PSYCHOLOGY
GRAD SCHOOLS
Preparing and
Applying
OVERVIEW
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Criteria for Graduate School Admission
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Vita Development
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Personal Statement Development
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Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
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Recommendation Letters
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How to Choose Programs
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Strategies for a Successful Application
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References/Recommended Reading
CRITERIA FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSION
GPA (cumulative, last 60 hours, major)
 GRE
 Letters of Recommendation
 Research Experience
 Match with the Program
 Personal Statement / Statement of Purpose
 Rigorous Courses Taken
 Honors / Awards / Scholarships
 Volunteer / Field Experience
 Teaching Experience
 Psi Chi Membership
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CURRICULUM VITAE DEVELOPMENT
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1) Personal information (address, phone number)
2. Education (degrees earned, when and where)
3) Honors and awards (list each, who awarded, and date
awarded)
4) Association memberships (relevant clubs and societies,
student affiliate status)
5) Research interests (if applicable and appropriate)
6) Research and teaching experience (if applicable and
appropriate)
7) Professional presentations (titles, organizations, in APA
format if possible)
8) Publications (use APA format, be careful with “in press”,
“under review”)
9) References (list names, titles, and addresses of three to
four people whom you have asked)
CURRICULUM VITAE DEVELOPMENT
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Obtain Clinical Experience
PATH
 Stepping Stones
 Baby Fold
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Join a Professional Organization
SPA
 PSI CHI
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Do not list high school accomplishments unless
they are critical in demonstrating your potential
as a graduate student.
PERSONAL STATEMENT DEVELOPMENT
(Keith-Spiegel & Wiederman, 2000)
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1) Career plans (What do you see yourself doing 5 years from now?)
2) General interest areas (What are your academic interests?
3) Research experiences (What did you do as a research assistant?)
4) Academic objectives (Why are you interested in graduate study?)
5) Clinical or other field experience/practicum/internship
6) Academic background and achievements (Are your GRE scores and
GPA representative of your ability?)
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7) What do you see in us (Why did you choose us?)
8) Motivation (Why did you choose graduate study?)
9) Personal material (What do you think we should know about you?)
10) Autobiography (Tell us about your background)
11) Specific graduate faculty of interest (Whom would you like to
work with in our graduate program?)
12) Anything else we should know?
13) Special skills (Languages known, mathematics, computer skills)
GENERAL RECORD EXAM (GRE)
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General Test
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New Test Format
1 hour longer (4 hours vs. 3 hours)
 Scoring Change (340 total vs. 1600 total)
 Test Format (2 verbal & 2 math vs. 1 of each)
 Adaptive by section (vs. adaptive by question)
 An on-screen calculator will be available
 New question types
 numeric entry, multiple answers, sentence equivalence
 No more analogies or antonyms
 Increased focus on statistics & coordinate geometry
 High scorers will need to know the quadratic equation
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Psychology Subject Test
 Sign up at www.gre.org
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$160
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Establish relationships with your professors
early on in your academic career.
 Get to know them outside of the classroom
through research or teaching opportunities.
 Schools typically ask for 2-3 letters.
 The best sources for letters are:
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A faculty mentor who has worked closely with you and has
supervised a considerable amount of your work.
 A professor who has significant publication reputation in the
area of specialization that you are applying.
 An employer on a job that is related to your professional
goals.
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(Keith-Spiegel & Wiederman, 2000)
HOW TO CHOOSE PROGRAMS: SOME
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Financing
 Competitiveness of the program
 Match Interests/Career Goals
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Career opportunities/connections
 Research and faculty interests
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Search for programs in your area of interest
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GET INPUT FROM PROFESSORS
Program Quality
Which programs are best for you
Quality of Faculty
Level of Faculty interaction with students
Location
Ask if you can contact current students
STRATEGIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION
(Buskist, 2001)
1) Be organized
 2) Develop competencies as an undergraduate
 3) Settle on a specialty area
 4) Involve yourself in undergraduate research
 5) Do homework/research on potential graduate
schools
 6) Identify potential major professors whom you
would like to work with in the programs you
are applying to
 7) Write an outstanding personal statement or
letter of intent
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REFERENCES / RECOMMENDED READING
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Meet with a graduate advisor at Career Services
Suzy Baker-Bachman for Psychology
 http://www.careercenter.ilstu.edu/downloads/StaffAdvisementListFa
ll2010.pdf
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Buskist, W. (2002, Spring). Seven tips for preparing a successful application to
graduate school in psychology. Eye on Psi Chi, 5(3), 32-34.
Keith-Spiegel, P., & Wiederman, M.W. (2000). The complete guide to graduate school
admission: Psychology, counseling, and related professions (2nd ed.).
Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Sanders, C. E. (2005) What every student should know about applying to psychology
graduate schools. Colorado State University.
FACULTY/STUDENT INTRODUCTIONS
Brief description of your program and area
 The graduate school and program you attended
or are attending
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OPEN DISCUSSION
Example Questions
 Why go to grad school
 How to pay for grad school
 Top programs in area of interest
 What to look for in schools
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How to know a program is a good one
How many programs to apply to
 How to ask for letters of recommendation
 What to expect in grad school
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