1. The decision to attend graduate school
Check career opportunities with bachelor, masters, and doctoral degrees. Better, more flexible careers are typically associated with higher degrees. Also check the job market for academic and non-traditional positions such as those in business or industry. Less than 2% of new Ph.D.s in Psychology are unemployed.

2. Commitment
Graduate schools require more dedication and hard work than undergraduate programs. You must be able to work independently, much more than you do as an undergraduate. The commitment required to succeed in graduate school however must begin during the undergraduate years: keep your grades up and be involved in research and professional activities.

3. Selection criteria
Apply to as many schools as you can afford. Do not limit yourself to only 5 or 6 programs. Also include one or two schools that you consider to be "easy acceptance programs".

A. GRADES
A 3.0 QPA or above gives you a reasonable chance of acceptance into many
programs. Official transcripts from every school you attend must be sent to
graduate selection committees.

B. EXAMINATION SCORES
Most doctoral programs required the Graduate Record Exam. The subject test in Psychology is also usually required. The GRE exam is $48 and the subject test is $48. Applications are available in House 1 and in the Career Development Center in Seton. Many programs also require the Miller Analogies Test. It is to your advantage to prepare for these exams.

C. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Most programs require three letters of recommendation from faculty members. Provide your references with as much information as you can.

D. RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Research experience is typically considered the best experience for someone entering traditional graduate programs. Faculty in doctoral programs are looking for excellent research assistants from the applicants they screen. Extracurricular activities and work experience are also valuable.

E. PERSONAL ESSAY
This is probably the most important part of the application. Graduate school faculty do not want to teach you how to write. Each program will require separate letters, so plan to write your essay many times. Be sure to have your advisor or other professors read and evaluate your essay before you send it in.

General Graduate School Application Timetable
(from Peterson's Guide to Graduate and Professional Programs: An Overview 1995)

Junior Year, Fall and Spring:

Research areas of interest, institutions, programs
Talk to advisors about application requirements
Register and prepare for appropriate graduate admissions tests
Investigate national scholarships

Junior Year, Summer:

Take required graduate admissions tests
Write for application materials
Visit institutions of interest, if possible
Write your application essay
Check on application deadlines and rolling admissions policies

Senior Year, Fall:

Obtain letters of recommendation
Take graduate admissions tests if you haven't already
Send in completed applications

Senior Year, Spring:

Check with all institutions before the deadline to make sure your file is complete
Visit institutions that accept you
Send a deposit to your institution of choice
Notify other universities that accepted you of your decision so that they may
admit students on their waiting list
Send thank-you notes to people who wrote you your recommendation letters,
informing them of your success

Note: This is a general timetable. Consult with your professors and advisor about any deviations from this schedule that may apply to your specific area.