Admissions/Applying

Admission

The Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine admits eight (8) new students in the fall of each year to the PhD Program. Please Note: There is a separate APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS) on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University.  More information on the WCAS clinical psychology program can be found by clicking here.  There are many differences between our program and the WCAS program.  For example, the WCAS program operates from a clinical scientist model, whereas our program operates from a scientist-practitioner model (50% research and 50% clinical). You cannot apply to both programs in the same year.

We encourage you to apply to our program if your background is consistent with the following qualifications:

• An undergraduate grade point average in your major field of 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale;
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal, quantitative, and analytical scores above the 70th percentile;
• Undergraduate and/or Master’s level course work consistent with a major in psychology, including experimental psychology, abnormal psychology, statistics, and research design;
• Prior experience (paid or voluntary) with clinical populations, including direct-service or clinical research;
• For international students, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores.
• Interested in intensive training using a scientist-practitioner model and a career as a clinical psychologist doing research and/or clinical work in an academic medical center or other health care settings.

For information on the qualities, characteristics, qualifications, etc… of competitive applicants that are specific to the each of the research labs, please review the Lab-Specific Admissions Information page.

For information about our new joint JD-PhD degree program, please click here.

We value demographic, gender, and ethnic/racial diversity in our incoming classes.  We especially encourage members of underrepresented minority groups with strong applications to apply to our program.

See “Application Procedure” below to apply.  The application deadline for admission to the 2013–2014 cohort is Friday, November 15, 2013 at midnight.

Graduate School Application

Click here for the Northwestern University Graduate School on-line application. Choose Admission and Apply Online.

Application Procedures

Application deadline: November 15th, 2013, for entrance FALL 2014. Application for admission to the Northwestern University Clinical Psychology PhD Program has three major components:

1. Completing the on-line application form, with payment, via the secure NU website.

2. Requesting that ETS submit official GRE and/or TOEFL test scores to NU Graduate School (Code 1565).

3. Submitting all supporting documents (letters, transcripts, personal statement, etc).

For more information about the general admission process, please review The Graduate School’s Admission website.

 

1. NU Graduate School Application Form Online. Online applications for the 2013-2014 academic cohort will be open on September 2, 2013. Deadline for receipt of completed applications and supporting materials for the Clinical Psychology PhD program is November 15, 2013. To begin the on-line application process, read the instructions and complete the Online Application on The NU Graduate School website. In the Personal Information section on Page 1, choose “Clinical Psychology: PhD (C30PH)” as your Academic Program from the pull-down menu. The nonrefundable application fee must be paid via credit card at the time of application submission and the application will not be processed without payment of the fee. The application fee cannot be waived.  Additional information regarding the application fee is online at http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/admission.

Please Note: The online application program will require you to select a Research Emphasis (under the Specialization pull-down menu).  Because we are a mentor-based program, you also must indicate the faculty member(s) that you are interested in working with during your graduate training on the application.  Make sure to align the Research Emphasis you select with the faculty members you select.  If you do not indicate the faculty member(s) by name, there may be a delay in reviewing your application.

2. Test Scores: The following General Record Examinations (GRE) scores for consideration to the Clinical Psychology PhD program:

• Verbal
• Quantitative
• Analytical
• Psychology Subject Test (strongly desired, but not required)

We do not have an absolute cut-off score for GRE scores; however most of the applicants that we consider have GRE scores above the 70th percentile. Please have your official GRE scores sent by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) directly to The Northwestern University Graduate School – Institution code 1565 (Department code 2001 optional).

Please note: Due to the GRE testing schedule the deadline for all GRE scores is January 18th. You can self-report your scores as part of the online application; however, official GRE scores are required for final consideration. TOEFL: For international students, valid TOEFL scores are required unless you have, or will have, completed a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution where the primary language is English. The Division of Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program cannot waive this requirement. Please have your TOEFL scores sent by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) directly to the Northwestern University Graduate School using code 01. If you have taken the IBT TOEFL exam please request that your scores be sent to the graduate office (versus undergraduate) and then select the program name that most matches Clinical Psychology. If no match is available, you may choose option 99.

3. Supporting Materials In addition to personal information provided in the online application, you will need to submit the following supporting materials to complete your application. Some of the items (see below) may be submitted online. Any supporting documentation sent as hard copies should go directly to the Division of Psychology, preferably in a single package, at the address at the end of this webpage.

Letters of Recommendation:

• We require 3 letters of recommendation, preferably from psychologists.
• Letters should be from professors or supervisors who are familiar with your academic, research, and/or clinical work.
• All recommendation letters are now required to be submitted on-line by your recommenders. We no longer accept recommendations through the mail.  For online submission of letters of recommendation, please follow the instructions on the Apply Yourself web site.

Transcripts:

Transcripts from each postsecondary institution you attended are required for your application to be complete. You must upload scanned versions of your official transcripts online in ApplyYourself. We no longer will accept paper copies in the mail.

If you are accepted into the Doctoral Program, The Graduate School will require that you submit official paper copies of your transcripts (including degree awarding transcripts) directly to The Graduate School (TGS) Admission Office. TGS will compare the official transcripts received via mail to the versions uploaded during the application process to ensure that no tampering/fraud occurred. Any student found to have submitted false documentation during the application process will be immediately dismissed. Registration holds will be placed on any student’s account if her or his official transcripts are not received by the end of the first quarter of enrollment.

Essay Questions:

Please upload the following two (2) essays via the Writing Sample section of the online application. Number your responses to correspond with the questions. Limit your responses to a maximum of two pages each (please write succinctly).

1. Clinical Statement. Please describe your clinically-relevant experiences, either paid or volunteer, and discuss how they have shaped your clinical interests.

2. Research Statement. Please discuss the following in your Research Statement:

a. Your research experiences, including a description of the research and your involvement in the research.

b. How your research experiences have shaped your research interests.

c.Your research goals, and how your research interests and experiences fit with the specific lab or mentor(s) for which you are applying.

d. You are encouraged to submit abstracts or reprints (no more than a total of five pages).

Statement of Purpose. Please include the following information in the Statement of Purpose essay you complete as part of your online application:

a. Discuss why you want to become a clinical psychologist.  Please include how your background and life experiences, beyond that which you have already described in your Clinical and Research Statements, contribute to your decision to pursue a career in clinical psychology.

b. Discuss why you are applying to the Clinical Psychology program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

c. Indicate the specific Research Emphasis and Clinical Emphasis for which you are applying. Discuss the reasons you are interested in pursuing a career in that area of clinical psychology. Make certain to indicate by name the specific faculty member(s) you would like to work with, and discuss why you would like to work with that faculty member(s).

Notification of Acceptance/Denial

Admission decisions will be conveyed via the online application. Additional information about the admission decision can be found here: http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/admission/decision/index.html. Official acceptance will follow in writing from the Graduate School. Review of applications begins in December. Interview dates will be in February 2014, although the specific dates have not been determined.

University Policy Statements

It is the policy of Northwestern University not to discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, handicap, or veteran status in matters of admissions, employment, housing, or services or in the educational programs or activities it operates, in accordance with civil rights legislation and University commitment. Any alleged violations of this policy or questions regarding the law with respect to non-discrimination should be directed to Director of Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Disability Services, 720 University Place, Evanston, Illinois 60208-1147, 847/491-7458; Office of the Provost, Rebecca Crown Center, 633 Clark Street, Evanston, Illinois 60208-1101. Northwestern University reserves the right to change without notice any statement in this application concerning, but not limited to, rules, policies, tuition, fees, curricula, and courses.

Please direct all questions to the Division of Psychology admissions assistant:

Phone: 312/908-8262

Fax: 312/908-5070

e-mail: clinpsych@northwestern.edu