Okay, so let me tell you about this whole CAGS in school psychology thing I got into. I was looking into becoming a school psychologist ’cause, you know, I wanted to make a difference in kids’ lives and all that. Turns out, the entry-level thing for this field is this specialist-level credential called a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, or CAGS, in school psychology. Sounds fancy, right?
So, I started digging around, checking out different programs and what they needed. I found out that the CAGS is basically the same as an Educational Specialist (EdS) degree in some places. It’s what you need to get certified as a school psychologist in Massachusetts and a bunch of other states.
Getting into the Program
First off, I had to make sure my grades were up to snuff. They wanted at least a 3.0 GPA overall and in my psychology courses. Plus, I had to have taken at least five psych courses, including intro to psych, human development, and, of course, statistics. And let me tell you, those statistics classes were a real doozy!
Then there was the whole application process. I had to get two letters of recommendation, which was a bit of a scramble. I reached out to a couple of my old professors, hoping they remembered me. Luckily, they did, and they wrote some pretty glowing letters, if I do say so myself.
- Checked my GPA, made sure it was above 3.0.
- Gathered all my transcripts from undergrad and grad school.
- Emailed a couple of old professors for those recommendation letters.
- Wrote a personal statement about why I wanted to be a school psychologist.
The Program Itself
I finally got accepted into a program at this place, William James College. Their program promised to prepare me to meet the real-world need. Sounded good to me! The program itself was pretty intense. Lots of coursework, practical training, and a bunch of late nights studying. But you know what? I learned a ton. I got a really solid foundation in all the important stuff, like assessment, counseling, and how to work with different school systems.
Looking Back
Now that I’m through it all, I can say it was definitely worth it. It wasn’t easy, but I feel like I’m really prepared to go out there and make a positive impact. And yeah, over time, I’m sure I’ll pick up even more tricks of the trade and figure out the most efficient ways to get things done. You always keep learning, right? It is really a long way to go and needs to keep learning.The specialist level is the entry level for the profession, and it really took me a lot of time to prepare and get it done. But it really worthy to do so. Becoming a school psychologist feels pretty great. Hopefully I could really help the kids in need.
