Best program to pursue forensic psych career?

[trampslikeus]

Hello all. I'm hoping some of you here can be of some help to me.

I graduated with a BA in Psychology from Cal Poly Pomona and am currently on gap year, applying to grad schools, volunteering as a research assistant with a former professor, and gaining clinical experience as an Equine Assisted Psychotherapy intern. I am greatly interested in providing psychometric assessments & want to build a private practice. I want my PsyD but may have to get my MA, become an MFT, and then go on to the doctorate/becoming a licensed psychologist. More money in the long run, but I'll take whatever path works.

I've chosen five schools in the Los Angeles area to apply to for the coming academic year. I am well aware that I am greatly limiting myself, but due to circumstances both financial and otherwise, I am not currently capable of attending a school that would require relocation. There's really nothing I can do about it unless I put off my grad schooling (and, consequently, building a career) for a few years. If I end up taking the MA → PsyD route, I might be able to relocate for the doctorate but that remains to be seen. Below are the five schools along with some pros and cons.

California State University, Los Angeles: Forensic Psychology MS
Close to home, exactly what I want to do, literally minutes away from the LA courts, program is geared toward sending you to doctorate; applied last year, was denied, am not confident that I will get in
Pepperdine University: Clinical Psychology MA (with or without MFT emphasis)
Has a Forensic Psychology Research Lab, good APA internship match, have heard nothing but good things from students
Azusa Pacific University: Family Psychology PsyD, Family Forensic Psychology concentration
One of the few schools that offers a forensic concentration and I dig the systemic approach of family psychology; also a very Christian school...I am quite secular and not sure if this will impact my chances at getting in, or how I feel about having to take spiritual classes like “Biblical Ethics and Psychotherapy”
Antioch University Los Angeles: Clinical Psychology MA
I have two coworkers who absolutely rave about their experience there, I like what I've read on the website & am interested in the Child Studies specialization due to my work with children; not APA accredited (only the New England campus is) and I'm concerned that it might be one of those dreaded “professional schools”/diploma mills
California State University, Northridge: Clinical Psychology MA
Close to home, a coworker is getting her BA here and says she loves the faculty...mostly applying here as an “insurance policy”

If anyone has applied to or attended any of these universities I'd appreciate your input – your experience with the application process, your overall experience in the program, if you think the program would be a good fit for me based on my goals, and so on. I will obviously attend informational meetings, contact staff members, etc but would prefer to hear from students and fellow applicants first.

Even if you have not applied to/attended to any of these schools, I'd really appreciate any advice, opinions, etc. Thanks in advance!

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[paramour]

I personally have no experience with any of these programs.

However, I wanted to give you a possible heads-up re: tuition costs if you've not already considered it. I know a therapist intern who received his MA from Pepperdine. During a recent conversation, he indicated that he probably wouldn't go there if he had to do it over again--BUT it sounded like it was primarily due to the cost of tuition. If you're independently wealthy (or all the other programs are just as exorbitant), then it may not matter as everything else about the program measures up for you.

G'luck.