Getting into Graduate School and Life After Presented

Getting into Graduate School and Life After Presented By: Dr. Carlee Beth Hawkins Dr. Sheryl Reminger Dr. Frances Shen Robin Vansacik

Overview • What is the difference between Master’s, Psy. D. , and Ph. D. programs? • What criteria is important for admission? • How to get good recommendation letters? • What are personal statements? • How to prep for the GREs? • How to research schools?

Questions to Consider • Do you have a clear idea of the career you want to pursue? • Is there another avenue for continued learning? • Have you looked at graduate certification programs? • What is your motivation for continuing your education? • Is this the right time for graduate school or should you get more experience in the field? • Today, will focus on what to do to get in, but will have another workshop in the Spring on thinking about what to do with your psychology degree more broadly.

Master’s Degree vs. Doctoral Degree Master’s Degree (M. A. , M. S. W. ) Shorter time to complete (2 -4 years) Doctoral Degree (Ph. D. , Psy. D. , M. D. ) Longer time to complete (4 -8 years) Less expensive More expensive Less stringent admission requirements More stringent admission requirements May be the best degree for certain careers (e. g. , counselor, social worker) May be the best degree for certain careers (e. g. , psychologist, professor) Potentially lower salaries Potentially higher salaries Potentially fewer career options Potentially more career options Ph. D. vs. Psy. D. Ph. D. More research-oriented Commonly acquired at universities Less expensive More financial assistance More stringent admission requirements Longer time to complete (6 -8 years) Psy. D. More practice-oriented Commonly acquired at professional schools More expensive Less financial assistance Less stringent admission requirements Shorter time to complete (4 -7 years)

Program Areas Master’s Programs Doctoral Programs Clinical 53% 21% Counseling 66% 22% School 49% 37% Cognitive 53% 32% Developmental 48% 27% Educational 57% 50% Experimental 55% 38% Social 48% 19% Industrial/Organizational 57% 26% Health 70% 31% Psychometrics/Quantitative 73% 43% Other Fields 33% 23% All Programs 57% 27% Source: Norcross, Kohout, & Wicherski (2005) Percentage of Students Who Apply & Are Accepted

APA-Accredited Clinical Programs Type of Program Number of Programs Applications % Accepted % Students Awarded Assistantship and Tuition Free-standing Psy. D. 18 227 50 13 1 University Professional School Psy. D. 19 207 43 27 5 University Psychology Department Psy. D. 17 141 26 17 17 Practice-oriented Ph. D. 9 155 16 57 42 Practice- & researchoriented Ph. D. 67 160 14 20 54 Research-oriented Ph. D. 93 199 7 8 89 All Clinical Programs 223 183 17 16 57 Source: Norcross, Ellis, & Sayette (2010)

Questions?

Application Components • Curriculum vita – a resume for academics • Letters of recommendation – establish good relationships with 3 professors or relevant supervisors • Personal statement – obtain research, internship, volunteer, service and/or work experience to draw from • GRE scores – general and perhaps subject test • Transcripts – maintain good grades; take advanced classes • Fees – for applications, transcripts, GRE • Interview – may include travel (funded or not) • Deadlines – often fall/winter; depends on program

Which criteria is most important? Dimension Letters of recommendation GPA Personal statement GRE scores Research experience Interview Work experience Clinically related service Extracurricular/Psi Chi Rank Masters Doctoral

Which criteria is most important? Rank Dimension Masters Doctoral Letters of recommendation 2 1 GPA 1 2 Personal statement 3 3 GRE scores 4 4 Research experience 6 5 Interview 5 6 Work experience 8 7 Clinically related service 7 8 Extracurricular/Psi Chi 9 9 Norcross et al. , 2005 & Landrum et al. , 1994

Resources at UIS to Help • The UIS Career Development Center can help! – http: //www. uis. edu/career/ • The Career Development Center can… – Help you create a grad school application timeline with all of the schools you are interested in – Help you research schools and programs – Help with resumes, applications, and personal statements – Offer mock interviews for job and school interviews – Help you find valuable experience opportunities that may help you get into grad school

Letters of Recommendation • How many do you need? • Who should you ask? – At least 2 faculty, typically in your major – People who can speak to: • • Academic abilities and potential for graduate work Clinical and/or Research skills Any honors or awards you have received Your career interests and qualifications for that career – Are of good quality • Have an established, positive relationship with the writer

Letters of Recommendation • How should you ask? – Preferably, in person – Give plenty of notice (2 weeks +) – Be clear about addresses, instructions, and deadlines – Provide personal statement, GRE scores, and CV – If asking professors in the Psychology Department, complete “Letter of Recommendation Form” at: http: //www. uis. edu/psychology/students/forms/index. html

Personal Statement • Purpose of Personal Statement? – Get to know you beyond your “stats” – Assessment of communication & writing skills – Assessment of fit between their program and you! • How to write a personal statement? – Get their attention! – Focus on specifics and examples, not generalizations – Discuss: career goals, why graduate school, why this program – Tailor each statement to the school/program – Follow any instructions – Get feedback and edit, edit!

Questions?

GRE: The Graduate Record Exam • GRE website: www. ets. org/gre/ • General Test and Subject Test (Psychology) • Information about the GRE computer-based General Test – 3 hour, 45 minute exam • 2 Verbal Reasoning, 2 Quantitative Reasoning, and 2 Analytical Writing sections (in addition to unscored “Research” components) • Where do I take it? – Testing centers in Decatur, Peoria, St. Louis, Chicago • How much does it cost to take? – $205 for the General Test, $150 for the Subject Test • How do I study for it? – ETS preparation materials, Career Development Center online course, GRE study guides and practice test books

How to research schools? • Which programs should I apply to? – Explore your career options – Look up information on the web • Be careful to use only “reputable” sources! • See “Resources for Lists of Graduate Schools” handout – Talk to professors or professionals in the community – Consider both master’s and doctoral programs – Consider a mix of desirable and back-up programs

Additional Resources • Graduate study in psychology (published by APA every year) • Insider's guide to graduate programs in clinical and counseling psychology (Norcross & Sayette, 2016) • The psychology major: Career options and strategies for success (Landrum & Davis, 2013) • Applying to graduate school in psychology (Kracen & Wallace, 2008) • Getting in: A step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology (APA, 2007) • The complete guide to graduate school admission: Psychology, counseling and related fields (Keith-Spiegel & Wiederman, 2000) • How are admissions decisions made for clinical psychology graduate programs? (Pashak, Handal, & Ubinger, 2012)

Questions?

Want to make an appointment at the Career Development Center? • Must use Career Connect on the Career Development website • http: //www. uis. edu/careerservices/ • Create an account • Follow the directions on the website • Fill out questionnaire about interests, and purpose of appointment • Schedule an appointment