Pacific Graduate School of Psych phone interview

[greensky]

Hi,

I am really irritated. I applied to the Pacific Graduate School of Psych PhD program, and they called me over two months ago for an interview. I explained to them that I am now on the east coast, so would prefer to do a phone interview. They said I could but still haven't given me a date. I have called every week for the passed month and they keep saying they do not have the phone interview dates yet!
I have already been accepted at several PsyD programs both on the east and west coast and they want to know my decision soon. Should I just give up on Pacific. It is a PhD program, but they seem so disorganized since I have been going back and forth with them for over a month. Also, many of the PsyD programs I applied to have much better internship match rates and are a lot cheaper...what should I do?

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[mindbrain]

This does sound irritating, but try to keep in mind that you don't have to accept until April 15th. Yes, you should let programs know as soon as you've made a decision, but they should not be pressuring you to make your decision.
Your feeling that the program is disorganized, not having great match rates and being expensive are all reasons to consider going elsewhere. I have to say though that I interviewed at PGSP in January (albeit for the Psy.D. Consortium) and was really really impressed.
Long story short, my advice is to take your experience trying to get this phone interview into consideration, but don't shut any doors until you need to.

 

[Aggieanthony]

Hi,

I am really irritated. I applied to the Pacific Graduate School of Psych PhD program, and they called me over two months ago for an interview. I explained to them that I am now on the east coast, so would prefer to do a phone interview. They said I could but still haven't given me a date. I have called every week for the passed month and they keep saying they do not have the phone interview dates yet!
I have already been accepted at several PsyD programs both on the east and west coast and they want to know my decision soon. Should I just give up on Pacific. It is a PhD program, but they seem so disorganized since I have been going back and forth with them for over a month. Also, many of the PsyD programs I applied to have much better internship match rates and are a lot cheaper...what should I do?

This isn't the first time I've seen this on SDN! A couple weeks ago, I was reading a thread and a poster was discussing his or her bad experiences with the Ph.D side of things at PGSP. Things akin to what you're describing - Losing of paperwork, failure to return phone calls, etc... Just generally poor customer service. Since professional schools are a business, moreso than state universities I would reckon, you'd think their customer service would be number one priority.

That said, the Psy.D side of things at PGSP-Stanford (consortium) was a great experience, from the open house to the interview to everything in between. I would suspect, then, that perhaps the same folks in charge of the PhD side of things are not the same as the ones in charge of the PsyD. But, who is to say...

Sorry to hear you're having troubles, but you've got lots of other open doors, so don't be discouraged.

 

[73BARMYPgsp]

Hi,

I am really irritated. I applied to the Pacific Graduate School of Psych PhD program, and they called me over two months ago for an interview. I explained to them that I am now on the east coast, so would prefer to do a phone interview. They said I could but still haven't given me a date. I have called every week for the passed month and they keep saying they do not have the phone interview dates yet!
I have already been accepted at several PsyD programs both on the east and west coast and they want to know my decision soon. Should I just give up on Pacific. It is a PhD program, but they seem so disorganized since I have been going back and forth with them for over a month. Also, many of the PsyD programs I applied to have much better internship match rates and are a lot cheaper...what should I do?

For some reason, the site is not letting me send you an PM. I can contact the office and see what the hold up is if you want, but I need your name somehow. I am a 5th year at PGSP in the PhD program.

 

[socialcog]

I haven't had the same experience with PGSP. To the contrary, I have found them responsive both on the admin side as well as the academic side.

Since they deal with far greater numbers with respect to applicants and offers, I wonder if there is the greater liklihood of items falling through the cracks.

good luck.

 

[Juj]

For some reason, the site is not letting me send you an PM. I can contact the office and see what the hold up is if you want, but I need your name somehow. I am a 5th year at PGSP in the PhD program.

I was accepted to the PGSP phd program and am considering it. The faculty looks very good, the area is great, but I'm still not 100% sure. It would be great to hear from someone who's been through the program. Any words of advice? Any info is appreciated!!

Thank you!

 

[lucmark]

Just for your information, if PGSP is giving you the run around it is probably because you are not on the top of the list. This makes sense. If your profile tells them they want you, then you would have been accepted in early March.

 

[critter]

I am in the last quarter of my first year in the PGSP Ph.D program. They laid off half of the staff, so it is possible that is to blame. Recession effects and rather than lay off any professors they let staff go.

Faculty is amazing, admin is pretty disorganized and at times frustrating, work load is tremendous, and cost can be manageable if you plan. Anyone who is flat broke and planning to live off loans will walk out of the program buried in debt, which I would expect would happen for that individual no matter where they went. After all is said and done? I have one of their fellowship (grants), 2 part time jobs and am going going into debt at about 15 grand a year - which I would expect if I was going to school on loans anywhere.

BTW, all this talk about professional schools as a business and for profit thing? PGSP is a non profit school - not a business (Probably would be better run as a business!). Difference in cost is a reflection of lack of undergrads to subsidize the grad program and the fact that PGSP pays rather well for faculty to attract some pretty great professors. You would have access to some great research, support is incredible - everyone from the tenured professor down has open door policies.

All I can say is even after the stress of the first year I would do it again.

 

[greensky]

Just for your information, if PGSP is giving you the run around it is probably because you are not on the top of the list. This makes sense. If your profile tells them they want you, then you would have been accepted in early March.

Thanks. I actually was accepted. There was a problem with the phone number they had. However, I decided to go to Columbia instead.

 

[numbereight]

thanks! good "review"

I am in the last quarter of my first year in the PGSP Ph.D program. They laid off half of the staff, so it is possible that is to blame. Recession effects and rather than lay off any professors they let staff go.

Faculty is amazing, admin is pretty disorganized and at times frustrating, work load is tremendous, and cost can be manageable if you plan. Anyone who is flat broke and planning to live off loans will walk out of the program buried in debt, which I would expect would happen for that individual no matter where they went. After all is said and done? I have one of their fellowship (grants), 2 part time jobs and am going going into debt at about 15 grand a year - which I would expect if I was going to school on loans anywhere.

BTW, all this talk about professional schools as a business and for profit thing? PGSP is a non profit school - not a business (Probably would be better run as a business!). Difference in cost is a reflection of lack of undergrads to subsidize the grad program and the fact that PGSP pays rather well for faculty to attract some pretty great professors. You would have access to some great research, support is incredible - everyone from the tenured professor down has open door policies.

All I can say is even after the stress of the first year I would do it again.

 

[marblegatherer]

I went to PGSP in 2001-2002, and I had a lot of the same issues. Since then, getting transcripts, etc for internship was also a process of disorganization and difficulty.

I transferred to CIIS (www.ciis.edu), which is a PsyD program, but I loved it. You might also consider the Stanford/PGSP PsyD consortium.

I know Saybrook also has great professors (one was a clinical supervisor of mine).

Good luck!