Overview for Applicants

Overview

The APPIC Internship Matching Program (the "Match") provides an orderly process to help applicants obtain positions in psychology internship programs of their choice, and to help internship programs obtain applicants of their choice. The Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) is responsible for establishing the policies of the Match and for monitoring the implementation of the Match. The APPIC Match is administered by National Matching Services Inc. (NMS) on behalf of APPIC.

Key Dates

①  Register

You must receive permission from your Director of Clinical Training (DCT) before registering for the Match and applying for internship.

You must be registered for the Match in order to submit applications to internship programs, receive interview invitations from internships using NMS Interview, submit a Rank Order List, and be ranked by internship programs.

Registration is completed through the NMS Match System. You must agree to comply with and be bound by the terms of the Applicant Agreement, the APPIC Match Policies, and the Schedule of Dates. There is a non-refundable registration fee of $160 USD to register for the Match.

If you intend to participate in Phase I, it is recommended that you register by October 20, 2026. If you registered prior to the Phase I Rank Order List deadline but did not obtain a position in Phase I, you should not register again for Phase II, as your registration will be carried over to Phase II automatically.

If you have not done so already, you should subscribe to MATCH-NEWS, a free, automated email information service operated by APPIC. This is an important method of communicating information about the APPIC Match. To subscribe to MATCH-NEWS, send a blank email message to subscribe-match-news@lyris.appic.org and follow the instructions in the subsequent email to confirm your subscription.

②   Manage Your Account

Once registered, you are assigned a 5-digit Code Number that uniquely identifies you in the APPIC Match. You must enter your Match Code Number into your AAPI application in order to be able to submit applications to internship programs.

You can log into the NMS Match System to manage your Account, Profile, and Status information for the APPIC Match.

If you no longer intend to participate in the 2027 APPIC Match, you must withdraw from the Match and not submit a Rank Order List.

③   Application Process

Registration for the APPIC Match does NOT constitute an application to any of the internship programs participating in the Match. You must apply to the programs in which you are interested, using the AAPI application service.

You should check the APPIC Directory, as well as each site’s public materials (e.g., website, brochure, etc.), for information about each program, including its application and eligibility requirements and deadline dates. All application requirements and interviews must be completed before the deadline for submitting your Rank Order List for the Match, and ideally before the NMS Match System opens for the entry of Rank Order Lists.

A list of internship programs participating in the APPIC Match will be posted on the Match website by October 1, 2026. The list on the Match website is updated regularly; consult the Match website for current information on program participation in the Match.

④   Interview Process

Each program sets its own policies and procedures for scheduling and conducting interviews. Many (but not all) internship programs use NMS Interview, which is a module within the NMS Match System, to schedule interviews.

According to the Applicant Agreement for participation in the Match and the Match Rules, in your communications with programs you may not make any commitments to, or require any commitments from, any participating internship program prior to the release of the Match results.

⑤   Ranking Process

The APPIC Match is conducted in two phases. Each applicant and each program submits a Rank Order List of their preferred choices by the Rank Order List deadline for Phase I of the Match on February 5, 2027. The Phase I matching process will be carried out using those Rank Order Lists to place applicants into positions.

Applicants who do not obtain a position in Phase I, as well as applicants who register after the Phase I Rank Order List deadline, will be eligible to participate in Phase II. Programs with positions available after Phase I will offer those positions to eligible applicants in Phase II. All applicants and programs participating in Phase II must submit their Rank Order Lists by the Phase II Rank Order List deadline on March 17, 2027. The Phase II matching process will then be carried out using those Rank Order Lists.

When submitting your Rank Order List for either Phase of the Match, the optimal ranking strategy is to include all programs participating in that Phase that you applied to and that would be acceptable to you, ordered according to your true preferences. You should not consider how a program might rank you when ordering the list. The Rankings User Guide has step-by-step instructions for entering and certifying your Rank Order List.

⑥   Match Results

NMS uses an established and proven matching algorithm to process the Rank Order Lists submitted by applicants and programs. You will be matched to the most preferred program on your Rank Order List that ranks you and does not fill all its positions with applicants it prefers to you. Similarly, each program will be matched with its most preferred applicant(s) that do not match to programs the applicants prefer.

The results of the APPIC Match are made available online and by email on the Match Results Day for each Phase of the Match. The results of Phase I of the Match will be provided on February 19, 2027; the results for Phase II will be provided on March 24, 2027.

The Match results constitute a binding commitment between applicants and programs. If you are matched in either Phase I or Phase II, you must attend the internship program with which you are matched as outlined in the Applicant Agreement and Match Rules.

After the results of Phase II of the Match are released, applicants who have not been matched to a position may participate in APPIC’s Post-Match Vacancy Service to identify and apply for positions that remain available.