Pathway to Grad School

[SCG154]

This upcoming fall semester I will be starting my junior year as a transfer to a Cal State University where psychology is one of the most impacted majors on campus. My ultimate goal is to obtain at minimum a master's degree in clinical psych. In general, I just want advice on what to do in order to get there. I plan on utilizing the opportunity to try and gain some experience doing work in a research lab on campus, but my biggest concern is getting into a better program for my master's thesis since this is what I think I need. Has anyone here successfully transferred from a CSU to a UC or even Ivy league school for grad school? If so, what steps did you take to ensure your admission?

[ResilientDreams]

I personally think that building relationships with professors is one of the most important things you can do in addition to research. Make yourself and your interests known so they can write good letters for you. Then there's the GRE, and a high score on that is always good. I'm a rising senior myself, so I apologize for not being able to give more specific advice.

[PsyDuck90]

I would echo what ResilientDreams said and also add that an MA in clinical psych is really just a stepping stone to a PhD. If you want an MA that you can practice with, then you want a Mental Health Counseling or MSW degree. 

If you are thinking of going to grad school and shooting for a PhD, then research fit is a major factor. You are typically not applying to the school, but rather that specific faculty member. And due to the competitive nature of PhDs, you usually do not want to geographically limit yourself to just 1 state. 

[t_ruth]

On 7/16/2018 at 12:44 AM, SCG154 said:

Has anyone here successfully transferred from a CSU to a UC or even Ivy league school for grad school? If so, what steps did you take to ensure your admission?

You can certainly get into top programs from a less-than-top undergrad (and I wouldn't consider a CSU terrible at all!). I went to a lower-ranked undergrad and got into a number of fairly competitive PhD programs and was one of the few to get a faculty position after graduating with my PhD.

However, I echo the feedback above that you might want to evaluate the type of degree you want.

[SCG154]

10 hours ago, t_ruth said:

You can certainly get into top programs from a less-than-top undergrad (and I wouldn't consider a CSU terrible at all!). I went to a lower-ranked undergrad and got into a number of fairly competitive PhD programs and was one of the few to get a faculty position after graduating with my PhD.

However, I echo the feedback above that you might want to evaluate the type of degree you want.

Thank you, but I should have clarified that my intention is to go for the PhD/PSYD. I feel set on going the clinical route, but I'm still unsure what specialty/specific route within clinical I'm most interested in. 

[PsyDuck90]

You typically specialize later on in your training. You should, however, carve out a specific research interest prior to applying.