Application Requirements

Academic Preparation

A minimum of 15 credit hours of psychology, including courses in statistics are required.

A minimum overall GPA of 3.20 for the last two years of undergraduate study is required.

Bachelor's Degree

Prior to matriculation, students must earn a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

CV / Resume

Please provide an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) or resume detailing your educational background, research experience, clinical work, and any relevant achievements. 

Letters of Recommendation

You are required to submit two letters of recommendation with your application. These letters should be from individuals, such as former professors or employers, who can speak to your academic abilities, research potential, and suitability for the program. We encourage you to talk to potential letter writers about whether or not they would be able to write a strong letter for you. Letters from professors who know you well and have worked closely with you (e.g., professors who supervised your research or had you in multiple classes) will be valued more than letters from professors who have had limited interaction with you. Recommendation letters must be submitted directly online by your recommenders. Instructions are available within RFUCAS.

Personal Statement

Please attach a personal statement that discusses your academic objectives and any additional information you feel is relevant to your application. Your personal statement should be titled as Personal Statement and be no more than 2 pages in length (11-point Arial font, single-spaced, 0.5-inch margins). You should use this essay as an opportunity to express why your background and research/clinical objectives make you a strong candidate for our psychology program. In your personal statement, we encourage you to highlight the following content. Keep in mind that we are not proposing this as a way to structure your essay, just the content it could include.

• Why you are specifically applying to the Clinical Psychology PhD Program at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science.
• Why you want to become a clinical psychologist (i.e., how your background, life experiences, educational preparation, research experience, and clinical exposure have contributed to your decision to pursue a career in clinical psychology).
• Your research interests and aspirations, including how your experiences have shaped your research interests or career goals.
• Indicate by name the specific faculty member(s) you would like to work with, why you would like to work with them, and how your research interests and experiences fit with their work. Include one or two specific examples of research questions you might be interested in exploring during graduate school.
• Your clinical interests (including your Track of Interest) and how any clinically-relevant experiences have shaped your clinical aspirations.

Diversity Statement

We strongly value diverse backgrounds, approaches, and perspectives, and believe that understanding them are essential ingredients for true academic excellence. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an optional diversity statement. This statement is not required, but may be reviewed as a part of admission and/or scholarship considerations. If you choose to submit a Diversity Statement, your statement should be titled as Diversity Statement and be no more than 1 page in length (11-point Arial font, single-spaced, 0.5-inch margins). In the statement, we encourage you to share how your personal identities, experiences, or perspectives could contribute to an intellectual community that prioritizes justice, equity, inclusion, belonging, and cultural humility if you were to join the PhD program at Rosalind Franklin University. You may include details regarding your past or present experiences, whether in academic work, extracurricular or community activities, or everyday life, but are not required to do so.

Transcripts

You are required to submit transcripts from all previously attended universities and colleges. We strongly recommend submitting official transcripts. Please note that while unofficial transcripts are acceptable for your initial application, official transcripts from each US and international college, university, and community college that you have attended must be submitted and verified by RFUCAS to secure an offer of admission.

Optional Documents

We request that applicants limit the number of additional documents submitted with their application. Applicants are welcome to submit a writing sample, but please limit your submission to one sample. This is fully optional and not required.

Computer Proficiency

Basic computer skills.

Tips for Putting Together a Strong Application

A number of helpful resources exist with suggestions for putting together a strong application. We encourage you to access the following resources while preparing your application:

• This document from Penn State Behrend includes an example of a resume/CV for graduate school and some tips to help you create yours. We encourage you to include all of your work and volunteer experiences on your resume/CV that you wish to share, even if they're not directly related to clinical psychology. Work and volunteer experiences can provide opportunities relevant to success in graduate school such as leadership, time management, and writing.
• In this document, created by Drs. Craig Rodriguez-Seijas and Jessica Schleider, there are examples of personal statements from people who have already applied to clinical psychology programs.
• There are several programs you can apply to that will provide feedback on your research/personal statements such as the Application Statement Feedback Program, the NextGen Psych Scholars Program, and the PPREP Program. All of these programs prioritize applicants from underrepresented groups and/or those who don’t have access to mentors.
• In this blog post, Derek M. Novacek outlines important questions to consider and useful strategies to implement when applying to graduate school in psychology.
• This series of videos from the American Psychological Association will take you step-by-step through the preparation, application, interview, and admission processes.
• In this detailed guide, Dr. Mitch Prinstein provides advice for applying to graduate school in clinical psychology, covering topics such as similarities and differences between programs, gaining research and/or clinical experience prior to graduate school, identifying a mentor, and so much more.
• This guide addresses topics related to applying to graduate school in psychology such as prerequisites, application requirements, personal statements, and letters of recommendation.
• The Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) has assembled useful links and resources to guide you through the process of choosing and applying to graduate school here: https://clinicalpsychgradschool.org/

Admission Vision Statement

The Department of Psychology is dedicated to the enrollment of a diverse student body aligned with our mission of training clinical psychologists and counselors for culturally responsive and professional practice, research, and leadership. We are committed to selecting candidates who exhibit dedication to psychology through research, healthcare, or service roles, and who demonstrate leadership potential through community or school service involvement. We also strongly emphasize valuable personal qualities, including effective communication, problem-solving, self-awareness, empathy, ethical integrity, and a profound commitment to health equity. Our holistic review ensures the identification of prospective students with the potential to excel as competent and compassionate psychologists and counselors contributing to the richness of our field.