The different areas of graduate study
What to do to get in
Applying now
or applying later
Money
Timetable
Graduate
Study
Getting
into a graduate program in psychology can be rather
complex and confusing. There are many different paths
you can take and a variety of hurdles. BUT DON'T
PANIC YET! Take it one step at a time. Read over this
handout a few times. Write down any questions you may
have and bring those questions to one of us, the
faculty. We'd be happy to help.
THE
DIFFERENT AREAS OF GRADUATE STUDY
There
are several types of graduate programs in psychology,
the most common ones being: experimental,
developmental, social, biopsychology, cognitive,
clinical, counseling, school, and organizational
psychology (also known as industrial-organizational
psychology, or simply "I/O") . These last
four (clinical, counseling, school, and I/O) are
considered by the American Psychological Association
(APA) to be the four distinct areas of applied
psychology.
Other
more specialized graduate programs might be devoted
to sports psychology, psychology and law, or
behavioral medicine. Large psychology departments at
large universities may include many of the most
common programs, but most universities will only have
a few of them.
The
best source of information about these various
programs is the book Graduate
Study in Psychology published by
the American Psychological Association. It lists, by
state, most of the graduate psychology programs in
this country. It includes information about admission
criteria, how many students are accepted each year,
number of faculty members, and where to get more
information and an application. The career center has
a copy as well as other books about graduate school.
You can order Graduate Study in Psychology directly from the American Psychological
Association.
WHAT TO DO
TO GET IN
Generally
speaking, getting into graduate school is a game of
chance. Many programs are very competitive. There's
no guarantee that you will get into the exact program
at the exact university that you want. But there are
some things you can do to optimize that possibility:
GPA
Grade point average is one index that
many graduate schools take very seriously. Obviously,
the higher your GPA the better your chances of
getting in. Very competitive programs may look for
GPAs at 3.5 or higher. Less competitive programs may
accept 3.O or a bit lower.
Letters of
Recommendation
Many graduate schools weigh letters
very highly. Strong letters of recommendation can
compensate for GPAs and GREs that are a bit weak.
Your letters of recommendation could become one of
your greatest assets! At Parkside, especially in our
Psychology Department, you have the unique
opportunity to get to know the faculty. Get involved
in the Psychology Club and other activities in the
department. Talk to the faculty. The better they know
you, the more likely they can write a convincing
letter. When you ask a professor to write a letter
for you, be sure to give the professor some written
information about yourself, the courses you took with
him/her, your grades, any activities you undertook in
our department or on campus, etc. And here's one way
you can work towards getting a truly excellent
letter....
Research
With Our Faculty
In our department you have the unique
opportunity to work closely with professors on
research projects. Take advantage of this! Volunteer
your time to work with a professor, ask about work
study, take a tutorial course. Also, find out if
there are faculty who will be your advisor on an Independent
Study (PSYC 499). This is a project in which you
work one on one with a faculty on a topic of mutual
interest. When professors get to know you in this
capacity, they can write a very strong letter of
recommendation (assuming you didn't screw up on the
project!). Successfully completing these projects
also demonstrates to graduate schools that you are a
motivated person who can work independently.
In
the past students have presented papers at
conferences or published articles with the faculty
based on such projects. Many graduate programs will
be impressed by this! It is unusual for
undergraduates to do this sort of thing. Graduate
programs that emphasize experimental research may be
very impressed by your having been actively involved
in research, especially if the research led to a
conference presentation or a publication. Programs
that emphasize training in counseling (and not
experimental research) may be impressed by projects
involving case studies, literature reviews, and
experiential learning even if these projects did not
lead to a publication or conference presentation.
GREs
Many graduate schools will require you
to take the Graduate
Record Exam. That's right! It's the SATs all over
again, but on a slightly bigger scale! The GREs
consist of three sections: verbal, math
(quantitative), and analytic (which measures abstract
thinking). Some schools will also require you to take
the "advanced" portion of the test, which
for you would be in psychology (it consists of
multiple choice questions pertaining to all the
different fields within psychology).
Usually
programs will use a cut off. If you don't get above a
certain score, they may not even look at your
application. Graduate Study in Psychology lists
the average GRE scores for students who are accepted
into a program. A few less competitive graduate
schools may not have a cut off score or may not
require you to take the GREs at all.
It
is very unwise to take the GREs cold. Prepare for it.
Bookstores sell manuals that describe strategies for
taking the test and provide sample exams. There also
are classes you can take, such as the Stanley
Kaplan preparatory courses. A good way
to study for the Advanced test in psychology is to
get a good intro psychology textbook and memorize as
much of it as you can. Another way is to serve as a
tutor for students in Introduction to Psychology (you
can apply to be an "official" tutor and get
paid for it).
Some
schools also may require you to take additional
standardized tests such as the Miller Analogies Test,
alias the "MAT" (and you thought the GREs
were hard!). There are books that can help you
prepare for these exams.
You
can call the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in
Princeton for an application and information about
the GREs. The Dean's office also has applications.
Your
Personal Statement
There probably is wide variation in
how graduate schools react to your written personal
statement in which you describe yourself and your
reasons for going to graduate school. Some might take
it quite seriously, others may not pay much
attention. Play it safe. Spend some time on it and
prepare a well thought out letter. Avoid platitudes
like "I'm really interested in psychology"
or, for a counseling or clinical program, "I
want to work with people." Would you be applying
for graduate school if you didn't feel that way?
If
you really want to do it right, TAILOR your letter
for each program you apply to. Say something about
your background, your accomplishments, what exactly
about psychology interests you, what you plan to do
in the future BUT ALSO STATE EXACTLY WHY IT IS YOU
ARE APPLYING TO THAT PROGRAM. What is it about the
program that attracts you? How will it benefit you,
and what do you have to offer it? Be as specific as
possible. If you are interested in one or more of
their faculty member's work, say so! If you are
interested in a particular program, say so! And
explain why you are interested!
Keep
the letter short - maybe two or three pages, TYPED.
Experiment with being both creative and informative.
Ask friends and professors for comments on what you
have written.
Field Work
and Other Practical Experiences
Some graduate programs may be impressed by your
having had some substantial practical experience in a
setting related to their program. For example,
experimental programs may find it appealing that a
student helped out with a professor's research
project. A developmental program may be impressed by
someone who worked with developmentally handicapped
children. Clinical and counseling psychology may
think it is important that a student worked in a
mental health setting.
Our
department offers field work/externship courses where you can get such practical
experience. You also can volunteer on your own or
look for part time/summer jobs. However, there is no
guarantee that a graduate program will highly value
this experience. Those programs that emphasize
research training (including clinical psychology
programs) may be more concerned about your academic
achievements than your practical experiences.
Required courses
Many programs will require that you
have taken undergraduate courses in psychology and a
certain amount of credits in psychology. Courses such
as statistics and experimental psychology often are
required. If you will be completing the major in our
department, you probably will have no problem with
this. But specialized programs may require
specialized courses. Check Graduate Study in
Psychology which will list the requirements for
each graduate program.
Using the
Shotgun Method
To maximize the possibility of getting
in, apply to many schools maybe twelve or more. Apply
to a few really outstanding programs: who knows, you
may get lucky! Also apply to a few programs that are
less competitive, so you'll be guaranteed of
receiving at least one or two offers! And don't be
too upset if you do get rejected, because the odds
are that some programs WILL reject your application.
If
you're willing to go to another part of the country,
you will have a wider selection of schools to apply
to, and a better chance of being accepted. There are
very good programs in parts of the country that
people perceive to be less desirable areas to live.
Going for
a Visit and Interviewing
If possible, go see the school even
before you know whether or not you are accepted. Talk
to the faculty and students. It may help you decide
whether or not you want to be there. It also may help
you make an impression on them. Making a personal
contact can be very effective (even on the phone) as
long as you are not pressuring people or being a pest
in some way!
Definitely
try to visit the programs that accept you! Talk to
the faculty, find out everything you can about the
program. Do they feel like people you could work
with? Are they friendly, helpful, cold, obnoxious?
Make a point of talking to beginning and advanced
students - they will tell you things that the faculty
may not.
APPLYING
NOW OR APPLYING LATER
Many
students think that they should apply to graduate
school immediately after they finish their
undergraduate work. If you are the type of person who
will lose steam (i.e., motivation) after taking a
year or two off, then maybe you should apply right
away. But it's not critical that you apply
immediately. If you take a year or two off to work,
in order to make money for graduate school or to get
some experience in psychology, that could look good
in the eyes of the graduate program. They like
motivated, determined people. But if you drift from
job to job, or if you aren't working at all and just
amble about with no rhyme or reason, that might look
bad.
Older
students who have been working a number of years or
raising a family sometimes think they are in a one
down position. Again, this is not necessarily true.
If there is evidence that you are a conscientious and
motivated person, then those are points in your
favor. Some counseling and clinical psychology
programs prefer older students. They believe they are
more mature, responsible people. Many counseling
psychology programs are specifically designed for
older people who may be working full time and/or have
families.
MONEY
Education
costs money. Graduate school is no exception. Many
programs may offer you some financial support. Some
programs, usually those at state universities, will
support students for the first few years in the form
of "stipends." Others may offer a
"Research Assistantship" in which you help
a professor conduct his or her research in return for
pay. For a "Teaching Assistantship" you
would help a professor teach a course, or perhaps
teach a section yourself, in return for pay. You may
not get as much money as you want but, as Jagger
might say, you'll get what you need (just enough to
live on). Also, some universities may waive tuition.
Find out about stipends, teaching and research
assistantships, and tuition remission before you
decide to go to a program.
TIMETABLE
If
you intend to go to graduate school right after you
finish your undergraduate work, here's a rough
timetable for preparing your applications:
Spring
semester of your junior year:
- think
about what type of program you're interested
in
- start
talking to the faculty
- if
you haven't already done so, find out if you
can get involved in faculty research or an
Independent Study project; consider taking a
fieldwork course
Summer
before your senior year:
- look
over Graduate Study in Psychology
- make
a rough list of schools you might apply to
- start
writing your personal statement
- begin
studying for the GREs
Fall
semester of your senior year:
- near
the start of the semester, write to schools
for information about their programs
- as
you receive this information, start making
your final list of schools you will apply to
- continue
studying for the GREs
- IN
OCTOBER TAKE THE GREs
- near
the end of the semester, ask professors to
write letters of recommendation
After
the fall semester:
- complete
your applications and send them off
- deadlines
may be in January, February, or March,
depending on the school
- if
possible, visit the schools
- pray
for acceptances
Psychology
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