Geography and internship match rates: Quantifying competitiveness and discussing implications for the internship imbalance.

Abstract

In response to the internship supply/demand imbalance, the field of psychology recognized a crisis andproposed solutions. With each passing year, however, graduate students face the real possibility that theymay not match. Using four years worth of site match rates, competitiveness is quantified and analyzedwith respect to implications for the field, APPIC, internship sites, graduate programs, and prospectiveinterns. Results suggest geographic differences in match rates are less meaningful for applicant strategiesthan monitoring competitiveness using site match rates and submitting 10 to 15 applications. Discussionincludes implications for students and how they may use match rate data to improve their site selectionstrategies and chances for a successful match.Keywords: internship, supply demand, APPIC, imbalance, competition