The Chicago School

[Borderline]

What is the general feeling on this place? It isn't easy to find information on... I wish I knew about Internship stats, and how it's accepted in the community. Anyone know anything? What do you guys think about the Psy.D. program there?

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[HeyJude]

A good friend of mine is in her 4th year at the school. She complains about the yearly increases in class sizes and tuition. It may have been more reputable a few years ago, but she seems to think that the standards are now far below what a doctoral program should have. I believe their internship stats are around average but include non-APA sites (a general no-no).

Further, as a chicago native, you'll find advertisements for the school all over town. This is a very commercial institution. You should ask yourself if you want to attend school that is advertising for more applicants.

In my personal opinion, it is about half a step above the argosy genre but not nearly worth the money you'd be investing.

 

[Cosmo75]

I'm on an APA-approved internship and am a CSOPP student. I have to agree with the previous poster's sentiments about her friend who's in their 4th year. The school has grown a lot in the past 4 years to the dismay of many of us. Unfortunately I don't see the trend stopping until someone puts the smackdown on the administration. It is still a not for profit institution, but it feels less like the small school it was when I applied. The internship match rates are around 85%. I only know a few people in my cohort who didn't match. Some went to clearinghouse, but picked up something there. These stats include APPIC only site matches I'm assuming. I don't know what the APA site match rate is.

The school does offer a lot of great opportunities, especially if you're interested in diversity. There are many strengths to the program. I'm just concerned that with the growth that the quality is going to suffer. I can't comment on what it's like now as a first year since I'm pretty much done.

 

[psytudent]

.The Chicago School's internship data can be found here:
.
http://employee.thechicagoschool.ed...ulletin_march07_grad_education_psychology.pdf

. I am currently on internship from the Chicago School, and I would only somewhat agree with the comments made by HeyJude. Admission standards have noticeably decreased since I was accepted almost five years ago, and the school has indeed become more commercialized during that time, although I also see Google ads for UIUC and Loyola programs – a bit curious considering how many apps. they receive.

Nevertheless, the clinical training remains substantially better than other prof. schools in the area, i.e. Argosy, Adler, Midwestern, etc. as well as some local trad. schools such as Roosevelt. Having trained with and worked beside Ph.D. student from various programs around Chicago, I have never felt clinically or academically inadequate, and was even able to land myself a two-year paid research assistantship at a major research-oriented university. I also have a couple publications, and one manuscript in the oven, but I have been unusually proactive in seeking out research opportunities.

However, because of the larger cohort size, I think that it is easier for less-motivated individuals to "fall through the cracks" and traverse the path of least resistence on their way to their degree. Having said that, the cream rises to the top, and the upper 1/3 of each cohort, in my opinion, can match the typical Ph.D. student on a clinical, and sometimes research, level. Admittedly, the bottom 1/3 should have never been accepted, and their eventual matriculation only cheapens the degree and leaves prof. schools vulnerable to unfairly generalizable criticisms.

I would definitely like to see CSOPP make some fundamental changes to their admission standards and rate of acceptance, but I would still recommend attending CSOPP if you want to receive a competitive clinical and scholarly education. There are also opportunities to supplement your experience at CSOPP w/ research through faculty members, dissertation projects, or, like I mentioned above, outside sources..

 

[baylordude]

Just to provide some supporting anecdotal evidence about their seemingly loose admissions standards: I applied there for fall 08 admission. After my interview, I was told that I would be informed about their final decision in approximately 2 weeks. The next day as I was driving back home, I received a call stating that they were pleased to offer me a spot in the incoming cohort. It was hard for me to believe that they could make an informed decision so quickly, especially when considering that sooo many people showed up on interview day.

 

[BellaPsyD]

.

Nevertheless, the clinical training remains substantially better than other prof. schools in the area, i.e. Argosy, Adler, Midwestern, etc. ..

I didn't think MWU is a professional school?

 

[psytudent]

Why? Don't all of these schools kind of farm out their clinical training? Meaning, you compete with all of them for practicum slots? Roosevelt is also a professional school. I'm serious, by the way. Why is CSPP better for clinical training?

While I agree that, similar to other prof. schools, they "farm out" their clinical training, I was referring to the seminar classes and mentoring that student receive which augments their outside clinical training/supervision. I feel that CSOPP has, for the most part, positioned themselves well in hiring highly qualified instructors and professors who understand the difference between "telling" and "teaching". I think many other prof. schools fail to recognize this important distinction, as evidenced by the lack of critical thinking skills among many of their students/graduates.

 

[wetcement]

I'd like to piggyback on Borderline's original post and ask specifically if anyone has any experience with CSOPP's Child & Adolescent track or Dr Bianka Hardin, the head faculty member of that program. I think it's a really good match for my career goals, but I don't know anyone who has done a fellowship through a Psy D. They only take 6-8 a year, just trying to create the strongest application possible...

 

[Ex1844]

College is now a business more than it is anything else. Money talks!

 

[sagepsych]

I heard this school merged with the California Graduate Institute in Los Angeles

 

[Cosmo75]

I heard this school merged with the California Graduate Institute in Los Angeles

That's correct.

 

[Alvination]

So when looking for jobs/careers, is there a stigma associated with professional schools? I'm looking into the I/O psych program at CSPP.

 

[Cosmo75]

So when looking for jobs/careers, is there a stigma associated with professional schools? I'm looking into the I/O psych program at CSPP.

In some places, yes you will run into problems. Mostly in the traditional academic world. If you are interested in I/O I doubt most corporations will know the difference between the PhD and PsyD nor care. CSOPP has a good I/O program from what I've heard, though I've never taken classes in that track. I believe the cohort sizes are considerably smaller than the clinical program as well, but don't quote me on that.

 

[Alvination]

Thanks for the reply. But yea, I think in the academic world some will kind of look down on it. But I think I'll go for my master's and enter the HR or consulting world.

 

[PsyDApplicant08]

Just to provide some supporting anecdotal evidence about their seemingly loose admissions standards: I applied there for fall 08 admission. After my interview, I was told that I would be informed about their final decision in approximately 2 weeks. The next day as I was driving back home, I received a call stating that they were pleased to offer me a spot in the incoming cohort. It was hard for me to believe that they could make an informed decision so quickly, especially when considering that sooo many people showed up on interview day.

Can I ask how long it took from the time you submitted your application until the time you got a call for an interview? I applied there and submitted my application about a month ago. I just realized from my school that when they went to send my transcript, they added an extra digit to the address so it never got there. It was recently cleared up, but I hope this doesn't affect my application!

 

[wetcement]

PsyD8,

I also applied to the Chicago School too. Did you get any confirmation that your app is in progress with the review board? I got an email and a letter. The letter stated that I was welcome to contact the school to make sure my app was complete. My feeling is that a late transcript is no big deal since you have already sent it. Hope to see ya there!

 

[PsyDApplicant08]

PsyD8,

I also applied to the Chicago School too. Did you get any confirmation that your app is in progress with the review board? I got an email and a letter. The letter stated that I was welcome to contact the school to make sure my app was complete. My feeling is that a late transcript is no big deal since you have already sent it. Hope to see ya there!

I didn't actually get any email from them. I did email them and tried to call (but there was no answer). I hope the transcript thing doesn't arise as an issue. They should definitely have it by now..

 

[Clinic Girl]

I'm on an APA-approved internship and am a CSOPP student. I have to agree with the previous poster's sentiments about her friend who's in their 4th year. The school has grown a lot in the past 4 years to the dismay of many of us. Unfortunately I don't see the trend stopping until someone puts the smackdown on the administration. It is still a not for profit institution, but it feels less like the small school it was when I applied. The internship match rates are around 85%. I only know a few people in my cohort who didn't match. Some went to clearinghouse, but picked up something there. These stats include APPIC only site matches I'm assuming. I don't know what the APA site match rate is.

The school does offer a lot of great opportunities, especially if you're interested in diversity. There are many strengths to the program. I'm just concerned that with the growth that the quality is going to suffer. I can't comment on what it's like now as a first year since I'm pretty much done.

The school sells itself very well. A close friend of mine is a first year student there and she and most of her classmates are very frustrated overall. First term the school had to use the computer lab as a classroom because they somehow didn't know how many students they'd taken and didn't have enough classrooms for them. That's now resolved as they have new space in the merchandise mart. They are routinely 4 -6 weeks behind on what they say they're going to put out for students, with no regard as to how this affects the students' schedules. For example, they have this practicum database and they told the students that they were going to have it up by the first week in December so the students could look through it and decide where they wanted to apply. Nope, didn't open up until January 8, but the school still made the students adhere to the deadline for their materials 3 weeks later. They didn't have enough WISC kits and so one class didn't get a kit until two weeks before the end of the term. And, another class had an instructor that wouldn't give them a syllabus and told them they were grad students, they should be able to figure out the test (they were learning the WAIS). It definitely has become more of a business model than an environment focused on the students. Oh, and they recently came out and said that all the students had to pay for a background check so they could have it in their files.

All that said, my friend says she has had good experience with most of her instructors. I can't imagine that CSPP is any better or any worse than the other professional schools in Chicago: Argosy, Adler and Roosevelt. Argosy gets a bad rap because of its national name, but they have the first established professional school and a lot of educators in Chicago got their degrees there. And Adler has its own clinic and allows for some "alternative" healing such as art therapy and the like, making it perhaps a more well-rounded institution.

OP: CSPP presents itself better than they follow through. They're well known and are growing, and their students are about as well-respected as the other programs in the City. Remember that they're a business and they're main focus right now is their own growth. You will get a decent education there, from what my friend is telling me based on her one-term of experience. It wouldn't be my top choice based on complaints from her and her school friends, and other posts from students further along.