Alliant International University (L.A) PhD program.

[Psyched__4]

I recently got accepted into the PhD program at the LA campus and need to sign my enrollment agreement soon but I'm having a difficult time deciding as I do not have anyone to directly consult on this. So your help would be greatly appreciated!

Here are the givens:

-I recently graduated from undergrad with no debt and with a good GPA
-I am eligible for the maximum amount for the FAFSA unsubsidized student loans (the debt accrues) which can cover most of my tuition (the total tuition is estimated at 183K for the 5 years of the programs excluding other fees)

-I will obviously need to work part-time while in school which will affect my amount eligibility for the second type of Fafsa loan

- No family financial support

-The scholarships at Alliant have very little value in comparison to the total tuition.

- It is extremely difficult to find a clinical psych program in a public institution (the ones that do have it are extremely picky) and the GRE takes years of preparation to get a decent score

Aside from being concerned about paying back the ginormous amount of loans, I hear that this program is one of the best in clinical psych but I am not sure if I should go through with it.

Please advise...

Thank you in advance!

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[Ollie123]

? Alliant actually has one of the worst reputations in the field. Was it a graduate or someone affiliated with the program who told you it was one of the best? It isn't THE worst and the LA campus has a better rep than some under the Alliant brand, but it is worlds away from the top programs.

I would stay far away. While not the most egregious offender, that tuition is way too high for a field where the norm is near-zero tuition and getting paid ~15-20k/year to go to school. Places like Alliant are generally the schools of last resort and I would be hesitant to ever recommend it.

I'd very strongly urge you to walk away. If you are fresh out of undergrad, 1-3 years working and gaining additional research and clinical experience can go a long way for someone truly motivated to get into graduate school. You will graduate a couple years later but without the massive pile of debt and potentially from a school that will open more doors.

 

[Temperance]

I would strongly urge you to reconsider signing that enrollment agreement. Paying $183,000 for a degree where your maximum earnings are nowhere near that of a physician's is not recommended, and that tuition amount does not account for the high cost of living in Los Angeles. With a gap year or two where you gain research experience, you can get far better scholarships that will get you out with a Ph.D. debt free (or with very little debt).

 

[Psyched__4]

? Alliant actually has one of the worst reputations in the field. Was it a graduate or someone affiliated with the program who told you it was one of the best? It isn't THE worst and the LA campus has a better rep than some under the Alliant brand, but it is worlds away from the top programs.

I would stay far away. While not the most egregious offender, that tuition is way too high for a field where the norm is near-zero tuition and getting paid ~15-20k/year to go to school. Places like Alliant are generally the schools of last resort and I would be hesitant to ever recommend it.

I'd very strongly urge you to walk away. If you are fresh out of undergrad, 1-3 years working and gaining additional research and clinical experience can go a long way for someone truly motivated to get into graduate school. You will graduate a couple years later but without the massive pile of debt and potentially from a school that will open more doors.

Thank you for your input. I currently have 4 years of research experience, an undergraduate senior thesis (I'm working on publishing it), and a B.S. degree in psychology which was a selective program to get into as an undergrad because the B.A. is the standard degree for psychology from the UC school I attended.

Are there any schools you would recommend instead that offer a PhD in clinical psych?

 

[Temperance]

Are there any schools you would recommend instead that offer a PhD in clinical psych?

There are many universities across the country that offer the Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Browsing the list of APA-accredited programs will show you how common they are. Before we talk about recommended programs, though, let's talk about what sort of career you're interested in. What do you want to do in the day-to-day after you get your doctorate? What are your research and clinical interests?

 

[Psyched__4]

There are many universities across the country that offer the Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Browsing the list of APA-accredited programs will show you how common they are. Before we talk about recommended programs, though, let's talk about what sort of career you're interested in. What do you want to do in the day-to-day after you get your doctorate? What are your research and clinical interests?

I am looking to do research/teach (in the area of multiculturalism) and eventually open a private later on (with savings) and eventually do part-time in both *fingers-crossed*.

I graduated in 2020 and already took one gap year to work. I have 4 years of research experience (worked closely with UC professors in their research labs) that's also where I completed my undergraduate senior thesis (I'm working on publishing it), and a B.S. degree in psychology which was a selective program to get into as an undergrad because the B.A. is the standard degree for psychology from the UC school I attended.

 

[Temperance]

I am looking to do research/teach (in the area of multiculturalism) and eventually open a private later on (with savings) and eventually do part-time in both *fingers-crossed*.

I graduated in 2020 and already took one gap year to work. I have 4 years of research experience (worked closely with UC professors in their research labs) that's also where I completed my undergraduate senior thesis (I'm working on publishing it), and a B.S. degree in psychology which was a selective program to get into as an undergrad because the B.A. is the standard degree for psychology from the UC school I attended.

It's great that you're working on publishing your thesis and that you've had the opportunity to work so closely with the faculty. What specifically about multiculturalism are you interested in? There are programs out there that do great research in multicultural approaches, but knowing what research questions you have in that area would go a long way in identifying what programs would be good for you. When you were doing literature review for your thesis, were there specific papers or authors who stood out to you as doing really interesting work that you'd like to continue in grad school?

 

[Psyched__4]

It's great that you're working on publishing your thesis and that you've had the opportunity to work so closely with the faculty. What specifically about multiculturalism are you interested in? There are programs out there that do great research in multicultural approaches, but knowing what research questions you have in that area would go a long way in identifying what programs would be good for you. When you were doing literature review for your thesis, were there specific papers or authors who stood out to you as doing really interesting work that you'd like to continue in grad school?

Yes, I reviewed close to 50 papers and that shaped my question (multi-sided) and future adjustments but overall I'm looking at bicultural identities in immigrants.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

Don't do this to future you. Walk away.

 

[Ollie123]

Yeah, if you want to do research/teach, this is one of the last programs you should be looking at. I'd assumed you were in the "I'm scared of research and want nothing to do with" camp - that is who typically attends programs like Alliant. This is not a school that prepares people to be successful researchers. I'm not even sure they have anyone I would consider even a moderately successful researcher on their faculty.

There are literally tons of programs that would be a better fit. Heck just in the LA area both UCLA and USC are strong programs. I'm not sure what else to say beyond look at the list of programs. There are hundreds of them. Pin it to the wall, throw darts at it and 19/20 schools you hit would be a better choice than Alliant if you want an academic career.

 

[counselor2b]

You may want to explore Counseling Psychology PhD programs as well if you have a strong interest in multiculturalism. While this can certainly be accomplished in a Clinical Psych program, you will likely find a lot of researchers with this focus in counseling psych programs as well.

 

[Psyched__4]

You may want to explore Counseling Psychology PhD programs as well if you have a strong interest in multiculturalism. While this can certainly be accomplished in a Clinical Psych program, you will likely find a lot of researchers with this focus in counseling psych programs as well.

Perfect, thank you!
What are your thoughts on attending a Doctorate (PhD) program in Behavioral Psych to carry on my research in multiculturalism? Would I still have the option of teaching/researching and potentially going into counseling?

According to my research on the different psych degrees, I read that almost all PhD degrees in psychology including behavioral, counseling, personality, and clinical allow both a research career and a counseling career except for social psychology, would you say that's accurate?

 

[foreverbull]

Perfect, thank you!
What are your thoughts on attending a Doctorate (PhD) program in Behavioral Psych to carry on my research in multiculturalism? Would I still have the option of teaching/researching and potentially going into counseling?

Which program specifically are you referring to?

 

[Psyched__4]

What program superficially are you referring to?

I was referring to a PhD program in counseling psychology (I apologize I accidentally posted my question ^^ before finishing the thought so I went back and edited it )

 

[foreverbull]

I was referring to a PhD program in counseling psychology (I apologize I accidentally posted my question ^^ before finishing the thought so I went back and edited it )

I’m a bit confused; a behavioral psychology emphasis within a specific counseling psychology program? I was asking for the name of the program/university so I could see what you were talking about.

Yes, social psychology isn’t a clinical practice path, and counseling and clinical are. Behavioral science is sometimes a research degree (sometimes it doesn’t train clinically), so it depends on the university providing it and the actual training/coursework.

 

[Psyched__4]

I’m a bit confused; a behavioral psychology emphasis within a specific counseling psychology program? I was asking for the name of the program/university so I could see what you were talking about.

Yes, social psychology isn’t a clinical practice path, and counseling and clinical are. Behavioral science is sometimes a research degree (sometimes it doesn’t train clinically), so it depends on the university providing it and the actual training/coursework.

Sorry for the confusion. I was asking if obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Behavioral Psych would allow me to become a researcher and eventually become a therapist down the road. You've already answered it, thank you!

Do you know of any programs that offer a doctorate program for behavioral psych with emphasis on counseling practice or where I can search for such a specific program?

 

[R. Matey]

Sorry for the confusion. I was asking if obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Behavioral Psych would allow me to become a researcher and eventually become a therapist down the road. You've already answered it, thank you!

Do you know of any programs that offer a doctorate program for behavioral psych with emphasis on counseling practice or where I can search for such a specific program?

You need this:

Insider's Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology: 2022/2023 Edition

The definitive guide for prospective graduate students in clinical and counseling psychology has now been revised and updated for 2022/2023, with all-new data on more than 300 doctoral programs. This is the book you can rely on for finding the programs that meet your needs and maximizing your...

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Counseling psych programs don't typically emphasize behaviorism. The research areas are more on contextual factors (race, gender, work, etc...) and process issues in clinical practice.

 

[foreverbull]

Sorry for the confusion. I was asking if obtaining a Ph.D. degree in Behavioral Psych would allow me to become a researcher and eventually become a therapist down the road. You've already answered it, thank you!

Do you know of any programs that offer a doctorate program for behavioral psych with emphasis on counseling practice or where I can search for such a specific program?

Honestly, not off hand, because counseling and clinical are far more common for those seeking practice paths. UC Berkeley has a clinical science doctorate that is practice and research-based, for example.

I'm wondering why specifically you want a behavioral degree vs. counseling/clinical?

 

[Psyched__4]

Honestly, not off hand, because counseling and clinical are far more common for those seeking practice paths. UC Berkeley has a clinical science doctorate that is practice and research-based, for example.

I'm wondering why specifically you want a behavioral degree vs. counseling/clinical?

I'm only considering Behavioral psych as it was one of the areas that I enjoyed researching aside from personality and social in my undergrad senior thesis (which combines all three areas); also according to this website https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/clinical-psychology-rankings, it's not common to find clinical programs in universities around where I live (I'm supporting myself financially so relocating would currently be difficult).

 

[Ollie123]

You will almost assuredly need to relocate for psychology - most people do a national search for school. That said, supporting yourself should be significantly easier if your tuition is free and you are being paid 20k versus sinking 50k/year into debt.

I agree with the above that you may need to do some more background reading and talk to some professors. This may be why you struggled with applications this year, but if you have a good GPA, research experience, maybe a publication, there is absolutely no reason you've given that suggests you need to attend a school like Alliant. I'm going out on a limb here, but guessing you don't have many connections in the field you can talk to and perhaps no apparent mentor? I would read up on this board and see if you can connect with actual clinical psychologists in your undergrad institution (if there are any) and talk about your plans if you have not done so already. I don't know what kind of work you do right now to support yourself, but if you are amenable to switching jobs you can also start looking for positions as a research coordinator. Pay isn't great (I pay mine ~ 44k/year, albeit in a city with a cost of living several orders of magnitude lower than LA) but its livable in many places and can be a great way to work your way in and get more experience.

Behavioral psychology is a topic of study - its not really a degree to my knowledge. Behavioral neuroscience is a degree, but that will most often involve zero clinical training and a whole lot of injecting various drugs into rodents - likely in a basement. There are off-shoots of behavioral psychology (e.g. ABA programs), but these are not the same thing as clinical/counseling. It SOUNDS like you want to at least have the option of doing clinical work which generally means you should plan to attend a clinical or counseling program. You might work in a lab that focuses on behaviorism. Virtually any clinical or counseling program will at least touch on the topic but the focus will vary from 1% to 99%.

Anyways, read the board, talk with people, find some "mentors" if you can and re-strategize a bit. You sound like a potentially strong candidate who is doing everything right but has gotten limited guidance and really doesn't "get" the field enough to be ready for graduate programs just yet. I'm guessing that came through in your application materials and may have been the cause of your struggles. Its really not a big deal and you are world's ahead of the person who is a more informed but weaker candidate as your situation can be pretty easily rectified with some reading and good mentorship.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

I hear that this program is one of the best in clinical psych but I am not sure if I should go through with it.

This is a horrible, horrible lie. Whoever is telling you this should be considered a liar. While there is no great way to rank a clinical program, in no way does Alliant even fall into the top 50%.

I recently got accepted into the PhD program at the LA campus and need to sign my enrollment agreement soon but I'm having a difficult time deciding as I do not have anyone to directly consult on this. So your help would be greatly appreciated!

Don't do it!

-I recently graduated from undergrad with no debt and with a good GPA
-I am eligible for the maximum amount for the FAFSA unsubsidized student loans (the debt accrues) which can cover most of my tuition (the total tuition is estimated at 183K for the 5 years of the programs excluding other fees)

Don't ruin a good thing .You are wise enough to avoid debt up till now, the amount of debt an Alliant will give you is not worth the salary you will be making afterward.

-I will obviously need to work part-time while in school

This will likely lead to more problems than helping. Grad school is a full-time job, its is much more work than undergrad.

- It is extremely difficult to find a clinical psych program in a public institution (the ones that do have it are extremely picky) and the GRE takes years of preparation to get a decent score

There are around 300 accredited programs across the country. The GRE does not take years to prep. Do yourself a favor, take a year or two off and get the necessary experience needed to apply to a program that is not predatory. Look for programs that lead to low levels (or none) of debt, that do not have large cohorts, and are not designed to purely make money off your graduate tuition dollars.

Sometimes students feel like they have no options, when in reality you have way more options than you think.

 

[foreverbull]

I'm only considering Behavioral psych as it was one of the areas that I enjoyed researching aside from personality and social in my undergrad senior thesis (which combines all three areas); also according to this website https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/clinical-psychology-rankings, it's not common to find clinical programs in universities around where I live (I'm supporting myself financially so relocating would currently be difficult).

Ah, I wouldn’t necessarily rely on these arbitrary ranking systems from US News.

Staying put will really limit your ability to find affordable PhD programs in low cost of living areas. That is the reality. Most folks relocate to attend graduate school, and then relocate for internship in their last year, and then relocate again. This is typical for our field and expected. Those who don’t move have much more limited options in more ways than one, some ending up with more Limited career options, even.

Behavioral psych is usually a research degree, to the best of my knowledge. Clinically-related degrees aren’t usually called “behavioral psychology,” and because it’s a rare degree, I don’t know that much about it other than the focus on research much like experimental psychology. I think you should stick with clinical/counseling pathways if you are set on a doctorate with a desire to practice (and do other things).

In the end, I agree with others who suggest talking to more folks in the field to get a sense of the day-to-day and to reflect on whether your geographical limitations are worth possible career limitations plus an overwhelming amount of debt upon graduation.

 

[psych.meout]

I'm only considering Behavioral psych as it was one of the areas that I enjoyed researching aside from personality and social in my undergrad senior thesis (which combines all three areas); also according to this website https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/clinical-psychology-rankings, it's not common to find clinical programs in universities around where I live (I'm supporting myself financially so relocating would currently be difficult).

I've seen other people post similar things here and on other websites and forums when they discuss geographically limiting their applications and often applying to diploma mills and other unfunded programs.

What I don't really understand is that you're talking about nearly $200,000 in debt from just tuition and working during your grad program to pay for basic living expenses (likely complicating your studies and potentially making it take longer and racking up more debt), and somehow that is financially viable, but the few thousand dollars it would cost to relocate for a funded, high quality program is not. How does that make sense?

 

[Psyched__4]

I've seen other people post similar things here and on other websites and forums when they discuss geographically limiting their applications and often applying to diploma mills and other unfunded programs.

What I don't really understand is that you're talking about nearly $200,000 in debt from just tuition and working during your grad program to pay for basic living expenses (likely complicating your studies and potentially making it take longer and racking up more debt), and somehow that is financially viable, but the few thousand dollars it would cost to relocate for a funded, high quality program is not. How does that make sense?

Yes, you don't...because you don't have all the variables. But for some relocating neither costs a "few thousand dollars" nor is it financially viable at least for now... there are other things to take care of. But good observation.
The point of this thread is to gather constructive input, guidance, and resources from individuals in the field to explore my options and make a decision about my future.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

Yes, you don't...because you don't have all the variables. But for some relocating neither costs a "few thousand dollars" nor is it financially viable at least for now... there are other things to take care of. But good observation.

Ok... then if you want better guidance, provide us with those other variables.

The point of this thread is to gather constructive input, guidance, and resources from individuals in the field to explore my options and make a decision about my future.

I have seen lots of constructive input and guidance here so far. Just cause it doesn't fit your narrative doesn't make it less valuable. In fact, likely moreso. There is a ton of wisdom here you are getting for free from the people who have walked the path you are and faced decisions you have.

Edit: also, remember, you cannot discharge student loan debt in bankruptcy court. You are stuck with your choice.

 

[deleted106747]

Listen to the people in this thread - they are giving you excellent advice. Take it from someone who did get into some debt in graduate school, and was lucky enough to obtain loan repayment: my life utterly, completely changed after I lost the student loan debt. But loan repayment is no guarantee, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have found a way to do that.

You're a strong applicant based on the credentials you listed, no need to pay that much for a degree.

 

[WisNeuro]

Considering the financial viability of moving. There are dozens of quality programs in or near low to medium COL areas. In some cases a move would be exceedingly cheaper than staying put. There may be other variables, but the simple variable of moving for education in and of itself is something of a fallacy given that it's often a cost savings in the intermediate and long term.

 

[cara susanna]

Most clinical psych PhD programs are probably going to offer some degree of training in behaviorism. My school has both counseling and clinical programs and even the counseling students took our graduate-level behaviorism class.

 

[psych.meout]

Yes, you don't...because you don't have all the variables.

Ok, what are those other variables?

You're the one who specifically said that it was the cost that would make it difficult to move, so that's what I went with.

But for some relocating neither costs a "few thousand dollars"

Sure, for some (i.e., at least 1) people it is more expensive than that, but for most it's going to be in that range. For example, people in my program are from all across the country, from the PNW to Florida to Arizona to NH, and it was roughly the same for them to move here. The one exception was an international student.

nor is it financially viable at least for now... there are other things to take care of.

Sure, perfectly understandable, but that doesn't really refute my point that it is far, far more expensive to attend an unfunded program than it is to move for a funded one. Sure, you might have to defer a year or two to save the money to move for grad school, get a credit card to bear some of the burden, or even take out a small personal loan, but those are all orders of magnitude cheaper than an unfunded program.

But good observation.
The point of this thread is to gather constructive input, guidance, and resources from individuals in the field to explore my options and make a decision about my future.

How is what I'm talking about not "constructive input, guidance, and resources?"

It's me saying "Yeah, it sucks to have to save up this much money to move, but it's a tiny up-front effort and expenditure compared to what you're talking about in the OP."

 

[chicandtoughness]

Cost aside, I'm going to be the blunt one and say that graduating from Alliant will be a VERY bad look, especially if you want to do research and teach. You will be laughed out of the room if you apply for a professorship at any respected university. I know I'm coming across as a "you can't sit with us" mean girl, but that's how it is.

If you absolutely refuse to move, then sure, do the silly thing - apply only to UCLA and USC. Just be aware that your chances of getting in are less than 5%, it could be a poor research match, and it doesn't get better with subsequent application years (barring drastic changes like working at a lab with good output). You could literally be applying year after year for these same two programs for 5+ years and never get in. Do you want to be a psychologist or not?

Do the smart thing: cast a wide net, apply to funded PhD programs with professors that match your research interests, relocate for grad school. Just so you know, you'll probably have to relocate again for internship, so start saving up money in year 1 if that's a concern. If you want to be a researcher you cannot be making dumb choices like going to Alliant or restricting yourself to LA.

I also hear that you're looking into Behavioral Psych programs to try to backdoor your way into being a psychologist, essentially. If those programs are respectable, they will reject you because you don't seem to have a displayed research interest in behaviorism. If they accept you, it's because they're a cash-cow, unrespectable program. Either way, not a good choice

- It is extremely difficult to find a clinical psych program in a public institution (the ones that do have it are extremely picky) and the GRE takes years of preparation to get a decent score

This is not a bad thing!! If you want a good program, why *wouldn't* you want it to be picky/selective?!

 

[Mama Bear]

My well-funded grad program was in a low COL area. We had lots of students from CA. Those students who wanted to go back went back for internship, postdoc, and career. It really makes me wonder how many CA professional school students are locked out of these positions by students from other programs. Be mindful of where you go to school, as it could get you locked out of CA jobs for the rest of your career.

 

[cara susanna]

I know a lot of Alliant students/graduates at another program (so not in LA, but in another city in California). The ones that I knew generally did well, but they also received clinical or research training opportunities outside of their program, like through the VA hospital. Many of them had a generally negative opinion of their program and especially other students in their program.

 

[Ollie123]

If there are other reasons beyond finances you are limited geographically for the time being (e.g. caring for sick relatives) that is a very understandable reason to not move, but still an awful reason to attend Alliant.

Assuming the salaries are workable from a financial standpoint, I'd be looking at coordinator positions in UCLA/USC psychology departments and medical schools. Literally boatloads of outstanding psychology work being done there and incredible job opportunities with people who have a reputation for having staff members work with them for a few years and gain experience before moving on to graduate programs.

Assuming your moving circumstances are at least somewhat temporary, spending even 5+ years there as research staff and then moving for a solid PhD program is going to work out much better for you in the long-term than attending Alliant. Especially if you want research to be a meaningful part of your career. I know it can be frustrating to feel like you are treading water when you want to be in graduate school....but these schools prey on people who "Just can't wait" and it really ends up hurting them.

 

[BuckeyeLove]

Don't do this.

 

[JB1108]

To OP: I will echo what everyone else has said and add that there are SO many options that meet your goals without being buried in debt. I completed a PhD in Clinical Psychology from a well-respected university and my research area is in cultural identities. Private message me and I would be happy to give more information/guidance.

 

[CheetahGirl]

Edit to say: Congratulations on your offer. This could be validation that you have what it takes...

Agreed with above. I applied multiple years before I was accepted to a funded PhD. I also passed up an offer to a for-profit school because the $150+K debt for tuition alone. @JonSnow (old school SDN) convinced me not to do it (...and my husband is forever grateful to him for writing some sense into me). If you're a recent grad, put in some more time to build your CV, get a paid clinical research job, get your name on some publications, and watch better offers come your way!

Perseverance is a great quality to have, especially in this field.

Good luck!

 

[Psyched__4]

I have seen lots of constructive input and guidance here so far. Just cause it doesn't fit your narrative doesn't make it less valuable. In fact, likely moreso. There is a ton of wisdom here you are getting for free from the people who have walked the path you are and faced decisions you have.

Edit: also, remember, you cannot discharge student loan debt in bankruptcy court. You are stuck with your choice.

Yes, there is already plenty of constructive and valuable input and yours from earlier is one of them. I was addressing this person in particular, not everyone on the thread.


And obviously, I created this thread with a neutral mindset about signing that enrollment agreement and have heard a lot of great points from various individuals on here as to why Alliant is not the way to go. So now, my intention is not to argue about a piece of advice that surely a lot of people agree on (which is to walk away), but to have a general discussion about my other options moving forward.

 

[Psyched__4]

If there are other reasons beyond finances you are limited geographically for the time being (e.g. caring for sick relatives) that is a very understandable reason to not move, but still an awful reason to attend Alliant.

Assuming the salaries are workable from a financial standpoint, I'd be looking at coordinator positions in UCLA/USC psychology departments and medical schools. Literally boatloads of outstanding psychology work being done there and incredible job opportunities with people who have a reputation for having staff members work with them for a few years and gain experience before moving on to graduate programs.

Assuming your moving circumstances are at least somewhat temporary, spending even 5+ years there as research staff and then moving for a solid PhD program is going to work out much better for you in the long-term than attending Alliant. Especially if you want research to be a meaningful part of your career. I know it can be frustrating to feel like you are treading water when you want to be in graduate school....but these schools prey on people who "Just can't wait" and it really ends up hurting them.

I won't be attending Alliant. And I really want to thank you, Ollie, for ALLLL your advice and for reading and understanding where I'm coming from. Everything you've said so far has been tremendously helpful and greatly appreciated!

 

[CheetahGirl]

I won't be attending Alliant. And I really want to thank you, Ollie, for ALLLL your advice and for reading and understanding where I'm coming from. Everything you've said so far has been tremendously helpful and greatly appreciated!

I know it's a tough decision. I edited my earlier response to say...you could accept this turn of fate to prove to yourself (and others around you) that you have what it takes....if you needed that type of morale boost. Now, let's get you on some publications or poster presentations and find you some funding!

Best of luck ....and I hope you're back on here (sometime in the future) sharing your perspective as well. Remember it's the journey not the destination. Be blessed that you came out of undergrad with no debt. Enter a program with peace of mind that you won't be incurring too much debt (more so than usual).

P.S. Just to support your decision even further, I have a good buddy who went to a for-profit doctoral program, met her fiancé, and now they have $300K+ combined debt as a wedding gift. They are both looking for federal loan forgiveness positions (what other options do they really have?), which are so competitive.

 

[Psyched__4]

I know it's a tough decision. I edited my earlier response to say...you could accept this turn of fate to prove to yourself (and others around you) that you have what it takes....if you needed that type of morale boost. Now, let's get you on some publications or poster presentations and find you some funding!

Best of luck ....and I hope you're back on here (sometime in the future) sharing your perspective as well. Remember it's the journey not the destination. Be blessed that you came out of undergrad with no debt. Enter a program with peace of mind that you won't be incurring too much debt (more so than usual).

You're very sweet. Thank you for your support and kind words, I appreciate it. 🥺😊
I hope I can do the same for others on here one day. 😊

P.S. Just to support your decision even further, I have a good buddy who went to a for-profit doctoral program, met her fiancé, and now they have $300K+ combined debt as a wedding gift. They are both looking for federal loan forgiveness positions (what other options do they really have?), which are so competitive.

Yup, this carries extra motivation for sure! 😀 I wish them all the best.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

If your career goals are some combination of research + practice, a Ph.D. program in clinical or counseling psychology is your best bet. School psychology could fit in there as well, although can require a few extra hoopjumps to be eligible for licensure outside of schools.

Unfortunately, this means it's highly likely you'd need to relocate at some point for/during your training. If that's not a viable option right now but could be in the future, Ollie's suggestion of looking for coordinator positions is an excellent one. You could also work in whatever field you want and try to find volunteer research opportunities, but that could be more difficult to pull off and may require a larger time investment. The amount of research experience it sounds like you already have is great, you'll just want to try to avoid having a huge gap between that experience and when you're applying for grad school.

If relocation is likely to never be an option, unfortunately, clinical/counseling psych may not be a viable training and career option. You could certainly look into the more exclusively research-focused programs at nearby universities. You would not be able to practice afterward without additional training, although if that's a goal you're willing to put off for a few additional years, you could always consider going back to school after your Ph.D. for a terminal masters (e.g., in social work). I actually know a couple folks who did exactly that--their doctorates are in research-focused areas (e.g., developmental or biological psychology), and they went on to get a terminal masters a few years later that allows them to practice at the masters-level.