Dr. Tonge is accepting applicants in Fall 2026
I am open to interviewing students with research experience at any stage, including undergrad research experience in a lab or even non-traditional settings. However, I also look for fit with my research program (an intellectual fit, so to speak), with me and my current graduate student (a personality fit), and the GMU clinical program in general are also very important and I’m weighing all of them. As best as you can, I recommend trying to capture these elements in your application. For some people, they will have done enough research and have enough insight into clinical/mental health topics that they have lots of *evidence* for fit within my lab. Others may need additional schooling or work experience. In our work, we often have to cite the evidence for a claim. Think about your application similarly: help me understand what’s the evidence for a good fit between your prior research experiences and the work I’m doing? They don’t have to be the same, but you do have to use your application to help me see the connections!
Students I work well with or seem to be a good fit for my style of advising tend to be curious and like trying new things! I encourage students who work with me to explore, discover, & report back; to try and fail (within bounds!), and to have fun doing science. Conversely, I think students who prefer precise directions, linear goals, or prefer working from research protocols may find it frustrating to work with me for this reason. Those are really valid ways of learning too but may signal a misfit.
Also see our department website for a FAQ for prospective students to our program: https://clinical.gmu.edu/prospective
A note about contacting me before applying:
I don’t review applications in advance. I wish I could and I wish I could coach everyone applying but I don’t have the time and most importantly, it would be unfair to applicants who were told not to reach out to professors for one reason or another.
At the same time, I want to also answer any questions that might help with decision-making around whether or not to apply to our program generally, and to work with me specifically. As a result, I am happy to answer any specific questions about my research program (e.g., are you currently researching X or are you considering researching Y in the future), our grad program at Mason, and other specific queries, by email. If my responses are brief, it is nothing personal!
TIDL@GMU 