getting started

using a timeline to get organized & stay on track

Like many fellow graduate applicants, I would consider myself to be fairly “Type A”. Though a dichotomous classification of personality is likely not the most accurate, framing my needs and actions through the lens of a Type A personality has been helpful in times of overwhelm and stress. Ideally, identifying as Type A would mean I’m ambitious, highly organized, and manage time well – in reality, it means I can feel like I’m never doing enough, despite the color coded post-it notes, the notebooks filled with to-do lists, and the attempts to anticipate the outcome of any possible situation. This can manifest with me trying to finish everything on my to-do list in one frantic afternoon or weekend. If the tasks happen to be related to, say, cleaning and organizing my apartment, rushing the timeline is not necessarily detrimental. However, when it comes to graduate admissions, rushing through tasks can hinder necessary growth and development that only comes with patience and time. 

My remedy for hastening through the many components of graduate applications is to have a clear timeline, with established to-do items for each month leading to the eventual application submissions. Not only does this help me focus on the quality of my work for each task, it also reminds me that I’m exactly at the stage in the process I need to be. So often, the critical voice in my head (and potentially yours as well) can trick me into thinking I’m behind, or that others are probably doing more and doing better than I am. This is such a counterproductive mindset! Doubt and insecurity are common and expected – when we buy into these thoughts or beliefs, it can negatively impact the work we could be doing. 

The timeline I’m sharing with you today is one best suited for clinical psychology applications, but is likely useful for other disciplines as well. Because many programs I’ve applied to have deadlines of December 1st, that is submission date I am using. However, some programs vary from this general timeline. I’ve seen some application deadlines as early as November 15th, and some as late as January. It’s imperative to conduct your own research to track deadlines.  You’ll see that I have included an image of the timeline – if it’s helpful to have a visual aid, I would suggest saving the image or creating one that is similar. I’ll go into more detail about to-do items for each month below. 

An important disclaimer is that this timeline includes necessary components of the admissions process itself – it doesn’t account for the time you’ve spent (or need to spend) engaged in research or clinical activities, networking, attending conferences, and forming relationships with faculty or primary investigators (PI). These are arguably the most crucial aspects of applying to graduate school. You will be using these experiences to inform your interests and write your statements, while the relationships you cultivate will hopefully lead to strong letters of recommendation.

Below is a basic applications timeline and to-do items associated with each month:

Now, Let’s get into the nitty gritty of what you should expect to do the next 6 months!

JUNE (aka right now)

- First things first, assess your GRE needs. Most programs require at least the general GRE test – try taking a practice test to determine how much time to allocate for studying. An important note here: because of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and its influence on academia, some programs are announcing they are not requiring the GRE for admissions this year (i.e. University of Michigan – Sociology PhD and University of Washington – Clinical Psychology PhD). If you have a poor undergraduate GPA, it may be in your best interest to submit GRE scores as further evidence of academic fitness. If you were not a psychology undergraduate, many programs suggest taking the GRE subject test to show mastery of the discipline. There are a handful of programs that require the Psychology GRE (the joint SDSU/UCSD program comes to mind). Be sure to do some preliminary research so you are aware of program GRE requirements. 

- Depending on your GRE practice test scores, I would recommend studying right away. There are various resources you can use, from free ETS materials, to Princeton Review test books, to online courses like Magoosh. I’ve tried most available formats, and I prefer Magoosh. It can be a bit pricey, but they typically offer a deal for 6 months of access. Magoosh offers video explanations of problems, and allows you to filter out questions you’ve already mastered. Speaking from personal experience, I was able to raise my GRE quantitative score 3 points, my GRE verbal score 2 points, and my writing score 1 full point. Your needs may vary – do some research to see which option fits your budget and timeline best. 

- Buy a notebook to use exclusively for the graduate admissions journey. You could also create a word document on your computer if that works better for you. In general, it’s helpful to have all information contained in one place. 

- Now is the perfect time to begin a rudimentary list of potential programs that seem like a good fit. This list will likely be very long and very elementary. That is okay! The goal now is to find programs that tick basic boxes, and PIs that appear to be conducting research that matches with your interests. It is important to check if they offer the specialty you would want – some universities offer a general psychology PhD, but not clinical training. For now, make sure to jot down the university name and a few potential PIs from that school. You can continue additional research later.

- Start to get crystal clear about your intentions and interests. Fit is usually the most important aspect of applications – you could be a rock star candidate in every other way, but if your interests do not match the faculty member, you will likely not be extended an offer. To make sure you are applying only to faculty that fit your interests, being honest with yourself about what sort of research you want to conduct is key. We will go over some various ways to do this in a future post. 

JULY

- Make sure you have a GRE test scheduled for August or September. If you are worried you may have to retake the test, I’d recommend scheduling your first attempt for late August. That will give you some time to reschedule another attempt if needed (or you can spend some extra time to study – whichever you think will be most beneficial).

- If you do not already have a strong mentor relationship with a faculty or PI supervisor, start cultivating one! While gathering information from sources on the internet can be useful, having a professional in the field who can guide you through the process is key. Some of you may struggle to find a mentor that is a good fit for this – in that case, make sure you are kicking ass in your research positions so that your supervisor(s) will write you a stellar letter of recommendation. 

- Continue reflecting on your research/clinical interests and intentions for graduate school.

- Continue adding programs and faculty to your preliminary list.

AUGUST 

- Start preparing for statement writing by:

• Discussing your interests with mentors or colleagues,

• Recording voice memos of yourself talking about the research you like and would want to conduct (a trick suggested to me by a mentor – sounds weird, but I promise it works!)

• Writing about your population of interest, what your interests are, and especially why you are interested in those things.

- Start refining your list of programs – do additional research past faculty bios to determine if the research output from labs matches what you’d want to do in grad school. A good way to do this is by looking on lab websites to see what current projects are being conducted, as well as lightly reading recent publications from the lab. Create a spreadsheet to track program information, lab details, and PI emails. I will share the spreadsheet I use closer to August so you can use it as well!

- Take the GRE and rock it! – if scheduled to do so.

SEPTEMBER 

- If you are unhappy with your initial GRE scores, reschedule as soon as possible. Most programs have a document with GRE mean scores of previously admitted students – this can be helpful in determining what is an acceptable GRE score. 

- Start making contact with PIs you would like to work with. Important note here – I’m going to share some tips that have been passed to me in a future post. It’s crucial to make this email contact as productive as possible, and that means going above and beyond asking if they plan to review applications this cycle. This is an opportunity to set yourself apart from the pack, and impress faculty. Asking the right questions and making thoughtful observations can help. 

 - Begin downloading statement prompts to get an idea of content you will need to write. Organize your writing tasks – some programs will require a diversity statement. Some will ask for a personal statement and an academic statement. Some only require one general statement. However, most statements will consistently ask for the same information. This can help you understand what needs to be written – research experience, research interests, why you are interested in programs or faculty, etc.  The sooner you start writing, the more iterations you can complete, and the stronger your statements will be. 

- Test the waters with your letter writers. If possible, schedule a one-on-one professional development meeting with your research supervisors or faculty to determine if they would be comfortable providing you with a letter of recommendation. Most faculty and researchers I know prefer the official request to be in person if possible. If it has to be over email, be professional and ask for honest feedback. A lukewarm letter can hurt your application. 

OCTOBER

- It is important to finalize your university list by October. You’ll be ordering application materials soon, and you don’t want to order more than you need. Use feedback from PI emails and your own reflections regarding intention and interests to whittle down your list. 

 - Order application materials needed – this included GRE score reports and transcripts from any university you’ve attended, including community colleges. There may be additional materials depending on the school – make sure you have any required documents noted on your spreadsheet for each program, so they aren’t forgotten. Some universities have begun to accept unofficial documents for applications - a nice way to help us save some dollars!

 - You may want to send emails to graduate students currently working with the PIs that interest you. Be mindful that they are busy – make your questions clear and deliberate. Try to ask about mentorship style, lab duties, program culture, or any other information that would be necessary to know before applying to the lab. 

NOVEMBER

 - Create accounts for online applications and start filling them out! This is a very time-consuming process and will sneak up on you if you aren’t proactive. Pro-tip: converting all documents to a PDF helps prevent any formatting issues when documents are downloaded by the program. 

 - Conduct final proofreads of your statements and your CV/resume. Be sure to get many, many eyes on the statements! Preferably, you will have worked with your mentor over the past few months to refine your statements. Ask for honest opinions, and value opinions from professionals in the field over those of your friends or family. 

 - Send final list of schools and deadlines to your letter writers by November 1st. Continue to give periodic reminders as the deadlines approach. 

DECEMBER

 - Make sure all applications are submitted! I recommend doing this a few days before the deadline. Tech issues are always a possibility.

 - CELEBRATE! A wise mentor once told me to celebrate at all major milestones of the process. The application process is grueling and intense. Get some champagne or go out for a treat – you deserve it. 

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This is a ton of information, and not all of it is relevant right now. While it’s helpful to know what is on the horizon, don’t try to fit 6 months of work into June and July. Part of the process is thoughtfully reflecting, having meaningful conversations with colleagues and mentors, and really getting to know yourself and your intentions. Many of the bullet points listed here will be expanded upon in future posts. I hope this timeline is helpful for you, and feel free to add anything I missed into the comments for other readers!

Thanks for reading.