Deck 16: Getting Into Graduate School in Clinical Psychology

Question 1

While overall GPA is important to admission committees, some committees will focus on the

A) grades a student attained in psychology courses.
B) patterns of grades as a student progressed through college.
C) grades a student attained in statistics or research design courses.
D) all of the above

Answer 1

all of the above

Question 2

If a student's academic or research credentials are not solid, obtaining a master's level degree in a clinical area might be a good idea because

A) managed care and other factors are affecting licensure laws and may allow more master's level psychotherapists to practice independently.
B) it will be very helpful in getting a student into a PhD program in clinical psychology.
C) selection committees will only look at graduate grades when the student does apply to a doctoral level program.
D) all of the above

Answer 2

managed care and other factors are affecting licensure laws and may allow more master's level psychotherapists to practice independently.

Question 3

APA accreditation of a clinical psychology program guarantees

A) acceptance into an APA accredited internship.
B) licensure for successful graduates.
C) jobs in the field upon completion of the program.
D) a minimum standard of quality.

Answer 3

a minimum standard of quality.

Question 4

Taking a break between graduating from college and attending graduate school

A) is likely to have a negative impact on an applicant's subsequent success in getting into a graduate school.
B) is always a good idea. Since graduate school is so much work, it's best to go in rested.
C) may be beneficial, depending on what is done during the break.
D) may confuse the student and make it harder to "get back on the horse."

Question 5

According to the text, which of the following is NOT a characteristic of graduate training in clinical psychology that applicants should take into account?

A) Once admitted, the workload is similar to that of undergraduate school.
B) Often two moves will be necessary, one to attend school and another to complete an internship.
C) Since programs have different areas of focus, careful examination of programs is important.
D) While some financial assistance is available, students often live at the poverty level for several years.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a credential that will be scrutinized for admission to graduate school?

A) GPA
B) GRE scores
C) age and marital status
D) letters of recommendation

Question 7

Which of the following is considered a good indicator of the amount of effort a student has exerted in college?

A) GRE scores
B) grade point average (GPA)
C) extracurricular activities
D) letters of recommendation

Question 8

A reason that GRE scores are important to admission committees is that

A) it has predictive validity for success in graduate school.
B) it represents data that can directly be compared across candidates.
C) it is considered a valid indicator of a student's potential for success.
D) all of the above

Question 9

Clinical experience

A) may help focus the student's interests in clinical work.
B) may help the student confirm a desire to do clinical work.
C) is not deemed particularly important by selection committees in PhD programs.
D) all of the above

Question 10

An objective measure that predicts success in graduate school is

A) the GRE score a student obtains.
B) a student's age and marital status.
C) letters of recommendation.
D) clinical experience.

Question 11

Free-standing professional schools of psychology that offer the PsyD degree

A) place less emphasis on research training than university-based programs.
B) tend to be less expensive than university-based programs.
C) have higher admissions standards than university based programs.
D) often have quite small class sizes to facilitate clinical training.

Question 12

Which of the following should be addressed in letters of recommendation?

A) a student's motivation and conscientiousness
B) the student's ability to think intelligently about psychological issues
C) a student's maturity and ability to take on challenges responsibly
D) all of the above

Question 13

Clinical researchers

A) can find careers in a variety of mental health settings.
B) often offer supervision and training of clinical work.
C) can shift between clinical work and research if they keep up their clinical credentials.
D) all of the above

Question 14

All university-based clinical psychology programs

A) utilize a scientist-practitioner model.
B) have essentially the same emphasis.
C) provide training in research, as well as clinical skills.
D) all of the above

Question 15

In seeking letters of recommendation, it is helpful for a student to ask

A) senators, governors, or religious leaders.
B) family friends who work in the field.
C) professors who have had the student in a class.
D) professors who are familiar with the student's research and leadership skills.

Question 16

Which program offers financial help to research-oriented clinical students?

A) National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program
B) National Institute of Mental Health Loan Forgiveness Program
C) National Health Service Corps
D) all of the above

Question 17

In deciding how many programs to apply to for graduate study in clinical psychology, the general rule of thumb is

A) to apply to one's top three choices.
B) to apply to one's top three choices, then to a couple more that have lower admissions standards.
C) to apply to ten programs.
D) to apply to as many programs as one can reasonably afford.

Question 18

If a student's credentials are not solid, he or she

A) should decide on another career than being a psychotherapist.
B) continue to retake courses and the GRE until the scores are better, even if it takes several years.
C) should consider applying to master's level programs or school, or counseling psychology programs, as a back-up to other applications.
D) all of the above

Question 19

What information is NOT necessarily provided to applicants to APA-accredited doctoral programs?

A) time it takes to complete the program
B) number of students accepted to the program
C) cost of the program
D) attrition rate of students

Question 20

The GRE scores

A) may not be as valid in predicting the success of minority or disadvantaged students.
B) are required for all graduate-level programs in clinical psychology.
C) are routinely reported by all graduate programs, so good data is available on the average scores for students accepted into graduate programs.
D) tend to be higher for PsyD program applicants than for PhD program applicants.

Question 21

What steps should a student take before applying to graduate school?

Question 22

The PhD is considered the terminal degree in psychology.

Question 23

The authors state that there are some things one can do to maximize the positive impact of an interview.These include

A) preparation and practice.
B) demonstrating one's intellectual prowess by not using or taking notes during the process.
C) making sure the committee knows about one's "fun" side by partying with the graduate students involved in the interviews.
D) all of the above

Question 24

What are some ways a student can gather information about graduate programs and the faculty involved in those programs?

Question 25

A student's career preferences should guide the decision about where to apply for graduate study.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a common source of financial aid for graduate students?

A) loans
B) assistantships
C) tuition remission
D) traineeships and fellowships

Question 27

Since the doctorate is the standard of the profession, it is clear that master's level practioners will not gain additional privileges.

Question 28

Master's programs usually do not require as high a GRE score as do doctoral programs.

Question 29

Discuss the different meanings attached to GPAs and GRE scores by admissions committees.

Question 30

The first step in applying to graduate school is for the student to clarify his or her personal goals, objectives, and plans.

Question 31

There is no centralized resource for investigating graduate programs in psychology.

Question 32

Graduate students can expect to work a full 40-hour week on school obligations, except for summer vacations and school holidays, which are less intense.

Question 33

Discuss the reasons why undergraduates who plan to apply to clinical psychology programs should participate in research.

Question 34

It is rarely advisable to take time off between undergraduate and graduate school.

Question 35

The APA accredits master's programs, as well as PhD and PsyD programs.

Question 36

By organizing application materials before giving them to the individual who is going to write letters of reference, a student

A) might come across as somewhat compulsive.
B) can minimize errors that might occur.
C) could aggravate the person doing the recommending.
D) all of the above

Question 37

How might a student prepare for an onsite interview with a graduate admissions committee?

Question 38

The GPA is considered an excellent indicator of the amount of effort a student expended in college.

Question 39

For APA accredited programs, April 15th is

A) the date by which graduate programs must make offers to applicants.
B) the date by which applications must be completed.
C) the date by which an applicant must accept an offer by a graduate program.
D) the date by which graduate schools must stop pressuring a student to respond to their offer.

Question 40

A personal statement should help the admissions committee understand that the applicant is

A) intellectually curious and highly motivated.
B) hardworking and conscientious.
C) interested in specific areas of research.
D) all of the above