New Data on Graduate Admissions for Psychology Majors

1. New Data on Graduate Admissions for Psychology Majors R. Eric Landrum Department of Psychology Boise State University Rocky Mountain Psychological Association April 16, 2004 Reno, NV

2. It’s a Popular Choice… • Each year, about 74,000 undergraduates in the United States receive their bachelor’s degree in psychology. • Between 20-25% have an interest in graduate school, and will apply at some point. • What will undergraduates do to stand out from the crowd?

3. Popularity • In graduate school, some specializations are more popular than others. • There are also popularity differences in the type of degree sought. • Popularity can be evidenced by the number of applications per specialty field in a given year.

4. Competitiveness • The ratio of number of applications accepted to the number of applications is the acceptance rate. • This acceptance rate is one indicator of the competitiveness of entering a particular specialty area. • Note also there are significant differences amongst degree types.

5. The Data • The data in the following table was compiled by the APA Research Office based on admissions in 2001-2002. • This data was gleaned by APA from the Graduate Study in Psychology 2003 volume.

7. General Comments • Note that these data reflect the number of applications, not the number of applicants. • Obviously, many students apply to more than one program. • Master’s programs can be seen as a stepping stone for students who are ultimately interested in obtaining the Ph.D. or the Psy.D.

8. Graduate Admissions Criteria • The classic top 3 predictors of graduate school admission are: • GRE • GPA • Letters of Recommendation • More recently, these have been added to the list: • Research experience • Autobiographical statement

9. Graduate Admissions Criteria • Examined every graduate program entry in Graduate Study in Psychology (2003). • Graduate programs self-report the importance of: GRE, research experience, work experience, extracurricular activity, clinically-related public service, GPA, letters of recommendation, interview, and statement of goals and objectives.

10. Graduate Admissions Criteria • Graduate programs rate each of the criteria using 1 = low importance, 2 = medium importance, 3 = high importance. • In addition to overall means, importance scores by type of department are also reported (doctoral-only, master’s only, or combination programs).

12. General Comments • Overall, there is a reshuffling at the top: • Letters of recommendation • Statement of goals and objectives • GPA • The second tier of factors include: • Interviews • GRE scores • Research experience

13. General Comments • It is important not to oversimplify this data. • It is vital that students research their particular schools and specialties of interest to create the best match/fit. • There are important differences in relative importance depending on the type of graduate department.

14. Conclusions • The demand for graduate education greatly outstrips supply. • Students who want to successfully enter graduate programs need to understand popularity, competitiveness, and what is valued by graduate admissions committees. • Advisors need to provide accurate information to students to help them gain a competitive edge in the graduate admissions process.