CagedBird

I think I'm intimidated by the whole loan process. I didn't have to take out any loans for undergrad because I was on a full scholarship. If the worse happens and I do not receive an assistantship for this first year, does anyone have advice about which loans are good and when to apply? I apologize if I seem naive. Like I said, I have no experience with loans lol.

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking that too, especially since the semester isn't over yet and I'm sure they are busy right now.

That's what I thought to! I think what's worrying me is that the assistantships I have applied for have yet to get back to me (I'm a very impatient person lol). While talking to the grad students, even the PsyD ones didn't seem to worried about the money. I know I will qualify for federal aid and probably also receive aid from the school itself (I come from a low family income background)....also, the school I'm applying for has a PhD program as well, and students are allowed to switch programs, either from PsyD to PhD, with just some paperwork and it just has to be done early enough

Yes and no, from what I've heard. Looking back at my notes from the interview, it says about 70% of the cohort are fully funded and a lot of them work on the side.

Hey guys! I have accepted an offer at a private university for a PsyD program and I'm freaking out about funding! I have applied for multiple assistantships and I have yet to hear back from any. My program cannot guarantee funding...and it's making me question my decision to attend I have no debt coming out of undergrad, which is good. I know that I would accumulate some possible debt in grad schol...but still, I'm very overwhelmed! Does anyone have any advice? lol

Almost all of the programs I looked at for my field of study didn't gurantee funding...They told me about 65% of the cohort are funded, or are offered jobs through some certification programs that are offered on the side during the duration of the program. I really want to accept this offer, since the program is exactly what I want. The funding part just scares me a lot lol.

Hey guys! I was accepted into a doctorate program, my top choice. I was delighted about the offer. I was given the usual deadline of April 15th to decide if I want to attend or not. However, this program stated that if I was to accept their offer sooner, I would be considered for assistantships for the coming fall semester. Other than that, there is no funding available. I'm hesitate about accepting without concrete funding information. This school is pretty prestigious and also very expensive to attend. Should I go ahead, fingers crossed, and accept by the deadline indicated in order to considered for assistantships for the first year? Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

Thanks for the advice. I'm leaning towards the Ed.S program, because I could also switch to the Ph.D. program in my second year there since they have one if I desire. Also, they told me all my credits would transfer if I chose to switch programs. I like that I have that choice.

Oh wow! That's awful! It makes my roommate seem like a saint lol. And I am counting down the months until living with her is over about 4 months left! And I'm realizing she's doing herself a great disservice by distancing all of us, so it will bite her in the butt in the end. Cheers to you and thanks!

Ok, I didn't know about the extra year of post-doctoral hours for private practice. Thank you! And as far as I know, everywhere I've researched has said EdS is primarily for working in schools. Have you heard otherwise?

I think I like the wide range of options I could choose from with a Psy.D. over a Ed.S. I'm not entirely sure if I want to work primarily in schools. I've thought about working in hospitals, and who knows, maybe even starting my own private practice one day.

Lol it does seem like an obvious choice. However, the Psy.D would give me a wider range of opportunities. I'm not entirely sure I just want to work in schools my entire career, a job placement that would come about with just an Ed.S. degree. However, if I get a Psy.D., I could work in hospitals or even start my own private practice. I do not yet know if I would choose those routes, but I like to know that I have those open to me, especially a hospital setting.

I have a friend that attends the city college and she loves it there. I think I'm more worried about being taken out of my comfort zone the most. However, do you know if the pay difference is really that much between an Ed.S and a Psy.D?

Thanks for the advice! Would you be able to tell me any specific apartment complexes to go to or avoid? I'm worried about living stipends, as I'm not sure how much I'll receive as a grad student. How much would I be able to live comfortably off of?

So, I have a dilemma. I've applied to two programs that are almost polar opposites of each other. I really like both of them, but they are so dissimilar that I'm having a hard time making a decision. The one program is an Ed.S degree in school psychology. The college is located in a suburban like setting and it's a pretty big campus. I've visited friends there before so I'm very comfortable on the campus (comfort and fit is a huge priority for me). The college is also closer to my hometown than the other college. The program itself isn't funded but almost all the students have GA positions that cover almost all or part of tuition, plus stipends. The program itself is 3 years, 2 full years of coursework and a 1 year internship. The program is nationally accredited, well known in the area, and has a 100% job placement rating after graduation. This college is also located in my state, and tuition overall would be significantly lower, as well as living costs. There are on-campus living arrangements that are available but there are also plenty of off-campus options. The other program is a Psy.D degree in school psychology. This college is located in a big city and the campus itself is very small and found right in downtown. My only visit to the college is when I went to my interview. It's only a little further away from my hometown, about 20 minutes. This program also isn't funded and I've heard that GA's here are very competitive and I will most likely not have a chance to get one until my 2nd year. The program is 4 years, 3 full years of coursework and a 1 year internship. This program is currently going through review processes to be accredited (it's a young program), but they will most likely pass because the Ph.D. program has been accredited for a number of years. This college is not located in my state, but tuition costs would not be higher since it's a private institution. However, living close to a big city is costly, and there is very little to no on-campus living arrangements for grad students. The city college itself is a very prestigious university and I would have so many opportunities for practicum and internships in the area. The suburban college is between two major cities a distance away, so I would not have as many opportunities for diversity in my internships as much as the city college. Also, the city college is a doctorate degree, and I would have a wide range of options for employment upon graduation, with higher pay, than the Ed.S. degree. However, attending the suburban college would cost significantly less money and the program itself is overall a year shorter. I'm at such a crossroads. What would you do? Does anyone have any way to go about deciding between the two? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you