Struggling with Indecisiveness, Looking for Feedback

[mm2009]

Hi folks,

I have two offers from two very different Clinical Psychology PhD programs, and am waffling in indecision. Could use feedback from former/current students who are starting to or have already made their selections.

Here is my dilemma at present:

School 1:
-highly ranked (top 20)
-big city on west coast, big school
-kind advisor, but with no/limited experience in the therapies or specific methods I'm interested in
-decent clinical training, but not in modalities I'm interested in

School 2:
-lower ranked, but with highly recognized professor
-small town on west coast, small school
-excellent clinical training in all modalities of interest to me
-semi-distant advisor, would need to lean on other/former advisors who have agreed to continue offering support
-3 hours away from major city where my partner would live

If school #2 were in the location where #1 is, that would be a done deal. I'm older and have lived in a small-ish city on the East Coast for a long time, and big-city life sounds very appealing to me. School #1 would give me access to a large city, at a school with plenty of money and resources. School #2 would offer me, hands down, the best clinical training and support in the treatments and disorders I'm interested in, but with a quality-of-life sacrifice. School #1 says they will let me receive outside training in the treatments/disorders I'm interested in, but I'd have to wait until my 3rd of 4th year. I'm having trouble prioritizing the quality of life I want and the kind of education I'm looking for.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Nuggets or thoughts I should consider? HELP! Would appreciate any feedback you might have.

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[Therapist4Chnge]

Rankings don't mean squat. Your mentor, your productivity, and your training (practica) will matter far more.

 

[LAPsyGuy]

Agreed. White location offers the best prac sites?

 

[mm2009]

Agreed. White location offers the best prac sites?

Depends on who you ask. School #1 offers more traditional training (cognitive to cognitive-behavioral), but is solid. School #2 offers more training (cognitive-behavioral to behavioral) with hard-to-treat populations with complex presentations, and is more intensive.

 

[nessa34]

What happens to these professors' former students? Do they get to where you want to be professionally? Do they graduate on time and with not a lot of problems?

 

[smalltownpsych]

Big city usually means more practicum opportunities. That is where you will learn the most clinical stuff. Also, I imagine both schools are going to have some solid clinicians there that you could learn a thing or two from. I had a teen that was agonizing over a college decision and I told them the only bad choice would be to drop out and use drugs, both universities that they were looking at would lead to success. Methinks the same applies here. Good luck with your choice and when the stress really hits about halfway through second year, try not to second guess your decision too much.

 

[docma]

School #2 would offer me, hands down, the best clinical training and support in the treatments and disorders I'm interested in, but with a quality-of-life sacrifice. .

Best clinical training is best clinical training and you are geographically close enough to your partner to make it workable. Graduate school anywhere is a "quality of life sacrifice" in some sense anyway, and having the kind of research support and clinical training you want probably invaluable. There is no guarantee the higher ranked school really would invest in your extra-curricular clinical training...and having a well-recognized professor and the kind of training you want could support good internship opportunities...perhaps in the city that is your ultimate target....

 

[cara susanna]

Yeah, rankings don't mean much if your advisor doesn't have recognized expertise in the area you want to go into.

 

[WisNeuro]

If I'm in that situation, I go with school #2. Sets the tone for your career, I'd be looking to maximize my career flexibility going forward, which would likely lead to greater quality of life in the long-term. We're a field of delayed gratification, those that embrace that notion, tend to do better imo.

 

[PsychScience]

What is the funding situation relative to the cost of living? Not all PhD programs offer equivalent packages of support, and this definitely helped me decide between two otherwise good programs that would have both worked for different reasons.I know you mentioned school #1 has more money/resources, but that does not always translate to better funding for grad students. So in making the decision, I would also consider what each program is specifically able to provide you in terms of support.

If funding/cost of living is equivalent, it seems to me you would go with the program that provides the best training for the type of research/clinical work you plan to do... which from your post sounds like School #2