You may have heard that it is extraordinarily difficult, virtually impossible, to get into graduate school in psychology. Such statements are oversimplified and misleading. While there is no getting around the fact that APA-accredited Ph.D. programs in clinical and counseling psychology are especially competitive, rest assured that there are more options than ever before for pursuing advanced graduate-level study in psychology, especially in the field of mental health (i.e., clinical, counseling, social work and school psychology). Also keep in mind that the mental health area represents only one of many options; graduate studies in social, developmental, health, neuroscience, cognitive, and industrial-organization psychology (to name a few) provide wonderful opportunities for pursuing advanced degrees in an area of specialization that best fits your interests. This site addresses how to find a good match between your interests and the right area to pursue. For now, keep in mind that if you plan ahead and build your resume using this guide and other resources suggested here, you will maximize your chances of getting into graduate school in psychology. Being an informed applicant is the key to successfully applying to graduate school in psychology and getting into a program that is right for you.
One of the keys to getting into graduate school in psychology is to find a program that is a good match for your interests and abilities. This simple point is very important to keep in mind because there is no reason to attend a graduate program that poorly matches your interests; doing so will not serve you well and usually leads to unhappiness and dissatisfaction with graduate school. Being miserable in graduate school isn't worth the emotional hardship, especially when there are likely to be better options. So, let's start with two key questions: (1) what types of graduate programs in psychology are available?; and (2) which type of program would provide a good match for you?