Graduate School...

For most, graduate school seems like a foreboding goliath, slowly creeping up on their lives.  However, with the proper motivation and information, anyone can obtain a graduate school degree in a psychology related field.

The first key to getting into graduate school is to know what you as an individual want.  There are a great many options for people interested in psychology.  The major graduate school options are:

1. Masters Degree

2. Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D.)

3. Doctor of Psychology Degree (Psy.D.)

4. Doctor of Medicine Degree (M.D.)

For more information on the specifics of the degrees above, click here.

All of these options involve a lot of work and preparation just in order to apply.  Application requirements are different from school to school, so you will want to check with the school or schools you are wanting to apply to and make sure that you have fulfilled their requirements.

Now that you have decided on what you want to do and where you want to go, you have to become prepared for the entrance exam or exams.  The Masters, Psy.D. and Ph.D. programs require the GRE.  Some may also require additional tests.  Check with the institution to make sure.  In order to pursue an M.D. program, one must take the MCAT.  Both the GRE and the MCAT will be very difficult if you are unprepared for them.  They are definitely tests that need to be studied for, especially since they are so integral to your acceptance into a graduate program.  A lot of universities use these tests as a large factor in their decisions of potential graduate students.

For more information on the GRE, visit their official site here.

For more information on the MCAT, visit their official site here.

Other than your test grade, schools also look at some other things more so than others.  For example, GPA in college is very important to graduate schools.  They want someone who is able to stay focused and work hard.  Your GPA is a representation of your dedication to school and your desire to learn.

Also, schools look very closely at the reference letters that you are usually required to have as part of your application.  When choosing individuals to write a recommendation for you, you want to make sure you find someone who is respected and known in his or her field.  They also need to be someone who is relatively close to you and knows you as a person, rather than just a student or co-worker.

If you make it to a certain point in the acceptance process, you will be called in for a personal interview.  This is probably the most important part of your application, other than your test score.  This will place a face on the application that the school has been reviewing.  If you conduct yourself professionally and respectably in the interview, then your chances for acceptance are very much increased.  It is important to make a good first impression.  This way, the reviewers will remember you whenever they look at your application again.

For more information on graduate school, you may visit the Psi Chi feedback page and request information.  We will be more than willing to provide any information that we have or at least point you in a direction that will allow you to discover it on your own.