...and You have Just Realized that You Want to Go to Graduate School!
Maybe you have put off thinking about your future or perhaps have been concentrating so hard on graduating that you have given little thought as to what happens afterwards? Whatever the reason you have now decided that you want to go to graduate school next year. The problem is that you are late to the game and the bus is already leaving the station. Mixed metaphors aside you will be playing catch up and have limited your options. What you will need to consider will depend on a few things. Consider the scenarios below:
- You have taken the GRE and have received a good score (or expect to receive a good score – You are in a good position. All you really need to do is to follow the advice given above in an accelerated fashion. If you are diligent you should be able to identify and apply to the schools you are interested in before their deadlines. Your biggest obstacles will be writing a good statement of purpose and getting letters of recommendation from your professors.
- You have not taken the GRE – This is by far the most common situation I see during fall semester. You really have two options – rapidly prepare for the GRE or apply to programs that do not require this test. Some students are able to get up to speed quickly for the GRE. Their fall semester course load may be light, they may be good at taking tests, or they may just be able to knuckle down and do the hard test preparation work necessary in addition to everything else going on in their lives. I recommend taking a preparation course from Kaplan or Princeton Review (see above for details) or hiring a tutor. However you study for the GRE you will need to take lots of practice tests. The second option is to apply for programs that do not require the GRE (or don’t care if you have a bad score). This essentially means Masters programs (or a lower tier professional doctorate programs that I don’t usually recommend – see above). Many of my students go for this option. Master programs often do not require the GRE and the application deadlines tend to be much later. However, those students wanting to go eventually earn a doctoral degree in psychology have only put off preparing for the GRE and they will have to do this while completing their master’s degree – not a fun prospect!
- In some ways, if you are a really good student being late to the game is more difficult. As a good student you stand a chance of doing well on the GRE if you spend the time preparing properly for the test. Taking the exam hastily and doing poorly on it will sink your chances of getting into a good school. You can retake the GRE but many schools will look at your first score or average your scores. It is important to give the GRE your best shot the first time you take it! Good students might be better served by taking a year off, studying for the GRE, volunteering to do research with a professor, getting some kind of clinical experience, etc., and then applying directly to doctoral programs the following fall.
- For poorer students, applying late is not so bad. Masters programs may already be their best options, and going to one of these programs will give them a chance to improve their gpa and study for the GRE.