Application Information

Application Information

How to Apply

Applications for admission for the fall semester must be submitted by December 15th.

All prospective applicants for doctoral study in the graduate program in School Psychology at Penn State are encouraged to review the detailed, downloadable program application information available below. These materials should answer most questions about admission and other requirements.

The principal qualification for admission is evidence of strong potential for advanced graduate study and research. Such evidence is obtained from an applicant's academic record, letters of reference, scores on standardized tests, and personal statement of academic and vocational interests. Click the downloadable file "SPSY Application instructions" below for detailed instructions regarding the application process. Click here to access the Graduate School's "How to apply" page for additional information including fees.

Fellowships, graduate assistantships, and financial aid are available for qualified applicants.

Application Requirements

1. Completed Graduate School Application (available on-line at the Graduate School Admissions and Program Information Portal. Applicants will be asked to upload the following items: Personal Statement and Personal Statement Form.
2. Nonrefundable application fee
3. Scores from the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test (GRE Verbal, Quantitative, and Writing required). Use GRE institution code 2660
4. Two official transcripts in a sealed envelope from each institution attended
5. Two or more recommendations from professional psychologists, professors, and/or former supervisors who are acquainted with your academic record
6. Personal Statement for Graduate Study in School Psychology
7. For international students: All international applicants whose first language is not English or who have not received baccalaureate or master's degrees from an institution in which the language of instruction is English must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination. A TOEFL score of 550 on the paper test or a score of 213 on the computer-based test is required for admission.

Selection Process

Each year, we invite to campus those applicants who appear most qualified and compatible with the program's scientist-practitioner training model. In most years, two or three times as many students are invited for interviews as can be admitted. (Applicants who reside more than a day's drive away may be interviewed by telephone.) During their time on campus, the Professor-in-Charge meets with applicants to explain the program and our expectations in greater detail than can be effectively covered in this packet. Then, following a tour of the facilities, prospective students have individual conferences with members of the Admis ions Committee (i.e., core program faculty) and with several students. During this half-day session, questions can be answered by both faculty and students and, if necessary, by other persons in the University community. This visit gives potential students an opportunity to see the setting and people with whom they may be working for the next several years, as well as giving Penn State faculty the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about the applicants.

The School Psychology Program generally makes offers of admission and assistance by early April. In recent years, 5-8 students have been admitted each year from a pool of approximately 50-60 applicants. Of the students currently in residence at University Park, 4 are male and 14 are female. Most of the students admitted continue in the program. However, on average one student leaves the program each year. Students are productive in terms of theses as well as research publications. They are 100% successful in acquiring paid internship placements and school psychology positions. Age and qualification summary statistics are provided in the following tables.

Whom to Contact

Questions regarding our application process and receipt of your application materials should be directed to our program assistant:

Assistant to the Program
Penn State School Psychology Program
125D CEDAR Building
University Park, PA 16802-3108
phone: (814) 865-1881
fax: (814) 865-7066

Downloadable Files

Recommendation Report .pdf (80 kb, PDF)
SPSY Application instructions 10_16_08.pdf (47 kb, PDF)
SPSY Personal Statement Form.pdf (52 kb, PDF)