The Budding Psychologist
The Budding Psychologist is a space for first-generation, nontraditional, and future psychology graduate students navigating doctoral applications, research, clinical training, and the messy middle of becoming.
Hi, I’m Sam.
I’m a psychology graduate student, researcher, and future psychologist documenting the journey from doctoral applications to clinical training. After applying to 22 psychology doctoral programs, completing an MPhil focused on early-life adversity, and beginning my PsyD journey, I created this space to share what I wish I had known earlier, what I hope to learn, and what I will learn along the way.
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Get free access to The Budding Psychologist Resource Library — a growing collection of downloadable tools for psychology students, first-gen grad students, nontraditional applicants, and future clinicians/researchers. Inside, you’ll find worksheets, trackers, checklists, and reflection guides to support you through grad school applications, research planning, funding decisions, interviews, and the transition into clinical psychology training.
My first clinical psychology PhD interview weekend taught me that admissions are not just about research fit, strong answers, or preparation. Sometimes, the hardest part is navigating the hidden social rules — the dinners, the networking, the pressure to be memorable, and the quiet competition in the room. I was ultimately rejected, but that experience helped me better understand what kind of training environment I actually want as I prepare to begin my PsyD this fall.