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A Guide to Getting Into Graduate School
As you look ahead to completing your baccalaureate degree in psychology, you will be faced with
new, sometimes difficult, decisions about what to do next. The options are many -- one is that you
might wish to continue your education in the field of psychology by attending graduate school.
Once you have reached this decision, what are the next steps to finding and getting into a graduate program?
The APA Education Directorate hopes that you will find the following information helpful.
Three keys to Graduate School acceptance:
Preparation
Application Know-How
Patience
PREPARATION: Getting Started
- Decide the areas of psychology in which you are interested
- Discuss career options/interests with your advisor and professors
of psychology at your undergraduate institution.
- Review 'Graduate Study in Psychology' for information about over 500 graduate programs in psychology,
including degrees offered, requirements for admission, application information, deadlines, and other student
information.
- Determine the type of degree you wish to pursue: masters or doctoral
- Consider recommendations for the field of psychology you have selected.
- Estimate time and money needed to complete each degree.
- Submit an application for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), planning to take the
exam sometime during the Fall prior to your expected admission to a program.
- Ask your career counseling center or local colleges about GRE Preparatory classes that are available.
- Pay close attention to deadlines!
- When you have narrowed your program list and have taken the GRE you are ready
to apply.
APPLICATION PROCESS: The Basics
- Contact programs to request an application and financial aid information, if
necessary.
- Most applications will request the following information in addition to an
application fee:
- Letter of intent
*be sure to spell-check and grammar-check.
- Letters of reference
*obtain permission from professors or individuals whom you would like to write a letter of recommendation.
*provide these individuals with your current resume and names and addresses of programs to which
you are applying.
- Transcripts
*request that your undergraduate transcripts be mailed to selected graduate programs, providing names,
addresses, and appropriate fees to the Registrar's Office.
- Personal interview
*plan ahead for costs that may be incurred if a program requests a personal interview with you.
*Remember an interview can sometimes give you an edge in the selection process!
PATIENCE: The Difficult Part
- You will usually be notified of your acceptance or rejection before April 15th.
- Programs listed in the 'Graduate Study in Psychology' adhere to this deadline.
- You must accept or reject an offer, in writing, by or on April 15th.
- If you are not accepted into any program, there is a 'Graduate Openings List' of several hundred
psychology programs with openings to fill for the Fall semester.
- The list is available the first week of May and can be accessed on the Internet at http://www.apa.org.
You may also request a hard copy by contacting the APA Education Directorate at (202) 336-5970.
Best wishes for continued success in your academic career!
SUGGESTED READING LIST
Is Psychology the Major For You? Planning for Your Undergraduate Years provides practical
advice for the undergraduate student.
Career Paths in Psychology
describes the vast range of work available to psychologists.
The book shows that psychologists now work in all areas of education, government and private industry.
Getting In: A Step-By-Step Plan For Gaining Admissions to Graduate School in Psychology
, provides applicants with manageable goals and the tools to achieve them. Applicants are taught how to
define their training goals, what to look for in a program, and why.
Graduate Study in Psychology offers students complete practical
information on more than 500 psychology programs in the United States and Canada. Provides information
about programs and degrees offered, admission requirements, application information, financial aid, tuition,
etc.
Dissertations and Theses From Start to Finish: Psychology and Related Fields,
publication will help graduate students in psychology and related fields plan the thesis and dissertation process
from beginning to end.
OTHER REFERENCES YOU MAY FIND HELPFUL
Is Psychology For Them? A Guide to Undergraduate Advising
contains information to assist advisors in assessing student interest, helping students evaluate the job market,
initiating student assessment, etc.
The Psychologist's Guide to an Academic Career
is filled with advice on all stages of academic professional life.
Psychology/Careers for
the Twenty-first Century provides an overall view and explanation of the field and sub-fields.
(free publication)
American Psychological Association
Education Directorate
750 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
(202) 336-5970
APA Order Department: (800) 374-2721, ext.5510
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