Determining Your Fit for Graduate School

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Determining Your Fit for Graduate School

• Scott VanderStoep
• Midwest Region Psi Chi VP
• Hope College

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• Graduate school is an inherently miserable time
  of life.
• I loved it, but I would never do it again.

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SHOULD I GO TO GRAD SCHOOL?
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(No Transcript)
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What Type of Degree (From Leslie Halpern, Eye on
Psi Chi)
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What Type of Degree (From Halpern)

• In 1999-2000, 13 of clinical applications were
  to PsyD programs 86 to PhD (APA Research
  Office)
• Does not imply that PsyD is less competitive
  most prestigious programs are competitive for
  both
• Main distinction is between attaining clinical
  practice versus research experience.

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Start Early

• From Kristy Arnold and Kelly Horrigan, Eye on Psi
  Chi
• Frosh Year
• Become familiar with different areas of
  psychology
• Ask yourself various questions about your
  interests research vs. practice, teaching,
  policy intervention vs. prevention

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Evaluating Potential Programs

• Is the program in an environment that suits you?
• Location, size, orientation, philosophy of
  mentoring, what do graduates do?
• Training
• Develop solid self-understanding, which should
  match area of interest of potential programs
• Graduate Study in Psychology (APA)

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Evaluating Potential Programs

• Faculty
• Success in graduate school can be determined by
  the degree of fit between the student and the
  program (Arnold and Horrigan).
• Contact faculty members at prospective
  institutions
• Are you taking students next year?
• Funding
• Cost of graduate school (tuition avg salary
  of a college graduate) number of years of school

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Financial Analysis

• 10th percentile of earnings for psychologists
  among clinical, counseling, and school
  psychologists was 30,090.
• Non-resident tuition at a public university
  11,415
• Total cost of non-funded student for a two-year
  program 83,010
• Total cost of non-funded student for a five-year
  program 207,525

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REVIEW Finding the Fit (Adapted from Lisa Terre,
Eye on Psi Chi)

• Identify a specialty area
• Graduate Study in Psychology
• Know your geographic boundaries
• Become familiar with program description
• Become familiar with faculty interest
• Make sure faculty list is updated
• Be able to articulate the reasons you should go
  there

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Career, Vocation, and Values

• place where your deep gladness and the world's
  deep hunger meet (Frederick Buechner, Listening
  to Your Life)

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Career, Vocation, and Values CIRP Results (
Essential or Very Important)

• Becoming an authority in my field (57.7)
• Obtaining recognition from my colleagues for
  contributions to my special field (49.4)
• Making a theoretical contribution to science
  (16.8)
• Writing original works (18.3)
• Becoming successful in a business of my own
  (34.8)
• Being well-off financially (62.3)

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Are You Willing To?

• Work very long hours for very little pay?
• Cope with disappointment and frustration?
• Feel like your work is never finished?