Admissions Procedures

Admissions Procedures

The application process at PSP is designed to identify as early as possible those candidates who are potentially acceptable for admission. Prospective students are initially encouraged to visit the PSP website (www.psp.edu), fill out and send to PSP a Short-Form Application (located on the web-site), and schedule a preliminary telephone interview with the Senior Tutor of this doctoral program. During the interview the questions of prospective students are answered. This interview is the first official step in the admissions process. At this time, the graduate program of The Professional School of Psychology is reviewed, and the potential applicant’s goals, academic background and experience are examined along with his or her motivation and preparation for graduate education.

The interviewer also makes a decision with respect to the prospective applicant’s “goodness of fit” with The Professional School of Psychology’s resources and expectations. Among the factors taken into account are strong academic skills (usually represented by a grade point average above 3.0), realistic perception of the profession of psychology, social concerns, interpersonal abilities (such as the capacity to be an effective listener), ethical standards, communication skills, and empathy for others.

At the conclusion of the interview, if the prospective student is believed to be able to meet the Professional School of Psychology’s entrance requirements, and is perceived in the interviewer’s best judgment to possess the personal qualities of a practicing psychologist, he or she is given an application package along with an explanation of the procedures to be followed. Materials required in the PSP application include the following:

• An autobiographical essay of about five pages.
• A resume of personal experience.
• Official transcripts from degree-granting institutions attended.
• Two letters of recommendation with evaluations of ability to successfully complete graduate study.

When the application materials have been received, they are reviewed by the PSP Admissions Committee and informed of the outcome of this review within one week.