Applicants must take the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) General Test and have their official scores reported to Illinois State. Only applicants who intend to enroll full time will be considered for admission to the specialist program. Admission is offered only for the fall semester and is very competitive. Meeting the minimum requirements does not ensure selection for admission to the specialist program in School Psychology.

The letter of recommendation form is an interactive Microsoft Word file. Click on the link below to download the form to the computer's desktop. Applicants should complete their portion of the form on the computer. If they cannot download the form or complete it on the computer, applicants should contact the Graduate Psychology Programs Office by e-mail about the problem. After completing the first portion, applicants should save the form as a MS Word file and submit it as an e-mail attachment to the individual writing the letter of recommendation.

After the second portion of the form has been completed, the individual writing the recommendation should print the form, and then sign and date it. If a separate letter of recommendation is written, the completed form must be included in the envelope. The recommendation form and the letter of recommendation, if applicable, must be placed in an envelope and sealed, The signature of the individual providing the recommendation should be written across the sealed envelope flap. The sealed envelope should be returned to the applicant, who will mail all three letters of recommendation and other application material to the department.

University Application

Complete the University's online application process.

Online Application: Applicants must complete the online Graduate Application or International Application for admission to Illinois State.

International applicants are advised to have all University application materials delivered to Admissions at least four weeks prior to the admission deadline. International applications require additional time to process.

Have the following application materials sent to the University.

GRE Test Scores: Applicants should use code R1319 to have official GRE scores reported to Illinois State.

Educational Transcript: Transcript(s) must be sent to:

Illinois State University
Admissions
Campus Box 2200
Normal, IL 61790-2200

Applicants may check on receipt of the online application at www.welcome2isu.ilstu.edu.

Admissions forwards the online application to the Department of Psychology. Processing takes time. Therefore, it is in the applicant's best interest to submit the online application before December 1.

The department application has been incorporated into the University's online application process. However, the letters of recommendation and the writing sample (if not attached to the online application) MUST be mailed to the department. See the address below.

Form for Letter of Recommendation
Three letters of recommendation are required. At least one letter should be from an individual who is familiar with the applicant's research activities.
Writing sample (a scholarly work, not a personal statement, 5-15 pages)
Graduate Tuition Waiver

These application materials should be sent as one complete package to:

Illinois State University
Department of Psychology
Graduate Psychology Programs
Campus Box 4620
Normal, IL 61790-4620

Complete the online application for a Graduate Assistantship.

Graduate Assistantship online application (requires at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale)

Applicants may contact the Graduate Psychology Programs Office by e-mail to verify receipt of a complete application. The e-mail should include the applicant's full name and identify the specialist program in School Psychology.

Department Offer Letter

The department generally makes its decisions concerning admission offers prior to April 15. In the offer letter, the applicant will be informed about:

any deficiencies in undergraduate coursework;
graduate assistantship and tuition waiver, if available; and
contact information for the coordinator of School Psychology.

The American Psychological Association stipulates that recipients have until April 15 to respond to the department's offer letter. Applicants may contact the Graduate Psychology Programs Office by e-mail to inquire about their application status, if they have not received an offer letter by April 30.

Notice of Admission Status

The University will notify applicants about their admission status into a graduate degree program. If admitted to the University, admission can be unconditional, provisional, or probationary. These types of admission are defined in the Graduate Catalog. Notices are generally distributed from early April to mid-May.

Scholarships

The Audrey J. Grupe Fellowship in School Psychology
See the Web site for specific information about this fellowship and candidate qualifications.

Illinois Fund for Careers in School Psychology Minority Scholarship Award
This award is for students admitted to School Psychology programs who are members of racial or ethnic minorities. Contact Dr. Mark Swerdlik by e-mail or call (309) 438-5720 for application information.

Graduate Assistantship

Applicants with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, on a 4.0 scale, are eligible to apply for graduate assistantships.

Graduate assistantships are posted on the Illinois State University Jobs Web site. When at the Web site, scroll down to find the Psychology-462 positions. Follow the instructions for completing the online application. The decision to award an assistantship is based on a variety of factors, e.g., the academic record of the applicant, the graduate program the applicant is admitted to, and matching job-related skills and availability of the applicant with specific department needs. The department will notify applicants, in the offer letter, if an applicant has been selected for a graduate assistantship.

When applying for a graduate assistantship, applicants are also encouraged to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The application deadline is March 1. This application is for a federal work study award. Applicants are not required to complete the section on parental income or assets; however, providing this information increases the likelihood of eligibility for federal funding.

If federal work study is awarded, the federal government pays for a percentage of the student's salary. Federal work study helps to lower the department's cost for graduate assistantships, which provides more funds for additional students. If the federal work study award is larger than the assistantship stipend, the department will consider increasing the assistantship. Under some circumstances, graduate students who receive federal work study funds are disadvantaged by accepting the award; therefore, students will be released from federal work study if this award is not in their best interest.

Applicants who accept graduate assistantships are considered employees of the University and the State of Illinois. State employees are required to pass the Mandatory Governmental Ethics OnlineTraining each fiscal year based on the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (5 ILCS 430/5-10). Students will be notified in the fall semester of the Web site and deadline for completing the online training. Students who do not pass the Illinois Ethics Training risk losing their assistantship and any tuition waiver.

Financial Aid

See the Financial Aid Web site for more information about financial assistance.

See the Career Center Web site for information about employment opportunities.

APA Funding
American Psychological Association

APAGS Scholarships and Awards
American Psychological Association of Graduate Students

Psi Chi Awards and Grants
Psi Chi, The National Honor Society in Psychology