As the years seems to fly by faster and faster, students in the Psychological Science department are quickly realizing that if graduate school is next on their list, the preparation for this next chapter of their lives must start sooner rather than later.
Luckily, Psi Chi, the honor society for Psychological Science at Gustavus Adolphus College, is helping students from curious freshmen to stressed out seniors through this journey. The honor society hosted a Grad School Q & A panel of students and professors on October 12, 2016 for anyone with questions or simply interested in the grad school application process.
Vice President of Psi Chi, Jenny Williams, assisted in the event and had shared a few of the biggest take away points from the evening:
- Don’t be afraid to take a gap year- it usually takes a huge chunk of time to apply to grad schools, apply for loans, get recommendations, write personal statements, figure out what programs interest you.
- Grad school is a huge portion of your life for 3-7 years so make sure you really research/find out about the programs you are trying to pursue.
- Don’t stick to schools strictly in Minnesota and try to spread your search to other areas of the country
- Get involved in research opportunities in your field so you can get good experience and recommendations in areas that pertain to your area of intended study
- Get a wide variety of recommendations (professors, employers, researchers, etc) to really widen your application
If you or someone you know is looking for more information on the grad school application process, here are some places to start:
- Talk to professors about their experience with grad school
- Go to the Career Development office
- There are many contacts available for students to talk about grad school. Ask a faculty member for recommendations.
- Additional resources from the event:
- Mitch’s Uncensored Advice for Applying to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology
- Before You Apply
- Tips for Applying to Grad School
Submitted by Ellyn Adelmann ’18