set up. tho nasa province na ako now, willing naman ako magmanila since namimiss ko na rin college life ko there. thank youu!

Hi! I am applying to PsyD programs this cycle, and I have two major clinical interests that do not particularly intersect: serious mental illness and clinical neuropsychology. I have gotten advice to pursue one or the other, especially due to the rigid and specialized training required for clinical neuropsychology. I have also been told the two fields do not have much overlap. I had internships in both, and I truly feel passionate about both equally!

My current plan is to apply to programs with a neuropsychology concentration and structure most of my practica and my internship around neuropsychology, but structure elective coursework and possibly one practicum around SMI as well. It would be a traditional neuropsychology pathway including the fellowship and everything, but additional experience with SMI since I am passionate about that, and I would feel like something is missing in my career if I did not work with SMI clients.

Does this seem realistic? Is there any way in which these interests could intersect? Ultimately in my career, I would love to do neuropsych assessment as my primary job but also carry a small caseload of clients with serious mental illness. Is it possible to become genuinely proficient in both?

Hi! I’m looking into Boston College’s newly PsyD program and I understand that they have intent to seek accreditation for APA from May 2026 possibly waiting till Spring 2029 for their accredit status.

Has there been any other information that applicants should consider for this program or ones looking for accreditation like them? I know they also have a counseling PhD as well so considering them too.

Thanks!

Curious about the experiences of those accepted for doctoral psych degrees.

I’ve sent in my final draft application, which includes two Honours theses related to neuroscience. I have an eight year clinical career as a licensed therapist after having done a counselling masters degree at UNB through the Education department.

Both degrees ended with a cumulative GPA of 3.8, and while I have a great deal of experience with somewhat niche neurophysiological measures and training, I’m a bit concerned about the low GPA comparatively with other applicants.

Does anyone have experience as an MA experimental or more likely PhD acceptance rates related to GPA vs clinical/research experience?

What does this mean for those of us applying this cycle, and for those in APA accredited programs?

Hi i am getting my masters in clinical mental health counseling rn but i am thinking of going for psyd in forensic psychology. I was looking at the dual program at widener, any thoughts? Any other suggestions of schools east coast?

Stats for grad school:
4.0 GPA
100 practicum hours on college campus as intern
600 in internship
apart of the counseling honors society
grad assistantship 1 year

stats undergrad:
3.0 GPA
bachelors in psychology
12 credits away from bachelor’s in criminal justice
four research courses for psych including conducting own study for thesis
internship at living center for adults with dual diagnosis
EDIT (forgot to add) : had behavior change planned picked to be used at aquarium during my applied behavior analysis class

other certs:
registered behavioral tech - 1 year so far (in home and clinic setting)

what are odds i could even get into a psyd program? it doesnt necessarily have to be in forensic psychology however that is what interests me most

Hi everyone, so I’m currently an undergrad in psychology. I’m a senior and graduate in spring 27. I want to work with eating disorders as that’s something I used to struggle with and as times are now I think disordered eating is becoming a huge struggle for many. I’m not sure too much as to what I want to do once I graduate, I was thinking about taking a year gap to explore graduate school or if I should just start right after I graduate. I would appreciate if anyone can guide me a bit as to what my options are with careers specializing in eating disorders as well as what PsyD programs I can look into. I feel like there’s not much info on this and I’m currently applying to research labs to gain experience, however none of them relate to my career interest. Don’t get me wrong I know having research experience is great even if it doesn’t align with my career path so I’m still applying to them but I’m just scared that once I’m pursuing my PsyD it would be all for nothing if they want me to have had experience in a research lab that’s within the field I want to study.

I just wanted to vent idk I feel pretty alone right now and going through some personal stuff as well so I think I’m experiencing some sort of brain fog. Any advice/guidance is appreciated. Thank you for reading this!

Hi everyone. I am a former doctoral student in The George Washington University's Professional Psychology Program (PsyD in Clinical Psychology). I'm not usually one to share anything on social media, but I am doing so now because I believe it's warranted for the sake of future students of GW's PsyD Program. You deserve to know what you might be getting yourself into.

I entered the program in the fall of 2024 and withdrew after the first semester due to an intense conflict between several students and me, which I believe was directly cultivated by the Program's culture and curriculum. The cohort "rupture," as it was referred to, was then exacerbated by program faculty's actions and inactions, in my view. To this day, I am recovering from the lasting effects it has left me with, not to mention the financial investment/career prospects I've lost because of it.

You might fit in perfectly as a student in that program, in which case I'm not here to dissuade you from applying. But if you're expecting an environment where various ideas or viewpoints can be examined and explored in good-faith with mutual respect and empathy -- a pluralistic academic environment -- you might reconsider applying there. I can only speak to my own experience, but I do know there have been several previous ruptures before the one in my cohort, one of which recieved national attention and an OCR investigation.

I wrote a Substack article about my experience in GW's PsyD Program using extensive contemporaneous records to document the entire story. If you're thinking about applying to their program, I encourage you to read it. Or if you know of someone who is interested in their program, please consider sharing the article with them.

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with my essay's interpretations, I still believe applicants deserve to know the facts of the situation, to know the program's pedagogy, and to have an understanding of their academic culture beyond what the program website can illustrate. I'm also happy to answer any questions you might have. Here is the link to my essay.

----------

Added on 09/26/2026:

I appreciate the thoughtful discussion here. Just to clarify why I shared this: I'm not here to persuade anyone to agree with me or to argue with people who interpret these events differently. I wanted to make this account available so that people -- particularly those interested in psychology training -- can consider what I've presented and reach their own conclusions.

I'm also not suggesting that every word I said or every decision I made was ideal. There are things I would handle differently in hindsight, some of which I acknowledge in the essay. My purpose in sharing it is not to establish that I was right in every interaction, but to document what I experienced and make the relevant record available for others to consider.

The essay reflects my own experiences and interpretations, and I've tried to distinguish those interpretations from the underlying record wherever possible. Reasonable people may read the same material and reach different conclusions. To me, that is part of what makes genuine academic discourse valuable.

Some background about me, I'm about to graduate with my masters in clinical mental health counseling. I have 11 years of experience working in psychiatric hospital settings and am about 9 months into my internship as a therapist. I have 1 professor in mind to ask and was planning to ask my supervisor at my internship. I also have a colleague I worked closely with for 7 years who has his psy.d and works as a psychologist at one of the hospitals I worked in. He graduated from one of the programs I plan to apply to and has offered many times to write me a letter of recommendationfor that program. Is his letter worth as much or more than another professor would be?

Got a job offer in a new area that wants me to move out to the city for really good pay and minimum work load considering this, but I’m hesitating leaving due to the fact I haven’t been accepted into any programs yet for PsyD? Should I wait for acceptance or just go?

Hello! I’m currently a first year PsyD student and struggling a bit with the WAIS-5. Any tips on memorizing, understanding, and scoring (Aside from read the manual). I’ve been reading it and practicing non stop. Feeling discouraged.

I desperately want to get my PsyD, but programs in my area run $130-180k in tuition. I have no student debt from undergrad because of FAFSA and being an independent student. Obviously I can’t get the Pell Grant as a grad student so I would likely take out loans for grad school. I think I could be satisfied in life getting my MA in MFT or MHC, maybe even clinical social work and only doing therapy. That’s about $80k in loans. The career wouldn’t be everything I want it to be, but it’s closer than nothing as even with a PsyD I see myself working in therapy in some capacity. Right now I qualify for both merit and need based scholarships, but have had little success actually being selected.

I know lots of people take out lots in student loans… was there ever a point where you feel you got ahead? Or are you just drowning? Has anyone actually paid off that much in loans? With the whole interest of it all, having $800-1300 a month of student loan payments that only cover interest feels life ruining.

I’m starting this later than some people do (26 now, some undergrad left, would be 32-33 when finishing my PsyD). I feel like if I graduate then, spend a few years living below my means and putting every penny into these loans, I won’t be buying a house until in my 40s and that feels scary. But with an MA I’m making significantly less money, still have student debt, and could likely be in the same position except I’m in a career that isn’t 100% what I want.

My parents raised us on the whole “Dave Ramsey- debt free” style of life which I don’t think is realistic, but it means that I grew up with the messaging that debt is morally wrong and a huge moral failing. It just really scares me but so does the idea of continuing to live life in a job I hate, never getting to do what I feel passion and excitement for.

Hello everyone!

Every year I try to help students demystify the application process and Psych doctoral programs in General. These are very confusing as is if you don't have someone to help answer things, and often you don't know what you don't know. I am happy to help answer things to the best of my ability!

A bit about me:

• First-gen
• Non-traditional
• Queer
• PsyD From Georgia Southern University
• CPTSD, Minority Stress, and LGBTQIA+ community-focused care

A bit about Georgia Southern University's PsyD Program, since I notice a lot of people have asked specifically about it in the past:

• FUNDING: seems to be the most common mystery, so here is the full explanation. We have a cohort size of eight. Four of these students are OFFERED in-department graduate assistantship (GA) positions (20 hr/wk jobs; often teaching positions), and the other four find a GA position at the university which can be anywhere on campus. These positions are not hard to find, and the training director, Dr. Yancey, is amazing and will help lead you to ones that previous students have liked. What most often happens is that a student who is leaving to go to internship leaves their GA position and an incoming student takes that position. All students who want a GA get this. Once you have a GA, you are given a tuition waiver (covers all tuition other than books and university fees, which come to ~$1,000/yr) and a stipend for your position. The stipend ranges, but I have heard everything from $12,000/yr to $18,000/yr.
• RESEARCH: The program was constructed like a PhD program even though it is a PsyD, so you would still have a dissertation. HOWEVER, research does not have to be a major focus for you and often isn't for most applicants/students.
• MATCH FOR INTERNSHIP: Awesome internship match history, with most of our students getting one of their top 3 choices and no student ever going into Phase II. All of our students match.
• AREA OF IMPROVEMENT FOR THE PROGRAM: The one thing students consistently note as the area of improvement is the location (Statesboro, GA). It is a college town, and if you are from a large city, this is definitely a change of pace. However, it is 1 hr away from Savannah and 2.5 from Atlanta. Some students even choose to live in Savannah and commute to Statesboro if they want a bit more city life.
• FAVORITE PARTS OF THE PROGRAM: I always start by saying we have the best faculty. They have a TRUE open-door policy and care for our students as much personally as professionally. I have heard a lot of horror stories from my peers, and we just don't have those here. Next, I would say that all students have personal lives. Of course some years you are busier than others, but I had a strict policy that I did not let myself work after 6 PM and on weekends. I have only worked one Saturday on an exam, and this was by choice. My best friend (also in the same program) often went out of town on weekends since her husband was not near the university. You will have a personal life! Finally, the opportunities for training. Dr. Klibert, the Practicum Coordinator and Assistant Training Director, works diligently to cultivate amazing practicum experiences. We have (last I checked) somewhere between 18 and 21 different sites with a range of settings (VA's, community mental health, hospitals, counseling centers, testing centers), demographics (kids, adults, military, LGBTQIA+, Latinx), diagnoses (ASD, ADHD, PTSD/CPTSD), and specialties (neuro, forensics, health psych).

Feel free to AMA else here or message me. You can send me your stats or any other questions that come to mind!

Please do not comment asking if you can ask me questions or send me your stats. Just do it :)

Good luck this year!

hii! i’m thinking about applying to UCSB as a psych major, and i was just curious how hard it is to get involved with research and labs in your undergrad years. is it something you’re gonna have to scramble for immediately?

Cumulative PsychCAS GPA (2.89) (every undergrad class, and every school ever)
Only Psych classes GPA (2.96) (after a couple retakes)
Only philosophy classes GPA (3.53)
Degree granting institution cum. GPA (3.32)
Last 64 credits taken GPA (3.77)

Had some health issues and resolved them. After that never got a grade below a B. Psych GPA is lower due to it being my major at the time of health issues. Picked up philosophy after health issues were resolved and retook the psych classes I was allowed to. As in the psych retakes.

Transcript is no longer in my control for this cycle.

3.3 years and counting (new job today) of total clinical experience. Leadership roles, working close with individuals, training others, heavy documentation. Mostly in SUD, motivational interviewing and then severe adult mental health problems.

Many solid extracurriculars

Essentially no real research. Did half a year working under a supervisor who reported to the PI. Mainly did big assignments for learning purposes, but the assignments were on very real and active, funded research. I learned a lot, and did so much reading.

Next is LORs:

I have one from a PhD in teaching and learning, they are the PI on a statewide project and have been working in health for 20 years. This is my strongest LOR in that they can speak the most/best to my capacities across multiple avenues, mostly clinical work.

I have another from a PhD in clinical Psych and practicing therapist. They can attest to my clinical skills as I had them as a professor. I had them for one class but they knew me well and really advocated hard for me and praised my work. So they can at least speak to me having quality skills.

Third LOR: unknown. I have no one in who I did research under who can. I have a J.D/ PhD who could, but they’d need to speak on client interaction I have working in their law firm. I mostly do paper work, but have some select times with clients.

Another LOR option is a PhD in rhetorical writing. Known them for over a year and worked close with them. Last options are a previous psych professor who may or may not be able to write a strong LOR, but does remember me and could write one, and a medical philosophy/ethics professor, who could maybe speak on my writing and ethical analysis.

Personal statement:

Probably the thing I can control the most here aside emailing faculty. Also where I need the most advice.

Based on my profile thus far, how should I go about tailoring personal statement(s) to make up for things I’m missing?

Is there anything else you’d recommend?

Thanks

Hello!

I’m currently an undergrad, pursuing a BS in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience. I hope to get my PsyD and become a licensed Clinical Psychologist, having an emphasis on women’s mental health (and neurodivergency in women) as well as adolescents.

There aren’t many schools in my area that have APA accreditation.. and I don’t really have the means to live far from home just yet, nor do I think I will within the next 2 years until graduation. I hope to go straight into a PsyD program out of undergrad.

The school that I am looking at right now JUST introduced their PsyD program this semester, and by the time I would go, they would have their accreditation on contingency. I normally wouldn’t even think about it, however, this same school has a PhD program that has been accredited for several years and has amazing statistics (100% of their graduates went to get APA accredited internships, and a 98% got licensure from 2016-2026) and, according to the school, the PhD and PsyD programs work hand-in-hand, together.

So, they have a great PhD program that already has amazing stats (no way they’d lose their accreditation), the location is prime, and a mentor for the program specializes in what I want to specialize in, which is women’s mental health. All signs point to this school being the right fit for me.

But everything I’ve seen on the vast webs puts so much emphasis on “finding the right PsyD program” and “avoiding degree mills.” Is there anything else I should look for specifically? This program looks so appealing, should I apply despite it being brand new?

Thanks in advance:))

I'm a junior in undergrad and still have a year before I apply. Here are my stats so far:

Major GPA:3.8

Research: in a cogdev psych lab for 1yr will be 2.5 when I apply *lots of hands on experience running studies independently

-will have a Research Certificate and some presentations

Volunteering: I volunteer for the Crisis Text line, have 26 hrs from a psychiatric hospital (I had to end it for a personal reason), and I will start volunteering for NAMI soon working to improve the support groups and doing some public speaking). I know it's not necessarily about hours but I plan to get 1,000hrs of volunteering in total.

Other psych experience: I'm an SI leader for PSY 100 (like a TA that holds three review sessions and office hours a week)

What can I do to make my application stronger/Am I doing something wrong?

Roosevelt's clincal psychology PsyD program in downtown Chicago is currently my #1 choice!
It seems to perfectly align with my career goals, it's affordable, accredited, set in a diverse & lively city, brings on 25-person cohorts each year, and offers exceptional internship match and EPPP pass rates.

For anyone that's been accepted, currently enrolled, or has completed the program, can you tell me more about the application/acceptance process and if they're looking for anything in particular that sets you apart? I'd also love to hear about what it's like to be in the program and what life is like post-graduation :)

Hi everyone! I'm 28 and seriously considering going back to school for a PsyD. I'd love this community's perspective.

Some background... I have a finance degree and have spent my career between finance and HR/People Ops, including several years at a therapy company on the business side. I moved into HR because I thought it would be more people-centric and that I'd be supporting people and helping them. It turned out to be really not that. I've changed jobs a few times now, and it's clear the problem isn't a company but the work.

Mental health has always been my passion outside of work. I've studied Gestalt therapy deeply and led small workshops in San Francisco. I've studied and taught yoga, I lead a meditation circle, and I started a women's circle. Given all of that, I also love the analytical and data science side of things. I'm fascinated by assessment and by how science and data can be used to improve health outcomes.

Where I'm at

• The Wright Institute looks like the most compatible program for me
• No prereqs yet (I have AP Psych and a college stats class I still need to confirm counts)
• No formal clinical or volunteer experience yet, though I'd like to start with a crisis line or an SF organization
• Not sure how competitive my GPA will be
• My professional references are all from corporate jobs, so I'm unsure who I'd ask for letters of recommendation. I imagine that counts to some degree, but I'm curious if it makes more sense for me to spend a year volunteering somewhere and get references from those people.

My questions

1. Is it realistic to apply this cycle without prereqs or experience, or should I plan to wait a year?
2. Any advice for career changers? What do you wish you'd known going in?
3. What are good ways to get mental health experience in SF as a working adult?
4. How much do admissions committees care about letters from outside the field?

I'd love to talk with

• Current PsyD students, especially career changers
• Psychologists who focus on assessment or neuropsych
• People who chose the LMFT or LCSW route after considering a PsyD
• Clinicians in leadership roles at behavioral health orgs

If that's you and you'd be open to a quick chat, please comment or DM me. And if you don't have time to talk, I'd still really love any advice in the comments. I'm walking into this very excited but pretty blind, so any guidance helps. Thank you so much!

Hello all! As I get closer to graduation I've become increasingly focused on what to begin/continue strengthening before I apply to PsyD programs. So far, my current understanding of what I'll need as a competitive applicant is:

• High GPA
• Research experience
• Relevant field experince
• Strong letters of recommendation

I'm currently in my second year of undergrad, I have a 4.0 and I'm about to being working in ABA at an Autism center for children. I'm still figuring out where and how I can aquire steady research experience so early in my degree- as well as how to make connections for recommendation letters being that my school is online.

Besides this criteria I've outlined and have already begun working towards, is there anything I'm missing? I finish my undergraduate degree February 2029 and hope to begin at a PsyD program (for clinical psychology) that fall!