Can I get into an Ivy League graduate school?

Question

I'm a student at a small (but nationally ranked) private liberal arts college. Yale is my dream graduate school (although I am also looking at Brown, Duke, Princeton.. etc), I would like to go for clinical psychology - so I'd like some feedback from anyone who went to any of these schools or has worked at any of the Ivy League schools on whether or not I should consider applying... I will be graduating with a 3.8 (if all goes as planned), I am in the honors program, will have written an honors thesis and presented my own research at our annual Rall Symposium, I will have had at least 1 year of volunteer experience in the psychology field, will have research collaboration with a professor and graduated with honors some form of *** laude. I've also had at least 1 job for my entire college career, sometimes I've held down 2. Is there anything else I should do? Do I have enough credentials? I still have yet to take the GRE, and I know that I need to score very high, but I'm not that worried. What do you think??

Answer 1

I could give you better advice if you told me the name of your school.

When applying to the top schools quality of your undergraduate school is a much bigger factor than many people think it is.  I was recently told that it was the most important factor by someone who has been on the PhD admissions committees in economics or finance at Princeton, Berkeley and Duke.

The top programs are very competitive -- but if you truly are at a top liberal arts college, then your GPA  and a very high GRE score will get you into some very good schools.  These schools are highly selective -- so you may not get into all of them.  

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Looking at the other responses, I have two comments.  The first is that you do NOT need to have money.  In fact, for graduate programs, these schools will pay you to go.  The second is that volunteer work is not nearly as important for graduate programs as for undergraduate schools.  When I applied to PhD programs, I was not even asked about it.  Your volunteer work in your field and the fact that you put yourself through school will be enough.

Answer 2

You sound like you have been working very hard. You will definitely pass the GPA part of getting accepted. The only issue with Ivy League schools is they are so selective, and only take a certain number of people from the area. (I am sure you already knew that, though.) Are there a lot of people applying to these types of schools in your area?

To improve your chances, I would do some volunteer program. Colleges eat that sh*t up. Get it in the local newspaper too. That helps a lot. If you have extra curriculars, like painting or something, somehow incorporate that in your app. just try to look as hard working and well rounded as humanly possible.

I think you have a good chance in getting accepted, but these schools turn away a lot of really smart kids for no apparent reason.  

Answer 3

Ranto, when someone says "nationall ranked", they usually mean just making the US News list. I doubt we're talking Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore.

We don't have enough infor to even hazard a guess. Psych PhD programs are brutally competitive to get into.

Answer 4

As long as you got real good grades and plenty of money you can go to any Ivy League school you like. Good luck!

Answer 5

No problem, i'm hopefully going to MIT, you can get into loads of ivy league university. clinical psychology, is not that sought after? easy money......