Top Psychology Graduate Schools - Princeton University

By Sheridan Salter

When you are choosing which graduate school you will attend to obtain your doctoral degree in the field of psychology, you are most certainly searching for the schools that only accept the best of the best. Professors should be award winning in their specific areas of study, and students should be excited about receiving top quality training that they will later use for careers in academia, government, private practice, and research institutions. If these are the specifications you're looking for to earn your Ph.D. in psychology, then Princeton University is a great place for doctoral study.

Princeton is a well-known university - the fourth oldest in the nation. Upon logging onto the Department of Psychology website, you will see a logo that says "Stretch your mind." And obviously, this is exactly what the doctoral programs in psychology are intended to do. As a result of excellence in student training, Princeton currently holds the #8 spot on U.S. News and World Reports rankings of best doctoral programs in psychology. There are several broad areas of concentration in which you can earn your Ph.D. in psychology:

* Neuroscience

* Cognitive psychology

* Personality and social psychology

Like many other top ranked psychology doctoral programs, there are joint programs in dual areas of specialization. Princeton's joint program is in Psychology and Social Policy featuring interdisciplinary training in causes, consequences, and remedies for inequality in the United States and abroad.

Although an undergraduate degree in psychology is a plus, it is not a requirement for admission to the graduate program in psychology at Princeton. Some students come to this program with a background in science or math, which may be really beneficial background to bring to certain areas, such as Neuroscience or Cognitive Psychology. Submitting GRE exam scores is a requirement, although the GRE Psychology Subject Test is not.

There are well-over 30 full-time faculty members across each of the areas of psychology. For prospective students, it is a good idea to determine whether faculty research interests mirror your own, as this will certainly figure prominently in the admissions process. Also be prepared to submit excellent graduate letters of recommendation and academic transcripts from your undergraduate college or university. Universities with top doctoral program such as Princeton are focused primarily on the amount of research experience an incoming grad student has done in their field of interest, their leadership ability, and clear demonstration of unique ideas and fresh thinking. The ability to think critically is also a necessary quality for success at Princeton. It pays off to communicate these ideas in your graduate personal statement.

Undoubtedly, graduating with a Ph.D. from Princeton University is highly desirable if your plans are to establish a career as a college professor or top research in your area of interest. There are many other highly-rewarding careers that can be started by earning the distinction of a doctorate from Princeton. However, the very first step in your journey is presenting a compelling graduate school application package to get into the Ph.D. program in psychology in the first place!

Visit Get into grad school for key information, tips, and strategies on how to get into top ranked doctoral programs in psychology, including how to write a personal statement that stands out from the competition and score in the 95th percentile on the GRE!

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Top Psychology Graduate Schools - Yale University

By Sheridan Salter

Yale University is represented among the nation's Ivy League universities and this university also represents one of the top psychology graduate schools to receive your Ph.D. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and is currently listed at the #3 spot for top Ph.D. programs in psychology according to U.S. News and World Reports. There are a number of areas of specialization offered at the doctoral level including:

* Behavioral Neuroscience

* Clinical Psychology

* Cognitive Psychology

* Developmental Psychology

* Social/Personality Psychology

What requirements are necessary to get into Yale University's doctoral program in psychology?

You can expect to submit the standard requirements, including transcripts, GRE exam scores, graduate personal statement, and letters of recommendation. One of the pluses for admissions is that the GRE Psychology Subject Test is not required. Please be aware the kind of work that earning a Ph.D. entails. Make absolutely no mistake - this is an intense research-intensive program where you are expected to conduct original studies, present at academic conferences, and publish your work in scholarly journals. This means that it is a good idea to have prior research experience before applying to the program.

Also, because of its emphasis on student collaboration in small groups within the classroom and one-on-one mentorship with a faculty member, only a small number of applicants are admitted per admissions cycle. The Yale University Department of Psychology website reports that only about fifteen students are admitted out of an average of 500 applicants! While this may seem like insurmountable odds, there are tips that you can use to develop an effective graduate application package to place you leaps and bounds over and above the competition.

Not only that, but take some solace in the fact that some applicants are not aware of the importance of faculty-student fit in the admissions process. It is a good idea to establish contact with an identified faculty mentor before you apply if you're intent on attending a certain Ph.D. program. And if you cannot identify a potential mentor, perhaps it is worthwhile to do more research and direct your time and effort towards applying to the right Ph.D. program for you.

Visit http://www.acceptedtogradschool.com for everything you need to to get into psychology PhD programs from writing personal statements to scoring in the 95th percentile on GRE exam scores.

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Top Psychology Graduate Schools - University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

By Sheridan Salter

If you are looking to be matriculated into one of the nation's best graduate schools in psychology, then make sure that you add the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign to the top of your application stack. Currently, Illinois holds the #7 ranking for top psychology graduate programs according to U.S. News and World Reports. At Urbana-Campaign, doctoral programs are offered in the following areas of research:

* Biological

* Brain and Cognition

* Clinical/Community Psychology

* Cognitive Psychology

* Developmental Psychology

* Quantitative Psychology

* Social-Personality Psychology

* Industrial-Organizational Psychology

* Visual Cognition and Human Performance

As an added plus, there are also interdisciplinary training programs in Psycholinguistics and Human Factors Psychology.

In order to be considered for acceptance to this school, a student must fill out the Institutional application as well as the Department of Psychology Information Form. Expect the Departmental form to repeat a lot of the same questions as the Institutional application, but it delves deeper into your educational background and future goals. Admissions committees will use these responses to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for doctoral study. They must also have two letters of recommendation, graduate admissions essay, fully complete, sealed transcripts, and a GPA that puts you at the top of your class. Like most other research-oriented Ph.D. programs, it will be a plus to have prior research experience to discuss within your personal statement. As with most other graduate programs, you can expect to submit almost all of your materials online.

While Urbana-Champaign offers a wide variety of areas of specialization, you can also expect that as a top graduate program, the competition may be fierce to get in. It pays off in the form of an acceptance letter to study hard for the GRE exam, identify potential faculty mentors, and write an effective statement of purpose. Once all of these factors are in place, you can rest assured that your application package is among the top of the applicant pool.

Please visit http://www.acceptedtogradschool.com for everything you need to know about how to become a successful applicant to get into top psychology PhD programs.

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Top Psychology Graduate Schools - University of Michigan

By Sheridan Salter

The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor boasts one of the largest psychology research departments in the country. Currently this university holds the number 3 slot for top Ph.D. programs in psychology according to the U.S. News and World Reports rankings, measuring quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. At Michigan, students receive training for careers in both academic and applied settings-for positions in colleges and universities, governmental agencies, research organizations, and clinics. There are 6 different areas of psychology in which you can receive a Ph.D. including:

* Biopsychology

* Clinical Psychology

* Cognition & Cognitive Neuroscience

* Developmental Psychology

* Personality & Social Contexts

* Social Psychology

In addition, there are a number of joint programs of study, offering dual emphasis in different areas:

* Social Work and Psychology

* Education and Psychology

* Women's Studies and Psychology

As posted on the University of Michigan website, there are several objectives that indicate quality in graduate study. The general objectives of psychology doctoral programs at Michigan include: 1) a general knowledge of the broad subject matter of psychology; 2) mastery of a specialized field; 3) competence in organizing, interpreting, and communicating effectively; 4) competence in research skills and creative work; and 5) professional skills relevant to their field of specialization. This broad array of skills will enable graduates to seek out careers in many different areas and develop their own program of research by working cooperatively with faculty members across the department, and in some cases, the university itself.

What can you do to prepare yourself for grad school at Michigan?

To get into grad school at Michigan, of course, you need to have an excellent academic resume, official copies of your transcript, submit GRE exam scores, and effective letters of recommendation. There are also several helpful tips found on the Department of Psychology website. Specifically, these tips suggest beginning to prepare yourself for grad school during at least your junior year of undergraduate education (although these are not hard and fast rules, as many students also work for a few years before being admitted to grad school):

* Broad undergraduate background in natural, physical, and social sciences

* Courses in Experimental Psychology (or research methods)

* Courses in Statistics

* Experience in the field, laboratory and/or research assistantships

* Undergraduate research project as a plus

The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a competitive for graduate admissions. The typical overall GPA of an admitted student is approximately 3.82. Although the number of students admitted changes from year to year, generally, less than 5% of applicants receive an acceptance letter. For the Clinical Psychology area alone, over 300 applications were received for the Fall 2009 admissions cycle. Only 6 students were admitted.

Those students who are admitted typically have a great understanding of how important faculty-student fit is to admissions committees. The payoff is great, not only in receiving one of the best graduate educations in psychology, but also in terms of financial assistance. Currently, Michigan offers admitted programs a 5-year, fully funded package. This includes research assistantships, teaching appointment, and a monthly stipend for living expenses. Therefore, it literally pays to do your homework on what it takes to get into top ranked psychology Ph.D. programs.

Please visit http://www.acceptedtogradschool.com for information on how to get into top ranked psychology doctoral programs. Everything is here from formatting personal statements to scoring in the 95th percentile on the GRE exam.

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College Professor and Clinical Psychologist Among List of Top Careers in America

By Sheridan Salter

There is more good news for grad school applicants - and this time its related to employment prospects! According to Money and Payscale's recently published list of "Best Jobs in America 2009," earning a Ph.D. degree in psychology may lead you directly down a career path towards one of the best jobs in America! Among the top jobs in America, ranking at #3 and #16 respectively are college professor and clinical psychologist. This should be great news for those who remain undecided about going back to grad school to earn a doctoral degree in psychology.

College professor ranks at #3 on the Money and Payscale rankings. Many college professors, especially those on the tenure track in research positions, split their job responsibilities between teaching, grading papers, conducting research and publishing peer-reviewed journal articles. Many college professors in psychology have also gone on to author best-selling books offering new insights to how we understand the human brain and behavior. Among the reasons cited about why the quality of life is tops for college professors, these include flexibility in scheduling, time off for holidays, and reduced workload during summer months. While most people tend to think first about using a Ph.D. in psychology towards counseling and private practice, there are a number of specializations that offer the ability to become a college professor instead.

Let's shift gears and talk about the #23 ranked best job in America: Clinical Psychologists. In comparison to college professors, many clinical psychologists do indeed specialize in counseling, private practice, and psychotherapy. Their job responsibilities including diagnosis and evaluation of mental and emotional disorders. This is accomplished through clinical observation, interviews, and psychological tests. Clinical psychologists work hard with clients to help their experience relief through treatment of psychological disorders.

Each of these jobs appearing on the list were ranked for a combination of high pay, job growth, quality of life. One of the standouts on the list for great quality of life is the college professor career track where 59.2% of respondents rated their job as low stress. Additionally 76% of Clinical Psychologists rated their job as contributing a great deal in benefits to society, believing that their jobs help make the world a better place. These are all great reasons to start getting your application together to go back to grad school and gain a career that is satisfying and offers a high quality of life.

Visit Get into grad school for tips and strategies to get into top ranked doctoral programs in psychology, including drafting personal statements to stand out from the competition and scoring in the 95th percentile on the GRE!

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Top Psychology Graduate Schools - Yale University

By Sheridan Salter

Yale University is represented among the nation's Ivy League universities and this university also represents one of the top psychology graduate schools to receive your Ph.D. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and is currently listed at the #3 spot for top Ph.D. programs in psychology according to U.S. News and World Reports. There are a number of areas of specialization offered at the doctoral level including:

* Behavioral Neuroscience

* Clinical Psychology

* Cognitive Psychology

* Developmental Psychology

* Social/Personality Psychology

What requirements are necessary to get into Yale University's doctoral program in psychology?

You can expect to submit the standard requirements, including transcripts, GRE exam scores, graduate personal statement, and letters of recommendation. One of the pluses for admissions is that the GRE Psychology Subject Test is not required. Please be aware the kind of work that earning a Ph.D. entails. Make absolutely no mistake - this is an intense research-intensive program where you are expected to conduct original studies, present at academic conferences, and publish your work in scholarly journals. This means that it is a good idea to have prior research experience before applying to the program.

Also, because of its emphasis on student collaboration in small groups within the classroom and one-on-one mentorship with a faculty member, only a small number of applicants are admitted per admissions cycle. The Yale University Department of Psychology website reports that only about fifteen students are admitted out of an average of 500 applicants! While this may seem like insurmountable odds, there are tips that you can use to develop an effective graduate application package to place you leaps and bounds over and above the competition.

Not only that, but take some solace in the fact that some applicants are not aware of the importance of faculty-student fit in the admissions process. It is a good idea to establish contact with an identified faculty mentor before you apply if you're intent on attending a certain Ph.D. program. And if you cannot identify a potential mentor, perhaps it is worthwhile to do more research and direct your time and effort towards applying to the right Ph.D. program for you.

Visit http://www.acceptedtogradschool.com for everything you need to to get into psychology PhD programs from writing personal statements to scoring in the 95th percentile on GRE exam scores.

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Top Psychology Graduate Schools - Harvard University

By Sheridan Salter

Have you ever dreamed of attending Harvard University for your Ph.D. in Psychology? If you have, then read on, as this article will give you some information about the types of programs offered in the Psychology field, the academic requirements for admission, and quality education you can expect to experience from the university itself.

Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has a whopping student body of nearly twenty thousand. Considered the oldest university in the United States, Harvard ranks at number three in the nation for universities to obtain your Ph.D. in the field of Psychology. Harvard offers doctoral study in psychology in the following areas:

* Cognition, brain, and behavior
* Developmental Psychology
* Clinical Science
* Social Psychology
* Organizational Behavior

Each of these areas in psychology represent prominent faculty members who jointly administer graduate admissions and provide training in some subfield of psychology. As with other graduate programs, it is not uncommon for individual faculty to have research interests that span more than one area, and thus, provide a breadth of necessary graduate training in research.

If Harvard University is your dream school to obtain your Ph.D., you have to be the best of the best to even have a shot at getting in. Harvard expects its applicants to have stellar GPA and academic resumes. Additionally, graduate admissions committees want you to demonstrate strong leadership skills through your extracurricular activities. Consider those extras on top of writing the perfect graduate personal statement and turning in glowing letters of recommendation that speak to your prior research experience.

In terms of prerequisites, current information on the Harvard University website indicates that you do not have to be a psychology major to gain acceptance to their doctoral programs. However, ALL entering students share a commonality of an undergraduate degree with an academic record of distinction. As is the case with most research-oriented Ph.D. programs in psychology, undergraduate work in statistics is strongly advised.

If paying for graduate education is one of your primary concerns, please be aware that Harvard University (like many Ph.D. programs) provides fellowships to support graduate students. Currently, admitted students receive five years of tuition support, along with a stipend and research fellowship for the first two years of doctoral study. During the third and fourth years, students are guaranteed teaching fellowships, and the final year includes a stipend that includes funds for living expenses during the final year, which you will be expected to produce a dissertation.

Much like other doctoral programs in psychology, it is not easy to get into Harvard University. However, you probably knew that before you read this article, so let this be your motivation, rather than discouragement. Do your best to create a winning graduate school application package and study hard for your GRE exam (which great news - the GRE Psychology Subject Test isn't a requirement for admission), and you've already light years ahead of most of your competition to get into grad school in psychology.

Visit http://acceptedtogradschool.com for everything you need to know about how to get accepted to top ranked psychology doctoral programs. We have free tips and information on everything from getting great letters of recommendation to scoring in the 95th percentile on the GRE!

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Top Psychology Graduate Schools - University of California, Los Angeles

By Sheridan Salter

If you have ever hoped to one day get into grad school (or more specifically, gain admission to the doctoral program in psychology) at UCLA in Los Angeles, California, then you've come to the right place! Currently ranked at number 3 by U.S. News and World Reports for best overall graduate program in psychology, University of California at Los Angeles has applications pouring in from students all over the country. These students represent the academic elite, contending for a spot on the next class of graduate students in their particular area of interest in psychology. Ph.D. programs are offered at UCLA in the following areas:

* Behavioral Neuroscience

* Clinical Psychology

* Cognitive Psychology

* Developmental Psychology

* Health Psychology

* Learning & Behavior

* Quantitative

* Social Psychology

Lastly for those interested in studying Education and Psychology, there is a related program for Psychological Studies in Education.

As is the case for all Ph.D. programs (and certainly for prestigious Research One institutions of higher learning), UCLA boasts its reputation for preparing psychologists to work as researchers, college and university instructors, and professional research psychologists. After graduation, typical careers around found in both academic and applied settings, research and government agencies, business and industry, and clinics and hospitals.

At UCLA you will also find several research institutes on campus. Graduate students are especially encouraged to get involved in research projects at the Brain Research Institute, the interdisciplinary Neuroscience and Cognitive programs, the Institute for Social Science Research, the Neuropsychiatric Institute, and the Fernald Child Study Center. For clinical psychology students, there is a Psychology Clinic on campus where you will spend hours in practicums learning how to treat patients under supervision.

How competitive is it to get into Ph.D. program in psychology at UCLA?

The UCLA Psychology Department website states that for the Fall admissions cycle of 2009, approximately 690 applications were received. Although precise numbers vary each year, only 30 students were admitted into the Ph.D. program. A quick look at the numbers might suggest that it is extremely difficult to get into UCLA. The matter of fact is that lots of applicants likely failed to do their research before applying. There are several keys to admissions to Ph.D. programs - and the first rule of thumb is to apply to programs with good faculty-student fit. This means that if you are only interested in becoming a psychotherapist, the research-oriented nature of the program is not a good fit. Secondly, if you're interested in studying the development of autism, but there is no faculty member whose research interests mirror yours, you are better of saving your application fee to apply to another university where you can find appropriate mentorship.

Do I have to take the GRE to get into UCLA?

The short answer is yes. GRE General Exam scores are a requirement for admission. You're in good luck though that there are no minimum GRE cutoff scores to be considered for admission. If you still feel like your GRE scores might not be competitive, be aware that UCLA's policy is only to take into consideration your last reported GRE score. No averaging, no taking your best score. However, please be aware that certain programs at UCLA require the GRE Psychology Subject Test: These include Clinical Psychology. For the Health, Developmental, and Cognitive Psychology areas, the GRE Psychology is highly recommended but not a strict requirement. For other areas, you are in the free and clear.

Although getting into a great school can seem really tough, getting into UCLA is not all that difficult, as long as you take the time to prepare yourself and pull together a completed application package (yes, I'm sure many of those 609 applications got trashed for being incomplete). Get your academic resume together to submit for letters of recommendation, work diligently on your graduate personal statement, and get to applying!

Visit http://www.acceptedtogradschool.com for information and need-to-know tips on how to get into top ranked psychology doctoral programs. Everything is here at your fingertips from writing an effective personal statement to scoring in the 95th percentile on the GRE.

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Considering a PhD Program? Not Before You Answer These Questions!

By Sheridan Salter

Make the Right Choice in Identifying Prospective Ph.D. Programs

The decision to go to graduate school is a serious endeavor. Choosing which graduate programs to apply to is another fraught with anxiety for many applicants. Will I choose the right program for me? How do I know which program is right for me? Will this program give me the tools that I need for my future career?

Here is a list of questions to ask before you make a decision to attend a particular Ph.D. program.

When you consider that graduate school may be a turning point in your professional career, you owe it to yourself to seek out the answers to these questions to identify the right program for you. How to get these questions answered? A simple Google search, emailing professors, or conducting a campus visit may be the best route.

Questions to Ask to Figure Out the Right Grad Program for You

* How many applicants are accepted?

* How long will it take you to complete the program?

* What size is the program? Will you feel comfortable in a small or large setting?

* Are the institution and the program accredited?

* How much will the program cost? What financial aid is available?

* Does the department's specialization match your goals?

* How are faculty advisors assigned/selected? Will you have a choice of who your major advisor will be?

* How accomplished are the professors in your area? What are their research interests and how available will they be?

* Does the faculty exhibit special strengths and research qualities through their graduate advisees, published works and funded research?

* Are the current students happy? Do they appear to be good colleagues?

* Are the graduates of the school/program sought by recruiters?

* What are your employment opportunities after graduation?

* Are the faculty and student body diverse? Diversity in a program can make it stronger, since diversity leads to a broader world view.

Some of these questions may be obvious, but others are decidedly less intuitive. For example, I think one of the strongest questions is "Are the current students happy? Do they appear to be good colleagues?"

If you visit an university graduate program and students appear unfocused, lacking guidance, and exhibit an overall unhappy vibe, you might want to consider whether there is something lacking in the program itself that is contributing to students' dispositions. Also, do the faculty members appear happy, motivated, and focused?

Completing a Ph.D. program is a serious undertaking that will require many years of concentrated study. Make sure you do the research beforehand to determine if you are choosing the best program for you!

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