Psych + Neuro at Wellesley
Are you fascinated by psychology and keen to explore more of this highly complex and variable world? Explo runs a weeks-long summer program where students learn about diagnosis, criminal profiling, research and more. They also launch their own original research projects and receive oversight and feedback from practitioners in fields including criminal, behavioral and organizational psychology. It’s a great way to get introduced to this vast and diverse area of study.
Psychology seeks to understand behavior and develop models of cognitive and physiological processes. Neuroscience goes a step further and seeks to answer the questions: How does the brain give rise to the mind? What is the biological basis for emotions and reactions? How are mental illnesses related to differences and changes in brain functionality? In this Concentration, explore the interactions between psychology and neuroscience in an attempt to understand and unlock the mysteries of the human brain. Explore a range of disciplines within the field of psychology and learn how to apply different therapeutic theories to diagnostics and clinical treatment of mental illnesses. An introduction to behavioral neuroscience explores the presumed biological bases for such illnesses — as well as the relationship between brain activity and a person’s subjective experience, principles governing neuronal activity, and neurotransmitter systems in memory, motivation, and addiction.
In EXPLO Psychology + Neuroscience, explore the tools used by psychologists for diagnosis, analyze nervous system anatomy and functionality through labs measuring muscle action potential, and learn from leading experts on the role of psychology in the interrogation of criminal suspects.
How do I get started? Click here.
How do I expand this narrative arc?
take a psychology course at your high school if you are fortunate enough to be at one where the class is offered;
do an independent study (or even research project) with a teacher or supervising professional, ideally expanding on what you learned in your BU summer program;
if you’re looking for something a little longer and more robust, have a look at the psych program at Boston University. The course changes yearly, and is Abnormal Psych for 2022!
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SUMMER PROGRAMS: College admissions officers are very adept at identifying “resume padders”: expensive, one-off programs paid for by your parents which do not mesh with your narrative arc. Therefore, make sure any summer program or course you consider falls into one (or more) of these four buckets:
Highly selective/competitive
Totally unique + linked to your narrative arc
Evidence of adulthood (long hours, multi-year commitment or simply hard work)
A jumping off point or expansion for an authentic narrative arc.
If none of the above apply, a program could still have value to you if it allows you to test a potential interest. However, if it does not end up being a jumping off point for further interests, then you may not want to mention it in your high school resume