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What to Know about Grad

School Applications

Katherine S. Corker
September 21, 2011
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Step 1: Is this something I really
want to do?
Sophomores and juniors take note!
Grad school is NOT (necessarily) the next step.
How do you know if its right for you?
You need experience!
Volunteer for an organization
Be a research assistant
Learn about all of your options
Other post-college options:
Work as a (paid) lab manager to get more research experience.
Get a job in another fieldyou can always come back to school
later.
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Step 2: So where the heck am I
going to go?
Early senior year
Make a broad list of places youre thinking of applying (20+).
Important things to keep in mind:
1. You want a range of programs (some MA programs, some PhD
programs, some really good, others more easily achieved)
2. There should be multiple people there you see yourself working with.
Avoid spots with only one POI.
Contact programs/faculty to see if they are taking students and
narrow down the list from there (to about 10 spots).
Keep cost in mind plan for $1000 for tests and applications.

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Step 2a: Get Organized!
Make a spreadsheet
Name of school
Application due date
Type of program
Materials required
Faculty of interest (with e-mail addresses)
How are refs submitted?
How is app submitted?
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Step 3: The CV
What is a Curriculum Vitae?
Like a resume, but can be longer
Brief overview of important info for schools
What to include?
Sample
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Step 4: Eek! Personal Statements
Purpose is three-fold:
1. Communicates your goals for grad school to program
2. Details your qualifications/experiences for the program
3. Is a WRITING SAMPLE!
Nothing necessarily personal about them. NOT the place to:
Talk about personal/familial experiences with mental illness
Disclose too much information
Go on and on about hopes and dreams
Instead: Tone should be professional and confident. You are someone
who is qualified, experienced, and know what you want to do.
Make sure to get feedback from someone you trust, and be sure to copy
edit before you submit.

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Step 4: Eek! Personal Statements
How to structure: Remember the 5 Paragraph Essay?
Introduction
What you want to do and why (2-3 sentence summary)
Body
Detail your professional experiences, emphasizing your skills and things youve
learned, and making connections with how these experiences/skills/things youve
learned prepare you for graduate study.
About 1 paragraph per experience
Go in order of importance not necessarily chronological
Conclusion
Say what is specifically interesting to you about the program youre applying to
Identify people youd like to work with
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Step 4: Eek! Personal Statements
Sample Intro
My interest in psychology stems from a much broader curiosity about life
and people in general, and while a great many disciplines are of interest to
me, psychology, with its methodological rigor and theory, has always
presented itself as the best tool with which to address what I believe are the
most intriguing questions in life. I was drawn specifically to social
psychology because of the empirical insight it provides into the nature of
human interactions, its versatility between theoretical and applied research,
the recognition and study of human biases, and the creativity that is required
of social psychologists in order to tap into social constructs. My interest in
social psychology is also a result of the opportunity it provides to integrate
evolutionary theory into a sociocultural framework. The evolutionary focus of
my biology minor in conjunction with my psychology major has clearly
demonstrated the advantage that is gained when the research of different
fields of science is integrated in order to explain a variety of social
phenomena.
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Step 4: Eek! Personal Statements
Sample Intro
As an advocate, mentor, teacher, and critical thinker, I have
continually been interested in psychological processes and their
influence on continuing human development. My experiences with
diverse groups of individuals across a variety of settings, paired with
my strong academic background, has prepared me with the
knowledge and skills to pursue an Educational Specialist degree in
School Psychology. With specialized training in the science and
practice of psychology and its application to educational processes, I
will be in an ideal position to effectively address students academic
and socio-emotional needs. My overarching professional goal is to
identify and prevent the exacerbation of problems through
implementation of empirically relevant and contextually appropriate
assessment, prevention, and intervention techniques.

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Step 4: Eek! Personal Statements
Sample Body
I began conducting research as a sophomore and have since
worked in four different labs as a research assistant, the majority of
which has been united under a social psychology framework. My
work first began with Dr. [Name Omitted] in the area of interpersonal
relations in small groups. While we have worked on a number of
projects together, our study on the effects of message framing on
opinion minority influence has resulted in a national and international
presentation, along with a manuscript in preparation, on all of which I
am a co-author. Additionally, I have conducted cross-cultural
research in the area of planned behavior and research on biases in
social cognition, both of which have been submitted for presentation
at the Midwestern Psychological Association Meeting in Chicago.
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Step 4: Eek! Personal Statements
Sample Body
I became personally invested in helping youth reach their full potential as an
advocate of Michigan State Universitys Adolescent Diversion Project. Over
the course of 18 weeks, I carried out community structured mentoring with
Jasmine, a young criminal offender with a long history of academic and
behavioral challenges. Through effective communication with school
personnel and increased family participation throughout the intervention, I
was able to create lesson plans with achievable milestones to which
Jasmine responded with a high level of performance and enthusiasm. The
success of this mentorship has driven my desire to implement early detection
measures and immediate functional supports for the interrelated academic
and psychological difficulties of young students. In working toward a
specialist degree, I hope to make this goal possible by gaining a solid
foundation of problem solving strategies while also enhancing my
interpersonal skills to be an effective consultant for the families and teachers
that mold a childs motivation to succeed.

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Step 4: Eek! Personal Statements
Sample Conclusion
I feel very strongly about the importance of theoretical and applied
research in psychology and will therefore seek an academic position
at a university where I will be able to continue conducting research
and also share my passion for psychology with other faculty
members and students. I believe that MSUs graduate program
offers the perfect environment for me to reach these objectives. The
program is research based with an emphasis on preparing students
for faculty positions at a university. There are also a number of
faculty members at MSU whose research interests match my own,
specifically Dr. Kerr in the area of small groups and Dr. Navarette in
evolutionary psychology, both of whom I believe would be excellent
mentors.
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Step 4: Eek! Personal Statements
Sample Conclusion
My objective for graduate school is to acquire intensive academic
study integrated with relevant hands-on experience in the
communities in which children and families function. I believe that
the Child, Family, and School Psychology program at the University
of Denver offers excellent opportunities for this. If admitted to the
University of Denver, I will continue to exercise my sense of social
responsibility towards others from an ecological perspective as I
employ evidence-based strategies that enable all individuals to
reach their full potential. I am confident that your program will
prepare me with the skills, dispositions, and expertise needed to
become a leader in addressing the challenges of education,
learning, and mental health in the school setting.
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Step 5: Securing Reference Letters
Well youve done a bunch of work in peoples labs, correct?
Typically 2-3 letters are requested.
At least 2 of these should come from faculty members youve
worked with in depth, i.e.,
As a research assistant
As a teaching assistant
On an honors project
Who supervised your work in some fashion
If you have to ask someone not in the above categories, it should
be someone you have a professional, not personal relationship
with.
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Step 5: Securing Reference Letters
Many people wont write letters for individuals who were just
their students. (Myself included.)
Request letters at least 1 month in advance of deadlines.
After letter writers agree, provide them with a folder or binder
that includes:
Copy of your CV
Copy of your personal statement
Copy of your spreadsheet that organizes schools (make sure to
highlight HOW they submit the letter and WHEN its due)
Stamped, addressed envelopes for schools that require mailed
letters
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Question Time!