Applying to Graduate School PSY 100 Dr. Blakemore

Master’s and Doctoral programs Go straight from bachelor’s to one or the other Master’s programs may be part-time, but doctoral programs hardly ever are (at least Ph.D.s) Funding for graduate school

Grady Study in Psych article P. 959, Programs >40,000 full time students in about 2000 programs Graduate Study in Psychology book published annually by APA presents information on all programs in US & Canada

P. 964, Admission criteria, Table 3 Letters of recommendation Research experience Work experience Clinically-related public service Extra curricular activities Interview Personal statement and goals GRE/MAT GPA

Weighted most Letters of recommendation GRE GPA Personal statement 74% of doctoral and 57% master’s institutions required GRE generals 29% doctoral and 13% of master’s require GRE psychology Less than 10% of either required MAT GPA Personal statement Research experience

What do graduate programs want? Good grades and test scores Fit between the applicant and the program’s goals Research experience Courses in statistics and sciences Interest by a faculty member in the department in working with the student Clear, focused application essays

GRE scores and GPA V and Q used to range from 200-800 Now ranges from 130 to 170 (conversion chart on lecture web page) Writing ranges from 0-6 in .5 increments P. 966, Table 4 Minimum and actual GRE scores required Minimum and actual GPAs

How many are accepted? Table 7 for doctoral programs, p. 969 Table 8 for master’s programs, p. 971 Table 9 for clinical doctoral programs, including Psy.D.s, p. 972

The Process of Applying

When to start? Start preparing with research experience and grades as soon as you can Some clinical doctoral, and certainly master’s programs look for practical experience – internships, field placements, volunteering – begin no later than junior year Plan for the GRE during your junior year Attend MPA during junior and senior year Start looking for schools no later than the summer before your senior year (look at details in Chapter 10) This can be extremely time consuming Some schools have certain specific undergraduate requirements, so you would want to know that Think in terms of three levels of schools (high, medium, and “safety” – different for everyone) Plan to apply to about 6 – 10 programs, maybe more

How to choose schools? Depends on your interests Unless you are geographically limited, don’t use geographical area Choose the various levels For doctoral programs: Are there faculty at that school you would want to work with? For master’s programs: What is the focus of that program – it is what you are interested in?

When to apply? Look carefully at Chapter 10 Doctoral programs’ deadlines are sooner than master’s – usually December or January versus February and March, but figure out in advance Be preparing the materials in Fall semester Some students take a year off – pros and cons – your letters of recommendation are very important, so you don’t want your professors to forget you If you take that time to boost your research experience, then fine And it depends on whether it’s a master’s or doctoral program Take the GREs in the Fall so they will be ready in time

Writing the essay This is incredibly important See advice in handout And in Chapter 10 Be specific and professional, and focus on academic and research interests It’s usually better not to say something general such as that you want to help people, or any general platitudes, and avoid discussing your own or family member’s mental health issues. Also better to avoid a focus on personal biography (e.g., “when I was in elementary school. . .). Schools may ask for different things in these essays, so make sure you write a specific one for each application and do what they ask you to do More later on things to avoid in these essays

Letters of recommendation Usually you need three The stronger the better, but again it depends on the type of program and how competitive it is Almost always they should be from faculty, on university letterhead Not usually from employers (some exceptions) and certainly not from friends or relatives

How to get a good letter of recommendation See: http://www.psichi.org/Pubs/Articles/Article_75.aspx Assuming the faculty member knows you well enough, follow the advice on Face-to-face Time Provide information about yourself and the schools Be organized

What to give your professors Provide a packet to each professor containing: Envelopes typed with addresses for each school, if paper, but most now online If paper, provide each school’s required forms and fill out all information possible (i.e., names addresses etc.) Instructions on what they need to do for each school (i.e., seal and sign flap, return to me/mail to school, specific questions the school would like answered about you etc.) Deadlines – specify the date you need them returned to you or mailed to the school not the school’s deadline for applications The department has a handout on asking for letters of recommendation

Interviews If, invited and you want to be accepted, go on the interview You will meet the faculty and they will meet you They often use the interview to adjust their rank ordering You will get to see the program which will help you determine fit You usually get to meet other graduate students, and this can be invaluable information They vary in length from a few hours to more than one day, but for doctoral programs, a day is common

What will they ask? Some questions may concern your background experience Or they may ask about you personally Or specific questions to understand how you think Such as how you would design a study to answer a particular question Or they may ask about your research interests Or why you want to come to their program They will also be looking to see if you get along with the other applicants, students, and others

You should ask questions too Ask the faculty about the program What they think its strengths and weaknesses are In particular, ask graduate students what they like and what they don’t, and if they would go there again Find out information about the area – cost of living, housing opportunities, etc.

Be prepared for the expense Applying to graduate school can be expensive You have to pay for transcripts, the GREs, application fees, mailing expenses, etc. So, plan ahead