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The 2010 APPIC Clearinghouse: Instructions for Applicants
PLEASE NOTE: This information has now been updated for the 2010 Clearinghouse.
It is important to remember that very well-qualified applicants,
as well as top-notch internship programs, find themselves in the
Clearinghouse for a variety of reasons. As an applicant, discovering
that you are not matched can initially be a shock and very discouraging;
however, the Clearinghouse can and does work for many applicants,
and APPIC has found that more than half of all unmatched
applicants end up finding an internship placement after Match Day.
Before reading the information below, applicants should first read the Clearinghouse general description page, which includes important information about the two methods used to provide information about unfilled positions to applicants.
This document is divided into seven sections:
We strongly encourage you to review all sections carefully, as they provide extensive information, guidelines, and recommendations for making the most of the Clearinghouse process.
APPLICANT FEES AND ELIGIBILITY
There is no fee for applicants to use the APPIC Clearinghouse. However, applicants who did not submit any applications during the regular selection process will be required to pay a one-time fee of $35 to the AAPI Online service in order to create an AAPI for use in the Clearinghouse (please see the AAPI section of "Preparing Additional Application Materials," below).
Applicants do not register to use the Clearinghouse.
An applicant is eligible to use the APPIC Clearinghouse if he/she: (a) meets APPIC's "Intern Applicant Policy," (b) has not been placed into a position by the APPIC Match, and (c) has not accepted or committed to any other internship position. Applicants who meet these three criteria are eligible even if they did not register for the Match, registered but withdrew from the Match, or registered but did not submit a Rank Order List to the Match.
Applicants who have been matched
into a position by the APPIC Match, or who have already accepted a position through the APPIC Clearinghouse, are contractually bound to attend the internship
program to which they have been matched and may not seek other
internship positions.
CLEARINGHOUSE OVERVIEW
Following is a general overview of the Clearinghouse process from an applicant's perspective. The process begins at 11:00 am EST on APPIC Match Day, Monday, February 22, 2010.
- Applicants locate information about unfilled positions (see "Accessing Information about Unfilled Positions", below).
- Applicants apply for the positions in which they are interested (see "Preparing and Submitting your Initial Application," below, for specific guidelines about how to apply).
- An internship Training Director who is interested in an applicant will contact her/him directly, possibly requesting additional information and/or an interview.
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When a hiring decision has been made, the Training Director will contact the applicant and offer her/him a position. The applicant may accept or decline that offer. Sites may establish deadlines (often quite short) for the applicant to make a decision.
Applicants should understand that accepting an offer is a final decision, as an offer that is tendered by an internship program and
accepted by an applicant constitutes a binding agreement between the
program, the applicant, and APPIC that may not be reversed without APPIC's consent.
It should be noted that the above process moves very quickly, and many positions are filled in a matter of a few hours or days.
ACCESSING INFORMATION ABOUT UNFILLED POSITIONS
If you are an internship applicant who was not matched to an
internship position, here are specific instructions for accessing
information about available positions:
- Be sure that you have reviewed the general
description of the APPIC Clearinghouse.
- Beginning at 11:00 am EST on Monday, February 22, 2010, you may
review a list of unfilled positions from the Match on the
NMS web site.
Please note that some Training Directors may have chosen not
to include their unfilled positions on this list. This list will not be updated after the initial release
of the Match results, and will be removed from the web site
after 10 days.
- Subscribe to the APPIC Clearinghouse e-mail list by sending a
blank e-mail message (from the address where you want to receive
e-mailed information) to:
subscribe-clearinghouse@lyris.appic.org
You will subsequently receive an e-mail message (with the subject line, "Your confirmation is needed") that contains instructions for you to follow in order to confirm your subscription. Once your subscription is confirmed, you will receive a "Welcome" e-mail in response. This "Welcome" e-mail confirms that you are successfully subscribed to the list (please note that you are NOT subscribed to the list until you have received the "Welcome" e-mail).
You may subscribe to this list at any time, although no vacancy postings will be distributed to the list
until 11:00 am EST on Monday, February 22, 2010. Once you have
successfully subscribed, you will receive notices of subsequent
vacancy postings via e-mail. You may then contact the sites
directly as described in each e-mail message. Please note
that applicants cannot post messages to the Clearinghouse
e-mail list; they can only receive messages posted by internship
Training Directors.
- If you subscribe to the Clearinghouse e-mail list after
11:00 am EST on Monday, February 22, 2010, we suggest searching
the Clearinghouse e-mail list archives
for previous postings.
PREPARING AND SUBMITTING YOUR INITIAL APPLICATION
NOTE: This section describes important application submission procedures. All applicants who participate in the Clearinghouse are asked to carefully read and follow these guidelines. Violating these guidelines may lead internship Training Directors to discard your application.
NOTE: The AAPI Online service will NOT be used to submit applications in the Clearinghouse this year. Instead, as in previous years, applications will be submitted via e-mail.
APPIC implemented these guidelines due to extensive feedback from previous years' Clearinghouse participants. For example, Training Directors reported being overwhelmed with lengthy application materials, while applicants reported frustration with being unable to send their materials due to clogged fax machines and e-mailboxes. These guidelines limit the amount of information that you may submit unless the internship program authorizes you to do otherwise.
Before reading this section, be sure you are familiar with the General Description of the APPIC Clearinghouse and that you understand the two methods used to inform applicants about unfilled positions: (1) the List of Unfilled Positions, and (2) the Clearinghouse e-mail list.
Application submission guidelines and restrictions for 2010:
- These guidelines apply ONLY if you have not received any information from a program about how to submit an application. A common example of this situation is when you learn of a position from the "List of Unfilled Positions" that is posted to the NMS web site on Match Day (since that list includes only very basic contact information for the program and does not include specific instructions on submitting an application).
These guidelines do NOT apply if you have received instructions from the program about how to submit an application, such as: (a) you receive a message from the Clearinghouse e-mail list that provides specific application instructions, and/or (b) you are contacted directly by the program and asked to submit additional materials. In these situations, you should follow the program's instructions rather than these guidelines.
- The strongly preferred method of submitting your materials is via e-mail. You may obtain the program's e-mail address from the "List of Unfilled Positions" or from the program's listing in the APPIC Directory Online (for APPIC-member programs).
If there is no e-mail address listed, or if you are unable to submit your materials via e-mail, then an alternate method is via fax. Fax numbers, when available, may be obtained from the APPIC Directory Online (for APPIC-member programs).
You may also submit materials via regular mail or overnight mail, but keep in mind that these methods are much less effective for sites that make quick decisions.
- The materials submitted may ONLY consist of: (a) an optional cover letter, and (b) a vita. You may not submit your AAPI, letters of recommendation, transcripts, or any other materials unless authorized by the program (see paragraph #1 above for examples of such authorization).
- Your application materials (i.e., optional cover letter and vita) should be no longer than TEN PAGES TOTAL (not including the cover page if submitting via fax). You should not exceed this ten page limit. You may not
include any materials other than a cover letter and vita, even if
those two items total less than ten pages.
- When submitting via e-mail, you should create a single document in your word processor that contains BOTH your optional cover letter and vita. Use your name as the document name (e.g., "Smith.doc" or "MarySmith.doc"). Attach this document to your e-mail message when submitting it to the program. As discussed below, the ".docx" format used by newer versions of Microsoft Word should not be used.
- In order to assist programs in identifying your application, the subject line of your e-mail should include your name, as follows: "Application: Firstname Lastname" (e.g., "Application: Mary Smith").
- Please see item #5 under "Clearinghouse Tips for Applicants," below, for recommendations on how to prepare this ten-page document.
As previously mentioned, the guidelines and restrictions above apply only if a program has not provided instructions about how to submit an application. If you receive application instructions from a program, or if a program asks you to submit additional materials, the above guidelines and restrictions do not apply and you should follow the program's directions.
PREPARING ADDITIONAL APPLICATION MATERIALS
As noted previously, some sites will request more extensive application materials from you, beyond the initial 10-page vita and cover letter. Thus, you should be prepared to submit the following items:
- A formatted copy of your AAPI
- Letters of recommendation (to be sent by you or your letter-writers)
- DCTs Verification of Eligibility and Readiness (to be sent by you or your DCT)
- Answers to the four essay questions on the AAPI
- Transcripts (only needed if not previously submitted to the AAPI Online service)
Detailed instructions for obtaining each of these items are provided below.
AAPI (APPIC Application for Psychology Internships)
During the most recent application process, students submitted application materials via the AAPI Online service. However, during the 2010 Clearinghouse, applicants will NOT be using the AAPI Online service to submit materials to internship sites. Instead, all application materials will be submitted to sites via e-mail (or fax if e-mail is unavailable).
Applicants should, however, use the AAPI Online service to download a formatted copy of their AAPI onto their computer so that it can be e-mailed to sites upon request. This formatted AAPI is very similar to the version that was originally seen by sites but excludes those items that were site-specific (cover letter and essays) and/or confidential (letters of reference and the DCT's verification of eligibility and readiness). The downloaded file is in ".pdf" format, which means that it is universally readable by commonly-available software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To download a formatted copy of your AAPI, first login to the AAPI Online service, then click on the "Download Application (pdf)" button on the left-side menu on the main page. Applicants who previously paid a fee to submit one or more applications will not incur any fee for this download.
If you did not previously pay for the AAPI Online service: Applicants who did not previously submit an application via the AAPI Online service must pay a one-time charge of $35 in order to download a formatted copy of their AAPI.
Please note that it is not required to have a copy of your AAPI in order to use the Clearinghouse; however, many sites will request it from applicants in whom they are interested. It is up to each individual site to determine whether or not an AAPI is required from an applicant. Applicants who have not yet completed an AAPI should begin the process as soon as possible, as it can be a time-consuming process.
Students who have not yet paid a fee to the AAPI Online service should proceed as follows:
- Login to the Applicant Portal of the AAPI Online service. If you don't yet have an account, you can create one at this time.
- Complete the AAPI according to the instructions. Please note that: (a) your DCT must verify your readiness for internship via the AAPI Online service, and (b) you do NOT need to submit transcripts, cover letters, letters of recommendation, or essays, as each of these will be submitted separately.
- Once your application is complete, click on the "AAPI Online Fee" link at the bottom of the applicant checklist (the main AAPI Online page). This will take you through the process of submitting a one-time $35 payment.
- You must then wait until the next morning before you can download a copy of your completed AAPI, as the formatting process occurs overnight.
- Login to the AAPI Online service the next day and click on the "Download Application (pdf)" button in the left-side menu.
Letters of Recommendation
You should talk with the individuals who wrote your letters to determine how best to send out copies when requested by an internship site. Some letter-writers may be willing to give you an electronic copy to send to sites; others may want to send that information themselves (in which case they should understand the importance of sending the materials out quickly).
DCT's Verification of Eligibility and Readiness
Updated 1/28/10: Prior to making you an offer, internship programs are required to verify that your doctoral program has determined that you are eligible and ready for internship. Internship programs will generally request written verification of elibility from your DCT, and/or may sometimes wish to speak directly to your DCT.
Your DCT may login to the DCT portal and download a formatted (in ".pdf" format) copy of the verification of eligibility that she/he submitted for you. Once logged in, the DCT initiates the download by clicking on the icon in the "Print" column that is adjacent to your name.
You should talk with your DCT to determine how best to provide copies of this verification when requested to do so by an internship site. Some DCTs may be willing to give you an electronic copy to send to sites; others may want to send the verification to sites themselves (in which case they should understand the importance of sending materials out quickly).
Essays
Since essays in the AAPI Online were site-specific, they will not be included in the formatted AAPI. Thus, you will need to submit essays separately if requested. Most sites are willing to accept "generic" versions of your essays -- i.e., ones that are not specifically tailored to each site.
Transcripts
If you submitted your official transcripts to the AAPI Online service, copies will be included within the formatted AAPI. Applicants who did not previously submit their transcripts to the AAPI Online service will need to make their own electronic copies to send directly to internship sites upon request.
CLEARINGHOUSE TIPS FOR APPLICANTS
Below are some tips and recommendations for applicants and their
Directors of Clinical Training about how to best use the APPIC
Clearinghouse. Most of these suggestions were provided
by unmatched applicants from previous years, and we would like
to extend our sincere appreciation to those individuals for their
time and energy in helping us to prepare this information.
- Upon learning that you are unmatched, consult with your
Director of Clinical Training (DCT), advisor, other faculty
members, family, and friends about possible options and strategies.
Remember that faculty can play a key role in assisting you
in this process. Unmatched applicants in the past have told
us that they have learned about many vacant positions from
their DCTs or other faculty members, and have received valuable
emotional support and encouragement as well.
In particular, spend some time considering and discussing
the following questions:
- Am I willing to consider a broader range of internship
options than I was before (e.g., different training emphases,
different settings, other geographical locations)?
- Am I willing to accept a non-APA accredited and/or non-APPIC member internship position (if permitted to do so by my doctoral faculty)? Discuss the ramifications of accepting such a position with your advisor and other faculty members, and familiarize yourself with the licensing and future employment issues and risks that may be related to this decision. Click here for more information about this important issue.
- Can I afford to take an unfunded position? If not,
how low of a stipend am I willing to consider?
- Am I willing to take almost any position offered to
me? At what point should I decide to wait until next year
and try again?
Many Clearinghouse participants from prior years have strongly
emphasized the importance of considering these issues prior
to the opening of the Clearinghouse.
- It cannot be over-emphasized that THE PROCESS OF FILLING
UNFILLED POSITIONS MOVES VERY RAPIDLY. Thus, it is important
that you act quickly when you learn of a vacancy in which you are interested. We suggest that you clear your schedule
for at least the first few days of the process, if not longer,
as you will be very busy. Many positions are posted and filled
in a very short period of time - sometimes in a matter of
A FEW HOURS. Other positions are filled over a longer
period of time, such as several days or weeks, as some Training Directors
take their time in collecting and reviewing applications and
conducting interviews. Some sites may stop accepting applications prior to their announced deadline, particularly if they receive a large number of applications.
- Please re-read the previous paragraph until it sinks in. Participating in the Clearinghouse can be compared to being on an emotional roller-coaster. You will likely experience both the excitement of new opportunities as well as frustrations and disappointments along the way.
- You should be ready to begin submitting applications as soon as the Clearinghouse opens at 11:00 am EST on Monday, February 22, 2010. Delaying your participation by a few days, or even by a few hours, can significantly reduce your chances of finding a position.
- In order to get ready for the Clearinghouse process, you will need to prepare your application materials in advance. First, in accordance with the guidelines described above under "Preparing and Submitting your Initial Application," you will need to create a single document in your word processor that includes both a cover letter (optional) and your vita. This document must be no longer than ten pages (if it's longer, you will need to edit it so that it conforms to the ten page limit).
While the cover letter is optional, it is probably a good idea to include it, even if it is relatively brief. Since you will only be submitting a cover letter and vita to many sites, the cover letter is your opportunity to highlight the important aspects of your experiences and background. We suggest that you develop a "generic" cover letter (i.e., one that will work for all sites). Alternatively, you could create two versions of your cover letter (e.g., one applicable to medical settings and one applicable to child settings), however this will involve extra effort. It is definitely not necessary for you to customize a cover letter for each site, as sites won't expect that nor will you have time to do so.
While you may choose to revise your vita, don't feel that you need
to expand it dramatically in order to be competitive (even if you are
well below the ten page limit). In other words, don't feel like you
need to take all the information from your AAPI and squeeze it into
your vita! Sites will greatly appreciate your being succinct, and
will ask for more information if needed.
Be sure to include your contact information somewhere in these materials, particularly phone numbers and e-mail addresses where you can be reached quickly.
In addition to sending this document as an e-mail attachment, you may also need to send it to some sites via fax (this actually occurs very infrequently these days, as most sites are e-mail savvy). Thus, be sure to have a few printed copies available for this purpose. You may also wish to prepare some fax "cover sheets" (with spaces to write in the recipient's name, fax number, etc.) in advance. Please remember, though, to fax materials only if (a) your attempts
to e-mail your application have been unsuccessful, or (b) a site
specifically asks you to fax them.
Please do NOT send your materials via multiple methods (e.g., both e-mail and fax), as that simply frustrates the staff at the training site and jams up the system for everyone.
- You should ensure that you have direct and essentially unlimited
access to e-mail and a telephone. Having a phone available that allows you to receive a call even while on the line (e.g., via use of the "call waiting" feature) will be very helpful. Since e-mail is now the
primary method used to submit applications in the Clearinghouse, the
amount of faxing required of you may be limited (or non-existant). However, it is a
very good idea to arrange for quick access to a fax machine if
needed.
You can expect fax and telephone lines at internship sites to be quite busy at times. If you are having difficulty e-mailing or faxing your application (e.g., due to busy fax machines or full e-mailboxes), let the site know that you are trying to get your application through to them.
You can also expect that, on occasion, sites will unexpectedly announce (usually via the Clearinghouse e-mail list) that they are no longer accepting applications or that they have filled their positions. These situations reflect how quickly the Clearinghouse can operate (in 2009, the first "position filled" message was sent approximately 60 minutes after the Clearinghouse opened on Match Day), and can be very frustrating, particularly when they occur before you have had a chance to submit your application.
You may wish to obtain some next-day express envelopes and labels, in case you need to send application materials via a next-day delivery service. However, feedback in recent years suggests that this option is used infrequently.
Due to the fact that sites often receive a large number of applicactions, most will not be able to personally acknowledge receipt of your application (a recent APPIC survey found that applicants received personal responses from only about 25% of sites to which they applied in the Clearinghouse). Don't assume that the lack of acknowledgement means that they haven't received your application or that they are being rude or discourteous. It can be very frustrating not to receive acknowledgements of your applications or of your status with sites, but please understand that sites are often overwhelmed by the volume of work required to review applications and conduct interviews. When a position is filled, sites will often post a message to that effect to the Clearinghouse e-mail list, rather than send individual notifications to all applicants.
- We strongly recommend that you recruit a support system - friends or family to provide emotional and logistical support (maybe to help you with submitting materials, to assist you in looking through lists of available positions, or simply to cook you a good meal). Many applicants have told us that having a "team" working with them
has been very helpful, particularly during the first day or two of
the Clearinghouse.
- Remember that the APPIC Clearinghouse consists of two different
sources of information:
Both the Listing of Unfilled Positions and the Clearinghouse
e-mail list will be available beginning at the specified time
on APPIC Match Day. These two sources will differ significantly,
as some positions will be included in one but not the other
(and some positions will appear in both).
- Listing of Unfilled Positions: This list contains all programs with unfilled positions from the Match except those programs that Training Directors opted to exclude. The list is sorted by state, and then by city within each state, and will be quite lengthy.
A small number of Training Directors will choose to exclude their vacant
positions from this list. For example, they might do this
in order to provide specific application procedures (via a message posted to the Clearinghouse e-mail list) that they want
applicants to follow.
You should be aware that this list provides only very basic information about each program and its vacancy(ies) (see below for an example of an entry in the list). Thus, you will need to consult other sources, such as the APPIC Directory Online (for APPIC-member programs) or other sources of information to find out more about these programs. For each APPIC-member program in the list, the words "(Link to APPIC Directory Listing)" provide a direct link to the APPIC Directory Online information for that site.
BLOOMING DAISIES MENTAL HEALTH CENTER
1234 MAIN STREET
DIAGNOSIS, NEW MEXICO 12345
Telephone: (222) 222-2222
E-mail: Jane.Smith@BloomingDaisiesMHC.org
Director: Jane Smith, Ph.D.
APPIC Member: Yes (LINK to APPIC Directory Listing)
Accreditation: APA-NO CPA-NO
Program: Pediatrics
Code: 999901 Openings: 1
Program: Neuropsychology
Code: 999902 Openings: 2
You may also wish to use the APPIC Directory Online in advance to generate printed lists of sites in which you are interested (e.g., sites that offer a specific rotation or focus of training). Having this list available may help you sort through position openings more quickly.
- Clearinghouse E-Mail List: As soon as you learn that you
are unmatched, subscribe to the Clearinghouse e-mail list
immediately. Don't wait until just before the Clearinghouse opens to subscribe in case you experience problems receiving e-mail from APPIC's server. You may subscribe to this e-mail list at any
time, even though messages will not be distributed to the
list until the Clearinghouse begins operating. Do NOT set
your subscription to DIGEST mode, as this will delay the delivery
of messages to you (since DIGEST mode delays sending each
day's messages until midnight). Expect to check your e-mail
very frequently during the first few days (based on past experience,
we expect that approximately 100 messages will be posted
on Match Day).
Messages will arrive in your e-mailbox as they are posted
by Training Directors and approved by the APPIC Clearinghouse
coordinator. You will notice that many (but not all) postings
to the Clearinghouse e-mail list will be from sites that are
listed in the "Listing of Unfilled Positions." Many Training
Directors will use the Clearinghouse e-mail list to provide
more information about their vacant position(s), as well as
provide information about how to apply, what they are looking
for in applicants, etc. Some Training Directors will also
post messages to the Clearinghouse e-mail list once their
vacant position(s) are filled or if they are no longer accepting
applications.
The first five lines in the body of each e-mail message posted to the Clearinghouse list will include: the name of the site, city and state, the 4-digit site number from the Match (if the program participated in the Match), the site's APA/CPA accreditation status, and the site's APPIC membership status. APPIC requires sites to include these items at the beginning of each message so that applicants can quickly review this basic information.
- Don't forget other sources of information about unfilled positions, including: (a) your advisor or other faculty members, who may have contacts at internship sites that have openings; (b) classmates who are currently on internship, as they can let you know about unfilled positions at their sites and potentially put in a good word for you with their Training Directors. In addition, other organizations in psychology operate
post-Match Day Clearinghouses, such as ACCTA (for positions in University Counseling Centers).
- If you discover that a site to which you previously applied has a position available in the Clearinghouse, it is perfectly acceptable to apply there. Some sites may actually prefer applicants who previously applied, even if they weren't previously offered an interview or matched to a position.
- IMPORTANT: Some internship programs that participate in the Match and/or Clearinghouse are not APA- or CPA-accredited nor APPIC members. These non-member programs have simply paid a fee to participate and have not been screened or approved by APPIC in any way. If you are considering attending a non-accredited and/or non-APPIC member internship, you should carefully consider the potential risks in doing so. APPIC has developed a separate web page on this topic, available here.
Some programs may tell you that they are planning to apply (or have already applied) for accreditation or APPIC membership, have a site visit scheduled, etc. While these are important steps in the process, you should be aware that these steps are not guarantees that the program will ultimately achieve accreditation or APPIC membership.
- Some applicants have asked APPIC about whether it is permissible to do two internships (e.g., one that is not accredited and a second that is accredited). The APPIC Board strongly discourages this practice; furthermore, it will likely be unsuccessful as internship Training Directors will be very reluctant to consider an applicant who has already completed (or is in the process of completing) an internship. More information on this topic is available by clicking here.
- It is important to remember that e-mail can be prone to
delivery problems and delays, and we have found that approximately 5% of messages from the Clearinghouse list do not get delivered to applicants in a timely manner.
For example, some e-mail systems have "spam" filters that can mistakenly identify Clearinghouse messages as "spam" or "junk mail" and discard them without your knowledge.
If your e-mail system uses such filters, you should adjust or remove them in order to decrease the likelihood of having your messages discarded. Alternatively, you may wish to regularly check your "junk mail
folder" for Clearinghouse messages that were improperly
identified as "spam."
In addition, some Universities and Internet Service Providers will occasionally block e-mail from APPIC, with or without notice to their subscribers. For example, in 2008, we learned that two Universities began blocking e-mail from the Clearinghouse e-mail list on Match Day, shortly after the Clearinghouse began operating. A current list of ISPs that we believe may be current blocking e-mail from APPIC is provided here. This list is updated regularly.
One solution to these issues is to use the web
interface to review the archives of the Clearinghouse
e-mail list on a regular basis. This approach allows you to
ensure that you have received all of the Clearinghouse e-mails
(or to view the ones that you haven't received). Instructions
for using the web interface are provided below.
A second approach is to sign up for a free e-mail
account at Google Mail, Yahoo, or one
of the many other free internet-based e-mail providers, and
to subscribe that e-mail address to the Clearinghouse e-mail
list (we do not recommend Hotmail due to our long history of e-mail delivery problems to that service). In fact, we recommend having two separate subscriptions to the
Clearinghouse list -- e.g., one for your regular e-mail address
and one for your Google Mail, Yahoo, or other e-mail address. That way, you have a backup option (in addition to the web interface option described in the previous paragraph) if you experience difficulty receiving e-mail from the Clearinghouse. You should note, however, that these
free e-mail services are not fool-proof and can be subject
to the same glitches, delays, and "junk mail filters" described above.
- Develop a system to keep track of available positions (as
well as ones that have been filled). Specifically, it is important
to have a system that allows you to organize and combine the
information from the "Listing of Unfilled Positions"
(which won't be updated once it is posted) with the information contained in the messages from the Clearinghouse
e-mail list. (One applicant suggested printing out the Listing
of Unfilled Positions, then making updates to this paper copy
as new Clearinghouse e-mail messages arrive).
- In deciding where to apply, prioritize the positions that are the
best fits for you in terms of your experiences and interests. Training Directors receive many applications for unfilled positions, and APPIC often receives feedback that programs receive many applications from individuals who are clearly not qualified for the available positions. Thus, you should review position announcements, the APPIC Directory Online, and programs' web sites in order to determine whether or not your background and interests fit well with those positions. If you clearly aren't qualified for a position, we suggest that you focus your energies on other programs as you will likely be wasting your time and theirs.
- Since computer viruses can be accidentally sent
to others via e-mail attachments, you should ensure that your
computer is virus-free before sending attachments. (Sending
a computer virus to a Training Director is NOT a recommended
Clearinghouse strategy!). It would be a good idea to have
full-time anti-virus software on your computer that is updated to use the latest virus definitions, and to scan
any file before sending it as an attachment.
SPECIAL NOTE FOR AOL USERS: AOL users may have particular
difficulties in sending e-mail attachments to others. AOL
users should only include one attachment per e-mail message,
as multiple attachments are sometimes processed by AOL in such a way
that many other e-mail programs are unable to read them. Similarly,
we have found that sending attachments from an AOL address
to a non-AOL address, or from a non-AOL address to an AOL
address, may sometimes result in the recipient being unable to
read the attachment.
- If you wish to send an e-mail attachment to a Training Director,
and the Training Director has not specified the format of
the file to send, we suggest using the "SAVE AS" command in
your word processor to convert the file into a "Word 6" document
(be sure to save this version under a different name than
your original document). Doing so will increase the likelihood
that the site will be able to read the attachment, particularly
if you use a different word processor than they do.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Some newer versions of Microsoft Word use a completely different file format that many older versions of Word cannot read. Specifically, files that have a suffix of ".docx" should not be used, and you should instead use Word to save the document in a format that is compatible with earlier versions (e.g., a ".doc" suffix usually indicates that the file can be read by older versions of Word).
- Applicants often wonder if it is acceptable to contact sites during this process, such as to check on the status of their applications or to inquire about when a position will be filled. While it is permissible to contact sites, please keep in mind that sites are extremely busy during this period and are often struggling to deal with a large number of applications, e-mails, and phone calls.
- The process that sites use to fill their unfilled positions will vary dramatically. Each site will have its own application and interview process and timeline. Some sites want to get the process of filling their unfilled positions over with as quickly as possible, while others will take their time in reviewing applications and interviewing candidates. Most will conduct telephone interviews; however, a small number of sites may want you to travel to the site for an in-person interview as soon as possible. Of course, it is up to you as to whether or not you want to bear the expense of such travel (check the APPIC Travel Links and Discounts for various travel options). Some of these sites may be willing to negotiate and allow you to interview via telephone instead.
- When a site decides on their top candidate, they generally
contact the candidate via telephone and make a verbal offer
of an internship position. If you receive an offer for a position,
you may be asked to make a very quick decision about whether
or not to accept the offer. APPIC recommends that sites allow applicants a minimum of four hours to make a decision, but it is ultimately up to each site to determine how long they are willing to wait.
You may ask for more time to make a decision, and a site may or may
not agree to provide extra time. Thus, you may find yourself in the uncomfortable position of having to accept or reject an offer even
though you have applications pending at more-preferred sites.
Of course, you are welcome to contact sites at any time to inquire
about the status of their selection processes.
You should prepare a list of questions to ask once a site has made you an offer, as this will ensure that you don't neglect to inquire about important issues in the excitement of the moment. Some areas to inquire about may include salary, benefits, insurance, leave time, starting date, child care issues, accreditation and APPIC membership status, specific rotations and responsibilities, etc.
- Be sure that you carefully review APPIC Match Policy #6a-f, as that policy guides the operation of the Clearinghouse.
In particular, it is important to remember Match
Policy 6e: "Applicants may not accept an
offer if they have been matched or have already accepted an
offer from another internship program."
You should also remember Match Policy 6f: "An offer (verbal
or written) that has been tendered by an internship program and
accepted by an applicant constitutes a binding agreement between the
program, the applicant, and APPIC that may not be reversed without APPIC's consent."
- WEB INTERFACE: You may use your web browser at any time to access the message archives for the Clearinghouse e-mail list.
To access the archives, CLICK HERE. Then, choose the "Clearinghouse" list by clicking on it. You will then need to login by entering your e-mail address and a blank password (you must be subscribed to the Clearinghouse list in order to access the archives). Once logged in, click on the "Messages" tab to view the archived messages. Note that you can sort messages (such as by author or date) by clicking on the arrows at the top of each column. Sorting by the author's name will display all messages posted by a single Training Director (assuming they were sent from the same e-mail address), and can be handy because Training Directors will often post follow-ups to their original messages. Also, if the number in the "Replies" column is greater than zero, that means the Training Director has posted a follow-up to her/his original message (which you can view by clicking directly on that number).
You may also use the handy "Search" feature (by clicking on the "Search" tab near the top of the page) to search for a particular keyword, site name, Training Director name, etc. This feature allows you to search for your keyword(s) within the entire text of all posted Clearinghouse e-mail messages. For example, if you are looking for sites in a particular location or with a particular focus, you could search on such keywords as "Counseling Center," "Hospital," "California," "Neuropsychology," "Assessment," etc. Please note that matches occur for exact words only; thus, a search for the single keyword "assessment" would NOT find messages that contain the word "assessments". However, using a "*" as a "wild card" designator allows you to search for similar words; for example, searching for "assess*" would find messages that contained "assessment," "assessments," "assessing," etc.
- If you have any questions or difficulties with the Clearinghouse, please contact Dr. Greg Keilin, the APPIC Clearinghouse Coordinator, at gkeilin@mail.utexas.edu or (512) 475-6949.
CLEARINGHOUSE STATISTICS:
- In 2009, 281 (94%) of the 299 unfilled internship positions from the APPIC Match were included in the Clearinghouse "List of Unfilled Positions" (note that Training Directors had the option of excluding their positions from this list). These 281 positions were located at 123 different internship sites.
A total of 53 positions (19%) on this list were located in APA-accredited programs, while eight positions (3%) were located in programs accredited by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) (note that five of these positions were located at a site that was accredited by both APA and CPA). A total of 233 positions (83%) were located in APPIC-member programs, while 48 positions were in non-APPIC member programs.
- An APPIC study of the 2007 Clearinghouse found that, of those applicants who found a position after the Match,
25% secured a position on the FIRST DAY of the
Clearinghouse, while 50% found a position within the first
week.
- This study also found that approximately 56% of unmatched
applicants were able to secure an internship site after Match Day.
Of those who found positions, 25% were placed at APA- or
CPA-accredited sites, while 61% were placed at APPIC-member sites.
A total of 19% accepted an unpaid position through the Clearinghouse, while 44% found a position with standard benefits (e.g. medical insurance).
- The amount of effort that an unmatched applicant put into the Clearinghouse process appeared to have had a dramatic effect on the likelihood of getting placed:
Amount of Effort |
Percent who Found an Internship |
| No effort at all |
30 % ** |
| Little effort |
18 % |
| Moderate effort |
40 % |
| Quite a bit of effort |
50 % |
| A great deal of effort |
68 % |
** = This number should be interpreted cautiously due to the small number of applicants who endorsed this item; in 2006, of those applicants who reported "No effort at all," none found an internship.
- Applicants who participated in the 2007 Clearinghouse process reported
submitting an average of 16 applications (sd=15, median=10) to internship programs on or after Match Day. Furthermore, applicants reported hearing back (e.g., acknowledgement of application, notification of rejection, request for an interview) from about 25% of programs to which they applied (in other words, on average, applicants were never contacted by about three-quarters of the sites to which they submitted materials).
- The 2007 APPIC study found that, of those applicants who found a
position after Match Day, 48% reported that they learned about the
position via the APPIC Clearinghouse. Some of the other ways in
which unmatched applicants learned about the positions that they
eventually accepted were via: their Director of Clinical Training or other faculty member
(16%), their own investigative efforts (12%), CAPIC (7%), being contacted by the internship Training Director (6%), another person (4%), the
ACCTA Clearinghouse (2%), or another method (5%).
- In 2009, a total of 155 e-mail messages were sent by Training
Directors to the Clearinghouse e-mail list within the first week of
operation (February 23 to March 1), including 102 messages on Match Day. The number of messages
decreased significantly thereafter, with a total of 16 posted in March, 12 in
April, three in May, five in June, 12 in July, five in August, and four more between September 1 and
October 31. These numbers include
both announcements of vacancies as well as other messages (e.g.,
announcements that positions were filled).
2 February 2010
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