Overview of Grad School Applications (& How to Prepare)

Grad School Applications in Psychology-Related Fields 

If a student wants to go to graduate school, it is important to be a competitive applicant; graduate programs are much more selective than bachelor's programs, for example. What it means to be competitive varies with the type of field and program level (Master's, PsyD, PhD).

Following is general information about the factors that graduate schools consider. Once you have more or less settled on a career path, you can do in-depth internet searches of your own and/or refer to a book or online directory of programs.

 

Timeline to Apply

For the majority of graduate programs in psychology-related fields you will apply several months up to almost a year in advance. PhD programs tend to have the earliest deadlines (e.g., October through December of the year prior to the Fall term you want to enter) whereas PsyD and Master's programs are more variable (December of the prior year to May of the year that you hope to begin a program). Note that programs typically have Fall admissions cycles only, though there are a few exceptions. 

We encourage you to keep track of the programs that you are looking into, as well as relevant information that may influence your decision to apply to a program. Students can use this Graduate School/Program Tracking Sheet Links to an external site. as an example (students can make changes to the sheet as needed).

 

Components of an Application

  • GPA and GRE (if applicable)
  • Relevant Experience
  • Letters of Recommendation  
  • Personal & Research Statements  
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume

 

GPA and GRE scores

While most schools place emphasis on the "numbers" in your application—GPA and GRE (if required)—how high your numbers need to be in order to be competitive depends generally on the type of program you wish to enter both in terms of level (e.g., master's versus doctorate) and field (e.g., Neuroscience versus Industrial/Organizational Psychology). Even within a level and field, there can be considerable variation in the minimum GPA required across programs.

In order to get a sense of the GPA requirements for your area of interest, the best approach is to conduct some internet searches (not exhaustive, just look up a few programs) or refer to a book or online directory of programs.

Because of the pandemic, many programs waived the GRE in the last two application cycles due to the unavailability of standardized conditions for the exam to be taken. Some programs have said they will bring the GRE back as a requirement whereas others may not require it. Students should research programs that they are interested in to determine if the GRE is needed.

Although programs publish minimum scores required for GPA and the GRE, achieving the minimum is unlikely to make one a great candidate. Students should also look for the average or median GPA and GRE scores of students the programs have accepted in the past as a better indicator of what scores would be competitive.

Note: Not all fields use the GRE as a placement exam (e.g., the MCAT is used in medicine and the LSAT for law school).

What is the GRE? Links to an external site.

GRE Resources Handout Links to an external site. 

 

Relevant Experience

The purpose of Relevant Experience is not only to develop skills needed for your career path but also to give you a firsthand understanding of what it means to work in that career field. Many types of experience can be considered relevant depending on your goals, e.g., volunteer positions, internships (paid/not), research experience, clubs, minors and more! Review this page for more information on the purpose, suggested length, and opportunities for relevant experience. 

 

Letters of Recommendation 

Letters of recommendation must be strong to positively impact a student’s application. Letter writers should be people who hold the degree the student wants to achieve or higher than that degree. To make for a strong letter, writers need to know the student well and be able to speak to his/her strengths. Asking a professor with whom a student took a class (or even a few classes) is not typically advised. Recommenders need to be able to provide concrete examples to substantiate why a student is a good candidate for a graduate program or position. Writers for grad programs are also asked to rate students on a number of dimensions, for example: intelligence, knowledge in proposed field of study, independence, ability to work in a team, leadership, conscientiousness, etc. It takes time to develop relationships with potential letter writers who know a student well. Letter writers may come via people who supervise a student during a relevant experience opportunity. Students should bring their best self forward to relevant experiences in order to earn a recommendation.

Three letters of recommendation are the typical requirement, however, an additional writer may be needed in some cases (e.g., for scholarship applications). 

Review this document for more information: Guide on How to Get Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School.docx Download Guide on How to Get Letters of Recommendation for Graduate School.docx

 

Personal and/or Research Statement

Some type of statement is required for graduate programs (and is becoming increasingly common in job applications in the form of a cover letter or in addition to one). Research statements are generally a combination of one’s research experience to date and the research one desires to do in a graduate program and/or academic career. Personal statements, on the other hand, tend to focus more on the individual’s relevant background and purpose in choosing the program. Some programs have a specific prompt to which students develop a response, while others are less structured.

Students should allow several months to write such statements. They should be written and revised, reviewed, and revised again. It is important to have multiple people provide feedback. Statements are very important in the application process. A candidate can have all the right “numbers” but if their statement is average or lacking, it can be a red flag.

Writing Statements: For more information on statements for graduate applications, review: Personal Statements.docx Download Personal Statements.docx

 

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A CV or resume is typically submitted with an application to a research-based program. A CV covers academic and research experiences whereas a resume covers previous jobs and skills developed. 

CVs tend to have certain categories of experiences included on them (e.g., presentations). Do not be discouraged if you do not have entries for each category—that is to be expected when you are an undergraduate. There is an example at the end of the following guide that demonstrates how experiences you may have had during undergrad can be accommodated: Curriculum Vitae.docx Download Curriculum Vitae.docx

A resume tends to be more broad than a CV. See resources Links to an external site. through Career Services for writing a resume.

Medical School Applications

Preparing for medical school requires extensive preparation through taking specific classes, placement exams, and preparing differently than other graduate programs.

Below are some resources on medical school preparation, however for guidance, support, and advising on medical school and preparing for health professions such as physician assistant, medicine, optometry, dentistry, veterinary, and pharmacy professions, please visit SDSU's Health Professions Advising Office (HPAO) Links to an external site.. 

Students are required to attend a one-time, one-hour health professions information session before meeting with the HPAO advisor or requesting a peer mentor. They can give you detailed and relevant information on which courses and opportunities you should get involved in for your career path.