sackofcrap

It depends on if you are applying for EdS or PhD. Last I checked, USNews doesn't have a specific category for School Psych sub doctoral programs.

I would think that the social work degree would have a better employment outlook in general. 

A funny acceptance from earlier today
 
 
 

I can relate to all of this. Ever since I got accepted to grad school a few weeks ago, I have completely stopped caring about my undergrad classes. It sucked because at the time that I got the notification, I was working on an outline for a long paper and all motivation immediately went out the window .
 
Now I have been accepted to a second program and I am trying to make my final decision and it is so stressful. The one program won't release financial aid decisions until April (for whatever reason), which sucks. The other program has given out some financial aid information, but it is in New York, so I just know that getting housing is going to be a nightmare. Plus, the programs themselves are just very different. So hard to decide 

I am officially registered for my school psychology classes! So excited.

I am officially registered for my school psychology classes! So excited.

I have decided that I will officially be attending Texas State University for School Psychology (Masters / Specialist)

I have decided that I will officially be attending Texas State University for School Psychology (Masters / Specialist)

I have decided that I will officially be attending Texas State University for School Psychology (Masters / Specialist).
 
If anybody else is going to grad school in the area, feel free to message me!

I would leverage my power on the admissions committee to obtain financial benefit from applicants. After I get fired I will reminisce about how quickly power went to my head.

I would pick Texas personally. A bicycle is a great asset and you can easily go 4-5 miles in 30-40 minutes, or even more quickly if you're in shape. I would double-check with current students to make sure biking is relatively safe (as in, there are bike lanes or shoulders you can use so you don't always have to ride in the road). Good luck making a decision!

The answer to this question will come down to personal preferences, as you've already alluded to. Will any of these options cause you to get into debt? If the answer is yes, I suggest doing the math for both places and figuring out how much debt exactly. If you do not feel comfortable with the numbers, eliminate one school based on the numbers. If debt is not an issue or if the debt load will end up being the same when you account for cost of living and funding amounts, then it really comes down to personal taste. It sounds like the excitement of New York is alluring to you, therefore I think this option is worth considering if it's financially viable. If it isn't, then you may do just fine at option 1. I'd recommend living close to a popular bus route with frequent buses and living walking distance to school, if at all possible, as transportation seems to be a concern.

I have to agree with Jenste on this one. I would say that you should try looking at how much debt you will take on and making a decision based on that. Also, in regards to the prejudice issue that you worry about in Texas I would have to say that I don't think that prejudice is something that you would only encounter or encounter more often in Texas as opposed to New York. Prejudice happens everywhere. I don't think it's something that you can avoid altogether. Since this is something that you might (or might not) encounter regardless of the school you choose it would be a good idea to just figure out ways to respond to it when you do encounter it. This way you're prepared and its impact is hopefully lessened. This being said if you're really worried about the prejudice in Texas, I have a friend (also a minority) who is in her first year of grad school in a small town in Texas. She hasn't had any problems with prejudice so far. So my guess is that Texas isn't much more prejudiced than any other part of the U.S.

I say Texas, since NYC seems ridiculously unaffordable when you are already paying for school. Did you talk to the school about their practicum requirements? That is the only time when not having a car (or permit) might be problematic. But hopefully they will be willing to work with you. My program (not in TX) has two people without cars.

Check TheGradCafe to see how stressed out applicants are and see how long I can keep them guessing. Then, put pressure on them to decide in a week or less without visiting.

OH MY GOD. I am freaking out. Just got my acceptance email from St John's. I am dying. So excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!              

So, I had my interview today for St. John's. It did not go nearly as badly as I expected it to, so that's a plus.  The person I talked to told me that I would know by Monday or Tuesday of next week if I have been accepted. I guess I will be waiting anxiously until then!!!! Counting down the days.
 
And still waiting to hear about financial aid from my other school, although they sent me a letter saying they would be making those decisions soon... whatever that means!
 
And I just found out that I got hired for the summer job that I wanted, which took a lot of weight off of my shoulders. 
 
So now we play the waiting game, for admissions results from st john's and financial aid offers from both.

So, I had my interview today for St. John's. It did not go nearly as badly as I expected it to, so that's a plus.  The person I talked to told me that I would know by Monday or Tuesday of next week if I have been accepted. I guess I will be waiting anxiously until then!!!! Counting down the days.
 
And still waiting to hear about financial aid from my other school, although they sent me a letter saying they would be making those decisions soon... whatever that means!
 
And I just found out that I got hired for the summer job that I wanted, which took a lot of weight off of my shoulders. 
 
So now we play the waiting game, for admissions results from st john's and financial aid offers from both.

Both my mentors have Ed.D. and are psychologists. They hold or have held positions in APA and AbPsi. One is a licensed Counseling Psychologist in the DMV area and both have taught for many many years in the psychology department at my university. Don't let others perceptions taint your reality. Enjoy you acceptance and go make it what it will be. Congratulations!!!! 

If it's what you love and want to do, does it really matter if people say you aren't a 'real psychologist?'
 
Second of all, if you become an educational psychologist, you will be licensed, just like all of those other psychologists. You will be a real psychologist. You can open your own private practice or whatever it is that you want to do, just like those other psychologists.

I'm joining UF's Clinical and Health Psychology Program in the fall! Can't wait to meet everyone (: To the other posters, congratulations and best of luck.

So, I am not quite sure yet where I will go because I have not had my interview yet, but I only applied to 2 schools. I was accepted to one yesterday and offered an interview at the other. Hopefully I will be accepted at that one too. With that said,
 
I will either be at Texas State University (Texas) or St. John's University (New York) studying School Psychology at the Masters / Specialist level.

FYI: coming in and telling a bunch of people that their field is your "backup" is extremely rude.
 
BUT since you want to work with kids and don't want to be a teacher, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. You will need a lot more experience (both field and possibly research) actually in the field. Academics alone is not going to cut it.
 
You can't really get just a Master's in SP. I mean, you can but it's strange to stop there. Most get an Education Specialist (EdS) degree which allows them to work as school psychologists - typically in a school setting. If that is not your goal you should probably look at Educational Psychology more broadly instead of School Psych specifically.

General question to SP folk here: am I the only one who gets annoyed when people come to this forum talking about how SP is their backup because they really want to do clinical psych/speech path/whatever? This is not the first time that it has happened, and I just find it incredibly rude! Last time I got downvoted by the OP for saying so, which I thought was a little much.
 
How do you feel? Does it matter to you at all?

I will be moving for graduate school one way or the other. Currently, I live in a dorm, so I don't own very much to begin with. I am tentatively planning to just pack all of my stuff in a few suitcases and fly with it. Everything that I have that is too big to fit (such as pillows or my cheap microwave) can pretty easily be replaced once I get there.