How to Get In:

Your Guide to Applying to Graduate Programs in Psychology

Menu of Useful Links:

1. The Hanover Handbook for Psychology Majors: This handbook, designed by Professor John Krantz of Hanover College, contains a wealth of information for psychology students. Among the many points of interest are:
   • How to Apply to Graduate School
   • Letters of Recommendation: Specific protocol to be followed when asking professors for recommendations
   • Professor's Pet Peeves : a humorous list of behaviors that can lead to less than enthusiastic letters of recommendation.
   • Writing Your Vita : helpful hints on writing your curriculum vita
   • Master's Degree Before Ph.D.: Help or Hindrance?
   • Taking the AGRE's: Advice for a Hanover Student Psych Alum who ended up with a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois
   • A Career Decision Tree for Psychology Majors
   • Handbook Table of Contents: This is the index page for the handbook, and contains links to other relevant information.

     By all means, check out the Hanover site!

2. Graduate School and Careers in Psychology: This web handout from Rider University covers all the bases, including areas of graduate study, what to do to get in, and when to apply.
   
   
3. US Psychology Ph.D. Programs: Provides the National Research Council's rankings of Ph.D. programs for psychology, plus links to those programs. In addition, you can access Career Centers, Clinical Programs, Social Topics, Experiments, and much more.

4. Psychology Department, University of Texas: Here you can get information about preparing for graduate school.
   • Degrees and Areas of Psychology
   • Clinical or Counseling
   • Graduate Programs Outside Psychology
   • Getting Admitted
   • Psychology Courses
   • GRE and Other Tests
   • Information Resources
   • Admission Deadlines
   • Applications
   • Financial Assistance
   • Personal Statement
   • Letters of Recommendation
     
     

5. Psychology Resource List Also from the U. of Texas, this list of resources links you to electronic publications, databases, associations, directories, organizations, and much more.
6. Marky Lloyd's Careers in Psychology page: This page won the Canadian Psychological Association's "Psychsite of the week" award.

7. The APA Home Page: Here, you can learn all about the American Psychological Association, including membership information as well as special student information.

8. APS Helpful Web Links for Undergraduates. The American Psychological Society (APS) also provides links to resources for students interested in pursing graduate study. The APS Observer is also available here. See the June 2004 issue for an article on the importance of mentors to undergraduates interested in pursing graduate study in psychology.
9. GRE Home Page: This is the Graduate Records Examination Home Page. Here, you can request information regarding the GRE's, including useful tips to help you prepare for the test. Also see upcoming test dates and registration deadlines.
   • Graduate Record Examination in Psychology: This site will give you links to books that will help you with the Psychology GRE exam, as well as other study guides relevant to the GRE's.
     
     

10. Helpful Books and Tipsheets:
    
    • Books Recommended by Columbia Students. A list of books highly recommended by our own students.
    • Getting In: This APA book provides a step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology
    • TipSheets for Psychology Majors: Everything from tips on applying to specific kinds of Ph.D. programs to soliciting letters of recommendation, from PsychWeb.
      
      

11. Columbia Links
    • Graduate Program Information: With links to the Psychology Home Page, Admissions Office, and a note from the Chair.
    • Preparing for a Career in Clinical Psychology: An information pack prepared by Professor Geraldine Downey when she was Pre-Clinical Advisor.
    • See the " Getting into Grad School" section of the Post-bac Psychology Program web page.
      
      
12. Pursuing Psychology Graduate School: Here is a page of links maintained by Linda Walsh. You'll see many of the same resources referred to above, but this is a good site that is updated regularly and loads reliably. So if you're frustrated by dead links, check here.
    
    

This page was most recently updated by MDK and LEP. June 14, 2004

More about this page. Joe Capobianco created the initial version of this Guide during the summer of 1998, when he was a Student Technology Assistant at Columbia. The page is now maintained by Prof. Lois Putnam.