Best West Coast Undergraduate Psychology Colleges?

College Search & Lists
1

<p>I am a junior in high school and I am beginning my college search.I know I want to go and get a psychology degree, hopefully eventually getting a doctorate or masters in clinical psych. I am from the Northwest and want to go to a college in the west coast. I don’t have the best grades, 3.1, yet I do go to a very academically rigorous private school and volunteer weekly. I also have a job. My SAT score right now is a 1610. Any recommendations for colleges?
Thank you so much!</p>

2

<p>[FAQ</a> - General Admissions | UC Psych](<a href=“http://psychology.berkeley.edu/students/graduate-program/faq-general-admissions]FAQ”>General Admission | UC Psych) has the following recommendations for preparing for a PhD program in psychology:</p>

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<p>I.e. seek undergraduate schools which have course work and undergraduate research opportunities in your intended specialty of clinical psychology.</p>

<p>Psychology is often a very popular major, so that psychology courses often have among the larger class sizes at any given school. LACs should help in the class sizes, if that matters to you, but be sure to check the course catalogs and faculty rosters to see if your intended specialty is well represented in courses and research opportunities.</p>

<p>Of course, you need to consider your cost constraints and state of residency. Run the net price calculators on school web sites to check financial aid estimates.</p>

3

<p>Thank you for the comment! Do you know of any smaller schools with solid undergraduate psych programs?</p>

4

<p>I know that Pacific Lutheran has a very good psychology program. I know a number of graduates from there who went on to obtain PhDs and are working in the field.</p>

<p>But to be honest, there are many schools with good psychology undergrad programs. Just be sure to take advantage of research opportunities and field experience.</p>

5

<p>Thank you for the advice!
I am also looking into the UW-Bothell, since the UW is so difficult to get into. I know they have a community psych program, but I do not know how strong its department really is, even if it is affiliated with the UW-Seattle. Does anyone know an answer to this?</p>

6

<p>Pitzer College in Claremont, CA has an excellent psychology program. You might need to boost your scores a little bit, but it is manageable.</p>

7

<p>Pitzer is an excellent school and a great suggestion. Yet, unlike most people, I don’t like being in too much sunny weather and prefer rain.
Does anyone know about Mill’s Psychology program in Oakland, California or Lewis & Clark’s in Portland Oregon?
If anyone has any other suggestions, I would love to hear them!
Thank you!</p>

8

<p>Maybe Santa Clara University?
Or perhaps one of the CSUs, such as Northridge? </p>

<p>I don’t actually know much about psychology programs, but those are some schools that aren’t that much of reaches.</p>

9

<p>Thank you quidditchcat for the suggestions!</p>