The graduate schools to which you apply will evaluate your GPA in any of three ways: overall GPA; GPA over your last 60 semester hours of study; or GPA within your major coursework. Of course you will want as high a GPA as possible no matter how it is evaluated, but realize that the latter two aspects may weigh more heavily in admissions considerations than overall GPA.
Most schools focus on quantitative and verbal subscales as well as the Psychology subject test. Contact the graduate admissions counselor at the schools you are interested in and ask for their admissions criteria.
A combined quantitative / verbal score of at least 1200 is greatly preferred for Tier 2 schools and above; Tier 1 schools prefer a 1300 - 1400 combined score.
When it comes to research experience, the more the better! During your undergraduate years, try to work in the lab of a reputable scholar for at least one year. Ideally, you should focus on learning skills such as literature search and review, data entry, data correction, data analysis, and scholarly writing.
Although not essential, publication credit (for posters, paper presentations, chapters, peer-reviewed journals, etc.) will strengthen your application. Opportunities for publication will increase as you work with your professor. Even if your work is never "officially" published, you ought to have some sort of research writing experience, be it an Honor's Thesis or some other similar project.
When looking for research projects in which to participate, do not obsess over finding the ideal project before you will accept a research opportunity; varied experience is a plus. Focus instead on finding a good mentor who will help you acquire a firm foundation in research skills.
When you have found a research position, try to work up to a position of responsibility in the lab such as leader of some aspect of the project, or supervisor of other lab members. These positions will look good on your resume.
Remember that you will be applying to graduate school in December/January timeframe of your senior year, so you must begin research at the latest during your junior year, to be able to complete a full year before application time. If you can swing it though, getting involved during your sophomore year would be ideal.
Supervised work with a licensed practitioner is strongly preferable.
Some type of formal training, such as from a crisis hotline, is a plus.
An appropriate ratio of direct clinical contact hours to supervision hours is strongly recommended.
Experience with assessment (such as through behavioral observation) and experience with clinical intervention (such as that gained from co-leading groups) is a plus.
Letters from professionals who have known you personally for an extended period of time (at least one year) will carry the most weight.
Try to get letters from at least two professionals who have supervised or mentored your clinical or research work.
Letters from professionals who know your work – your reliability, professionalism, conscientiousness, work ethic, and your interpersonal skills – carry the most weight.
Letters from professors in whose classes you have done well carry considerably less weight; an exception might be the professor of a small honors course with whom you have had extensive interaction, through which your talents have been evidenced.
Professionals who have ties to the faculty of institutions to which you are applying can give you additional leverage (they can make phone calls, write “heads-up” emails, etc.).
Professionals who are grateful for your contributions to their labs or clinics will more likely “go the extra mile” for you in this process.
Cultivate relationships with these people early, at least one year before applying to graduate school, so that they can keep an eye on you and provide you with opportunities to become a more competitive candidate. Meet with them individually and express to them what your goals are. Ask for help in achieving those goals, then be willing to do your part to get there.
Look actively for professionals who are well-respected in their fields that are willing to mentor you. This means that they recognize how important your goals are to you, and that they will provide you with the opportunities, encouragement, and critiquing that you need to develop into a qualified and competitive candidate.
In general, strive to make your mentor’s job of writing letters as easy as possible. For example, keep careful records of your research contributions, achievements and skills. You can submit these to your mentor at the time you ask him or her to write your letters. These materials, in combination with your vita, should function as a convenient template for writing your letters.
Each year, BYU offers a GRE test prep class, featuring:
For more information or to register for the class, visit BYU GRE Test Prep . If you prefer to speak with someone over the phone, call BYU Conferences and Workshops at 801-422-3550 (fax 801-422-0730). If you prefer to mail your registration, you can download the registration form (PDF).
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A few years ago, Psi Chi (the National Honor Society in Psychology) published an article in their magazine Eye on Psi Chi about writing effective personal statements for graduate school applications. To read this article, visit: http://www.psichi.org/pubs/articles/article_98.asp . |
