Getting into Graduate School and Life After Presented By: Dr. Carlee Beth Hawkins Dr. Sheryl Reminger Dr. Frances Shen Robin Vansacik

Overview What is the difference between Master’s, Psy.D., and Ph.D. programs? What criteria is important for admission? How to get good recommendation letters? What are personal statements? How to prep for the GREs? How to research schools?

Questions to Consider Do you have a clear idea of the career you want to pursue? Is there another avenue for continued learning?   Have you looked at graduate certification programs? What is your motivation for continuing your education? Is this the right time for graduate school or should you get more experience in the field? Today, will focus on what to do to get in, but will have another workshop in the Spring on thinking about what to do with your psychology degree more broadly. 

Master’s Degree vs. Doctoral Degree Master’s Degree (M.A., M.S., M.S.W.) Doctoral Degree (Ph.D., Psy.D., M.D.) Shorter time to complete (2-4 years) Longer time to complete (4-8 years) Less expensive More expensive Less stringent admission requirements More stringent admission requirements May be the best degree for certain careers (e.g., counselor, social worker) May be the best degree for certain careers (e.g., psychologist, professor) Potentially lower salaries Potentially higher salaries Potentially fewer career options Potentially more career options Ph.D. vs. Psy.D. Ph.D. Psy.D. More research-oriented More practice-oriented Commonly acquired at universities Commonly acquired at professional schools Less expensive More expensive More financial assistance Less financial assistance More stringent admission requirements Less stringent admission requirements Longer time to complete (6-8 years) Shorter time to complete (4-7 years)

Number of Applications and Acceptances 2013-2014 Academic Year APA Education Directorate (2016), N = 520 departments. 1,688 programs https://www.apa.org/education/grad/survey-data/2016-report.pdf

APA-Accredited Clinical Programs Type of Program Number of Programs Number of Applications % Accepted % Students Awarded Assistantship % Students Awarded Assistantship and Tuition Free-standing Psy.D. 18 227 50 13 1 University Professional School Psy.D. 19 207 43 27 5 University Psychology Department Psy.D. 17 141 26 Practice-oriented Ph.D. 9 155 16 57 42 Practice- & research-oriented Ph.D. 67 160 14 20 54 Research-oriented Ph.D. 93 199 7 8 89 All Clinical Programs 223 183 Source: Norcross, Ellis, & Sayette (2010)

Questions?

Application Components Curriculum vita – a resume for academics Letters of recommendation – establish good relationships with 3 professors or relevant supervisors Personal statement – obtain research, internship, volunteer, service and/or work experience to draw from GRE scores – general and perhaps subject test Transcripts – maintain good grades; take advanced classes Fees – for applications, transcripts, GRE Interview – may include travel (funded or not) Deadlines – often fall/winter; depends on program

Which criteria is most important? Rank Dimension Masters Doctoral Letters of recommendation GPA Personal statement GRE scores Research experience Interview Work experience Clinically related service Extracurricular/Psi Chi

Which criteria is most important? Rank Dimension Masters Doctoral Letters of recommendation 2 1 GPA Personal statement 3 GRE scores 4 Research experience 6 5 Interview Work experience 8 7 Clinically related service Extracurricular/Psi Chi 9 Norcross et al., 2005 & Landrum et al., 1994

Letters of Recommendation How many do you need? Who should you ask? At least 2 faculty, typically in your major People who can speak to: Academic abilities and potential for graduate work Clinical and/or Research skills Any honors or awards you have received Your career interests and qualifications for that career Are of good quality Have an established, positive relationship with the writer

Letters of Recommendation How should you ask? Preferably, in person Give plenty of notice (2 weeks +) Be clear about addresses, instructions, and deadlines Provide personal statement, GRE scores, and CV If asking professors in the Psychology Department, complete “Letter of Recommendation Form” at: http://www.uis.edu/psychology/students/forms/index.html

Personal Statement Purpose of Personal Statement? Get to know you beyond your “stats” Assessment of communication & writing skills Assessment of fit between their program and you! How to write a personal statement? Get their attention! Focus on specifics and examples, not generalizations Discuss: career goals, why graduate school, why this program Tailor each statement to the school/program Follow any instructions Get feedback and edit, edit, edit!

Questions?

GRE: The Graduate Record Exam GRE website: www.ets.org/gre/ General Test and Subject Test (Psychology) Information about the GRE computer-based General Test 3 hour, 45 minute exam 2 Verbal Reasoning, 2 Quantitative Reasoning, and 2 Analytical Writing sections (in addition to unscored “Research” components) Where do I take it? Testing centers in Decatur, Peoria, St. Louis, Chicago How much does it cost to take? $205 for the General Test, $150 for the Subject Test How do I study for it? ETS preparation materials, Career Development Center online course, GRE study guides and practice test books

How to research schools? Which programs should I apply to? Explore your career options Look up information on the web Be careful to use only “reputable” sources! See “Resources for Lists of Graduate Schools” handout Talk to professors or professionals in the community Consider both master’s and doctoral programs Consider a mix of desirable and back-up programs

Resources at UIS to Help The UIS Career Development Center can help! http://www.uis.edu/career/ The Career Development Center can… Help you create a grad school application timeline with all of the schools you are interested in Help you research schools and programs Help with resumes, applications, and personal statements Offer mock interviews for job and school interviews Help you find valuable experience opportunities that may help you get into grad school

Additional Resources Graduate study in psychology (published by APA every year) Insider's guide to graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology (Norcross & Sayette, 2016) The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (Landrum & Davis, 2013) Applying to graduate school in psychology (Kracen & Wallace, 2008) Getting in: A step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology (APA, 2007) The complete guide to graduate school admission: Psychology, counseling and related fields (Keith-Spiegel & Wiederman, 2000) How are admissions decisions made for clinical psychology graduate programs? (Pashak, Handal, & Ubinger, 2012)

Questions?