How To Apply to Clinical Psychology PhD Programs

There's no sense in sugarcoating it. Applying to graduate school is stressful, and clinical psychology is particularly stressful. My first time, I went into it thinking it would be just like undergraduate apps! Ohhhh, so wrong. It can be very hard to remain calm, happy, optimistic, and productive while applying, and I can't honestly say that I was ever entirely successful. But, I have a few suggestions, and I wanted this on the menu bar rather than as a subheading, because it's just that important, in and of itself.

1. Friends, friends, friends! I cannot stress this enough. It will be very difficult to go through this process alone. I must reiterate, this is why I really enjoyed GAG (Graduate Aspirations Group). It gave me a group of people who were all in the same boat, and we could help bring each other back to reality if there were any freakouts. Rather than being competitive, everyone was overwhelmingly encouraging and generous ("Of course I'll read your personal statement for the eighth time, because it's a masterpiece and you know it!"). Start a GAG group of your own. Advertise for them online if you don't have a ready-made group. Even if you don't find people in the same boat, make sure you have a few people who will listen to your moaning and weeping from time to time.
2. Get excited! Why do you want to go to grad school, anyway? Because you're going to hate it? Probably not... think of all the reasons grad school will be great. New people to meet. A close relationship with a brilliant professor or two. Your own research project. Power over those puny undergrads. You could get published! You'll go to conferences (conferences = the wildest fun you'll have while still looking like a mature, responsible adult. For real. They are fun). You'll see patients of your own. You'll get to call yourself "Dr. So-and-So." You'll get a lot of respect. You're enhancing your life.
3. But have a realistic attitude. They teach you this stuff in cognitive-behavior therapy, or so I hear. Whenever you start to have one of those freakouts where you think not getting into grad school will be the end of the world - stop and think. Will it really be the end of the world? Are you really going to literally die if you don't get into grad school? Surely not. Start thinking about what will really happen. What's your Plan B? You'll get a job? Make a bunch of money? Doesn't sound so bad. You'll join a commune? Live off the land? Could be worse.
4. Start early. Just about everything in the application process can be started early. Very early. The most recent time I applied, I started an entire year ahead of time. It made the application process much more relaxed and enjoyable, with far less stress and frantic mistake-making.
5. You want them - but they also want you. This isn't just about you really wanting to go to grad school. It's also about grad schools really wanting great students. So when you have those interviews later on, keep in mind that you are interviewing the school, too. Ask a lot of questions! (This also has the effect of making you look better to them. A great two-way street). And try not to be too nervous. They don't entirely have the upper hand. When a really great applicant rejects them for another school, they aren't any more chipper about it than when your top school rejects you. You're practically equals in this game - so act like it. Don't be cocky, but remember that your comfort and success are important, too.
6. Substance abuse. Ok, just kidding. Don't do that, tempting though it may be. You may just end up too high or too low to get anything done, and have to make up for it later. Try to have healthy habits - stay hydrated (not TOO much coffee!), eat well, exercise. I will admit that I was, in general, terrible at this part, but I got better toward the end, and it really seemed to help.
7. Have fun selling yourself. That's the main point of applications - to sell yourself, highlight your best qualities, magically spin your bad qualities into good ones, and show those admissions committees that you are exactly what they need right now. Some people are uncomfortable with this, but it's what you have to do, so you may as well enjoy it. Write up your vita and stare at it for an hour, because it's just so beautiful. Add another line. Make a list of everything that makes you the ready-made perfect grad student and find ways to smoothly work some of it into your personal statement. If you're too humble, pretend it's someone else you're talking about, and they're paying you lots of money if you get them into their favorite school.
8. Relax. Take breaks. Give yourself time to take frequent breaks. If you're trying to work on applications and you're just not getting anywhere that day - stop. Come back to it later. You won't do your best work if you're tired and stressed. Put your laptop away, invite a friend to the coffee shop, and spend an afternoon chatting. As long as you started early (tip #4), this is actually a good use of your time, I promise.