2014-2015 APPIC (internship) application thread

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I did not see this very clearly addressed (at least in the last few posts). I know cover letters are one of the most, if not the most, important written document we upload, so I think getting as much advice as possible is not a bad idea.
That said is 1.5 pages too long if we're really focusing on how our past training and future goals align with various aspects of the internship's program that we wish to highlight? (as opposed to just re-hashing our CVs, but aligning that past training + future goals with what is offered at the site). There are a few sites where several key parts of their program are areas I am genuinely excited about, but talked about all of them would make my letter far too long. Sorry if this is redundant and fuzzy...I've been writing all day long and am now cross eyed! Thanks in advance all for your tolerance and input.
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psychgirl77 said:
What's the consensus on applying to a site where you had previously completed a practicum? Do people often get interviews or do sites generally prefer students who have never completed a practicum there? I know this will vary by site but am interested if others are applying to these types of sites or had success doing so in past years.
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I think it depends on the site. I know places that state they DO NOT want a repeat student because they believe internship should be a different experience. However I know other sites that if the student was exceptional would love to have him/her again (I can think of 2 of my colleague who have matched at a place they were doing their advanced practicum at; that said be prepared to feel awkward during the whole processes if you're presently at a site where you are applying for an internship position). Ask people in your network about those specific sites you have in mind what they have heard about those sites since it really seems to vary.
 
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Phipps said:
I am currently at a CC but just started and have not seen that many clients. I Would like to apply to University CCs for internship but am hesitant to ask for a LOR from my current site b/c it is already late in the game and I have started started there. My question: do you guys have any thoughts about how important it would be to have a LOR from a CC supervisor IF applying to similar sites? All other LOR are from faculty or supervisors supervising me at hospital settings. Thanks!!
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It happens all the time and a supervisor should kind of expect at least a request from a current student who is applying to internship.
Similar situation, I had only been at my placement 4month before my supervisor wrote one of my LORs. I talked to her at the start of the year and she completely understood and has done it many times because that's often how this process goes. So we actually made it a point from early on in our supervisions for her to get a very clear idea of how I do clinical work and of my strengths and growth edges, we even met for a few extended times so she could get a good sense of my present professional development and functioning.
Now, I have heard it is FAR more important to have a STRONG LOR than it is to have just any LOR. So if your sup thinks he/she can write a very strong letter by your application deadlines go for it, if not I'd reconsider. Strong letters from sites that are less similar are better than just okay LOR from sites that are similar...if that makes sense. Good luck!
 
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mariehannah said:
I did not see this very clearly addressed (at least in the last few posts). I know cover letters are one of the most, if not the most, important written document we upload, so I think getting as much advice as possible is not a bad idea.
That said is 1.5 pages too long if we're really focusing on how our past training and future goals align with various aspects of the internship's program that we wish to highlight? (as opposed to just re-hashing our CVs, but aligning that past training + future goals with what is offered at the site). There are a few sites where several key parts of their program are areas I am genuinely excited about, but talked about all of them would make my letter far too long. Sorry if this is redundant and fuzzy...I've been writing all day long and am now cross eyed! Thanks in advance all for your tolerance and input.
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Most of my cover letters were two pages single spaced, or about 1,000 words. I think the advice I got was "don't go onto a 3rd page." (and I got plenty of interviews and matched).
 
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mariehannah said:
I did not see this very clearly addressed (at least in the last few posts). I know cover letters are one of the most, if not the most, important written document we upload, so I think getting as much advice as possible is not a bad idea.
That said is 1.5 pages too long if we're really focusing on how our past training and future goals align with various aspects of the internship's program that we wish to highlight? (as opposed to just re-hashing our CVs, but aligning that past training + future goals with what is offered at the site). There are a few sites where several key parts of their program are areas I am genuinely excited about, but talked about all of them would make my letter far too long. Sorry if this is redundant and fuzzy...I've been writing all day long and am now cross eyed! Thanks in advance all for your tolerance and input.
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Mine are all about two pages single-spaced too.
 
psychgirl77 said:
What's the consensus on applying to a site where you had previously completed a practicum? Do people often get interviews or do sites generally prefer students who have never completed a practicum there? I know this will vary by site but am interested if others are applying to these types of sites or had success doing so in past years.
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People often get interviews at least, if they completed a practicum previously (unless they were an awful practicum student). It's fairly common for students to obtain internships at sites where they completed a practicum. Some sites actually prefer to take interns that have been previous practicum students, some sites don't care, or it could be a mixture of both. This is obviously anecdotal – but I know many students who are at internships, or who have already completed internships, or who have at least been interviewed – at sites where they previously completed a practicum. It can't hurt to apply IMO.
 
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Question about supplemental reports:
I had my advisor look over some reports I plan to submit as supplemental material. I got a TON of feedback (much of which was like this report isn't detailed enough). These reports were completed as part of practicum experiences, so my supervisors at said practicums wanted things done their way (seems reasonable) such as how much detail I put in reports, the battery of tests I gave, how things are phrased etc.
Do sites typically take that into consideration, that is, the tests administered and the associated reports may not be reflective of my own personal view of assessment but rather I was just being a good supervisee and doing what I was told :)
 
studythemind99 said:
Do sites typically take that into consideration, that is, the tests administered and the associated reports may not be reflective of my own personal view of assessment but rather I was just being a good supervisee and doing what I was told :)
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Yes, as a prac student, and even as intern/postdoc, you are writing under someone else's license. So, you write the report the way that they do. You can write in your own style once you have your own license. That being said, these reports are often at least somewhat of an indication in the quality of that prac site, that we will take into account.
 
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studythemind99 said:
Question about supplemental reports:
I had my advisor look over some reports I plan to submit as supplemental material. I got a TON of feedback (much of which was like this report isn't detailed enough). These reports were completed as part of practicum experiences, so my supervisors at said practicums wanted things done their way (seems reasonable) such as how much detail I put in reports, the battery of tests I gave, how things are phrased etc.
Do sites typically take that into consideration, that is, the tests administered and the associated reports may not be reflective of my own personal view of assessment but rather I was just being a good supervisee and doing what I was told :)
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A couple of the reports that I submitted were from my neuropsych rotation and my supervisor was a stickler for brief, focused reports. I also submitted a comprehensive battery that was the complete opposite so it worked out. There is a significant amount of variation in styles, but what I critically examine a report for are errors in interpretations and conclusions.
 
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What are people's thoughts on strictly adhering to the 500 word essay limit?
 
studythemind99 said:
Question about supplemental reports:
I had my advisor look over some reports I plan to submit as supplemental material. I got a TON of feedback (much of which was like this report isn't detailed enough). These reports were completed as part of practicum experiences, so my supervisors at said practicums wanted things done their way (seems reasonable) such as how much detail I put in reports, the battery of tests I gave, how things are phrased etc.
Do sites typically take that into consideration, that is, the tests administered and the associated reports may not be reflective of my own personal view of assessment but rather I was just being a good supervisee and doing what I was told :)
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These point is 1.) to see how you write. 2.) see how you think/integrate. Its not so much a judgment of clinical accuracey or competence. It is to a degree, but way below the other two. So, I wouldnt worry so much if you dont tell the guy's life story or not.
 
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Is there a "match" email before the actual match day happens? I have heard a rumor that we will receive an email prior to match day simply saying that we have matched or that we haven't. Is this how it works? Or do we find out everything in one go on the real match day?
 
psychforlife0402 said:
Is there a "match" email before the actual match day happens? I have heard a rumor that we will receive an email prior to match day simply saying that we have matched or that we haven't. Is this how it works? Or do we find out everything in one go on the real match day?
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No, that's how the match used to work--folks would get a "you matched" email on Friday, but not find out where they matched until Monday. Once the process was fully computerized, though, they integrated everything into a single email that's received on Friday.
 
Yes, I participated in the Match last year and they emailed us on Match day saying if we matched and, if so, where we matched to. It was pretty early when I got my results, about 7:20 AM CST or so.

Edit: I love that I keep capitalizing the word "Match," like it's a religious deity or something.
 
LMK said:
Do not go over.
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I've heard it's no big deal to go over, even up to 550ish, as long as you keep to one page, and the essay doesn't read long.

Does anyone know when interview invitations start coming out from programs w/ an 11/1 deadline?
 
One of my site with a due date of 11/1 says they notify about interviews by 11/15. The other says "early December." I think there is variance, but my guess is that it generally takes 2-4 weeks.
 
Even if there's an early deadline, you may not hear as soon as that. Some places have rolling invitations. I'm just telling you because last year there were two sites I wrote off due to people hearing from them on SDN, and then later they invited me for an interview.
 
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cara susanna said:
Even if there's an early deadline, you may not hear as soon as that. Some places have rolling invitations. I'm just telling you because last year there were two sites I wrote off due to people hearing from them on SDN, and then later they invited me for an interview.
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So it is possible we could hear soon after submission of our application, then?
I guess I assumed it would be kind of like match day.. everyone getting notification of an interview at the same time.
 
psychinnola said:
So it is possible we could hear soon after submission of our application, then?
I guess I assumed it would be kind of like match day.. everyone getting notification of an interview at the same time.
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It varies. I believe just about every site I applied to last year said they would notify by 12/15. One site whose deadline was 11/15 called me around 11/20 with an invite. Another site whose deadline was 11/1 emailed me at 11:59 PM on 12/15 with a rejection. It's really all over the place. Some sites wait until the deadline has passed and they have all applications and then notify all at once – one mass email with invites, one mass email with rejections. That's why you'll see people post, "I got an interview at X site," and people will then ask, "was it mass or personalized." So yes, in some instances, people do find out about certain places at the same time. But, as @cara susanna said, some sites do rolling invites. So just because you do see somebody post that they received an invite or a rejection (whether personalized or mass), it does not necessarily mean you will not get an interview. Another site I applied to last year – my friend and I both applied, we were emailed about interviews on separate days.
 
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sardonic said:
One of my site with a due date of 11/1 says they notify about interviews by 11/15. The other says "early December." I think there is variance, but my guess is that it generally takes 2-4 weeks.
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Some sites really follow this notification guideline, others really don't at all. I believe APPIC recommends 12/15 as a final notification date. I was very lucky last year in that I found out about all of the sites I applied to by 12/15. But I heard a lot of stories of people not finding out about several sites until January. There is a lot of variance. By Thanksgiving last year, I feel like I had found out about 8 sites, and then I feel like I found out about the other 11 sites all between 12/10 – 12/15. But it really does vary. Chances are that if a site went out of their way to say that they notify by 11/15, they probably will. But they might not. Most sites just stick with the 12/15 notification date.
 
psychinnola said:
So it is possible we could hear soon after submission of our application, then?
I guess I assumed it would be kind of like match day.. everyone getting notification of an interview at the same time.
Click to expand...

You could hear that early, but really it doesn't get fully into the swing of things until after Thanksgiving. I know that you want it all to happen earlier, I remember that feeling, but it also resulted in my feeling extremely depressed and hopeless in the last part of November because I had gotten only about two invitations. After Thanksgiving, things really kicked into gear and I got a bunch within a short time frame.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate the info. I guess I thought there'd be some sort of relief after I get all my apps in, but apparently not with all the waiting. Can't decide if it's better or worse that it's out of my control at that point. Yikes.
 
A little detail question- essays double or single spaced? Does it really matter?
 
I'm doing single spaced, and all of the ones students in my program shared with me have been single spaced.
 
I just listened to, "Apps, Apps, Baby"…O..M…G. That was awesome.

My fav. part was the quick sample of Queen's "Under Pressure"…which in today's age of YouTube and whatnot reminded me of the puppeteer (w. Kermit)'s version of the song, and not the actual Queen performance. :laugh:
 
Hi guys,
this is a question for international students but anyone can chime in. Because i do not have a work permit as an international student, do i have to address the fact that i will be able to work legally with my opt in my cover letters?

Thanks
 
Another report question…

Is it better to submit a straight forward academic report (academic, cog, behavioral components) or something more psycho-diagnostic (personality, cog, parent rating scale)? I'm applying to pediatric sites and I'm unsure which to submit?? My psycho-diagnostic report uses the Rorschach, and I'm unsure how that would be received (esp. b/c I'm applying to many Cognitive-Behavioral sites).

Thanks for your thoughts!
 
Question about applying to multiple tracks:

I am applying primarily to neuropsych tracks; however, many sites allow applicants to apply to more than one track, and for these, I am applying to both neuropsych and general tracks. My feeling is this increases my chances a bit, as (1) if I am not quite competitive for the neuro track, I could still snag an interview for the general track (I do have pretty solid intervention & research experience in addition to assessment), and (2) even if I do get interviewed for both tracks, this gives me an option to rank both when the time comes. This seems helpful because several sites have 5-6 generalist spots but only one or two neuro spots - if I don't get one of those competitive neuro spots, this gives me a chance at the generalist spot.

However, a friend and current intern raised a concern that sites might "ding you in regards to the neuro program if you also applied to that site's general program." I certainly hope sites wouldn't give me the option to apply for two tracks, only to hold it against me when I take them up on it!

Any thoughts on this issue?
 
rainedallnight said:
Question about applying to multiple tracks:

However, a friend and current intern raised a concern that sites might "ding you in regards to the neuro program if you also applied to that site's general program." I certainly hope sites wouldn't give me the option to apply for two tracks, only to hold it against me when I take them up on it!

Any thoughts on this issue?
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Couple things to think about. One is that if you end up in a general spot where they also offer a neuro track, many of these sites hold the first six months of neuropsych rotations for those who matched to the neuro track, which could mean that you would apply to fellowship without having done any or very limited neuro on internship. The other is yes, I would agree with your friend that it might ding you with the neuro program. Maybe thats not fair, particularly if you have a lot of neuro background, but my impression is that a lot of folks might question your commitment to neuro if, given the option, you apply for a general track as well as a neuro.
 
rainedallnight said:
Question about applying to multiple tracks:

I am applying primarily to neuropsych tracks; however, many sites allow applicants to apply to more than one track, and for these, I am applying to both neuropsych and general tracks. My feeling is this increases my chances a bit, as (1) if I am not quite competitive for the neuro track, I could still snag an interview for the general track (I do have pretty solid intervention & research experience in addition to assessment), and (2) even if I do get interviewed for both tracks, this gives me an option to rank both when the time comes. This seems helpful because several sites have 5-6 generalist spots but only one or two neuro spots - if I don't get one of those competitive neuro spots, this gives me a chance at the generalist spot.

However, a friend and current intern raised a concern that sites might "ding you in regards to the neuro program if you also applied to that site's general program." I certainly hope sites wouldn't give me the option to apply for two tracks, only to hold it against me when I take them up on it!

Any thoughts on this issue?
Click to expand...

In reviewing applications, we are given instructions that if someone applies to multiple tracks they really need to sell themselves on why they are a good fit for both tracks. We want a solid fit and match, rather than an applicant trying to use the general track as a roundabout way into a neuropsych internship. With that said, if you feel you can justify applying to both than do so, though if you were to lose brownie points, it would hurt you more on the chance for the general slot.
 
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How many non APA sites are you applying to? If at all?
 
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gigigirl said:
Hi guys,
this is a question for international students but anyone can chime in. Because i do not have a work permit as an international student, do i have to address the fact that i will be able to work legally with my opt in my cover letters?

Thanks
Click to expand...
You need a CPT for your internship, not an OPT.
 
rainedallnight said:
Question about applying to multiple tracks:

I am applying primarily to neuropsych tracks; however, many sites allow applicants to apply to more than one track, and for these, I am applying to both neuropsych and general tracks. My feeling is this increases my chances a bit, as (1) if I am not quite competitive for the neuro track, I could still snag an interview for the general track (I do have pretty solid intervention & research experience in addition to assessment), and (2) even if I do get interviewed for both tracks, this gives me an option to rank both when the time comes. This seems helpful because several sites have 5-6 generalist spots but only one or two neuro spots - if I don't get one of those competitive neuro spots, this gives me a chance at the generalist spot.

However, a friend and current intern raised a concern that sites might "ding you in regards to the neuro program if you also applied to that site's general program." I certainly hope sites wouldn't give me the option to apply for two tracks, only to hold it against me when I take them up on it!

Any thoughts on this issue?
Click to expand...

I had this same issue with applying to Neuro vs General. I too had the same thoughts about getting "dinged" so I primarily chose between neuro or general for the sites that offered both. However, on the site that I did apply to BOTH tracks, at the interview they straight out asked me why I applied to both, and how I thought I could be a good fit for both.

If possible, although some apps were already do, pick which track you feel that is the best fit for you. It is very tempting to "increase your chances" but I think sites know this, and pick up on it. But, as other's have said...if you can sell it well, go for it, but be prepared to defend yourself.

I ended up matching at a general track within a large VA that actually has more neuro offerings than the neuro tracks I applied to! Basically, my entire year is spent doing neuro rotations where as in the neuro tracks I interviewed at it would have been about 75% neuro.
 
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Why is "to increase my chances" a bad thing? Seems quite reasonable given the competitive climate. It also seems quite reasonable to have interests in both neuropsychology and other areas of clinical work.
 
cara susanna said:
You could hear that early, but really it doesn't get fully into the swing of things until after Thanksgiving. I know that you want it all to happen earlier, I remember that feeling, but it also resulted in my feeling extremely depressed and hopeless in the last part of November because I had gotten only about two invitations. After Thanksgiving, things really kicked into gear and I got a bunch within a short time frame.
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Good to know. Your comments are always so helpful! Now that I've submitted all my apps and I am waiting, I've become so bored and feel like something is missing. Anyone else have that feeling? I've painted my nails, taken a bath, read half a book., watched a movie, watched every youtube video I could find -- I guess it's about time I finish the dissertation, huh? Waiting till thanksgiving atleast gives me a good time frame so I don't get antsy.
 
starsinnight said:
Good to know. Your comments are always so helpful! Now that I've submitted all my apps and I am waiting, I've become so bored and feel like something is missing. Anyone else have that feeling? I've painted my nails, taken a bath, read half a book., watched a movie, watched every youtube video I could find -- I guess it's about time I finish the dissertation, huh? Waiting till thanksgiving atleast gives me a good time frame so I don't get antsy.
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I'm glad that you're finding my comments helpful! I really want to do everything that I can to help others through this process.
 
This application process has brought out a whole new level of neuroticism and peak in my SUDS unparallelled even when compared to my application to doc programs and my oral comprehensive exams.

I read the majority (around 50%?) of applicants have 0 publications listed on their APPI. Does anyone know if this is true? If you wouldn't mind sharing what was your total number of publications (published or in-press) and total number of presentations?
 
Yes, previous data from APPIC shows that the majority of applicants have zero pubs. I had five pubs and around 15 presentations, but I was more research focused.
 
3 pubs, one was in press at app time. 16 poster and/or paper presentations.
 
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Just realized that one of my sites asks for a "writing sample." Any opinions on whether it is best to upload a neuropsych report (this is not a neuropsych site) or a published paper? I realize I can email the training director and ask, but my guess is that they leave it somewhat vague for a reason (i.e., they will accept a range of samples).
 
sardonic said:
Just realized that one of my sites asks for a "writing sample." Any opinions on whether it is best to upload a neuropsych report (this is not a neuropsych site) or a published paper? I realize I can email the training director and ask, but my guess is that they leave it somewhat vague for a reason (i.e., they will accept a range of samples).
Click to expand...

Any type of integrated assessment report would be my guess.
 
sardonic said:
Just realized that one of my sites asks for a "writing sample." Any opinions on whether it is best to upload a neuropsych report (this is not a neuropsych site) or a published paper? I realize I can email the training director and ask, but my guess is that they leave it somewhat vague for a reason (i.e., they will accept a range of samples).
Click to expand...

I would agree with the above poster that any sort of integrated report should be fine. But if you actually like the published paper better and/or feel it better represents your writing ability, I would just quickly check with the TD at the site.
 
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