The Complete Guide to Graduate School Admission: Psychology, Counseling, and Related Professions

by Keith-Spiegel; Patricia

• ISBN13: 9780805831207
• ISBN10: 0805831207
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-03-01
• Publisher: Psychology Pres

Summary

Should I go to graduate school? How do I choose where to apply? Are my grades and accomplishments good enough to get in? Who should I ask to write recommendation letters for me, and how should I approach these people? How do I write my "personal statement?" When will I hear my fate, and how should I make my final decision? These are just a few of the many questions to which this well-researched, thorough, and extremely user-friendly book offers answers. Students who are contemplating graduate training in psychology, counseling, and related fields are often apprehensive and confused about applying to graduate school, but this book takes the guesswork and anxiety out of the process. The tone and features (such as the Q&A format, timeline for application-related tasks and activities, and special advice for special populations) that made the first edition so successful, eliciting hundreds of thank-you notes and e-mail messages to the author, are just as evident in this new edition. The book has been thoroughly updated to include coverage of new topics such as use of the internet and e-mail, as well as changing trends in the professions. The most obvious difference is that the book is now significantly shorter as a result of meticulous rewriting, making it even easier to use. There have been attempts since the publication of the first edition to copy the format of this book, but none of the others have successfully duplicated the depth of research-based advice and the supportive style that make this book the guide of choice for thousands of graduate-school bound students and their advisors.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
About the Authors	xiii
Part I: Overview of the Pursuit of Graduate Study
How Do I Get the Most From This Book?	3	(6)
What Should I Be Doing When?	9	(8)
What About My Particular Situation?	17	(15)
What Are ``They'' Looking For?	32	(8)
What Do I Want?	40	(21)
Part II: Enhancing Your Chances---For Those With Some Time
How Do I Get Help From Faculty?	61	(9)
What Can I Do Academically?	70	(11)
What About Research and Practicum Experience?	81	(11)
What About Professional Organizations and Meetings?	92	(9)
How Can I Improve My Performance on Standardized Admittance Tests?	101	(14)
Part III: Making Your Choices
How Do I Get Information About Programs?	115	(13)
Should I Stay in Town or Should I Go?	128	(7)
How Am I Going to Pay for Graduate School?	135	(8)
What If My Grades Aren't So Hot?	143	(9)
How Do I Make Final Program Choices?	152	(13)
Part IV: The Application Process
What Are My First Steps in Applying?	165	(7)
What About Letters of Recommendation?	172	(22)
What Should I Consider When Filling Out Application Forms?	194	(8)
What About Statements of Purpose and Other Essays?	202	(17)
I'm Ready to Send My Applications. Now What?	219	(8)
Part V: The Postapplication Period
Is There Anything I Can Do Other Than Wait?	227	(4)
What Should I Do About Interviews?	231	(15)
How Do I Accept (and Reject) Offers?	246	(7)
What if I'm an Alternate for a Program?	253	(4)
I've Received the News. Now What?	257	(9)
Appendix A: Constructing a Curriculum Vita	266	(9)
Appendix B: What Academic Departments Can Do to Assist Their Students With Graduate School Plans	275	(4)
References	279