Fall 2016 School Psychology

[Bluescluess]

@tania5493 what I have heard about the Ed.s is that's it's in between the masters and Ph.D., meaning you receive more intense\ training that a regular Masters, however I'm not sure if it will make a difference when finding a job, I don't really think it matters much, plus if you are getting a grant you'll graduate with no debt which it's something to think about. If being in debt or not, is not an issue choose the school that best fits you, where do you feel comfortable going ?  

good luck!!!

[sackofcrap]

On 3/10/2016 at 7:28 AM, psychschool said:

are you guys talking about funding for the eds program? if so Thats awesome you guys got funding! I got none  Is funding for eds programs common? Ill be reapplying next year again to get into my dream program and wanted to know how funding is usually for it

EdS programs are funded mostly with assistantships, not fellowships. With assistantships, you have to work (usually 10 or 20 hours a week). A lot of them offer you some kind of discount on tuition (it varies by school, sometimes they pay for most of tuition, sometimes only 25%). The jobs generally pay enough for regular living expenses. They are limited though and you do have to apply for them generally. 

[sackofcrap]

48 minutes ago, tania5493 said:

Opinions please. Is it a significant benefit to have the Ed.S and the MA? 

I haven't committed yet but have basically made my decision. Pretty sure I should go to long beach state. Was even offered a 28k grant (have to do additional training) meaning my tuition will be mostly covered. The only thing that slightly bothers me is that I will only get the Ed.s and not the MA at LB. Does this really matter?

LMU is a dual degree but the most funding I can get is 40% tuition of a 70k program. Even if I assume I get that much that leaves at 40k+ debt.

Not sure that the debt is worth it as I feel I will fare relatively equally with a degree from either program.

Basically asking if it really matters where I go? 

There is no benefit that I know of to having both an MA in school psychology and an EdS in school psychology. 

The EdS is a higher degree than the MA. It is a specialist level degree. The order of degrees in school psychology from lowest to highest would go something like:

(1) Masters (MA)

(2) Specialist Level (EdS, SSP, CAGS) (Usually more than 60 hours)

(3) Doctoral (PhD, PsyD) (Usually more than 90 hours)

Looking at the LMU website, I am assuming that you will earn the MA on the way to earning the EdS. It has no bearing. It's like when you are in a PhD program and you may earn an MA degree along the way to getting the PhD. It's nice to have an extra degree but it doesn't really do anything for you in a practical sense. Looking at the list of courses you will take for the program at LMU, it looks just like the courses that I am taking in my specialist level program and I am not earning an MA degree along the way.

The only advantage that I can possibly think of is that you might be able to work as a school psychologist during the last year of school if you go to a program that lets you earn the MA in year 2, because you can work as a school psychologist with an MA degree in most states. But even that is irrelevant because you will be doing a paid Internship during year 3 of the EdS program anyway.

So, no, there is no benefit that I know of to going to a program that gives you an MA and an EdS, as opposed to going to a program that just gives you an EdS.

You should 100% go to Long Beach. It will leave you with less debt and your job prospects will be exactly the same coming out of either program.

Edited April 13, 2016 by sackofcrap

[DLS]

@Bluescluess congrats!!

 

[tania5493]

5 hours ago, sackofcrap said:

There is no benefit that I know of to having both an MA in school psychology and an EdS in school psychology. 

The EdS is a higher degree than the MA. It is a specialist level degree. The order of degrees in school psychology from lowest to highest would go something like:

(1) Masters (MA)

(2) Specialist Level (EdS, SSP, CAGS) (Usually more than 60 hours)

(3) Doctoral (PhD, PsyD) (Usually more than 90 hours)

Looking at the LMU website, I am assuming that you will earn the MA on the way to earning the EdS. It has no bearing. It's like when you are in a PhD program and you may earn an MA degree along the way to getting the PhD. It's nice to have an extra degree but it doesn't really do anything for you in a practical sense. Looking at the list of courses you will take for the program at LMU, it looks just like the courses that I am taking in my specialist level program and I am not earning an MA degree along the way.

The only advantage that I can possibly think of is that you might be able to work as a school psychologist during the last year of school if you go to a program that lets you earn the MA in year 2, because you can work as a school psychologist with an MA degree in most states. But even that is irrelevant because you will be doing a paid Internship during year 3 of the EdS program anyway.

So, no, there is no benefit that I know of to going to a program that gives you an MA and an EdS, as opposed to going to a program that just gives you an EdS.

You should 100% go to Long Beach. It will leave you with less debt and your job prospects will be exactly the same coming out of either program.

You have captured my exact thoughts and feelings. I have accepted my offer at Long Beach. I am conifdent and happy with my decision. Thank you so much!  

Edited April 13, 2016 by tania5493

[tania5493]

6 hours ago, Bluescluess said:

@tania5493 what I have heard about the Ed.s is that's it's in between the masters and Ph.D., meaning you receive more intense\ training that a regular Masters, however I'm not sure if it will make a difference when finding a job, I don't really think it matters much, plus if you are getting a grant you'll graduate with no debt which it's something to think about. If being in debt or not, is not an issue choose the school that best fits you, where do you feel comfortable going ?  

good luck!!!

First of all congrats on getting accepted to your program! Best of luck as you start your graduate career! I have accepted my offer at Long Beach as debt is a huge concern for me! Happy with my decision thank you! 

[Bluescluess]

@DLS Thannk you!!!

@tania5493 thanks!!!! And good luck in your program as well!!! So exciting :))) 

[Medule]

On 2/18/2016 at 0:43 PM, kingslayer said:

 

@Medule Ouch, I'm sorry! Were they flat out rejections or rejections after interviews? Hopefully your last college will accept you!

Well, I had 5 rejections just flat out, 1 rejection after interview, and then an acceptance to UNC! So I'm pretty pumped about that. Phew!

[ohhappyday]

hey everyone, It's been a rough 4-5 months with the grad school admissions and I am honestly extremely glad it is all over.

How is everyone doing, and where will all of you be attending? I thought it would be cool to share some thoughts about it all for the next group of applicants for the next year since I had received so much help from the past years thread.

For me, it was extremely chaotic turning in my applications and meeting deadlines but for me, the hardest part was waiting to hear back from the schools.
My suggestion is for the next group is to focus on the application early, do the best you can, so that when you are waiting couple of weeks for answers, you wouldn't regret on spending more time on the application like I did. I will be moving soon and am really excited. 

[DLS]

@ohhappyday My main suggestion would be for students to dedicate a substantial amount of time researching the professors. You don't want to spend a lot of money on graduate applications, fly to your interview, and then realize you have no similar interest with the faculty. This is especially important if you plan on attending a program that's mentorship based. 

[biscuitsbiscuits]

I'll be applying to school psych PhD programs for Fall 2017, but I wanted to ask this thread a question since you are seasoned experts by this point.

This might be a silly question, but how do you know whether or not to contact potential POIs at a school before applying? It seems like a given for most clinical PhD programs, but the small number of school psych programs I've asked so far have said specifically *not* to contact faculty in advance of applying. 

Did you all contact POIs before applying? How did you know whether to get in touch or not? 

Thanks and congrats to everyone who got an acceptance this year!

[Anxiousapplicant01]

4 hours ago, biscuitsbiscuits said:

I'll be applying to school psych PhD programs for Fall 2017, but I wanted to ask this thread a question since you are seasoned experts by this point.

This might be a silly question, but how do you know whether or not to contact potential POIs at a school before applying? It seems like a given for most clinical PhD programs, but the small number of school psych programs I've asked so far have said specifically *not* to contact faculty in advance of applying. 

Did you all contact POIs before applying? How did you know whether to get in touch or not? 

Thanks and congrats to everyone who got an acceptance this year!

Honestly, I didn't contact any of my POIs before applying. Maybe i would have saved some time if I had, but I have heard from friends who applied that many of these initial contacts eventually turned awkward so I am happy I didn't do it. If you have a specific reason for contacting them (to ask questions that would need to be answered before applying), then you should. I don't think it is particularly advantageous...you will have plenty of time to ask questions and get familiar with your POI if the program is interested in you. 

[biscuitsbiscuits]

17 hours ago, Anxiousapplicant01 said:

Honestly, I didn't contact any of my POIs before applying. Maybe i would have saved some time if I had, but I have heard from friends who applied that many of these initial contacts eventually turned awkward so I am happy I didn't do it. If you have a specific reason for contacting them (to ask questions that would need to be answered before applying), then you should. I don't think it is particularly advantageous...you will have plenty of time to ask questions and get familiar with your POI if the program is interested in you. 

That's good to know. My inclination was to not contact anyone, but I didn't want to miss a crucial step for some programs. When I did ask during info sessions whether it was recommended to reach out to faculty, the responses I received were pretty negative. It does seem bothersome to sort of cold-call/email someone like that, but in some clinical programs it's recommended so I just wanted to confirm. 

Thanks for the response!

[gradgoal]

Hi Everyone!

 

Previously, I applied to several clinical psych programs and I did not make the cut. I have since completed a Master's of Science in School Psychology hoping to increase my chances at a doctoral degree. I am still debating between pursuing a doctorate in school psychology or in clinical psych, but I am interested in these programs. I would love to hear anything that you could share with me about them (and my chances of being accepted to them):

 

University of Kentucky - School Psychology and Clinical

University of Louisville - Clinical Psychology

University of Connecticut - School Psychology

Loyola - School Psychology

East Carolina U - Paediatric School Psych

San Diego State - clinical

DePaul - Clinical

Notre Dame - Clinical

University of Pittsburgh - clinical

Vanderbilt - Clinical

University of Houston - Clinical

 

Here are my stats:

3.97 Master's GPA

3.3 Undergrad GPA (although 3.9 in final 2 years)

GRE (161, 155, 3.5) (V/Q/A)

4 conference presentations

3 RA positions

0 publications 

relevant work experience 

Any thoughts? Any feedback at this stage in the game would be incredibly helpful. Thanks!!

[DLS]

@gradgoal I attended the Univeristy of Kentucky. I would be skeptical of UK and UL. Kentucky just experienced a huge budget cut, and it's hard for students to receive funding. If you private message me I can send you a lot more details. 

[iphi]

On 5/4/2016 at 2:49 PM, biscuitsbiscuits said:

I'll be applying to school psych PhD programs for Fall 2017, but I wanted to ask this thread a question since you are seasoned experts by this point.

This might be a silly question, but how do you know whether or not to contact potential POIs at a school before applying? It seems like a given for most clinical PhD programs, but the small number of school psych programs I've asked so far have said specifically *not* to contact faculty in advance of applying. 

Did you all contact POIs before applying? How did you know whether to get in touch or not? 

Thanks and congrats to everyone who got an acceptance this year!

I disagree with the other poster, and think that you should do it. They will also give you insider info (are they moving? retiring? not taking students? taking students to only study x and you study z?) and you can potentially save an otherwise wasted application fee. Plus, never dismiss the power of name recognition!

eta: don't do this until the end of September!

Edited June 7, 2016 by iphi
updated advice ;)

[cherry12055]

I have a question! No school program I have seen for PhD requires the psych gre or even mentions it. Is it necessary? 

Thanks!

[grad29]

4 hours ago, cherry12055 said:

I have a question! No school program I have seen for PhD requires the psych gre or even mentions it. Is it necessary? 

Thanks!

I didn't apply for any PhD programs, but when I was applying/searching for M.S.Ed and Ed.S programs I did see a few PhD programs that recommended/required you take the psychology subject GRE (so it does happen here and there); although, like you said, most seem not to be interested in it. I personally decided to take it when I applied to my programs, but my situation may have been a little different than what's typical.

I had a few bad grades in my undergraduate classes, had been rejected from a school psychology program I had applied to the year prior, and had been out of school for 5 years, so I thought it would help improve my chances of being accepted somewhere and give me a bit of a refresher of what I learned during my undergrad. Only one of the 8 programs I applied to recommended that students take it, so I did. I ended up sending it to the other programs as well since I scored a 710 (in the 80th percentile), so figured it wouldn't be a bad idea.

All of the programs except one I was eventually accepted into. I would say if you are applying for PhD programs that it doesn't hurt to take this test, even if they don't mention it on their website. Now if you are scoring a 320+ GRE, majored in psychology, have a 3.75+ cumulative GPA, interview well, have good references, and a well written letter of intent, etc...then it probably isn't necessary as you are pretty much at that point guaranteed acceptance to most PhD school psychology programs; however, as that type of resume is few and far between, I think it would benefit the majority of potential applicants more than they think it would. If you do take it and don't score above a 700 (which is what's considered a "high score") then you may not want to send it to programs as it may do more harm than it will good. 

If you don't get accepted anywhere, you may ask yourself: "Would have I gotten accepted into a program had I taken it?". 

Edited July 16, 2016 by grad29

[kmtobia]

I'm entering my fourth year as a psychology major, CSP (counseling and social change/ school psychology minor) at San Diego State University. I am a little discouraged about the application process. I originally wanted to obtain a PhD so I could have the option to work outside of a public school, but I do not have enough research experience at the moment. For this reason, I have set my sights on Ed.S programs. Can anyone in a PhD or Ed.S program tell me about their GPS, GRE scores and experience during the time they applied? This will help me understand what I need to do to become a competitive candidate for either program, because many of my experiences are not directly related to psychology or school psychology. If I decide to apply to a PhD program, I realize I will need at least an additional year of research experience after graduation. I really would've liked to get a few presentations under my belt before I apply. Also, I noticed Chapman's Ed.S program gives students the option to work towards becoming a licensed professional clinical counselor. If I would like the option to work outside of a public school, would Chapman be a better choice than the Ed.S program at San Diego State? I included a lot of information so I could get the best responses possible. Thank you!

overall GPA: 3.7  major GPA: 4.0  No GRE scores

research experience

• research trainee in NIH-funded summer biomedical research program, required to write and present a mock research proposal
• research intern in two labs at Child & Adolescent Services Research Center at Rady Children's Hospital.
  • assisted with 3 different projects with a clinical and organizational psychology focus.
    • Lab conducts dissemination and implementation research related to ASD community-based agencies 
    • Study  factors of sustainment and implementation of EBPs in child therapy sessions in LA county.
    • Weight loss study for children with ASD
  • Tasks:
    • coding / filling out rating forms
    • conduct literature reviews
    • data entry
    • assist in the development of agency feedback forms
    • conduct and transcribe interviews
• No presentations or publications.

work experience

• Behavior Technician
• Science Outreach Specialist for San Diego County Office of Education (K-5 schools throughout county)
• High school percussion instructor
• Percussion clinician, experience leading percussion camps with kids across the US and overseas

 

Edited July 22, 2016 by kmtobia

[Anxiousapplicant01]

4 hours ago, kmtobia said:

I'm entering my fourth year as a psychology major, CSP (counseling and social change/ school psychology minor) at San Diego State University. I am a little discouraged about the application process. I originally wanted to obtain a PhD so I could have the option to work outside of a public school, but I do not have enough research experience at the moment. For this reason, I have set my sights on Ed.S programs. Can anyone in a PhD or Ed.S program tell me about their GPS, GRE scores and experience during the time they applied? This will help me understand what I need to do to become a competitive candidate for either program, because many of my experiences are not directly related to psychology or school psychology. If I decide to apply to a PhD program, I realize I will need at least an additional year of research experience after graduation. I really would've liked to get a few presentations under my belt before I apply. Also, I noticed Chapman's Ed.S program gives students the option to work towards becoming a licensed professional clinical counselor. If I would like the option to work outside of a public school, would Chapman be a better choice than the Ed.S program at San Diego State? I included a lot of information so I could get the best responses possible. Thank you!

overall GPA: 3.7  major GPA: 4.0  No GRE scores

research experience

• research trainee in NIH-funded summer biomedical research program, required to write and present a mock research proposal
• research intern in two labs at Child & Adolescent Services Research Center at Rady Children's Hospital.
  • assisted with 3 different projects with a clinical and organizational psychology focus.
    • Lab conducts dissemination and implementation research related to ASD community-based agencies 
    • Study  factors of sustainment and implementation of EBPs in child therapy sessions in LA county.
    • Weight loss study for children with ASD
  • Tasks:
    • coding / filling out rating forms
    • conduct literature reviews
    • data entry
    • assist in the development of agency feedback forms
    • conduct and transcribe interviews
• No presentations or publications.

work experience

• Behavior Technician
• Science Outreach Specialist for San Diego County Office of Education (K-5 schools throughout county)
• High school percussion instructor
• Percussion clinician, experience leading percussion camps with kids across the US and overseas

 

Honestly, you could be pretty competitive right now for a phd program if you score well on the GRE and maybe consider trying to do some sort of independent study during your final year in undergrad. I was accepted to multiple PhD programs straight out of undergrad. I spent a summer as a research assistant and did an independent study my last semester (after I applied and was admitted to programs). As for practical experience, I taught Sunday school and volunteered for a crisis hotline starting the summer before applying. As long as you can write and talk about what you want to do and why you want to do it, you are a competitive applicant given your credentials. Understanding and being able to talk about/apply the process of conducting a study is also important. Also, being able to explain how the experiences you have and the courses you have taken have prepared you for a graduate program is key (and being able to "sell it"). Once you make if past the minimum GPA and GRE scores, they are looking for fit. I honestly viewed my personal statement as a persuasive essay. As for GPA and GRE, I had a 3.75ish when I applied and my GRE scores were 162V and 161Q. I hope this was helpful.