If You're Thinking about
Graduate School in Psychology:
Tips for Students

 

Table of Contents

• I) Undergraduate Preparation for Applying to Graduate Schools

  A) Plan Your Course Schedule Early.

  B) Get to Know Your Professors.

  C) Do Research.

  Ways to Get Involved in Research

  How Research Can Help You

  Funding for Research

  D) Join the Psychology Club

  E) Join Psi Chi

  F) Present Research at Conferences

  G) Do an Internship

   

• II) Learning about Graduate Programs

  A) Get Information from Books

  B) Get Information from Specific Graduate Schools Via the Mail

  C) Get Information from the Internet

  D) Get Information from Professors

   

• III) Preparing for the Graduate Record Exams (GREs)

  A) Get Information about the GREs

  B) Know What GRE Scores Are Sent to Schools

  C) Be Aware of How UM-Dearborn Students Generally Do on the GREs

  D) Know Which Scores Graduate Schools Care about the Most

   

• IV) Applying to Graduate Schools

  A) Get Help in Writing Resumes and Interviewing

  B) Think about Where to Apply

  C) Make an Informed Decision about the Type of Program

  D) Think about the Future

  E) Know How to Fill Out Applications Appropriately

  F) Be Prepared for Interviews

   

• V) Other Sources of Information about Applying to Graduate Schools

I) Undergraduate Preparation for Applying to Graduate Schools

• A) Plan your course schedule early.

  1) Don't put off taking a laboratory course to your senior year. If it's taken your junior year, then you will have the background to do independent research with a faculty member. Think of possibly even taking two laboratory courses

  2) Take statistics early so that you can more comfortably use statistics in research.

  3) Take the Computers in Psychology course, even if you're not in the Psychology Honors Program. Also, the earlier you take the computers course, the more time you will have to use these skills in research.

  4) Take courses related to the area you want to pursue in graduate school.

  5) Take courses where you get lots of practice in writing psychology research papers. Buy the American Psychological Association Publication Manual to use as a reference for writing research reports. See http://emunix.emich.edu/~ehoffman/apahelp.html for APA style resource links.

   

• B) Get to know your professors. Professors need to be able to write you letters of reference that truly address you as the person you are, not just your grades in the class. Usually graduate schools ask for three letters of reference, so you need to have three faculty members know you well enough to write substantive letters of reference. You can help professors get to know you better by: 

  1) Participating in class and visiting during office hours.

  2) Getting involved in faculty research projects.

  3) Doing an independent study with a faculty member.

  4) Working as a faculty assistant.

 

(Of course, don't be a burden to professors by taking up their limited time for no good reason.)

• C) Do Research

   

  1) Ways to Get Involved in Research

   

  a) Work on professors' projects (for free, for pay, or for course credit, depending on the professor). Faculty research doesn't have to be limited to this campus. Some students have worked on projects with professors at other universities or organizations. However, it generally makes more sense to work with faculty at UM-Dearborn.

   

  b) Do an independent study with a professor. (You need to have a good outline of your project when you ask professors if they'd be willing to supervise you in an independent study. The professor is there for guidance, not to tell you what to do or give you a list of possible ideas.)

   

  c) Join the Psychology Honors Program if you're eligible to do so. (You need a 3.2 overall GPA, as well as a 3.2 psychology GPA.) You will design and conduct an independent research project of your choosing. It's superb experience!

 

NOTE: Realize that other faculty in the university, who are not psychology faculty, may be doing research with a psychology focus. Biology, Sociology, and Women's and Gender Studies are three areas that overlap with psychology very nicely. However, graduate schools usually want at least two of the three letters of reference to be from psychology faculty.

 

2) How Research Can Help You 

a) Graduate schools place a huge amount of importance on research experience. Without such experience, your chance of getting into graduate school is very slim (even if your grade point average and test scores are high).

 

b) The faculty member supervising you can write you a letter of reference that truly addresses the qualities you have that are needed for graduate school.

 

c) Often these research experiences will lead to presentations at local or national conferences in psychology and related fields. Sometimes there are awards for excellence, too.

 

d) Less likely, but still possible, these research experiences can lead to publications in academic journals.

 

3) Funding For Research 

 

a) Sometimes faculty members have funding for their research and can pay you for your help. You have to check with individual faculty members to find out if this is the case.

 

b) The University of Michigan-Dearborn has Student Research Grants that provide up to $500 for student research projects. There is no deadline for applications. These projects must be supervised by a faculty member and must be related to psychology. This funding is only for equipment, xeroxing, postage, or other such items needed for one's research project. For more information contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, 1055 AB. The phone number is 593-5468.

 

 

• D) Join the Psychology Club. In this club you can:

  1) get information from students and faculty about graduate school, Graduate Record Exams (GREs), the application process, and job opportunities

   

  2) make friends and network with other students

   

  3) raise money for conference travel expenses

   

  4) get leadership experience

• E) Join Psi Chi. Psi Chi is the National Honor Society of Psychology. UM-Dearborn's Psi Chi chapter is headed by Dr. Rob Hymes. The following are eligibility requirements: 

  1) Completed 3 semesters of college

   

  2) Completed 9 semester hours of psychology courses

   

  3) Ranked in top 35% of class

   

  4) A grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

   

Being a member of Psi Chi is an honor, looks good on your graduate school applications, and opens up opportunities for awards and grants. The registration fee is $35 and is the only payment ever made to the organization. For more information see the Psi Chi Web site at http://www.psichi.org/

• F) Present research at conferences. This looks excellent on your graduate school application and is wonderful experience for later graduate school life. You also get to meet faculty from other universities, meet graduate students and talk with them, and attend interesting and informative presentations. UM-Dearborn provides up to $300 for travel to present research at conferences. Contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, 118 SB for information. 

  1) The Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) holds an annual conference in Chicago in April. Many UM-Dearborn Psi Chi students present their research at this conference. In October you must get the proper forms and submit a summary describing your research. (Be sure to have faculty members look over your summary before you submit it to MPA.) All accepted presentations by Psi Chi students are automatically eligible for a $300 Regional Research Award, a highly competitive award. For more information on MPA, see its Web site at http://www.midwesternpsych.org.

  2) "Meeting of Minds" is an annual undergraduate research conference, sponsored by UM-Dearborn, Oakland University and UM-Flint, where undergraduates present research from a variety of fields. Submissions are due in February or March and the conference is held in May. For more information see faculty or the Web site http://www.umd.umich.edu/casl/mom/.

  3) Other local and national conferences are also possibilities. The American Psychological Association (APA) holds an annual conference in a location that varies year to year (see its Web site at http://www.apa.org). There are conferences related to specialty areas within psychology, too. Check the Internet and with faculty members for this sort of information.

   

NOTE: If you are presenting at a conference, make sure that faculty look over your poster or paper beforehand to give you feedback. Get assistance whenever you can.

 

 

• G) Do an internship. Juniors and seniors can spend 6 or 12 hours per week in a field placement relevant to psychology. There is also a weekly seminar to attend on campus. Dr. Roger Loeb is the head of the Internship Program and can be contacted at 593-5195. Internships are extremely helpful because they: 

  1) let you find out what you like and/or dislike in the field of psychology

   

  2) give you real-world, practical experience

   

  3) give you opportunities to make connections with people working in the field of psychology.

   

  4) provide you with another reference person

   

II) Learning about Graduate Programs

• A) Understand that graduate progams may be organized differently from what you're used to. For example, often graduate programs in counseling are within education departments. Sport psychology graduate programs tend to be within kinesiology departments. Psychology programs may be listed with the natural sciences, not social sciences. You need to search extensively and ask questions. Click here for a list of psychology and social work graduate programs within commuting distance of Dearborn.

• B) Get information from books.

  1) The ultimate resource for learning about graduate school programs is a book entitled "Graduate Study in Psychology" published by the APA. This book is on reserve at the UM-Dearborn library, and can be purchased through APA's Web site (http://www.apa.org) or through bookstores.

   

• C) Get information from specific graduate schools via the mail. Write to schools and ask for materials about their programs and requirements. Get into the library system and look up faculty names at schools you're applying to in order to see if a professor's interests match yours. (Matching interests is a hugely important factor in one's acceptance to a program.) The information packet from the university will also tell about financial assistance. Keep in mind that sometimes out-of-state schools will waive tuition or give a reduction to in-state tuition rates! Make sure you request these information packets early so you have plenty of time to go through them, get more information, and fill out the applications the best way you can.

• D) Get information from the Internet.

  1) Universities have Web sites that give information about their graduate programs.

   

  2) The APA has a list of Accredited Doctoral Programs in Professional Psychology. See http://www.apa.org.

   

  3) Visit http://www.psychology.org/links/career/ for helpful information.

   

  4) Check out http://www.psychwww.com/careers/index.htm for lots of information about graduate schools.

   

  5) If you're interested in social work programs, try http://www.naswdc.org/ and http://www.cswe.org/ for information about graduate schools, licensing, and organizations.

   

  6) Try http://iiswinprd01.petersons.com/gradchannel/ for in-depth information on graduate programs in every field there is.

• E) Get information from professors. Talk to professors at UM-Dearborn. Particularly pay attention to faculty whose degrees are in the specialty area in which you are interested. Faculty likely know of other resources in their specialty areas.

III) Preparing for the Graduate Record Examinations (GREs)

• A) Get information about the GREs. GREs are tests that most graduate schools require. There is a general test that includes verbal, quantitative and analytical sections. There is also a psychology subject test. To get more information about GREs (including costs, examination times and locations, and free practice tests) contact: 

  1) http://www.gre.org

   

  2) 1-800-GRE CALL

   

  3) UM-Dearborn's Program for Academic Support, 2170 UC, 593-5340.

 

NOTE: You need to get information early so you don't miss deadlines. The GRE registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Allow time for taking the tests a second time, also.

• B) Know what GRE scores are sent to schools. 

  1) You will take the GREs on a computer and at the end of the exams, but before you see your scores, you have the option of not having the tests "count." These scores will then not be sent to graduate schools.

   

  2) You can take the GREs several times, but once your scores have been recorded, graduate schools will be sent all scores, not just your best scores or an average of your scores.

• C) Be aware of how UM-Dearborn students generally do on the GREs. Students at UM-Dearborn generally have fairly weak verbal scores. So, start early and work on improving your vocabulary and grammar. Read more. Buy a good dictionary and look up all words you don't know. Use a thesaurus in your classes to improve your vocabulary in your writing. Buy books on improving your vocabulary. Better to start early on this than to try to cram tons of new words into your head right before the GREs. Of course, you need to review your math, too. Go through old textbooks and notes. For the psychology subject test you can go through an introductory psychology textbook to refresh your memory.

• D) Know which scores graduate schools care about the most. Graduate schools tend to care most about your verbal and quantitative scores. Often scores on these exams have to reach a minimum requirement (that the applicant is often not told about) or the applicant is not even considered for admission to the program. Clearly, then, the GREs have to be taken seriously and you need to do your best on them.

IV) Applying to Graduate Schools

• A) Get help in writing resumes and interviewing. For a small fee UM-Dearborn's Career Services (2149 UC, 593-5020) offers assistance in creating a resume and in interviewing. You will learn how to create a resume and your final product will be critiqued by an expert. You also can get experience in a mock interview that is videotaped for later analysis. Career Services also has free packets of information concerning resume-writing, applications, and interviewing.

• B) Think about where to apply. 

  1) If you don't have to, don't limit your search to a geographical location. There are very few graduate programs within the southeastern Michigan area. If family and work don't make it essential for you to stay in the area, then look nationally for the best school for your interests and resources.

  2) Realize that UM-Ann Arbor's graduate school in psychology is generally ranked in the top five in the nation! U of M is a very good state university for undergraduate education, but it is not one of the most highly selective undergraduate colleges/universities in the country. On the other hand, U of M's psychology graduate program is one of the most highly selective in the nation.

• C) Make an informed decision about the type of program.

  1) If clinical, counseling, or social work is your area, know what the different degrees are. For example, know the difference between a Psy.D. and a Ph.D. For information about degrees see http://www.psychwww.com/careers/options.htm. Also, think ahead and find out about licensing for clinical psychologists at http://www.asppb.org.

  2) Understand that Ph.D. programs are harder to get into than master's programs. However, once you've proven yourself in a master's program, that can often increase your chances of getting into a Ph.D. program. Letters of reference from those who know you as a master's student will be extremely important.

   

• D) Think about the future.

  1) Think about the bigger picture, such as future job opportunities and finances. What job opportunities are out there with the degree you want? Are you being realistic? Keep in mind that being a college professor should not be seen as a "fall back" if your other desired career does not work out. Competition is extremely intense for university/college jobs.

   

  2) Realize that you don't have to try to go to graduate school immediately. Some Ph.D.s took a year off after their undergraduate education before going to graduate school.

   

  3) The APA has several brochures concerning careers in psychology. One is "Career Paths in Psychology" and another is "Psychology Careers for the 21st Century." You can get access to these resources at http://www.apa.org.

• E) Know how to fill out applications appropriately.

  1) Written Statements of Purpose

   

  a) When you write your statements of purpose for graduate schools, make sure faculty members look them over and give you feedback.

   

  2) Letters of Reference

   

  a) When approaching faculty members for letters of reference, consider the following:

   

  1. Ask, do not tell, a professor to write you a letter of reference.

   

  2. Give professors plenty of time to write the letters. Four to six weeks generally gives them plenty of time to fit letter-writing into their busy schedules.

   

  3. Give professors information about yourself, such as:

   

  a. your overall and psychology GPAs

   

  b. samples of your writing

   

  c. the statements of purpose you wrote

   

  d. your resume

   

  4. Make sure you've filled out all the proper information before giving the forms to professors

   

  5. Address all envelopes

   

  6. Put stamps on all envelopes

• F) Be prepared for interviews.

  1) If called in for a face-to-face interview, be prepared. Know what the program has to offer and who the faculty are that you'd like to work with. Know the faculty member's research by looking through the library and seeing what he or she has published. Get copies of some of the articles so you understand what the person's research is about. Know what your long term goals are. And certainly be prepared with questions you have for them about the program, financial assistance, research opportunities, etc.

   

  2) Your phone may ring and someone from a graduate school may want to interview you over the phone! You need to be ready. Such preparation includes a full knowledge of the program and why you applied to it, what faculty are there that you would like to work with, and how the program fits with your long term plans. Also, what questions do you have about the program? (If the call comes at a bad time, politely ask for times when you could call back.)

V) Other Sources of Information about Applying to Graduate Schools

1) Dr. Linda Walsh compiled a wonderful list of links related to graduate school in psychology. Visit this great web page at:  http://www.uni.edu/walsh/linda2.html.

2) The American Psychological Association (APA) has an excellent Web site that gives lots of information to students about graduate school and job opportunities. Look under Student Information at http://www.apa.org.

3) See http://www.psywww.com/tipsheet for tips about getting into graduate school in psychology. For more about psychology careers visit http://www.psychwww.com/careers/websites.htm.

4) Another good source of information is http://gradpsych.apags.org.

5) See http://www.socialpsychology.org/career.htm for several helpful links.

6) Lots of information is on http://www.gradschools.com. 

7) Explore the links found at http://psychcentral.com/resources/Psychology/.