This article touches on the differences between the PhD and PsyD degrees.

Dr. Laura Zimmerman argues it is important to "really focus on the professors you want to work with, rather than the school or program." She provides more advice on choosing your advisor in this article.

This article by Princeton University goes more in depth on the process of emailing the advisors that you are interested in working with. And you can find a sample email here.

This article by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) gives brief advice on how to choose programs.

The American Psychological Association (APA) has a list of all APA-accredited programs:

• APA-Accredited Programs

In this YouTube video you can find advice on who and how to ask for letters of recommendation. Even though these are PhD students in biology, the advice and anecdotes they provide are applicable to any PhD program.

The American Psychological Association (APA) offers a webinar on who you should (or should not) ask to write your letters and what information those letters should ideally contain.

• Finding Fit: The Power of Letters of Recommendation

Here are five FAQs about interviewing for a PhD program. And in this article you will find advice on things to avoid for your interview.

In this YouTube video, a PsyD student talks about her experience interviewing for a PsyD program and provides tips.

The American Psychological Association (APA) provides a webinar:

• Interviewing Isn't Everything, It's the Only Thing

A personal statement is an essay in which you describe your reasons for applying to the specific program. A statement of purpose is a bit similar, except there is an emphasis on describing your research interests and the thesis advisor(s) you are interested in working with. Each program might ask different things, so make sure to check if the program you are applying to expects you to answer specific questions in your essay.

This YouTube video explains the difference between a "personal statement" and a "statement of purpose." The presenters are the same as the previous video on letters of recommendations. And in this video they provide tips for writing a statement of purpose. Usually, if you are applying to a PhD program, you will be asked to write a statement of purpose instead of a personal statement.

The American Psychological Association offers a webinar on how to write a personal statement using the reverse pyramid approach:

• Finding fit: The Power of Personal Statements

If you are applying to a PsyD program, you might be asked to write a personal statement-- but it depends, so make sure you research this. Programs usually give you information about what they want you to write about. But for general advice on personal statements for PsyD programs, check this article.

You often hear advice on what you should do, but rarely hear about what you should not do if you want to get accepted into graduate school. Drew C. Appleby and Karen M. Appleby call "kisses of death" the things that they recommend students to avoid during the application process. They surveyed professors and admission committees and published their results in this article: https://psychology.unl.edu/psichi/Graduate_School_Application_Kisses_of_Death.pdf

Dr. John Norcross created a series of videos guiding you through the application process, starting with "reviewing your career options in Psychology:" https://www.apa.org/education/grad/application-video-series

The American Psychological Association (APA) offers a variety of webinars under the "Finding fit: A roadmap to graduate school" that covers things such as strategies for applying to psychology graduate school (even during a pandemic), types of degrees and programs, personal statement, and preparing for the interview, etc.

The Association for Psychological Science (APS) wrote an article with helpful advice on what to do if you do not get accepted. Although this is tailored for Clinical Psychology PhD applicants, most of the advice is applicable to any doctorate program in Psychology.

Many PhD programs offer help paying your tuition and provide a modest living stipend. You must investigate this as it varies from program to program. This article provides a simple introduction to PhD funding. And you can apply here for funding for the cost of application (eligibility applies).

For PsyD programs, it is not as common to find ones that offer full tuition, but it is worth investigating. This article provides a list of fully funded, or partially funded, PsyD programs. For example, Baylor University offers full funding for the first four years of the program and for the fifth year tuition is covered if the student remains in good standing.

General timeline:

• Summer - narrow list of programs and due dates, prepare for the GRE, draft statements of purpose

• Early Fall - finalize list of programs, contact faculty of interest, solicit feedback on essays, register and take the GRE, and order and send transcripts

• Late Fall - request letters of recommendation, complete application forms, and finalize essays

• November/December - submit application; verify that all letters, transcripts, etc. have been received

• Interviews and offers can occur anytime from January - March up until April 1st depending on the program.

• The deadline for accepting an offer is usually April 15.

• Keep in mind that this timeline may vary depending on the programs you are applying to so make sure to check with your programs!

This is a recommended timeline for applying to PhD programs in Clinical Psychology, which is similar to other PhD programs in Psychology. If you have not decided which programs you want to apply to, then this can give you an idea of how to begin preparing. However, if you already know where you want to apply to, it is best that you check the deadlines on the websites of your programs of interest.

If you are looking for a program that emphasizes research, as well as clinical work, then Clinical Psychology could be a good program for you. The following resources provide help regarding applying to programs in this field:

• Getting into Clinical Psych graduate school

• Mitch’s Uncensored Advice for Applying to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology

• A Student’s Perspective on Applying to Graduate School in (Clinical) Psychology: A Step-by-Step Guide

• Applying to clinical psych graduate programs

• Deciding which clinical psych doctorate programs to apply to and how to apply

• How will my application be evaluated?

• The Portable Mentor: a book by Dr. Mitch Pristein on how to navigate the path to building a strong career in the Clinical Psychology field

• How life looks like as a student in a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) -oriented Clinical Psychology doctorate program