I’ve been receiving a lot of emails from potential applicants expressing interest in training in the lab, to the point which I’m just not able to send personal responses and engage individually with potential applicants. That’s largely because I’m protective of my time for my current trainees.
Here is some info I’ve put together for potential applicants who do reach out that should answer most questions. Other info about University of Michigan’s Clinical Psychology program can be found at https://lsa.umich.edu/psych/program-areas/clinical-science/clinical-science-admissions.html and our lab webpage at www.personalityprocesses.com
First, I DO plan to interview students this year, and hopefully welcome another to the lab for the fall of 2024.
Second, the lab has a pretty broad umbrella of interests, but it isn’t infinite. So, potential applicants should have interests that align with the following in some clear way. Please note that I see these as overlapping and integrated, but typically individual trainees tend to focus on one or two of these during their time here:
Personalized models of psychopathology (i.e., idiographic, or person-specific models)
Ambulatory assessment (e.g., ecological momentary assessment, passive-sensing) methodology
Conceptual and empirical link between personality and psychopathology, including personality disorders/pathology
Contemporary integrative interpersonal theory is a specific focus
Narcissistic and borderline personality pathology are specific topics of interest
Structural models of psychopathology (i.e., the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology)
More specifically, we currently are funded by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to develop personalized models of risky alcohol use. We also are funded through collaborative projects by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to study socio-emotional processes in suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. We additionally have many other ongoing collaborations with exciting datasets to study topics from the list above at the University of Michigan and many other departments across the world.
If you find that your interests and those of the lab are in clear alignment, you may naturally wonder whether you would be competitive for admission and how you should put your best foot forward in your application. Commonly folks want to ask whether this or that type of experience is a necessary pre-requisite (e.g., thesis, post-bac), whether we use a cutoff GPA or GRE scores, and so forth. I get it, there’s a lot riding on these applications, they are expensive and effortful, and so naturally there is a lot of anxiety and stress about preparing them. To the extent I can, I’d like to reduce all that uncertainty by telling you exactly what I am looking for in an applicant and some examples of how I might evaluate whether an applicant meets these criteria. This isn’t supposed to be a secret test; I’d like you to be as prepared as you can be.
Here in this table are some of the key areas I focus on when reviewing applications and some, but not the only, ways to convey that you might have what it takes. Note that the GRE is not required of applicants to Michigan’s Clinical Psychology Program and will not be considered in evaluating applicants.
| Has specific and developed interests in the topics of the lab's research. | Usually in the statement of purpose, the applicant will lay out a coherent and compelling narrative with concrete examples of how they came to be interested in this topic. | |
| Is strongly motivated and perseverant in the face of challenges. | Provide clear examples of overcoming obstacles, sticking with them, and seeing things through in prior work or personal life. Life consistently presents us with friction and challenges when pursuing our goals, so this doesn’t have to be major life events. | |
| Has strong interests in and enthusiasm for quantitative methodology and approaches to studying psychological phenomena. | Traditionally, strong quantitative GRE scores were a good indicator, but they will NOT be considered. So, instead, evidence of taking and doing well in undergraduate statistics or math courses is a good alternative. In the past, applicants have shown commitment to quantitative training by taking statistics courses at community college after graduation and before applying to grad school. Or other demonstrations of aptitude, like an independent projet or thesis. | |
| Strong reasoning and writing skills. | Traditionally strong verbal/analytical GRE scores were a good indicator, but they will NOT be considered. Even better are writing samples that are demonstrably of the applicant's own work (i.e., not a paper that may have been written in large part by an advisor). | |
| Not necessary, but an aptitude for coding and data management is always a plus. | The field is increasingly relying on big data and the necessary computer and coding skillset required to work with such data. If you can demonstrate that knowledge, that would be a feather in your cap. |
In addition, there are lots of non-specifics that you may want to convey. For instance, science is a social endeavor, and that you are good at getting along while getting ahead is important. Or, things like creativity and intellectual curiosity might manifest in any number of idiosyncratic ways, and I would encourage you to convey those as well. Maturity and life experience go a long way in helping us understand and shape our views on the complex phenomena of psychopathology, so these can be a real asset to applicants.
I don’t mean to make this list exhaustive or prescriptive, but merely to highlight some of the major themes and how you might go about conveying them. Importantly, it’s not just a numbers game, and I encourage you to develop your application materials so that you demonstrate you meet these criteria, however you think is best to do so.
Moreover, I also value diversity in background and life experiences on the team, so if you are from a traditionally underrepresented group or background or have taken an idiosyncratic path to get to this point you’re in good company, and I encourage you to apply if we otherwise fit your scholarly interests and goals.
I hope this helps you as you consider our lab and program, or even other labs and programs, I think at least some of this generalizes. If after reading all this you have a very specific question that would make the difference between applying or not, please feel free to reach out to me or the trainees in the lab to answer that. If I can answer it quickly I will.
Best of luck with the application process,
Aidan Wright