I am planning on going into psychology and I was wondering where I could find a list of schools that would give me the best education in this that I can get. I would appreciate your help. Thank you, WW
Choosing a school is like choosing music or clothes. There are many different types that are excellent, although each can be very different from the others. Some students need a small school where they will be
mentored readily, others need a larger school where they will be stimulated by the
range of extracurricular events available. Some need a school where they
can be guaranteed academic success, others need to risk and discover how
far they can go. Some need to be near the mountains, others by the shore
and still others don't care. For some students the "best" school for them
will be Harvard, for others it will be a "no name" school.
In other words, although there are some schools with more prestige than others -- sometimes based on the quality of their football teams -- these might not be the best school for you. I was accepted into two doctoral programs straight from college. One offered a lot of prestige. Its students told me that they believed that IF they were able to get through the program they would be able to do anything they wanted. However, they also told me that their faculty regularly chewed them up for breakfast and spit them out. The other faculty made it clear that I would be supported and mentored. I knew that I wouldn't have been able to make it through the more prestigious school in the long run. I was a naive 20 year old who was still trying to get comfortable in identifying who I was and what my strengths were. I chose the better school for me.
Think about yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you need? Remember that you can learn in any setting, but that each will offer different things that may be useful for you. Think about these things, then talk to the faculty and students at these schools and see what they say. Do their descriptions match what you want and need? Good luck! JMS
