PumaDuty

I meant across programs within this particular school. Thanks for weighing in.

I appreciate this perspective. Thanks for weighing in!

Yes. Both are R1. It is my understanding that the tuition offer (21 credits) is consistent across programs. I'm not sure why this is the case. I wonder if other programs typically take 21 credits/yr?

I am currently in the process of deciding between 2 School Psychology PhD programs. I'm having a hard time deciding which is my top choice, so I'd like to hear from others about how you would choose. Also to be considered, I am in my early 30s. I am a woman of color. I'm married. We have no children. My husband and I haven't lived near family in a very long time, so either program would not keep us close to family. School A In the current city in which we reside. Offered up to 5 years of guaranteed funding (tuition and 18,000 stipend) Assistantship will cover 21 credits (students typically take 27 credits/year). There is possibility of waiving some coursework because I completed a Masters program with some similar coursework. If I can't waive credits, I may have to pay about 6K out of pocket/yr. Required summer coursework Strong research match with faculty Closer to family, but not really driving distance Loooong winters Took time to warm up with faculty and students. The general vibe during interview day was not super welcoming at the beginning, but shifted throughout the day. Student population did not appear to be racially diverse, but there was a lot of diversity in applicants during interview day. I wonder if that will carry over into the cohort? Much better outcome data (APA internships and licensure) School B Requires a move across the country We would not live in the same city as the program since my husband would likely find work in the nearby big city and traffic into the city would be horrible. I would commute about an hour. There are other students who do this and say that it works fine for them. Guaranteed fellowship for the first year (full tuition and 18K stipend) Guaranteed Assistantship years 2 and 3 (full tuition and less than 15K stipend). Was told that the stipend can be greater based on the assistantship, but that is the guaranteed min. Additional years not guaranteed, but potential advisor suggests most students are funded in the same way as Years 2 and 3, but it is not guaranteed. I confirmed with a current 3rd year student who suggests that all students in the program are funded, regardless of year in the program. No required summer course work Research match is good, but not as strong at School A Very far from family Much better weather Faculty and students were very welcoming and interview day felt very comfortable. Student population appeared to be racially diverse Outcome data is not great

I just had one this week. It was very laid back. The faculty just asked what questions I had. There was no discussion about when I would make a decision. I would suggest having a few questions prepared. I also had follow up questions about funding but didn’t ask on the call since another student was on. I just emailed after. I would want to know full details regarding funding before making a decision. Unless, you know that you’d accept the offer with no increase.

Also starting a Phd program in the fall at 33. No children, but married. I’m feeling excited about having more direction and knowing exactly what I want to accomplish.

Thanks for the input! I didn't consider public transportation. I'll definitely look into that!

I don't think it's strange to think about all possible outcomes. All of my offers came through email, so I responded in email. I thanked them for considering me and the offer to join the program. Followed by " I must respectfully decline because I will be accepting an offer elsewhere." I received very kind and positive responses from the POI and DCT.

I don’t see why not? The best thing to do is apply and see where it takes you.

Any chance they’re planning to accept more than 1 student?

That's awesome. I hope it works out for you!

Thank you and that's great! We aren't necessarily tied down to any area, so I applied all over the country!

It's great that you all made that decision. I'm in a place where I'm offered full-funding at 2 programs, but I am waiting to learn about funding from my top choice. My husband will be supporting us financially since I'll no longer be working. We want to make sure that we are in a location that also makes sense for his field of work. I want to make sure that we are making the right choice so that neither of us holds any resentment, since we'll be there for quite some time. Quality of life is so important these days! Lol

This is not my first go at this and I am super grateful to have been accepted to the 4 programs that I interviewed for. I’m still waiting for funding information so I haven’t made a decision yet, but I am surprised at how stressful this is! I thought I would feel relieved at this point. Anyone else married or in a committed relationship during this process? I feel so much more pressure because we need to choose a place that works for the both of us. I can’t wait until we know for sure!

I am considering a move to attend UC-Riverside. My partner would work in LA, so given traffic patterns, we're thinking that it may make the most sense to live in LA and I would commute to Riverside (vs. my parter commuting into LA). Am I making the correct assumption? If we were to live in LA, I would want to be closer to Riverside. I have only visited LA a few times. Google maps suggests to me that I should be looking on the eastern side of the city. Is that true? What areas would you consider for a young married couple, no children?