You guys! I am so excited to share this series with you. A few weeks ago, I reached to the greatest group of professionals: my fellow School Psychs from around the country to get all the best advice for you all!
The idea to gather this information came from lots of questions from those wanting to enter the field, and feedback that I sometimes get form others that essentially says “that’s great, but that’s not how my job is”. I am the first to admit that I am lucky and grateful to have an amazing position and career, but not that all School Psychs are as lucky.
Furthermore…on to the good stuff! I asked 15 amazing School Psychologists from around the U.S. to share 1-2 pieces of advice for those applying to School Psych graduate programs. Here are some pieces of advice from them!
Look for the NASP Stamp of approval
“I think one thing might be to decide if they want to to look for a NASP approved program. The program I went to was not NASP approved, and at the time I didn’t even know enough to consider that as a factor.”
“If possible, apply to NASP-approved graduate programs. It makes getting your license MUCH easier.”
*I agree with this. When I was in graduate school, my program was in the process of obtaining their NASP approval, so we still followed the process. I’m glad it’s something I don’t have to worry about now.*
Make sure you understand what School Psychology really is
“Working in a school will be the most challenging and rewarding experience you can have.”
“Do not listen to everything you see on Facebook about the profession! School Psychology is very much what you make it. In my cohort of 8, we all had very different interests and have different experiences in the career now.:
“Shadow a school psychologist! Talk to multiple school psychs in different districts and/or states so you can really get a feel for what the job may entail. The reality is much different than the grad school bubble.”
*This is so true! School Psychology is Psychology, but you are first and foremost a school employee if you are working in a public school. I worked/shadowed 2 different school psychs before applying to my program*
Do what you can to make your application stand out
*Also, don’t hesitate to email or call faculty at the prospective graduate program to ask them specific questions. It shows interest, helps you stand out from other applicants, and gives you some answers about that program.*
Make sure you understand the demands of the program
“Make sure you’re okay with possibly not getting paid your third year, and possibly not working/only working part time for 1st and 2nd year. Go to grad school in the state you want to work in so you learn the state laws and licensure requirements.”
*This is important too. Paid internships in my state are uncommon, so I worked 100% unpaid my internship year, and luckily had a job that allowed flexibility my second year. It’s worth it in the end, but a big commitment during graduate school years*
Here are some more pieces of advice!
I often get messages from people looking to apply to graduate school, whom are still in college, or have been working in a different field and want to go back to school. Here are some stories of what other School Psychs have done before returning to school:
“I took some time between undergrad and grad school to decide on the best path. After working as an administrative assistant for a law center representing children in foster care I decided working with children was the path I wanted to take. Looking at grad programs in the area I settled on the school psychology program due the training model and variety of opportunities it provided. Additionally, my program was focused on serving culturally and linguistically diverse students and offered a bilingual certification.”
“I graduated from undergrad with a degree in Human Development. I knew I wanted to go back to school, but also knew that I needed a break. During my time off, I worked as a Job Coach for adults with disabilities, and I then did Applied Behavior Analysis in the home and Intensive In-Home Services. These jobs better prepared me for grad school and have given me a very different perspective on children than a lot of psychologists have.”
“I went straight into my program after graduating with my B.A. in psychology. I had summer camp jobs and a lot of my undergrad classes and were related to learning disabilities and behavior analysis.”
“I went straight from undergrad to graduate school. I earned a B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Applied Behavioral Science.”
“Went straight from high school to college, got a bachelors in psych and minored in education. Did internships in schools and completed a specialization in developmental disabilities.”