Getting in: A Step-By-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology [Paperback]

American Psychological Association (Author), APA (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1557982198 | ISBN-13: 978-1557982193 | Publication Date: January 1994 | Edition: 1

Applicants are provided with manageable goals and the tools to achieve them. Among the tools are a monthly timetable for completing application tasks, concrete information about career options in psychology, descriptions of graduate specialty options, and detailed worksheets for selecting the best program matches. A Resource section provides a list of publications and organizations that are helpful in the various phases of applying. Applicants are taught how to define their training goals, what to look for in a program, and why. They learn what criteria admissions committees use to evaluate applicants, how to improve their qualifications, and how to best showcase their talents in personal essays, letters of recommendations, and preselection interviews. The costs of a graduate education and financial aid information specific to graduate students are also discussed. Members of special populations, such as women, ethnic minorities, gay and lesbian applicants, and applicants with disabilities will find resources and guidance particular to their needs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA); 1 edition (January 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557982198
• ISBN-13: 978-1557982193
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #588,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > Graduate School Guides > Medical

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tells you everything you need to know, September 27, 2000

By 

Peter A. Kindle (Kansas City, Missouri) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting in: A Step-By-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology (Paperback)

The APA considers a doctorate to be the entry-level degree for a career as a psychologist. The best programs are accredited by the APA, and the competition to gain acceptance is quite fierce. This book is an exceptional guide to understanding the entire process.

Written primarily for an undergraduate audience, it begins by leading the undergraduate through a careful self-assessment to determine if the skills, interests and resources are realistically available to support completion of a graduate program. The next chapter is an overview of career options and licensure issues, and covers this material in a more useful manner that Sternberg's "Career Paths in Psychology."

The earlier in your college work that you read this book, the more useful chapter four will be. It explains what graduate programs are looking for in GPA, GRE, letter of recommendation, experience, essay, etc., and how you can position yourself to compete effectively for acceptance. I do not believe that planning for graduate admission can begin too early.

Chapter five takes one through the process of selecting a graduate school, and chapter six focuses on completion and coordination of the application process. One graduate program that I have talked to eliminates over half of its applicants because the application process in not completed as required!

Less than 10% of applicants are accepted into APA programs. The concluding chapter provides therapeutic advice regarding non-acceptance, as well as generally accepted protocols for dealing with multiple acceptances. Checklists and timelines are provided throughout this book to assist you. Every resource you could possibly need is listed in an appendix, as are a list of APA divisions, an early planning checklist for juniors, and a list of state licensing authorities.

Read this book before you ask your professors for advice. That alone may tend to prove that you are graduate material.

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got me into Grad school, June 24, 2002

By 

A reader "moneysavers" (wilmington, DE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Getting in: A Step-By-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology (Paperback)

This book was one of the best investments i ever made (especially considering the fact that it is so cheap, a big bonus for poor undergrad students). I bought this book, read it, followed all of its advice faithfully - don't be lazy about it! (like typing in the info on the paper application rather than hand-writing it). It helped me complete the applications, prepare for the interviews and know how to turn down the programs i chose not to go to. Yes, this book was so helpful that i got into more than one APA accredited doctoral level clinical psychology program. Even when it seemed hopeless, this short, no-nonsense concrete guide kept me going. My experience proves that it's possible and that your chances go up A LOT if you get a book to tell you how to go about it. Don't ruin your chances with a careless approach, put in the 10 bucks and the few hours to read this, and you will NOT be sorry.

Edited in Dec '06 to add: I got my doctorate and just passed the licensing exam! I still think this book was a huge help in getting me accepted.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative. A must., October 31, 2005

By 

Jason Colucci (Granada Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting in: A Step-By-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology (Paperback)

Well, I pretty much have all I need to know.
I'm a college junior right now and I have been wondering about going to grad school but really didn't know much about how to get in or what I needed to get in. All I knew before this book was, I wanted to go, and these are the schools I want to go to. Believe me, it's way more complicated than that. The very best thing about this book for Psychology majors, like myself, is that the book is provided by the American Psychological Association. To me, there is no better source than hearing what you need to do straight from the APA.
The book doesn't just talk about what you need to do to get into grad school it also tells you, in detail, how you should do it, which very important. But wait a minute, maybe your not 100% sure about even going to grad school, don't worry, this book breaks it down for you. It goes over what will be expected from you, from most school depending on the program, and helps you to understand what type of work to expect, how much work to expect and how much free time to dedicate to your studies. Basically providing you with enough information to make the decision for yourself, "Is grad school right for me".
There is no doubt in my mind that if you are a Psychology major who is planning to go to grad school this book will help and inform you. It definitely set me in the right direction to make sure I get into grad school.