2008 APPIC Match: Survey of Internship Applicants
Part 1: Summary of Survey Results
July 27, 2008
This report contains the first of three parts of the results from the survey of applicants who were registered for the 2008 APPIC Match.
This survey of applicants who were registered for the 2008 APPIC Match was conducted via the internet between February 25 and April 2, 2008. All 3,759 applicants who registered for the APPIC Match were sent an e-mail message (along with two reminder e-mails) about the availability of the survey at a specific internet address. A total of 2,637 internship applicants (70%) completed some or all of the survey.
Results of the survey are presented below. Missing data and "Not Applicable" responses were eliminated, and percentages do not necessarily total 100% due to rounding. Some survey items requested open-ended comments about the AAPI, APPIC Directory Online, the Match, etc. that are not reported below. However, these anonymous comments were reviewed by the appropriate APPIC Board and/or committee members who are responsible for each area.
Some of the more interesting findings from this survey include:
1. DEBT: Applicants reported their mean debt load related to
graduate level study in psychology was $75,654 (SD = 62,483,
median = $70,000) at the time of the survey (see question 11).
More than one-third (38%) reported a debt of $100,000
or higher, while 15% reported debt exceeding $150,000.
Please note that these figures do not include any additional
debt that these students will accrue during the remainder of
their graduate training (e.g., during internship).
2. CLASS SIZE: Applicants reported the number of students in
their entering doctoral class and the number of students
in their program who applied to internship this year (see
questions 9 and 10). Approximately 17% of applicants
reported having an entering doctoral class that exceeded 40
students, while 12% reported having more than 40 students
from their program apply to internship this year.
3. COST: The average total cost of participating in the
selection process increased this year, up 11.0%. This
compares to a 1.7% increase from 2006 to 2007.
As seen in previous years, the cost of participation varied
dramatically across applicants. While the average applicant
spent $1,702 (SD = $1,493, median = $1,325), many applicants
spent considerably less while many spent considerably more
(see question 23).
4. PREVIOUS PARTICIPATION: Approximately 9% of applicants
reported having participated in a previous APPIC Match
(see question 13). This compares to 7% in 2007, 6% in
2006 and 2005, and 5% in 2004.
5. GENDER: Approximately 79% of internship applicants in the
2008 Match were female (see question 34). Questions 29-37
provide additional demographic information.
6. NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS: Applicants submitted an average of
13.9 internship applications (see question 18) and received
an average of 6.4 interviews (see question 20). The mean
numbers of submitted applications in previous years were:
2007 Match 13.4 applications
2006 Match 12.9 applications
2005 Match 12.4 applications
2004 Match 12.4 applications
2003 Match 12.1 applications
2002 Match 13.1 applications
1999 Match 13.8 applications
7. PRACTICUM HOURS: Question 42 provides the median numbers
of practicum hours reported by applicants. Intervention
and Assessment hours increased by 3% as compared to the
2007 Match, while Supervision hours increased by 2%.
APPIC recommends that applicants interpret these numbers
cautiously. Applicants should NOT assume that the numbers
of practicum hours reported are necessary to successfully
obtain an internship, as many Training Directors have told
us that they consider these raw numbers to be one of the
less important aspects of an application.
8. SALARY: Matched applicants reported a mean internship
salary of $22,794 (SD = $7,911, median = $22,800). See
question 26.
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1. Type of Doctoral Program
Clinical 2091 79 %
Counseling 328 12 %
School 127 5 %
Combined 62 2 %
Other 27 1 %
INTERPRETATION NOTE: A "combined" program could mean: (a) a doctoral
program that defines itself as a "combined" program (e.g., clinical-
school), or (b) an arrangement negotiated by a student in which he/she
integrates the curricula of two separate doctoral programs at his/her
school.
2. Degree Sought
Ph.D. 1521 58 %
Psy.D. 1104 42 %
Ed.D. 0 0 %
Other 10 0 %
NOTE: Eight of the ten who designated “other” reported that they were
respecializing.
3. Is your doctoral program APA- or CPA-accredited?
Yes 2488 95 %
No 139 5 %
4. Location of your doctoral Program
United States 2525 96%
Canada 80 3%
Other, please specify 18 1%
5. Is your program housed within a religiously-affiliated institution?
Yes 356 14 %
No 2256 86 %
6. Please select the training model of your DOCTORAL program (as you
specified on your AAPI):
Scientist-Practitioner 1292 49%
Practitioner-Scholar or 1005 38%
Scholar-Practitioner
Practitioner 30 1%
Clinical Scientist 116 4%
Local Clinical Scientist 56 2%
Other, please specify 126 5%
7. Including the current (2007-2008) academic year, how many years
have you been enrolled in your CURRENT doctoral program (excluding
any time spent in other doctoral or masters programs):
This is my 2nd year 24 1%
This is my 3rd year 362 14%
This is my 4th year 1106 42%
This is my 5th year 749 29%
This is my 6th year 255 10%
This is my 7th year 81 3%
This is my 8th year 30 1%
This is my 9th year 10 0%
This is my 10th year 6 0%
This is my 11th (or 4 0%
later) year
8. Please check the item that best describes your status PRIOR to
entering your CURRENT doctoral program:
I had NO prior graduate-level training 1533 58%
I had a Master’s degree in psychology 618 23%
I had a Master's degree in a mental health field 215 8%
other than psychology (e.g., counseling,
social work, marriage and family)
I had a Master's degree in an unrelated field 81 3%
I had been enrolled in a Master's program in 67 3%
psychology but did not receive a degree
I had been enrolled in a Master's program in a 14 1%
mental health field other than psychology
(e.g., counseling, social work, marriage and
family) but did not receive a degree
I had been enrolled in a Master's program in an 18 1%
unrelated field but did not receive a degree
Other, please specify 84 3%
9. Including yourself, how many students began your current doctoral
program in the same academic year in which you were admitted?
Please estimate if you don't know the exact number.
Mean = 22.6 Median = 13
SD = 23.5 Mode = 8
1-10 1208 46%
11-20 482 18%
21-30 335 13%
31-40 138 5%
41-50 130 5%
51-60 79 3%
61-70 52 2%
71-80 63 2%
81-90 36 1%
91-100 49 2%
101 or more 37 1%
10. Including yourself, how many students from your current doctoral
program applied for internship this year? Please include all
students who initially applied, regardless of whether or not they
stayed in the process or were successful in locating an internship
position. Please estimate if you don't know the exact number.
Mean = 18.3 Median = 8
SD = 20.7 Mode = 8
1-10 1376 53%
11-20 502 19%
21-30 268 10%
31-40 141 5%
41-50 91 4%
51-60 40 2%
61-70 49 2%
71-80 67 3%
81-90 25 1%
91-100 33 1%
101 or more 8 0%
11. Please estimate the total amount of DEBT that you have accrued
to date as a consequence of attending GRADUATE SCHOOL IN
PSYCHOLOGY, including tuition, fees, living expenses, books, etc.
Please include all forms of debt such as student loans, credit
cards, personal loans, etc. Please do NOT include undergraduate
debt or debt that is unrelated to your graduate training.
Mean = $75,654 Median = $70,000
SD = $62,483 Mode = $0
$0 409 16%
$10,000 175 7%
$20,000 156 6%
$30,000 136 5%
$40,000 124 5%
$50,000 128 5%
$60,000 116 4%
$70,000 125 5%
$80,000 144 6%
$90,000 103 4%
$100,000 - $140,000 594 23%
$150,000 - $190,000 272 10%
$200,000 - $240,000 94 4%
$250,000 - $290,000 25 1%
$300,000 - $340,000 4 0%
$350,000 or higher 5 0%
NOTE: Virtually all applicants will remain in training for
at least 18 months (including the internship year) after the
completion of this survey and may incur additional debt
during that period.
12. Which of the following internship programs would be considered
acceptable to your doctoral program? Please check all that apply.
An accredited internship program 2570 99%
An APPIC-member internship program 1411 54%
that is NOT accredited
An internship program that is NOT 664 25%
accredited and NOT an APPIC member
An unpaid internship program 783 30%
13. Please check the item that applies to you (please respond even if
you withdrew from the Match or did not submit a Rank Order List):
This is my FIRST time 2392 91%
participating in the Match
This is my SECOND time 220 8%
participating in the Match
This is my THIRD time 9 0%
participating in the Match
This is my FOURTH time 2 0%
participating in the Match
Other 4 0%
14. Were you matched to an internship program by the APPIC Match?
(i.e., did your official notification from National Matching
Services [NMS] indicate that you were successfully matched to
an internship program?)
Yes 2117 80%
No 431 16%
Withdrew / No rankings submitted 89 3%
NOTE: These results suggest that unmatched applicants and
those who withdrew or didn't submit Rank Order Lists may
be underrepresented in this survey.
15a. The materials and instructions provided by National Matching
Services (NMS) were clear and comprehensive.
Strongly Agree 1538 58 %
Agree 926 35 %
Neutral 89 3 %
Disagree 39 1 %
Strongly Disagree 42 2 %
15b. The registration process with NMS went smoothly.
Strongly Agree 1805 69 %
Agree 685 26 %
Neutral 62 2 %
Disagree 40 2 %
Strongly Disagree 42 2 %
15c. The submission of my Rank Order List to NMS went smoothly.
Strongly Agree 1924 76 %
Agree 538 21 %
Neutral 30 1 %
Disagree 13 1 %
Strongly Disagree 42 2 %
15d. NMS was responsive to my questions and concerns
(choose "N/A" if you never contacted NMS).
Strongly Agree 310 58 %
Agree 139 26 %
Neutral 44 8 %
Disagree 20 4 %
Strongly Disagree 20 4 %
15e. I am satisfied with the Match result that I received from
the Matching Program.
Strongly Agree 1397 55 %
Agree 482 19 %
Neutral 162 6 %
Disagree 165 7 %
Strongly Disagree 324 13 %
15f. Overall, I am satisfied with the APPIC Matching Program.
Strongly Agree 969 37 %
Agree 774 30 %
Neutral 357 14 %
Disagree 278 11 %
Strongly Disagree 228 9 %
16a. In your judgment, did you experience any violation(s) of
APPIC Match Policies by any site?
Yes 220 8 %
No 2175 83 %
Unsure 231 9 %
NOTE: Results to this question from previous years:
YES NO UNSURE
2007 8% 84% 8%
2006 9% 83% 9%
2005 8% 85% 7%
2004 8% 86% 7%
2003 11% 77% 12%
2002 11% 78% 12%
2001 10% 76% 14%
2000 15% 74% 12%
1999 12% 77% 11%
It should be noted that Match Policy changes over the years
may have influenced responses to this item.
16b. Did you reveal any ranking information (e.g., "You are my
first choice") to any site?
Yes 16 1 %
No 2594 99 %
Unsure 12 0 %
16c. Did you experience inappropriate pressure from any site to
reveal your rankings?
Yes 73 3 %
No 2504 96 %
Unsure 43 2 %
16d. Did any site reveal ranking information to you (e.g., "You
are our first choice")?
Yes 66 3 %
No 2505 96 %
Unsure 51 2 %
17a. In general, my doctoral program faculty provided a high
level of support for my internship application and interview
experience.
Strongly Agree 953 36 %
Agree 811 31 %
Neutral 336 13 %
Disagree 353 13 %
Strongly Disagree 169 6 %
Not Applicable 5 0 %
17b. I worked closely with other students in my program
throughout the process (e.g., sharing information, giving
and receiving support).
Strongly Agree 917 35 %
Agree 859 33 %
Neutral 352 13 %
Disagree 334 13 %
Strongly Disagree 154 6 %
Not Applicable 11 0 %
17c. I took the selection process very seriously (i.e., I
worked hard on my application, invested much time and
energy, etc.).
Strongly Agree 2195 84 %
Agree 363 14 %
Neutral 44 2 %
Disagree 9 0 %
Strongly Disagree 11 0 %
Not Applicable 2 0 %
17d. I attended local or national workshops that focused on
the internship selection process.
Strongly Agree 343 13 %
Agree 440 17 %
Neutral 135 5 %
Disagree 515 20 %
Strongly Disagree 873 33 %
Not Applicable 317 12 %
17e. I used reference materials (e.g., the APAGS workbook,
other books) to educate myself about the internship
selection process.
Strongly Agree 990 38 %
Agree 829 32 %
Neutral 160 6 %
Disagree 256 10 %
Strongly Disagree 304 12 %
Not Applicable 86 3 %
18. To how many internship sites did you apply (i.e., how many
separate internship applications did you submit)?
Mean = 13.9 Median = 14
SD = 5.7 Mode = 15
19. Considering ALL of the sites to which you applied, how many
did NOT notify you of your interview status (e.g., received an
interview, no longer under consideration) on or before the
"interview notification date" listed in their APPIC Directory
information? For example, if all of your sites notified you
in a timely manner, choose "0".
Mean = 1.2 Median = 0
SD = 2.6 Mode = 0
NOTE: A total of 57.9% of applicants reported being properly
notified of their interview status by all sites to which
they applied.
20. How many interviews (telephone or on-site) were you offered?
Mean = 6.4 Median = 6
SD = 3.8 Mode = 5
21. How many programs did you include on your final Rank Order List
(i.e., how many program code numbers were listed)?
Mean = 7.0 Median = 7
SD = 4.3 Mode = 5
NOTE: Use caution when comparing these numbers with the results
from questions 18-20, since some sites used multiple program code
numbers.
22. Did you participate in the Match with another person as a
“couple” (i.e., by using special Match procedures to submit
pairs of rankings)?
Yes 28 1 %
No 2591 99 %
23. APPIC would like to know how much money you spent on various
aspects of the application and selection process.
APPLICATION COSTS involve preparing and submitting applications
to sites, and may include such items as obtaining official copies
of transcripts, printing, copying, regular and overnight mailing,
etc. TRAVEL COSTS may include such items as air or train fare,
car rental, taxi, gasoline, hotel, etc. OTHER COSTS may include
such items as your Match registration fee ($110 or $140),
clothing costs, phone calls, etc.
Please enter your BEST ESTIMATE of the dollar amount spent, digits
only, in each of the following areas (e.g., one hundred dollars
would be entered as simply 100):
TOTAL COSTS: Mean = $1702 SD = 1493
Median = $1300 Mode = 1100
APPLICATION COSTS: Mean = $ 218 SD = 179
Median = $ 200 Mode = 200
TRAVEL COSTS: Mean = $1288 SD = 1332
Median = $ 900 Mode = 2000
OTHER COSTS: Mean = $ 297 SD = 281
Median = $ 220 Mode = 200
NOTE: The mean total cost increased by $169 (11.0%) from 2007 to
2008. Mean increases were seen in travel (up $139, 12.1%),
application costs (up $19, 8.7%), and other costs (up $13, 4.6%)
from 2007.
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR INTERNSHIP
24. Location of the internship program to which you were matched:
United States 1986 96%
Canada 82 4%
Other 9 0%
NOTE: Eight of the nine who designated “other” reported being
matched to an internship in Puerto Rico.
25. Please check all that apply regarding your new internship
program and position:
I was matched to an APA- or CPA-accredited 1786 86%
internship program
I was matched to an APPIC-member internship Not Reported
program
My position will be a full-time, one-year Not Reported
position
My position will be a half-time, two-year Not Reported
position
NOTE: Results from the last three items were not reported
because they are believed to be inaccurate. Many applicants
appeared to miss the “check all that apply” portion of the
instructions.
26. Please enter the approximate amount of the annual stipend /
salary for your position (e.g., if your stipend is $12,000
for the year, enter "12000", if unfunded, enter "0"). Please
estimate if you don't know the exact amount.
Mean = $22,794 Median = $22,800
SD = $ 7,911 Mode = $20,000
27. Please select the setting(s) that best describe the internship
program to which you were matched (please check all that apply):
Armed Forces Medical Center 45 2%
Child/Adolescent Psychiatric/Pediatrics 352 17%
Community Mental Health Center 363 17%
Consortium 207 10%
Medical School 317 15%
Prison/Other Correctional Facility 92 4%
Private General Hospital 133 6%
Private Outpatient Clinic 92 4%
Private Psychiatric Hospital 81 4%
Psychology Department 48 2%
School District 70 3%
State/County/Other Public Hospital 246 12%
University Counseling Center 298 14%
Veterans Affairs Medical Center 351 17%
Other (please specify) 77 4%
28. What was the rank of the program that you were matched to?
(Please see the 2008 APPIC Match Statistics for this information)
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
29. What is your age?
Mean = 30.6 Median = 29
SD = 6.3 Mode = 27
Range = 23 to 68 N = 2558
30. How many dependent children are currently living with you?
None 2180 85%
1 231 9%
2 103 4%
3 25 1%
4 10 0%
5 1 0%
31. How many adult dependents are currently living with you, or for
whom you are responsible? (DO include other relatives or
individuals, i.e., mother, father, grandparent, ward. DO NOT
include an able-bodied spouse/partner).
None 2417 95%
1 99 4%
2 10 0%
3 5 0%
4 1 0%
5 1 0%
32. What is your current marital or relationship status?
Married / Partnered 1382 54 %
Not Married or Partnered 1170 46 %
33. What is your country of citizenship?
U.S. 2345 92 %
Canada 113 4 %
Other 91 4 %
34. What is your gender?
Male 540 21 %
Female 2013 79 %
Other (e.g., trans, intersex) 3 0 %
35. What is your racial/ethnic identification? (Check all
that apply)
African-American / Black 154 6 %
American Indian / Alaskan Native 36 1 %
Asian / Pacific Islander 158 6 %
Hispanic / Latino 187 7 %
White (Non-Hispanic) 2002 78 %
Bi-racial / Multi-racial 74 3 %
Other 63 2 %
36. What is your sexual orientation?
Heterosexual 2343 92 %
Gay Male 58 2 %
Lesbian 59 2 %
Bisexual 72 3 %
Other 10 0 %
37. What types of disability(ies) do you have? Check all
that apply. (If none, please check “None”)
None 2334 94 %
Blind / Visually Impaired 6 0 %
Deaf / Hard of Hearing 8 0 %
Physical / Orthopedic Disability 11 0 %
Learning Disability / Cognitive 33 1 %
Chronic Health Condition 63 3 %
Mental Illness 29 1 %
Other 20 1 %
NOTE: Percentages were calculated based on the entire
subject pool of 2,656 applicants.
38. (Open-Ended Question)
39. Did you have any geographic restrictions on your internship
search that EITHER (a) reduced the number of sites to which
you applied, OR (b) kept you from applying to sites in which
you were interested?
Yes 1290 50 %
No 1265 50 %
40. IF YOU ANSWERED "YES" TO QUESTION 39: Which of the following
best describes the reason for your geographic restriction:
I could only apply in a particular 514 40 %
geographic area because of
significant family, financial,
and/or health considerations
I chose to restrict my search to 745 58 %
particular geographic area(s) due
to personal preference (e.g.,
preferred place to live, to be
near family or friends)
Other 36 3 %
41. IF YOU ANSWERED "YES" TO QUESTION 39: Which of the following
best describes your geographic restriction?
A single city or town, or within 402 31 %
a 100-mile radius of a city/town
State / Province 186 14 %
Region of the Country 544 42 %
Other 168 13 %
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR AAPI
42. We would like to know the TOTAL NUMBER OF PRACTICUM HOURS that
you reported on your AAPI. This includes ALL of your practicum
hours, including doctoral hours and hours accrued in a terminal
masters program.
In Section 3, Item 3, "Summary of Practicum Hours," please look
in the right-most column, TOTAL COMPLETED HOURS, and enter the
hours listed for:
a. Intervention and Assessment: Median = 787 n = 2120
b. Supervision: Median = 364 n = 2103
NOTE: Intervention and Assessment hours increased by 3% from
the 2007 Match, while Supervision hours increased by 2%.
APPIC advises applicants to interpret these numbers cautiously.
Applicants should NOT assume that the numbers of practicum hours
listed above are necessary to successfully obtain an internship,
as many Training Directors have told us that they consider these
numbers to be one of the less important aspects of an application.
43. For each of the following populations, what was the total number
of supervised integrated psychological reports that you reported
on your AAPI? This information can be found in Section 4 of the
AAPI ("Test Administration"), item 4.
a. Adults Median = 6 n = 1867
b. Children / Adolescents Median = 5 n = 1618
NOTE: Respondents who designated completing zero reports or
left the item blank were excluded from the calculation. Only
medians were reported, as means and standard deviations were
greatly affected by a few applicants who reported an extremely
large number of integrated reports.
44. Please designate when you completed (or intend to complete) your
doctoral comprehensive / qualifying / preliminary examinations:
Not applicable 66 3%
Prior to submitting internship applications 2122 90%
Prior to attending internship interviews 46 2%
Prior to the ranking deadline for the Match 20 1%
Prior to the beginning of internship 72 3%
During the internship year 12 1%
After the completion of internship 11 0%
45. Please designate when your proposal for your dissertation or
doctoral research project was or will be approved:
Not applicable 24 1%
Prior to submitting internship applications 1679 72%
Prior to attending internship interviews 131 6%
Prior to the ranking deadline for the Match 76 3%
Prior to the beginning of internship 395 17%
During the internship year 34 1%
After the completion of internship 5 0%
46. Please designate when the final defense for your dissertation
or doctoral research project occurred or will occur:
Not applicable 87 4%
Prior to submitting internship applications 110 5%
Prior to attending internship interviews 35 1%
Prior to the ranking deadline for the Match 5 0%
Prior to the beginning of internship 1025 44%
During the internship year 951 41%
After the completion of internship 131 6%
47. How many publications were listed on the Curriculum Vitae that
you submitted to internship sites? (Please estimate if you don't
know the exact number).
Mean = 2.2 Median = 1
SD = 3.5 Mode = 0
None 1043 45 %
1 338 14 %
2 247 11 %
3 194 8 %
4 128 5 %
5 to 9 285 12 %
10 to 14 65 3 %
15 to 19 22 1 %
20 or more 15 1 %
48. How many presentations were listed on the Curriculum Vitae that
you submitted to internship sites? (Please estimate if you don't
know the exact number).
Mean = 5.3 Median = 3
SD = 5.9 Mode = 0
None 497 21 %
1 254 11 %
2 240 10 %
3 199 9 %
4 160 7 %
5 to 9 489 21 %
10 to 14 273 12 %
15 to 19 126 5 %
20 or more 92 4 %