Hi, I am currently a senior in high school and National Decision Day is coming up. I was accepted to Penn State- Main Campus with the intended major of Forensic Science and I was accepted to UMass Amherst with the intended major of Psychology. In the future I want to become a forensic psychologist. I received barely any money from Penn State and received a $12,000 merit based scholarship from UMass. I know I am going to be in debt no matter which school I chose so that isn’t the biggest factor. I can’t decide between the two schools. I enjoyed both campuses when I visited in the fall. I’ve always dreamed about going to school in Massachusetts but I loved Penn State’s environment and the camaraderie throughout the campus. I just can’t decide where to go! Any advice about which school to pick? Anything is appreciated!
If you continue on a forensic psych path, you’re going to need a clinical psych PhD. Admission to those programs is extremely competitive, usually in single digits, although they are typically funded. Many applicants do a couple years of work as a research assistant postgrad to improve their chances. RA jobs are not highly paid. All this to say that the usual CC advice to minimize student loan debt is worth your consideration.
Also, a forensic science undergrad degree would put you at a disadvantage compared to PhD applicants with psych degrees unless you plan your undergrad program very carefully to include most, if not all, of the courses required for a psych BA/BS. That may well require more than four years even if you have a fair amount of AP credit, and obviously increased time to complete your undergrad program means increased costs. Look at the outcomes for Penn State forensic psych grads to see where they wind up. I’m betting that all things being equal, a UMass psych major is more likely to be admitted to a clinical psych PhD program than a Penn State forensic science major.