Application FAQ's

This page details my responses to several frequently asked questions about grad school applications in clinical and counseling psychology. I make no guarantee that my responses are fully accurate, though they do represent my experience and the experiences of others whom I have known, as faculty members, students, and advisees.

FAQ's: Application

• To how many programs should I apply? To an extent, the more the merrier. Because, especially with Ph.D. programs, the likelihood of rejection from a program may be very high, you are increasing your odds by applying to many schools. I like to tell students seriously considering Ph.D. programs to apply to approximately 12 programs, though I've seen students apply to over 20 programs.


• Will I be accepted by any program? Sounds like you need to head to one of the following:
  1. Competitive Masters Applicants
  2. Competitive Ph.D. Applicants
  3. Graduate Study in Psychology
  4. Applying to Psychology Grad Schools


• Will I have to move out of state? The odds are fairly high that you'll need to move away from your current area of residence if you apply to very competitive programs. Here in Minneapolis, for example, the University of Minnesota's clinical and counseling psychology doctoral programs are highly competitive. Thus, even a highly qualified student is unlikely to gain admittance to one of their programs in any given year. Thus, local students will likely need to move from the area or consider other options (such as the Psy.D. degree).


• How do I go about taking the GRE? Try going to www.gre.org and following the instructions to find a local testing site. You would be wise to review for the test, through a study book and/or test preparation course.


• Do I need to take both the General GRE and the Psychology GRE? For the vast majority of masters programs, the general test is all you need. For doctoral programs, it varies somewhat. You need to look at the requirements of the specific programs to which you are applying. If you are applying to a large number of doctoral programs, the odds are very high that at least some of them will require both the general and psychology tests.


• How should I prepare for the GRE General test? For the GRE general test, I suggest that people who are able to study on their own (i.e., people who can focus on the boring task of GRE preparation) should purchase a study book. I find most of the study texts are quite boring; thus, I recommend the Princeton Review series of review books. They cover the same material but are written in a much more engaging fashion. If you find yourself unmotivated to study on your own, there are various test prep courses offered in most areas. Expect to fork out a significant amount of money to take a prep course.


• How should I prepare for the GRE Psychology test? Many people recommend studying an introductory psychology text, specifically committing the names of individuals and their research areas/theories. An understanding of physiological psychology and research methods is also reported as helpful. There are also specific test prep books available.


• How do I go about asking for letters of recommendation? Please see the linked document for ideas on what to include when requesting a letter of reference.


• Who should write my letters of reference/When should I request them? Brief answers to these questions are located here.


• How do I obtain research experience? See if any of the faculty in your psychology department have any openings for students to work on their research projects. Even if their projects do not match your interests or are not clinical/counseling research, you should attempt to join a faculty-led research team, as it is likely to be an excellent learning experience and to look good on your graduate school application. It is a good idea to ask faculty members about research openings several months or even a year or more in advance of when you may be applying to grad school. If there are no openings, you may consider looking for opportunities at other local universities.


• Who can I talk to about graduate schools? Professors who have degrees in clinical/counseling psychology are also generally well-versed in the intricacies of graduate school application. Your academic advisor is generally a good resource.

Note: You should consult multiple people familiar with the graduate school application process (e.g., professors, academic advisor) as well as closely examine printed materials and websites described on this site and others.

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Disclaimer: The content and opinions represented in this site are not necessarily those of Metropolitan State University. The site author, Dr. Glen Spielmans, is solely responsible for the site's content.