2014-2015 APPIC (internship) application thread

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There's been a lot of emails on the internship listserv about application portals for specific sites being closed before their application deadlines. Greg sent an email out saying that this is a somewhat common occurrence and there usually isn't much to be done about it. Fortunately all my applications are in so this isn't an issue for me, but I'm curious about how and why this happens. Is anybody in the know about why a site would close their portals early?
 
weeblewobble said:
There's been a lot of emails on the internship listserv about application portals for specific sites being closed before their application deadlines. Greg sent an email out saying that this is a somewhat common occurrence and there usually isn't much to be done about it. Fortunately all my applications are in so this isn't an issue for me, but I'm curious about how and why this happens. Is anybody in the know about why a site would close their portals early?
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Hi:
This is an important question. Thanks for posting. It happened to me and I wonder why a site would close early, before end of business day on the day the application is due?? While I am okay with not having been able to submit (there are plenty of other sites to choose from, of course), I think it would be helpful to state this if a site plans on closing before let's say 5:00pm EST. It gives some a disadvantage and does not provide any potential applicant with fair chance.
 
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So upon read reading my essays ONE more time I discovered about 4-5 typos, small items for grammar. I proofed these multiple times and had friends read the versions a week ago but alas I guess my eyes were tired and didn't catch them. I still have another 8 spots to apply to but is this a death nail for my apps I've submitted to the other 10 sites? Internship application reviewers feel free to chime in! The essays as a whole are well written but this makes me look inattentive and careless.
 
voyeurofthemind said:
this makes me look inattentive and careless.
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Sorry for being brutally honest, but maybe it was inattentive and careless of you to submit them with those mistakes... in this way, your essay submission is an indication of the kind of person you are - which I think is the point.

That said, I do not think it will be a death nail. If the whole thing is well written, then very minors error would be ignored - assuming they are even noticed. Personally, I find it somewhat inhuman-like to be free of errors; however, I am not an internship admissions person, so who knows what they will think.
 
I messed up on one of my cover letters, omitted the word "at" before the name of the site. Granted it was in the last few sentences of my cover letter.

Should I go ahead and cross that site off my list? I'm assuming these sites are looking for everything they can to toss your app to the side. Right?
 
adsekhon said:
I messed up on one of my cover letters, omitted the word "at" before the name of the site. Granted it was in the last few sentences of my cover letter.

Should I go ahead and cross that site off my list? I'm assuming these sites are looking for everything they can to toss your app to the side. Right?
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I doubt they will notice this, but I am not an application reviewer!
 
adsekhon said:
I messed up on one of my cover letters, omitted the word "at" before the name of the site. Granted it was in the last few sentences of my cover letter.

Should I go ahead and cross that site off my list? I'm assuming these sites are looking for everything they can to toss your app to the side. Right?
Click to expand...

I also omitted a couple words in one of my cover letters and am wondering the same thing. It was a great site too!
 
If the application is good, we don't care much about minor typos. If the application is not very good, that gets added to the list. Honestly, the first decider is what programs someone came from. Second decider is quality of clinical work, third is do they have any research and if it's decent. Typos are pretty far down the list of getting the app 86'd unless it's egregious or frequent.
 
I would be really surprised if many (most?) applications don't have at least a few small typos somewhere... We are human after all! Besides, once applications are in it's out of our hands. No need for putting each other (or ourselves!) down! This process is stressful enough without that business....

Good luck everyone! It looks like our next step will be creating a thread for interview status updates! :wideyed:
 
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Phipps said:
Hi:
This is an important question. Thanks for posting. It happened to me and I wonder why a site would close early, before end of business day on the day the application is due?? While I am okay with not having been able to submit (there are plenty of other sites to choose from, of course), I think it would be helpful to state this if a site plans on closing before let's say 5:00pm EST. It gives some a disadvantage and does not provide any potential applicant with fair chance.
Click to expand...

I agree- it seems unfair to me to have an unspoken procedure where sites may close their portals early or have a specific time they are closing their portals, without it being clearly stated somewhere. Although of course timeliness and organization is a virtue, submitting before the end of the business day of the deadline seems sufficient and closing early feels misleading to me.
 
psychgirl77 said:
I also omitted a couple words in one of my cover letters and am wondering the same thing. It was a great site too!
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I put MI instead of MS in the address at the top of a cover letter to a site in Mississippi when applying last year, and mentally crossed them off my list, was sure they would laugh at me before tossing my app in the trash can. But I got an interview. Reviewers will scan some of this stuff very quickly, and may not even notice small errors.
 
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Just a quick note to help quell some apparent misconceptions: I obviously can't speak to all sites, but I think it'd be fair to say that in the majority of cases, reviewers really aren't actively looking for reasons to toss applications. Remember, these are folks who often were in your same shoes a few years ago themselves, and who participate in the application review and internship training processes because they enjoy/request it, not because they're forced to do so and are bitter about it. They want to find interesting, passionate, and qualified applicants just as much as you want to match to a training site that's going to help prepare you for your future goals.

When it comes to typos, if it's something small, it probably isn't going to matter a whole lot. However, if there are multiple such errors, then it has the potential to make your materials come across as careless, and reviewers may then extrapolate the potential for this carelessness to also be apparent in clinical work/documentation (after all, who spends nearly as long reviewing a typical therapy session note or an assessment report as they did their internship essays and cover letters).
 
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AcronymAllergy said:
Just a quick note to help quell some apparent misconceptions: I obviously can't speak to all sites, but I think it'd be fair to say that in the majority of cases, reviewers really aren't actively looking for reasons to toss applications.
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I completely agree with this. I accidentally did not answer a question in the APPI last year -- it was the question about group therapy experience. I had lots of group experience and talked about this in my cover letter/essays/CV, but somehow overlooked the APPI question entirely. I didn't write to any sites or do anything about the missing info, since I figured I'd covered that content elsewhere. I applied to 10 sites, got 8 interviews, and matched to my first choice. No one has mentioned the mistake yet. :)
 
Should I be continuing to track hours at this point (having submitted my apps)?
 
I received an email today from a federal prison today stating that they have reviewed my application, but I need to submit some information to verify my eligibility for federal employment (I'm assuming a background check), and that I will hear about how to proceed in December. Does anyone know if this is an email sent to every applicant or if it is only sent to those they are planning to interview as long as they pass the background check? The email also stated that they thought I was a good fit for the program, and that they would like to proceed to the next step, but didn't explicitly say that I was offered an interview. Thank you for your feedback!
 
I applied to a federal prison and got no such email! But of course it could be a different prison. Or I could be weeded out. :)
 
sardonic said:
I applied to a federal prison and got no such email! But of course it could be a different prison. Or I could be weeded out. :)
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I'm sure it is a different prison or a different timeline, just curious if that was a standard procedure or not :)
 
eudaimonism said:
I'm sure it is a different prison or a different timeline, just curious if that was a standard procedure or not :)
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From what I have heard, this is the new standard for BOP sites. My understanding is that all potential applicants must meet federal employment eligibility via the usajobs.gov applications for the internship positions prior to being offered the formal interview. Federal background checks come later in the process.
 
eudaimonism said:
I received an email today from a federal prison today stating that they have reviewed my application, but I need to submit some information to verify my eligibility for federal employment (I'm assuming a background check), and that I will hear about how to proceed in December. Does anyone know if this is an email sent to every applicant or if it is only sent to those they are planning to interview as long as they pass the background check? The email also stated that they thought I was a good fit for the program, and that they would like to proceed to the next step, but didn't explicitly say that I was offered an interview. Thank you for your feedback!
Click to expand...

I received the email for one of the BOP sites today too, but not for the other BOPs I applied to.
 
eudaimonism said:
I received an email today from a federal prison today stating that they have reviewed my application, but I need to submit some information to verify my eligibility for federal employment (I'm assuming a background check), and that I will hear about how to proceed in December. Does anyone know if this is an email sent to every applicant or if it is only sent to those they are planning to interview as long as they pass the background check? The email also stated that they thought I was a good fit for the program, and that they would like to proceed to the next step, but didn't explicitly say that I was offered an interview. Thank you for your feedback!
Click to expand...
Yes, it sounds like they like you! I'm jealous. Still waiting to hear from my BOP apps :)
 
weeblewobble said:
There's been a lot of emails on the internship listserv about application portals for specific sites being closed before their application deadlines. Greg sent an email out saying that this is a somewhat common occurrence and there usually isn't much to be done about it. Fortunately all my applications are in so this isn't an issue for me, but I'm curious about how and why this happens. Is anybody in the know about why a site would close their portals early?
Click to expand...
I just found out that a site I wanted moved up their deadline date at the last minute, and now I've missed it. (Which really sucks because I had all the materials ready to submit weeks ago and was just waiting to make sure I didn't send too early!). The director told me they posted in the listserv because of the last minute change.

My question is - what the heck am I doing wrong that I'm not getting listserv emails? I've signed up twice on APPIC for every listserv and I've never received a single email (not even in junk folder). Is there something I'm missing? I don't want to miss out on valuable info again!!
 
heartdignan said:
I just found out that a site I wanted moved up their deadline date at the last minute, and now I've missed it. (Which really sucks because I had all the materials ready to submit weeks ago and was just waiting to make sure I didn't send too early!). The director told me they posted in the listserv because of the last minute change.

My question is - what the heck am I doing wrong that I'm not getting listserv emails? I've signed up twice on APPIC for every listserv and I've never received a single email (not even in junk folder). Is there something I'm missing? I don't want to miss out on valuable info again!!
Click to expand...
I'm having that problem too. My emails from Greg are going straight to my trash in my gmail. I even put a filter, and it's still happening. It's really unfortunate.
 
^ Oops! Nevermind. I was trying to use it on an account that wasn't the one I registered with APPIC.
 
PhDToBe said:
You received a yes without having received the email to complete additional paperwork first?
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When I say "yes", I mean I received an email inviting me to complete the verification process. The other that I received was a "thanks, but no thanks" sort of deal. At this point, it seems that if you get the verification email, things are looking good. I have spoken to other colleagues who have received "invites" and rejections from the same sites.
 
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Which BOP sites if you don't mind me asking?:)
 
boomshakalaka said:
When I say "yes", I mean I received an email inviting me to complete the verification process. The other that I received was a "thanks, but no thanks" sort of deal. At this point, it seems that if you get the verification email, things are looking good. I have spoken to other colleagues who have received "invites" and rejections from the same sites.
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Thanks for the clarification!
 
I'm wondering when someone is going to start an interview thread...;)
 
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Can't believe invites are going to be starting soon. Time flies!
 
WisNeuro said:
Please don't freak out yet about invitations just yet. I am a reviewer and our selection meeting isn't until the last week of this month.
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Thank you.. this helps so much!
 
Just received my first interview invite. I cannot believe the process is starting. :)
 
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sardonic said:
I'm wondering when someone is going to start an interview thread...;)
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I can't believe it's that time already.. whoa. How has it worked in past years? Just that an intrepid volunteer has stepped up?
 
Hello all. For those who have posted regarding BOP sites, I'm currently on internship at a BOP site, so here's the info...

The BOP changed their policy for pre-doc interns this year and is requiring interns to have employee status, instead of a temporary appointment status like previous interns have had. This is good and bad for applicants this year. The good part is that if you match to a BOP internship you are almost guaranteed a job after internship if you want to stay with the BOP. Essentially, there will be a muuuch easier transfer process into one of the open staff psychologist positions at facilities across the country. The bad part is that USAJOBS is a minefield, even for psychologists that have been with the BOP for years. I know that the training director at my site is worried that highly qualified applicants might get weeded out during the USAJOBS process simply due to a misplaced mouse click or an inaccurate interpretation of application materials by HR folks who aren't super knowledgeable about psychology or the whole match process. I believe there will be an opening posted on USAJOBS for the pre-doc internship, and applicants will have a week (Nov.10-14) to submit their app through USAJOBS. A tip: try your best to match your CV language with the job requirement language used in the internship/position description. Obviously, this new process has the potential to really mess things up for BOP internships, but if applicants can make it through then they'll be nicely setup to graduate into a GS11 position and start working towards that 20 year retirement. Good luck!
 
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Solipsism3 said:
Hello all. For those who have posted regarding BOP sites, I'm currently on internship at a BOP site, so here's the info...

The BOP changed their policy for pre-doc interns this year and is requiring interns to have employee status, instead of a temporary appointment status like previous interns have had. This is good and bad for applicants this year. The good part is that if you match to a BOP internship you are almost guaranteed a job after internship if you want to stay with the BOP. Essentially, there will be a muuuch easier transfer process into one of the open staff psychologist positions at facilities across the country. The bad part is that USAJOBS is a minefield, even for psychologists that have been with the BOP for years. I know that the training director at my site is worried that highly qualified applicants might get weeded out during the USAJOBS process simply due to a misplaced mouse click or an inaccurate interpretation of application materials by HR folks who aren't super knowledgeable about psychology or the whole match process. I believe there will be an opening posted on USAJOBS for the pre-doc internship, and applicants will have a week (Nov.10-14) to submit their app through USAJOBS. A tip: try your best to match your CV language with the job requirement language used in the internship/position description. Obviously, this new process has the potential to really mess things up for BOP internships, but if applicants can make it through then they'll be nicely setup to graduate into a GS11 position and start working towards that 20 year retirement. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Do you know if when we upload our transcripts to USAJOBS if they need to be faxed/scanned as a pdf, and if they need to be official or can be unofficial?
 
psychrat said:
Thanks! It's a VA and is a very desirable one for me. I am excited that my first news was an invite :)
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Hi psychrat! Congratulations!!! Would you mind sharing which VA? Freaking out a bit.... haha :)
 
November 8th is way too early to be freaking out about VA invites. The vast majority haven't even looked at applications yet. Best thing you can do for yourself is to step away from the computer and compulsive checking for the next few weeks. Invites will come when they come, you'll get an e-mail. Most VA's won't invite until later in the month, and some not even til that first week of December.
 
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MB8 said:
Do you know if when we upload our transcripts to USAJOBS if they need to be faxed/scanned as a pdf, and if they need to be official or can be unofficial?
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I'm also wondering the same thing. I contacted the site director because I definitely don't want to be messing anything up. Between now (a weekend) and the time period we have to complete the usajobs app, it seems very difficult to get official transcript hard copies and upload them that way. Also nervous about the whole CV to resume conversion thing and making it match up exactly, especially given what Solipsism3 said regarding other, non-psych people pursuing them. I'm hoping those sites can help go to bat for us if we're good internship candidates but just can't figure out how to navigate the red tape perfectly.
 
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WisNeuro said:
November 8th is way too early to be freaking out about VA invites. The vast majority haven't even looked at applications yet. Best thing you can do for yourself is to step away from the computer and compulsive checking for the next few weeks. Invites will come when they come, you'll get an e-mail. Most VA's won't invite until later in the month, and some not even til that first week of December.
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Thanks, WisNeuro :). I will step away from the computer now. Well, at least from this site :).
 
heartdignan said:
I'm also wondering the same thing. I contacted the site director because I definitely don't want to be messing anything up. Between now (a weekend) and the time period we have to complete the usajobs app, it seems very difficult to get official transcript hard copies and upload them that way. Also nervous about the whole CV to resume conversion thing and making it match up exactly, especially given what Solipsism3 said regarding other, non-psych people pursuing them. I'm hoping those sites can help go to bat for us if we're good internship candidates but just can't figure out how to navigate the red tape perfectly.
Click to expand...

When one applies for jobs on usajobs, at least with the VA, the specify that transcript can be unofficial. Education is verified when a positions is offered and the credentialing process starts. And, doesn't APPIC app have a copy of your official transcripts?
 
erg923 said:
When one applies for jobs on usajobs, at least with the VA, the specify that transcript can be unofficial. Education is verified when a positions is offered and the credentialing process starts. And, doesn't APPIC app have a copy of your official transcripts?
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Yes, they do, plus a CV. I was told by the site director we'd need to upload our transcripts and put a resume on there. You can technically upload a resume, but they strongly recommend you hand type it in. There's an instructional document that accompanies the email that is literally 30 pages long on how to fill out the application. Needless to say, it's hard not to find it daunting!
 
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