Roosevelt University PsyD

[251612]

I haven't been able to find any information on Roosevelt University's clinical PsyD program. I was accepted into a few PsyD programs across the US, but Roosevelt is one of my top choices, reasons being its small class size, lower acceptance rate, cheaper than professional schools, I had a good feel during interview day for the faculty and current students, and the program's match rates in the last couple years.

I'd appreciate any information/suggestions, especially personal experience, but also second hand information, that people are willing to share. Thanks! I am very interested in hearing complaints about the program, not that I am looking to be swayed one way or another, but just looking to make an informed decision. Thanks

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[PsyDGradStudent]

You took the words out of my mouth Xin! I was also accepted to Roosevelt University's PsyD program, as well as two other PsyD programs in Chicago- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and Adler School of Professional Psychology. I have narrowed it down to Roosevelt and TCS, as Adler's approach is not the best fit for me. I was very impressed by Roosevelt for the same reasons Xin was. However, I understand Roosevelt University's PsyD program is a lot newer and I wanted to know others' thoughts on that. I would appreciate maybe some negative information as well since I've only heard biased opinions from current students at their respective schools on interview days thus far. Most importantly, I want to attend the the program with the best clinical training as well as reputation. Clinical training, reputation, and internship placement are most important to me. This year Roosevelt matched 100% of their 20 students for internship, but the Chicago School did pretty well too (I think in the 80s or 90s) and with many more students to place, so it's hard to compare. I understand the main differences between attending a "real" university such as Roosevelt and a professional school such as TCS, i.e. tuition, opportunities to teach undergraduate classes, small program size, and the competitiveness of the program (R.U. accepts a maximum of 20 students). For these reasons I am leaning toward Roosevelt University. But The Chicago School seems to have a better reputation, possibly just because it's older and more nationally known whereas Roosevelt's PsyD program is fairly new and the university as a whole isn't as nationally recognized. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, as the APA deadline is fast approaching! It's a nice problem to have, but it's still a tough decision.

 

[Current Student]

I currently attend Roosevelt University's Psy D program. I would HIGHLY recommend it over any of the Professional Schools. We haven't been around as long, but in Chicago, we are creating quite a name for ourselves and I've been told on several interviews this year, that a site likes Roosevelt Students. Plus, we are at the advantage of opening doors for others. We all give good recommendations to the cohorts below us, so that everyone can continue getting good practicums. We also have a much higher match rate for internship, because we get so much personalized attention. For example, this year we have a "bigger class", about 20 applying for internship. Our Director of Training was allowed to hire another faculty so that everyone could still get a ton of personal attention when it came time to sending in applications! Though the match process is scary, I know that my DOT is going to prepare us all really well.

 

[JackD]

Hey i am going to Roosevelt too. We should start a club or something.

I actually have very little to add here, since I have yet to start the program but I am glad to hear more people say it is a good program.

 

[Psych613]

Hey! I see it's been a while since this thread was active, but I was wondering about the Roosevelt PsyD program.. I'm still an undergrad, trying to navigate through what my options are. The Roosevelt curriculum looks great. I was wondering about how competitive the program is - I can't find info anywhere! Any info you wouldn't mind sharing would be greatly appreciated - i.e., GPA, did you do undergrad research, etc..
Thanks!

 

[Psych528]

Ha, I nearly panicked when I saw the three first people talking about acceptances to Roosevelt. Good thing I checked the post dates though.

I would check the Insider's Guide for detailed info (which I did---very helpful in terms of acceptance rates, program etc). Also, their admissions website/department website are useful.

 

[terpskins10]

Hey! I see it's been a while since this thread was active, but I was wondering about the Roosevelt PsyD program.. I'm still an undergrad, trying to navigate through what my options are. The Roosevelt curriculum looks great. I was wondering about how competitive the program is - I can't find info anywhere! Any info you wouldn't mind sharing would be greatly appreciated - i.e., GPA, did you do undergrad research, etc..
Thanks!

http://www.roosevelt.edu/cas/sp/psydapaaccreditation.htm

 

[Halstead]

I was wondering if Roosevelt is especially stringent with their GPA cutoffs

 

[Wolfy2449]

Pumb for some more updated opinions since i am considering Roosevelt as international student for both a starting BA and then PsyD and would really like to hear more opinions on this school.

 

[aequitasveritas]

be careful of this cheer-leading from other students.

Even though clinical psych program rankings need improvement, Roosevelt was 187 out of 215 schools. Most professional schools ranked higher than Roosevelt.

Of course it's not a great school, and anyone who tells you it is is suffering from benign, necessary, cognitive dissonance due to their loan principal.

The question is, do you want to take the loans out; are you crazy enough? Will the income based repayment be around when you graduate? these are the appropriate questions.

 

[Wolfy2449]

be careful of this cheer-leading from other students.

Even though clinical psych program rankings need improvement, Roosevelt was 187 out of 215 schools. Most professional schools ranked higher than Roosevelt.

Of course it's not a great school, and anyone who tells you it is is suffering from benign, necessary, cognitive dissonance due to their loan principal.

The question is, do you want to take the loans out; are you crazy enough? Will the income based repayment be around when you graduate? these are the appropriate questions.

Actually i am lucky in the money department and have parents who are willing to pay for my education as long as the total costs are around 40-45k per year so I dont need to worry about loans, only about finding a good job so i can be financially independent.

Now an looking for a good school with BA and PsyD preferably so i can continue there after my BA. The problem is there are so many schools available its a little hard to choose and since there are so many bad school its a little hard to find a school without somekind of advice. The main things i am interested in a school is
1)Has good professors that discuss theories and answer questions without problems
2)Have smaller classes
3)Accept international students and preferably has scholarships/grants available for international students
4)Is accredited so i can move to a PsyD program(APA accredited) and can find a job later
5)Doesnt have huge problem with putting students in internships
6)Doesnt have very low acceptance rates that are overly competitive because i am sure if i need to take SAT the results wont be so nice based on the fact that i wasnt able to see most mistakes in spelling test examples and you cant really reinvent every math formula like geometry ones to solve the issue and my memory isnt the best. Plus I am determent to get at least a 3.7-4.0 gpa in my bachelors and if i want something i can do it but i am not determent to start reading English/math again just so i can get a good score in SAT or some exam probably because i feel i can avoid it or there is not a big reward in it. My techincal high school diploma(in computer applications, networks etc) should be around 3.36(16.8 in a scale from 0-20) and i went to a college for around a year in an unrelated major and got 3.1 but thats mainly because i had horrible c,and c- in drawing classes that i just wanted to pass and get rid of(Plus art institutes being a private company we pay them for grades so i never really had to work hard). I was far better in general education/culture/science classes

So if you have any suggestions about schools that meet these FEW requirements please tell

 

[aequitasveritas]

6)Doesnt have very low acceptance rates that are overly competitive because i am sure if i need to take SAT the results wont be so nice based on the fact that i wasnt able to see most mistakes in spelling test examples and you cant really reinvent every math formula like geometry ones to solve the issue and my memory isnt the best. Plus I am determent to get at least a 3.7-4.0 gpa in my bachelors and if i want something i can do it but i am not determent to start reading English/math again just so i can get a good score in SAT or some exam probably because i feel i can avoid it or there is not a big reward in it. My techincal high school diploma(in computer applications, networks etc) should be around 3.36(16.8 in a scale from 0-20) and i went to a college for around a year in an unrelated major and got 3.1 but thats mainly because i had horrible c,and c- in drawing classes that i just wanted to pass and get rid of(Plus art institutes being a private company we pay them for grades so i never really had to work hard). I was far better in general education/culture/science classes

So if you have any suggestions about schools that meet these FEW requirements please tell

I would just look for the best University or college you can get into, without looking for an attached Psy.D. IN fact most programs do not like accepting from their undergrad body.

Contend with the idea of a graduate program after you have 3 yrs of college under ur belt.

 

[Psychadelic2012]

I would just look for the best University or college you can get into, without looking for an attached Psy.D. IN fact most programs do not like accepting from their undergrad body.

Contend with the idea of a graduate program after you have 3 yrs of college under ur belt.

I second all of this for many reasons, the main one being that I am an MA student at Roosevelt. They do not like to take their students from BA or MA to PsyD. It's a very competitive school for admissions. They do give their PsyD students one year of assistantship, but that's about the only plus. However, the faculty is very unapproachable and authoritative. I don't recommend this school, in general, mostly because they piss on the masters students (who fund their program). My colleagues from the Chicago School have had much better training, from what I've heard. It's been a disappointment in many ways.

 

[Wolfy2449]

Hmm, just out of curiosity why dont universities like their undergraduate students to move to their PsyD graduate program?

And since i am not limited to some state or area and my only needs are mainly (good teachers, be accredited and preferably cold climate in nice green environment) so my options area little ridiculous in size.Are there any ranking sites?Or something that could limit my options since checking each accredited school one by one could be a little time consuming and without getting solid opinions it could also be a waste of time?

 

[aequitasveritas]

Hmm, just out of curiosity why dont universities like their undergraduate students to move to their PsyD graduate program?

And since i am not limited to some state or area and my only needs are mainly (good teachers, be accredited and preferably cold climate in nice green environment) so my options area little ridiculous in size.Are there any ranking sites?Or something that could limit my options since checking each accredited school one by one could be a little time consuming and without getting solid opinions it could also be a waste of time?

Why do you want to be a clinician?

 

[Wolfy2449]

Why do you want to be a clinician?

Well psychology was always a subject that was really interesting to me since i always spend a lot of time trying to find answers to my "why" questions and make hypothesis about most of them very often(No research, just observation xD). I like to think and analyze everything and create my own opinions about thinks since i dont like stealing outside knowledge and copy pasting it.
I believe its a job that fits my character and skills, i could always take a job at some company and manipulate, use, play with the masses but sadly i find it morally wrong to take advantage of the silliness of the masses for profit even though some could say they deserve it but then you have to ask if its their fault that they have no critical thinking skills or is it the way people are taught(rote learning is horrible) or some other reason. Anyway I want to be a clinical psychologist because i love to think, analyze and solve problems and by probably using different techniques helping someone see the issue and deal with it. Plus the fact that i know very little about how to handle many situations, whats the best action during x moment annoys me a little because i have no idea how and cant just guess. So until then i am just stuck at searching for defense mechanism and making hypothesis about why my mother spends 400$ on clothes nobody asked or needed(Yes i know shes my mother and i already have an opinion about her but i have to do something until then)


Anyway, what was the exact point of this question? Since i cant seem to find a good connection between that and university searching? I am sure about the profession, the way till there is the issue...I seem to have a small issue when i am out of focus and there are just so many possibilities that even if i search a lot i might still find nothing...Meaning i thought that Roosevelt wasnt that bad with the information i show but obviously more experienced people say it is which probably means a lot of time was wasted in searching

 

[deleted176373]

I believe its a job that fits my character and skills, i could always take a job at some company and manipulate, use, play with the masses but sadly i find it morally wrong to take advantage of the silliness of the masses for profit even though some could say they deserve it but then you have to ask if its their fault that they have no critical thinking skills or is it the way people are taught(rote learning is horrible) or some other reason.

Wow, what a dismal view of others...

That said, it's your parents money, but I'd want a school with a stronger placement record than Roosevelt has historically shown.

70% is not very impressive (although it is trending up, with 85% last year).

 

[AcronymAllergy]

Anyway, what was the exact point of this question? Since i cant seem to find a good connection between that and university searching? I am sure about the profession, the way till there is the issue...I seem to have a small issue when i am out of focus and there are just so many possibilities that even if i search a lot i might still find nothing...Meaning i thought that Roosevelt wasnt that bad with the information i show but obviously more experienced people say it is which probably means a lot of time was wasted in searching

The reason the question was asked is because the answer will be very important in helping you choose graduate programs to which you should apply. There are NO good omnibus rankings of clinical psychology departments. You could look at EPPP scores, internship placement rates, publication rates of faculty and students, etc., but even then, that data will only provide you with an incomplete picture. The most important factor is the "fit" of your clinical and research interests with the program(s). One department may have an amazing reputation and set of resources for neuroimaging work in severe mental illness, for example, but could have very limited/non-existent support if you wanted to work with eating disorders in low-income adolescents or palliative care in geriatric or terminal illness populations.

I second the suggestions above--first focus on getting undergrad out of the way. Don't worry about the university having an attached Ph.D./Psy.D. program (I am curious why you're focusing exclusively on the Psy.D., but that's a different matter). As was mentioned, most schools do not like to take their own undergraduates on as graduate students. It happens, but they prefer to have a diverse graduate student body.

Do well in undergrad--get good grades, take your pre-req classes and whatever else interests you, get a large amount of psychology research experience, etc. Then, if you still want to go to grad school for clinical psych after three years, focus on doing well on the GRE, getting strong recommendation letters from professors, and narrowing down your graduate school choices based on their alignment with your clinical and research interests.

 

[Wolfy2449]

Good point and sadly at my current state i have no idea of what specialization or group of people i would like to focus on so there isnt any way to choose the most fitting PsyD program now. And i really wanted to be in a specific area for both PsyD and BA.

I mainly prefer PsyD because i have very little interest in education or research but this could be changed if i get more interested in research during my BA, Plus PsyD has more practice which i really want and need and i think the PsyD programs are usually faster to finish.

So since internships are in shortage are there any specific areas or states that will have a good internship rate so i can start searching for schools in there first?Or other suggestion or information that could be useful in choosing a good BA program?

 

[deleted176373]

I mainly prefer PsyD because i have very little interest in education or research but this could be changed if i get more interested in research during my BA,

I am not a research heavy person either, still, I went the Ph.D. route. Don't dismiss it out of hand, many Ph.D. programs are quite balanced. Not all Psy.D.'s are without a research focus either.

Plus PsyD has more practice which i really want and need and i think the PsyD programs are usually faster to finish.

Not always true... look at the average time to finish and you'll find that they are nearly the same. There are some very fast Psy.D. programs, around 4 years + plus internship, but there are also Ph.D. programs that are as quick to finish.

Finishing fast is more important in the Psy.D. world where your debt load increases substantially over 4 years, it's not nearly as bad when doing a funded Ph.D. and you graduate with much less debt. Look at opportunity costs vs years to complete as well (are you in a rush to complete quickly?).

So since internships are in shortage are there any specific areas or states that will have a good internship rate so i can start searching for schools in there first?Or other suggestion or information that could be useful in choosing a good BA program?

The BA program is of secondary concern, you can go nearly anywhere and get interviews at great programs. I went to University of Texas, San Antonio (a Tier IV+ school) and managed to get interviews at :

U Kansas (clinical)
USUHS (clinical) <--Attended
U Maine (clinical)
Baylor (clinical)
Michigan State (clinical)
U Alabama (clinical)
Texas A&M (counseling)
U of Arizona (counseling)
Oklahoma State (clinical)
etc.

These were ALL funded programs. I was competitive with a bit of research experience, a 4.0 GPA (honors program), and a 1300 GRE. The competition has tightened up over the past few years, but with a little more research experience and some publications, that same package would still be competitive at good schools.

That said, go to the best B.A. program you can. You would be foolish to attend UTSA if you have an invite to Harvard.

 

[KillerDiller]

Hmm, just out of curiosity why dont universities like their undergraduate students to move to their PsyD graduate program?

Getting all of your training at one program is called "academic inbreeding." It is not desirable from the point of view of internships and employers because it means you have only been exposed to one set of faculty and their way of doing things. Schools very often don't like to take their own undergraduates because they do not want to be accused of encouraging academic inbreeding and because they want to see their school's reputation spread by their students doing well in other programs.

I agree with the other posters. Use the multiple college ranking systems (U.S. News and World Report is a popular one) to find a good UG institution, then worry about the doctoral work down the road. Your mind will likely change a lot regarding the types of grad programs you are looking for, so no point picking your UG institution based on its grad program.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I'm going to agree with Markp re: the points he made about Psy.D. degrees/programs. In general, I believe Ph.D. students actually finish with more clinical contact hours, on average, than Psy.D. students (likely owing to the fact that these averages include the many subpar Psy.D. programs out there). Also, as Markp mentioned, many/most of the reputable Psy.D. programs are going to require some type of original research, at least at the level of a dissertation. Some may not be as stringent as Ph.D. programs, but they're still going to want to see some type of project.

As far as research goes, if you aren't at all interested in it, then you probably shouldn't be going for a doctorate. This is still very early for you, though, so I say wait until you're 2-3 years into undergrad to make that decision. Work in a lab or three, get some experience, and then decide where your interests lie.

 

[aioh]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the competitiveness of admission in Roosevelt's PsyD in Clinical Psych program. I know from the program's website that applicants should score above 50th percentile for each component of the exam. If I score above 70th percentile for quantitative and writing but only 36th percentile for verbal, would I still have a chance of getting in? I currently have a cum GPA of 3.85 and psych GPA of 4.0. Anyone know of how much they weight on GPA and GRE? I also have a year of research experience and I'm continuing with it till I graduate. I also did an internship in a private practice after my first year. I would have wanted more experience but I'm graduating in 3 years instead of 4. I really like the program in Roosevelt and it's my first choice. I just need an idea if this school would be a far reaching one..
Thanks so much for any help!

 

[roubs]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the competitiveness of admission in Roosevelt's PsyD in Clinical Psych program. I know from the program's website that applicants should score above 50th percentile for each component of the exam. If I score above 70th percentile for quantitative and writing but only 36th percentile for verbal, would I still have a chance of getting in? I currently have a cum GPA of 3.85 and psych GPA of 4.0. Anyone know of how much they weight on GPA and GRE? I also have a year of research experience and I'm continuing with it till I graduate. I also did an internship in a private practice after my first year. I would have wanted more experience but I'm graduating in 3 years instead of 4. I really like the program in Roosevelt and it's my first choice. I just need an idea if this school would be a far reaching one..
Thanks so much for any help!

You should retake the GRE because you are running a significant chance of not making whatever numerical cutoff they have.

 

[Psychadelic2012]

I agree with roubs. I'm familiar with this program and they are definitely looking for applicants in the 50th percentile of both tests. I believe they look at that first, then all of the other things (letters, research & clinical experience, etc.) second.