If you are reading this page, congratulations on your decision to pursue a career in psychology! (If you have not yet decided, see my Careers in Psychology page for useful career decision resources.) Below I have begun compiling (it's a work in progress) some resources and general advice for applying to graduate school.
Please do keep in mind that as a clinical psychologist and a faculty member in a Clinical Psychology M.A. program, some of my advice may be specific to clinical psychology. While much of the information below is still be relevant for students who are applying to non-clinical graduate programs, I strongly encourage such students to also seek guidance from a faculty member with a background closer to the field of psychology they wish to pursue. Information on UD faculty backgrounds and interests can be found here.
Common Graduate School Application Mistakes
1. Submitting a resume instead of a CV
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Other factors beyond GRE, GPA, and accomplishments/experiences outlined in a CV do play an important role in admission to graduate school; however, assuming Students A & B both have well-written personal statements and apply to doctoral programs that are good fits for their interests, Student A will likely be much more competitive than Student B despite student B's much lengthier CV. Here's why:
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1.
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Student A spent their entire undergraduate career working in the same lab. This likely allowed them to take on greater responsibility in lab over the years, and has resulted in two conference presentations and a manuscript under review. They also completed an honors thesis, which demonstrates the ability to do the independent research expected in a doctoral program.
Student B volunteered in five labs, but never for more than one year, which likely means they never had the opportunity to take-on more lab responsibilities or get involved in any project beyond data collection/data entry.
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2.
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Student A's service is more focused and teaching assistant experience will make them more competitive for a teaching assistantship in graduate school. While Student A has fewer clinical experiences, volunteering for a suicide hotline for two likely allowed for more in-depth training than a summer internship.
Student B has clearly demonstrated an interest in clinical work through their summer internships, but clinical internships don't matter nearly as much for admission to doctoral programs, especially ones that are brief and more observational.
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3.
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Although Student A has fewer overall experiences, the ones they have are over a much longer period of time. While that may result in a smaller pool of potential letter of recommendation writers, Student A likely has at least three faculty who know them very well and can write a personalized and very strong letter of recommendation for them.
Student B likely has many faculty and supervisors who would be willing to write a recommendation letter, but recommenders will know Student B and their capabilities less well. The letter may be positive, but it likely won't be as personal and therefore will likely carry much less less weight.
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