Is it Realistic to Apply to XYZ University For Grad School?

By Sheridan Salter

Q: "I'm interested in going onto grad school. I want to get into a Top Ten graduate program, but how do I determine if I actually have a chance of getting in or if I'm wasting my time? Am I being realistic in thinking I can actually get into a top ranked program?"

A: Hmmm.... I've definitely heard this question a time or two. So you want to get into a top ranked graduate program? Why? That might seem like an odd question to ask, but is it just because it's a "good" program? Is it a "good" program for you based on your own career goals?

How are you basing your likelihood of getting into a graduate program? Average GRE scores? Average GPA? Number of admitted applicants? Top ranked graduate programs get lots and lots and lots of applications every year from students who apply just because they are "good" programs according to some ranking list. These students may have perfect GPAs and GRE scores. And yes, they may still get a rejection letter.

Let me be very clear here: GPAs and GRE scores aren't sole determinants of what gets someone into graduate school. They are probably not even the most important factor. Fretting over a B instead of an A on your transcript or retaking the GRE to gain an additional 20 points is likely not your biggest hurdle to overcome.

What does matter most in the graduate admissions process is fit. Essentially, "fit" is an approximation of how closely your interests align with an identified faculty member. If you want to study bilingual language development, make sure there is a faculty member that studies the same (or similar) topic. Develop a compelling case for how your interest complements Professor X's (your future faculty mentor) established body of work. (Hint: This "compelling case" is also an essential piece of the statement of purpose!).

It is not uncommon for graduate programs to receive 500 applicants per yearly cycle. Of these applicants, 4 or 5 may be admitted to the program. These may seem like dismal statistics from the outside looking in. As a matter of fact, a lot of students freak out when reading these numbers, and automatically psych themselves out that they won't get admitted to a graduate program. However, students who beat the odds possess the know-how on leveraging fit into an acceptance letter.

Whether or not it is realistic to get into XYZ Prestigious University has everything to do with experience and fit rather than objective criteria, such as published GPAs, GRE scores, or program rankings.

If this has been helpful, please visit: Get into grad school.

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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.

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