2022 School Psychology Applications

[PPPPCompuper]

7 hours ago, EdPsych said:

Congrats!! Was this for the PhD program? If so, who is your PI?

Thanks! It was for the Masters program 

[mhaseno]

Im waiting to hear back from Illinois State University. Anyone heard back from them yet? I want to make decisions but its hard when I dont have all the information! lol

[Benji204]

Do you guys think taking out significant loans ($50,000+) to get this degree is worth it? I'm trying to decide between one doctoral program at a public school that would leave me with no loans, and another doctoral program that I like better because it has a better APA internship match rate and more clinical practicum opportunities, but would put me ~$70,000 in debt.

[fleursdemoncoeur]

Hi guys! Good luck to everyone here. Has anyone heard back from any of the CSUs (California State Universities)? Specifically Sacramento State's program.

[goldenstate24]

Just got accepted to New Mexico State University's PhD program! I will be declining my offer for the University of Oregon's Master's program at the Portland campus (hopefully someone on the waitlist can get bumped up!). I am still waitlisted for the University of Montana's PhD program and hoping to get an offer since they are my top choice. I am interviewing with UC Denver tomorrow, has anyone done the timed writing sample yet?

[spapp]

21 hours ago, Benji204 said:

Do you guys think taking out significant loans ($50,000+) to get this degree is worth it? I'm trying to decide between one doctoral program at a public school that would leave me with no loans, and another doctoral program that I like better because it has a better APA internship match rate and more clinical practicum opportunities, but would put me ~$70,000 in debt.

sounds like a hard decision to make…does the second program not offer any other opportunities for funding? like are they supportive of students applying for grants? or are the grad students more likely to take up part time jobs? if so, what’s that like?

[transfatfree]

21 hours ago, Benji204 said:

Do you guys think taking out significant loans ($50,000+) to get this degree is worth it? I'm trying to decide between one doctoral program at a public school that would leave me with no loans, and another doctoral program that I like better because it has a better APA internship match rate and more clinical practicum opportunities, but would put me ~$70,000 in debt.

What's your career goal? Internship match rates can be misleading in school psych doctoral programs since they may not require students to go through the match process. It is also important to use a student loan calculator and think about how comfortable your life can be when you pay back $700+ every month for 10 years.

[Benji204]

13 hours ago, spapp said:

sounds like a hard decision to make…does the second program not offer any other opportunities for funding? like are they supportive of students applying for grants? or are the grad students more likely to take up part time jobs? if so, what’s that like?

Yes, some students have part-time off campus jobs, but it really only helps with living expenses. Also, they unfortunately don't provide many  GA/TA opportunities, and any grants would have to come from outside the school. So not many ways to reduce the expense unfortunately. 

[Benji204]

12 hours ago, transfatfree said:

What's your career goal? Internship match rates can be misleading in school psych doctoral programs since they may not require students to go through the match process. It is also important to use a student loan calculator and think about how comfortable your life can be when you pay back $700+ every month for 10 years.

I think right now I'm hoping to work in a school or clinic or other outpatient setting to get experience before starting a private practice. And you're right, I spoke to some of their current advanced students, and it seems many don't apply for APA internships because the school has its own captive program for those who want to stay local. I am starting to lean towards the debt-free option.

[jamescorden]

18 hours ago, goldenstate24 said:

Just got accepted to New Mexico State University's PhD program! I will be declining my offer for the University of Oregon's Master's program at the Portland campus (hopefully someone on the waitlist can get bumped up!). I am still waitlisted for the University of Montana's PhD program and hoping to get an offer since they are my top choice. I am interviewing with UC Denver tomorrow, has anyone done the timed writing sample yet?

Yay, congrats!!! I am also waitlisted for Montana's PhD program and also interviewing today with CU Denver!! I just did the timed writing sample lol clearly at the very last minute. Good luck today!

[transfatfree]

3 hours ago, Benji204 said:

I think right now I'm hoping to work in a school or clinic or other outpatient setting to get experience before starting a private practice. And you're right, I spoke to some of their current advanced students, and it seems many don't apply for APA internships because the school has its own captive program for those who want to stay local. I am starting to lean towards the debt-free option.

School psych doctoral students typically do one placement in a clinical setting if they choose. Unless you get significantly more clinical exp in the other school (e.g., another year), I don't think it matters as much for the APPIC internship match as the majority of school psych Ph.D. students matched at APA-accredited sites (~70-80%). Also even if you do an APA-accredited school-based internship, getting a clinical postdoc is a lot easier as long as you are not geographically restricted. So if the public school's students who chose to go through the match were successful, I would say the debt-free option would make more sense. 

[Benji204]

50 minutes ago, transfatfree said:

School psych doctoral students typically do one placement in a clinical setting if they choose. Unless you get significantly more clinical exp in the other school (e.g., another year), I don't think it matters as much for the APPIC internship match as the majority of school psych Ph.D. students matched at APA-accredited sites (~70-80%). Also even if you do an APA-accredited school-based internship, getting a clinical postdoc is a lot easier as long as you are not geographically restricted. So if the public school's students who chose to go through the match were successful, I would say the debt-free option would make more sense. 

Thanks, and you make a great point about getting more clinical experience through a post-doc, which is something I was also considering. Btw, are post-doc experiences considered the same as internships for by employers/licensing boards?

[transfatfree]

1 hour ago, Benji204 said:

Thanks, and you make a great point about getting more clinical experience through a post-doc, which is something I was also considering. Btw, are post-doc experiences considered the same as internships for by employers/licensing boards?

It depends on the state(s) you want to practice in. Most states require postdoc hours while some don't. Here is a list of states that don't require postdoc hours (so you can become a licensed psychologist with practicum and internship hours):

https://www.apa.org/education-career/development/early/licensure/state-progress

Internship hours (1500-2000 hours depending on the state) are typically counted by licensing boards separately from practicum and/or postdoc hours (i.e., you need X hours from internship and Y hours from practicums/postdoc to become licensed). In general, employers place more emphasis on postdoc than internship exp (unless you don't do a postdoc and start working straight out of internship) because at the postdoc level you are supposed to function more independently. You can also choose to (re)specialize during postdoc to acquire skills that are essential for your career goals to get relevant jobs. 

One thing that I should mention is if you want to become both an NCSP and a licensed psychologist and the programs you are considering about are NASP-approved and APA-accredited, you should check how their practicum/internship experiences are arranged. AFAIK, most of these programs try to fit in enough school experiences so you can become an NCSP before going on internship. But I know there are programs that don't give students enough school experiences (e.g., doing only one school placement) so students must get a school-based internship (or an internship with a significant school component) to become an NCSP, which can limit options. 

[strawberryshortcakes]

I just formally accepted my offer of admission to the University of Oregon's PhD program!! ? If anyone else will be attending UO, I'd love to chat with you!

Also officially declined my offer at the University of Montana, so hopefully that will open up a spot. ?

[SchoolPsychSG]

16 hours ago, strawberryshortcakes said:

I just formally accepted my offer of admission to the University of Oregon's PhD program!! ? If anyone else will be attending UO, I'd love to chat with you!

Also officially declined my offer at the University of Montana, so hopefully that will open up a spot. ?

I've been accepted into UO' Portland campus, but I haven't accepted yet. Still waiting to hear back from other schools. Leaning towards UO though! Love the faculty and the culture!

[blucifer22]

Has anyone had to do an impromptu academic writing sample during interviews? Any tips on what to expect/how to prep? Thanks!

[PavlovsFavorite_dog]

On 2/23/2022 at 12:27 AM, maybeschoolpsych21 said:

No

I heard back - feel free to DM!

[PavlovsFavorite_dog]

16 hours ago, blucifer22 said:

Has anyone had to do an impromptu academic writing sample during interviews? Any tips on what to expect/how to prep? Thanks!

I completed a writing sample during an interview and can only speak to my experience but it was extremely low-key. We were able to turn off our screens and it did not require any prep ahead of time. Hope this helps!

[Benji204]

On 2/25/2022 at 4:46 PM, transfatfree said:

It depends on the state(s) you want to practice in. Most states require postdoc hours while some don't. Here is a list of states that don't require postdoc hours (so you can become a licensed psychologist with practicum and internship hours):

https://www.apa.org/education-career/development/early/licensure/state-progress

Internship hours (1500-2000 hours depending on the state) are typically counted by licensing boards separately from practicum and/or postdoc hours (i.e., you need X hours from internship and Y hours from practicums/postdoc to become licensed). In general, employers place more emphasis on postdoc than internship exp (unless you don't do a postdoc and start working straight out of internship) because at the postdoc level you are supposed to function more independently. You can also choose to (re)specialize during postdoc to acquire skills that are essential for your career goals to get relevant jobs. 

One thing that I should mention is if you want to become both an NCSP and a licensed psychologist and the programs you are considering about are NASP-approved and APA-accredited, you should check how their practicum/internship experiences are arranged. AFAIK, most of these programs try to fit in enough school experiences so you can become an NCSP before going on internship. But I know there are programs that don't give students enough school experiences (e.g., doing only one school placement) so students must get a school-based internship (or an internship with a significant school component) to become an NCSP, which can limit options. 

Great info and advice, thank you!

[blucifer22]

Did anyone else get into CU Denver? Would love to chat with someone

[jamescorden]

13 hours ago, blucifer22 said:

Did anyone else get into CU Denver? Would love to chat with someone

Did you find out via email? I interviewed and am waiting to hear back!

[gradschooolpsych2022]

Does anyone know if Pace School-Clinical PsyD have finished sending out invites? 

[blucifer22]

12 hours ago, jamescorden said:

Did you find out via email? I interviewed and am waiting to hear back!

I got an email last night saying my application status had been updated and then when I logged on they had uploaded a letter

[cba1234]

Has anyone heard from Teachers College, Columbia university for the master's program? 

[Benji204]

21 hours ago, gradschooolpsych2022 said:

Does anyone know if Pace School-Clinical PsyD have finished sending out invites? 

I know people started receiving acceptance letters on Monday, but I don't know if that means they are done with interviews.