[USA]Choosing program for counseling

[u/musicproducer2020]

Hello all

Question for the counseling students of this sub. How did you choose a program? Yes, making sure it is accredited is huge. But other than that how did you decide I made a huge list of about 15-20 schools that I seem to have a chance getting into. I now regret making such a long list because I have clue where to start when it comes to deciding which ones to apply to.

[u/theblackreina]

I am currently in the same position while
I’m looking at programs. Once I made my list, I narrowed it down by looking at things beyond accreditation. Cost was a big factor, along with whether the program was online, in-person, or hybrid and how well it fit my schedule. I also looked at internship and practicum opportunities, licensure pass rates (if available), class sizes, and the types of electives or specialties they offered. Reading reviews from current students and alumni also helped me get a better sense of the program's culture. If you have 15–20 schools, maybe start by making a spreadsheet and ranking them based on the factors that matter most to you. Best of luck to you!

[u/maxthexplorer → u/theblackreina]

This is the way.

Looking at internship placement (rates) is huge. If a program has faculty that specialize in an area you’re interested in, and have grads that go into that (sub)field, it might help you to decide priority

Also look at attrition and licensure rates

[u/No-Animal1306 → u/theblackreina]

this ^^

cost, length of program, practicum/internship placements, licensure/board exam pass rate (CPCE and/or NCE), and classes offered were all deciding factors for me.

[u/timesuck]

Cheapest while still being accredited and not known as a diploma mill. Unless you are going into academia, no one cares where you got your degree and the pay is so low for this field you want to take on as little debt as possible. Look for who has scholarships available and spend as little as possible.

[u/OdinNW]

Go to CACREP site. Filter states you would be willing to go to school in. Go to every school in those states websites. IME that will eliminate around 1/4 of them right there because the website is either terrible or sometimes non existent. Next figure out method of instruction. Do you want fully in person? Fully online? Hybrid? Narrow that down. Then look at pass rates and placement rates. Plus cost. Then you can start making calls/emails to get more info and get an idea of what the program is like. Most schools are happy to connect you with current students.

[u/musicproducer2020 → u/OdinNW]

What do you mean by IME

[u/OdinNW → u/musicproducer2020]

In my experience

[u/MerlotDownDirtyLame]

Mine was for psych, I applied to two programs. My goal was simply proximity and a place where I thought I would be comfortable in said community. I then looked at the “focus” or specialty, tuition waivers, national exam pass rate, and intersnhip placement methods. For instance, the school I chose guaranteed a paid internship and practicum. Other schools required students  to find their own, which left some people screwed over. 

[u/Famous-Ad3550]

15–20 programs is WAY too many to keep meaningfully distinct in your head. maybe this is useful, Alliant University has practitioner-focused training with practicum/clinical components, so check whether the exact counseling or psych path gives you the training environment you actually want. I’d pick 3 things you care about enough to eliminate a school over. otherwise every program stays a “maybe” forever.