Alright, let me walk you through how I tackled applying to the St. John’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. It was quite the journey, let me tell ya.
Getting Started: Why St. John’s?
So, first things first, I knew I wanted to go for a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. That part was clear. But where? I started digging around, looking at different schools. St. John’s popped onto my list pretty early on. I looked into their faculty, saw a couple of professors whose research sounded really interesting to me, stuff that lined up with what I’d been involved in during my undergrad and master’s work. Plus, the location factor was there, you know? Being near NYC seemed like a big plus for training opportunities.
The Application Grind
Once I decided St. John’s was definitely a place I wanted to apply to, the real work began. Man, applications are no joke.
Gathering the Pieces:
- Transcripts: Had to request official ones from my undergrad and master’s institutions. Made sure to do that early because you never know how long those things take.
- GRE Scores: Ugh, the GRE. Spent some time studying, took the test. Got the scores sent directly to St. John’s. Not my favorite part of the process, but it had to be done.
- Letters of Rec: This part always makes me nervous. I reached out to three professors I had good relationships with and who knew my work well. Gave them my CV, my draft statement of purpose, and the list of schools I was applying to, making sure to highlight the deadline for St. John’s. Followed up politely to make sure they got submitted on time. Big relief when those were in.
- Statement of Purpose: This took the most time. I wrote draft after draft. Really tried to connect my past research experience, my clinical interests, and why I specifically thought St. John’s, and those particular faculty members I mentioned, were the right fit for me. Had a couple of trusted friends and a mentor read it over.
- CV: Polished up my curriculum vitae. Made sure it highlighted all the relevant stuff – research projects, presentations, any clinical volunteer work, work experience.
Then, of course, there was filling out the actual online application form itself. Double-checked everything, paid the application fee, and took a deep breath.
Hitting Submit and the Wait
Finally got everything uploaded and checked off. Hitting that ‘submit’ button felt huge. Like, okay, it’s out of my hands now. And then the waiting started. That’s maybe the hardest part. You just try to put it out of your mind, but it’s always kinda there, you know? Checking my email way too often.
The Interview Stage
Some time later, I got an email inviting me for an interview! Huge relief and also instant panic, haha. I spent a lot of time preparing. Re-read my statement of purpose, looked up recent papers by the faculty I was interested in working with, thought about potential questions they might ask about my experiences, my goals, why their program specifically. Practiced talking about my research interests out loud so I wouldn’t just stumble over my words.
The interview day itself was intense but actually pretty good. It was usually a mix of one-on-one interviews with faculty and group sessions, sometimes even a chance to chat with current grad students. I tried to just be myself, be honest about my experiences, and show my genuine interest in their program. Asked them questions too – about mentorship, clinical placements, the program culture.
The Decision
More waiting after the interview! Felt even longer this time. Eventually, the official decision email arrived. Getting that notification… your heart just pounds. For me, going through this whole process with St. John’s ended with [Note: The user should insert their actual outcome here – acceptance, waitlist, or rejection. I will proceed assuming acceptance for narrative flow, but this should be personalized.] getting an acceptance! It was an incredible feeling after all that work.
Looking Back
So yeah, that was my whole experience applying to the St. John’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. It was a marathon, not a sprint. Lots of planning, writing, stressing, and waiting. But going through each step, from the initial research to prepping for the interview, was necessary. It definitely takes effort, but breaking it down into smaller tasks made it manageable.
