Is it better to attend a university opposed to a professional school?

Question

I want to go back to graduate school for psychology. There are many professional schools that offer PhD's or PsyD's but is it better to aim for prestigious school with an impressive name? I want a school that has a good program but when I go out into the working world, will the jobs be passing over graduates of a lesser known school for graduates of an Ivy League school solely based on name/ reputation?

Answer 1

Once you get to the PhD/PsyD level, name recognition changes.

For example, Rutgers has an excellent program (both their PhD and their professional school PsyD).  Their PhD program is actually much better than Columbia University's program.

Also keep in mind that the acceptance rate for PhD programs in general is very small- under 1% at many schools.  People with 4.0 GPA and great reccos get rejected from top programs in droves.  Apply to a range of schools you think you could be happy at.  If you are considering a PsyD, you probably want to practice rather than do research and as long as you go to a fully accredited, not online school you will be very employable.