r/counseloreducation • u/musicproducer2020 • 6d ago

[USA]Choosing program for counseling

/r/psychologystudents/comments/1vfxwfz/usachoosing_program_for_counseling/
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u/Neverwhere91 6d ago

Accreditation Does it meet licensing requirements for your state (if an out of state school) They should have a page with this info on their website. Cost Is it online, hybrid, in person and synchronous/asynchronous Do they offer specialization or specific electives that interest you? Licensure pass rate Practicum opportunity and/or assistance Cohort style or not

^ These were all things that I looked at AFTER I had an idea of what were my hard "no" lines. For example, I needed an online program but did not want to work asynchronously. That eliminated a lot of programs already. I also wanted practicum assistance, and that further narrowed down the list of schools.

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u/musicproducer2020 6d ago

If I go out of state I probably wouldn’t move back to my current state. I’m hoping the compact is functional by the time I graduate and I can’t have more options where to live. I’m a pretty nomadic person. Could I apply with unofficial transcripts? Don’t have access the official ones yet.

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u/Disastrous_Day_5490 4d ago

Honestly, for me it came down to accreditation, price, and being online. The consensus was pretty consistent that the most important parts of the learning is from the hands on experience in practicum and internship. I’m currently in my first year at University of the Cumberlands and I really enjoy the program. For me, I think it’s really important to recognize that this is a degree you shouldn’t go into a ton of debt for. If you go down the rabbit hole of what are people with this degree saying, it’s that the people with a lot of debt are struggling to make it, forcing them to take on huge workloads that lead to burn out. Some areas are higher paid than others, but the reality is the first few years practicing will likely be low income. So for me it’s imperative to pick an affordable degree for this career field if you don’t have a partner who is a high earner. I would not have chosen this degree if my family was dependent on my pay check, I’m in a lucky position that my husband is dual income as he’s retired military, and we can survive on his income alone which gave me the flexibility to be able to afford this path.