Honours Seminar in Psychology

1
Honours Seminar in Psychology

• Lecture 9 Applying to Graduate School in
  Psychology

2
Applying to Graduate School

• Each school has their own application forms and
  procedures
• The general components of the application are as
  follows
• Application form
• Cover letter, Statement of goals, Research plan
• Official transcripts
• GRE scores
• Reference forms / letters

3
General Timeline

• Summer, Fall
• Figure out which programs you are interested in
• Who you could work with?
• Get application material
• Study for and write GRE General and Subject
• Look into any available funding and apply
• January, February
• Submit application
• March
• Offers are made
• April 15
• Students must act on offers
• May, June
• Other rounds of admissions happen
• September
• Programs begin

4
Finding a supervisor

• Most programs allow faculty to pick the best
  student from a short list of the best students.
  A few do not.
• You are admitted to a program, not as somebodys
  student
• Use material programs publicize
• Do not contact a faculty member until you know
  what they do and why you might work with them
• If they contact you, respond asap
• When and how? Fall? Winter? April? Phone?
  E-mail? Drop in?
• Not all faculty take students every year

5
Parts of the application

• There are no universals as to what is
  important, but here are some thoughts

6
Application form

• Not important, unless it is mishandled by
  applicant or schools
• Examples wrong names, wrong programs
• Faculty can bypass or correct problems
• Corrective action
• Check with school to see that all is in order
• Follow deadlines
• Allow time for GRE scores and transcripts to
  arrive

7
Transcripts

• Important
• Must have an honours degree, usually in
  psychology
• Different faculty look at different things in the
  transcript, from GPA to specific grades in
  specific courses
• Weak GPA does not doom an application, but can
  hurt

8
GRE Scores

• General
• Quantitative Basic math/ stats skills
• Verbal Vocabulary test
• Analytic Abstract reasoning
• Writing sample
• Subject Test
• Not unlike an intro psych test spanning all areas
  of psychology
• Some programs use cutoffs, some do not, some add
  Verbal to Quantitative
• Scores have a conceptual M 500, SD 100,
  although versions differ
• My criteria 70 or above across board is
  excellent, 50 or above across the board is
  good, some below 50 are problematic, all below
  25 are bad. They are always exceptions.

9
Your letter

• Surprisingly important as it is a sample of your
  writing and how you portray yourself
• Spelling, grammar, organisation, is important
• Identification of research experience, interests,
  potential supervisors
• Mis-stating a research area is a problem
• Other material, such as community service
• Others can help, but you better write it yourself
  as you may get questions about the letter
• What is your thesis about?

10
Research experience is also important, so the
year off between honours and graduate work can
be helpful to applications
11
References

• Many are global and glowing
• References should be academic, should have taught
  you or had research contact with you
• Sometimes a clinical reference is needed or for
  mature students, an employer
• You have the right to ask potential referees what
  kind of reference they can give you
• For your referees Give them a package of forms
  all at once, with a summary of list of what you
  are applying for and where

12
Other intangibles

• Personal links of faculty to programs, referees,
  supervisors
• Outside funding If you get a major award, you
  will be admitted somewhere
• Geography and mobility The more widely you
  apply, the better your chances (geography, areas,
  not just clinical)
• Balance between vague and overly specific in what
  you want to do
• You will not get into graduate school if you do
  not apply
• Check with other students in a program to see
  what program or supervisor is really like,

13
Common misconceptions

• The fatal flaw of an application
• Graduate students are poor
• Actually they are poor, but do receive assistance
• Student loans not due
• There are secret ways of getting in
• I do not want to put my life on hold
• Life goes on in graduate school. People still
  get married, have babies, travel