Books for Graduate Schools

In the reference section:

APA’s Graduate Study in Psychology – most recent edition

This book contains descriptions of all of the graduate programs in psychology. It is sort of a Barron's Guide for graduate programs. There are descriptions of the programs and indexes by subfield, type of degree, area of the country, etc.

The Insider’s Guide to Graduate Programs in Clinical and Counseling Psychology

This is similar to the first book but it focuses on clinical programs. That means that it can provide more specialized information like the clinical orientations of the faculty and the kinds of clinical opportunities that are available. In the beginning it also provides a couple of chapters of advice on things that are specific to clinical programs, like the interview process. These early chapters are aimed at students considering a Ph.D.

The Complete Guide to Graduate School Admission: Psychology and Related Fields

The book is in many ways a "things I wish someone had told me" and "questions students frequently ask" sort of book. One of the things that makes this book different from many "advice books" is that the answers are generally based on research. For example, the book says that a frequently asked question is whether or not it is okay to call department secretaries to see if your application arrived the answer that the book offers is based on the result of a survey of graduate department secretaries. This book looks extremely helpful and addresses a number of the questions that could otherwise produce a frantic call to one’s advisor late at night. Information is supplied in a conversational tone, which makes it easy reading, the author is also blunt when that is appropriate. This book contains a section on preparing for the GREs and the pros and cons of retaking them if you don't do well.

 

Books that can circulate:

Getting In: A step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology

This book is another APA publication. The goal of the book is to help guide students through the process of: deciding whether graduate school is a good choice, selecting programs that are a good fit for their interests and then applying. It has some easy to use timetables and worksheets to help students organize themselves. Again it comes very highly recommended and looks like a useful resource.

 

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