HVD2011,
Just curious, would you be comfortable sharing what you feel you've learned from the process this year, and what insights you've gained about the whole thing?
While not from this year, I'll give my 2 cents about the experience, both as a former applicant, and also as someone on the other side now.
1. It is probably the most tiring thing you will do, next to defending.....so start early!
2. Fit, fit, and fit. You can have all of the stats in the world, but if the site doesn't see how what you need/want fits with what they offer....you won't get an interview.
3. Get feedback about your application and your site selection from faculty that know you and have been on the other end. As an applicant I didn't really understand what the sites were looking for, so I asked a couple of faculty members (and former DCTs) to help.
4. If every site you are considering gets 150-200+ applications and interviews 15 people for 2 spots, you better have a stellar application and be applying to at least 10 sites.
5. Dissertation status matters. Sites do not like to have their former interns floating out there struggling to finish their dissertations and unable to go on post-doc. Make sure to at least have your proposal approved, and hopefully have your data collected. In an Employer's market, you will not be marketable unless you have your doctorate in hand.
6. Understand the Pro's / Con's of the different Acred. types. Personally I wouldn't consider anything that wasn't APA-approved, but different people have different priorities and circumstances.
7. If you do not match, recruit two people with laptops/computer access to help you out with Clearing House. One person monitors the e-mails, you Yay/Nay the sites, and one is updating the addresses and DCT names for the cover letters.
8. The best sites are usually gone within the first day, and many times within the first few hours. Many sites will close out accepting apps rather quickly, which is why you need to do #7. Sites can trickle through after that, but the biggest collection of APA-acred sites match go in the first day.
I don't understand why sites have vacancies after hosting interviews. Obviously they pour over apps and selected the best of those apps for interviews, so how does a site still have an opening after all that work?
Some sites may invite 30 people, and after the interviews feel good about ranking 20. That may be okay if they never have to go past #10 to fill their spots, but some places may want to have more people ranked, so they offer another round of interviews. Ultimately, some sites may rather go unmatched than rank people that won't fit as well (in their opinion). While the Clearing House isn't an ideal process, there can be some great candidates that land there, and also some good sites.
Still sending out good vibes to all you guys waiting....
