Preparing for Graduate School as an Undergraduate

In many ways, success as an applicant to graduate school understandably depends on achievements as an undergraduate. However, the achievements are not just in the domain of coursework and good grades. There are two other important domains usually missed by many undergraduate Psychology majors. These are clinical and research experiences. Both are necessary to demonstrate to the graduate admissions committee that you are able to conduct research projects and you have some exposure to clinical populations and interventions. They are also the best source for letters of recommendation.

In most undergraduate programs, there is no formal way to get independent research experiences. They are not built into the usual undergraduate curriculum. The only way to get this experience is to meet with faculty members who appear to have your interests and ask them to involve you in their studies. You must do this on your own. The faculty usually have no mechanism to recruit undergraduates into research. The faculty are even less involved with undergraduates if the Psychology department has a large graduate program. Another method to get research experience as an undergraduate is to work for a Bachelor's degree with Distinction. Such degrees require the student to complete a research project and a thesis.

Clinical experiences are usually acquired by taking part-time jobs or internships in clinical settings. These may include any clinical setting that has staff positions for undergraduates. Talk to other students who may be working in clinical settings. Contact treatment programs directly. Be prepared to work for no compensation so that you can acquire experience and have someone in a clinical setting who will write a recommendation letter for your application to graduate school.