Freshman&SophomoreYear§ Workonyourcore-classesandmaintainahighGPA§ Beginworkingonyourupperlevelpsychologycourses§ Gotoofficehoursinpsychologyclasses!Evenifyouaremakingan“A,”youwantprofessorstoknowyourfaceandrememberyou.Askquestionsduringclass.Thesearethepeoplewhocouldwriteyoualetterofrecommendation,buttheyhavetoknowwhoyouare!

§ JointhePsychologyClub,NeuroscienceClub,andPsiChi(theInternationalHonorSocietyinPsychology)assoonasyouareeligible

JuniorYear§ Ifyouhaven’talready,consideraresearchinternshipinalab

§ Volunteer;getinvolveddoingrelevantpsychologyorneuroscience-relatedactivities

§ Continuemakingandmaintainingrelationshipswithprofessors,especiallyifyouaredoingresearchwiththem.

§ Continueworkingonyourupper-levelcourses§ Thinkaboutyourseniorproject,andstartmakingplanswithpotentialadvisors

Gettinginvolvedinresearch§ Contactprofessorstoseeiftheyareacceptingresearchinternsforfuturequarters§ Couldenrollinaclasstaughtbytheprofessorwhoyou’dliketoworkwith,andexpressinterestinhis/herresearch

§ Workhardinyourlab,evenifthetasksarelessthanexciting.§ Notonlyareyougainingvaluableexperience,butthiswillgoonyourCV,andtheprofessoryou’reworkingwithwilllikelywriteoneofyourlettersofrecommendation.

§ Trytopresentaposterataregionalornationalconference,evenifyouaren’tfirstauthor.§ ReadtheDepartmentWeeklyNews!Therearealotofrelevantopportunitiespostedthere!

ChoosingwhattodoafterCalPoly§ Gradschool?

§ Master’s(MAorMS*)(*forinformationontheMFTorotherprograms,seekrelevantwebsite:e.g.,CalPoly’sprogramofferstheMFTlicense)§ Generally2years§ Expensive,butgoodforgainingresearchexperience

§ DoctorateofPhilosophy(PhD)§ Almostallarefully-funded(akagiveagraduatestipend)§ Youneedtobeinterestedinresearch,andalsohaveresearchexperience§ Highlycompetitive

§ DoctorateofPsychology(PsyD)§ Lessresearch-orientedthanthePhD§ Couldbeanoptionifyou’reinterestedinbeingapracticingpsychologistandhavelittleinterestinteaching/research

§ LessselectivethanPhDprograms,butsomemightarguethesearelessrespected(dependingonwhatyouwanttodo)

§ Researchassistant/labmanagerpositions§ GreatopportunitytogainresearchexperienceWHILEmakingmoney!§ Very,verycommontodopriortoenteringaPhDprogram

Whatkindsofprogramsarethere?• Clinical• Counseling• Health• Experimental• Industrial/Organizational• Developmental• BehavioralAnalysis• Childpsychology• Social• Cognitive• Educational• Forensic• MarriageandFamily• Learning• Neuropsychology• Neuroscience• Pediatric• School

• Choosewhatinterestsyouandwhatyouwouldbehappyworkinginpossiblyforthenext20+years.

• Luckily,psychologyareasoverlapalot,soifyouaretrainedinonespecialty,youcansometimesswitch…orgainexperienceinapost-doc.

Summerbeforeyouapply• TaketheGRE.ThisallowsyoutotakeitagainifyouneedtoinOctober,givingyoumorethanenoughtimetogetyourscoressenttoyourschools.

• Decidewhichprofessorsyouaregoingtoaskforlettersofrecommendationandaskthemiftheywouldbewillingandabletowriteagoodletterforyou.Makesuretodothisasearlyaspossible inordertogivetheprofessorenoughtimetoputtogetherawell-writtenletter.

• Makeafinaldecisiononwhichdegreeyouwanttopursue,whatschoolsyouaregoingtoapplyto,andidentifypotentialmentors/advisors.

• Continuedoingresearch.• IncreaseyourGPAandmakesureyoudowellinALLofyourpsychologycourses.

• Beginthinkingaboutyourpersonalstatement.

Choosingaschool&mentor§ Choosingmentor/advisorismoreimportantthanchoosingaschool

§ Startbyfindingtheresearchyou’reinterestedin,andfindwherethoseprofessorsare.

§ Onceyou’vefoundsomepotentialoptionsforgradschools&peopleyou’dliketoworkwith,sendtheprofessorsanemailshowingyourinterestandalsoaskifthey’reacceptinggraduatestudentsnextyear.

§ Fromthatpointforward,playitbyear.Sometimesprofessorswritebackandaskyoutostayintouchandtellthemalittlebitmoreaboutyourself.Othertimes,theyjustpolitelyansweryourquestionandleaveitatthat.Aboveall,respectprofessors'limitedtime,andonlywritethemrepeatedemailsiftheyhaveencouragedyoutodoso.

GRE• Verbal,quantitative,andwritingsections• PsychologySATIIsubjecttest(optional,buthighlyrecommended)

• Computertest• TakepracticeteststhroughPrincetonReview,Kaplan,etc.

• Getabook• Makeflashcards• Study!

WaystoraiseyourGREscore1. Studyforit.WingingtheGREisaterriblewasteoftime,

money,andself-esteem.2. LearnthedirectionsforeachsectionoftheGREaheadoftime.

Becauseoftheadaptivenatureofthiscomputerizedtest,thefirstfivequestionsineachsectionarethemostimportant forthatsection'sscore.

3. OntheGRE-General,alwaysguessratherthantryingtofindawaytoskipaquestion.Thereisalwaysachancethatyouwillguessright (andthere’snoguesspenalty).

4. Findandstudyhigh-frequencywordlists.5. Inthereadingcomprehensionsection,readfor

structure/organization,notdetails.6. Ifaproblem-solvingmathquestionstumpsyou,work

backwardsfromtheanswers.7. Ifyouencounterlogicalreasoningquestions,startbyfinding

theconclusionandworkbackwardwhileexaminingthepremises

LettersofRecommendation§ Becarefulwhoyouselect.Youwantsomeone(andyouneedatleastthreeletters)whoknowsyouwellandwhowillwriteyouastrongletterofrecommendation.

§ Itisbesttoaskprofessorsforlettersinperson(i.e.,offertosetupameetingviaemail),butmakesureyoualsoprovidethemwithrelevantinformationelectronically

§ ProvideEVERYTHINGtheprofessorwillneed,atleast4weeksinadvance:§ Alistofalltheschoolsandprogramsyouareapplyingto§ Brief&clearinstructionsforeachschool§ Copyofyourtranscripts(highlighttheclassyoutookwiththem)§ PersonalStatement§ Resume§ Anyadditionalinformationyouthinktheywouldneed

PersonalStatement(forPhDprograms)

§ Planonspendingalot oftime onthisessay.Thiswillprobablybethemostdifficult1-2pageessayyou'veeverwritten.

§ Youwanttostandout,butyoudon’twantittobetolongoroverlypersonal.

§ Never say,“IwanttogetintopsychologybecauseIliketohelppeople”

§ Letothersreadoverit– parents,graduatestudents,professors,friends,etc.

§ Makeitatleastsomewhatpersonaltoeachschool.Youcanhaveagenericoutline,butmakeitindividualtoeveryschool&advisor (e.g.,writeaspecificparagraphattheendaboutwhythatparticularschool&advisorattractsyou).

1. Yourbeginningcanbeoriginal,butdon'tmakeitridiculous.2. Yourfirstparagraphmightaddressanythemesyoucanidentifyinyour

lifethathavepointedyoutowardyourinterestsinpsychology.(Caution:talkingaboutyourownmentalhealthproblemsisalmostneveragoodidea.)

3. Collegeexperiencesthatarerelevanttoyourintendedcareer.4. Talkaboutyourresearch/fieldexperiences(mandatoryifyou'reapplying

toaPhDprogram).Mentionthekindofresponsibilitiesyouhad,whoyouworkedfor,whatyoulearnedthroughthisexperience,etc.

5. Talkabouthowyouthinkyourpastresearch(orwork)experienceisspecificallyrelevanttothefieldyouareinterestedinforgraduateschool.

6. Talkaboutyourresearchinterests(critical)7. Thentalkaboutyourgoalsingraduateschoolandwhatyouhopetolearn

andgainwhileyou'rethere.Expressconfidenceinyourabilitytobesuccessfulingraduateschool,butbecarefulnottosoundegotistical.

8. Whytheprogramyou'reapplyingtoisagoodchoiceforyourcareergoals(fit).

PersonalStatementtips(PhDprograms)

§ Anacademicresume– itsummarizesyouracademicandemploymenthistoryasitpertainstoyourcareerinpsychology/neuroscience

§ Topicsincluded:§ educationalhistory§ relevantcoursework§ research&teachingexperience§ honorsandawards§ membershipsinprofessionalorganizations,publications&

presentations§ Clinicalexperiences,suchaspracticumexperienceand

volunteerexperience§ GPAorGREscores

§ Makesureitlooksprofessional§ Willbeincludedwithyourapplicationandalsogiventoyourletterwriters

CurriculumVitae(CV)

Thefinalspring§ MostPhDapplicationsaredueDecember-JanuaryandMastersprogramsaredueshortlyafterthat,somakesureEVERYTHINGisturnedinontime.

§ Keepdoingeverythingyou’redoing.Youdon’twanttohavetoexplaininyourinterviewwhyyousuddenlyjuststoppeddoingresearch.

§ Youwillbetravelingtointerviews(anytimeinFebruary&March),andwillbenotifiedofyouracceptanceorrejectionbeforeApril15th.Youmustacceptorrejectanoffer,inwriting,byoronApril15th.

Goingforinterviews(PhDprograms)§ Manyprogramsmayalsoaskyouforapre- orpost-admissioninterview (toeitherseeifyoumakethecut,ortowine&dineyou!)

§ Askthemabouttheirprogram§ Howdofacultysupportstudents?Howmanystudentsmakeitthrough?Whatspecialbenefitsdostudentsgain(mentoring,researchopportunities,publications,presentations,internships,funding,etc.)duringtheirstay?Whatistheintellectualcommunitylike?

§ Willmostlybediscussingyourself&yourresearchinterests§ Talkwithcurrentstudents§ Ininterviewswithfacultymembers(usually3),they’llaskyouabout:§ Yourinterests,experiences,influences§ Yourresearchinterests§ Yourgoals§ It’sagoodideatohavepreppedforthisbythinkingabouthowyourexperienceorgoalsrelatestoworkthateachprofessordoes,soreadtheirpapers&thinkaboutallthesetoughquestions!

Onceyou’reingradschool…§ Potentialtopicstodiscuss

§ Relationshipwithyouradvisor§ BalancingresearchwithTAing responsibilities§ Managingtimeingeneral/dailylife

§ RequirementsforPhDprograms(fairlysimilaracrossschools)§ Research,research,research!§ 1st year– Applyingforgraduatefellowships§ 2nd year– Master’sthesisorcomprehensiveexam§ 3rd year– Startingorcontinuingtopublish§ 4th year– Defendingyourdissertationproposal§ 5th year– Defendyourdissertation!

§ Afterward…Post-doc?Facultyposition?Industry?