Frequently Asked Questions and some words of wisdom (we hope)

While we cannot REALLY answer every question you might have here, this is a list of the questions we seem to get most frequently. Check here first as a source of information.

What is the ACAT?

ACAT stands for the Area Concentration Achievement Tests.This is a test given to all graduating seniors as part of their senior seminar class. The test is a standardized test which measures knowledge of psychology in the following ten disciplines (Abnormal, Developmental, Experimental Design, History & Systems, Human Learning and Cognition, Personality, Physiological, Sensation/Perception, Social, and Statistics).We use this as one index of how well you and we are doing as a program. These sub-disciplines represent the broadest perspective of psychology and provide a general measure of how much knowledge you have of psychology.

Do I need to pass the ACAT to graduate?

While it would not be out of the realm of possibility of including this as a component of graduation in the future, at this point, it is used as part of the course requirements in the Senior Seminar class. It does, however, account for ~25% of the Senior Seminar grade.  More importantly though, it represents how well you know the discipline of psychology.  It is hoped that if you choose to major in psychology, you would be motivated enough to learn the discipline as best you can. Poor scores might be interpreted as an overall lack of interest in the field or low motivation and speak towards the qualities and abilities of the students as much as, if not moreso than  to the department.

What is a good score on the ACAT and how have we done?

We have had students score as high as the 100th% of psychology students in the country, and we have had those who have scored significantly lower. Those who score best take a large number of psych courses and are active in the major and in classes. People who are not active or do not do well in classes seem to score low on the test, so we feel that this does provide some insight into the validity of the test. 

I don't plan on going to graduate school so why do I need to do research or take certain classes?

One of the most important things to realize about research is that it really is at the heart of our discipline. Learning the process of research teaches one to formalize and methodically test assumptions and how to communicate their knowledge to an audience. More importantly though, it teaches how to critically view and evaluate evidence that you will come across in journals, texts, and classes. Without a solid foundation in research, it is difficult to be an objective and critical reader and consumer of information. Research is our method of asking questions and provides a roadmap to seeking answers about the complexities of human behavior.

Why am I here?

That is generally a question we ask philosophers to address, but it is a real question for all college students and educators. Until you can answer the question, you cannot progress in any major or in your own life. While we don't expect everyone to have their entire life planned out when they enter college, students need to be making informed and purposeful decisions fairly quickly. Unless you have some plan of action, you cannot seek out the experiences or activities which are necessary for success. We are here to provide information and assistance in helping you meet your goals. If you cannot describe them, or do not want to work on them, we cannot help.

If you became a psych major because you couldn't think of anything better....that would probably be considered a bad reason and you will likely get very little from your experiences here.

What do I really need to get into graduate school?

While there is always some element of chance in the admission to graduate school, there is a general rule for success. Good/great grades (3.5 GPA minimum in major / overall) + good test scores (GRE - math, verbal skills, analytical thought) + good experiences (internships, research experiences) + independent research +  good recommendation letters (strong and positive from members of the faculty) + good oral / written/ quantitative skills + good planning = graduate school.

Graduate school is NOT easy and if you make little effort as an undergraduate, you will not make it in graduate school. If your best preparation for a planned clinical program is that all of your friends come to you for advice...you won't make it in graduate school.  Getting in requires a lot of effort and a lot of work. If you are unable or unwilling to put forth the necessary effort, you will not succeed. Remember that our profession works with people who might be at the worst time in their lives and someone who does not know what they are doing might cause real and lasting harm. Yes, only the best make it to graduate school, but that is the group who has the necessary training for what is required.

Is psychology a good major if I don't want to go into graduate school?

Yes. A background in psychology is helpful in a large number of fields. We have a number of majors who use their education in a number of different ways (law school, medical profession, education/teaching, social work, etc.). However, many people who originally want to be "a psychologist" are typically expressing a desire to do some form of counseling. This may not be a realistic goal for some students. Despite this though, there are a number of ways to use the psychology degree to your benefit be it in business, education or some other profession.

Are you trying to scare me with your responses to # 6 & 7?

Probably. We have all seen students who have great potential and could do ANYTHING they wished to, and yet.... they didn't. If you really have a desire, you need to have a realistic point of view about what is expected of you. YOU ultimately control what happens to you. We can provide the opportunities, but it is up to you to make something of them.

How many psychology courses should I take?

This one is simple...as many as you can. If for nothing else, you need a broad base of knowledge for the ACAT. More importantly though, you came to college for a reason and you chose psychology for a reason. If you are going to get a degree in the field, shouldn't you get the best/most training possible? Yes, there may be classes which you do not like as well as others; there may be classes which are a lot of work; but in the end...this IS the reason you are here. If your degree is to mean something, you need to work for it. Doing as little as is necessary might get you a degree, but this is not a sign that possible employers are looking for.

Should I go abroad in my Junior year?

This depends. While time abroad is a wonderful experience, it is one which has to be planned for. There are some consequences for these actions. With proper planning a semester or year abroad can work just fine, but going abroad might cause some problems or could force you to miss out on some opportunities (e.g. a year abroad would almost certainly make a senior Honors project difficult to achieve). Like everything else, if planned for this can work (a number of B.S. students take a semester abroad and still manage to get all of their work done to enable them to do Honors research their senior year. This boils down to choices you will need to make. While you may want to go abroad, you need to keep the larger picture of your plans in mind. Students sometimes have to make some big choices. If you are interested in both time abroad and graduate training, please speak to a department member as soon as possible.

How much work is a Senior Honors Project?

A lot. And, our expectations are high as well. All students who attempt this should plan on spending a LOT of time consumed by their research. Unless you are willing to devote a solid year (more if you include the necessary Junior level work) of your life to this...you will likely not make it through. We have seen some remarkable pieces of work from our students and they should be thrilled with what they have accomplished. This is not an easy process and you should make sure you are motivated enough to carry this out for this to work smoothly.

I want to be a _________________ but I don't want to do ______________________.

This is usually filled in with "I want to be a clinician, but I don't want to do math/science/research." Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done. Math is one of our cornerstones (needed for a number of classes as well as tests such as the GRE), as is science and research which teach about the process of objective investigation and inquiry. Your guiding principle should be "Here is what I want... and that is what is required."

What are the most important classes to take?

Again, this changes depending on what you want to get from your degree. Most of the classes we consider important are listed as requirements in the major (for either the BA or BS degree). For the remainder of the classes, the classes tied to the disciplines of the ACAT represent the "most" important fields in our discipline.

What sort of experiences are graduate schools looking for?

Two of the most important experiences you can have as you are looking towards graduate schools are research and internship experiences (regardless of what discipline you are looking for). Keep in mind though that simply going through the motions impresses nobody.  You can do a "cookie cutter" experiment that can make you look unremarkable, and you can do an internship which is nothing more than a babysitting or secretarial job. These do not open any doors. You need to be proactive and seek out informed and planned- for research and internship experiences.