Getting Into Graduate Getting Into Graduate School in Clinical School in Clinical

PsychologyPsychologyFirst Step: Ask yourself 3 questions:First Step: Ask yourself 3 questions:1.1. Do I want to go to grad school at this Do I want to go to grad school at this

time?time?• requires major time, financial and emotional requires major time, financial and emotional

commitmentscommitments• At least 5 yearsAt least 5 years• Subsistence wagesSubsistence wages• Very hard workVery hard work

• Full courseload of academic workFull courseload of academic work• 20 hrs/wk of clinical work20 hrs/wk of clinical work• Independent research/thesis/dissertationIndependent research/thesis/dissertation

• Different methods of instructionDifferent methods of instruction• Seminars – presentationsSeminars – presentations• Journal articles rather than textsJournal articles rather than texts

Getting Into Graduate School in Getting Into Graduate School in Clinical PsychologyClinical Psychology

2.2. Are my credentials strong enough Are my credentials strong enough for a clinical training program?for a clinical training program?

4 main criteria (usually in this order of 4 main criteria (usually in this order of importance:importance:

1. GRE scores1. GRE scores

2. GPA – the best indicator of the 2. GPA – the best indicator of the effort a student is willing to exerteffort a student is willing to exert

3. Letters of Recommendation3. Letters of Recommendation

4. Research experience4. Research experience

Getting Into Graduate School in Getting Into Graduate School in Clinical PsychologyClinical Psychology

3.3. In what type of program am I interested?In what type of program am I interested?Clinical Psych is not the only mental health Clinical Psych is not the only mental health professionprofessiona. Given my credentials, to what type of a. Given my credentials, to what type of program can I program can I realisticallyrealistically aspire? aspire?

Ph.D. programs are not for everyone – are highly Ph.D. programs are not for everyone – are highly competitive, very demanding, and emphasize competitive, very demanding, and emphasize research as well as clinical training.research as well as clinical training.

Getting a Ph.D. is like writing a book…if you can Getting a Ph.D. is like writing a book…if you can keep from doing it…don’t!keep from doing it…don’t!

What should I do first?What should I do first?

1.1. Clarify your personal goals, objectives Clarify your personal goals, objectives and plansand plans

a. interested more in research or clinical a. interested more in research or clinical training, or both?training, or both?

b. Doctoral or masters?b. Doctoral or masters?c. Interested in a specific client c. Interested in a specific client population?population?d. Preferences related to types/location of d. Preferences related to types/location of

future employment?future employment?

Then what?Then what?

2.2. How do I identify a good graduate program? How do I identify a good graduate program? (Not really the right question – better is: (Not really the right question – better is: Does a specific program fit my particular Does a specific program fit my particular interests/needs?)interests/needs?)

research vs. clinical emphasisresearch vs. clinical emphasis size of department and programsize of department and program student/faculty ratiostudent/faculty ratio practicum opportunitiespracticum opportunities size and location of community and size and location of community and

campuscampus type/extent of departmental resourcestype/extent of departmental resources predominant theoretical orientationpredominant theoretical orientation

APA AccreditationAPA Accreditation

Where To Learn About Accredited Where To Learn About Accredited ProgramsPrograms

Consult either the December issue of the Consult either the December issue of the American PsychologistAmerican Psychologist or, for a more up- or, for a more up-to-date listing, to-date listing, www.apa.org/ed/doctoral.htmlwww.apa.org/ed/doctoral.html. Once you . Once you have decided where you are applying, have decided where you are applying, learn as much as you can about their learn as much as you can about their faculty and specific programs, starting, but faculty and specific programs, starting, but not limiting yourself, to their Website.not limiting yourself, to their Website.

Application Rule #1Application Rule #1Apply to several schools. It is not Apply to several schools. It is not easy getting into an APA-accredited easy getting into an APA-accredited program.. If you are tied to the area, program.. If you are tied to the area, admission is rather difficult. This is admission is rather difficult. This is no reflection on you. Acceptance has no reflection on you. Acceptance has a lot of the aura of a crapshoot.a lot of the aura of a crapshoot.

Application Rule #2Application Rule #2Apply to at least one Apply to at least one professional schoolprofessional school. . Most are stand-alone programs, which Most are stand-alone programs, which tend to admit relatively large classes. tend to admit relatively large classes. They are more lenient regarding GPA and They are more lenient regarding GPA and GRE. The GRE. The California School of California School of Professional PsychologyProfessional Psychology, with several , with several campuses, is well known. In particular, campuses, is well known. In particular, try the Fresno campus—it is in a try the Fresno campus—it is in a relatively unattractive location. You relatively unattractive location. You probably will not spend your life there. probably will not spend your life there. Because of their size, professional Because of their size, professional schools tend to have good alumni schools tend to have good alumni networks.networks.

Application Rule #3Application Rule #3Apply to a school that looks for Apply to a school that looks for students with your strong points. students with your strong points. Some schools (typically, academic Some schools (typically, academic universities) weight grades and GPA universities) weight grades and GPA very heavily; others weight practical very heavily; others weight practical experience (including life experience experience (including life experience = older students), and still others = older students), and still others look for research experience. This is look for research experience. This is why your changes of acceptance can why your changes of acceptance can be quite different at different schools.be quite different at different schools.

Application Rule #4Application Rule #4Diversify your experience. Diversify your experience. Work in a professor’s lab. Work in a professor’s lab. A professor for A professor for

whom you work is in a much better position to whom you work is in a much better position to give you a strong recommendation than one give you a strong recommendation than one whom you simply took a course from. whom you simply took a course from.

Get Outside ExperienceGet Outside Experience. Suicide prevention . Suicide prevention centers are a good choice for outside experience. centers are a good choice for outside experience.

Obviously Obviously gradesgrades are important, but what you are important, but what you take is consideredtake is considered. .

The The GREGRE is usually relevant. However, the is usually relevant. However, the evidence regarding retaking it is mixed. evidence regarding retaking it is mixed.

Many students Many students lay out a yearlay out a year or or go to an MA go to an MA programprogram and are then accepted. and are then accepted.

Application Rule #5Application Rule #5Research is a very important, though it Research is a very important, though it obviously plays a greater role in Ph. D. obviously plays a greater role in Ph. D. programs. Schools are under pressure programs. Schools are under pressure from APA to graduate students in a from APA to graduate students in a timely fashion and an ABD (all but timely fashion and an ABD (all but dissertation) makes everyone unhappy. dissertation) makes everyone unhappy. Guard against becoming an ABD by Guard against becoming an ABD by developing research skills developing research skills beforebefore you you go to graduate school. That is one go to graduate school. That is one reason why we run our department as reason why we run our department as we do. Graduate programs love we do. Graduate programs love students with a good research and students with a good research and statistics background.statistics background.

Application Rule #6Application Rule #6Many graduate schools don’t care if you Many graduate schools don’t care if you have extensive course work in clinical have extensive course work in clinical courses. They feel that if you do, you courses. They feel that if you do, you may need to unlearn things. Clinical may need to unlearn things. Clinical programs can teach clinical things; they programs can teach clinical things; they have less time to teach basic research have less time to teach basic research skills, even though the better programs skills, even though the better programs have extensive ongoing research.have extensive ongoing research.

Application Rule #7Application Rule #7You will probably be asked to write a You will probably be asked to write a biographical sketch outlining your biographical sketch outlining your intended career paths. One of the best intended career paths. One of the best things you can do (as long as you are things you can do (as long as you are honest about it) is to say you have an honest about it) is to say you have an interest in topic X and you wish to interest in topic X and you wish to study with Professor A at the school study with Professor A at the school who works in that area. That shows who works in that area. That shows you have researched the program, and you have researched the program, and it may help get an assistantship.it may help get an assistantship.

First Corollary To Rule #7First Corollary To Rule #7If the program does not say that it has If the program does not say that it has a program in autism, don’t stress your a program in autism, don’t stress your interest in the topic because they may interest in the topic because they may say (at least to themselves) “too bad, say (at least to themselves) “too bad, we can’t help him/her”.we can’t help him/her”.

Second Corollary To Rule Second Corollary To Rule #7#7

It is probably not a good idea to say It is probably not a good idea to say something like “I want to study something like “I want to study battered spouses (or alcoholics, etc.) battered spouses (or alcoholics, etc.) because I am a battered spouse (or my because I am a battered spouse (or my mother/father was battered, alcoholic, mother/father was battered, alcoholic, etc.)” as they see dozens of them. Not etc.)” as they see dozens of them. Not every battered spouse’s experience is every battered spouse’s experience is like yours. like yours. Don’tDon’t appear to be an appear to be an advocate or a victim. advocate or a victim. DoDo appear to be appear to be intelligent, motivated, and to have intelligent, motivated, and to have good interpersonal skills.good interpersonal skills.

Final Points About Your Final Points About Your SketchSketch

The sketch should reflect both your The sketch should reflect both your maturity and your humility at not maturity and your humility at not being able to predict the future (don’t being able to predict the future (don’t get tremendously specific).get tremendously specific).In particular, it should In particular, it should relaterelate what what you have done with what you you have done with what you wantwant to to do.do.Get someone to look it over for both Get someone to look it over for both content and technical points.content and technical points.

Q. What do they call someone who Q. What do they call someone who has been rejected by 20 of 21 graduate has been rejected by 20 of 21 graduate schools he/she applied to?schools he/she applied to?A. A graduate student.A. A graduate student.