Does anyone know where I can find the survey data used to support APPIC's recommendation to apply to no more than 15 sites? I'm almost certain I've seen it before on the APPIC website, but I cannot seem to find it now.
I believe that recommendation comes from these data:
http://www.appic.org/Match/MatchStatistics/ApplicantSurvey2011Part2.aspx
12. Number of applications submitted:
1 to 5 applications Match rate = 62% n = 143
6 to 10 applications Match rate = 72% n = 258
11 to 15 applications Match rate = 83% n = 946
16 to 20 applications Match rate = 81% n = 912
21 to 25 applications Match rate = 84% n = 321
26 or more applications Match rate = 74% n = 132
However, this is what was send out on the listserv on 9/20/2012:
APPIC MATCH NEWS
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Many applicants struggle with the question of how many internship applications to submit in order to maximize their chances of being matched. Due to concerns about "Supply and Demand" issues, some applicants might assume that sending out a greater number of applications means a greater likelihood of being matched.
But does a "more is better" approach really work? Recent APPIC surveys of internship applicants have examined the relationship between the number of applications submitted and the chances of being successfully matched. Below are the results from the last four APPIC Matches (2011 and 2012 exclude Phase II placement activity):
Number of
Applications 2012 2011 2010 2009
Submitted Match Rate Match Rate Match Rate Match Rate
1 - 5 54% 62% 59% 68%
6 - 10 69% 72% 75% 75%
11 - 15 81% 83% 84% 81%
16 - 20 81% 81% 81% 81%
21 or more 77% 81% 84% 81%
To interpret the above table: 54% of applicants who submitted between one and five applications were matched in 2012, 69% of applicants who submitted between six and ten applications were matched in 2012, and so on. These data should be interpreted cautiously, as other variables such as the number of interviews received and the number of rankings submitted may account for these differences.
As can be seen above, applying to more than 15 internship sites does not appear to increase the chances of being matched, and thus the "more is better" philosophy may have its limitations. APPIC's data has been consistent in this regard for many years. In addition, applying to five sites or less may considerably reduce the chances that one will be successfully matched.
APPIC recommends that applicants apply to between 11 and 15 sites. In fact, the pricing structure of the AAPI Online was developed specifically to keep applicants' costs low if they submit 15 or fewer applications. Applicants who submit more than 15 applications via the AAPI Online service will incur a higher per-application cost beginning with the 16th application. For more information on the fees for the AAPI Online, please see
www.appic.org, click on "AAPI Online," then see the "Applicant Fees" section on that page.
Other points to consider:
1. Applying exclusively to highly-competitive sites can reduce the likelihood of being matched, regardless of the number of sites to which you apply. Information about the number of applications received in previous years by APPIC-member programs appears in the APPIC Directory Online.
2. Applicants who have significant geographic limitations on their internship search often have more difficulty getting matched, since this limitation can reduce the number of sites available to them and/or means that applicants are less likely to be a good "fit" at some of the sites to which they apply.
More results from these applicant surveys may be found at
www.appic.org (click on "Match," then "Match Statistics").
I'm going to remember that one.
