Expert: Susie Watts - 1/9/2007

Question
Thanks! How can I know what are good programs and what aren't? I am looking at University of Delaware, Rutgers, Hunter CUNY and Bryn Mawr, but I don't have a good way of telling which have good psych programs and which are just standard.
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

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Hi!
I am a sophomore in college looking to transfer. I am a psych major and having trouble figuring out what school to pick. My top priority is going somewhere with a really stand-out psych program. I currently have a 3.75 GPA and I'm looking for a school that doesn't have that "party" culture that many do. I live in Philadelphia (currently attend a local Penn State campus) and I would love to stay in the Mid-Atlantic state area (I really love Philly but would be open to other places as well). I prefer small schools but really what I am looking for is a psych program that is in-depth, full of motivated faculty members that can help prepare me for grad school. If you can suggest some schools, I would be so grateful!
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Four schools that I would suggest you look at are Bucknell, Franklin and Marshall, Drew, and Allegheny.  They all have good psychology programs but I think you should go to their websites and look more at them in depth.

Answer
Your best bet is to look at each school's catalog and see how extensive the psychology program is in terms of courses, reserach opportunities, internships, etc.  You could also email the head of the department and pose some questions.  The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are transferring and you only want to do it once.  So, it is doubly significant that you make sure the school is the right fit for you in terms of size, location, your learning style, community and school involvement, etc.  Getting good grades in psychology and other classes will also be important because most psychology majors go on to graduate school to further the depth of their understanding and decide how they want to use their psychology major in the work place.