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grad29

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Everything posted by grad29

  1. I didn't apply for any PhD programs, but when I was applying/searching for M.S.Ed and Ed.S programs I did see a few PhD programs that recommended/required you take the psychology subject GRE (so it does happen here and there); although, like you said, most seem not to be interested in it. I personally decided to take it when I applied to my programs, but my situation may have been a little different than what's typical. I had a few bad grades in my undergraduate classes, had been rejected from a school psychology program I had applied to the year prior, and had been out of school for 5 years, so I thought it would help improve my chances of being accepted somewhere and give me a bit of a refresher of what I learned during my undergrad. Only one of the 8 programs I applied to recommended that students take it, so I did. I ended up sending it to the other programs as well since I scored a 710 (in the 80th percentile), so figured it wouldn't be a bad idea. All of the programs except one I was eventually accepted into. I would say if you are applying for PhD programs that it doesn't hurt to take this test, even if they don't mention it on their website. Now if you are scoring a 320+ GRE, majored in psychology, have a 3.75+ cumulative GPA, interview well, have good references, and a well written letter of intent, etc...then it probably isn't necessary as you are pretty much at that point guaranteed acceptance to most PhD school psychology programs; however, as that type of resume is few and far between, I think it would benefit the majority of potential applicants more than they think it would. If you do take it and don't score above a 700 (which is what's considered a "high score") then you may not want to send it to programs as it may do more harm than it will good. If you don't get accepted anywhere, you may ask yourself: "Would have I gotten accepted into a program had I taken it?".
  2. They are probably asking if you have any other offers because they want to make sure you get into a program. If they have 3 people they are interested in and 2 of the 3 people say they have other offers, but 1 person says they don't, they may choose that person over you. If I was in that position, I would lie and tell them I don't have any other offers.
  3. No way ha, seriously? I can only imagine how badly I would handle this situation.
  4. I was also flat out rejected from Milwaukee as well. They didn't say anything about my application file being incomplete though. Out of the 8 programs I applied to (Milwaukee, Minnesota-Moorhead, Eau Claire, Whitewater, Stout, La Crosse, Minot State, University of Kentucky) I received 2/2 acceptances to the places I interviewed (both ~15% acceptance rates), 2/2 acceptances at places that didn't have interviews, and 3/4 interview invites (which I didn't end up attending because I had already been accepted into a program that had everything I needed). So 7/8 programs expressed interest in me, the only school that didn't? Milwaukee. A 157V/155Q/5AW GRE (lower end for PHD programs though), 710 psychology GRE (79th percentile), cum laude psychology graduate, USAF veteran, being a male (which actually does help I think), and 4 years of experience working with special needs children, adolescents and adults (as a group home manager, troubled youth counselor, and direct care staff) wasn't good enough for a phone call. They didn't even have to invite me over for an in person interview since they offer phone interviews to students who are too far away ha. You would think they would at least say "hm, let's give this guy a phone call to see what he's like". I don't know maybe they only considered some of the applicants that weren't accepted into their PHD program for the MSEd/EdS...who knows. Oh well - their loss, right?! (it was also at the bottom of my list anyways). #bitterfeelings
  5. I did my undergrad (psychology major) at Saint Cloud State. I don't know much about the I/O grad department, though. If you have any questions about the city or the school, psychology department, different professors, etc.. I may be able to help you with that. My strongest reference came from one of the main psychology professors there
  6. Um, work? I work two full-time jobs. I sleep 2-3 hours about half the week. If you think all you can do is 40 hour weeks, think again. If you push yourself you'll be surprised what you're capable of.
  7. Congratulations! Now you can take a big sigh of relief. It's well deserved. I think that's really awesome that a few programs are even offering to cover the cost of tuition. None of the Masters programs I applied to had funding as an option, so that's pretty cool you were able to find a few that did. Nice job. I'm just excited that I found out I have about 12 months of military benefits left that I didn't think I did, so I'll be saving around $12,000 more than I thought I would myself. Then I pay in-state tuition when I was originally thinking I'd be paying out of state, which is another $1,500 or so - so instead of shipping out $30,000 for the program I'm now paying $16,500, which is hardly anything. I also decided to live in a $400 apartment with 4 other roommates instead of a $600 1 bedroom apartment by myself, which will save $4,000 off my cost of living expenses too. I guess all the hard work paid off! You mention "you don't even know if I'll succeed in grad school, even though I'd like to think I will". I feel very similar. I think that's common for students to doubt themselves. It's intimidating to visualize myself being a school psychologist, but I believe as you go through the classes and gain more practical experiences, by the time the internship year is finished it'll come on much more natural. It's just a matter of throwing yourself in the mess and absorbing as much as you can. Good luck to you in graduate school...you'll do great!
  8. I've been out of school for 5 years, but am going back to graduate school this Fall. My school lasts 2 years. It's unfunded, so I'm paying out of pocket, which means I am trying to figure out ways to cut costs where possible. I can't decide whether or not I should get a 1 BR apartment/studio for myself or rent a small room in a house with 5 other students. The former is obviously more expensive, it'll be about $7,000 more for me over 2 years (after utilities, $600 vs $325 for 24 months), yet I wonder how living with 5 other students in a house will be. I've lived on my own for the last 7 years, so am used to having my own private space. I am concerned whether it will be quiet enough! I keep tossing the idea back and forth in my head. I'd be sharing a kitchen with everyone and a bathroom with one other person. I'm 27, so I'm guessing I would be the oldest of the people living there. It's just odd working a full-time job for 5 years and then coming back to being a student. It's a bit of a culture shock and I really don't think I'd be able to tolerate being around a bunch of undergraduate upperclassman who are still in the play beer pong every weekend phase. Does anyone have any bad or good experiences living in a house with so many other students?
  9. If there's one word I could come up with that includes basically everything, it's preparation. Preparation, preparation, preparation. Prepare applications early! Prepare for interviews by coming up with sample questions/responses, reviewing the program, figuring out what you're going to wear, getting enough sleep, a good breakfast, exercise, coming up with LOTS of good questions to ask current students and faculty, etc...Start preparing for GRE and/or subject test early. It took me literally a year to apply to 8 programs, go through interviews, and get accepted into a program. Lots and lots of work. If I hadn't started preparing so early I'm not sure if I would have come out alive. Good luck at your interview!
  10. Also you got waitlisted, so stay positive! I see you have two acceptances already and perhaps even more options on the way!
  11. Obviously paying in-state tuition is the best case scenario, but I'm pretty sure in most states you can establish residency after one year, so that second year you would hopefully be paying the in-state rate. Out of state tuition is usually double the rate of an in state resident, which means the out of state programs would be about 33% more altogether. So instead of paying $30,000 you'd be paying $40,000 (plus cost of living) - expensive yes, but not too much more. Then there are things you may be able to do to make that first year cheaper, like enrolling in less credits for the first 12 months. Or you could save money through things like working twice the amount you normally would have during a summer break, living cheaper than you would have during your paid internship year or even first year of employment to put more money towards student loans, working more between now and then, etc...So that $10,000 extra you're spending can be made up in other ways. I would have honestly still attended an out of state program if I needed to and would have done a combination of the above...if of course they'd give me both degrees, had good employment/internship placement, and the cost per credit of in state students was below, or very close to, $500. Also some states have weird residency rules for the purposes of tuition, so you may want to look into the state statutes of the program you are thinking of or talk with their financial aid office to see if you may qualify for something funky. Like for me, I was planning on paying around $50 more per credit through Minnesota's reciprocity with Wisconsin for the first 12 months until I found it unnecessary because I was already considered a resident under Wisconsin law, since I graduated school 10 years ago there and my parents were current residents. So some weird law I happened to fit in gave me a discount.
  12. I think their position is totally reasonable. It would be very strange supervising someone who you previously provided therapy to. It would be difficult maintaining a professional relationship with that person, whether or not it's technically against the code of ethics. Mayne you were unaware that this therapist worked at the school you were applying to or you had chosen this field after having her services, but if it were possible perhaps you should have taken that into consideration before selecting her as your therapist. Lastly you say this is the only certified program that teaches what you want to study. You didn't mention the focus of study, but I doubt that a certified program is the only program of certification of that kind in the country.
  13. Not exactly, it was $47 more per credit for Minnesota residents than for Wisconsin residents. I took the advice of Rising Star and contacted financial aid office. They said based on me graduating high school and having parents who were residents I will be given in state tuition rates. Would have gotten them the 2nd year regardless, but the first year I will now save $47 x 35 credits, or $1,645! Now if I can just qualify for the post GI Bill I will be on cloud 9.
  14. Perfect! Very interesting and thanks. Pretty shocking some people have over $300,000 in student loan debt with things like art history PhDs.
  15. Maybe a personal question, but I don't see this talked about much (probably for that exact reason). However after speaking with current students at interviews I believe it's one of the most overlooked things by grad students. I'm just curious how I may compare to fellow psychology undergraduates. Other sections of this forum that deal with money include lots of other fields, so since the majority of us are psychology undergraduates, I figured it may be interesting to post here. So if you don't mind answering these 4 questions, or just the ones you feel comfortable with: (1) How many student loans do you have? (2) Are you/how much are you paying through loans for graduate school? (3) How much credit card debt and savings do you have? (4) What is the average salary for people currently employed in your area for your field? I'll start (I should mention I've been working full time since 2012) (1) $15,100 (2) Not funded (may get ~$10,000 from post 9/11 GI Bill if I qualify), ~$29,000 in program costs + ~$12,500 in cost of living (3) $0 credit card debt, $5,000 savings (4) $65,000/year
  16. It depends when your program deadlines were and how many programs you applied to. Most schools in my area (the Midwest...MN, WI, ND) all seemed to have March 1st as the unsaid standard as far as when interviews would be completed by. Some programs called me a week before the interview, so it being Feb. 10th I would say within the next week if you don't hear anything maybe start to wonder about those programs with January deadlines. Out of the 8 I applied to all with Jan deadlines, only 2 of those I have not yet heard anything from - Milwaukee and Lacrosse. I think Milwaukee already had interviews though and Lacrosse. - well let's just say their writing sample requirement I submitted may not have been my best work.
  17. I think it varies greatly between people. Some of the people I interviewed with had only applied to 2 programs, some had applied to more. It seemed that me at 8 programs was the most out of anyone. My guess is that 3-4 is average for this field. I would have probably only applied to 3 had I not been rejected from a late application last March I thought would have been approved. That kind of put me in overdrive mode because I really didn't want anotbed year to go by without being in school. I think 5-6 is what people should apply for and then if you have any thing about your resume that you are insecure over (gre scores, interview skills, low gpa, major outside psychology, etc...) then that number should go up.
  18. Buy the Princeton GRE study books. When you take the online test, you can submit the essays and then you get an actual grade a few days later and they have like 4 practice tests Also I remember how intimated I was when I first began studying. Just keep plugging away each day and you'll be surprised how much progress you can make. It sort of becomes a game after a while, like how high you can score. I got a 155q/157v/5aw being out of school for 5 years and not taking any math classes in a decade. Did it all independently. For my program that was good enough but I think I couldve scored in the 320s had I kept going.
  19. I am going to a graduate program in the fall of 2016. I am wondering how the process works after I've submitted my FAFSA? Does it then go to the schools financial aid office and then they look at your application, determine eligibility, and then send it back to fafsa who then sends information to you through mail or email? Or does the school just send information to you directly? Thanks in advance. Q2: I just completed my FAFSA application for a graduate program that I will be starting this Fall, 2016. As of a few days ago, the program also knows I am going there. How long until I find out how much aid I qualify for? I know already about what I will get ($20,500 unsubsidized Stafford per academic year) but I just wanted to make sure. Also, how does that work, like will I have to declare what amount of aid I want through another FAFSA application or what? Thanks in advance.
  20. I am going to a graduate program in Wisconsin this fall, 2016. I've lived in Minnesota for the past 5 years and live/work here, so am a Minnesota resident. However after looking up the Wisconsin statutes to see how long it will take for me to establish residency in Wisconsin, I see that there are exceptions already in place for students who graduated from a Wisconsin high school and have parents who are residents of the state (both apply to me). So it looks like instead of having to pay Minnesota reciprocity I may be able to pay the tuition of a Wisconsin resident. Will it be indicated on my Fafsa if I get in state tuition or is that just something that shows up automatically in my school balance when my tuition comes due in fall, 2016? Thanks in advance.
  21. I did it! Just got a call from one of my top programs I was interested in. They said I impressed them and they would like to offer me a spot in their program! A cohort of 10 students, they said they reviewed around 60 applications and interviewed 25, so I was a little skeptical on my chances but I guess I did what I needed to. That I received a call within a day of their interviews finishing, on a Saturday mind you, means I was within their first core group of candidates and not someone that was bumped up from a waitlist. The program has everything I need: 100% employment placement after graduation, 100% internship placement, $30,000 program cost, a good fit for me and a program I respect....A Wisconsin program - a state with a decent public education system. Very excited and relieved I did it. It's awesome knowing in two years from now I'll have my foot in the door to a career. I know school psychology is not the easiest thing to go into, but for me personally it's going to be a great fit and a step up from the 80 hour weeks at $12/hour in group homes I'm grinding at the moment. Good luck to the rest of you guys!
  22. Looked up the program out of curiosity. Looks sketchy as hell! I would most definitely not go there, even as a last resort. They are clearly ripping students off, probably playing off desparate students with no other options, students who have no idea what they are doing, or students from incredibly rich families who want to buy a psyd in school psychology. The fact they are even certified makes me question how much a certification matters or how a program goes about getting certified to begin with. They may have a decent enough program, but they are clearly in the business of student loans. Just look at their fees: $1310 per credit plus all these "extra fees" that add up to an estimated $50,000 per academic year lol. The fact they even mention that "students who are in financial hardship can meet with the Dean, but will be charged 1% interest" or something similar and advertise their default rates of graduates on their homepage is quite hilarious. You would be maxing out your unsubsidized Stafford loans, plus having to take an enormous amount of other loans (self loan, etc...) just to pay for it all. They are definitely taking advantage of the system for their benefit, exactly like the pharmacy ceo last year who spiked up the price of that hiv drug. Students have the advantage of paying a percentage of their income so as to make payments affordable, but this program has sketchy written all over it. Definitely steer clear is my advice.
  23. I think a lot of the time people are harder on themselves than what's deserved. Interviews have definitely been the hardest part of the application process for me though. Getting a 155Q/157V/5aw gre and 710 subject gre score while working 2 full time jobs? Totally fine. Having to answer 5 questions for 15 minutes from a professor? Not so easy. I think I'm most afraid of coming off a certain way, not having enough time to show my strengths, and feeling rushed, which makes it much more difficult than any part of the application process thus far. Like the last interview I had at a really competitive program that accepted 12/65 applicants, I'm pretty sure I screwed up a little in talking too much about how their program was different than the others, hoping to give off the impression I've put a lot of time into thinking about things, but her comment at the end that I "seemed to apply for a lot of programs" made me think I gave off a different impression than I had hoped for. I think though with each interview we get a little better and pick up on things we ought to have done differently. And well....sometimes we just have off days and don't do as well either. So far the interviews I've had they had about 20% acceptance rates, so I'm definitely psyching myself out over them and its making it pretty stressful, I decided not to overthink and find positive ways to cope with the pressure - exercising for one! I should have some answers in about 3 weeks. After putting in a solid years work in making this happen, I really hope a program out there can look passed some of that awkwardness and see the potential! Hard to say.
  24. Glad I could help. The way you phrased this question implied perhaps a few misunderstandings. There are certain benefits in going the PhD route, like being able to have a private practice under the supervision of a clinical psychologist (although in certain states you are allowed to do that with the EdS degree, Wisconsin is one), be eligible to work in a hospital setting, be eligible to teach in a university, or have more qualifications/research experience that may help with future job prospects (although many school districts max their school psychologists out at MA + 30, so you wouldn't be paid anymore). I personally am not taking that route because being 27 years old I don't want to have to go through the extra years of schooling before work and I am only interested in practicing school psychology in schools. However if I were to decide to go to a PhD program, what I would do is finish an entire program before working. I'm actually pretty sure many programs would require that if they were to give you the PhD. I know many programs accept students who already have a master's degree and then they are put on a "fast track" to earning the EdS degree, but I haven't heard of any PhD programs that accept students who already have their EdS wanting to come back for the PhD, without requiring them to retake EdS courses. Perhaps if you were awarded an EdS from a specific program that also happened to have a PhD program, they would allow you to come back after working a few years to that program for the PhD without requiring you to retake credits. Many programs require continuous enrollment through the entirety of the program however, so would not allow for that option. I may be wrong about that because I haven't done much research into the PhD since it doesn't apply to me, but I believe that's how it works. The thing is though, it would be a little silly to do it that way considering you can receive funding for the PhD programs, but have to pay for the Masters/EdS programs, so you wouldn't be as efficiently spending your money. Of course sometimes people change career interests, but I would suggest taking the time now to really figure out a sense of direction, so as to not get yourself in such a predicament.
  25. I think what is most important to look at, at least in school psychology masters/eds programs, is not how prestigious the university is (because school psychologists are in such high demand that the "name" isn't nearly as important as it would be for, say, a PhD for sociology, philosophy, or physics), but one of 4 things, in order of their priority in my opinion: (1) does the program offer BOTH the masters and educational specialist degrees (2) cost - how does the program compare to the cost of other programs (3) does the program have high internship/employment placement rates? (4) is the program a good fit for you...and then other things, like what GA opportunities might there be for 1st/2nd year students, how does the cost of living compare to other areas, etc... We are trying to go to a program not so much to conduct research, like a phd student of school psychology may, but to earn the necessary credentials to practice school psychology in the public education system. That is the end goal and after considering the qualities mentioned above, should help figuring out which program to attend. I see people applying to all these big time universities to get their masters/eds degrees, but for what reason? Simply to be able to say I went to X program? I mean the program philosophy is not going to be differentiated enough from a big name school to make that the reason. Just my .02
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