2009 APPIC Match: Survey of Internship Applicants
Summary of Survey Results
June 20, 2009
This report contains the first of three parts of the results from the survey of applicants who were registered for the 2009 APPIC Match.
This survey of applicants who were registered for the 2009 APPIC Match was conducted via the internet between February 25 and April 20, 2009. All 3,825 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 2,674 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. COST: The average total cost of participating in the
selection process was essentially unchanged this year. This
compares to a 11.0% increase from 2007 to 2008 and a 1.7%
increase the prior year.
However, it should be noted that the average cost of
submitting applications for the 2009 Match increased 17.4%,
to $256.
As seen in previous years, the cost of participation varied
dramatically across applicants. While the average applicant
spent $1,703 (SD = $1,496, median = $1,300), many applicants
spent considerably less while many spent considerably more
(see question 23).
2. NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS: Applicants submitted an average of
14.7 internship applications (see question 18), and increase
from 13.9 applications last year, and received an average of
6.4 interviews (see question 20). Despite the increase in
the mean number of applications submitted, the number of
interviews received was unchanged from last year.
In terms of a longer-term trend, the number of submitted
applications decreased between 1999 and 2003, from 13.8 to
12.1, and has been steadily rising since 2003.
3. DEBT: Applicants reported their mean debt load related to
graduate level study in psychology was $75,235 (SD = 65,782,
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 16% reported debt exceeding $150,000.
Please note that these figures do not include any additional
debt that these students may accrue during the remainder of
their graduate training (e.g., during internship).
4. PREVIOUS PARTICIPATION: Approximately 7% of applicants
reported having participated in a previous APPIC Match
(see question 13), a decrease from 9% in 2008.
5. GENDER: Approximately 80% of internship applicants in the
2009 Match were female (see question 37). Questions 32-40
provide additional demographic information.
6. PRACTICUM HOURS: Question 45 provides the median numbers
of practicum hours reported by applicants. Intervention
and Assessment hours increased by 1.7% as compared to the
2008 Match, while Supervision hours decreased by 7.7%.
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.
7. SALARY: Matched applicants reported a mean internship
salary of $23,396, an increase of 2.6% from 2008. See
question 29.
8. 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 16% 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.
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1. Type of Doctoral Program
Clinical 2068 77 %
Counseling 374 14 %
School 134 5 %
Combined 74 3 %
Other 23 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. 1523 57 %
Psy.D. 1139 43 %
Ed.D. 2 0 %
Other 8 0 %
NOTE: Six of the Eight who designated “other” reported that they were
respecializing.
3. Is your doctoral program APA- or CPA-accredited?
Yes 2534 95 %
No 127 5 %
4. Location of your doctoral Program
United States 2526 95%
Canada 116 4%
Other, please specify 17 1%
5. Is your program housed within a religiously-affiliated institution?
Yes 409 15 %
No 2243 85 %
6. Please select the training model of your DOCTORAL program (as you
specified on your AAPI):
Scientist-Practitioner 1255 47%
Practitioner-Scholar or 1030 39%
Scholar-Practitioner
Practitioner 15 1%
Clinical Scientist 134 5%
Local Clinical Scientist 56 2%
Practitioner-Scientist 97 4%
Practitioner Informed By 51 2%
Science
Other, please specify 28 1%
7. Including the current (2008-2009) 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 28 1%
This is my 3rd year 355 13%
This is my 4th year 1177 44%
This is my 5th year 724 27%
This is my 6th year 246 9%
This is my 7th year 91 3%
This is my 8th year 23 1%
This is my 9th year 8 0%
This is my 10th year 6 0%
This is my 11th (or 2 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 1551 58%
I had a Master’s degree in psychology 610 23%
I had a Master's degree in a mental health field 226 8%
other than psychology (e.g., counseling,
social work, marriage and family)
I had a Master's degree in an unrelated field 101 4%
I had been enrolled in a Master's program in 77 3%
psychology but did not receive a degree
I had been enrolled in a Master's program in a 19 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 11 0%
unrelated field but did not receive a degree
Other, please specify 72 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 = 22.2 Median = 13
SD = 22.8 Mode = 8
1-10 1183 44%
11-20 543 20%
21-30 339 13%
31-40 167 6%
41-50 101 4%
51-60 104 4%
61-70 65 2%
71-80 49 2%
81-90 33 1%
91-100 53 2%
101 or more 25 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 = 18.8 Median = 13
SD = 20.6 Mode = 8
1-10 1315 50%
11-20 574 22%
21-30 283 11%
31-40 169 6%
41-50 95 4%
51-60 39 1%
61-70 43 2%
71-80 40 2%
81-90 43 2%
91-100 24 1%
101 or more 21 1%
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 = $75,235 Median = $70,000
SD = $65,782 Mode = $0
$0 484 18%
$10,000 200 8%
$20,000 153 6%
$30,000 120 5%
$40,000 118 4%
$50,000 113 4%
$60,000 118 4%
$70,000 110 4%
$80,000 122 5%
$90,000 99 4%
$100,000 - $140,000 581 22%
$150,000 - $190,000 263 10%
$200,000 - $240,000 130 5%
$250,000 - $290,000 28 1%
$300,000 - $340,000 8 0%
$350,000 - $400,000 4 0%
$400,000 or higher 2 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 2613 98%
An APPIC-member internship program 1508 56%
that is NOT accredited
An internship program that is NOT 685 26%
accredited and NOT an APPIC member
An unpaid internship program 877 33%
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 2471 93%
participating in the Match
This is my SECOND time 178 7%
participating in the Match
This is my THIRD time 12 0%
participating in the Match
This is my FOURTH time 1 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 2110 79%
No 491 18%
Withdrew / No rankings submitted 73 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 1607 60 %
Agree 919 34 %
Neutral 97 4 %
Disagree 36 1 %
Strongly Disagree 12 0 %
15b. The registration process with NMS went smoothly.
Strongly Agree 1897 71 %
Agree 670 25 %
Neutral 60 2 %
Disagree 27 1 %
Strongly Disagree 14 1 %
15c. The submission of my Rank Order List to NMS went smoothly.
Strongly Agree 1993 77 %
Agree 550 21 %
Neutral 30 1 %
Disagree 7 0 %
Strongly Disagree 10 0 %
15d. NMS was responsive to my questions and concerns
(choose "N/A" if you never contacted NMS).
Strongly Agree 304 59 %
Agree 142 27 %
Neutral 45 9 %
Disagree 12 2 %
Strongly Disagree 14 3 %
15e. I am satisfied with the Match result that I received from
the Matching Program.
Strongly Agree 1385 54 %
Agree 506 20 %
Neutral 149 6 %
Disagree 143 6 %
Strongly Disagree 385 15 %
15f. Overall, I am satisfied with the APPIC Matching Program.
Strongly Agree 943 36 %
Agree 786 30 %
Neutral 384 14 %
Disagree 291 11 %
Strongly Disagree 250 9 %
16a. In your judgment, did you experience any violation(s) of
APPIC Match Policies by any site?
Yes 215 8 %
No 2221 83 %
Unsure 227 9 %
NOTE: Results to this question from previous years:
YES NO UNSURE
2008 8% 83% 9%
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 25 1 %
No 2620 98 %
Unsure 15 1 %
16c. Did you experience inappropriate pressure from any site to
reveal your rankings?
Yes 83 3 %
No 2545 96 %
Unsure 32 1 %
16d. Did any site reveal ranking information to you (e.g., "You
are our first choice")?
Yes 70 3 %
No 2540 96 %
Unsure 48 2 %
17a. In general, my doctoral program faculty provided a high
level of support for my internship application and interview
experience.
Strongly Agree 933 35 %
Agree 884 33 %
Neutral 349 13 %
Disagree 355 13 %
Strongly Disagree 146 5 %
Not Applicable 1 0 %
17b. I worked closely with other students in my program
throughout the process (e.g., sharing information, giving
and receiving support).
Strongly Agree 945 35 %
Agree 888 33 %
Neutral 345 13 %
Disagree 330 12 %
Strongly Disagree 149 6 %
Not Applicable 10 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 2254 85 %
Agree 364 14 %
Neutral 35 1 %
Disagree 5 0 %
Strongly Disagree 6 0 %
Not Applicable 2 0 %
17d. I attended local or national workshops that focused on
the internship selection process.
Strongly Agree 325 12 %
Agree 457 17 %
Neutral 146 5 %
Disagree 513 19 %
Strongly Disagree 899 34 %
Not Applicable 323 12 %
17e. I used reference materials (e.g., the APAGS workbook,
other books) to educate myself about the internship
selection process.
Strongly Agree 1068 40 %
Agree 811 30 %
Neutral 177 7 %
Disagree 263 10 %
Strongly Disagree 257 10 %
Not Applicable 87 3 %
18. To how many internship sites did you apply (i.e., how many
separate internship applications did you submit)?
Mean = 14.7 Median = 15
SD = 5.4 Mode = 15
For comparison purposes, the mean numbers of submitted
applications in previous years were:
2008 Match 13.9 applications
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
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 = 2.4 Mode = 0
NOTE: A total of 55.9% 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 = 3
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 = 6
SD = 4.5 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 39 1 %
No 2622 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 = $1703 SD = 1496
Median = $1300 Mode = 300
APPLICATION COSTS: Mean = $ 256 SD = 224
Median = $ 200 Mode = 200
TRAVEL COSTS: Mean = $1276 SD = 1314
Median = $ 900 Mode = 2000
OTHER COSTS: Mean = $ 291 SD = 280
Median = $ 200 Mode = 200
NOTE: The mean total cost remained essentially unchanged from 2008
to 2009, after an 11.0% increase the previous year. However,
a significant increase was seen this year in application
costs, up $38 or 17.4%) as compared to last year. Travel
costs decreased $12 (1%) and other costs decreased $6 (2%).
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR INTERNSHIP
NOTE: Items 24-31 were asked only of applicants who reported having
matched to an internship site.
24. Location of the internship program to which you were matched:
United States 1979 95%
Canada 98 5%
Other 5 0%
NOTE: All five who designated “other” reported being matched to
an internship in Puerto Rico.
25. Were you matched to a program that is CURRENTLY accredited by
APA (American Psychological Association)?
Yes 1721 82 %
No 366 18 %
26. Were you matched to a program that is CURRENTLY accredited by
CPA (Canadian Psychological Association)?
Yes 179 9 %
No 1837 91 %
27. Regardless of your new internship program’s accreditation status,
is that internship program a CURRENT member of APPIC? (APPIC
Members are listed in the APPIC Directory Online)
Yes 2057 99 %
No 17 1 %
28. Is your new internship position:
A one-year, full-time internship experience 2058 99%
A two-year, half-time internship experience 11 1%
Other 17 1%
29. 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 = $23,396 Median = $23,000
SD = $ 8,990 Mode = $24,000
The mean salary represents a 2.6% increase as compared to 2008.
30. 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 41 2%
Child/Adolescent Psychiatric/Pediatrics 334 16%
Community Mental Health Center 356 17%
Consortium 194 9%
Medical School 294 14%
Prison/Other Correctional Facility 113 5%
Private General Hospital 135 6%
Private Outpatient Clinic 105 5%
Private Psychiatric Hospital 73 3%
Psychology Department 46 2%
School District 75 4%
State/County/Other Public Hospital 259 12%
University Counseling Center 314 15%
Veterans Affairs Medical Center 352 17%
Other (please specify) 80 4%
31. What was the rank of the program to which you were matched?
(Please see the 2009 APPIC Match Statistics for this information)
DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
32. What is your age?
Mean = 30.3 Median = 28
SD = 6.0 Mode = 27
Range = 23 to 72 N = 2583
33. How many dependent children are currently living with you?
None 2183 85%
1 236 9%
2 116 5%
3 37 1%
4 2 0%
5 3 0%
34. 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 2452 96%
1 96 4%
2 12 0%
3 3 0%
35. What is your current marital or relationship status?
Married / Partnered 1389 54 %
Not Married or Partnered 1207 46 %
36. What is your country of citizenship?
U.S. 2341 91 %
Canada 126 5 %
Other 119 5 %
37. What is your gender?
Male 527 20 %
Female 2058 80 %
Other (e.g., trans, intersex) 2 0 %
38. What is your racial/ethnic identification? (Check all
that apply)
African-American / Black 146 6 %
American Indian / Alaskan Native 22 1 %
Asian / Pacific Islander 192 7 %
Hispanic / Latino 176 7 %
White (Non-Hispanic) 2028 78 %
Bi-racial / Multi-racial 74 3 %
Other 75 3 %
39. What is your sexual orientation?
Heterosexual 2386 92 %
Gay Male 45 2 %
Lesbian 59 2 %
Bisexual 77 3 %
Other 14 1 %
40. What types of disability(ies) do you have? Check all
that apply. (If none, please check “None”)
None 2351 93 %
Blind / Visually Impaired 10 0 %
Deaf / Hard of Hearing 14 1 %
Physical / Orthopedic Disability 27 1 %
Learning Disability / Cognitive 49 2 %
Chronic Health Condition 58 2 %
Mental Illness 31 1 %
Other 23 1 %
41. (Open-Ended Question)
42. 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 1326 51 %
No 1266 49 %
43. IF YOU ANSWERED "YES" TO QUESTION 42: Which of the following
best describes the reason for your geographic restriction:
I could only apply in a particular 608 45 %
geographic area because of
significant family, financial,
and/or health considerations
I chose to restrict my search to 705 53 %
particular geographic area(s) due
to personal preference (e.g.,
preferred place to live, to be
near family or friends)
Other 26 2 %
44. IF YOU ANSWERED "YES" TO QUESTION 42: Which of the following
best describes your geographic restriction?
A single city or town, or within 421 32 %
a 100-mile radius of a city/town
State / Province 170 13 %
Region of the Country 583 44 %
Other 160 12 %
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR AAPI
45. 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 2, 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 = 800 n = 2208
b. Supervision: Median = 338 n = 2193
NOTE: Intervention and Assessment hours increased by 1.7% from
the 2008 Match, while Supervision hours decreased by 7.7%.
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.
46. 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 = 7 n = 2157
b. Children / Adolescents Median = 5 n = 2074
NOTE: Respondents who 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.
47. Please check ALL settings below in which you completed PROGRAM-
SANCTIONED clinical experiences/practica prior to November 1,
2008. Please exclude any clinical experiences that were not
program-sanctioned, such as work experience.
Child Guidance Clinic 165 7%
Community Mental Health Center 1267 54%
Department Clinic (psychology clinic 1252 53%
run by a department or school)
Forensic/Justice Setting 481 20%
Medical Clinic / Hospital 974 41%
Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital 711 30%
Outpatient Psychiatric Hospital 502 21%
University Counseling Center / Student 807 34%
Mental Health Center
Schools 686 29%
VA Medical Center 304 13%
Other 596 25%
48. Please designate when you completed (or intend to complete) your
doctoral comprehensive / qualifying / preliminary examinations:
Not applicable 87 4%
Prior to submitting internship applications 2166 91%
Prior to attending internship interviews 39 2%
Prior to the ranking deadline for the Match 15 1%
Prior to the beginning of internship 66 3%
During the internship year 8 0%
After the completion of internship 7 0%
49. Please designate when your proposal for your dissertation or
doctoral research project was or will be approved:
Not applicable 17 1%
Prior to submitting internship applications 1766 74%
Prior to attending internship interviews 116 5%
Prior to the ranking deadline for the Match 65 3%
Prior to the beginning of internship 392 16%
During the internship year 26 1%
After the completion of internship 1 0%
50. Please designate when the final defense for your dissertation
or doctoral research project occurred or will occur:
Not applicable 65 3%
Prior to submitting internship applications 84 4%
Prior to attending internship interviews 22 1%
Prior to the ranking deadline for the Match 6 0%
Prior to the beginning of internship 1047 44%
During the internship year 1060 44%
After the completion of internship 101 4%
51. 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 = 2.0 Median = 1
SD = 3.1 Mode = 0
None 1078 46 %
1 346 15 %
2 243 10 %
3 211 9 %
4 133 6 %
5 to 9 278 12 %
10 to 14 58 2 %
15 to 19 14 1 %
20 or more 8 0 %
52. How many of these publications are PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL
ARTICLES and are either IN PRESS or IN PRINT? (Please estimate
if you don't know the exact number)
Mean = 1.3 Median = 0
SD = 2.2 Mode = 0
None 1268 56 %
1 360 16 %
2 226 10 %
3 174 8 %
4 87 4 %
5 to 9 142 6 %
10 to 14 16 1 %
15 to 19 5 0 %
20 or more 3 0 %
53. 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 = 5.4 Median = 3
SD = 5.8 Mode = 0
None 490 21 %
1 267 11 %
2 231 10 %
3 208 9 %
4 130 5 %
5 to 9 553 23 %
10 to 14 287 12 %
15 to 19 111 5 %
20 or more 87 4 %