| |
|
|
|

Psychology
Graduate School Directories
Accredited
Doctoral Programs in Professional Psychology
Graduate
Programs in Applied Psychology
APPLYING TO
GRADUATE SCHOOL
ScholarStuff.com
 |
Determine the admissions requirements for the programs to
which you are applying. Expectations may vary from program
to program. |
 |
Admissions requirements common to many graduate schools include:
undergraduate GPA (especially in your major), GRE scores, letters
of recommendation, and a personal statement. |
 |
Photocopy all applications and keep a comprehensive file
on each school in which you can record all interactions with
that school. |
 |
Follow all rules set forth by the application. Call the admissions
office and ask for advice if you have questions or are tempted
to "break a rule." |
 |
Put your name and social security number on any additional
pages. |
 |
Make certain your application is neat and professional. |
 |
Have someone proofread your application and personal statement. |
ScholarStuff.com © 1996-2001 ScholarStuff.com
APPLICATION
TIMELINE
ScholarStuff.com
Start to think about the admissions process early. Begin thinking
about the application process the summer before your senior year. Check
admissions deadlines with each school. They are often different from
program to program. Some graduate schools admit incoming students only
for fall term. Others allow students to enroll at several points in
the year. Financial aid deadlines are frequently earlier than the last
admissions deadline.
| WINTER |
 |
Research programs. Collect information and speak with faculty,
graduate students, and professionals in your field. |
| SPRING |
 |
Use the Internet to research programs. |
 |
Plan to visit schools. |
 |
Determine what tests are required for admission. |
| SUMMER |
 |
Make a list of possible professors and/or professionals whom
you can ask to write letters of recommendation. |
 |
Visit schools and speak to department members. |
 |
Begin to draft a personal statement. |
 |
Draft a resume that reflects academic interests and research
abilities. |
 |
Contact schools and request applications. |
 |
Inquire about financial aid deadlines and required applications. |
 |
Take the GRE. |
| FALL |
 |
Ask professor and/or professionals to write letters of recommendation.
Arrange to meet with them if possible. |
 |
Send all information to recommenders at least two months
in advance. |
 |
Ask professors and other students to review your personal
statement. Finalize the draft. |
| WINTER |
 |
Complete and mail applications. |
 |
Keep copies of everything you send. |
 |
Remind your recommenders of deadlines if necessary. |
 |
Apply for financial aid. |
ScholarStuff.com © 1996-2001 ScholarStuff.com
TAKING THE GRADUATE
RECORD EXAM (GRE)
ScholarStuff.com
KAPLAN Test Prep
and Admissions
Graduate Record Examinations
The GRE supplements your college grades and helps admissions officers
compare your record with those of other applicants. Although you may
increase your test scores to some extent through preparation a few
weeks or months before you take the GRE, last minute cramming is unlikely
to be of any help. If you decide to spend time preparing for the GRE,
the following information may help guide you:
 |
Become familiar with the types of questions used in the GRE.
Question types include sentence completions, analogies, reading
comprehension, antonyms, logical reasoning, logic games, problem
solving, and quantitative comparisons. |
 |
Take a practice test. |
 |
Pay special attention to the directions. You will have more
time to during the GRE to focus on the questions themselves
if you thoroughly understand the directions before you take
the test. |
The GRE Subject Tests demonstrate your knowledge of the subject you
plan to study in graduate school.
TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES
 |
Read test directions carefully. Work as quickly as you can
without being careless. |
 |
All questions are of equal value. Do not waste time thinking
about individual questions that you find extremely difficult
or unfamiliar. |
 |
First answer all the questions about which you feel confident.
Then go back and answer questions that require more thought.
End with the most difficult questions if you have time. |
 |
Questions for which you answer more than one answer or no
answer are not counted. |
 |
Guessing will not improve your score. It may even lower your
score. |
ScholarStuff.com © 1996-2001 ScholarStuff.com
TIPS TO MAKE
YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT COUNT!
Sample
Essays
myEssay.com
AdmissionsEssays.com
EssayEdge.com
Accepted.com
 |
Graduate school admissions committees want
to know whether or not applicants will contribute to the
programs unique mix of personalities, intellectual
criticism, personal experiences, and aptitudes. Demonstrate
the characteristics necessary to meet the demanding requirements
of the programs curriculum. |
 |
Capitalize on your opportunity to convince
an admissions committee of your passion for psychology. Write
about what interests you and excites you. |
 |
Use the personal statement to present a total
picture of your qualities other than attributes that can
be reduced to numbers, such as your IQ and GRE score. |
 |
Dont start your essay with "I
was born in
" or "My parents came from
" |
 |
Communicate your unique characteristics and
experiences in a way that will distinguish you from the rest
of the applicant pool. Use concrete examples. |
 |
Prioritize and organize your personal traits,
experiences, and accomplishments tailored to the structure
of program admission requirements. |
 |
Convey your most significant research, leadership,
and service experiences. |
 |
Provide illustrative details and meaningful
insights related to each experience, event, or idea. |
 |
Be confident that your experiences are exciting
enough to commit to print. It is the depth of character you
conveynot the intensity of the topicthat matters. |
 |
Dont overuse vague words like "experience" and "situation." |
 |
Dont start too many sentences with
the pronoun "I". |
 |
Dont tell the reader "I am a unique
and interesting person." Let the reader learn this indirectly
from your unique and interesting essay. In other words, showdont
tell. |
 |
Try to use active voice instead of passive
voice. For example, use "Our staff completed the assignment
in record time" instead of "The assignment was
completed in record time." |
 |
Dont try to impress your reader with
your vocabulary. |
 |
Dont try to write a scholarly or overly-important
sounding essay. An essay showing off your knowledge ofinstead
of you passion forpsychology tells the reader nothing
about you as a person. |
 |
Use a natural and informal conversational
tonenot as informal as colloquial speech, but less
formal than the tone of an academic assignment. |
 |
Be yourself. Convey your genuine thoughts. |
 |
Dont write an autobiography or a resume
in prose. |
 |
Dont try to accomplish too much in
your essay. Less is more. Dont try to summarize your
entire lifes accomplishments. Your essay will read
more like a laundry list and less like a meaningful personal
statement. |
 |
Dont write anything that may embarrass
the reader or make him or her feel uncomfortable. The reader
is neither your therapist nor your close friend. |
 |
Dont repeat or sum up your points. |
 |
End your essay with a statement that refers
to the beginning and restates your main point. |
 |
Avoid careless grammatical errors. Proofread
your essay several times for spelling and typographical errors.
Use the spelling checker of your computers word processing
program, but do not rely on it. Consult a dictionary for
any words you vaguely suspect may be misspelled. |
 |
Revise your essay at least three times. Dont
attempt to write the perfect essay in one sitting. Good writing
is the product of careful and constant rewriting. |
myEssay.com © 1997-2000 myEssay.com
EssayEdge.com © 1997-2001 EssayEdge.com, CyberEdit, Inc.
Accepted.com © 1996-2000 Accepted.com |
|