Love3

I did not end up going to Lehigh. It was a close choice but I liked my current program better for various reasons.

Hi, I heard back from Lehigh within a week and a half last year. Staying with students is very informative and a good way to bond with a current student. I felt as though I really understood what it was like to be a student at the schools that I stayed with students. It is a great way to get the overall student experience. Good luck with everything!

My advice would be to stay and explore the town/school. It will allow you to get a better feel of the place you may be spending your next 4-7 years. When I interviewed, I stayed at all but one school past the interview time. I regret not staying at the one school because I did not get a feel of the area and city as much as I wanted to.

School psychology also gives you the flexibility to do what you want plus more. If you know you just want to work in a school as a psychologist, then Ed.S. school psych programs are the best fit. As a PhD student in school psychology, I can give you a little insight into the day and the life of a PhD school psychology student. We work in schools, clinics, do research and classes of course. Ultimately, a PhD in school psychology will allow you to work in schools as a psychologist, a supervisor of a special education/education program, as a a clinican in a hospital or clinic setting with children and so one. If you want specific information, feel free to PM me.

You might want to proceed with caution if the doctoral program is not APA accredited especially depending on your future goals. The accreditation does not usually carry over between programs. You can always ask about it during your interviews. Congrats!

Congrats!

My advice would be to make sure your top schools get priority no matter. When changing your arrangements, be honest because most schools already know why you are suddenly asking for a change of date. Some schools don't mind fighting for a competitive candidate and others will give you a hard time and make you decide which interview you'd prefer. Always go with your top schools and where you would fit when prioritizing interviews. The other ones can be Skyped and honestly depending how many schools you applied to/get interviews for you may have to reject some interviews.

NASP approved is equally as important as APA accredited. It limits your options if you graduate from a school that does not have both. I'm a first year in a school psychology doctoral program btw so I was just in this position last year. If anyone has questions, please feel free to ask. I've been through the application process twice so I have a lot of information.

I was in the same predicament but I chose to have a roommate. I wanted to save money and I didn't want to move far away and live by myself (knowing no one). My hopes is that my roommate and I will get along and be friends and help each other through our 1st year in the program which I'm sure we will. Go with your gut. Don't overthink the decision.

Hi I'm from Philadelphia so I wanted to give you some insight! $1400 is not the average price of apartments. Living around UPenn will definitely cost you. You can find some for cheaper that are still in decent neighborhoods (Mt. Airy, West Oak Lane) as stated above. I just want to caution you about living in the suburbs for two reasons. Philadelphia has horrible traffic and you may have to pay double taxes (taxes for where you work-Philadelphia and taxes where you live. Let me know if you have any questions!

I'm technically first generation but not really. My mom started her associates a year after I started undergrad. My grandparents worked straight out of high school. My uncle just got his PhD two years ago and my aunt has her MBA. Although all of my family is extremely supportive, my aunt and uncle are my go-to for anything grad school related. My aunt didn't get me into school but she's expanded my network and connected me with other professionals who have gone through the school psychology phD process. In a way, I had assistance because I knew how to prepare for the process and have insight of the field and program but I still had to do most of the work and get myself into school.

Just be honest in the most sincere way possible. If the program's intentions are pure and they really want your opinion to improve their program, then your honesty shouldn't burn any bridges. I recently had a university ask me why I didn't chose to attend their program. I was honest yet respectful. The program director actually asked me to go in-depth with one of the reason, we talked about it and she said thank you and wished me luck on my future endeavors. Take the politics out of it and be honest. If your sincere honesty burns a bridge, then the program probably isn't a program that you want to have connections with anyway.

I'd say get the work experience and apply next year. I took a few years off before applying again and it was the best experience ever. Also, don't worry about the recommendation. I'm sure that he will remember you. I had the same hesitations with my recommendation writers but I told them that I wouldn't be applying until X year (as a reminder to not forget about me lol). Maybe you can tell him your plan once you decide and he should support your decision.

You have great things to say about the safety school in terms of faculty, placement and location so I would say go for it. Did you receive funding from the school?

At least I'm not the only one who feels this way. I haven't heard anything from anyone since early March and the registration opened last week. I'm sure they will make the seats based on incoming students since my program is small. Still, I'm too excited to not be occupied by tons of grad school preparation stuff!