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& Timelines - Psychology Graduate School Timeline
Introduction
Applying to graduate school can be a difficult process, but
it doesn't have to be. The following pages offer some tips
to make your application process a little easier. As you will
notice, this process is not isolated to your last year as
an undergraduate; in fact, you should begin looking at some
aspects early in your sophomore year. If you come across this
timeline a little later in your college career, however, there
is no need to panic. You may just have a little catching up
to do. Good luck in your search! These guidelines should be
of some help no matter where you are in the process.
Sophomore Year
During your sophomore year, it is important to begin building
a strong GPA. Because you will apply at the beginning of your
senior year and your freshman year may be viewed as a transition
period, graduate schools will primarily look at your sophomore
and junior years as far as grades are concerned. If you have
a Ph.D. program in mind, it would be beneficial to enroll
in some laboratory classes not only to gain research experience,
but to cultivate relationships with professors as well. This
is also a good time to get involved in volunteer or work experience
related to the psychology field. The Community Affairs Board
and Counseling and Career Services are good resources for
this.
Junior Year
Keep your GPA up. Admissions requirements in the psychology
field are often more competitive than students expect, so
your grades are very important. If you find yourself in psychology
classes that are too large to get to know the professor well
by merely attending class, make the effort to go to his or
her office hours. Most graduate programs require three letters
of recommendation and they do not want to receive generic
letters from professors who only know what grade you received.
Your junior year is a good time to become involved in faculty
research projects. Begin thinking about the type of program
to which you would like to apply, and when you would like
to take the GRE. Two important resources for researching programs
are the APA guide to graduate schools (the full title appears
at the end of this document), and Peterson’s Guide to
Graduate Programs in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Summer following your Junior Year
Mail away as earlier as possible for applications and information
from the schools in which you are interested. Make sure to
request a list of current faculty and their research interests.
Applications may not be ready at the time of request so be
prepared to wait for several weeks. This is also the time
to register and study for the GRE. (Refer to section on GREs.)
You should begin to think about who you will ask for letters
of recommendation. It is good to ask professors at the beginning
of fall quarter, due to the many requests they receive for
letters. Try to ask professors who can give you a positive
character reference as well as good academic recommendation.
Remember, graduate schools use these references as an indicator
of your ability to work at a graduate level.
Senior Year
Request your recommendations as soon as possible. Recommendations
and applications can be due as early as the beginning of December,
depending on the graduate school. You will also be required
to send a number of official transcripts from each college
or university you have attended, regardless of how many units
were completed or whether courses were eventually applied
towards degree requirements (this includes any summer school
classes that may have been taken at a community college in
your area). During the latter part of fall quarter, the registrar
gets backed up with many transcript requests, so it is important
to begin this process as early as possible, as the registrar’s
office may take up to two weeks to process a request.
How to Choose A Program
Here are some questions that you may want to consider:
- If it is a Ph.D. program that you are considering, can
you get your Master’s Degree along the way? (Life
circumstances may cause you to drop out of the program early,
and this will ensure that you may still earn an advanced
degree, even if you are unable to complete the Ph.D. program.)
- If you are considering a clinical program, is it APA approved?
- Is the school located in a place that you are willing
to live for two to six years?
- Are the research interests of the faculty compatible with
yours? (This will be a determining factor in your admission.
Even if your credentials surpass the admissions standards,
your interests must match those of a faculty member or you
will not be admitted.)
- What is the reputation of the department (independent
of the school’s overall reputation)?
For information about the national rankings of various programs,
visit the following website: http://www.socialpsychology.org/ranking.htm
The Application Process
Five areas on which your application will be evaluated:
- Undergraduate curriculum and GPA
- GRE and possibly MAT scores (Counseling and Career Services
can refer you to study materials and classes to prepare
for these exams)
- Letters of recommendation
- Past experience: both research and practical
- Statement of purpose (consult Counseling and Career Services
for workshops to help you format this)
You will be expected to know your research interests and the
people at the university with whom you will want to work.
Be prepared also to write different variations of your statement
of purpose for each university. It is important to take this
essay seriously because it is the only evidence of character
with which the university’s admissions committee can
evaluate you. Many university deadlines are posted for when
all the application materials must be in the office, not when
it needs to be postmarked. Make sure you are aware of the
differences. When you send your applications, make copies
of all your materials for your records, and send everything
certified mail. After approximately one week, call the college
and make sure everything in your file is complete. Graduate
schools do not consider this their responsibility.
REMEMBER: this is a big commitment of time
as well as financial resources. However, it is important to
keep in mind that this is your future, and you do not want
to skimp on any aspect. All graduate programs are extremely
competitive, so plan to apply to 10-20 schools. This may sound
excessive, but acceptance rates are 1-5%, so it is best to
cover all your bases. Also, because of the competitive nature
of graduate programs, you may want to apply to more than one
type of program (i.e., if you are looking towards a clinical
program, you may also want to apply to a counseling program).
The GRE
Most likely, the programs you will apply to will require the
GRE general exam as well as the psychology subject exam. The
GRE general exam a computer-based test. It is available for
the first three weeks of the month from September-February,
and the first two weeks of the month from March-August. More
information on the GRE, registration materials and test bulletins
are available at the GRE web site http://www.gre.org/,
where you will also find a new feature, a search function
that allows you to input relevant data about yourself which
is disseminated to graduate schools who are recruiting students
with your interests and qualifications.
The GRE website also offers a wealth of information on preparing
for the test. According to Educational Testing Service (the
company that designs the GRE), it is difficult to study for
the general test per se, and potential examinees are advised
to familiarize themselves with the types of questions that
will be asked, and the format of the questions. The psychology
subject exam is approximately two hours long, and includes
215 multiple-choice questions. The subject test is only offered
3 times per year, so plan accordingly. Prep courses are available
for the GRE, however, it is up to each individual student
to assess the usefulness of such courses. They can be very
expensive. There are also books available for students who
want to prepare on their own. GRE offers free sample tests,
which you can obtain by requesting them through the website.
Counseling and Career Services is also a good resource for
information on the GRE and sample tests.
Take the GRE as early as possible during your senior year,
as scores take up to six weeks for processing. You can indicate
up to 4 schools to receive your scores at the time of registration,
and for a fee you may add more schools on the test date, or
through a phone system recently developed by GRE.
Letters of Recommendation
Request these as early as possible. You will need to prepare
a fact sheet which includes your overall GPA, your psychology
GPA, research interests, applied experience (volunteer work,
etc.) and career goals for the letter writers. A copy of your
personal statement can be very useful.
Statement of Purpose
This may be the most important part of your application. It
is the only representation of yourself that is not hard data.
It is also your chance to address any weaknesses in your application.
Allow yourself enough time to write a good one, and be prepared
to revise and re-write as necessary. Counseling and Career
Services provides workshops on how to write these essays,
and can also provide samples for you to examine. Although
you want to include the basics: "I have done this, I
would like to do that, and this is why I chose your program",
this is also your chance to bring out anything about yourself
that would set you apart from other applicants. Concentrate
on narrative style, and don’t be afraid to be yourself
– let them know that you have studied up on their program
and tell them how you will be a productive member of their
department.
Resources
Talk to people
- Professors
- Peer Advisors
- Others currently applying to graduate school
- Professionals in your field of interest
- Graduate students in your field of interest
- Graduate advisors at the universities to which you are
applying
Books
The following is a partial list of books you might find helpful
as you go through the application process. Check with Counseling
and Career Services for others which might be helpful.
- Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields
(Published yearly by the American Psychological Association)
- Peterson’s Guide to Graduate Programs in the
Humanities and the Social Sciences (available at Counseling
and Career Services)
- Careers in Psychology (a pamphlet available from
the American Psychological Association - write to the Order
Dept., APA, 1200 17th Street N.W., Washington, DC, 20036)
Interesting and Informative Psych Sites on the World
Wide Web
If you are interested in social work
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