Many undergraduates do not seriously consider graduate or professional school until their senior year of college. Unfortunately, this delay in decisionmaking may adversely affect a student's chances for admission into the graduate or professional program of his or her choice. Therefore, you should start planning for graduate or professional training as early as possible. It is also useful to be as clear as possible about your career direction, because the clearer you are about where you want to go, the easier it is to decide which road to take to get there. For example, if you are interested in an academic/research career, you will need to have both a strong academic record and as much background and experience in research as possible. This experience may be in the form of an honor's thesis or individual research project, work in a laboratory, or involvement in a faculty member's research project. It may be done on a voluntary basis, undertaken for academic credit, or completed as part of paid employment. If you are a junior and have not yet become involved in research, look into it now. If you are a graduating senior and have had no direct experience in conducting research-do not despair. There are options that you should consider that will strengthen your application. Consult with your academic advisor to determine what research or other opportunities might be available to you.

On the other hand, if you are more interested in human services delivery careers, such as may be found in Clinical, Counseling, or School Psychology, then you should seek relevant practical and clinical research experiences. You can obtain these types of experiences in appropriate applied settings as a volunteer peer counselor or helpline counselor, as an aide in classrooms for special children or adults, or as a research assistant in studies conducted in such settings.

f you are planning to attend graduate or professional school, it is vital that you get to know faculty in your undergraduate department. Graduate and professional programs in psychology require letters of recommendation from faculty in support of your application. It is important for you to have a number of people who will be willing to write personalized letters for you. Seek out mentors. Talk to undergraduate and graduate students about which faculty members are known to be good mentors and who might be involved in work that is of interest to you. Be assertive (but not pushy) and seek them out. If you are an ethnic minority student or have a strong interest in racial/ethnic issues in psychology, make a special effort to seek out those faculty who share similar interests. Although it would be ideal to have an ethnic minority faculty member as a mentor, that is not always possible, so seek out any faculty member who has the requisite interest and expertise and who is willing to provide you with the guidance you need, regardless of his/her ethnicity.

Your faculty advisor can also be helpful in giving an honest appraisal of your credentials prior to your applying for a program. If your academic credentials are not competitive or you lack sufficient practical experience or research experience to be competitive, you may want to consider several options prior to applying to graduate or professional programs. One option is to take 1 or 2 years off before applying to acquire the necessary research or practical experience and to enhance your academic record. Another alternative is to apply first to a master's level program which would give you additional training, experience, and some marketable skills.

Graduate programs and professional schools may admit some students who were not psychology majors as undergraduates. However, to be successful in gaining admission, applicants must demonstrate adequate preparation in psychology as evidenced by appropriate coursework and completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and/or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Consult the respective graduate or professional school admissions bulletins for information on specific requirements.

The American Psychological Association (APA) publishes a guide entitled Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields that lists all psychology graduate programs in the United States and Canada. This resource provides descriptions of all programs, their orientation, areas of specialization, faculty interests, student/faculty ratios, tuition and fees, acceptance rates, etc. The guide is available in many college and university bookstores or can be ordered directly from APA by writing to:

We suggest that you select graduate or professional programs based on the quality of the specific psychology program of interest to you, rather than on the general reputation of the institution. It is also important that you consider the following criteria in making your selection decisions:

PROGRAM EMPHASIS (THEORY, RESEARCH, PRACTICE) IN RELATION TO YOUR PERSONAL CAREER INTERESTS, GOALS, AND CHOSEN FIELD OF STUDY. Students who are interested in applied areas of the profession (e.g., Clinical, Counseling, Educational, or School Psychology) should be aware that these programs can differ in the balance between research and the development of clinical skills. If you are more interested in becoming a clinical researcher, then you may want to select programs that place a strong emphasis on research training. If, on the other hand, your career goal is to become a service professional in psychology (i.e., a practitioner), then you may want to consider applying to one of the professional schools of psychology or to a graduate program with a clear commitment to practitioner training. One source of information that might be useful in helping you make this decision is the Insiders Guide to Graduate Training in Clinical Psychology (Guilford Press, 1990), which provides self-ratings by clinical programs on how they fall on the continuum from emphasizing research versus clinical or counseling training. Regardless of which type of program you are interested in, select the programs that best meet your needs and that have applicant pools with applicants with characteristics similar to your own.

QUALITY OF THE FACULTY (AS DETERMINED BY THEIR RESEARCH, CLINICAL AND COUNSELING INTERESTS, PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND PUBLICATIONS). Do the faculty members' research and/or clinical interests closely match your own?

ADEQUACY OF EACH INSTITUTION'S LIBRARIES, RESEARCH LABORATORIES, AND TREATMENT AND PRACTICUM FACILITIES RELEVANT TO YOUR FIELD OF STUDY.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FROM THE INSTITUTION.

PROGRAM'S REPUTATION FOR ADMITTING AND GRADUATING STUDENTS OF COLOR WITH THE DOCTORAL DEGREE.

PROGRAM'S REPUTATION FOR PREPARING AND ASSISTING GRADUATES FOR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS.

ROLES STUDENTS ARE PREPARED TO PLAY AFTER GRADUATION. Because of changes in both the health care delivery system and the roles that mental health professionals play, evaluating the program in terms of the roles students are prepared to fulfill after graduation and the ability of the program to prepare students to be flexible in adapting to changing professional environments is also useful.

LOOK UP RESEARCH ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY FACULTY OF THE PROGRAMS OF YOUR CHOICE. Use the Social Sciences Citation Index or the Author Index of Psychological Abstracts or Psychlit or PsychINFO computerized systems to build a bibliographic listing for these faculty. Collecting selected articles written by faculty members you may be interested in working with and familiarizing yourself with their work could also be useful. Do not restrict your literature search to articles in refereed journals, but also search for book chapters and books and monographs. Make sure that you access the faculty members' most recent publications, as these are more likely to reflect their current interests.

THE WORLD WIDE WEB IS ANOTHER VALUABE SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON GRADUATE PROGRAMS AND FACULTY. If you don't have direct access to this resource, you might be able to gain access through your campus computer system or library.

YOU MANY ALSO WANT TO CONTACT THE ADMISSIONS OFFICES OF YOUR SELECTED PROGRAMS AND REQUEST THE NAMES OF FACULTY MEMBERS OR STUDENTS WHOM YOU COULD CONTACT. You may wish to ask them about their research and service interests and their perspectives on their program in psychology.

Once you have developed a list of programs of interest, you may want to consult with your academic advisor and faculty members in your department for further guidance. Faculty members may be valuable resources throughout the selection, application, and decisionmaking process. Faculty members are often familiar with programs at other institutions, and they may have colleagues there who could serve as valuable contacts for you. Graduate students at your home institution may also be helpful in providing you with information about programs at other schools (they may be alumni, have friends there, or may have considered attending some of the same institutions you have selected). Contacting an institution's local alumni association may also be helpful to you. The association can provide you with information about "student life at..." and give you information about the school and its surrounding community.

Many students, in attempting to maximize their chances for graduate admission, often apply to too many schools. Be selective. We recommend that you choose several top, middle, and safety schools. As a rule of thumb, you may want to apply to 10-12 programs (maximum). Do not submit applications to programs that you would not even remotely consider attending if you were accepted. This is a waste of your time, money, and effort.

Once you have selected a number of schools that are of interest to you, you must contact them directly to request additional information. You will need to obtain:

University catalogs

Applications for admission

Financial aid information

Program descriptions (including admission standards, program requirements, and faculty research and professional interests. Ethnic minority students may want additional information about ethnic minority-relevant resources and programmatic activities.)

Most institutions will automatically forward all of this information. Once you have obtained this information from each institution, review it carefully. You may be able to eliminate some programs from your original list.

Now that you have chosen your final list of schools, it is time to really get organized. Most programs require:

GRE and/or MAT test scores

Official transcripts (unofficial transcripts are not acceptable)

Letters of recommendation

Formal application, including a personal statement

Application fee

ost graduate programs in psychology require that you take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Some schools may require that you take both the GRE Aptitude (includes verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections) and the Advanced Test in Psychology, as well as the Millers Analogies Test (MAT). You should request that the Educational Testing Service (ETS) forward the results of these tests directly to the graduate programs to which you are applying (self-reported scores are not acceptable). The GRE may be taken in February, June, October, and December. As of December 1996, all GREs may be taken by computer. Check with your career placement office or your college for information and an application. You may also write directly to the:

REMEMBER, there is a fee for taking the GRE, so plan ahead. You may also obtain a fee waiver through ETS or your college if you can demonstrate a financial need.

Many students, especially ethnic minority students, believe that they cannot prepare for the GRE or that performance on the tests will not reflect true capabilities because of test bias. Regardless of your position on these issues, it is important to recognize that graduate admissions committees in most universities give weight to these scores in making their decisions. Therefore, it is in your best interest to do as well as possible to enhance your competitive chances for admission. The secret to good performance is good preparation. There are many ways to prepare for the GRE. The key to preparation is to practice with previous versions of the tests. You can order a book of three to five exams directly from ETS for a reasonable cost. Take these tests under timed conditions. If you have access to a computer, you also can order the computerized version of the practice exam. Many students take either the Kaplan or the Princeton Review courses, both of which are helpful, although rather expensive. A less expensive alternative is to purchase a GRE preparation book. There are several versions, and they are usually available at campus bookstores. Regardless of which approach you take for preparation, our advice is to PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

any programs use the Minority Student Locator Service of ETS to identify qualified ethnic minority persons who are interested in psychology. If you register with the service, graduate or professional programs will contact you directly to offer information about their programs. You may register with the Minority Student Locator Service at the time you send in your forms to register for the GRE, or you may request a special form from ETS (address listed above).

Ethnic minority students with strong academic credentials also may be nominated by their departments during their junior year for inclusion in the APA Minority Undergraduate Students of Excellence (MUSE) Program. If you think you may qualify, contact your department chairperson to inquire about how your achievements may be so recognized.

Getting your name on such resource listings helps you stand out in the applicant pool. Special graduate recruitment efforts often are directed to persons on these listings.

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS. Most programs require that transcripts be sent directly from your school registrar. Unofficial transcripts or photocopies are generally not acceptable. Submit transcript requests as soon as possible. Many schools require several weeks to process such requests, so submit your request promptly.

Many schools require senior year fall semester grades and final transcripts once you graduate. Don't forget to have them sent. Save all transcript request receipts, just in case. Make sure that you have cleared all incompletes and grade changes before having your transcripts sent.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION. Most schools require that three letters of recommendation be sent directly to the department. These letters should be written by faculty, research, or clinical supervisors who know you well. Letters from employers who have supervised you in work related to your chosen field also may be appropriate. Do not request letters from friends, relatives, ministers, etc. While they may make glowing statements about you, their assessments will not carry much weight with most admissions committees.

Letters of recommendations are vital to your application. You should request recommendations from people on whom you can rely to provide STRONG, POSITIVE PERSONALIZED letters. These individuals should know you well and be able to talk about you as a person and as a student, stressing your strengths and outstanding qualities, and discuss your potential for success in graduate or professional school. Letters that do not address these areas will be of little help to admissions committees who are reviewing your application.

It is important to remember that you are making a request of another to write a recommendation for you, so be sure to ask if he or she would be willing to write such a letter. If someone is hesitant, you may want to ask someone else, because it is likely that his/her letter will not be a strong one. If the person agrees to write a letter, give him/her as much time as possible (at least a month) and provide as much information as possible.

As a common courtesy, you also may want to send thank you notes to your recommenders after a few weeks have passed. This can serve as a subtle reminder to those who may have forgotten to prepare letters for you, and will indicate your appreciation.

THE APPLICATION. Many schools require two applications for admission to graduate study, one to the graduate division and one to the appropriate department or program. Check application requirements carefully. Submit both applications on time, following the specific instructions provided in each application packet. Remember that the department or program that you are applying to may offer many areas of specialization (e.g., Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognitive, Community, Counseling, Developmental, Educational, Health, Industrial/ Organizational, Learning, Measurement/Psychometrics, Personality, Social, etc.). Some programs ask that you rank two areas of interest (in order of preference). Your application will be forwarded to the area of your first choice for review. Should that area reject your application, it will be forwarded to the area of your second choice for review. Please note that once you are admitted, that program has made a commitment to you and expects a similar commitment from you. Therefore, trying to gain admission to your secondary interest area with the hopes of transferring later to your primary interest area (e.g., getting into the Social program with the hopes of later transferring to the Clinical program) is usually discouraged by the faculty in both programs. Therefore, be clear about your goals and honest in your rankings.

Remember that your application serves as a program's first impression of you. Therefore, both applications and supporting materials should be complete, accurate, and neatly typed.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. Your statement of purpose is similar to a cover letter that you would write when applying for a professional position. It should summarize your motivations, objectives, and qualifications. Be sure to review carefully the information requested for each statement of purpose (the information requested varies from one program to another) and address all points. In general, your statement of purpose should address:

HOW AND WHY YOU HAVE CHOSEN YOUR PROPOSED AREA OF STUDY:

• How have your undergraduate studies and postundergraduate and other relevant experiences (internships, study abroad, work, volunteer activities, extracurricular activities, significant personal and family experiences, etc.) influenced your choice of field of study, and how have they served as a foundation for graduate or professional training?

• What are your qualifications, knowledge of, and interest in your chosen field of study (i.e., research, community, counseling, clinical, volunteer, and work experiences)? If you are applying to programs with a strong research focus, remember to describe clearly your research experience: Indicate what you did, for how long, with whom, etc. It is not essential that all of your research experiences be in psychology or related to topics you wish to pursue in graduate school. If you participated in a research program that did not allow you to choose the subject area, be sure to mention that in your statement of purpose.

• If you are applying to more professionally oriented programs, discuss in detail the population you worked with, the specific training and experiences you have had with those populations, and how those experiences influenced your career objectives.

YOUR CAREER GOALS:

• Identify and delineate your career goals and objectives. How will the doctorate in psychology (i.e., PhD, PsyD) help you achieve these goals and objectives? What do you see yourself doing once you have received your degree (e.g., what would your ideal job be)?

SPECIAL FACTORS YOU WISH TO BE CONSIDERED:

• Explain any special circumstances (leaves of absence, low grades) that might account for any blemishes on your academic record. For example, you may have taken a leave of absence due to an illness in your family or to work full time to assist your family financially. This information may be valuable to admissions committees in reviewing your application, provided that your comments are honest and straight forward.

Your statement of purpose must be clear and concise. Present yourself and your experiences in a positive manner.

nce you have submitted your applications, the waiting begins. Typically, programs will inform applicants of admissions decisions no later than March 15 (for fall admissions). The American Psychological Association (APA) has set April 15 as the universal acceptance deadline for all accredited programs. You must inform all programs in writing by April 15 whether you are accepting or declining their offers of admission.

APPLICANTS TO CLINICAL AND COUNSELING PROGRAMS. Some programs include an in-person or telephone interview as part of the admissions process. This gives the top applicants the opportunity to meet with faculty and graduate students and to see the campus and its facilities. If you are unable to interview in person, telephone interviews can usually be arranged.

LETTERS OF ACCEPTANCE. All APA-accredited programs will notify you in writing of your acceptance by April 1. In turn, each program will require that you respond in writing, indicating whether you are accepting or declining the offer of admission. This decision must be made by April 15. Before making any hasty decisions, you should consider how your education will be funded. Doctoral programs in psychology are usually full-time programs with day instruction. The academic, research, or clinical demands of most programs make it virtually impossible to hold down a full-time job. Therefore, you should weigh all acceptances carefully before you make a final decision.

FUNDING OFFERS. When funding is available, a wide array of packages may be offered, ranging from fellowships and scholarships to teaching and research assistantships, awarded for 1 to 4 years.

Information about financial aid available to ethnic minority students can usually be obtained by contacting each program or the financial aid office. Be sure to check with the academic admissions office in your department to see if any other funding sources exist. There are several excellent funding programs to which applicants must apply directly. One of the most prestigious is the Ford Foundation program. It may be contacted at the address below:

Many minority students also have received support from the APA Minority Fellowship Program, which may be contacted at the address below:

ake your time in making your final decision. Choosing a graduate or professional school program may be one of the most important decisions you make in life. Make the most informed decision possible and be sure to consider whether you feel comfortable in the setting. If you have been accepted by a number of programs, this is an indication that you are in high demand. Occasionally, graduate programs will pressure students into making rapid decisions. Take the time you need. This is your career; don't let someone force you into a quick decision. Remember, you must make your decision by April 15.

Note: When you have decided against a given program, notify it as soon as possible, as the program you reject may wish to offer your slot to another candidate.

Contact graduate students in each program. What are their impressions of and experiences with faculty/student relationships? What do they see as the strengths and weaknesses of the program? What is life on campus like for graduate students? If they had the decision to make again, would they choose the same program?

Consult with faculty and graduate students in your undergraduate department. What are their impressions of the programs that you are considering?

ALTERNATE STATUS

rograms frequently place some applicants in the alternate pool or wait list pending decisions by their top choices. This is a frustrating position to be in, but do not despair. This decision indicates the program's interest in you, but acknowledges that there are other stronger applicants. You still have a chance, but you must be prepared to make a decision about accepting or rejecting an offer with very short notice.

REJECTION

nfortunately, even very strong applicants are rejected by the programs of their choice. Failure to gain admission does not necessarily mean that you are unqualified. However, it is important that you get as much information as possible about the reasons for your rejection. You may also seek advice about what you can do to improve your application, as well as what alternatives are available to you. As we noted earlier, you may need to obtain additional research or practical experience or correct deficiencies in your academic background. You may also consider pursuing a master's degree before you reapply to doctoral programs. In any event, while rejection is disappointing, this is also an opportunity for honest self-assessment and for taking corrective action.

SUMMARY

astering the information in this guide is an important first step toward maximizing your chances of being accepted at a graduate or professional school of your choice. It is imperative that students adhere to many of the points stressed throughout this document, especially the sections on how to select potential programs, the application process, and how to deal with acceptance. Review the guidelines several times, highlight the sections as you conduct your review, and make notes as you proceed with this task. This activity will help you avoid making costly mistakes and help you prepare the strongest application possible. Ask as many questions as possible. Remember, there is no such thing as a dumb question. Exhaust all of the resources available to you as you begin and end this process.

Once you have gained acceptance to a graduate or professional program, the next step toward establishing your career track is to be a successful student. The same skills and resources that you used to navigate your entrance into graduate or professional school will be needed to achieve success at this level of training.

We hope this guide has helped you to understand the process of applying and being admitted to graduate or professional training programs in psychology. GOOD LUCK in your future endeavors, and we look forward to welcoming you to our profession.

American Psychological Association
Book Order Department
Dept. KK
P.O. Box 92984
Washington, DC 20090-2984
Phone: 1-800-374-2721 or 202-336-5502

Getting in: A step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology. Item # 4313011: $14.95 (221 pages)

Sternberg, R. J. (1997). Career paths in psychology: Where your degree can take you. Item # 4313070: $19.95 (297 pages)

Graduate study in psychology. (1996 with 1997 addendum). Item # 4270061: $19.95 (551 pages)

Information and application: Minority Undergraduate Students of Excellence (MUSE) Program

Directory of selected scholarship, fellowship, and other financial aid opportunities for women and minorities in psychology and related fields

Graduate faculty in psychology interested in lesbian, gay, or bisexual issues

Psychology education and careers: Guidebook for college students of color

Educational Testing Service
CN 6000
Princeton, NJ 08541-6000

Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellowships for Minorities
National Research Council - Fellowship Office
2101 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20418
Phone: 202-334-2872

Minority Fellowship Program
American Psychological Association
750 First St., NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
Phone: 202-336-6027

Minority Graduate Fellowships
National Science Foundation
Graduate Fellowship Office-Room 907N
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230

New York Association of Black Psychologists
P.O. Box 1764
New York, NY 10027