Yeah, it's not fair that older people are the ones who seem to go to the professional schools, based on the fact that PhD programs are just not welcoming to older folks in many ways.
*** Well I am glad I came on here, one of my profs over winter break was the first to tell me of a possible bias due to age...the entire time I thought the exact opposite would be true! hah! At least this could lessen the blows if I get rejected by places.
If you want to do therapy exclusively, a masters is the way to go--many older people do this. It's a welcoming path. That's the path I'm on, but I want to go further because I want to teach and do research. I know MSWs who are in private practice and/or do a variety of different clinical positions. Maybe because of your professional experience you have seen this path only, but there are many options with that degree.
***I will probably explore that option, my program actually is trying to add an additional year to the program so you can get licensed at the masters level. If they have it on line and I get rejected by PhDs, maybe I will stick around for a 3rd year and get the dual masters completed. I have not looked into MSWs at all though so that will be some summer homework to figure out the various options at the masters level. I quickly looked at some MSW programs after reading that comment, and the coursework looked like it would drive me nutty...tons of social service classes and stuff about populations I want nothing to do with. There are certain options though for me that would not be available unless I was a licensed psychologist. BUT like I said I will roll with the punches as I am older, and have been through hell in many respects so if not getting into a PhD is the worst thing that happens to me I am still blessed big time. I will say that despite my first MS being at probably the top place for that niche area, it did not provide enough training to step out into the real world and work. It was more a general overview and a rubber stamp to get your foot in the door for certain jobs. The current masters I am in is wonderful in some regards, however I can tell you now it is not going to prepare me to walk out of school and work. I will need to still do additional coursework, seminars, conferences, and internships. I would not let anyone straight out of a performance enhancement/sport psychology masters anywhere near athletes or police officers I train. So I would hate to go do a third masters in counseling, but still be yearing to learn more and want to keep going further.
I was told my research interests were "too clinical" by an experimental (research-only) program, when I know they only got that from my CV and never bothered to ask about it at the interview. I want research training, that's why I applied, and had a great match there. I did the clinical training so that I would have options if someday I needed to work!! Now I'm branded as a "clinical" person. It's ridiculous.
*** Im sorry to hear that. Seriously, but it seems you will keep knocking on doors until you get in. Once you get your shot, someone will have a nice grad student on their hands.
Otherwise, I do think it's a complicated thing. Many places don't want people with a masters degree (who are naturally older and/or who will likely have applied experience). The reason for this depends on who you talk to, and ranges from research fellowships not being available to those with a masters (and therefore make you less desirable since you can't get that funding) to the fact that academics themselves frown upon life experience because they themselves are straight out of school who never really existed in the real world and they prefer people like them.
***Great, I will have two masters...guess no one will want to fund anything I do! 🙂 Yes thats another thing a prof said to me is that I am not "one of them" in relation to most PhD program profs...mainly people who did undergrad to grad school and stayed in academics with very little real world experience, and the prof said they could prefer little goobers like themselves and in a sense my background could be a little intimidating. Trust me Im a nice guy, but I guess on paper without knowing me someone would look at a 5 page CV full of high level athletic experiences and awards, lots of military and SWAT training, being a college strength coach, etc and picture me as someone who picked on them in high school or college. I guess if that is the case and professors at a particular program do not want someone with all my life experiences, I would not want to be there either. I want to be somewhere I am appreciated and its a great learning environment. Certainly I wish I could transplant a lot of the knowledge and brainpower that some professors have Ive met. There is a ton I could learn from folks who have done the pure academic route, and I would like to be somewhere an academic could appreciate learning from my feedback as well.
I know that when I am a professor, I will most definitely only look at students with life experience, maturity, and masters degrees!
