Applying to graduate school can be a daunting process, but you have resources here in the Department of Psychology and beyond to support you!  I collected the resources below for WWU psychology students who want to apply to grad programs in psychology or adjacent fields. There is some great advice in these resources but I do not necessarily endorse every piece of information contained here and haven’t vetted it all word by word. Please check in with the WWU Career Services Center, your Psychology Major Advisor, or another trusted faculty member when using these resources to inform your decisions about applying to grad school and your grad applications. And good luck!!

Information on Applying to PhD Programs in Clinical or Counseling Psychology

• Applying to PhD Programs in Clinical Psychology (Prinstein, 2022)
• Graduate School and PhD vs. PsyD (Mosier, 2019)
• Counseling Psychology PhD vs. Clinical Psychology PhD (Hammer, n.d.)
• What is the difference between a clinical psychologist and a counseling psychologist? (Roger & Stone, n.d.)
• 3 PhD Programs, 3 Different Training Modules (DeAngelis, 2017)

Gaining Additional Undergraduate Research Experience Before Applying to PhD Programs

• Summer Research and Internship Opportunities for Students (American Psychological Association)
• Summer Research Opportunities Program (Big Ten Alliance)
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (National Science Foundation)
• Research Opportunities for Undergraduates (list maintained by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology)
• Training Programs in the Biomedical Science (National Institutes of Health)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Summer Research Internship Program– “supports undergraduate students with a focus on increasing underrepresented populations in drug abuse and addiction research.”
• MU Alcohol Research Training Summer School & Internship (MU-ARTSS) (University of Missouri)
• Psych Research List (website maintained by Dr. Meltem Yucel)

Diversity in Graduate Education

• Minority Fellowship Programs and Grad School Funding in Psychology
• APAGS Guide to Multicultural Training Opportunities in Psychology
• Academics for Black Survival & Wellness – Resources
• APAGS Guide for Ethnic Minority Graduate Students
• APA’s Guide for LGBTQ+ Graduate Students
• APA’s Guide for Psychology Graduate Students with Disabilities

Advice on Writing Personal Statements

• Advice on Grad School Personal Statements (Michigan State University)
• “Why I chose a Master’s in Counseling Psych” (Shannon Smoot)
• How to Write a Personal Statement that Sets You Apart (William & Mary School of Education)
• Crafting Your Personal Statement (long chapter)
• Application Statement Feedback Program (a “volunteer-driven initiative to level the playing field of psychology PhD admissions, one statement at a time”)

Designing Your Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Online Resume Builder Tools, Advice, and Resume Review/Feedback available at the WWU Career Services Center
• Make Your Resume Stand Out (APA)
• Build a Better CV (APA)
• Sample CV for psych BA/BS alum (Psi Chi)