Gettin

g into G

raduate S

chool:

Tips and Tim

elines

Dr. Tracy G

riggs, Ph.D

. Win

throp U

niversity

(last updated 12/09)

Overview

`Is graduate school the right choice?

`D

ecisions to make before applying

`Assessing your qualifications

`Choosing program

s

`Applying

`W

hat to do after you’ve applied

Is Grad Sch

ool a G

ood Choice for m

e?

`D

o I NEED

a graduate degree?

`Realities of graduate life

Wh

y Gradu

ate Sch

ool?

Good reasons

`“I w

ill NEED

a graduate degree in order to achieve m

y career goals”

`“G

raduate school will give m

e the education and background to do the specific job I w

ant to do.”

`“I love the pursuit of know

ledge, scholarship and research for their ow

n sake”

Not-so-good R

easons`

“I want to m

ake a lot of money”

`“I don’t know

what I w

ant to do yet and graduate school w

ill give me

more tim

e to decide”

`“I have A

LWAYS know

n I was going

to get a Doctorate in som

ething.”

`“G

rad school is just the logical next step.”

Realities of G

raduate Life

`C

lasses`

9-12 credit hours per semester

`3 credit hours of research in som

e programs

`50-60+ h w

ork week

`O

ften includes 10-20 h assistantship`

Qualitatively different from

undergrad`

Goals –

synthesis, training future colleagues `

Size –5-15 students is com

mon

`Type –

seminar, student lead

`A

ssignments –

substantially more reading (50-80+ pages per

class per week), few

er textbooks & m

ore primary sources

`A

ssessment –

presentations & papers

Realities of G

raduate Life

`C

omm

itment

`M

aster’s/ Specialist’s: 2-3 years`

PhD/ PsyD

/ EdD: 4-7 years

`50%

of individuals who begin a Ph.D

. program never finish

`D

etermination and self-discipline are required, over and

above intellectual ability`

Besides coursework, m

ajor hurdles include: `

Masters thesis, com

prehensive exams, dissertation, other research

comm

itments, teaching or research assistantships

`C

onsiderable demands placed on your personal identity

and self-reliance

Thin

gs to Con

sider Before

Applyin

g to G

raduate Program

s

`Your interests, values &

strengths

`W

here do psychologists work?

`W

hat do they DO

?

`D

egrees, accreditation & licensure

`3 m

odels of training and practice

Clarifyin

g Your In

terests, Valu

es & S

trength

s

`Your w

ork orientation `

(people, data, things?)

`W

ork setting `

(outdoors, government, private practice, academ

ia, organizational consulting, travel?)

`W

ork activities `

(testing, documenting, analyzing, being innovative,

creative, teaching, supervising, etc.)

Wh

ere Do Psych

ologists Work an

d W

hat D

o They D

o?

`D

o some occupational research

`O

*Net, O

ccupational Outlook H

andbook`

FOCU

S, Career Center online, etc.

`Talk to people`

Faculty`

Graduate students

`Professionals in the field (inform

ational interviews, netw

orking)

`G

et involved!`

Psi Chi, Psyc Club, other campus orgs.

`Research, Research, Research…

and did I mention research? (becom

e a research assistant!)

On

Degrees, A

ccreditation &

Licensu

re

`D

egrees`

Field Specific`

Understand the differences betw

een `

MA

, MS, M

.Ed, Ed.S, PhD, Psy.D

and Ed.D

`A

PA A

ccreditation`

Required

for Licensure in 3 fields`

Clinical, C

ounseling, & School Psychology

`Licensure `

Required for practice in clinical, counseling, or school psychology…

respected, but not required in I/O

.`

Usually involves post-graduate board exam

and a minim

um num

ber of supervised hours of w

ork`

Varies by state

3 models of Train

ing &

Practice

Scientist-Oriented

(many P

h.D program

sfall here)

Scientist-Practitioner(Balanced)

(Som

e Ph.D

. programs fall here w

hilemost P

sy.D. program

s will fall here.)

Practioner-Oriented

(Most M

aster's level programs

will probably fall here)

�T

ermin

al Masters program

sare u

sually practition

er-oriented

�B

e aware: A

lmost all Ph

.Dprogram

sclaim

to follow th

e scientist-practition

er m

odel of trainin

g. �

Look for evidence of applied, practical train

ing experien

ces (e.g. intern

ships,

practicum

, supervised cou

nselin

g) if this is w

hat you

really wan

t from you

r program

.

�PsyD

programs

usu

ally more balan

ced or practitioner-orien

ted �

althou

gh you

can *n

ot* avoid research altogeth

er in an

APA

-accredited program

!

�See this w

ebsite for a great discussion of the differences in the models and the

reputations of these programs

�h

ttp://ww

w.psich

i.org/pubs/articles/article_171.asp

Assessin

g Your Q

ualifications for

Graduate Sch

ool

I.O

bjective Criteria

`G

rades, GR

E Scores, Coursew

ork

II.N

on-Objective C

riteria`

Letters of recomm

endation, Personal statement

III.U

nspecified Criteria

`R

esume, quality of application m

aterials, writing skills

`A

pparent maturity level, apparent self-directedness and discipline

IV.M

atch to department/ program

Grades

`Varies by school &

program`

*Master’s ~ 3.0

`*PhD

~ 3.4 (3.2-3.6+)`

*These are not guarantees, rather guidelines, about w

hat is typically recomm

ended

`D

ifferent types examined:

`C

umulative

`Psychology

`Last 2 years

Graduate R

ecord Exam

ination

(GR

E)

`G

RE

-G

EN

ER

AL T

EST

`Verbal

`Q

uantitative `

Analytical

(sometim

esw

eighted less heavily)

`G

RE

-P

sychology Subject Test`

not required by all schools

See ww

w.gre.org

to get all the information you need and to take a

practice test and/or request practice exams on C

DK

aplan offers free practice tests via our career center. Take advantage!

** International Applicants m

ay also be required to submit scores on the TO

EFL

GR

E H

ints

`Prepare &

Practice!`

Single most im

portant thing you can do!`

More than any factor, the G

RE m

ay make or break your

chances for entry into your desired program`

PREP M

aterials (Princeton review, K

aplan)

`Take it early `

So you can take it again if you need to`

You’ll have plenty of time to send scores by deadlines

`Re-testing`

Testing twice to im

prove your score is not uncomm

on`

Testing more than tw

ice should be done with caution

(repeated mediocre or bad scores only reinforce your

original scores)

More H

ints for G

RE

`A

cceptance range`

Average recom

mendations for com

bined verbal and quantitative: `

900-1100 master’s,

`1150+ for PhD

`C

ut-off Scores `

May be based on com

bined scores or by section`

May be w

eighted more heavily or less heavily than G

PA in total

applicant score`

Studying`

Verbal typically cannot be improved “over night”

`Q

uantitative can be improved w

ith only a little study`

Regardless, be fam

iliar with all sections and the instructions for

each so that you don’t waste tim

e on these!

Coursew

ork

Required courses may include:

`Statistics

`Experim

ental Methods

`N

atural Science Psychology`

Psychobiology, Sensation & Perception

`Social Science Psychology`

Social Psychology, Psyc of the Workplace

II.N

on-O

bjective (Subjective) Criteria

`Letters of Recom

mendation

`Personal Statem

ent / Application Essays

`Experience`

Research, work, volunteer, leadership

`Interview

Performance

`Extracurricular Activities

Askin

g for Letters of Recom

men

dation`

Whom

to ask?`

Recom

mendations from

Professorsare expected for grad

school applications`

Sometim

es other sources will suffice and can even add

support (e.g. work supervisors)

`G

eneral decreasing levels of preference`

Letter from a Professor of Psychology (m

ost preferred)`

Letter from a Professor of Psychology w

ho integrates information

from a grad student about your w

ork`

Letter from a Professor from

another discipline (e.g. your minor or a

related field)`

Supervisor from a w

ork situation`

Grad Student/G

rad Lab Instructor (much less preferred, but they m

ay contribute a faculty letter)

`M

ember of the C

lergy, family friend, etc (never!)

Askin

g for Letters of Recom

men

dation

`Ask professors w

ho know you W

ELL`

Get to know

your professors!`

Perform outstanding w

ork`

Sit in the front of the class`

Participate`

Make your w

ork mem

orable`

Talk with your professor outside of class

`M

ake sure your professor knows your career goals

`D

o independent research (e.g. Psyc 471/472, or volunteer)

Askin

g for Letters of Recom

men

dation

`A

SK:

`M

any students fail to ask a professor the one important

question that can make a big difference in their letters:

`“C

an you write m

e a good/strong letter of support for grad school?”

`You w

ant the BEST letter possible. D

on’t guess whether a

professor can write you one. Sim

ply ask them! T

hey will tell

you the truth.

Askin

g for Letters of Recom

men

dation

�*ASK Early!!*�

Plan ahead…

�O

ctober is a busy month.

�N

ovember is w

orse. �

Decem

ber is gone. -

�G

etting on your professor’s radar screen early so that your letters get m

ore time and attention

Askin

g for Letters of Recom

men

dation

�M

ake their job easy!�

Provide each recomm

ender with a list of things to help them

write

you the BEST letter they can:�

How

they know you? (w

hat classes you’ve taken with them

and what

grade you made or w

hat project you did�

Specific behavioral examples of your readiness for grad school

�A

copy of your resume/vita, personal statem

ent, coursework &

grades (e.g. transcript) and G

RE scores

�Let them

know if you w

ould like them to address w

eaknesses or “holes” in any of these areas.

�List of schools/program

s and their application due dates.�

Pre-Address and stam

p their envelopes!

The Person

al Statem

ent

(a.k.a., Letter of Inten

t, Statem

ent of Pu

rpose)

`Purpose`

Highlight your uniqueness’ and strengths

`M

ost schools ask for a general statement addressing the

following:

`W

hat are your career goals?`

What experiences have led you to develop these goals?

(e.g. What have you been “doing” to prepare yourself for

this field)`

How

can our program help you fulfill these goals? (e.g.

What are your general research interests and w

hy would

their program be a good m

atch for you?)

Organ

izing th

e Personal S

tatemen

t

I.Statem

ent of interest in the specific psychology field you are applying for and your general career goals

II.Statem

ent of your past experiences (academic, research,

work, volunteer, etc.) and how

/why it lead to or supports

your career goals as well as w

hy it makes you a good

candidate for grad school

III.End w

ith a paragraph devoted to why this school or

program suits you w

ell. (faculty research interests match

yours, emphasis on science or practitioner training suits

you, geographic location is good, etc.)

Personal Statem

ent

Do’s &

Don

’ts

DO

:`

Be honestand realistic

`A

llow yourself tim

e to write and revise

`Be w

illing to write m

anydrafts!!

`Em

phasize what m

akes you appropriately different/gives you a special perspective

Personal Statem

ent

Do’s &

Don

’ts

DO

:

`D

emonstrate fam

iliarity with the program

`Em

phasize “match”

`R

ead your essay aloud

`H

ave someone else critically proofread and edit your

work for gram

mar, content and tone

Personal Statem

ent

Do’s &

Don

’ts

DON’T:

`R

epeat data that are already in your application such as G

RE scores or G

PA

`Feel that you m

ust dress up your essay with jargon

or “fluff.”

`U

se superlative language “all, never, always” unless

it’s clearly true.

III. Unspecified C

riteria

`Resum

e/ CV

`Q

uality of Application Materials

`School and w

ork-site attitude & behavior

`Special Projects and honors courses

`D

iversity

Resum

e/ Curriculum

Vita

Things to Highlight

`Education

`R

esearch Experience `

Papers presented at Professional C

onferences `

Papers Published`

Honors

`C

areer Objectives

`Teaching Experience

`C

linical Experience`

Psychology-related field Experience

`Professional A

ffiliations, offices held

`Job Experience

Ch

oosing Program

s to Apply to

1. Know

yourself

2. Research the P

rograms

`See your professional organization w

ebsites for lists of accredited program

s`

Contact program

s for materials (find contact on w

ebsite)`

Do you m

eetthe program

criteria?

3. Com

pile a final list of 1-12 schools`

Sure bets (at least a few)

`G

ood Matches (m

ajority of your apps)`

Long Shots (1 or 2 dream schools)

4. Visit

the programs on your final list!

Application

Gen

eral Timelin

e`

Prior to junior year`

Research career fields, get w

ork and volunteer experience to confirm your goals, develop

relationships with professors, earn good grades

`Junior Year (Fall &

Spring)`

Get research experience, begin looking at program

s (in-state and regionally)`

Summ

er -take G

RE, evaluate results, choose program

s`

Draft personal statem

ent and resume/vita

`Senior Year Fall`

Re-w

rite and revise personal statement

`R

equest Transcripts, GR

E scores be sent to all schools`

Request letters of recom

mendation be sent to all schools

`Start w

orking on financial aid forms

`C

omplete application form

s for each school and department

`Senior Year Spring`

Prepare and mail in application packets w

ell before deadlines`

Follow up w

ith programs w

ho do not have finished applications`

Wait, you should here by A

pril 15th

Requ

esting Tran

scripts and

GR

E Test S

cores

`R

equest them Early

`For W

U Transcripts:

http://ww

w.winthrop.edu/recandreg/pdf/trans.pdf

`For G

RE: http://ww

w.gre.org

`Costs`

Currently free unless you need it overnighted or same-day

expressed

Preparing you

r Application

`T

he Self-managed A

pplication?`

Pulling everything together into one envelope (requested by som

e schools)

`Stay organized!`

Use C

hecklists `

Keep accurate records (photocopies) of everything

sent!`

Confirm

ation postcards in all letters and packets

After you

’ve Applied

`Follow

up`

Calling? What is considered pestering?

`Post card confirm

ationsalleviate this problem

`U

pon Acceptance

`Re-VISIT schools

`Consult w

ith a faculty mem

ber before making your

final decision

Fall Backs…

Wh

at to do if you

don

’t get in:

`D

o not panic!

`W

ork for a year, reconsider applying next year?

`Prepare for the G

RE, retake it and try again

`Consider M

aster’s Programs if you haven’t yet

`M

.A. In General Psychology can strengthen your

skills and qualifications

`Apply to sim

ilar degree programs

`(I.e. H

R, Social Work, M

&F Therapy, Education, Child D

evelopment,

Biology)

Quotes from

Exp

erienced

Applica

nts

`“W

hoa. I never knew that applying

to Grad school w

ould be like having a full tim

e job!”

`“I’m

SO glad I applied to program

X as a fall-back…

it ended up being m

y best choice in the end and I love it!”

`“V

isiting my final program

s made

all the difference in deciding which

one to attend!”