Although we have considerable information on this site, my advice is that you should consult the following books. First, get a copy of the APA's Graduate Study in Psychology 2000. It lists all programs and requirements and provides a starting point for considering which school to apply to. There is a directory in this book that categorizes programs by specialty area which should save you a ton of work! Of course, you should also get the advice of your academic advisor at your undergraduate institution.

The other two books provide substantial guidance on the actual application process and what graduate programs look for. Both are excellent. However, in general, I recommend Patricia Keith-Spiegel's The Complete Guide to Graduate School Admission. It has rich detail about more facets of the application process than the Getting In book.

These books will be an excellent investment for you. I've discovered that students who consult the following guides tend to produce better graduate school applications.

APA's Graduate Study in Psychology 2000
A great resource provided by the American Psychological Association to assist those interested in graduate school in psychology. This book lists over 500 graduate departments and schools of psychology and provides information for each. A useful guide for choosing which schools to apply to!

Getting In: A Step-by-step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology
Having an inside knowledge of how graduate schools evaluate applications can be the deciding factor of acceptance. This book attempts to help you maximize your chances for success by allowing you to make informed choices and know what you need to do to have a competitive application. Provided by the American Psychological Association.

A site provided by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) that gives general information on applying to graduate and professional schools as well as links to various testing services and financial aid resources.

Movin' On: Tips About Graduate School

A great source from The College of William & Mary for advice on evaluating and choosing a graduate program and also for tips on how to tackle the different elements of the graduate school application.

Concise answers to basic questions about going to graduate school. What is graduate school? Should you go? Do you really want to go? Also: good solid advice on applying, the letters of recommendation, getting accepted, and the benefits of research.

Graduate School: The Application Process

Provides a list of books on graduate school programs for psychology majors and on the areas of specialization that require graduate education. Also: great tips on preparing a personal statement and getting good letters of recommendation. Presented by Dr. Margaret A. Lloyd, professor of psychology at Georgia Southern University.

All you need to know about the GRE--find out about the computerized administration, download a demo program (Mac users: prepare to be discriminated against...)--plus a directory of graduate programs and an online application service.

A Guide to Getting Into Graduate School

The APA Education Directorate's three keys to graduate school acceptance: preparation, application know-how, and patience.

Tips for Getting into Graduate School in Research-oriented Psychology

Dr. Steve Lindsay at the University of Victoria has a very informative discussion about how admissions decisions are made, how to increase your chances of being admitted and about getting those letters of recommendation.

Applying to Graduate School: Advice to Honours Psychology Students

Primarily a good site for Canadian students, but also contains world wide web resources, a list of books, and an excellent section of useful advice from e-mail correspondences that would benefit anyone.

Timetable for Applying to Grad School

Dr. Bailey and Dr. Berler, Florida State University, have adapted this from the "Getting In" book.

Applying for Graduate Study in Psychology

Lisa Brandt, a graduate student at California State University, Fullerton, passes on some very useful advice on topics that include: how to choose the right degree to pursue, the application process, qualifications that are necessary and/or helpful to have, and a timeline for when to do what.

Applying to Graduate School

A summary from SUNY Brockport designed to help you make an informed and logical decision about whether or not to go to graduate school and what it entails. If you are still trying to decide your next step after graduating or want to know what applying involves, read through this site.

Preparing for Graduate School in Psychology

Provided by the University of Richmond, this site discusses the types of degrees available in psychology, the areas of specialization (also the graduate programs outside the psychology department that may be better suited for the area you are interested in), and other topics specific to psychology programs to help you when applying.

Insiders Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology, 2000/2001

Careers in Counseling and Psychotherapy

Some questions to ask yourself if you are planning to go into counseling or psychotherapy. Also: a breakdown of degrees and areas of specialization.

America's Best Graduate Schools  According to U.S. News & World Reports, anyway. To just navigate to a university web page, use one of the above lists.

Yahoo's List of Universities  A very international list of over 15,000 universities in more than 100 countries.

Psychology Departments in Britian and Ireland  Sponsored by the University of Wales, Bangor.

Psychology Schools Directory  A directory from gradschools.com that allows you to search for a graduate school that offers the graduate program you want. You pick the subject area and the database provides schools from the US, Canada, Europe, or other area outside the US. Problem: not all programs are listed here since schools pay to be listed -- double check with APA's Graduate Study in Psychology which has an index that categorizes graduate programs (e.g., clinical, cognitive, etc).

Combined Professional--Scientific Psychology. APA's list of accredited combined psychology programs (e.g., clinical/school, counseling/school)

How to Ask for Letters of Recommendation

Dr. Ann Fischer, of Southern Illinois University, offers thoughtful advice on what to provide your letter writers so they can do the best job on your behalf.

How To Get Good Letters of Recommendation

More advice from Dr. Margaret Lloyd's Careers in Psychology Page. Here, she gives important information on what the letter of recommendation is, what needs to go into it, and what it can do for you. Plus, "the single best thing you can do, to get a good letter of recommendation."

Effective Personal Statements

Suggestions on writing style for the personal statement from the Writing Center, University of Toronto.

Writing Effective Personal Statements

Excellent suggestions for the personal statement including self-analysis questions, general advice, some examples of successful statements, and invaluable advice from admissions representatives. Provided by The Purdue University Online Writing Center.

Writer's Handbook

What is the personal statement and the application essay? This site explains what they are, gives tips on writing them, and answers frequently asked questions. It also provides spaces for you to brainstorm, draft parts of your essay, and get some extra help. An excellent tool from the University of Wisconsin.

Writing Personal Statements for Graduate School

How to conquer the three C's of writing the personal statement: clarity (word choice, organization, mechanics, formatting), content/creativity, and conciseness according to the University of Washington's Psychology Writing Center.

Graduate School Applications: Personal Statements

Some down-to-earth tips on the do's and don'ts of writing the personal statement from Hope College.

Applying to Graduate School: Writing a Compelling Personal Statement

An article from Psi Chi (the National Honor Society in Psychology) that guides you through the basics (length, writing style, tone, feedback and revision) as well as content (the key components) of the personal statement. Very useful.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A general overview of the CV from the MIT Careers Handbook. Provides a sample CV that can be downloaded in an Adobe Acrobat format or Microsoft Word format.

Curriculum Vitae and Related Letters

A good starting point that offers information on when, what, why, and how to write a CV along with points to consider, taking an inventory, and writing cover letters. Also available: sample CVs and sample cover letters. Provided by the University of North Florida.

Writing Your Vita

Provides a blueprint to use when preparing your vita. What information goes where? What's the basic form? Also: general considerations to take into account.

Preparing a Curriculum Vitae (CV)

An article that gives a general breakdown of typical categories and headings that go into a CV written by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. and provided by Quintessential Careers. This site also gives links to helpful books, articles, and other websites about vitas.

Resume Resources

A collection of resume resources on the Web provided by Quintessential Careers that will help answer all your resume questions.

All you need to know about the GRE--find out about the computerized administration, download a demo program (Mac users: prepare to be discriminated against...). Plus: a directory of graduate programs and an online application service.

GRE Test Preparation

Find out about the GRE and answer some sample questions from Peterson's.com.

Rules for Acceptance of Offers for Admission and Financial Aid

On this site, APA Education Information answers questions like: How do I know if I have been accepted? What do I do if I am accepted by one or more institutions? How do I refuse one offer and accept another? What are the accepted timelines and courtesies?

Carefully consider graduate school debt

Learn from experience what you are getting yourself into when choosing a costly education via student loans. Use this valuable advice while you are looking at universities and make a more educated decision. Article provided by the APA Monitor Online.

Psychology Doctorate Recipients: How Much Financial Debt at Graduation?

An article from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that explores the factors that lead to more debt for psychology majors than in the other science and engineering fields. Be sure to take a look at the section titled: "Do debt levels vary among different psychology subfields?"

The American Psychological Association (APA)

Home Page

The American Psychological Association: PsycNET Search Site

Search the APA and other sites for information about psychology and its related topics.

The American Psychological Society

Home Page

Financing a Graduate Education

A breakdown of the three basic ways to finance your graduate education--fellowships and traineeships, teaching and research assistantships, and loans. Provided by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS).

Scholarship Resource Network

A search engine and database of private scholarships for undergraduate through postdoc study. Provides access to over 8,000 programs and 150,000 awards worth $35 million! Also: information on financial aid and software products to assist you.

Grants in Graduate Studies (GIGS)

A database of grants for graduate and post-graduate students provided by U.S. government, international, corporate and private funding services, in addition to departments within NYU. Just plug in "psychology" as the search term, and you will find a list of resources.

Financial Aid/Scholarships

A list of sites that contain information on various scholarships and financial aid programs.