I've been accepted at the PhD program at Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. Any advice/opinion on whether it's a good program and how it compares with their PsyD? From the website, I got a little worried that the school building looks rather depressing. I'm an overseas student and am not familiar with California or US. What's it like living around that area?
PhD at Pacifice Graduate School of Psychology
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the area is super sweet, but also very expensive. the SF bay area is one of the most gorgeous regions of the country. cost of living is high.
i can't comment on the building or the school from experience. i have researched the school and it is still a bit of a mystery to me. that is, it might be a great place to go or it might not. It certainly depends on your personal and career goals.
they have bandura and a noted neuropsychologist on faculty, and opportunities for their students at stanford. They are supposedly moving into a new facility this summer. their faculty as a whole looks pretty good. however, most students there are probably pretty ordinary from an academic/scientific perspective. I am not sure about their clinical training. The numbers indicate that their students seem to be competitive. their APA match rate 75% ish (?) and I know that many students don't want to leave the area- because that's why i researched them myself.
I hear that they're "building out" some of their research areas by hiring new faculty. i'm not sure what it all means at the end of the day. PGSP appears to have a balanced program where you can get out of it what you put into it, as the saying goes. last but certainly not least, the price tag is something to consider. 36K/year i think.
edit: Zimbardo! whoops! i like bandura better though.
i can't comment on the building or the school from experience. i have researched the school and it is still a bit of a mystery to me. that is, it might be a great place to go or it might not. It certainly depends on your personal and career goals.
they have bandura and a noted neuropsychologist on faculty, and opportunities for their students at stanford. They are supposedly moving into a new facility this summer. their faculty as a whole looks pretty good. however, most students there are probably pretty ordinary from an academic/scientific perspective. I am not sure about their clinical training. The numbers indicate that their students seem to be competitive. their APA match rate 75% ish (?) and I know that many students don't want to leave the area- because that's why i researched them myself.
I hear that they're "building out" some of their research areas by hiring new faculty. i'm not sure what it all means at the end of the day. PGSP appears to have a balanced program where you can get out of it what you put into it, as the saying goes. last but certainly not least, the price tag is something to consider. 36K/year i think.
edit: Zimbardo! whoops! i like bandura better though.
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I got accepted to their PhD program too and am as confused as you are. I know, though, that Bandura isn't on the faculty but Zimbardo is. Bandura is in Stanford. The faculty at PGSP looks really good and the internship matching rates are pretty good as well. I'm just a bit worried about how I got accepted. They didn't interview me and accepted me after I got a rejection from their Stanford PsyD consortium program. Any thoughts on if it's a respectable program would be appreciated!
@ the site I am interning right now there is a PGSPP student who, for financial reasons, really regrets going to school there. That is probably because she racked up over $300K in debt in her 4 years there and now is facing astronomical loan repayments. Keep in mind, these are PRIVATE loans, which have crazy high interest rates.
When you see how much the tuition is, figure in double for living expenses.... I wouldn't accumulate that kind of debt for medical school, let alone a degree in clinical psychology. Wait another year, try hard, and get into a better school that doesn't charge so much.
When you see how much the tuition is, figure in double for living expenses.... I wouldn't accumulate that kind of debt for medical school, let alone a degree in clinical psychology. Wait another year, try hard, and get into a better school that doesn't charge so much.
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Why on earth did she take out private loans instead of government ones?
I don't know but government loans only cover so much. when you max those out, you have to hit the private loans. Why on Earth anybody would ever pay that amount so you could be a clinical psychologist is beyond me.... Eveyday I bang my head against the wall wishing I had gone to medical school instead of getting my PhD in clinical...and I got my degree almost for free.
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I paid too much for my doctorate, but all of it was covered through federal loans. My school cost about the same as PGSP.
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anyone else going to this PGSP open house thingy? come on, you can admit it . PM me and maybe we can be buddies for the day so it wont be all awkward during the lunch/reception (etc) periods.. i certainly want to engage the faculty and students but it would be cool to have a person/people to compare notes with.
cheers, #8
oh when i said mystery.. i generally meant that I am not sure about the quality of the education and opportunities offered by PGSP. it could be stellar or it could be so so. I have found evidence to suggest that it could be either. IMHO, the price is probably the biggest problem with their program, and mabye the only real problem for someone who wants a great balanced (clincial 1st research 2nd) education.
. PM me and maybe we can be buddies for the day so it wont be all awkward during the lunch/reception (etc) periods.. i certainly want to engage the faculty and students but it would be cool to have a person/people to compare notes with. cheers, #8
oh when i said mystery.. i generally meant that I am not sure about the quality of the education and opportunities offered by PGSP. it could be stellar or it could be so so. I have found evidence to suggest that it could be either. IMHO, the price is probably the biggest problem with their program, and mabye the only real problem for someone who wants a great balanced (clincial 1st research 2nd) education.
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I will be attending the student admit day tomorrow. PGSP is the only program I applied to this round and was accepted without an interview--which I found to be odd. I have been skeptical of PGSP from the very beginning and now, ironically, I am in a position where I will likely matriculate there. I applied last round to an array of other programs and was accepted into my second choice (fully funded program) but in the end couldn't matriculate due to some geographical constraints. That was a sad day.
Historically, my biggest problems with PGSP have been it's reputation and the cost. The concerns around reputation seemed to have somewhat mitigated over time but I can't seem to shake the notion of the stigma it might carry---that will follow me around throughout my career. However, I have spoken to many clinicians in the community that hold PGSP in high regard. The costs of this program, however, are an atrocity....and well documented on these forums.
My goals in graduate school, first and foremost, are to be well positioned for a career in research in neuropsychology, perhaps academia, when all is said and done. I am concerned about the research opportunities PGSP offers it's students to get out papers, publish, conferences...etc. The feedback I get is that there is an abundance of opportunity to publish but the program seems so clinically oriented.
I hope tomorrow's orientation day provides me more evidence to ameliorate this nasty pit in my stomach.
Historically, my biggest problems with PGSP have been it's reputation and the cost. The concerns around reputation seemed to have somewhat mitigated over time but I can't seem to shake the notion of the stigma it might carry---that will follow me around throughout my career. However, I have spoken to many clinicians in the community that hold PGSP in high regard. The costs of this program, however, are an atrocity....and well documented on these forums.
My goals in graduate school, first and foremost, are to be well positioned for a career in research in neuropsychology, perhaps academia, when all is said and done. I am concerned about the research opportunities PGSP offers it's students to get out papers, publish, conferences...etc. The feedback I get is that there is an abundance of opportunity to publish but the program seems so clinically oriented.
I hope tomorrow's orientation day provides me more evidence to ameliorate this nasty pit in my stomach.
I hear good things too but it's just the way they accepted me. I mean other phd programs make you go to hell and back and you still don't get accepted. How can a respected phd program accept students without an interview!? I'm waiting on my first choice and might end up at PGSP if that doesn't work out. Please give us (those who can't make it to the open house day) feedback when you return. Good luck!!
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So I attended the New Admit day today and found it to be informative, well organized and generally a positive one overall. Phil Zimbardo gave a splendid and humorous talk to kick things off. From there, other faculty gave talks about clinical training and the many areas of research.
What I found most surprising is how deep their collaborative ties are with Stanford University. The PsyD consortium aside, there seems to be some opportunity for the PGSP PhD to access Stanford University's many resources... from equipment (ie: imaging), to collaborating with a Stanford lab on a paper, or having Stanford faculty sit on your dissertation committee. None of this will show up on your degree of course, but I'd imagine it could make the PGSP graduate experience a more well rounded one that could pay dividends when it's time apply for internship or post-docs. While PGSPs alliance with Stanford is intriguing, there also appear to be ties with UCSF as well as much deeper ties with the Palo Alto VA--which is very appealing to those pursuing neuropsychology.
Lastly, PGSP is changing their name to Palo Alto University beginning this Fall. I'm not sure why this appeals to me...but it does.
Oh, and VERY lastly, there is a brand new campus launching this Fall nestled in the Palo Alto Hills.
***I don't have a response to the weird admitting practices of PGSP (ie: Palo Alto University). From asking around today, I discovered several others that were admitted without an interview. I did not, however, find these same people, on the surface at least, to be weird, skeptical, unqualified or (fill in your own disparaging adjective).
Good Luck guys and I hope this was helpful.
What I found most surprising is how deep their collaborative ties are with Stanford University. The PsyD consortium aside, there seems to be some opportunity for the PGSP PhD to access Stanford University's many resources... from equipment (ie: imaging), to collaborating with a Stanford lab on a paper, or having Stanford faculty sit on your dissertation committee. None of this will show up on your degree of course, but I'd imagine it could make the PGSP graduate experience a more well rounded one that could pay dividends when it's time apply for internship or post-docs. While PGSPs alliance with Stanford is intriguing, there also appear to be ties with UCSF as well as much deeper ties with the Palo Alto VA--which is very appealing to those pursuing neuropsychology.
Lastly, PGSP is changing their name to Palo Alto University beginning this Fall. I'm not sure why this appeals to me...but it does.
Oh, and VERY lastly, there is a brand new campus launching this Fall nestled in the Palo Alto Hills.
***I don't have a response to the weird admitting practices of PGSP (ie: Palo Alto University). From asking around today, I discovered several others that were admitted without an interview. I did not, however, find these same people, on the surface at least, to be weird, skeptical, unqualified or (fill in your own disparaging adjective).
Good Luck guys and I hope this was helpful.
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pgsp only interviews students when they're unsure weather to admit or deny their applications.
the stanford/PGSP PsyD consortium has 30 spots. i imagine that they get a few times that number in applicants who are highly qualified applicants. thus, they offer some psyD applicants admission to their phd program.
i was also at their open house and strongly agree with socialcog's statements (in fact, i think i spent a good portion of the day chatting with him, even though i had no idea until now - hey there). it seems like a good place with talented faculty and a very diverse and also talented body of students. their ties to Stanford are long standing and growing. it is a really expensive place and theres no getting around that.
the cost changes the game, however. the faculty recognize that you are paying them a lot of money. there's an empowerment of the student there. that is, in some sense, the faculty work for you. granted, everyone from PGSP was on their best behavior during the open house but it still struck me as an interesting dynamic. as a traditional doctoral student who gets tuition remission and a stipend your rear is bought and paid for. as a professional student, you are buying something. i imagine that the day-to-day differences are more subtle than overt. however, their well articulated and intensive plan for clinical training, their flexibility in meeting your needs as a student, and the level of freedom that their students have to select their own interests demonstrates that PGSP serious about giving you as much as they can for your $$$.
my 0.02.
still don't know if i'm going to go. so exspensive!. all things considered, being that i am tied to the area, i'm leaning towards it.
the stanford/PGSP PsyD consortium has 30 spots. i imagine that they get a few times that number in applicants who are highly qualified applicants. thus, they offer some psyD applicants admission to their phd program.
i was also at their open house and strongly agree with socialcog's statements (in fact, i think i spent a good portion of the day chatting with him, even though i had no idea until now - hey there). it seems like a good place with talented faculty and a very diverse and also talented body of students. their ties to Stanford are long standing and growing. it is a really expensive place and theres no getting around that.
the cost changes the game, however. the faculty recognize that you are paying them a lot of money. there's an empowerment of the student there. that is, in some sense, the faculty work for you. granted, everyone from PGSP was on their best behavior during the open house but it still struck me as an interesting dynamic. as a traditional doctoral student who gets tuition remission and a stipend your rear is bought and paid for. as a professional student, you are buying something. i imagine that the day-to-day differences are more subtle than overt. however, their well articulated and intensive plan for clinical training, their flexibility in meeting your needs as a student, and the level of freedom that their students have to select their own interests demonstrates that PGSP serious about giving you as much as they can for your $$$.
my 0.02.
still don't know if i'm going to go. so exspensive!
. all things considered, being that i am tied to the area, i'm leaning towards it.
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I wanted to get a early glimpse of where the new campus was located and, after some searching, I found it. My initial impression was that the campus was in the middle of nowhere. When I eventually found it, I had changed my opinion.
The property was gated off so I wasn't able to see the construction site or anything else on the property. I will say is that it is fairly deep into the Palo Alto hills, several miles west of highway 280, as well as from Stanford University's Medical Institutes (Stanford Prevention Research Center). The view from the somewhat serpentine road was serene; lush green rolling hills and vast, undisturbed by any commercial or residential dwelling. The address once housed the American Institute for Research.
The campus is about one mile west of the Enid Pearson Arastradero (nature) Preserve: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arastradero_Preserve
There I found a potpourri of outdoor enthusiasts including hikers, road and mountain bikers. I was admittedly taken by the surroundings.
This is another positive entry for PGSP for me. I just wanted to share.
The property was gated off so I wasn't able to see the construction site or anything else on the property. I will say is that it is fairly deep into the Palo Alto hills, several miles west of highway 280, as well as from Stanford University's Medical Institutes (Stanford Prevention Research Center). The view from the somewhat serpentine road was serene; lush green rolling hills and vast, undisturbed by any commercial or residential dwelling. The address once housed the American Institute for Research.
The campus is about one mile west of the Enid Pearson Arastradero (nature) Preserve: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arastradero_Preserve
There I found a potpourri of outdoor enthusiasts including hikers, road and mountain bikers. I was admittedly taken by the surroundings.
This is another positive entry for PGSP for me. I just wanted to share.
Hello, I got accepted as well as was a little concerned with the way I got admitted. I went to the new admit day as well and I had a similar experiences. It felt right. For whatever it is worth. lol. I'm still a little anxious, but at this stage now I'm committed good or bad. I've also heard go things about the school - that it is a solid program. Has anyone else decided to attend in the fall?
However I do have a question for socialcog. Why did PGSP have a bad reputation?
However I do have a question for socialcog. Why did PGSP have a bad reputation?
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I can't attest that the 'bad reputation' of PGSP is an opinion shared by all, or even most, but will affirm that, particularly on these forums, is an opinion carried by some --at least. My sense is that there are largely two parts about PGSP that bolsters this opinion. The first one being the cost, specifically the cost/earning potential ratio; the other being the relatively lenient (if not goofy) admissions policies, historically speaking.
Personally, I have several challenging goals that I have set for myself while in graduate school. If I am not provided the much needed resources, then I will not meet those goals--full stop. If I were at a fully funded university, this would likely not be an issue. Adding insult, since I will be paying for this education, I understandably have engendered an 'entitlement' to these resources and am deeply concerned PGSP may not be able to provide them to me. It is my hope that I will be able to sate these needs at Stanford, however that remains to be seen. Too many question marks for my liking.
This endeavor is not about just getting the PhD and calling myself 'Dr. Socialcog'. If it were, I'd cut out a coupon from some magazine and mail away for one. For me, it's about the work, the research and making a contribution that is meaningful.
All that aside, since my acceptance I have found PGSP to be professional and responsive. I have been impressed with their faculty, the work they've produced and the high standards they appear to hold their students to.
Their neuropsychology track is highly regarded even though they don't have a scanner. (**grumble.....I need a damn scanner!)
See you in the fall.
D
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I know this is anecdotal, but I had a few guest lectures from a Ph.D. graduate from PGSP, and I came away impressed. Of course this was on the MMPI and she had worked with Dr. Greene for sometime, but she was very bright and really on top of things.
Now I know that one student can be the exception, but I was impressed.
Mark
Now I know that one student can be the exception, but I was impressed.
Mark
