Sneak Peek

          The purpose of the Yale Psychology “Sneak Peek” program is to provide underrepresented undergraduates and recent graduates who may potentially pursue an advanced degree in psychology with an opportunity to get an “inside look” into psychology PhD programs, to gain support in preparing a successful application to such a program, and to make connections with current graduate students and faculty who can continue to support them should they choose to apply to and attend a doctoral program in Psychology.

 

         Students from groups historically underrepresented in higher education – namely, Black, Latinx, and Native students – often face barriers to advancement through academia’s “pipeline.” Students from underrepresented groups often face inhospitable institutional climates, are disproportionately burdened by financial obligations, and frequently have less “insider knowledge” and fewer “insider connections” than their White counterparts. As such, the ins and outs of doctoral programs, along with their admissions processes and acceptance criteria (i.e. the "hidden curriculum"), are often largely unknown to students without family members, friends, or close mentors who have successfully advanced through such programs. Underrepresented students may also feel less empowered than their White peers to take advantage of mentoring and career development resources that are provided by their schools. We hope Sneak Peek can help underrepresented trainees overcome some of these challenges. 

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          We intentionally do not accept Yale undergraduates to this program, as undergraduates at Yale already have a number of opportunities to learn about psychology graduate programs and gain research experience at an elite institution. We instead ensure that this opportunity is advertised at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). We also advertise to students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) – and public universities in particular – as underrepresented students at PWIs may feel especially marginalized within their institutions and may lack access to the sorts of diversity-focused mentoring and career development resources that students at HBCUs, HIS, and TCUs have. Interested students are required to complete a formal application including a personal statement, CV, academic transcript, and a letter of recommendation.