PsyD/clinical PhD programs in California

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Hi,
I want to apply to schools in California. I'm not really familiar with any schools on the west coast but have been looking into some. What are people's opinions on different programs there?

what i'd say really depends on context. my opinion is that all opinions should be couched in your personal objectives.

there are a variety of grad school opportunities in CA for psychologists. i think the clinical landscape has three top, ultra competetive, research focused Ph.D. programs (Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD/SDSU ) and a number of professional school options. the opinions and foci of prof schools are diverse and varied. there's been lots of recent talk on the board about PGSP/Stanford PsyD, and its probably one of the best professional school (and psyD in general) options out there.

somethign thats been said many times before is don't limit yourself to one geographical location. many including myself list geographical limitation as a reason i didn't get into grad school/the type of grad school i wanted. don't limit your search to CA. i know its the greatest place in the world but if you want the best chance of getting into the best program possible with the best fit for you, even if you're a top applicant, consider opening up your search to other places and other types of programs.

Originally Posted by jnine

what i'd say really depends on context. my opinion is that all opinions should be couched in your personal objectives.

there are a variety of grad school opportunities in CA for psychologists. i think the clinical landscape has three top, ultra competetive, research focused Ph.D. programs (Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD/SDSU ) and a number of professional school options. the opinions and foci of prof schools are diverse and varied. there's been lots of recent talk on the board about PGSP/Stanford PsyD, and its probably one of the best professional school options out there.

somethign thats been said many times before is don't limit yourself to one geographical location. many including myself list geographical limitation as a reason i didn't get into grad school/the type of grad school i wanted. don't limit your search to CA. i know its the greatest place in the world but if you want the best chance of getting into the best program possible with the best fit for you, you should probably open up your search to other places and other types of programs.

+1
California doctoral programs are INCREDIBLY competitive. I recommend picking up a copy of Graduate Study in Psychology (APA), if you don't already have it. Also, although it is a beautiful place to live, the cost of living in California is very expensive. I don't want to discourage you from applying, but please don't limit yourself to just CA. Good luck!