DISCLAIMER: This is my first post, but I am already not interested in hearing yet another opinion about the massive debt-load I am taking on by attending a largely un-funded Psy.D program, nor am I interested in hearing that APA internship match rate should be the primary deciding factor. I am an excellent student, test very well (National Merit Scholar, 99th percentile on GRE), have a great (if non-traditional) clinical background working with brain injury rehabilitation, and interview well. Even if Wright only places 40-something percent of students in APA internships, I will 100% be one of them. Yeshiva's higher prestige level is one factor, but I am not interested in replies stating that it should be THE factor. Thanks.
I was admitted to all four Psy.D programs I applied to (Pacific, Antioch New England, Wright Institute and Yeshiva). I have already passed on the offers from Pacific and Antioch New England, and just was notified today that I made it into Yeshiva via the waitlist. I have three days to decide. Here are my priorities (more or less in order), and how the programs each address them:
Clinical Training - Yeshiva gets point for rigor, but both programs place you in clinical situations early and often, and both have incredible connections in their local communities. Both have small group lab set-ups designed to help students integrate academic theory with practice.
Commitment to Social Justice - Wright Institute in a landslide, it's a foundational principle of the program.
Opportunity to work with diverse populations - both are strong, locations in the bay area and the bronx are incredible for this.
Neuropsych Concentration (not a lock that I want to do a post-doc and go the full route, but want the option at this point) - Yeshiva's is more in-depth, spanning multiple years, while Wright trains generalists but offers a 3rd-year specialization in neuropsych. The Wright neuropsych professor reports 100% of students who took this concentration and pursued neuropsych APA internships were successful in obtaining them and subsequent post-docs.
Core Faculty - Yeshiva has prestige (clinical director is prez of the int'l association of cognitive therapists), but Wright's core faculty impressed me more during interviews and panels, demonstrating incredible depth and breadth of professional involvement and understanding of how to train practitioners to meet the community's needs.
CBT training - Yeshiva's will be more in-depth.
Program Size - Yeshiva takes ~25, Wright takes ~55. Point to Yeshiva.
Research training and opportunities - Yeshiva will be more research-focused, which is not a huge personal priority, but something I am happy to do to contribute to the field and keep more professional doors open. At Wright I will have to work harder to create opportunities (outside of my dissertation), but I will also not be asked to divert time to contribute to research that is not my area of interest.
Location - Purely on a self-care basis, I need lots of cardio to be the healthiest, happiest student possible, and I really want a dog. In Berkeley/Oakland I could bike to/from class every day, play ultimate frisbee, soccer, and tennis year-round, and get a dog easily. In NY, I'd be fighting frigid rain/snow and leaving the city altogether to get field space for sports, and finding a dog-friendly apt will add to the difficulty of being a renter in NY. Quality of life points go to Wright.
Now that I've dumped out entirely too much information - I still haven't made a decision. Appreciate any and all thoughts, keeping in mind the disclaimer above. Thanks!
