Submitting Applications Submitting Applications Students should write to the schools they would like to attend for application materials by the fall of the senior year. Typically a student makes a list of perhaps six to ten schools to which he or she wishes to be admitted. It is generally a good idea to apply to a range of programs which vary in their admission difficulty. One should not just apply to the most competitive programs or to those to which one is certain to be admitted. These letters may come from anyone in a position to evaluate the student's potential for graduate work, but probably at least one should be from a psychology professor who knows the student and the student's work well.
Most schools use standard forms for recommendations.
The student completes his or her part of the forms and then gives them to the faculty members along with stamped, addressed envelopes ready for mailing to the graduate schools. Some professors may also want the student to supply copies of transcripts, application letters, etc., as well as a written outline of the student's academic and nonacademic interests, honor, and activities. In asking a professor for a reference, the student should be considerate of the professor's time and give him or her the recommendation forms well in advance of application deadlines. Most Recommendation forms allow applicants to indicate whether or not they waive access to the letters. In making this decision, the student should realize that most graduate schools give greater weight to letters to which the student has waived right of access.