How much are internship interviews costing?

Check the APPIC website they used to post average costs, airline discounts and other things like that. Also, try APA.org

I've been able to save a bunch of money by doing a bit of legwork. I cross-check all of the flights at the following places, and then I do the same for hotels. If you are comfortable with priceline.com you can find some great deals on hotels (I tend to like nice places, so I'd rather pay a bit more to stay at a NICE place using PL, instead of a crappy place using something like hotels.com) The 'combo' deals SOMETIMES save you money, but you should shop around because many times you only get a decent rate on the hotel room.

I think the APA 'deals' are just a way for them to make a bit of referral money, as you may get a slight savings, but it is usually no different pricing on your end, they just happen to get a % cut or flat referral fee for your booking.

Worthwhile Websites

www.expedia.com (where I start to see what flights go where, though I usually don't book through them because of their penalty charges for changing a flight, etc)

www.qixo.com (only for plane flights)

www.travelworm.com (good for hotel+flight deals)

www.travelaxe.com (I haven't used lately, though I think they have a stand alone application now to track deals. I use it for hotel pricing)

www.hotwire.com, www.hotels.com, etc are all hit and miss and generally have the same exact pricing as other places. Make sure to check each site's re-booking charges as they vary. I use to travel a lot and most 'deals' on airline tickets come from using Hidden City Fares, smaller carriers, last second flights, or major hubs for an airline.

www.priceline.com (worth a shot if you know what you are doing)

www.biddingfortravel.com (GREAT site to use in conjunction with PL, but Sheryl (the owner) can be...'particular', so read the posting rules if you are looking for help)

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Airlines offer better pricing if you fly on off days like Mon, Tues, etc. You'll need to manually check places like southwest, spirit air,Jet Blue, etc. If you know what carriers go from your home airport, it really can help you get an idea of your options.

Staying with friends obviously saves money.

You can often accrue free nights if you stay at the same family of hotels, so if you travel around the US a lot, it is best to stick with one brand (Marriott, etc) as you will accrue free rooms quicker. You could also be a gambler and get free nights at casino hotels...which is what I do.


-t

Aren't more and more internship sites moving toward phone interviews? I had heard that. How many interviews are the board-goers who are applying for internship going to in-person?

JockNerd said:

Aren't more and more internship sites moving toward phone interviews? I had heard that. How many interviews are the board-goers who are applying for internship going to in-person?

Click to expand...

It seems like that. I'm pretty split on the issue, though I think I'll have more insight once I go through the process. My initial thinking is that I'd like to see where I may be working and with whom, and a phone interview does not really give you that feel. The other side is the cost aspect, which can be quite pricey if the site is not near a major city and/or if the site is *in* a major city.

I have a handful of phone interviews this year (though still very much in the minority), and I'm not wild about the idea, but I looked up flights to a few of them and it was $$$, though any place that gave me the option I took the on-site interview.

-t

it essentially cost me $3,000 all told last year.

That sound about right...I've been hearing $2,000-$3,000, depending on the number of interviews. Things like postage, transcript copies, etc add up for the app, and the of course the flights, hotels, etc. I'll probably be <$2,000, but that is partly because I have some hotels comp'd / trading in pts and some phone interviews.

-t

won't be years until I do this, but when I do, i'll be glad i'm in a sorority and can save money by staying with them instead of a hotel. One of my sorority sister is applying for internships, and I see her emails occasionally asking for housing good luck to everyone!

Therapist4Chnge said:

I've been able to save a bunch of money by doing a bit of legwork. I cross-check all of the flights at the following places, and then I do the same for hotels. If you are comfortable with priceline.com you can find some great deals on hotels (I tend to like nice places, so I'd rather pay a bit more to stay at a NICE place using PL, instead of a crappy place using something like hotels.com) The 'combo' deals SOMETIMES save you money, but you should shop around because many times you only get a decent rate on the hotel room.

I think the APA 'deals' are just a way for them to make a bit of referral money, as you may get a slight savings, but it is usually no different pricing on your end, they just happen to get a % cut or flat referral fee for your booking.

Worthwhile Websites

www.expedia.com (where I start to see what flights go where, though I usually don't book through them because of their penalty charges for changing a flight, etc)

www.qixo.com (only for plane flights)

www.travelworm.com (good for hotel+flight deals)

www.travelaxe.com (I haven't used lately, though I think they have a stand alone application now to track deals. I use it for hotel pricing)

www.hotwire.com, www.hotels.com, etc are all hit and miss and generally have the same exact pricing as other places. Make sure to check each site's re-booking charges as they vary. I use to travel a lot and most 'deals' on airline tickets come from using Hidden City Fares, smaller carriers, last second flights, or major hubs for an airline.

www.priceline.com (worth a shot if you know what you are doing)

www.biddingfortravel.com (GREAT site to use in conjunction with PL, but Sheryl (the owner) can be...'particular', so read the posting rules if you are looking for help)

----

Airlines offer better pricing if you fly on off days like Mon, Tues, etc. You'll need to manually check places like southwest, spirit air,Jet Blue, etc. If you know what carriers go from your home airport, it really can help you get an idea of your options.

Staying with friends obviously saves money.

You can often accrue free nights if you stay at the same family of hotels, so if you travel around the US a lot, it is best to stick with one brand (Marriott, etc) as you will accrue free rooms quicker.

Click to expand...

T4C,
Priceline definitely has cheaper prices if you have felixibility but do you think some of those other sites really have good deals. Recently, after checking Orbitz.com and Cheaptickets.com, I went directly to one of the airline websites and found the same flight I needed for less since I did not have to pay some extra hidden fee to Orbitz or Cheaptickets.

Therapist4Chnge said:

You could also be a gambler and get free nights at casino hotels...which is what I do.
-t

Click to expand...

Classic T4C quote! Of course, if it backfires you could show up to your interview with no pants! Try to explain that on your interview! Sure, maybe Will Smith could get away with something similiar in the Pursuit of Happiness (missing shoes, no shirt, covered with paint) but this is reality.

Actually, maybe this is the answer. If all psychology graduate schools and psychology internships held their interviews in Vegas everything would be dirt cheap (flghts, hotels, food) and everyone would have a chance to win back their money! The psychologists studying and working with gambling addictions would have a field day!

GiantSteps said:

T4C,
Priceline definitely has cheaper prices if you have felixibility but do you think some of those other sites really have good deals. Recently, after checking Orbitz.com and Cheaptickets.com, I went directly to one of the airline websites and found the same flight I needed for less since I did not have to pay some extra hidden fee to Orbitz or Cheaptickets.

Click to expand...

All of those sites have fees (which is where they make their money...typically a $5 handling fee, and sometimes more). I like using Expedia and the like because I can find out who flies where (on the major carriers), and then go to the airline sites and book through them to save a bit of money. It gets a little tricky with places like Southwest, as they don't allow their tickets on those aggregate sites.

Just my own warning....be careful with Spirit Air.....they seem to be universally bad.

GiantSteps said:

Classic T4C quote! Of course, if it backfires you could show up to your interview with no pants! Try to explain that on your interview! Sure, maybe Will Smith could get away with something similiar in the Pursuit of Happiness (missing shoes, no shirt, covered with paint) but this is reality.

Click to expand...

I <3 me some gambling! I don't do it much anymore (maybe 2 or so trips a year), but New Orleans also happens to be one of my favorite cities, so I'm also going for the food....god, do I love the food!

GiantSteps said:

Actually, maybe this is the answer. If all psychology graduate schools and psychology internships held their interviews in Vegas everything would be dirt cheap (flghts, hotels, food) and everyone would have a chance to win back their money! The psychologists studying and working with gambling addictions would have a field day!

Click to expand...

Before my first semester of grad school I went to Atlantic City with a bunch of friends (we meet in Atlantic City/Las Vegas/Reno once a year for a weekend gambling trip), and I won enough money to cover my books and moving expenses!


-t

For flights: www.kayak.com

It lists the cheapest flights and you book directly through the airline to avoid any extra fees. Also, it has a clean webpage layout.

This may not exactly be specifically related to saving money for internships. However, I thought the people posting here would have better answers to this question which I thought of while reading an article on the Main SDN page about saving money in graduate school (there is already a sticky Thread on SDN Psychology about saving money in graduate school). Many people suggest getting a part-time job while in graduate school (especially one with tips) to help meet extra costs, including internships expenses. Yet, I was told by more than one professor that when a student is given funding from a school (stipend) that the student is required to a sign paper(s) stating that in accepting the money one agrees not to work. Furthermore, if one does go ahead and work that this could jeopardize the stipend/ funding. On the other hand, many students with funding have told me that they have other jobs to supplement their income and are either not aware of any work restrictions or think they can get away with it. Does anyone know for sure what the answer to the question is (i.e., can one work in graduate school if one accepts a stipend/ funding)?

It depends on the program... my department (which fully funded us) allowed us to take a side job, but if the job was clinical in nature we had to get permission. The reason for this was completely related to liability purposes - my program carried malpractice insurance for its students, so they were picky about what clinical activities (and what kind of supervision) we got outside the department.

With that said, I'm not sure where I would have fit in an extra job when I was in grad school - between research, practica, and classes (and sometimes teaching) I was pretty booked up. When it came time to prepare for internship interviews, I took out a (relatively) small student loan to supplement my stipend. When I got the money, I just stashed it away until it was time to book my travel.

As it turns out, I eventually got a NIH loan repayment award, so it turned out pretty well for me. But there's obviously no guarantee that it will happen that way for everybody!

it depends on where you are. and how good you are at keeping VERY quiet about things.

It depends on both the school, and the job. Any clinical work they obviously have a say in. We are only allowed to do outside clinical work if we can prove our supervisors there believe in evidence-based practice (which sadly, rules out an enormous number of practitioners in this field). For non-clinical work, its a judgment call whether or not its "appropriate". Consulting for company x's HR policies? That's okay. Stripping? That's not so okay. Just imagine how awkward that next session would be if the client happened to come in.

As far as I know - legally- a public school cannot prevent you from working, though a private one can. That being said, most schools will strongly discourage it because frankly, 10 hours spent waiting tables over the course of a year could have been spent seeing extra clients, or publishing something. And if a program wasn't providing me funding I'd tell them to kiss my ass if they told me not to work either - but I'm not sure I'd recommend that approach (this is why I only applied to funded schools)

If you want extra work, I'd try and track down something relevant first. It may not pay QUITE as well as waiting tables, but its more likely to be acceptable within the department, and will be more helpful in the long run.

I think public schools can restrict you too. I got to a fully-funded program at a public university and we are not allowed to work (except clinical jobs). The restriction has to do with the funding. We are receiving stipends under the assumption that we are working full-time as students (i.e., 20 hrs a week are supposed to be spent working on our assistantship; the rest of the week should be devoted to our studies). I know someone (non-clinical) who got caught working in a store a few years back and had to quit. Honestly, as a clinical student, you won't have time to work anywhere, so it's a moot point.