new here Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 This happened to me! But there's no way to foresee it. I'm sorry, that's unfortunate. If you don't mind my asking, are you still happy in your current program, now that your POI has left? Have you still been able to pursue your research interests, or have you had to develop other interests? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphi Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 (edited) Hey guys! I am interested in UC Berkeley's School Psychology Program. I graduated in May 2014, with bachelor's degree in psychology from UC Berkeley. After graduation, I have worked as a behavior interventionist and provided therapy for autistic children. Currently, I am interviewing for jobs to provide behavior intervention services to children with learning disabilities in school districts. In addition, I worked in a research lab at Berkeley for a semester. Knowing that admission to UC Berkeley is competitive, I am concerned whether or not my qualifications match the program. My overall GPA (including community college coursework) is around 3.6, and my UC Berkeley GPA is 3.38. I have not taken the GRE yet. What do you think my chances are for admission to UC Berkeley? Do you have any recommendation of how I can improve my application? This is a question for a professor. I suggest you contact one soon so you can make the necessary improvements. That being said, I would not recommend UC Berkeley's program to anyone! I actually lived in Berkeley, one mile from the Ed building when I was applying... and didn't even bother with applying there. Their program is long (7 years), not funded, and the professors (aside from Worrell) are not.... uh, the greatest? I don't really want to piss anyone off, but I have had multiple professors from other schools who do not say great things about Berkeley's program. The school as a whole is obviously good, but I really wouldn't recommend applying to SP there. You're far better off applying to UCSB which has a great program! What are your research interests? I assume you are going for a PhD since UCB does not offer EdS... Edited April 3, 2015 by iphi New Applicant 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphi Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I'm sorry, that's unfortunate. If you don't mind my asking, are you still happy in your current program, now that your POI has left? Have you still been able to pursue your research interests, or have you had to develop other interests? Thank you! Nope, not happy. The profs told another student who was in the same boat that he had better focus on what the department was doing now instead of what they used to do. That in my opinion is completely unforgivable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Applicant Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 This is a question for a professor. I suggest you contact one soon so you can make the necessary improvements. That being said, I would not recommend UC Berkeley's program to anyone! I actually lived in Berkeley, one mile from the Ed building when I was applying... and didn't even bother with applying there. Their program is long (7 years), not funded, and the professors (aside from Worrell) are not.... uh, the greatest? I don't really want to piss anyone off, but I have had multiple professors from other schools who do not say great things about Berkeley's program. The school as a whole is obviously good, but I really wouldn't recommend applying to SP there. You're far better off applying to UCSB which has a great program! What are your research interests? I assume you are going for a PhD since UCB does not offer EdS... Thank you for responding! I would like to do research for children with autism, ADHD, or those with learning disabilities. Are you sure about funding of UC Berkeley? On their website it says its funded. and Yes I would like to get my PhD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphi Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Thank you for responding! I would like to do research for children with autism, ADHD, or those with learning disabilities. Are you sure about funding of UC Berkeley? On their website it says its funded. and Yes I would like to get my PhD I think there are definitely places that would suit your interests other than UCB! I am definitely sure about the funding, although you can always ask. 7 years of funding is a lot to give students, so it's not surprising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix1 Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 I will be attending Fordham University's Bilingual School Psychology Masters/Specialist program, congrats everyone! iphi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychgal123 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Congrats Pheonix! I will be at Fordham as well Phoenix1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new here Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Hi everyone, I have yet another question for current school psychology students. Is there anything you now know that you wish you knew back when you were deciding which school to attend? (Hopefully this question makes sense.) I'm struggling with making a final decision (yes, I know that this is a good problem to have), and I would really appreciate any insight or advice anyone might offer. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphi Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone, I have yet another question for current school psychology students. Is there anything you now know that you wish you knew back when you were deciding which school to attend? (Hopefully this question makes sense.) I'm struggling with making a final decision (yes, I know that this is a good problem to have), and I would really appreciate any insight or advice anyone might offer. Thank you! Well first of all.... EdS or PhD? Generally: Make sure it's NASP (or APA) accredited. Money is always good! Although not at the expense of other things. But scholarships/funding/in-state tuition should be a huge plus. Make sure faculty are supportive (although I would have said they were at my school before I chose it and I was wrong). Look at their data - do they have a good retention rate? Or do folks drop out? usually you'll see this for PhD programs, but if you're EdS and there's an attached PhD program you should check it out - it'll still give you good info. What about internship placement (paid) rate? Do they focus on the kinds of things you want to? (assessment, etc.) Will they prepare you for the kind of job you want? (more straight forward with EdS) Are the field experiences they provide ones that you are comfortable with? For example, in my program we are placed in inner-city schools. I'm fine with it, but it is not for everyone. eta: be in touch with current students if you can! I asked for the email address of a student at every school I interviewed just to hear the student perspective. I got a few emails this year from people and I always answered them honestly. Good luck! PM me if you need anything or want to talk specifics. Edited April 6, 2015 by iphi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psychgal123 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 did anyone else apply to TC Columbia's Masters? I know I asked this already but it's been a seriously comical amount of time since the interview and I haven't heard back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schoolpsych23 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 can anyone give me advice regarding credit hours in programs and how this relates to the difficulty of the program. ed.s. takes only 3 years every where i applied, but some schools have more credit hours than others. i like university of denver, but the program is 90 credit hours and the other programs I'm considering are more around 76. any thoughts on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphi Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 can anyone give me advice regarding credit hours in programs and how this relates to the difficulty of the program. ed.s. takes only 3 years every where i applied, but some schools have more credit hours than others. i like university of denver, but the program is 90 credit hours and the other programs I'm considering are more around 76. any thoughts on this? Probably because DU is on the quarter system (not semester). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schoolpsych23 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 ^the quarter thing still kinda confuses me though in why it would result in more credit hours. i would think they would spread classes out across the quarters and then still be around the same in credit hours to semester programs instead of having more classes and more credit hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphi Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) ^the quarter thing still kinda confuses me though in why it would result in more credit hours. i would think they would spread classes out across the quarters and then still be around the same in credit hours to semester programs instead of having more classes and more credit hours. You end up taking more courses because each will be completed in a shorter amount of time than a semester-based system. Not sure what's confusing about it. You complete courses in 10 weeks or so instead of ~15. You still learn the content, put the hours in and take exams, etc. So you end up taking more courses per year and get more credits. It is definitely more work, but nice in a way because you can possibly get a greater breadth of knowledge. And you should certainly never be bored! Edited April 9, 2015 by iphi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schoolpsych23 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 well just in my mind i would think there would be less credit hours a quarter to equal out to semester programs since quarters are shorter yet content is equivalent to semester programs so its therefore learned at a faster pace, instead of having more courses when you already have a shorter time period to learn material. but i get it, and my questioning and confusion are understandable as other people I've talked to had similar thoughts in regards to a quarter system. it is interesting that everyone in specialist programs comes out with the same degree in the same amount of time whether ur program is 66 credit hours or 90. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sackofcrap Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I am officially registered for my school psychology classes! So excited. SchoolPsych_NYC and iphi 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PschoolPsychology Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Finally made my decision, I'll be attending the University of Tennessee Knoxville iphi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesdarwin12 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Hi, I'm hoping to apply in 2016. I was wonder if anyone could tell me the reputation of UC-Riverside's school psychology program? I am hearing mixed reviews. And congrats to all you who have gotten in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphi Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Hi, I'm hoping to apply in 2016. I was wonder if anyone could tell me the reputation of UC-Riverside's school psychology program? I am hearing mixed reviews. And congrats to all you who have gotten in! Haven't heard good things about them (you can look back in this thread for more info). But as always you should gather more information. I know they have a high turnover rate for profs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new here Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 If I have until April 15th to make a decision, does this mean I need to let a school know that I will be attending by the end of the day on the 14th (today)? Or can I still let a school know tomorrow morning (on the 15th)? Thank you so much for any help anyone might offer! (I'm a little freaked out.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphi Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 If I have until April 15th to make a decision, does this mean I need to let a school know that I will be attending by the end of the day on the 14th (today)? Or can I still let a school know tomorrow morning (on the 15th)? Thank you so much for any help anyone might offer! (I'm a little freaked out.) You can do it tomorrow, but do it early if they haven't specified a time, just to be on the safe side. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new here Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 You can do it tomorrow, but do it early if they haven't specified a time, just to be on the safe side. Good luck! Thank you so much for responding so quickly!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new here Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 I finally made a decision! I just wanted to thank everyone here for being so incredibly helpful throughout the entire application process and answering my multitude of questions. Also, congratulations to everyone who has been accepted to a program! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new here Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 My POI (and assigned advisor) just emailed me to welcome me to the program and told me that I can contact her throughout the spring/summer if I need to "touch base" with her. I am now having difficulty composing a response. I would like to thank her and tell her that I look forward to working with her. However, I was wondering if it would also be appropriate for me to ask her if there was anything specific that she recommends I do now in order to prepare for the Fall semester. Is this an appropriate question? Or, as a graduate student, am I expected to know the answer? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphi Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 (edited) My POI (and assigned advisor) just emailed me to welcome me to the program and told me that I can contact her throughout the spring/summer if I need to "touch base" with her. I am now having difficulty composing a response. I would like to thank her and tell her that I look forward to working with her. However, I was wondering if it would also be appropriate for me to ask her if there was anything specific that she recommends I do now in order to prepare for the Fall semester. Is this an appropriate question? Or, as a graduate student, am I expected to know the answer? Thank you! Yes, that's fine! Ask her if you are going to need to buy the Best Practices books at any point. They are an investment, but if you have to buy them anyway you may as well start reading them now! Edited April 22, 2015 by iphi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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