<p>So, I'm deciding between 2 PhD programs in School Psychology...</p>
<p>School 1 is one of the most selective, prestigious programs in my field. I loved it when I visited and feel the faculty are an excellent fit for me and my interests. I really felt comfortable with the grad students I met. Excellent clinical and research training. Good location. I'm currently guaranteed a fellowship (full tuition waiver + partial [$6.5k] stipend) for two years and funding is very probable for the last two years--the program has fully funded all their students for the past 15 years. I talked to the faculty about the possibility of finding hourly RA work to supplement my stipend, and they say, while it's a "strong possibility," it's not guaranteed. If I didn't get supplemental work, I would have to take out ~$7k a year in loans for the first two years.</p>
<p>School 2 is a very solid program but not quite as selective/prestigious as School 1. I think the faculty would be good fits for my interests, but I didn't feel that I "clicked" as well with the students/faculty here as with School 1. I also have some concerns about the clinical training here, given the structure of the clinical training and some of the feedback I got from the current students on interview weekend, though the students historically do well in national internship match. I've been offered a GAship (renewable based on "satisfactory performance") at a research institute in <em>excellent</em> line with my interests as well as a fellowship. This would make my first year particularly well-funded and, provided the GAship was renewed, full funding for years 2-4. </p>
<p>I think both are very good programs and that I could succeed at either. My "gut feeling" in terms of fit would lean towards School 1 but School 2's GAship and its associated financial benefits and (excellent) research opportunities make it a VERY hard decision for me (and, yes, I'm extraordinarily lucky to be making it! :) ).</p>
<p>Do you want an academic career or a clinical career?</p>
<p>Academic career – option #1.</p>
<p>Clinical career – option #2.</p>
<p>In academics, the name matters. In the world, it doesn’t. I have a PhD, and that’s been my experience. I chose option #2, and at times I regretted and at times I didn’t, I was (am) grateful to never have loans.</p>
<p>I <em>did</em> get a full-time, tenured academic job, but not one as elite as I could have. Some of that was my doing, too. I ran out of steam on the publishing/conference merry-go-round.</p>
<p>Well, I want a split-clinical/research career, so getting excellent training in both is really important to me, and as I’d hopefully be a Co-PI/Co-I on grant applications one day, prestige may be a factor in that.</p>
<p>Well, if you’re at all interested in a research career, school #1 sounds like the better choice.</p>
<p>The school psychologists I’ve met from around the state seem to have primarily graduated from various state universities – nothing I’d call prestigious. Within the K-12 school environment, where you went to school is almost irrelevant to the hiring decision. (I say almost, because you do meet people in hiring roles who seem to have a chip on their shoulders against people who graduated from highly ranked “name” universities.)</p>
<p>I vote for program number one, the loans you mentioned are very reasonable for a high prestige program. I took 30K in loans 22 years ago to complete my clinical psychology degree for a program with great clinical training and I have never regretted spending the money.</p>
<p>That’s likely because pretty much <em>all</em> School Psychology PhD programs are at public universities (I can think of maybe 1 or 2 that aren’t). The issue of prestige and rankings, at the psych PhD level at least is a lot more “insular” than at the undergraduate level. For example, in clinical psych, Wisconsin and Minnesota are at the top of most ranking lists, despite being mid-tier universities at the UG level. For PsyD programs, Rutgers and Baylor are considered excellent programs, despite their middling undergrad rankings.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Much appreciated. :)</p>