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School of ArtsPsychologyThe Graduate School Application Timeline.1. Discover your interests and career goals. It is never to early to start exploring career interests. As early as freshman and sophomore year meet with faculty in different areas to find out more about these areas. Also, taking classes in different areas is important to get a sense of what you like. Ask your academic advisor about careers in psychology, they can tell you about fields you might not have considered and refer you to the appropriate resources. 2. Get research and work experience. It is also never too soon to begin getting relevant work experience. If you are applying for clinical, counseling or social work programs, then you can obtain a position through the internship office. If you are applying for a research-oriented program, then work as a research-assistant with a faculty mentor. Research takes time to come to fruition. It may take two semesters or more before you can co-author a conference paper, so start in the fall semester of junior year. 3. Send out for applications and program information. Spring semester of junior year is the time to get information on different graduate programs. You can write away for these or call up and request them. Typically, they will mail out an application form and a packet describing the school and department. If you are applying for a research program, be sure to request a description of faculty research interests. 4. Take standardized tests. Take the GREs during the summer before senior year, both the general and subject tests. If you are not a good test taker, judging by your performance on the SATs, then participate in a prep course first. Keep in mind that these courses raise scores usually by no more than 15-20 points, a modest gain. Scores on the GRE also do not change much for an individual. If you take a test twice and improve, taking it a third time will not increase the score by much. A good way to practice for these exams is to take practice tests. These are available in bookstores. Previous exams are available from ETS, and can be obtained through them for a price. 5. Determine which schools you will apply to. Fall semester of senior year you need to decide on which set of schools to apply. The application fee that can now be as high as $60 limits the overall number of schools. One strategy is the three-tier system. Apply to two “dream” schools, that you don’t think you stand a chance of getting into, six to eight “average” schools, commensurate with your abilities, and three “backup” schools, which you think you are reasonably certain of getting in. The more schools to which you apply, the better your chances of getting in. Deadlines for many schools don’t begin until December or later, but it makes sense to send out the applications with the fees by mid-semester. 6. Send off application materials. The remainder of fall semester should be devoted to sending out your application materials. These are described below: a) The application is a several page form. Don’t fill this out by hand! Type everything in, or create a computer file version and print a high quality copy. This should appear professional. b) Some schools require an essay or statement of purpose. Don’t treat this lightly. Write a draft and have it critiqued by the writing center or your advisor. Rewrite as many times as necessary. c) Along with the application you can send your academic resume, or curriculum vitae. This is a summary of your achievements to date. There should be sections for research and/or clinical experience, honors and other relevant activities. Its a good idea to look at other examples. There are many books in the library which contain examples to work off of. The vitae should be perfect, with no errors or spelling mistakes. d) Each school will require an official, sealed copy of your transcript from the registrar’s office. There is a fee for having these mailed out. Some schools also require your spring semester senior year grades, which should be mailed as soon as they become available. If you are a transfer student or have taken summer school classes and this coursework is relevant to the program, then those records also need to be sent. e) Letters of recommendation. Most schools require three, although four can be sent without jeopardizing the application. Choose people who know you well and have worked with you closely. Internship or faculty research advisors are both good choices. A professor you had in one class is not. Most faculty are very busy people, so it pays to check back with them to see if they have written and mailed off the letters. Don’t be afraid to pester them, its better than waiting and missing the deadline. f) Test scores. Practically all graduate programs in psychology require that you take the GRE general test. Others may require the GRE psychology subject test as well. There is a fee charged by ETS for sending test scores to schools. 7. Confirm that application materials have been received. Do this more than a month before each school’s notification deadline, typically February or March. Speak with the department secretary over the phone. They will sometimes pull your file on the spot and check. Send again any missing materials and confirm that they have been received. 8. Prepare for interviews. A number of schools, especially clinical programs, will invite top candidates for an interview. It is best to be well prepared for an interview. Anticipate any questions that might be asked. Do your homework and be familiar with the program. Come with a list of your own questions, which cannot be answered from the brochures and the information you received. Ask questions after the formal questioning is complete, it will show that you are interested. Make use of the career service’s mock interview procedure, where you can practice interviewing. Dress conservatively. Relax! 9. Negotiate acceptance. Many schools have notification deadlines in April. If you are not notified by this date, or have heard from other schools and need to make a decision, you can in some cases get a decision over the phone. Explain your situation and say that you want to be informed of the status of your application. This is also a good time to bargain. If you have been accepted to school A with a given financial package, then inquire if school B can offer you more. Assistance is available in Ph.D. programs in the form of teaching and research assistantships, and in graderships, which pay a monthly wage for these duties. For further Information: Dr. Jay Friedenberg, Chairperson
Page last updated by K.Balaj on September 18,2007
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