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Context:I got a 145/Verbal and 144/Quant.3.26 undergrad GPA from a good school (B.S. Psychology)3.97 GPA in my Masters Counseling Psychology program (M.A.)Relevant clinical experienceResearch experienceMultiple presentations at national psychological conferencesTA for a graduate level courseOther facts: I'm 33 years old and am a military veteranClinical Psychology PhD programs I am applying to: University of Colorado (Colorado Springs), University of Montana, University of South Dakota, University of Wyoming, Louisiana Tech, University of South Alabama, Virginia Tech, and University of HoustonMy research interests match the professors that I plan to apply to at each of these schoolsI have 4 professors writing strong letters of recommendation on my behalfI believe my Statement of Purpose to be very strongAny info would be greatly appreciated!

There have been a few remarkable people who became important scientists in the 20th Century without a proper degree. One of them, a paleontologist, named Jack Horner, became internationally famous after he discovered nests of a dinosaur, named Maiasaura.[1]Later on, he discovered a Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil with soft tissue inside which allowed analysis of its protein content. And, after that, he led a team that discovered dozens of nearly intact Psittacosaurus skeletons in the Gobi Desert.[2]He was so well regarded that he served as a scientific adviser on the Jurassic Park films and probably inspired the character of Dr. Alan Grant.[3]You might think he had to be bright. But he graduated from high school with a D average. He then enrolled at the University of Montana in the fall of 1964, planning to major in geology. But he flunked out and was and was drafted into the Marines. After service, he kept trying to attend college but kept failing.He wouldn’t give up.My goal in life was simple: I wanted to be a dinosaur paleontologist and make some kind of contribution to the field of paleontology that would help our understanding of dinosaurs as living creatures. To accomplish this, I knew I needed a job in a museum, but I also realized that with my college grades and no degree, I might never get such a job.[4]While working as a truck driver, he applied to work at every museum he could think of. He eventually got a position at Princeton University’s Natural History Museum, to work as a technician. He started at the bottom. His first assignment at Princeton was to bend nails straight so they could be used to build an exhibit because the person he worked for didn’t like wasting money.But that didn’t stop him. After finding some dinosaur fossils in the museum’s basement, he studied them and wrote his first scientific research paper. During each summer he went back to Montana and looked for dinosaur bones. His big break came in 1977 when he discovered a squashed dinosaur egg. This was the first dinosaur egg discovery in the Western Hemisphere.He called the species Maiasaura and it made him famous.[5]He was eventually promoted to research assistant and even managed his own research projects, with funding from the National Science Foundation. He wrote his own grant applications and people there considered him a full member of the paleontological research faculty, though he couldn’t sign the applications because he lacked degrees.After that, he realized that he was dyslexic.To this day, I struggle with the effects of dyslexia. It takes me a long time to read things, but I take the time that’s required, because if I try to move too quickly, I have no clue what I’m reading….I know what I can do and what I can’t do, and for the things I can’t do, I try to find someone to help. I think that’s really important, and it’s something I stress to people like me.[6]He eventually became the Regents Professor of Paleontology in the Honors College at Montana State University (MSU) where he teaches two graduate classes in paleontology and two undergraduate honors courses. He also became the curator of paleontology at the Museum of the Rockies. He has been given honorary doctorates from MSU and Pennsylvania State University, a MacArthur Fellowship, the so-called Genius Grant.[7]He says that“Personally, I think dyslexia and the consequences of dyslexia — learning to deal with failure — explain my own success. From my failures, I’ve learned where I need help, such as in reading and math. But I’ve also learned from my accomplishments what I’m better at than the linear thinkers.”More to readThere are lots of similar biographies:Jack Horner, Paleontologist - Yale DyslexiaJack HornerBiography, Facts and PicturesThis biography gives a more personal view:Dinosaur hunter: Jack HornerIf you ever visit Montana, you might want to see Egg MountainEgg Mountain, the Two Medicine, and the Caring Mother Dinosaur (U.S. National Park Service)Personal noteI had a 22-year career, doing mostly biology-related research, despite having degrees in Psychology and no real training in Biology.Footnotes[1] Egg Mountain, the Two Medicine, and the Caring Mother Dinosaur (U.S. National Park Service)[2] Jack Horner, Famous Paleontologist[3] The Scientist Behind "Jurassic World", Jack Horner, Breaks Down the Movie's Thrilling Trailer[4] Jack Horner, Paleontologist - Yale Dyslexia[5] Egg Mountain, the Two Medicine, and the Caring Mother Dinosaur (U.S. National Park Service)[6] Jack Horner, Paleontologist - Yale Dyslexia[7] Jack Horner

I attended UM in the fall of 1974 after graduating from high school in a small town in South Eastern Montana nearly 700 miles from Missoula. I was uncertain what to take so I took general studies. I liked my quarter at U of M. I lived in Craig Hall which is still being used and developed friendships with two people one of which is still a friend. My parents couldn’t afford any more money so I quit and went to work for a few years until deciding to go into Agricultural Engineering at Bozeman where I did graduate. Culturally the University of Montana was more intersting than MSU. The old joke goes that the best thing about Missoula is that it is only 15 minutes from Montana. That was true then and still is and that is why I will spend my last days in Missoula. The Universty of Montana is struggling right now. To get a college education now most kids have to go drastically into debt unless they are fortunate growing up in a wealthy family, are uncommonly intelligent or have a gift as an athlete. Most programs at U of M require at least a masters to find a job once out of college. That is why I went into engineering, although it didn’t interest me as much as other areas of study. The state of Montana needs to step up and build a medical school here. North Dakota with 3/4 of the population of Montana has a medical school at UND in Grand Forks. If something isn’t going to be done nationally towards tuition reduction then more opportunities must be made for the U of M. That will mean that taxes will have to be increased in the state. A medical school is an investment that will pay off. You have to spend money to make money. I never hear that anymore like I did as a young man. The “small government” people do not like to admit this fact. So those are my thoughts about U of M. I hope it can survive. And one last thought. Athletics are emphasized too much here. I like to see the cats or the Griz win, but the education is what fuels the economy and the state. ☮️✌