Reputable and affordable programs with a strong commitment to diversity: Factors influencing school psychology student admission decisions.

Abstract

A current issue in the field of school psychology is the extreme shortage of school psychologists, and this is likely to persist in the future. Effective recruitment into school psychology programs is one of the most important strategies to increase the number of school psychologists. Within the present study, researchers created the Graduate Enrollment Admissions Rating Scale (GEARS), a survey measuring several different factors that school psychology students consider when applying to graduate programs, to determine what factors contributed to school psychology students' choice of program. The GEARS was sent via email to current school psychology graduate students. Overall, current students rated program quality, including faculty friendliness, as the most important factor influencing their decision. Second, considerations reflecting the program cost were influential. Diversity issues were the third most important factor in students choosing their school psychology programs. Costs and research/teaching opportunities were more important in the recruitment of doctoral students than specialist students, but specialist students valued convenience of a program more than doctoral students. Results of this study suggest that faculty members in charge of recruiting need to consider ways to manage tuition costs, develop relationships with future students, and strive toward high-quality programs as the best ways to increase the likelihood that students will attend their university. Impact and ImplicationsA survey of school psychology graduate students examined factors that influenced their choice of a school psychology program. Graduate students are most likely to consider quality, cost, and a commitment to diversity when choosing a school psychology program. Doctoral students are more likely to rank costs and research/teaching opportunities as more important than specialist students, while specialist-level students are more likely to value convenience.

Keep it simple: Information sources students use when choosing school psychology programs

“…Generally, it appears that many students who want to become school psychologists may not be as interested in specific program details such as course of study, dissertation topics, and faculty interests, but instead are looking for programs that can help them meet their overall goal of being a school psychologist. In other words, there are likely factors such as location and cost that influence student decision-making beyond the unique characteristics of a particular program (Aspiranti et al, 2023).…”

“…To provide better information, it's important to know where prospective students look for that information. Recent research has examined school psychology students' rationale for choosing a particular program (Aspiranti et al, 2023). School psychology graduate students reported their most influential factors when deciding on a graduate program included affordable program cost, program quality, and diversity.…”