Sophmore Year
| _______ |
1. Talk with your teachers
who conduct research and/or clinical activities of interest to
you and discuss the possibility of becoming involved in these
activities with them. |
| _______ | 2. Attend
psychology-related seminars at your school and surrounding
institutions and document your attendance. Join the Psi Chi
chapter or psychology club on your campus. |
| _______ | 3. Find out what
psychology conferences are held in your region that students can
attend. Check the American Psychologist (found in your
school library or in a psychology faculty member's office) or the
Psi Chi Newsletter for the locations and dates (usually in
the spring), and attend as many as possible. |
| _______ | 4. Talk to graduate
students on your campus and on other campuses (preferably
students in the field of psychology) or to those at the meetings
in item #3 about graduate school life, finances, and work loads.
In addition, ask them about psychology-related seminars or
meetings they might be aware of (see items #2 and #3 above). |
| _______ | 5. Order the APA
publication Preparing for Graduate Study in Psychology: Not
for Seniors Only! Locate a copy of Getting In: A
Step-by-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in
Psychology. Read them! |
| _______ | 6. Maintain a grade of
"B" or better in all psychology courses. This will
greatly enhance your chances of graduate school acceptance or
employment in the field of psychology. While maintaining this
level of performance, do not lose sight of the goal of obtaining
knowledge through your courses, research, volunteer activities,
contacts with faculty, and meetings you attend. |
Junior Year
|
_______ | 1. Become involved in a
research project as part of a course requirement, do an
independent study project, or work with a faculty member on
his/her research. |
| _______ | 2. Write a resume as
described in the APA publication Preparing for Graduate Study
in Psychology; Not for Seniors Only! Follow the suggested
guidelines, even if the resume is to be submitted to potential
employers and not to graduate schools. Emphasize
psychology-related extracurricular activities (e.g., meetings and
volunteer work). If you are a minority student, emphasize your
ethnic identification; it will be to your advantage because of
the shortage of minority psychologists and because there are
additional sources of financial assistance for minority students. |
| _______ | 3. Obtain experience
through volunteer work if you are interested in clinical or
counseling psychology. If possible, do some research in
connection with your volunteer activities. |
| _______ | 4. Submit your research to
a student conference and continue item #4 from sophomore year. |
| _______ | 5. Investigate summer jobs
or educational/research opportunities related to psychology. Many
summer internships are available through laboratories or
professional organizations. If you are a minority student,
investigate the minority summer programs, such as those at the
University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia, or
the minority summer research experience offered by Bell
Laboratories. Check with your department faculty on a regular
basis concerning available opportunities, and apply early. |
| _______ | 6. Prepare and register
for and, in the spring, take the aptitude test of the Graduate
Record Examination (GRE) and the Miller Analogies Test (MAT),
even if you have not yet decided to apply for graduate school. |
| _______ | 7. Check with the campus
placement office for dates of on-campus visits by recruiters and
with your department chair for dates of visits by graduate school
representatives. Determine the types of opportunities available
and list the ones of greatest interest to you for future contact.
|
Summer Before Your Senior Year
| _______ |
1. Obtain summer
employment, experience, or education related to psychology. If
you are seriously considering graduate school, retake in summer
school any courses in which you received a grade below a
"B". Of special importance are Statistics and Research
Methods or Experimental Methodology. |
| _______ | 2. Decide if you are going
to graduate school (and, if so, in what field) or if you plan to
work immediately following graduation. However, do not do
anything that would prevent you from changing your decision later
or from pursuing the other option if existing plans fail. The
books mentioned in item #3 below should aid you in your decision. |
| _______ | 3. Consult the APA
publication Graduate Studies in Psychology for
requirements and information on graduate programs in psychology.
List schools of interest to you, and request from them bulletins,
brochures, financial aid forms, and department application forms.
For job ideas, descriptions, skills needed, and interview
techniques, consult the following APA publications: The
Psychology Major: Training and Employment Strategies, Getting In:
A Step-by-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in
Psychology, Career Opportunities for Psychologists. List job
areas to pursue and investigate sources of additional training
you will need. |
| _______ | 4. Prepare for the
advanced GRE test in psychology by studying the commercially
available books and software and by re-reading your general
psychology textbook, including the sections on statistics and
methodology. Register for the early fall offerings of the
aptitude and the advanced tests. Repeated testing should improve
your scores. Also, register for the Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
and study the types of items it contains. |
| _______ | 5. Revise and update your
resume to include new experiences. Remember neatness and
organization create a good first impression. |
| _______ | 6. Save money for graduate
school application fees, resumes, and transcript costs. |
Fall Semester of Your Senior Year
| _______ |
1. Be sure you take (and
pass) all courses needed to graduate. Obtain a statement of
standing from your registrar to verify this. You don't want any
surprises next semester when you apply for graduation! |
| _______ | 2. Discuss with your
advisor and other psychology faculty members the graduate
programs or jobs of interest to you. Show them your resume so
they may better counsel you and determine if your expectations
are realistic, and obtain a list of additional suggestions from
them. Discuss the performance of other students from your
department in the graduate programs or business settings of
potential interest to you. Also discuss the socioeconomic
conditions that might affect you at the schools, industries,
clinics, or hospitals in which you are interested, and in the
regions or cities in which they are located. |
| _______ | 3. If possible, actually
visit the schools, industries, or agencies of greatest interest,
and establish personal contact with key people at each. Obtain
impressions of the institution or organization from others having
similar backgrounds and qualifications. Even if there are no
existing vacancies, the expression of interest and establishment
of personal contact will give you an added advantage should a
vacancy occur. |
| _______ | 4. Prepare for and take
the aptitude and advanced tests of the GRE in October if
possible, and no later than December. Also take the MAT. |
| _______ | 5. Register to take the
advanced test again in December, or January at the latest. Note
the possibility that the January test date may be too late for
your scores to be considered for fellowships at some
institutions. |
| _______ | 6. Obtain information on
available fellowships, scholarships, assistantships, and loans
not associated with the institutions to which you plan to apply.
Obtain this information from your financial aid office. |
| _______ | 7. Request a student copy
of your transcript from every institution you have attended and
check for errors. This process may take longer than you think,
especially if there are errors, so allow ample time. |
| _______ | 8. Duplicate your resume
and transcripts for distribution. If you plan to apply to
graduate school, remember there are application fees (which may
be waived, so ask) and charges for mailing official transcripts
(which should follow as soon as the fall semester's grades are
included). Even resume duplications and mailing can be expensive
for a student budget. |
| _______ | 9. Check the latest copy
of Graduate Study in Psychology to obtain requirements and
deadlines for various graduate school applications and
fellowships. Check the campus placement office for dates of
visiting recruiters who will conduct job interviews on campus.
Follow through on these early. |
| _______ | 10. Write to the personnel
office of the states in which you wish to apply for jobs, and
request descriptions of positions related to psychology. If you
need to take the civil service or other exams to qualify for
these positions, register for the required exams. Put your name
on mailing lists for job announcements. |
| _______ | 11. Narrow down your list
of schools to approximately ten, including at least two where you
are confident you will be accepted. If you are job-oriented or
are uncertain you will be accepted into any graduate program,
list in order of preference the types of jobs, and if possible,
the specific agencies with whom you would consider accepting
employment. Remember, both job and admission competitions are
keen, and you may not be able to obtain your first or second
choice. Be prepared to be flexible. Post any deadlines for
application where you will constantly see them. |
| _______ | 12. Determine from whom
you wish to obtain letters of recommendation, and notify these
people at least three weeks before the deadline for your
application. Supply them with necessary forms, addresses,
information about your qualifications and due dates, along with
jobs or programs for which you are applying. Include a stamped,
addressed (neatly typed, not hand-written) envelope to
each school or agency they must write. Follow up one week before
each deadline with a thank-you note (a "friendly"
reminder to ensure that your information has been sent). |
| _______ | 13. Request that your GRE
and MAT scores be sent to all schools or employers requiring
them. If your scores are high and will be considered an asset,
mail them to all places you are applying. Request that
transcripts be mailed to all schools and agencies. |
| _______ | 14. Check before Christmas
to be certain all materials, especially recommendations, have
been sent. Most incomplete applications result from missing
letters of recommendation. Be persistent. |
| _______ | 15. Include in your
application package to graduate schools or employers all
requested materials, a resume, copies of transcripts and test
scores, and names of those sending recommendations. Indicate what
additional material is to follow (transcripts with your fall
grades, revised test scores, etc.). Follow application
instructions exactly. For job seekers, contact local
community service agencies, hospitals, research institutes,
public relations firms, test or survey developers, and market
research departments. Send them letters of inquiry for position
vacancies and a summary of your credentials. Make these contacts
as personal as possible. Keep a record of all contacts made and
all materials sent to each employer or school.
|
Spring Semester of Your Senior Year
| _______ |
1. Verify in January that
all you application materials were received at every place you
applied. |
| _______ | 2. Send additional GRE
results (if higher) and fall semester grade report to update your
applications. |
| _______ | 3. Expect first choice
offers to be made by graduate schools before April 1; however,
vacancies may occur any time prior to the fall semester, due to
changes in plans of those already accepted. If you have not been
accepted anywhere by April 15 you should:
|
| _______ |
a. Call everywhere you
applied, asking them to keep your application active through the
summer, as you are still interested, even in a last-minute
acceptance. |
| _______ | b. Call admissions offices
of schools whose requirements you easily meet, but to which you
did not apply, to see if they are still considering applicants.
If so, apply. |
| _______ | c. Check Graduate Study
in Psychology for schools with late or no deadlines and
apply. |
| _______ | d. If you are rejected by
doctoral programs, apply to master's programs with late or open
admission dates. |
| _______ | e. Job hunt, using the
guidelines given above. You may need to postpone graduate school
for a year and reapply. A good job related to psychology will
enhance your credentials. |
| _______ | f. Contact psychology
faculty whom you have met from other institutions, and request
their advice (i.e., keep your network lines open).
|
| _______ | 4. Follow up with a phone
call or letter on job applications submitted, and continue to
make as many contacts with agencies and industries as possible.
Often "word-of-mouth" among personnel managers results
in unexpected employment. |
| _______ | 5. Keep your most
important psychology textbooks. They will come in handy later,
whether in graduate school or on the job. |
|
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