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What will make me stand out if I want to be accepted as a Psych major?

I'm a junior in high school right now. I'm looking to get accepted as a psych or counseling psych major, hopefully at UT Austin, but what are some things that I can do that would make me stand out and have a higher chance of being accepted? (at University of Austin, University of Houston, or just in general for any college)
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Thank you comment icon I was accepted to UC Santa Barbara as a Psychology major! Some things I did to make my application stand out were taking AP Psychology, volunteering with kids in my hometown, and writing one of my UC essays specifically about my love for Psychology. Some things I didn't do (but that my Psych major friends did) were taking Psych SAT Subject tests and getting research experience in the Psych field. Marlowe
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Dr. Carolyn’s Answer

I'm sure you realize that UT Austin is incredibly difficult to get into. however, there are things that you can do to elevate your chances of getting accepted to any university. You will obviously need top grades, high test scores, and a great essay for the college application process. Many universities also look at your history of volunteering and what you're interested in majoring in. I'm assuming that since you're interested in psychology or counseling psychology, that your interest is in providing therapeutic assistance for clients. If that's true, you may want to seek volunteering opportunities in any kind of mental health industry where you can interact with clinicians and clients in some capacity. Ethically, you will be very limited in what you can do (the ethical guidelines are very strict, for very good reasons); however, there are places where you might make a difference as a volunteer. For instance, women's shelters, foster parent organizations, psychologists' offices, mental health facilities, hospitals, schools, and educational settings may provide you with opportunities to help and learn. Even if all you do is file, it may be beneficial for you and your goals. Being able to put this type of volunteering on a college application will demonstrate your commitment to helping and learning, which are two components that are essential to successful students at the university level.

You might also focus on learning as much as you can about the most seminal psychologists and their contributions to the field, prominent theories in psychology, and the various psychotherapeutic modalities so that you will have a working knowledge of the history of psychology, what modalities are available to help others, and how you might be able to contribute in a positive and tangible way. Researching this will help you understand what kind of psychologist you want to be, and what sort of approach you feel more drawn to. This will demonstrate to your university that you're serious about psychology, so serious that you took the time to research as much of it as possible before applying to the school.

Another option that may make you stand out from the crowd is trying to get published. See if you can get an article published in a local newsletter, newspaper, or publication, especially something dealing with psychology. And remember when writing your college essay, be authentic. Universities have read millions of essays, and they've probably heard it all. What they look for is authenticity, honesty, and compelling content. You may want to spend the next year practicing essay writing from typical college entrance prompts so that you can refine your thinking and the presentation of your life, your hopes, your dreams, your goals, and how you plan to make the world a better place because of the degree you earn.

Importantly, please give a lot of thought as to why you want to major in psychology. It's a tough industry to go into, and it takes a long time before you really make any money at it, so you have to really want to do it. And you have to know why you really want to do it, so that if you're asked, you'll have a good answer that is sincere and authentic and honest. Good luck!
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Rebecca’s Answer

Pursue volunteer opportunities that will give you experience in the psych world, or pursue a job that requires you to interact empathetically with others. If you're interested in working with kids, perhaps there's a summer camp for children with autism that you could volunteer at. Or maybe get in touch with a local mental health facility to see what volunteer opportunities they have. Interacting empathetically with others goes beyond a cashier position. Pursue something that involves spending time really getting to know people, such as mentoring. I wanted to go into healthcare, so I pursued caregiving. This allowed me to learn how to interact with people because I entered into others' homes and spent a significant amount of time getting to know clients one-on-one.
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