The HARP Lab

Application Advice

My goal with this page is to provide information on the graduate application process. I began this page entering graduate school (2013). The information on this page represents my personal opinions of the application process for clinical and experimental PH.D. Programs. In no way should this informal advice be used to replace actual information provided by professional organizations or doctoral programs. ​If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at astamates@uri.edu.

Background information you should know about grad school

​Grad school is competitive. The information I present here are for those interested in Ph.D. programs. Although some criteria overlap with Master’s programs, it is typically less competitive and requirements may differ. Be sure to research programs that you are interested in. If you go to a department’s webpage and read their admission statistics, you’ll see that programs get anywhere from 150-300+ applications (some less depending on program), and they may only take 5-10. That’s pretty typical. Programs are competitive because of 2 things: mentorship model and funding. By the mentorship model, I mean that you are actually applying to one specific professor in the psychology department. This means that you need to find a professor that is doing research that you are interested in, contact that professor to see if they are accepting students, and then apply for a position in the program. It’s very important that your interests “fit” with that professor’s interests. However, I should mention that not all programs work this way. Be sure to do your research. Another reason why programs are competitive is because of funding. Programs typically waive tuition for some/all of your graduate education, and you are provided a stipend as you work either as a TA or RA.

General tips on applications

  1. Apply to 10-12 or more programs.
  2. Don’t restrict yourself geographically.
  3. Don’t apply to the hardest programs in the country. Try to find some less competitive programs (maybe they don’t have as many applicants). Use this website to look up a university you are interested in. http://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/.
    • Very high research activity = very competitive program.
    • High research activity = still competitive, but probably a better chance of getting in
  4. Dedicate time to your applications.
  5. Start an excel spreadsheet with due dates, items that need to be submitted, and usernames/passwords. Organization is key.
  6. I would like to tell you that one part of the application matters more than others, but really, anything can make or break the application. It depends on the professor looking at applications. Some may think GRE scores are more important than your personal statement and vice versa.
  7. Be honest with yourself. Do you have the GPA/GRE, research experience, and commitment to do 5 years of graduate school?

Application requirements

​GPA and Transcripts

Aim for 3.5 or above. Everyone you are competing against, and potentially interviewing against, will have good grades and will be excellent students. From my experience, schools weigh less on what specific classes you have taken. Send transcripts a month before (or earlier) before your deadline. Everyone is applying to school during November-January, so the office who handles these requests are going to be busy and behind on requests. FYI: if you completed your undergraduate work under a different name (I did because I got married and changed my name), make sure your SSN is listed or they can put your new name on the transcript. Some of the graduate admissions offices filed mine wrong.

GRE

The Revised GRE includes a Verbal, Quantitative, and Writing Section. Scores range from 130-170 on V & Q in 1point increments, and 1-6 in .5 point increments on the Writing Section. Do yourself a favor and study! DO NOT brush this test off. I took the old version twice and the revised GRE once. The revised is better than the previous test. You can go back and forth on questions, there’s not as much vocabulary, and you get a calculator. You really need to aim for above 300 raw total or the 50th percentile. A 4.0 minimum is expected on the Writing Section. You have to do well on this. Unfortunately, if you don’t, the rest of your application will likely not be reviewed. *If you are worried about GPA & GRE scores, go the university’s psychology webpage and review their previous admission data. Most schools report means from previous incoming classes. Some schools are no longer requiring the GRE. DOUBLE. CHECK.

Letters of Recommendation

Programs typically want 3 letters of recommendation from your professors and mentors. You want individuals that can write you a GREAT letter. If you don’t think they can, don’t ask. Programs weigh heavily on these letters, and it’s a risk you shouldn’t take. Also, you won’t be able to read the letter. The program sends usually them a private e-mail to submit. Also, think about what you want the letter to actually say. Maybe you did some research that you are particularly proud of and you want your reference to hone in on that – let them know. Maybe the program wants applicants with special interests in X, Y, and Z. So, have them discuss how you portray those characteristics or experiences. I want to write students the best possible letter, so researching these things on your own can greatly help me and whoever your reference writer is.

Statement of Purpose

Admission essay, SOP, letter of intent. It all means the same thing.

  • Rule #1: Read instructions. If a program gives you a 400 word limit, don’t write 1000 word essay. They may not even read it.
  • Rule #2: Revise. Revise again. Revise some more. I can’t even tell you how many times I wrote and re-wrote my essays. Have anyone and everyone read them. Get feedback.
  • Rule #3: If you get feedback, please fix it. If someone is willing to go through your statement and give you feedback on things to change, why wouldn’t you make those changes? From my experience, individuals who take the time to read your statement and give feedback are genuinely interested in your success. If you are unsure about comments, discuss their feedback with them.
  • Rule #4: Do not say your are pursuing psychology “to help people”. This is very generic. We are in psychology; we are interested in behavior; we all want to understand and help people.
  • My recommended format (almost 3 pages double-spaced)
    • 1st paragraph: introduction (general, where you go to school, interest in psych), degree, basic research background
    • 2nd paragraph: more in depth research experience (projects, experience, presentations, publications, coursework)
    • 3rd paragraph: your research interests, name professor/program that those interests ‘fit’ well with
    • 4th paragraph: future goals and how that program is going to help me achieve my goals

Application (Department vs. Graduate School)

An annoying part of the application because every school is different. Some schools have one application, and sometimes you have to fill out one for the graduate school and one for the department. Most programs have it listed, but if they don’t, just call and ask. =)

CV

Most schools ask for a CV, and if they don’t, send it anyway. You should be proud of the work you’ve done to get to this stage!

Sample of Work

Ideally, they want a publication. If this isn’t possible for you, send a great paper you got an A on in one of your lab courses or your Honor’s Thesis.

Fee

I had anywhere from $30-$70 application fees per school. Don’t remind me! 😉