On-line applications & PDF

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healthpsych

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Hey- I am applying to doctoral programs this year and am wondering if people are using on-line applications. I had planned to use them, because it is so much easier and saves $ on postage, but read in the "Insiders Guide to Clinical and Counseling Psych." that it's a bad idea, because you don't know where your application is sent and the formatting might get messed up. Has anyone successfully applied using online applications?

Additionally, for some schools, you cannot apply on-line, and I am wondering if anyone has suggestions on a good program to get to edit PDF applications downloaded from school websites, without having to buy the full version of Adobe Acrobat. I would like to avoid having to use a typewriter.
Thanks!

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I'm using the online forms whenever I have the opportunity. I think it is becoming standard, the schools themselves invariably request that you do so, and you're certainly not going to lose any competitive edge by doing so. The Insider's Guide just might be a little out of date on that one (the guide also assumes that you have endless hours to devote to a typewriter...).

As for the adobe question, most of the adobe docs are formatted as read only, so it doesn't even matter if you have acrobat or not. Your only hope to type directly in, in this case, is to copy the form into Word. This only works if the formatting is very simple. I haven't tried this -- this advice comes from the IT guy in my psych department.

My friend last year just neatly hand-wrote her apps, and she got interviews at over half of the schools. I don't think it's worth freaking out over, as long as your presentation is neat.
 
Type your applications, do not handwrite...
 
lazure said:
Type your applications, do not handwrite...

Thanks for the information. I would be nervous about handwriting applications and have decided to deal with the typewriter for schools were converting pdf to word messes up the document. It is nice that so many schools have online applications, and I agree that the "Insider's Guide" is probably outdated on that one. Thanks again!
 
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