(This article is an edited version of a paper presented by Karen Ford at the 1994 American Psychological Society convention and reprinted in the Fall, 1994 edition of the Psi Chi Newsletter.)

I would like to discuss the relative importance of some graduate admissions criteria, undergraduate coursework, research experience, clinical experience, GRE scores, undergraduate GPA, and the personal statement.

UNDERGRADUATE COURSEWORK
Most graduate programs in psychology require or prefer the equivalent of a major or minor in psychology. Furthermore, the faculty in these programs prefer that the student receives a broad background in the principles of psychology and is exposed to a broad range of context areas. They tend to prefer that students wait until graduate school to "specialize" in clinical or counseling or developmental, etc.

Courses outside the psychology major in math and science are also desirable. Even for most clinical psychology programs, graduate selection committees are biased toward scientific and mathematical courses. In accord with this bias is the fact that the majority of graduate programs in clinical, counseling, and experimental require or recommend the statistics course. Experimental and clinical graduate programs also tend to regard the experimental psychology course and a psychology laboratory course as very important.

Experimental graduate programs tend to rank statistics, experimental, and learning as the most important undergraduate courses. Clinical and counseling graduate programs tend to rank statistics, abnormal, experimental, personality, developmental, testing, and learning, in that order, as most important. Educational graduate programs rank statistics, developmental, testing, experimental, abnormal, and personality, in that order, as most important. If you already know the graduate programs to which you are interested in applying, you can check the admission requirements of those specific programs in APA's most recent Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields (in the library).

The ideal undergraduate program in psychology should require statistics, courses in introductory and experimental psychology, and at least one or two laboratory courses. However, undergraduate coursework is not the primary basis for decisions about admittance to graduate school; letters of recommendation, GPA, GRE scores, and research experience are probably more important than undergraduate coursework.

UNDERGRADUATE GPA
Graduate programs in counseling tend to put more importance on GPA based on the last two years of undergraduate work than overall GPA. Counseling programs also tend to value previous graduate work as a plus. This is not so for experimental and clinical programs. Selection committees for these graduate programs look at overall GPA and usually prefer students with no previous graduate training.

RESEARCH AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Most clinical and experimental graduate programs regard research experience as very important, whereas counseling programs place more importance on clinical experience. Undergraduates who have presented a paper at a convention or published a journal article stand out among the many applicants to graduate programs. However, it is common for graduate school applicants to list clinical fieldwork or practicum experience, so inclusions of that type will not necessarily help you stand out as an applicant. It is generally expected for applicants to clinical or counseling programs to have clinically related experience.

GRADUATE RECORD EXAM (GRE)
Most clinical and experimental graduate programs regard the quantitative (Q) and verbal (V) sections of the GRE as very important. The analytical and psychology subtest are generally viewed as less important than the other two. Counseling programs tend to regard the GRE scores as moderately, rather than very, important.

A recent analysis of students admitted to graduate programs found that for master's programs, the average GRE-V score is 540 and the average GRE-Q score is about 530. For doctoral programs, the average GRE-V score is 604 and the average GRE-Q score is just under 600 (597 or 598). Again, if you know the graduate schools to which you would like to apply, you can check the current Graduate Study in Psychology and Associated Fields (in the library) for the schools' required and preferred GRE scores.

THE PERSONAL STATEMENT
Most graduate schools require a personal statement as a part of your application. This statement is often centered around your interest in psychology, your personal background, the reasons you are applying to that particular graduate program, and your career and personal objectives. Although a well-written personal statement will not overcome poor grades or low GRE scores, a poor one will surely hurt your chances of acceptance. Fretz and Stang (1988) cite the following example.

"Take the case of the student with a competitive grade point average and good references who was not accepted to any of the 11 programs he applied for. One cannot be sure, but the biographical statement included with his applications is the suspected reason. First, it was poorly typed, with many smears and crossed-out words. The spelling and grammar were both appalling. Finally, the content left much to be desired. It was far too long-, about 15 pages-, and went into detail about this person's philosophy of life (which was far from the establishment viewpoint). It also stressed emotional agonies and turning points in his life. Hoping to cure the world of all its evils, this person tried to indicate how a PhD in psychology was necessary to fulfill that end. In short, it was an overstated, ill-conceived essay that may have be been received so badly that it overshadowed his other attributes and data" (p. 45).

Plan and produce your personal statement as carefully as you would a crucial term paper. The following tips (quotes taken from Fretz & Stang) will help you produce a personal statement as impressive and effective as the sample on the following page.

A SAMPLE PERSONAL STATEMENT

I became initially interested in psychology when I was helping a friend who was having problems at home and was considering suicide. I felt so helpless trying to deal with his problems that I decided to learn more about human behavior and how to help those in need. This experience led me to enroll in an introductory psychology course in order to understand more about what motivates people. I have become more and more interested in the field of clinical psychology during my four years at Marian College.

In addition to my educational experience at Marian, I actively pursued work experience in psychology related fields. I worked for Marian as a resident assistant in one of the dormitories during my junior year. In this role, I encountered students who had problems relating to their family, depression, suicide, alcohol, and drugs. I attained a Co-op position during my senior year as a residential supervisor at the Indianapolis Center for Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, a facility dedicated to teaching brain injured individuals not only to deal with their handicaps, but to overcome them. I witnessed counseling of both clients and their families, and I learned to administer and score several psychological tests used in clinical assessment (e.g., the Wechsler Memory Scale and the MMPI). My work experience has proven to me how much more I need to learn before I can attain my goal of becoming an accomplished researcher and teacher.

I became interested in research as a sophomore when I enrolled in a senior level research class (i.e., Computer-Assisted Research). By the time I graduate, I will have presented a total of five papers on a variety of topics at undergraduate research conferences. My experience with the first study, an examination of mood effects on time perception, led to other research endeavors on topics including student evaluation of faculty, academic integrity, and comparisons of personality profiles of brain injured individuals. The relevance of two of these projects, academic honesty and student evaluation of faculty, led Dr. Louis Gatto, President of Marian College, to invite me to present my results at two Open College Forums. This is the first time a student has presented at an Open College Forum. At St. Louis University, I am specifically interested in the research efforts of Harvey Austrin (hypnosis), Nancy Brown (child adolescent psychotherapy outcomes), and Thomas Grisso (clinical, personality, and community assessment). As an undergraduate, I have learned the importance of working closely with members of the faculty. A great deal can be accomplished by working with someone who is already an expert in the field.

I have become firmly committed to the beliefs that the most appropriate way to answer "real world" questions is through basic research and that these answers should be communicated in a professional manner to those audiences who can benefit most from them. My undergraduate experiences have inspired me to continue my education in graduate school so I can further my research and make a meaningful contribution to the field of psychology.
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The author of this personal statement, Matt LaGrange, is currently a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Purdue. Please note how he stressed the reasons for his interest in clinical psychology, his research experience, and how clearly and honestly he described his undergraduate accomplishments and future goals without assuming a tone of egotistic superiority or false modesty.

Graduate school admission is a combination of how you look on paper and your connections in the field. That is why it is important that during your undergraduate years you cultivate positive relationships with your professors as well as with other individuals in the field. Network, network, and network. Let those you work with know you are applying during the early phases of the process. For example, they may provide you with useful "inside" information about whom to direct your contacts to at a certain institution. You need to use your contacts wisely.

Applications for graduate school (especially at the doctoral level) are generally due around the same time every year -- once a year. Rolling admissions are not generally practiced by these programs. Be sure to be cognizant of all deadlines for applications. You can call or write a graduate program and request that they send you an application packet.

Graduate school applications are rather complex. In general, you will be required to submit a completed application form, resume/curriculum vitae, letters of recommendation, transcripts from all undergraduate schools attended, and a personal statement. All materials must be submitted by the deadline or your application will not be considered. To that end, you will want to give the people you ask for reference letters ample time to complete and mail them.

Once received, the institution will plow through all applications and select several outstanding candidates for interviews. Do your homework before the interview. If possible, find out with whom you will be interviewing and become familiar with their most recent research. Practice interviewing with one of your professors. The interview also gives you a chance to see if you feel comfortable at this institution. You will want to check out the facilities, computer support, and so on. After the interview, send thank you letters to those with whom you interviewed.

Do not get discouraged should you not gain admittance on the first try. Graduate school is competitive, but there are strategies you can use to enhance your chances the second time around. Use that year between application deadlines to your advantage and beef up your resume/curriculum vitae, or network, network, network. For example, you may want to get involved in research at a particular graduate institution, or you may want to attend classes as a student at large and get to know the faculty. Showing that you are a serious and dedicated student is just as important as your GPA and GRE scores.

If you were not accepted into a graduate school, after checking all institutions for last minute openings and applying to several master's degree programs, don't give up yet! Seek employment, preferably related to psychology, and try to be admitted as a special graduate student at the nearest institution offering graduate courses in psychology. Enroll in one or tow courses per semester that won't conflict with your work schedule and commit yourself to making an "A" in these courses. The more experimentally oriented the course, the better (an "A" in graduate statistics will be quite valuable in convincing evaluation committees to ignore a "C" in undergraduate statistics). When you reapply to graduate school next year, these efforts will assist in persuading the review committee that you are persistent, capable of performing at the graduate level, and motivated to continue to study in psychology. these graduate credits may be transferred later toward a degree. You may even seek at midterm to be admitted to the graduate program in psychology where you are taking the graduate work (although you may still wish to transfer to another program later). But, to reap these benefits, you must perform well in any graduate courses you attempt! If you cannot take graduate courses, repeat any relevant undergraduate courses in which you received a grade lower than "B". Mention in future applications your revised GPA, as it will not be reflected on your original undergraduate transcript. You should then update your resume, correcting weaknesses if possible. Review those places to which you applied the previous spring, realistically determining why you were rejected, and reapply to those for which you feel you are qualified. You may have been rejected because the particular applicants against whom you were compared were all exceptional; the next year this may not happen. Apply to a few new places, too. Follow the senior year timetable again, and consider retaking the GRE and MAT if your scores were low. Save what money you can while working so the availability of financial aid will not dictate if you are to attend graduate school.