Improving your Improving your chances of getting chances of getting accepted to Graduate accepted to Graduate SchoolSchoolBy Thomas GottehrerBy Thomas Gottehrer

Graduate schools focus on:Graduate schools focus on:

Grades;Grades; Overall Cumulative as well as your major GPA Overall Cumulative as well as your major GPA Extra-curricular activities;Extra-curricular activities; Ones that might give you Ones that might give you

some sort of valuable experience or new knowledgesome sort of valuable experience or new knowledge Letters of Recommendation;Letters of Recommendation; Preferably from Preferably from

Professors who know you well and have worked with Professors who know you well and have worked with you frequentlyyou frequently

Field Experience;Field Experience; Experience working in the field you Experience working in the field you have chosen for a career makes you that much more have chosen for a career makes you that much more knowledgeable about the field than your competition.knowledgeable about the field than your competition.

GRE’s;GRE’s; Depending upon your first choice, you may Depending upon your first choice, you may want to take some time to take the GREwant to take some time to take the GRE

GradesGrades

Make time to study: not only will your grades improve, Make time to study: not only will your grades improve, but this helps your time management skills as well.but this helps your time management skills as well.

Meet with professors: that is why they are here; to help Meet with professors: that is why they are here; to help you learn. (this also shows the professor that you you learn. (this also shows the professor that you intend to do well, which might end up helping your intend to do well, which might end up helping your chances of being that professors T.A. thus attaining chances of being that professors T.A. thus attaining another letter of recommendation).another letter of recommendation).

Note: Good grades are not the only thing that Grad Note: Good grades are not the only thing that Grad schools focus upon, however, they can’t hurtschools focus upon, however, they can’t hurt

Extra-curricular ActivitiesExtra-curricular Activities

Join Clubs: By joining a club you pursue others Join Clubs: By joining a club you pursue others who are interested in the same things that you who are interested in the same things that you are, while at the same time, gaining good are, while at the same time, gaining good group work experience group work experience http://www.oneonta.edu/development/sa/studorg2.asphttp://www.oneonta.edu/development/sa/studorg2.asp

Becoming an officer of a club: This shows the Becoming an officer of a club: This shows the person looking at your application that others person looking at your application that others chose you to lead them which says a lot about chose you to lead them which says a lot about you (this gives you something else that looks you (this gives you something else that looks very good on your resume).very good on your resume).

Letters of Letters of RecommendationRecommendation

You attain these by:You attain these by: Impressing a professor in your major with good grades in Impressing a professor in your major with good grades in

the classes he/she has taught.the classes he/she has taught. Showing a faculty member that you have good work Showing a faculty member that you have good work

ethic.ethic. Becoming a teaching assistant for a professor in your Becoming a teaching assistant for a professor in your

major (this proves that a teacher has confidence in your major (this proves that a teacher has confidence in your ability to assist him/her throughout the course).ability to assist him/her throughout the course).

Becoming part of a faculty/student research team by Becoming part of a faculty/student research team by doing an independent study (this will give you invaluable doing an independent study (this will give you invaluable research experience, as well as allow you to impress research experience, as well as allow you to impress upon the professor in terms of your research knowledge.upon the professor in terms of your research knowledge.

Just get to know the faculty from your major (There’s a Just get to know the faculty from your major (There’s a reason we call them Ph.D’s).reason we call them Ph.D’s).

Field ExperienceField Experience

If by your sophomore or junior year you have a good If by your sophomore or junior year you have a good idea about what field of psychology you would like to idea about what field of psychology you would like to pursue, it would be perfect timing for you gain pursue, it would be perfect timing for you gain experience in the field of your choiceexperience in the field of your choice

Internships- un-paid experience working through a Internships- un-paid experience working through a member of the faculty and your employer member of the faculty and your employer http://http://www.oneonta.edu/admin/registrar/pages/internships.aspwww.oneonta.edu/admin/registrar/pages/internships.asp

Other- if you cant afford to work for free like a good Other- if you cant afford to work for free like a good portion of us, just about any employment you seek can portion of us, just about any employment you seek can give you valuable experience that can relate back to give you valuable experience that can relate back to psychology psychology

The Wonderful GRE’sThe Wonderful GRE’s

Graduate Record Examinations are offered on Graduate Record Examinations are offered on college campuses throughout the state of NYcollege campuses throughout the state of NY

If you know your school of choice requires a If you know your school of choice requires a GRE score from you, find one or more other GRE score from you, find one or more other psych majors to study withpsych majors to study with

If you know your school of choice If you know your school of choice doesn’t doesn’t require the GRE’s it cant hurt to give them a require the GRE’s it cant hurt to give them a shot. Graduate schools always look to see how shot. Graduate schools always look to see how much extra their candidates are willing to do in much extra their candidates are willing to do in order to broaden their knowledge. order to broaden their knowledge.

Last but not least;Last but not least;

Research opportunities are available to all psych Research opportunities are available to all psych majors who have passed the writing exam, and have a majors who have passed the writing exam, and have a 3.0 or higher GPA; taking advantage of this opportunity 3.0 or higher GPA; taking advantage of this opportunity will give you research experience which will not only will give you research experience which will not only help your chances of getting in, but it will also prepare help your chances of getting in, but it will also prepare you for doing your own research in grad schoolyou for doing your own research in grad school

RESEARCH THE SCHOOLS YOU HAVE CHOSEN- RESEARCH THE SCHOOLS YOU HAVE CHOSEN- Grad schools would like to believe that you are going Grad schools would like to believe that you are going there because they have something to offer that strikes there because they have something to offer that strikes an interest in you, not because they are the only one an interest in you, not because they are the only one that you think you have a chance of getting into. that you think you have a chance of getting into. http://http://

www.gradschools.comwww.gradschools.com//