The Application Itself
This is the best part of the whole application process, because the application itself is pretty self-explanatory, for the most part. Sure, you may have to upload a few files, and you have to know your social security number (ask your mom), but otherwise it's fairly easy. Still, a few tips:
- It's extremely likely that they will ask for your last-two-years and major GPAs. If you don't know these, have fun calculating. I think that was the worst part of the whole application for me! It's possible that you can call your school and ask them if they've calculated these scores for you.
- It's also extremely likely that they will ask for a list of the psychology classes you've taken (often along with math and hard-science courses). Therefore, before you start filling out apps, be sure to order a copy of your transcripts so you don't have to try and remember all this information. I have no idea why they ask for this information when they already have your transcripts. Maybe just to see exactly how masochistic you are?
- Applications often ask you for a list of other schools you're applying to. I tended to conveniently "forget" this portion of the app, because I always thought it was a trick. Turns out it's not! Definitely fill this out if you've chosen your schools well. I discovered that professors look at this not to see what their competition is and judge you for even considering other places - they look at this information to see how focused you are. They want to make sure you're focused on their field of study, and not just applying willy-nilly to make sure you get in somewhere, anywhere!
- When you upload documents to the application (CV, statement, etc.), view them and make sure it's the right document before you sign and send. Just trust me on this one... the wrong document can be veeeeeery embarrassing. I could tell you stories!
- Be sure you keep a record of your usernames and passwords. The spreadsheet I discussed in Getting Started is great for this, but you should also save the e-mails they send you after you sign up.
