Admission Criteria
The following information is used to guide our decisions on admission to the program:
- A formula score based on the overall undergraduate GPA, GRE Verbal, and GRE Quantitative scores.
- Three letters of reference. We would like to have at least one letter from someone from whom you have taken a college level course.
- A personal statement.
The formula score
A formula score combining overall undergraduate GPA and GRE scores has been found to be significantly related to performance in the program. For that reason it is the main piece of information upon which admission decisions are based.
The formula = 200 * UGPA + 0.5*GREV + 0.5*GREQ
In words, your formula score is equal to 200 times the overall undergraduate GPA (UGPA) plus the average of the GRE Verbal and GRE quantitative scores. For example, the average UGPA of recently admitted students to the program is about 3.40. The average of the GRE Verbal scores is 490*. The average of the GRE quantitative scores is 560*. A student whose UGPA and GRE scores are at these average values would have the following formula score:
Formula score = 200 * 3.40 + 0.5*490 + 0.5*560 = 680 + 245 + 280 = 1205
This is an average score. About half of the admitted students have formula scores below this value and about half have scores above it.
The probability of admission is lower for applicants with formula scores below 1200. Students whose formula scores are below 1100 are much less likely to be admitted than those with scores closer to 1200. A formula score below 1050 is associated with a very low probability of admission. Low formula scores can sometimes be compensated for by exemplary letters of reference, a strong personal statement, or other evidence that a student will be able to perform well in the program.
A student with formula score above 1200 will have a high probability of being admitted, assuming the letters of reference and personal statement also indicate that the applicant will be able to make a positive contribution to the program and ultimately to the discipline.
Letters of reference
Applicants must submit three letters of reference. An applicant's file is not considered complete and will not be acted upon until all three letters are in the file. Here is a form for your references to complete when filing their recommendations. Copies of the form will be mailed to an applicant upon request. All reference letters should be from people who know the applicant well enough to comment frankly on his/her ability to complete a master's level program of study. At least one of the letters should be from a college professor who has observed the applicant's performance in at least one college-level course. Applicants should follow-up with their letter writers well before the application deadline to ensure that all reference letters have been submitted in a timely fashion.
Personal statement
Your personal statement should:
- explain why you want to pursue graduate education in I/O psychology
- identify your individual strengths and weaknesses as an applicant
- provide the committee with any other information about yourself that will help us evaluate your application and your ability to succeed in a graduate school environment.
The statement should not exceed two pages and it should be typed. This statement will be evaluated in terms of its overall writing quality and evidence of your general knowledge of I-O psychology and the requirements for success in our M.S. program. Show us you understand what it will take to succeed here and let us know how you can make a positive contribution to the program and to the field of I-O psychology when you graduate.
