IUP vs. Midwestern Glendale PsyD

[ateoty]

Hello-
I have a hunch I already know how people will reply to this, but I am looking for opinions on these two schools. I received admissions offers from both, but Midwestern's decision is due by March 1st as opposed to the standard April 15th. I like totally opposite things about each program, which is why this decision is difficult for me.
To give a better idea of where my head is at, here are my lists of thoughts for each school:
IUP:
*99% licensure, 95/96 students in past 10 years
*100% EPPP passrate in 2017
*good recent APA internship matching
*$18,165/year (I am in-state), usually $10-15,000 assistance available with an assistantship
*opportunities to teach undergrad classes once masters is acquired
*I liked the faculty, didn't love them
*students seem reasonably happy and proud to be there
*cheaper to live there
*much easier to move my cat there since it's only a hour away (I am aware this is a very dumb point comparatively)
*5 year program, as I plan to go into neuropsych and they said that neuro students usually take longer
*in-house assessment clinic - neuropsychologist on faculty is the only one in the area, so everybody goes to him
*Close to where I grew up and went to college- I was hoping to go somewhere new; I'm very, very tired of Pennsylvania and this is my biggest con currently
*No formal neuropsych track, not a deal breaker though since I know it's not a necessity

Midwestern:
*88% licensure, 73/83 in past 10 years
*77% EPPP passrate in 2017
*historically not great internship success, has trended upwards in the past few years
*$37,517, no guaranteed assistance, but part-time jobs on campus available
*formal neuropsych program- I absolutely love the director of the program and felt like she and I connected very well
*no undergrad, so no teaching opportunities
*I felt much more connected with faculty and students
*Not as reputable
*Living slightly more expensive
*no clue how to move the cat that far
*standard in-house clinic
*given that it is a health-focused graduate school, there is a required course where you work with the other disciplines, which I think is really cool


Basically, what I think it comes down to is choosing with my brain or heart. Logic says to choose IUP, but I felt so connected to faculty and that I would truly be more happy at Midwestern. I'm hoping with these points in mind, that I could get some advice on what I should do. Please don't suggest I apply to fully-funded programs or that doing a PsyD is a waste of time- I have done my research and weighed my pros and cons thoroughly and I know this is the best path for me personally.
Thank you!

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[bluecolourskies]

Cat issue aside (I messaged you about this!) I would pick the first option because of better EPPP pass rates and APA match internship rates.

 

[PsyNeuro37]

IUP sounds like the choice to me, and it doesn't seem close. Don't get too hung up on a formal neuropsych program or not, plenty of great programs don't have those. If IUP can provide you with neuro research opportunities, diversity of neuro prac placements, and some neuro coursework then that's not any different. The difference in APA match rate is a big deal and so is the huge price difference. Also seems like a red flag that Midwestern isn't abiding by the APA notification deadline of April 15th, that's a little sketchy.

 

[psychkc91]

Just here to write about moving cats - most airlines will allow cats and dogs under a certain size (15lb?) to travel in the passenger cabin for a fee (~$50) as long as they stay in their carrier and have a Rabies vaccine. If you're driving you can get a bigger carrier or just let your cat hang out in your car

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I agree with those above--between the two, IUP seems the much better choice.

 

[WisNeuro]

IUP no question, Midwestern is not very well regarded at all, and very expensive.

 

[R. Matey]

Yeah, it kinda seems like you're mind is already made up and you're looking for verification.

 

[Mama Bear]

Keep in mind other things also can bring happiness, such as getting a good internship/postdoc/job and not being in huge debt.

 

[PsyDr]

Easy. You like Midwestern better. Do you like Midwestern $125,000 more than IUP? Because a lowball, napkin based estimate using a 5 year graduation target and a 6.8% interest rate puts the cost at around $250k for Midwestern and $125k for IUP. Before living expenses.

it’s actually more over the course of the loan, but I’m not your accountant, do your own math.

In more practical value: would you be willing to live in a house that’s worth $125k less, for the last 30 years of your life, because you liked the faculty? Would you be willing to live on HALF of your take home income for two years, and wait to start life for that time, to pay off your preference? If you’re single, are you willing to look a prospective fiancé in the eye and tell them that you’re $250k in debt, and that has extreme life consequences? Or are you willing to limit your future in other ways, including children’s education, your lifestyle, your car, your vacations, etc?

This is real money. Not throwing around $10k.

It absolutely can be done, but you’d better have a plan that is more “I’ll work 90hrs, never go out, delay starting a family” than “my cat doesn’t like long car rides”. And I love cat videos.

 

[summerbabe]

*formal neuropsych program- I absolutely love the director of the program and felt like she and I connected very well
*I felt much more connected with faculty and students

Connection is important since a PsyD is a long commitment and you'll need mentorship from faculty but as others have pointed out, you're also making a major business decision for your future.

IUP is better on every objective metric and I think it's important to consider the context of your emotional connection as occurring within a structured recruitment event and the experience itself of being in that program may or may not be 100% reflective of the interview experience.

Lastly, reasonably happy is pretty good for a PhD/PsyD because grad school in our field kinda sucks for a whole bunch of reasons. Even for those who had a good experience, I've never heard anybody who wished they could have spent even more time in school. Get in, get out, and get on with your life and career.

 

[ClinicalABA]

Some other points:
- Midwestern cohort size looks to be twice that of IUP
-Attrition rates are pretty bad at both places (remember- you should be looking back at data for students who started ~5 years ago, as attrition rates will naturally be lower for more recent years). 20%+ attrition is bad, and means a whole lot of people lost a whole lot of money

I moved 1.5 hours away for internship. Drove to new place with 2 cats in carriers in the front of moving van with me. Worst drive of my life- damned creatures howled like possessed demons for the entire ride!

 

[WorkLifeBalance]

I moved 1.5 hours away for internship. Drove to new place with 2 cats in carriers in the front of moving van with me. Worst drive of my life- damned creatures howled like possessed demons for the entire ride!

Re: moving cats. I moved two of them (plus a dog) from WA to TX... and then back again after grad school. Not fun, but they realized after a few hours that they weren't being driven to their doom (or they just gave up and accepted it), and the drive got much easier.

 

[str63]

Between those two, definitely IUP without a doubt. Better program and is cheaper.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

IUP

 

[modestmousktr]

this is going to sound cynical, but in my experience programs or practicum where I get overwhelmingly strong vibes from on an interview day tend to be toxic 🤣 the first choice sounds like a clear winner

 

[thebalmofhurtminds]

this is going to sound cynical, but in my experience programs or practicum where I get overwhelmingly strong vibes from on an interview day tend to be toxic 🤣 the first choice sounds like a clear winner

I don't know, I loved my program on interview day and it lived up to expectations. People were kind, the current grad students were happy (I met my now husband that day ), and the experiences matched up with the program materials. Regardless, before "vibes," it's important to make sure a program checks all of the competent boxes - funded, good practicum experiences, match with research supervisor, good match/licensure/EPPP pass rate, etc. Then you can think about vibes.

 

[bookwormpsych]

Hi! I interviewed and got waitlisted at IUP (bummer). In my researching months and months ago I also looked at Midwestern and Chicago as a whole. It can be crazy expensive there.

I think the numbers speak for themselves but, I also realllllllyyyy liked the faculty I interviewed with. If I were in this spot, which I'm not because apparently they didn't like me as much as I liked them LOL, I'd choose IUP over Midwestern hands down. I was super psyched about their assessment clinic like you mentioned, and they have 2-3 forensic faculty that I really wanted to work with.

However, housing in Indiana PA may be affordable but some of the houses (in my price range anyway) were reallllllyyyyyyy old and super gross (like, green plaid carpet gross). Not that that would deter me from moving, just a fun observation lol.

good luck in your endeavors!!!

 

[futureapppsy2]

Fwiw, IUP is having serious, serious financial problems (“firing tenured faculty and shutting down numerous departments “ level problems). It’s still a better choice than Midwestern, but I might be cautious, especially as grad student funding offer suffers in these situations: How the Pandemic Is Imperiling a Working-Class College

 

[MDSampson]

IUP no question, Midwestern is not very well regarded at all, and very expensive.

I am considering Midwestern Glendale also. Can you tell me why it’s not very well regarding? It seems that they have improved match rates in recent years, and that they are working to improve the program.

 

[WisNeuro]

I am considering Midwestern Glendale also. Can you tell me why it’s not very well regarding? It seems that they have improved match rates in recent years, and that they are working to improve the program.

Outward, it looks like there have been some improvements, though that has been a trend nationwide as there has been a significant increase in accredited internship positions offered. Historically not good numbers, and applicants don't tend to have practicum experiences we'd want to see coming from that area. My view is a little skewed towards the more neuro minded students as those are the applications I review more often. But they've generally been very weak. Haven't reviewed as many from the Glendale campus in recent years as I am no longer in the South, moreso now from the Downer's Grove site. Also, tuition is absurd.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I am considering Midwestern Glendale also. Can you tell me why it’s not very well regarding? It seems that they have improved match rates in recent years, and that they are working to improve the program.

I can't speak to the reputation or other subjective things, but the objective data on their own website raise some concerns:
-Relatively very high tuition/fees (40K/year)
-Large cohorts
-High attrition rates