Hi everyone! I hope you’re all having a great day. I just wanted to ask for your advice as a possible International Student from outside of the US, what can I do to make myself appear more attractive to different universities and institutions offering Clinical Psychology doctorate programs?

I graduated cum laude at a top university here in the Philippines in 2018 with a 3.43 GPA. I always knew I wanted to go back to study and take up either a Master’s or doctorate degree, but wasn’t sure what field because I graduated relatively young (I was 19 when I graduated and I’m turning 24 this year). So I decided to take a few years to work and just reflect what I really wanted to do.

Fast forward to present, I realized my passion really lies in the Clinical setting, so I’m planing on applying for PsyD programs in different US institutions. The thing is, as mentioned in the title, I haven’t really worked in a field that is related to my undergrad, my first job was as an HR Supervisor for a multinational company and my second job was as a creative consultant for a local government unit and a Philippine politician. Also, I worry that while my grades were good here in the Philippines, I’m not sure how well this will fare in US institutions given how competitive applications seem to be. Also, while my University is part of the Top 3 Universities here locally, it’s only part of the top 800-1000 on the QS World Rankings. I haven’t taken my GRE yet, but I plan to in the next few months after I review a bit.

So I’m not sure how attractive of an applicant I will be for Universities in the US, and what I can do to improve on my application.