Get Your Grad School Application Recognized - Reach Out to Future Faculty Mentors

By Sheridan Salter

One of the major mistakes that prospective students make in applying to grad school in psychology is solely relying on their academic transcript and GRE scores to speak for themselves. While indeed your application package may be impressive, sometimes the decision between one student over another comes down to name recognition. What do I mean by this? You may have heard advice to visit your prospective graduate program. This is indeed sound advice, but you would also like to make sure that key people of influence (ahem, professors or grad students who may be on admissions committees) are looking out for your application. How you get this accomplished is by meeting your future faculty mentor. There are a number of ways to accomplish this: Scheduling a campus visit, sending an email to inquire about their research interests, or stalking via academic conference (just kidding about that one).

Campus visits and facilitating face-to-face meetings are great ways to stand out from the competition! I would advise arranging ahead for an informal meeting with a potential faculty mentor. You can do this very easily via email. Usually busy professors can spare 20-30 minutes of time to talk with prospective students. If for whatever reason that doesn't work, do some investigative work to find out which grad students work with your mentor. Current grad students may be even better information resources to ask the "real deal" questions about classes, department culture, teaching or internship requirements, or you can even ask what they did to successfully gain admission to the program.

Sometimes campus visits are not feasible. Totally understandable. Jet-setting across the country to every grad program you're interested in can be emotionally taxing, time-consuming, or even financially impossible. The next tactic is to ask pointed questions via email. A professor or grad student may be able to answer a few specific, short and to-the-point questions in one email, but avoid sending an endless chain of emails. Be mindful of their time and busy schedules and thank them profusely for taking time out of their schedule to e-mail you.

Although the stalking comment was a joke, if you're able to attend an academic conference and a prospective faculty mentor is on the program schedule, be sure to drop in to check out their presentation, ask an insightful question, and/or speak with them afterwards. Whichever approach you choose, if you present yourself as an overall Grade A student and critical thinker about shared research interests, it is likely that your application will be advanced to the acceptance stack.

If this has been helpful and you'd like to learn more, please visit: Get into grad school

Visit the definitive source for information on applying to Ph.D. programs in psychology: applying to graduate school

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheridan_Salter


http://EzineArticles.com/?Get-Your-Grad-School-Application-Recognized---Reach-Out-to-Future-Faculty-Mentors&id=2831907

Is Your University Choice Among the Top Ranked in Psychology?

By Sheridan Salter

Every year U.S. News and World Report publishes rankings of top graduate programs. A variety of disciplines are ranked, and luckily, there is information published specifically on psychology grad programs. The 2009 edition saw several universities tying for spots. Currently rounding out the top five (note that several programs were tied in their rankings):

1. Stanford University and University of California-Berkeley

2. Harvard University, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and Yale University

How are the ranking determinations made? According to U.S. News and World Report, data is collected regarding expert opinions about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. Over 1,200 programs are included in the assessment and over 11,000 academics and professionals took part in the study.

As you begin to research programs and course offerings, these rankings can help you compare programs' reputations for academic excellence. Of course, this is just one measure of comparing programs among many others, and you may want to take rankings with a grain of salt. This is not saying these aren't excellent graduate programs. I whole-heartedly believe they are, especially after finishing my Ph.D. from one of the above-listed institutions. However, you also want to note rankings of your specific program area. Do some investigation - Is the Clinical area as highly regarded as the Social Psych program?

Should you attend a particular university just because it is top ranked? It is important to determine one's own criteria for a top graduate program. Are you interested in living in a particular geographical area? Do you have access to a burgeoning social life (for those days when you are not hitting the books)? What about faculty placement rates upon graduation? These are all factors to consider. And most certainly if your area of research interest is not represented among the faculty members, then whatever program you're looking at is probably not the best one for you.

If this has been helpful and you'd like to learn more, please visit: Get into grad school

Visit the definitive source for information on applying to Ph.D. programs in psychology: Applying to graduate school

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheridan_Salter


http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Your-University-Choice-Among-the-Top-Ranked-in-Psychology?&id=2805515

Top Psychology Graduate Schools - University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

By Sheridan Salter

If you are looking to be matriculated into one of the nation's best graduate schools in psychology, then make sure that you add the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign to the top of your application stack. Currently, Illinois holds the #7 ranking for top psychology graduate programs according to U.S. News and World Reports. At Urbana-Campaign, doctoral programs are offered in the following areas of research:

* Biological

* Brain and Cognition

* Clinical/Community Psychology

* Cognitive Psychology

* Developmental Psychology

* Quantitative Psychology

* Social-Personality Psychology

* Industrial-Organizational Psychology

* Visual Cognition and Human Performance

As an added plus, there are also interdisciplinary training programs in Psycholinguistics and Human Factors Psychology.

In order to be considered for acceptance to this school, a student must fill out the Institutional application as well as the Department of Psychology Information Form. Expect the Departmental form to repeat a lot of the same questions as the Institutional application, but it delves deeper into your educational background and future goals. Admissions committees will use these responses to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for doctoral study. They must also have two letters of recommendation, graduate admissions essay, fully complete, sealed transcripts, and a GPA that puts you at the top of your class. Like most other research-oriented Ph.D. programs, it will be a plus to have prior research experience to discuss within your personal statement. As with most other graduate programs, you can expect to submit almost all of your materials online.

While Urbana-Champaign offers a wide variety of areas of specialization, you can also expect that as a top graduate program, the competition may be fierce to get in. It pays off in the form of an acceptance letter to study hard for the GRE exam, identify potential faculty mentors, and write an effective statement of purpose. Once all of these factors are in place, you can rest assured that your application package is among the top of the applicant pool.

Please visit http://www.acceptedtogradschool.com for everything you need to know about how to become a successful applicant to get into top psychology PhD programs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheridan_Salter


http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-Psychology-Graduate-Schools---University-of-Illinois---Urbana-Champaign&id=3258493

Top Psychology Graduate Schools - University of Michigan

By Sheridan Salter

The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor boasts one of the largest psychology research departments in the country. Currently this university holds the number 3 slot for top Ph.D. programs in psychology according to the U.S. News and World Reports rankings, measuring quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. At Michigan, students receive training for careers in both academic and applied settings-for positions in colleges and universities, governmental agencies, research organizations, and clinics. There are 6 different areas of psychology in which you can receive a Ph.D. including:

* Biopsychology

* Clinical Psychology

* Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience

* Developmental Psychology

* Personality & Social Contexts

* Social Psychology

In addition, there are a number of joint programs of study, offering dual emphasis in different areas:

* Social Work and Psychology

* Education and Psychology

* Women's Studies and Psychology

As posted on the University of Michigan website, there are several objectives that indicate quality in graduate study. The general objectives of psychology doctoral programs at Michigan include: 1) a general knowledge of the broad subject matter of psychology; 2) mastery of a specialized field; 3) competence in organizing, interpreting, and communicating effectively; 4) competence in research skills and creative work; and 5) professional skills relevant to their field of specialization. This broad array of skills will enable graduates to seek out careers in many different areas and develop their own program of research by working cooperatively with faculty members across the department, and in some cases, the university itself.

What can you do to prepare yourself for grad school at Michigan?

To get into grad school at Michigan, of course, you need to have an excellent academic resume, official copies of your transcript, submit GRE exam scores, and effective letters of recommendation. There are also several helpful tips found on the Department of Psychology website. Specifically, these tips suggest beginning to prepare yourself for grad school during at least your junior year of undergraduate education (although these are not hard and fast rules, as many students also work for a few years before being admitted to grad school):

* Broad undergraduate background in natural, physical, and social sciences

* Courses in Experimental Psychology (or research methods)

* Courses in Statistics

* Experience in the field, laboratory and/or research assistantships

* Undergraduate research project as a plus

The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a competitive for graduate admissions. The typical overall GPA of an admitted student is approximately 3.82. Although the number of students admitted changes from year to year, generally, less than 5% of applicants receive an acceptance letter. For the Clinical Psychology area alone, over 300 applications were received for the Fall 2009 admissions cycle. Only 6 students were admitted.

Those students who are admitted typically have a great understanding of how important faculty-student fit is to admissions committees. The payoff is great, not only in receiving one of the best graduate educations in psychology, but also in terms of financial assistance. Currently, Michigan offers admitted programs a 5-year, fully funded package. This includes research assistantships, teaching appointment, and a monthly stipend for living expenses. Therefore, it literally pays to do your homework on what it takes to get into top ranked psychology Ph.D. programs.

Please visit http://www.acceptedtogradschool.com for information on how to get into top ranked psychology doctoral programs. Everything is here from formatting personal statements to scoring in the 95th percentile on the GRE exam.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheridan_Salter


http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-Psychology-Graduate-Schools---University-of-Michigan&id=3258627

Top Psychology Graduate Schools - Harvard University

By Sheridan Salter

Have you ever dreamed of attending Harvard University for your Ph.D. in Psychology? If you have, then read on, as this article will give you some information about the types of programs offered in the Psychology field, the academic requirements for admission, and quality education you can expect to experience from the university itself.

Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has a whopping student body of nearly twenty thousand. Considered the oldest university in the United States, Harvard ranks at number three in the nation for universities to obtain your Ph.D. in the field of Psychology. Harvard offers doctoral study in psychology in the following areas:

* Cognition, brain, and behavior
* Developmental Psychology
* Clinical Science
* Social Psychology
* Organizational Behavior

Each of these areas in psychology represent prominent faculty members who jointly administer graduate admissions and provide training in some subfield of psychology. As with other graduate programs, it is not uncommon for individual faculty to have research interests that span more than one area, and thus, provide a breadth of necessary graduate training in research.

If Harvard University is your dream school to obtain your Ph.D., you have to be the best of the best to even have a shot at getting in. Harvard expects its applicants to have stellar GPA and academic resumes. Additionally, graduate admissions committees want you to demonstrate strong leadership skills through your extracurricular activities. Consider those extras on top of writing the perfect graduate personal statement and turning in glowing letters of recommendation that speak to your prior research experience.

In terms of prerequisites, current information on the Harvard University website indicates that you do not have to be a psychology major to gain acceptance to their doctoral programs. However, ALL entering students share a commonality of an undergraduate degree with an academic record of distinction. As is the case with most research-oriented Ph.D. programs in psychology, undergraduate work in statistics is strongly advised.

If paying for graduate education is one of your primary concerns, please be aware that Harvard University (like many Ph.D. programs) provides fellowships to support graduate students. Currently, admitted students receive five years of tuition support, along with a stipend and research fellowship for the first two years of doctoral study. During the third and fourth years, students are guaranteed teaching fellowships, and the final year includes a stipend that includes funds for living expenses during the final year, which you will be expected to produce a dissertation.

Much like other doctoral programs in psychology, it is not easy to get into Harvard University. However, you probably knew that before you read this article, so let this be your motivation, rather than discouragement. Do your best to create a winning graduate school application package and study hard for your GRE exam (which great news - the GRE Psychology Subject Test isn't a requirement for admission), and you've already light years ahead of most of your competition to get into grad school in psychology.

Visit http://acceptedtogradschool.com for everything you need to know about how to get accepted to top ranked psychology doctoral programs. We have free tips and information on everything from getting great letters of recommendation to scoring in the 95th percentile on the GRE!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheridan_Salter


http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-Psychology-Graduate-Schools---Harvard-University&id=3258685

Top Psychology Graduate Schools - Stanford University

By Sheridan Salter

A great school for obtaining your Ph.D. in Psychology is the renowned Stanford University. Located in California, Stanford has repeatedly been ranked among the top psychology doctoral programs. Among its unique points, Stanford University operates 17 different research labs that are solely dedicated to the study of psychology. With award winning faculty members, and state of the art facilities, this school is justifiably sitting at the top of the list. Doctoral programs in psychology are offered in the following areas of study:

* Cognitive

* Developmental psychology

* Neuroscience

* Personality

* Social psychology

How much does it cost to attend top psychology graduate programs?

As a private research institution of higher learning, the price tag to earn your Ph.D. from Stanford can be quite costly. Recent figures estimate that tuition runs approximately $37,000 per year! However, have some solace in the fact that many top research-oriented universities offer fellowships to support graduate students through their course of study. Before we get to how to pay for grad school, let's focus on the admissions process.

Because Stanford does sit right on top of the proverbial food chain, getting admitted is not an easy process. Don't worry though. It's hard, but not impossible. You will need an incredible graduate personal statement, laudatory recommendation letters from professors and advisors, and excellent grades. Stanford also has a reputation for looking specifically for students who have done well in their undergraduate programs, having chosen from the most challenging courses available to them.

With an average acceptance rate at only about 13 percent (and for certain areas, such as Clinical Psychology, you can expect even more competitive acceptance rates!), you have to be on top of your game for your entire undergraduate career to have the best chances of getting your coveted acceptance letter in the mail. If you have already struggled in college, you still have a chance. Colleges like this typically focus more on just the last two or three semesters of your undergraduate grades and overall academic progress.

It sounds like a lot, and it may seems impossible, but if you wish to go to Stanford, tighten your boot straps and pick up that textbook. You can still make it to the number one ranked Psychology program in the nation.

Sheridan Salter is an expert author writing on how to get into top psychology graduate schools. Please visit her website for tips and strategies you can use to get into psychology doctorate programs !

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheridan_Salter


http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-Psychology-Graduate-Schools---Stanford-University&id=3226232

Top Psychology Graduate Schools - Yale University

By Sheridan Salter

Yale University is represented among the nation's Ivy League universities and this university also represents one of the top psychology graduate schools to receive your Ph.D. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and is currently listed at the #3 spot for top Ph.D. programs in psychology according to U.S. News and World Reports. There are a number of areas of specialization offered at the doctoral level including:

* Behavioral Neuroscience

* Clinical Psychology

* Cognitive Psychology

* Developmental Psychology

* Social/Personality Psychology

What requirements are necessary to get into Yale University's doctoral program in psychology?

You can expect to submit the standard requirements, including transcripts, GRE exam scores, graduate personal statement, and letters of recommendation. One of the pluses for admissions is that the GRE Psychology Subject Test is not required. Please be aware the kind of work that earning a Ph.D. entails. Make absolutely no mistake - this is an intense research-intensive program where you are expected to conduct original studies, present at academic conferences, and publish your work in scholarly journals. This means that it is a good idea to have prior research experience before applying to the program.

Also, because of its emphasis on student collaboration in small groups within the classroom and one-on-one mentorship with a faculty member, only a small number of applicants are admitted per admissions cycle. The Yale University Department of Psychology website reports that only about fifteen students are admitted out of an average of 500 applicants! While this may seem like insurmountable odds, there are tips that you can use to develop an effective graduate application package to place you leaps and bounds over and above the competition.

Not only that, but take some solace in the fact that some applicants are not aware of the importance of faculty-student fit in the admissions process. It is a good idea to establish contact with an identified faculty mentor before you apply if you're intent on attending a certain Ph.D. program. And if you cannot identify a potential mentor, perhaps it is worthwhile to do more research and direct your time and effort towards applying to the right Ph.D. program for you.

Visit http://www.acceptedtogradschool.com for everything you need to to get into psychology PhD programs from writing personal statements to scoring in the 95th percentile on GRE exam scores.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sheridan_Salter


http://EzineArticles.com/?Top-Psychology-Graduate-Schools---Yale-University&id=3258589