Damaging Personal Statements

The personal statement is the most personal parts of most graduate school applications. Take the opportunity to tell about your academic and professional development, what your academic and career objectives are, and what experiences you have gained that will help you reach these goals

Do NOT make any of the following mistakes: 1) discussing personal mental health issues, 2) describe your favorite activities or objectived as excessively altruistic, 3) disclose too much information about yourself or your experiences, or 4) say anything that might be considered professional inappropriate.

Harmful Letters of Recommendation

Your letters of recommendation provide insight to the kind of student you are as well as the types of initiative, dedication, and loyalty you have shown to those you have already worked with. Avoid having letters written by inappropriate sources (e.g., family members or people who work for you), and make sure that those writing your letters hold you in high regard and are willing to express their respect for you openly in their letters.

Lack of Information About the Program

There is a reason why graduate programs are competitive - it's much the same reason as why high-paying jobs are competitive. Graduate programs do not like to bring students into the program who does not want to be there. And the desire to get a PhD is not enough. It is the job of the applicant to demonstrate that they not only want the degree, but that they know what the focus of the program is, be familiar with the research interests of the faculty, and be able to express clearly how the program fits their objectives. This is important in convincing a program that they want to invest in you just as badly as you want them to invest their time and resources into training you. Tailor your letter so that it is obviously written specifically for each program you apply to. You wouldn't expect a door-to-door encyclopedia sales company to hire someone who wants to instoor countertops, so why would a graduate program in cognitive psychology want to train a student who wants to be a clinician?

Poor Writing Skills

Okay, this one should be simple, at least partly. Use the grammar and spell-check functions on your computer to make sure you are not sending in application materials with minor mistakes in them. When the computer is done checking your materials, have at least two other people read over them to help avoid being too "wordy" or redundant or incoherent. Your application is the first sample of your writing a graduate program is going to see, so make sure you put as much care into it as you would put into a major term paper.

Misfired Attempts to Impress

According to this and other articles, there are a few things that are common among applications and can only be described as attempts to impress the admissions committee. Absolutely DO NOT do any of the following things: 1) be critical of your undergraduate program or offer unsupported praise for their graduate program, 2) drop the names of well-known psychologists you have met at conference or studied under as an undergraduate, 3) use your family as an example of how you are suited fo rthe program (whether it is because they are nuts, or because they are all accomplished professionals in any field), 4) have letters of recommendation written by political sources who are not otherwise qualified to write the letter. Remember, your goal is to convince them that you are the kind of person and type of student that they want to invest five years of their time and energy into training.

Citation: Appleby, D. C., & Appleby, K. M. (2006). Kisses of death in the graduate school application process. Teaching of Psychology, 33(1), 19-24.

In most cases... "withdrawals are not a factor unless a student repeatedly withdraws from the same course"

"Withdrawals hurt a student's chances more at PhD-only schools compared to the other programs... a low GPA prompts a closer examination of the student's transcript" regardless of the type of program.

Withdrawals "in the last 2 years, particularly in major courses, are negatively viewed." Courses taken during the first two years of undergraduate training and in courses outside the major have less impact on the reviews of admissions committees.

"One withdrawal would not (ordinarily) raise any concerns. A pattern of consecutive withdrawals in a course, especially in a "required" course such as statistics would raise concerns. This would be especially true if the withdrawals were followed by a mediocre grade in the course. A set of withdrawals in the same semester would not cause the same concern as the same number of withdrawals over different semesters because one would assume some cause for problems for that semester. Withdrawals would probably have more (negative) impact on a "typical" student than an outstanding student."

Summary of Findings

"Graduate admissions committees carefully examine transcripts; typically by a minimum of two faculty members."

"Graduate admissions committees place a high value on transcripts, and either a low GPA or low GRE score may prompt a closer examination of a transcript."

"One withdrawal does not appear to be a problem. Two withdrawals is probably not a problem, except for a minority of schools. For some institutions, withdrawals in particular courses are more detrimental than withdrawals in other courses."

Citation: Landrum, R. E. (2003). Graduate admissions in psychology: Transcripts and the effect of withdrawals. Teaching of Psychology, 30(4), 323-325.