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jennifee

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Posts posted by jennifee

    Reaching out to rejected programs

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    I also did this - I only heard back from one faculty who I actually interviewed with.  I will say it wasn't super helpful for me in terms of pinpointing specific areas to improve (I got a "you seemed really qualified, this was just not a good year for you," which was really frustrating).  However, she did emphasize networking before applying, and making sure to email all the faculty you want to work with to hear about 1)what their current research is, and 2)what they are looking for in a student.    

    If you're struggling for what to say in the email, here's basically what I said: 

    Dear Dr. XXXX, 
     
    I want to first thank you for reviewing my application for the XXXXX program for this admission cycle.  I enjoyed getting to meet you and the students in your lab on interview day (change this sentence if you did not interview, obviously).  Unfortunately, I had an unsuccessful admissions cycle this year . If at all possible, would you be willing to provide any feedback on my application?  Were there areas of weakness in my application (e.g. research experience, personal statement, or my letters of recommendation)? I would appreciate any feedback on how I might be able to improve myself as a candidate for the next submission cycle. 
     
    Thank you for your time, 

    Job Boards?

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    On 2/14/2018 at 3:31 PM, ineedcoffee said:

    Unfortunately, I haven't been contacted by the only school I have interviewed with; however, I've come to terms with it (ish-- it changes hourly, lol). 

    Saying this, does anyone know of any good listserves or job boards for RA's/Fellowships/Lab Coordinator positions that I could get on or look at to help find my plan B? I have a Master's Degree so I'd prefer something that is not just Bachelor's level. What have you guys done in your years between application cycles? Any tips/advice/websites would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks!

    I have seen a few jobs posted to university sites that are geared toward MA-level candidates.  They are usually posted as research specialist or coordinator positions.  The language isn't always clear for the job title, but if you look at qualifications, some are clearly meant for a MA or PhD level position.  

    Some positions are on research studies but have different titles/slightly different job duties.  For example, my co-worker is an implementation specialist, and I'm an educational consultant. Both require a master's degree.  

    Your best bet is going to be to search through postings directly on university websites.  

    PhD Fall 2018 Applicants

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    30 minutes ago, at17 said:

    Has anyone heard from any department at University of Washington (Seattle)?

    For clinical, I have heard that initial Skype interviews were already done, and they will be sending out in-person invites to those who passed that round.  Their actual interview day is the 26th.  

    School Psychology Program Help

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    23 hours ago, JemSchoolPsych said:

    Thank you sooo much for this! I'm surprised the program isn't better, considering the cost and reputation it has. Something that's very important to me is the availability and support of professors, as well as support at practicum sites, and it seems this school may not satisfy that completely. As far as bring more practice based, that something is prefer, as well as having the pre-practicum experience. 

    The cost of the program is a bug turn-off for me, but how did you receive the waiver? Was it more like a grant or a loan?

    I have interviews for Northeastern, Umass Amherst and tufts all in the same weekend. Was funding offered at all for the other two programs? 

     

    Please let me know if you'd rather me PM you!

    No problem!  The more information you can get before making a decision, the better!  

    I do think that Tufts is a solid program for the core classes - counseling and intelligence testing especially.  You will learn to write a SOLID report if Laura Rogers is still teaching the testing courses.  Unless things have changed (and they may have, it's been 5 years since I graduated), there is just too much variability in course quality with lecturers.  MTSS/RtI was a major part of my job when I graduated, and I learned next to nothing about it while at Tufts.  

    Re: cost - when you get accepted at the programs, they will all send you a financial aid package along with it.  Tufts just sent me a letter that included a grant for half off tuition.  The rest I took out loans for.  I think I finished with around $80k in loans, since living expenses in Boston are so high.  The one thing to keep in mind is that most programs don't charge tuition for the year you go on internship, so you'll only pay for years 1-2.  

    Northeastern didn't offer any financial aid, and their tuition is expensive! I don't know about UMass Amherst, but UMass Boston didn't offer me any money, and wouldn't give me in-state tuition either, since living in MA while going to college doesn't count toward residency. 

    There aren't many external sources of funding for school psychology master's programs.  Starting salaries for school psychs in the Boston area range from $50-80k, so you won't want to take out more than that in loans.  

    School Psychology Program Help

    in Psychology Forum

    Posted

    18 hours ago, JemSchoolPsych said:

    I'm in the process of interviewing for different masters/specialist programs in Massachusetts and Connecticut. I have interviews at William James, Umass Amherst, Southern CT State University, Tufts, and Northeastern. Im still waiting to hear from UConn and UMass Boston. Each program has a different degree they offer (M.A., M.S., and M.Ed) along with different specialist credentials (CAGS, Ed.S and 6th year certificate). I know that for the most part the specialist credentials are the same but vary in name depending on the state, but I'm wondering if the difference in the masters degree is significant and if it effects a students career as a school psychologist.

    Also, if anyone has been to any of these schools and would like to comment on how they felt about the programs it would be much appreciated! Currently my top choices are Umass Amherst and Northeastern.

    Some questions I have about the programs are:
    Is the program more research focused or practical focused?
    Cohort size?
    How supportive and available is the faculty towards the students?
    How heavy was the workload?
    Do you feel the program prepared you to be a competent school psychologist?
    Would you recommend the program?
    And any other comments you'd like to make! Thank you!

    Hi! 

    I went to Tufts for my Ed.S., and I looked at Northeastern and UMass as well.  Tufts offers financial aid - I got a half tuition waiver, so it was much cheaper than the other two schools.  If you're an MA resident, UMass might be cheaper.  They all seemed pretty comparable in terms of quality.  All of the different degree names are just remnants of the naming conventions when the programs were formed, they all hold the same value. 

    Tufts had a lot of faculty turnover while I was there, so I can't speak too much to the quality of the faculty.  Unless things have changed, though, they really rely on adjunct lecturers, which makes for some interesting classes - for example, my consultation class was 100% about that particular faculty's consultation model, and we didn't learn any other consultation styles.  However, we also had a FANTASTIC behavior assessment class, which I still think was the most valuable course I took there. 

    To address your other questions: 

    Is the program more research focused or practical focused?

    Tufts is VERY practice-focused, they have the highest required number of practicum hours of the 3 schools in MA - I had 150 hours first year, 450 2nd year, and then the full-time internship.  If you want to do any research, you will really have to hunt that out on your own, because the core faculty do NOT do any research.  Northeastern has a PhD program as well, so they are better if you are thinking of doing research. 


    Cohort size?

    My cohort at Tufts was 17, which was large for them - they usually have 10-13.  You move through classes together, with very little overlap with other years/programs. 


    How supportive and available is the faculty towards the students?

    Hit or miss.  A few core faculty are great and supportive, others are very old-school and inflexible. 


    How heavy was the workload?

    First year was fine, 2nd year was overwhelming and half my cohort almost quit, and then internship was fine again. If you can, take extra summer classes to lighten the load a bit 2nd year. 


    Do you feel the program prepared you to be a competent school psychologist?

    Yes and no.  It was very theory-based, not good at linking theory to practice, and practicum sites were not well managed to make sure we learned everything we needed to.  However, it gave me enough of a basis that I was able to practice successfully once I sought out PD in the areas I didn't get expertise. 


    Would you recommend the program?

    Maybe, but not strongly.  Even several years later, I have very few positive memories of my time there, and most of those were because of one or two adjunct faculty who were fantastic.  The big selling point is the higher number of practicum hours, which I will admit were very valuable. 

    Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions - or if you end up at a school in MA, I can give you some ideas of practicum sites to seek out or avoid. 

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