Karina Almanza

Professor Joan Frank

FSM 122
January 19, 2017
Decision Matrix Analysis Worksheet Response

The decision I focused the “Decision Matrix Analysis” was the preference of ranking the Dietetic
Internships I am in the process of applying to. While I confidently knew the latter preferences in ranking,
my main dilemma was between my first and my second choice in programs. Initially, my order of ranking
was (1) Cal Poly, SLO, (2) CSUN, (3) Cal Poly, Pomona, and (4) UC San Diego but by the end of this
assignment, my ranking will change back to its original preference of CSUN as my first choice and Cal
Poly, SLO being my second choice, the last two remained the same. Through this assignment, I learned
more about the factors I feel are important to me, their ranking, the internship I prefer and the ultimate
truth in overall preferences in programs.
The following are the factors (listed in order of most important to least important) that I took into
consideration when making my finalized decision: Opportunities (long-term), Distance from home
(parents), Location, Cost, Programs and Food Options in location. I prioritized my long-term
“Opportunities” because I thought about where I would want to ideally obtain a job after I complete my
Dietetic Internship and the different opportunities throughout my internship where I would be able to
work in locations of preference. The second priority I had was the “Distance the Dietetic Internship was
from my hometown,” this differed from the factor “Location” because it was based more on my concern
for taking care of my parents than the general perks of the location itself. The “Location” of the dietetic
internship ranked third for me and was one of the key deciding factors for me to initially preference San
Luis Obispo, a beautiful location next to the beach with wonderful weather. To my surprise, “Cost” did
not rank as high as I thought it would, which might reflect my strong demand for comfort and happiness
in location, region and long-term location over my concern for cost. Ranking for “Programs” offered in
each Dietetic Internship was difficult because I purposefully chose Internships that offered common
opportunities, my main focus being able to work with WIC. The last factor that I took into account that
might seem silly but plays a huge contribution to my overall experiences is the availability of “Food”
locations for each location. I creatively “yelped” each location and set each settings to review different
vegan locations near the area, popularity, pricing and variety. I chose this last factor with the mentality of
associating a positive experience with the location of each Dietetic Internship with great food. The factors
I chose are true to myself and what I hope to gain from an experience such as a Dietetic Internship.
It was not until I placed a numerical ranking that it became very obvious to me that my decision
for first choice in Dietetic Internship was and will be Cal State University, Northridge. The numerical
ranking that CSUN had was greatly higher (78) the second choice which was Cal Poly, SLO (52); leaving
Cal Poly, Pomona (47) and UC San Diego (33) at considerably lower scores. At CSUN, I will be able to
do rotations in the greater Los Angeles area, build relationships with faculty and staff. Furthermore, I will
be able to build my reputation in Los Angeles and increase my odds of obtaining a job close to home after
my internship. I will be able to be in a location that is valuable to me short-term and long-term, allowing
me to help my parents and participate in rotations that I am interested in. While CSUN did not rank
particularly high for other factors such as food and program, those factors are manageable and I feel I
have the personality that will make the most of what I have around me.