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Fall 2015 School Psychology Applicants


SchoolPsych_NYC

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Hi everyone!

 

I'm interested in the EdS program and have recently received interviews for all 3 schools that I applied for -- The Ohio State University (March 6), University of Cincinnati (March 7), and University of Dayton (Feb 28). I want to stay in Ohio, if you haven't noticed haha. But anyway, I was wondering if anyone has any advice for my upcoming interview. The most recent one is this coming Saturday and I am starting to freak out a little bit! All my interviews are happening within a one week period and it's just now starting to hit me.

 

My first choice is University of Cincinnati, if anyone knows anything about that program I would greatly appreciate any tips!

 

Good Luck to you!! I am interviewing at Cincinnati and OSU too! However, I live out of town and requested a skype interview for OSU since I will be participating in the recruitment weekend at Cinci that starts on March 6. I thought it would be too hard to go from OSU's interview to Cinci and be ready for a dinner at 6 pm. Are you doing this? I have heard really great things about Cincinnati's program. I visited about a year ago and met with some of the faculty, which left a really great impression. I am looking forward to the upcoming interview. Best of luck at Dayton this weekend!

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I just received a letter from one of the programs that I applied to, congratulating me on my admission to the program. Unfortunately, however, I know that the letter was sent in error because the interview day for this program isn't until next week. Has anyone here had a similar experience? Thanks!

Rutgers? Yes. PM me.

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I just received a letter from one of the programs that I applied to, congratulating me on my admission to the program. Unfortunately, however, I know that the letter was sent in error because the interview day for this program isn't until next week. Has anyone here had a similar experience? Thanks!

Rutgers? I didn't get that email, but I got the follow up stating that it was in error.

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Bummer about Rutgers! Last year I got a congratulatory letter from the School of Ed before I heard from one of the programs, which is what made me think it may not be an error. :(

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Hi guys!

 

I got accepted and will be attending Southern CT State University in the fall (2015).  Congrats to everyone else who got accepted!!! Has anyone got accepted to SCSU or other CT schools?

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Hey all!

 

Just thought I'd get your opinion on this one...

 

So I've just been accepted to University of Washington's EdS program. I also have an upcoming interview at Lewis and Clark College in Portland. Both schools are NASP approved. UW's program is ranked highly, but it is incredibly expensive. As in, $40,000 more expensive than L&C over the course of the 3 year program (if I'm reading things correctly, which I think I am). 

 

Do you think there is some benefit to going to a higher ranked school psychology program? Or is it that once a school is NASP approved, they are pretty equal? Why would one choose an NASP approved program over another if it is so much more expensive? 

 

I really felt like I fit well when I talked to the professor at UW, and the jury is still out on L&C but I've got a good feeling. I just want to make the smartest decision. Thanks for any opinion you are willing to share and best of luck to all of you on your own journeys :)

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Someone else could probably give you a better answer on this, but if you get yourself into a program that is NASP and APA accredited then it sounds to me like the ball is in your court in terms of what you'll achieve as a graduate student. UW could probably offer you some more resources to work with and potentially have better opportunities available to you, but whether or not those are worth the trade off financially is debatable and up to you.

 

From my understanding of the situation I would choose the route that eases the financial strain of the situation so long as I felt a good program fit, because then it would be easier for me to focus purely upon my studies.

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Hi Everyone! This is my first post, but I've been reading this forum for a couple months. Thank you all for sharing your experience.

 

I have 2 questions I was hoping someone could help me with.

 

1) Is there is significant difference between a degree that is a Masters+Ed. Specialist and a Masters+Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS)?  One of my top programs give the C.A.G.S instead of an Ed. S, and it's the only program I'm applying to that does this, so I'm less familiar with what it means.  

 

2) When interviewing with one of my top schools, I asked the typical question, "In your opinion, what really sets X program apart?" and one of the things the  director mentioned was that their program does "not have a behavioral focus." He elaborated a tiny bit, saying that many other programs are focused only on a child's behavior, but that their aim was to view "the whole child."  I'm having trouble understanding exactly what this means in terms of the program's philosophy and what they will teach me. I know behaviorism is a big part of school psychology, but all the programs I applied to seem to have a very multi-faceted approach, and the course offerings don't seem to be different. What do you make of this? Is this part of an ongoing debate in school psychology? 

 

Thanks!!

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What funding routes are everyone taking?  What are some good scholarships that cater to Psych degrees?

 

I am a little confused as to what you are asking. 

 

In terms of funding for graduate school, most Ph.D. programs will have some sort of plan in place for funding their students (keyword: most). For M.A. and Ed.S. students, I hear that can be, and often is, drastically different. So, for M.A./Ed.S. students, I can only assume that most are paying out of pocket...? Perhaps current applicants and students could better attest to this (I am a Ph.D. applicant). I know there are external scholarships available for graduate students in psychology, but I have never met a student who is (fully) funded by one of them. 

 

Me personally? I was lucky enough to secure funding for four years.  

 

Again, clarifying your question may encourage better, more precise answers so that you can get the information you are looking for.  

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I am a little confused as to what you are asking. 

 

In terms of funding for graduate school, most Ph.D. programs will have some sort of plan in place for funding their students (keyword: most). For M.A. and Ed.S. students, I hear that can be, and often is, drastically different. So, for M.A./Ed.S. students, I can only assume that most are paying out of pocket...? Perhaps current applicants and students could better attest to this (I am a Ph.D. applicant). I know there are external scholarships available for graduate students in psychology, but I have never met a student who is (fully) funded by one of them. 

 

Me personally? I was lucky enough to secure funding for four years.  

 

Again, clarifying your question may encourage better, more precise answers so that you can get the information you are looking for.  

 

Right, I assumed she was asking because she is going the EdS route and will therefore not receive funding. I believe she is asking for scholarships that will cover her tuition for that time.

 

To OP: NASP has some. Some universities give fellowships. All are extremely difficult to get, and many have deadlines which have already passed. Unfortunately I would not count on getting one.

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If I'm entering at the Masters/Ed.S level, is there any benefit to attending a program that also has an APA accredited PhD program instead of a program that is only offers a Masters? As of now, I don't plan to try to switch to a PhD, but I would consider getting one mid-career, and I also might like to get some research experience during my Masters program.

 

I'm trying to decide between two programs that seem pretty similar in other respects, so any insights would be appreciated. Thanks!

Edited by gakkoshinrigaku
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If I'm entering at the Masters/Ed.S level, is there any benefit to attending a program that also has an APA accredited PhD program instead of a program that is only offers a Masters? As of now, I don't plan to try to switch to a PhD, but I would consider getting one mid-career, and I also might like to get some research experience during my Masters program.

 

Nope, no benefit to APA for EdS students. Just make sure to get some research experience while you are there, and make sure you complete a THESIS, not a master's exam or project.

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If I'm entering at the Masters/Ed.S level, is there any benefit to attending a program that also has an APA accredited PhD program instead of a program that is only offers a Masters? As of now, I don't plan to try to switch to a PhD, but I would consider getting one mid-career, and I also might like to get some research experience during my Masters program.

 

If you think there's a good chance you'll eventually try to get a PhD from a competitive program, then going to a program with a PhD is probably better for your admissions chances. At least from the interviews I attended, I gather that there's hardly a division between the PhD and master's students, so you get a lot of research experience. Also, a professor at a very competitive PhD-only program advised me that her program would look more favorably on a candidate with a master's from a program she's familiar with than one she's not, and she's only familiar with the ones that put out a lot of research. Master's students are also sometimes funded at these programs... But you have to do a ton of research, so there's a trade-off if you don't love that.

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Any advice for what to wear on a visitation day for a program you've been accepted to already?

 

Girl or guy? Basically anything but jeans. Nothing crazy, ripped or revealing, but hopefully you figured that out! ;)

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Nope, no benefit to APA for EdS students. Just make sure to get some research experience while you are there, and make sure you complete a THESIS, not a master's exam or project.

 

 

If you think there's a good chance you'll eventually try to get a PhD from a competitive program, then going to a program with a PhD is probably better for your admissions chances. At least from the interviews I attended, I gather that there's hardly a division between the PhD and master's students, so you get a lot of research experience. Also, a professor at a very competitive PhD-only program advised me that her program would look more favorably on a candidate with a master's from a program she's familiar with than one she's not, and she's only familiar with the ones that put out a lot of research. Master's students are also sometimes funded at these programs... But you have to do a ton of research, so there's a trade-off if you don't love that.

 

Thank you!! :) 

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I have an interview weekend coming up. It consists of dinner with faculty Friday night. Interviews Saturday morning/afternoon then dinner Saturday with students. Has anyone been through this? Do you have any suggestions/tips? I am not sure what to expect at the dinner on Friday with faculty. I want to get to know them and the program, but don't know how appropriate it is to talk about a lot of that before the actual interview. I also don't want to waste all of my well thought questions at dinner and then be left as "the girl who had no questions" during her interview.  Any tips on what to expect or how you prepped or anything at all would be helpful!! Thanks!

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Can someone give me some insight as to what the salary profile of a school psychologist looks like? I'm interested in what I can expect to be earning a) right after graduation, B) mid career, and c) late career. Are there extra qualifications/specializations that you can get to increase pay?

 

Preferably in canada

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Can someone give me some insight as to what the salary profile of a school psychologist looks like? I'm interested in what I can expect to be earning a) right after graduation, B) mid career, and c) late career. Are there extra qualifications/specializations that you can get to increase pay?

 

Preferably in canada

 

Here are the rates for the U.S. (Keep in mind this was 5 years ago, so adjust for inflation). That was a survey of school psychs in the field (so self-report). PhDs generally get paid higher than EdS.

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I have an interview weekend coming up. It consists of dinner with faculty Friday night. Interviews Saturday morning/afternoon then dinner Saturday with students. Has anyone been through this? Do you have any suggestions/tips? I am not sure what to expect at the dinner on Friday with faculty. I want to get to know them and the program, but don't know how appropriate it is to talk about a lot of that before the actual interview. I also don't want to waste all of my well thought questions at dinner and then be left as "the girl who had no questions" during her interview.  Any tips on what to expect or how you prepped or anything at all would be helpful!! Thanks!

 

It will be a big group so the spotlight will not be on you. I would try to stick to personal stuff (but not TOO personal). Just be chatty and pleasant and make a good first overall impression. Just don't do anything crazy like get drunk and dance on the table. You really don't need to overthink it!

 

Don't be a drag and ask too many program-related questions. People want to get to know you outside of the formal academic surrounding - remember, you will soon be a colleague!

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Guest lacrosse789

I have an interview weekend coming up. It consists of dinner with faculty Friday night. Interviews Saturday morning/afternoon then dinner Saturday with students. Has anyone been through this? Do you have any suggestions/tips? I am not sure what to expect at the dinner on Friday with faculty. I want to get to know them and the program, but don't know how appropriate it is to talk about a lot of that before the actual interview. I also don't want to waste all of my well thought questions at dinner and then be left as "the girl who had no questions" during her interview.  Any tips on what to expect or how you prepped or anything at all would be helpful!! Thanks!

 

I found that the dinners the night before were actually focused on the social aspect of the program. In the conversations I had over dinner, we talked about the program but it was more like a social mixer and there were other conversation topics to be had. One thing I wish I had done was save my questions for the POI until the actual interview -- try to get to know them as a person and not just as an academic. 

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One of my top choice schools says it is almost impossible to find a paid internship in the third year, because they are so rare in the entire state of MA. They told me many students relocate to find a paid internship in another state. I've been trying to find data on the prevalence of paid internships by state and haven't been successful. Does anyone have any information on this? I don't like the idea of working for free for a year and logistically I'm not sure if I could support myself during that time, but if I want to end up working in MA long-term it seems best to do an internship there. What do people who take unpaid internships do for money?! Is it common to take a full-time unpaid internship? I know this is further down the road for me but I'd really like to have all the info going in.

Thanks!

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One of my top choice schools says it is almost impossible to find a paid internship in the third year, because they are so rare in the entire state of MA. They told me many students relocate to find a paid internship in another state. I've been trying to find data on the prevalence of paid internships by state and haven't been successful. Does anyone have any information on this? I don't like the idea of working for free for a year and logistically I'm not sure if I could support myself during that time, but if I want to end up working in MA long-term it seems best to do an internship there. What do people who take unpaid internships do for money?! Is it common to take a full-time unpaid internship? I know this is further down the road for me but I'd really like to have all the info going in.

Thanks!

 

PhD or Specialist? I would be attending a NYC program, which for anyone who is aware of the standing lawsuit against the NYC DOE, only bilingual students who are accepted into the PIT (Psychologist In Training) program, are paid for this internship. Apparently, about twenty years ago, it was determined the public schools weren't providing adequate services to bilingual students (probably because there was a huge need for bilingual school psychologists!) Anyway, ALL other internships are unpaid. This is something I am dealing with as well, as there will only be my husband's income to support us during internship year, and throughout the full 3 years it will take to earn my certification. This is the sacrifice we, as graduate students, need to make to get where we need to be... If you are referring to a PhD program's internship, then forget all that I just said lol

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One of my top choice schools says it is almost impossible to find a paid internship in the third year, because they are so rare in the entire state of MA. They told me many students relocate to find a paid internship in another state. I've been trying to find data on the prevalence of paid internships by state and haven't been successful. Does anyone have any information on this? I don't like the idea of working for free for a year and logistically I'm not sure if I could support myself during that time, but if I want to end up working in MA long-term it seems best to do an internship there. What do people who take unpaid internships do for money?! Is it common to take a full-time unpaid internship? I know this is further down the road for me but I'd really like to have all the info going in.

Thanks!

 

That is a great question to ask the school!

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