140 likes | 231 Views
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. It’s a Popular Choice….
E N D
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
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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).
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
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.
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.