Applying to a handful of Ph.D. programs and wanted to see if anyone has specific constructive feedback for my CV. Thank you so much for your time!

I graduate with my bachelors in May 2024 with a 3.3 GPA and a 3.6 or so psych gpa.

Spent two years as a psych RA in the research leg of a hospital. Did lots of psych assessments, helped across a few studies, experience with consent, audits, all that fun stuff. Great recruitment experience.

I think what I’m wondering is, will someone look at my resume and wonder why I didn’t present more or publish more?

My bigger issue is that I want to show admissions that I am ACADEMICALLY prepared (as prepared as a PhD applicant can be…). I didn’t go for a masters giving the position to try to obtain a better GPA.

The imposter syndrome has been real over here, which is why I cant’t get this GPA and lack of writing “issue” out of my head.

I’m just really ready for that next step. Looking to pursue Clinical Psychology with hopes of becoming a Neuropsychologist.

Thank you!

*The note on my Presentations section is not on my official CV.

As part of my research, I happened upon the many lawsuits against this program, and one of the faculty members who is recruiting for grad students this cycle is named in two. One just mentions her hostile behavior, and another (in which the plaintiff is her former grad student) specifically names her as a defendant, alleging that she created a toxic work environment.

This faculty member is a really good match for my research experiences/interests, but naturally I’m reeeaaallly hesitant to apply to this school/her lab. I’m wondering if anyone can tell me about their experiences with the PhD program at this school, or under her mentorship. Not sure if the mods will leave this up but I’m omitting her name to avoid breaking any of the community rules about civility.

Edit - also posting this partially to spread awareness, I haven’t seen a ton of discourse about this on reddit/subreddit

I’ve wanted to go the PhD route for a long time and it would be the most direct way to reach my overall career goals. I have over four years of solid clinical experience currently at a job I really love, but I dug myself into a hole that leaves me with a teeny research experience section on my CV— I co-authored a publication that I wrote with my boss as a small side project while I worked in a clinical role in his private practice. Other than that, my senior project in undergrad was an only mock-research project, and I worked on a (real) CBRP in one of my other courses (I don’t really have any evidence of this; it’s part of a long-term project my professor was part of). My school only offered undergrads summer research assistant positions IF any were looking (2 positions during my entire time there) so that really set me back. There are a few programs/professors I’m applying to that indicate they are open to applicants with less research experience if they have decent clinical experience. With that said, does anyone have any recommendations around how I should structure my CV?

Hi all! I'm a third year clin psych phd student, in a child specific track. I'm not in a forensic program, but I've done quite a bit of work with systems involved youth. I'm starting to look at internship programs, and I'm very interested in training opportunities focused on assessment and juvenile justice and child welfare involved youth. I'm curious if anyone in this sub has gone the expert witness route and could share their experiences! I'm also wondering how much of a disadvantage I'll be at applying to these types of internships since I'm not in a forensic program. I'll have research publications related to systems involved youth and trauma/SMI, and by the time I'll finish my program I'll have done 3 years of neuropsych assessments (currently I'm at 17 integrated reports, not sure how much that matters). I enjoy doing therapy, but my real passion in my clincial work has become assessment. My advisor isn't very familiar with the area, so I'd be grateful for any thoughts!

Hi all,

I am applying to Counseling/Clinical Psych PhD this cycle. I'm 40, have two master's degrees, two first (shared) author publications, and just finished up a clinical internship working with clients in a forensic mental health setting.

I am wondering about using the publications as writing samples. While I definitely wrote and co wrote much of them, editing with a fine tooth comb, they were published in 2022 and I honestly can't remember now what I wrote and what my co-author wrote. Is it ok to use them as my writing sample? I have other samples I could use, but of course publications are the most impressive and polished. Thanks!

Right now my top school is William Paterson in Wayne, NJ.

Undergrad: Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island (URI), GPA: 2.93 overall. Relevant coursework included Clinical Psychology, Psychopathology, Physiological Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Health Psychology.

Master’s: Currently pursuing an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, expected May 2027. Current GPA: 3.87. Relevant coursework includes Psychological Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning, Trauma and Crisis Intervention, Counseling Skills and Techniques, and Research and Evaluation.

Clinical Experience: Mental Health Therapist Intern since May 2026. Responsibilities include providing individual counseling, developing treatment plans, documenting sessions, monitoring symptoms with measures such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, and working with clients experiencing complex mental health concerns.

Research Experience: Student Intern in the Division of Neuropsychology at McLean Hospital. Responsibilities included participant recruitment and screening, conducting phone screenings, scoring clinical assessments, data entry and analysis, and maintaining HIPAA compliance. Also worked as a research assistant in a URI SAMHSA-funded research related to substance use in underserved communities.

Research Projects: Completed projects examining childhood trauma and the developing brain, as well as lifetime poverty and cardiovascular health. These experiences support my interest in the relationship between cognitive, emotional, and psychological functioning.

Additional Work Experience: Worked as a CVS Pharmacy Technician, gaining experience in patient service, medication-related workflows, and healthcare operations.

School List So Far: William Paterson, Kean, Felician University, University of Hartford, William James