For an introduction to forensic psychology, visit the American Board of Forensic Psychology.
Start early. Finish early. Then sit back and think positive thoughts. 
Go to your library or write to the APA for books detailing various graduate programs in your field of psychology (clinical, community, social, etc.) The AAFP publishes a book of forensic programs. For a copy, write to:
President of AAFP
Randy Otto, PhD
University of South Florida
13301 Bruce Downs Blvd.
Tampa, Florida 33612-3899
and include $10.
Eliminate programs which do not fit your above criteria. Be flexible and reevaluate what criteria are truly important. Always consider financial aid when making your decision.
Sometimes it's helpful to weigh your criteria. For example, consider whether financial aid, program's prestige, location, etc. is more important. Rate each on a scale of one to three.
1=can't live without
2=don't care/negotiable
3=can't live with.
Ex: small town=2
financial aid=1
program's prestige/APA accreditation=1
faculty's helpfulness=1
religious founding=3
co-ed=1 etc.
Now programs can be compared more objectively.
Focus on the research interests/publications of individual professors. Clinical psychology programs (others may as well) usually desire a student's research interests to match a professor's interest because the program is based in part on a mentor learning/research experience.
Keep copies of:
Move from the general books to specific college catalogs.
Dear Graduate Admissions Advisor (use the person's name, get it from the APA book of programs, catalog, etc,),
Please send a catalog and information about your _____ program, the faculty research interests, and financial aid to the address below.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
Your Name. (DON'T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS, E-MAIL ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER WITH AREA CODE.)
Note, you may not fit the minimum requirements for acceptance. Put those aside, but save them. If you aren't accepted this time, you may reapply. In the year between applications, you can focus your academics/experiences on the stated requirements. REMEMBER THE REQUIREMENTS STATED ARE MINIMAL. PROGRAMS TAKE THE STUDENTS WITH THE HIGHEST GPA, GRE, EXPERIENCE, ETC.
First visit John Jay's web site. Unfortunately, the specific Forensic Psychology MA page seems to have been taken off. Please write to John Jay and request that the page (which was extremely informative) be returned to the site. .
Carpe diem.
WORDS OF WISDOM 
This letter is reprinted from the forensic psychology e-mail list sponsored by St. John's University . "I am glad that some graduate and undergraduate students have begun to ask questions about the clinical and forensic psychology distinctions. The confusion and potential problems posed to students may be significant, and I would like to give you my take, for what it is worth. It is only my opinion and I realize others may disagree. Some of what I write may discourage some people or threaten others. That is not my intent.
From where I sit, "forensic psychology" itself is not a specialty area within psychology. Rather it is a subspecialty area. Developmental psychologists specializing in forensic issues look at things such as children's competencies, guardianship issues, etc. Cognitive and social psychologists specializing in forensic issues look at things such as jury behavior, eyewitness identification, etc. Community psychologists interested in forensic issues may look at the movement of mentally ill offenders between the criminal justice and mental health systems.
Clinical psychologists will concern themselves with assessment and treatment of persons involved with the legal system in some way. Essentially every "forensic psychologist" has a substantive, broader specialty in which the forensic interest sits-and this is generally a good thing. So, in thinking about career options, the first thing a student should get a handle on is what general area of psychology most interests him or her-developmental, clinical, I/O, social, etc. From there one can move onto forensic applications. Alternatively, a student can identify a particular forensic issue which most interests him or her and then work backwards. For example, the student who is fascinated by jury decision making really needs to see this as a specialty of social psychology and should consider attending a social psychology program with a faculty member who has this expertise. A student who is interested in evaluating and treating criminal offenders should consider this work as a specialty area of clinical or counseling psychology and enter a training program where such experience can be gained.
It is true that there are not many full fledged psychology and law or forensic psychology programs in the U.S., but there are a few. More importantly, ONE DOES NOT NEED TO ATTEND SUCH A PROGRAM TO GET GOOD FORENSIC TRAINING. In fact, most good forensic psychologists have not come from such programs. A student will do quite well to attend a general clinical or social or developmental program where there are one or two faculty who share their interests, where research and applied experience can be gained, and where a course or two on the specialty area can be taken. This, of course, takes more work than simply IDing a forensic psychology program and applying, but it is worth it.
Given the above, I think PhD programs in forensic psychology (if they truly are programs in "forensic psychology" and are not forensic specialty programs within more general areas [e.g., clinical, social, developmental] are very misguided. Some on this list have referred to some program as being something like the only PhD program in forensic psychology in the U.S. This is not a good thing and I would not recommend any of my students attend such a program. As suggested by a recent post, graduates from such a program will not be licensable and will not be able to practice clinically (which most students apparently want to do). Moreover, these graduates will not identify themselves within traditional areas of psychology (e.g., developmental, social, clinical, experimental) which will probably only hurt on the job market. Academic job prospects will not be good as these students will be neither fish nor fowl. I really do not know where these grads will work. What about an MA/MS program in forensic psychology such as that offered by John Jay or Castleton State? I see these programs as less risky since people really do not expect to work independently with the masters degree at this time and many attend these programs intending to continue with their education. But some of the same issues noted above may apply.
One final word of caution. The changing economics of the healthcare marketplace may also have an impact on graduate training. Clinical psychologists are being challenged economically as are all healthcare providers. The clinical marketplace is more competitive and less lucrative than it was 10 or 20 years ago. Some psychologists and psychiatrists see forensic work as a way out of the jam since insurance reimbursement is largely irrelevant. I predict that this will also impact training programs. Schools that are primarily tuition dependent may face a problem of dwindling applications and admissions as undergraduates begin to question whether spending $xx,xxx for a doctoral degree in clinical psychology is worth it given changes in reimbursement for clinical services. One institutional response is to develop a specialty training program in which (a) there is a high level of interest and (b) is allegedly economically resilient, and (c) there is little competition in terms of formal programs (i.e., forensic clinical psychology). Hopefully an institution would not advertise a forensic training program without appropriate faculty and resources but it could happen. Students should consider themselves as consumers when thinking about training programs, particularly given the current economic climate.
The American Psychology-Law Society is about to publish a revised, greatly expanded brochure on grad training in psychology and law. Undergraduate students would do well to obtain a copy. Write to Dr. Steven Norton and ask to be sent a copy when it becomes available. A directory of clinical psychology internships, clinical psychology graduate training programs and postdoctoral fellowships offering forensic experiences is available from the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. Persons interested in this directory should send a $10 check, payable to AAFP to me at University of South Florida, 13301 N. 30th St., Tampa, FL 33612.
Randy Otto, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
President, American Academy of Forensic Psychology"
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