Help with decision

[3rdgenpsych]

Hello GradCafe psych applicants, 

I have a difficult decision I'm hoping I can get your opinions on. I am deciding between 2 clinical psychology PhD programs; below are my pros/cons of each school: 

1. School #1: the research match here is perfect (my POI is doing the exact research I want to be doing in the future) and the students during the interview seemed really happy in the lab and supportive of each other. The building/campus is beautiful and in a really great location and I would be able to live in an area that I've always wanted to live in. The program has a really great reputation for the field I want to go into, has a 100% internship match rate in the last few years, and good relationships with externship sites. I've never heard anything negative about the reputation of this program. The only downside is that the program is not fully funded (I did receive a small scholarship).

2. School #2: the research match is somewhat what I want to be doing, but not exactly. I got some weird vibes from the POI - he seems to be laid back and the type that I have to reach out to him rather than him being on top of me for meeting deadlines, milestones, etc. The school is in a somewhat ok location, but not as desirable, and the students seemed pretty competitive and intense on interview day. The building is run down and didn't really have a student lounge or area where students could work together. This school, however, is fully funded. 

Some notes: I would not need to take out any loans for school #1, although it seems silly to pay for tuition when I was offered a fully funded opportunity somewhere else. But I really do think school #1 is a better match for me. 

Would really appreciate any feedback to help make this decision. Thank you in advance! 

 

[I/OWA]

3 minutes ago, 3rdgenpsych said:

Hello GradCafe psych applicants, 

I have a difficult decision I'm hoping I can get your opinions on. I am deciding between 2 clinical psychology PhD programs; below are my pros/cons of each school: 

1. School #1: the research match here is perfect (my POI is doing the exact research I want to be doing in the future) and the students during the interview seemed really happy in the lab and supportive of each other. The building/campus is beautiful and in a really great location and I would be able to live in an area that I've always wanted to live in. The program has a really great reputation for the field I want to go into, has a 100% internship match rate in the last few years, and good relationships with externship sites. I've never heard anything negative about the reputation of this program. The only downside is that the program is not fully funded (I did receive a small scholarship).

2. School #2: the research match is somewhat what I want to be doing, but not exactly. I got some weird vibes from the POI - he seems to be laid back and the type that I have to reach out to him rather than him being on top of me for meeting deadlines, milestones, etc. The school is in a somewhat ok location, but not as desirable, and the students seemed pretty competitive and intense on interview day. The building is run down and didn't really have a student lounge or area where students could work together. This school, however, is fully funded. 

Some notes: I would not need to take out any loans for school #1, although it seems silly to pay for tuition when I was offered a fully funded opportunity somewhere else. But I really do think school #1 is a better match for me. 

Would really appreciate any feedback to help make this decision. Thank you in advance! 

 

From reading what you have, it seems like  you already have your decision made to go to the first option. Yes it might be a hurdle that it is not  fully funded but it seems like that is what is going to make you happiest! I had a professor who transferred grad schools because he did not like the PI he was working with. So I think having things that are a better match is really important because ultimately that is your boss and someone who will show you the ropes for what you will/want to be doing in the future.

So just reading what you have from an outside perspective it seems like choice one is the one you are most comfortable with and see yourself going 

[SendMeAnEmailPlz]

Funded offer with a good match is almost always a better choice than partial or unfunded offers.

You want to go to the first school. That's okay. But you did not present the cases for the schools equally. Does the second school have strong match rates? Does the second school have a strong reputation in the field? What are the weird vibes? Does the second school have quality clinical training?

Some professors are rigid. Some are not. Having a perfect research match is not crucial if your professor still supports you and offers you quality mentorship when you pursue your independent projects. Ask the second professor how open they are to supporting you in your research that does not directly overlap with theirs.

We make decisions with incomplete information when we choose a grad school. Maybe the students at the second school were describing a toxic atmosphere. Email them and ask.

[3rdgenpsych]

7 minutes ago, SendMeAnEmailPlz said:

Funded offer with a good match is almost always a better choice than partial or unfunded offers.

You want to go to the first school. That's okay. But you did not present the cases for the schools equally. Does the second school have strong match rates? Does the second school have a strong reputation in the field? What are the weird vibes? Does the second school have quality clinical training?

Some professors are rigid. Some are not. Having a perfect research match is not crucial if your professor still supports you and offers you quality mentorship when you pursue your independent projects. Ask the second professor how open they are to supporting you in your research that does not directly overlap with theirs.

We make decisions with incomplete information when we choose a grad school. Maybe the students at the second school were describing a toxic atmosphere. Email them and ask.

You are right, I am biased with positive information for the first school and left out information for the second. The second school has weaker match rates (fluctuating between 60s-70s in the past few years, and 90s the past 2 years). This school is less clinically focused, and more research focused. I am interested in a more clinically focused program. The reputation for research is strong, but again, I am more interested in clinical. The weird vibes for the POI are that the entire interview was awkward, he didn't ask a single question about me or my research background, was super casual, and had some negative and condescending things to say about my undergrad GPA (which was not great, but I more than made up for it with research and publications). He didn't seem like someone who would support me and vouch for me when needed. These were just my feelings after the interview. I talked to his current students and they all said how he is laid back, sometimes goes weeks without answering emails, and you really need to stay on top of him. 

Why is a funded offer almost always a better choice than partial or unfunded offers? Other than the obvious reason of one costs money and one doesn't, what other factors make it a better option? 

[3rdgenpsych]

35 minutes ago, I/OWA said:

From reading what you have, it seems like  you already have your decision made to go to the first option. Yes it might be a hurdle that it is not  fully funded but it seems like that is what is going to make you happiest! I had a professor who transferred grad schools because he did not like the PI he was working with. So I think having things that are a better match is really important because ultimately that is your boss and someone who will show you the ropes for what you will/want to be doing in the future.

So just reading what you have from an outside perspective it seems like choice one is the one you are most comfortable with and see yourself going 

Thank you for your encouraging response. I think this is what I needed to hear! 

[Psychintraining]

47 minutes ago, 3rdgenpsych said:

You are right, I am biased with positive information for the first school and left out information for the second. The second school has weaker match rates (fluctuating between 60s-70s in the past few years, and 90s the past 2 years). This school is less clinically focused, and more research focused. I am interested in a more clinically focused program. The reputation for research is strong, but again, I am more interested in clinical. The weird vibes for the POI are that the entire interview was awkward, he didn't ask a single question about me or my research background, was super casual, and had some negative and condescending things to say about my undergrad GPA (which was not great, but I more than made up for it with research and publications). He didn't seem like someone who would support me and vouch for me when needed. These were just my feelings after the interview. I talked to his current students and they all said how he is laid back, sometimes goes weeks without answering emails, and you really need to stay on top of him. 

Why is a funded offer almost always a better choice than partial or unfunded offers? Other than the obvious reason of one costs money and one doesn't, what other factors make it a better option? 

I was in a similar situation regarding funding. I received 3 offers from partially funded PhD programs, and an offer from an unfunded PsyD program. Going with a partially funded PhD sounds like a no-brainer over an unfunded PsyD, right? I ended up picking the PsyD as crazy as that sounds. I am also in a position where I do not have to take out loans if unfunded, and when I took funding out of the equation, I realized happiness was most important. I knew with 100% certainty that I would be happiest in the PsyD (Im currently in the masters program there) so I went with that.

In the end, the program you go to will probably not change the trajectory of your career that much (all things being equal). So why not take the path you know you will be happier walking? Besides, in order to be the most effective student, clinician, and researcher, you need to be the best version of you. If you feel in your gut you will be happier at choice 1, especially if you do not have to take out crippling loans that will inhibit your happiness later, I say go with your heart.

[3rdgenpsych]

1 hour ago, Psychintraining said:

I was in a similar situation regarding funding. I received 3 offers from partially funded PhD programs, and an offer from an unfunded PsyD program. Going with a partially funded PhD sounds like a no-brainer over an unfunded PsyD, right? I ended up picking the PsyD as crazy as that sounds. I am also in a position where I do not have to take out loans if unfunded, and when I took funding out of the equation, I realized happiness was most important. I knew with 100% certainty that I would be happiest in the PsyD (Im currently in the masters program there) so I went with that.

In the end, the program you go to will probably not change the trajectory of your career that much (all things being equal). So why not take the path you know you will be happier walking? Besides, in order to be the most effective student, clinician, and researcher, you need to be the best version of you. If you feel in your gut you will be happier at choice 1, especially if you do not have to take out crippling loans that will inhibit your happiness later, I say go with your heart.

I fully agree. In a field that is as competitive as clinical psychology, I think personal happiness is often overlooked as a factor when deciding on graduate schools. Thank you for your feedback, you will make a great psychologist one day  

[Mickey26]

I echo my colleagues, and would personally go with #1. I cannot stress how important your supervisor is during grad school. A good, supportive supervisor acts as a buffer for all your other grad school stresses (coursework, etc.) and quite frankly, I believe a supervisor can make or break your grad school experience. Additionally, my program/cohort isn't competitive and its been a major relief! I've heard of other clin psych programs being crazy competitive (think: sabotaging research experiments) so definitely recommend an environment where students/faculty can support each other. You do not have to tear each other down just to succeed!

Just my two cents! Good luck with deciding--sounds like you have a great experience ahead of you, regardless of which school you choose