em2164

Hey-- likewise!  I'm in a similar boat and wanted to share this resource I came across: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311949630_A_Scientist-Practitioner_Analysis_of_the_Best_APA-Accredited_School_Psychology_Doctoral_Programs 

To be honest, I doubt I'll end up basing my decision off it, but better to have the information and then decide  

Hey-- likewise!  I'm in a similar boat and wanted to share this resource I came across: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311949630_A_Scientist-Practitioner_Analysis_of_the_Best_APA-Accredited_School_Psychology_Doctoral_Programs 

To be honest, I doubt I'll end up basing my decision off it, but better to have the information and then decide  

Hey-- likewise!  I'm in a similar boat and wanted to share this resource I came across: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311949630_A_Scientist-Practitioner_Analysis_of_the_Best_APA-Accredited_School_Psychology_Doctoral_Programs 

To be honest, I doubt I'll end up basing my decision off it, but better to have the information and then decide  

Hey-- likewise!  I'm in a similar boat and wanted to share this resource I came across: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311949630_A_Scientist-Practitioner_Analysis_of_the_Best_APA-Accredited_School_Psychology_Doctoral_Programs 

To be honest, I doubt I'll end up basing my decision off it, but better to have the information and then decide  

Hey-- likewise!  I'm in a similar boat and wanted to share this resource I came across: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311949630_A_Scientist-Practitioner_Analysis_of_the_Best_APA-Accredited_School_Psychology_Doctoral_Programs 

To be honest, I doubt I'll end up basing my decision off it, but better to have the information and then decide  

Hey-- likewise!  I'm in a similar boat and wanted to share this resource I came across: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311949630_A_Scientist-Practitioner_Analysis_of_the_Best_APA-Accredited_School_Psychology_Doctoral_Programs 

To be honest, I doubt I'll end up basing my decision off it, but better to have the information and then decide  

Hi @em2164I don’t know if this could work for you, but I’m taking an early morning flight up there and catching a late night flight back home that same day. It seems a little crazy but I know I can’t make this decision without seeing everything in person. The flights aren’t nearly as expensive as I’d thought so hopefully something like that could work for you too! 

I just had my first in-person interview this past Tuesday and Wednesday. It was a two-day interview with lunches, dinners and the actual interviews. This program is a PhD in Psychology with a specialization in intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). 
Interviews:
Because this program is very specialized in a particular research population, although I applied to two specific POIs, the candidates met with all 5 core faculty from that division. Apparently, the faculty determines which candidates should be admitted and which ones in particular would be a good match for their mentorship styles and their research interests. I had 3 interviews the first day and 1 interview the second day (I was one of the candidates who wasn't able to meet with one of the POIs because she had very limited time). I found this particular interview to be much less intense than I expected it to be! I feel that I actually over-prepared for it- which could be a good thing in the end! I got general questions about why I wanted to go to grad school for a PhD, what my research interests were, and very few specific questions about my experiences (only follow-up questions when I brought my experiences up). The HARDEST question I was asked was, "What would be your masters project? And what variables/outcomes would you look at?! Thankfully, the current students were AMAZING and they graciously gave us tips about what to expect in the interviews! This very hard question was brought up the night before interviews and I had a chance to think about it in advance ?Interviews lasted 30 minutes and overall, I felt I spent more time waiting for my turn than actually meeting with the POIs.
Socials:
The night before interviews, after all candidates had arrived from the airport, a few of the students took us to a quaint place in Columbus to have dinner. This was very informal but gave the opportunity to meet them and ask questions. We also had lunches that were catered to the conference room where we met on both interview days. All the candidates ate with a few of the current students who were available. On the first day of the interviews, all candidates went to dinner with three POIs and the majority of the current students. This was very informal but also gave me the opportunity to learn more about my POIs personalities.
Logistics:
There were a total of 6 candidates including me who were interviewed. This may actually be different from other programs. One of the students told us that they typically only invite as many people as they would have space/funding for. As opposed to other programs who may invite 30+ candidates to ultimately extend admittance to 4 people. I thought this was nice. 
They reimbursed for dinner from the night candidates arrived to the city (we all came out of state) and for flights. They also booked us and paid for hotel rooms near the university. I felt very fortunate for this as it was very unexpected. In terms of transportation, the students drove us around to the dinner location, back to the hotel when needed, and to the hospital that we visited where we would be doing clinical work at some point in the program. There was also a shuttle bus from the hotel to the university every 30 minutes.
Overall Thoughts:
I really liked this program and I'm hoping for an acceptance! What I liked the most was the very specific research clinical work being conducted with the population I'm interested in and the collaborative climate I sensed from the faculty and students. This last piece matters a lot to me since the university where I currently work is very competitive and I don't feel a sense of "friendliness" among students and faculty. The one thing that concerns me a little is the fact that this particular program is not APA accredited. This is something that both of my supervisors emphasized I should look for in a graduate program. My thoughts are that attending this program might ultimately limit the states I would be able to practice in but I would still be able to become licensed and work in states that don't require you have a doctorate from an APA accredited program- which is honestly the majority. Plus, my husband and I are actually really looking forward to move out of FL and possibly not come back. FL does require APA accredited programs for licensure. 
I'm hoping to get an acceptance and at least have this option for grad school. I'm an older applicant and I don't think I'm willing to go through this process again for many reasons more personal to my specific circumstances. I hope this information helps people! Good luck to everyone!