TIPS FOR APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL

How do I know which degree is for me?

  • There are several different things to consider when figuring out what types of graduate programs to apply to:
  • Career goals: What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
  • Do you want to work face-to-face with others? Do you want to do research?
  • Would you want to teach? If so, what level of education?
  • Population: What types of people do you want to work with?
  • Do you want to work with children? The elderly? Adolescents, adults? Couples? Families? Veterans?
  • Practical Concerns: Does this career path seem feasible with other things going on for me?
  • How long do I want to be in school for?
  • Can I afford to pay for school or take out loans?
  • Do I want a career that is high in flexibility?
  • There are many different programs that exist and depending on your answers to the previous questions, certain types of programs may be better or worse for you. So, in order to figure that out—do your research!The Psychology Advising Office and the Career & Professional Development Center can help with this!

What type of timeline should I have?

  • Many people wait until too late to begin the process of looking into graduate schools. If possible, knowing what types of programs you want to apply to early on will allow you to ensure that you are working towards meeting all the requirements you need (see below).
  • Freshman Year: This is your opportunity to start off on the right foot and start researching different areas of psychology. Gather information on areas of psychology, types of degrees, job outlook, and job descriptions.
  • Sophomore Year: Learn more about types of programs and figure out what you are interested in. If possible, get involved in clinical and research experience in order to better figure out what you like and what you do not! These classes you can get course credit for that will count towards your major and you can also
  • Junior Year: Continue your research; this time thinking about application deadlines, admission requirements and begin to think about your timeline for taking the GREs. They should be taken the summer going into your senior year. Also, think about professors that may know you well and be able to write you letters of recommendation. These will be professors you interact with outside of the classroom or those you have been a research assistant for.
  • Senior Year: If you haven’t already: take the GREs, ask for letters of recommendation, and solidify the list of schools you are applying to—deadlines are most likely late in the Fall semester (December) or early in the Spring semester (March). Deadlines vary by program!
  • Gap Year: Some people find that they do not feel ready to apply for school directly out of undergrad, or want to take a break before pursuing their graduate degree. This is common, particularly for people that believe they need more experience before they will be competitive in the application process. Gap years can be extremely helpful when they serve the purpose of boosting a resume. If you are considering taking a Gap Year, contact your advisor for a meeting (prior to your senior year) to discuss how to maximize this time to boost your resume.

GETTING INVOLVED

  • It is very hard to gain any type of clinical/hands-on experience in psychology as an undergraduate; therefore, programs will generally not expect you to have extensive amounts of clinical experience.
  • The Psychology department does not offer internships. If you want hands-on experience that relates to psychology, go the route of volunteering through the Community Service resources of UAlbany with a population that you may be interested in working with (e.g. children).
  • More important than clinical experience, most graduate programs encourage research experience – you can get this experience by working in one of the laboratories on campus for CLASS CREDIT! (APSY 297,397) In doing so, you will gain several things: a) valuable experience in seeing how research works and if the life of a researcher is for you, b) a better knowledge of a topic that you are interested in, c) mentors in the form of graduate students and faculty members that can help with the process and any questions you may have.

RESEARCH / APPLYING

  • If possible, reach out to the graduate students in your research lab (if you have not yet gotten involved with research, do so as soon as possible!) and let them know that you are applying to graduate school. They will be an important source of information and helpful hints throughout the process.
  • Read, read, read – Read about the areas of psychology, read about different programs, and read about the job market for different psychology degrees.
  • Look at programs and see their entry requirements, and set your study (academic or GRE) plans accordingly. Great Book for researching schools:
  • Formulate a list of several schools and be diverse in your choices (the number of choices will depend on the type of program that you choose to apply to). Make sure to have some reach schools, good-fit schools, and safety schools!
  • Keep an organized schedule: as soon as you decide upon your list of final programs, note in a calendar their deadlines for application. Apply at least three(ideally four) weeks ahead of time.
  • Location may be important, but weigh debt and job prospects. Job availability and pay rate vary greatly across psychological fields, jobs, and locations within the USA.
  • Select programs based on your desired occupation/academic ambitions. At a Master’s level, it will benefit you to have a more concrete idea of what you’d like to do after graduation (job specific if possible). This will help you tailor your experience towards obtaining said job. This is still relevant for the PhDs in the applied psychology fields (Clinical, Counseling, Industrial-Organizational, Forensic etc…). As most psychological PhDs are not in applied psychology, focus more on your goals as an academic researcher/professor.
  • This can be an EXPENSIVE process, so make sure you’ve established a budget. On average, to apply to each school will cost you about $70 dollars. Also, most psych programs do not cover travel expenses for on-campus visits (though they will likely try to find a host for you), so travel can also be expensive.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

  • Ideally, plan on who you will ask at least a semester before you apply. If you plan on asking an instructor in a Psychology or related course for a recommendation, they are in the best place to write a letter about you directly following your participation in their course. Asking closer to when the course occurred, even if you are not applying for graduate school for a couple of semesters, is highly encouraged.
  • Speak with professors on multiple occasions to develop a rapport and academic relationship.Go to office hours!After developing this rapport, ask the professor if s/he would be willing to write you a letter of recommendation the semester you take their class. A professor will be taking time out of a very busy schedule to write this letter, so remember to ask appropriately.
  • When you do ask the professors for recommendations, provide them with a list of schools with application deadlines and the method of sending it to the school (i.e., uploading online or sending via mail).
  • The professors may ask you for more information (transcript, personal/goal statement for the program, resume, etc.) so have this readily available.
  • If the professor taught a large lecture course that you were a part of, it may be a good idea to ask for a personal meeting with him/her where you can outline your career goals and tell them a bit more about your background and skills.
  • Also, if you have a great rapport with a professor who teaches a subject other than psychology it is perfectly fine to use them as a reference as well. You will need at least 1 psychology professor’s letter of recommendation.

TAKING GRE EXAM

  • Take exams well in advance of the application deadline. There is a 30-day waiting period before you can retake the exam, if necessary.
  • PREPARE! This is not something that you can “wing” last minute. MINIMUM 8-12 weeks of studying for the GRE is advised. Enroll in a Kaplan GRE study course or purchase materials via Barnes and Noble or Amazon to help guide your studies and familiarize yourself with the questions.
  • Some colleges, mainly at the doctorate level, will require you to take the GRE Subject exam.(which is only offered twice per year.) Be sure to check which exams are necessary for the colleges you are applying to.

Avoiding the “Kisses of Death” When Applying to Graduate School

Psychologists Drew Appleby and Karen Appleby conducted a survey of 88 of the 457 graduate programs listed in the American Psychological Association’s (2001) Graduate Study in Psychology 2001, asking participants to discuss “one or two examples of kisses of death you have encountered during your career” (Appleby & Appleby, 2006). They identified five major types of kisses of death that prospective graduate students included in their applications, including 1) damaging personal statements, 2) harmful letters of recommendation, 3) lack of program information, 4) poor writing skills, and 5) misfired attempts to impress.

Here are some tips for avoiding making these mistakes in your application:

1. Personal Statements

  • Avoid disclosure about personal mental health. These may give off the impression that you cannot function successfully in graduate school.
  • Avoid statements such as “I want to help all people” or “I’m destined to save the world”.
  • Do not include overly self-disclosing information.
  • Skip excessive humor, attempts to appear “cute or clever”, or overly religious statements. Reviewers may see this deflection from your academic/professional achievements as negative.

2. Letters of Recommendation

  • Ask for letters of recommendation from people who know you well and who can speak about your academic and professional achievements from an objective perspective – not your boyfriend/girlfriend, your boss at work, or your minister. Letters from inappropriate sources may convey that you do not have professional connections who can write about you in a positive manner.
  • Always ask recommenders if they would be willing to write you a strong letter of recommendation.

3. Lack of Information about the Program

  • Avoid writing generic applications to every school – instead, make specific references to why you want to go to that program and why you are a good candidate.
  • Generate specific evidence for why you are a good fit with that program/mentor, including previous research experiences and similar interests.

4. Poor Writing Skills

  • Double and triple check your materials for spelling and grammar errors. Writing with errors in it may indicate that you are willing to submit careless work.
  • Make sure your writing tells your story in a clear, concise, and cohesive manner.

5. Misfired Attempts to Impress

  • Avoid excessive flattery, inappropriate name dropping, and blaming others for your academic performance.

Appleby, D.C. & Appleby, K.M. (2006). Kisses of death in the graduate school application process. Teaching of Psychology, 33 (1), 19-24.

Selecting a Program of Interest -Once you have decided the area of psychology that you would like to study during your graduate career, it’s time to determine the programs to which you will apply/the type of degree you would like.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

-Typically 5-7 years to completion.

-Emphasis on research training integrated with applied or practice training.

-Expected to complete a Master's degree research project AND doctoral dissertation.

-Better choice for those considering teaching or doing research at some point in their career. (Academics)

-Typically offer more funding opportunities than PsyD or MA/MS.

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

-Emphasis on preparation for professional practice as practitioner-scholars.

-Places importance on clinical training rather than research training.

-Typically begins clinical experience earlier in the academic degree program.

-Often takes less time to complete than PhD.

-Note: In the academic world, the PhD programs are preferable to PsyD programs; however, in the world of clinical practice, both degrees have about the same status and functionality.

Master of Arts (MA)/Science (MS)

-Typically 2-3 years to completion.

-Entails coursework and exams.

-Some require master’s thesis; some require internship or other applied experience.

-Often do not offer as much financial aid (especially if school has a doctoral program).

-Value of master’s varies by field (e.g., a master’s in social work or school psychology may be all you need for the job you wish to pursue.

Issues to Consider

  • Degree Completion - Each degree program will differ in the time it takes and what needs to be completed to finish. When researching schools, carefully examine what “milestones” graduate students need to achieve. Students should also review the coursework, research, and applied experience that is required to determine that they will receive the training and preparation they seek for the job market.
  • Financial Aid and Loans – Options include, but are not limited to, departmental or university assistantships (which typically cover tuition and provide a small stipend), scholarships, fellowships, grants, and Stafford and private loans. Students need to consider how their student status (i.e., full or part time) will affect repayment and eligibility. Also, aid packages may require students to become state residents within a particular time frame.
  • Fit between you and the program – It’s important to research the faculty at the university to which you are applying to make sure you will be doing work that you are interested in doing. In addition, look at the departmental mission statement and the typical job placement of graduates to determine if the school is right for you.
  • Time Constraints – Because graduate degrees take substantial time (i.e., from 2-8+ years), students need to consider whether or not graduate school fits with their overall life plans. In addition, course work, research, and applied practice responsibilities often take a greater amount of one’s time than a typical 9-5 job.
  • Geographical Location – Each individual should really think through the places to which he or she will apply, asking questions such as whether or not there is access to public transportation (if needed), how much distance away you are willing to move from family and friends, and if there exists the opportunity to engage in relevant interests within the community (if desired).
  • Post-graduation job prospects – Ask schools to put you in touch with students who are further along in the program to get their thoughts on the job market; if there is a graduate school at your current university, seek out graduate students with whom you might speak. You can also research jobs to determine whether or not post-doctoral work or internships are required to secure a position.

SPECIFIC MASTERS INFORMATION

  • GRE Scores: Above 70th percentile
  • Letters of Recommendation: 3 strong letters
  • GPA: Ideally, 3.30 and above
  • Personal Statement: Goals/ambitions, how these they relate to your potential time in the program, what you will bring to the program (during and after graduation).
  • Since most programs are not funded, job opportunities after the (2+ year) programs are important.
  • Does the program have a required internship? If not, have students generally been able to obtain them in the past? What is the rate of students obtaining work immediately after graduation?

SPECIFIC PhD/PsyD INFORMATION

  • GRE Scores, Letters of Recommendation, and GPA (Ideally, 3.7+), and Personal Statement
  • Fit
  • How well your research interests and/or applied goals align with the program and the professors you are applying to. If you have a great GPA, great GREs and great letters of recommendation, you may not be selected because you have not demonstrated that you are the best fit for the program (usually determined by your personal/goals statement)
  • Take the GRE
  • Generally score upwards of 75th percentile,(type“new GRE old GRE” into google) (
  • Take this at least the semester (or summer) before you apply
  • It will benefit you to know what schools you would like to apply to ahead of time because sending it from the assessment center is free (otherwise $30+ per send/per school)
  • Make contact with at least 2 professors before you apply. Email professors asking about…
  • The program
  • Learn/Ask about their past, present, and future research studies (Read at least 2+ of their recent research articles)
  • Pay special attention to what they have published recently as peoples’ research interests may change over time. If that professor is no longer pursuing a topic that you are highly interested in, the “fit” might not be right.
  • If they will be accepting new students for the upcoming academic year (if they are not, and this is the ONLY professor you want to work with, there is little point in applying to the program)
  • Mention your research interests briefly and how they might align with the program/professor you are writing to
  • It will benefit you to ask for the contact information of a student in the program so you can obtain another perspective on the courses/program climate.
  • Apply to programs that will fund your study (tuition waivers and stipends). This information can usually be found on the school’s website.
  • Personal Statement
  • Once you have a better idea of the programs that you are applying to, you can begin to craft your personal statement. Every personal statement for each school you are applying to will be different because you need to tailor the content to that school and your fit within their program; however, you can create a general template that can be used across schools, and thenfill in specific school informationfor each one.
  • Have friends, colleagues, and teachers read drafts of your personal statement!
  • Remember, the personal statement is not the time to showcase your personal story; it is more the story of how you have prepared thus far to be a suitable candidate for graduate school, and how the particular school you are applying to is a good fit for your career goals.

Important questions that you must be able to answer…especially for your personal statement