A few questions regarding psychology PhD admissions

[Hurley2131]

Please keep in mind that I am planning 2 years ahead of time.... just the way my mind works.

1. Does it hurt or improve your chances at a PhD program if you attend their undergraduate psychology program?

2. Is an interdisciplinary approach to research a bad idea? I am interested in environmental effects on developmental psychology and behavior- so I wanted to explore geography and environmental studies as an undergraduate as well as pursue my Bachelor's in Psychology. I do not want to seem undecided or flighty in my interests.

3. How do the BA and BS degrees compare for admissions consideration? I want to pursue a BA and take science/math courses as my electives.

Thanks!

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[thewesternsky]

1. This varies by program. I know of a few programs with a policy of not admitting their own students. At one of these schools, it would clearly hurt. At other schools with no such policy, it may present a slight advantage because you can get research experience in the exact area that you plan to pursue for graduate work. If you have a top-choice school/professor picked out already, your best bet for improving your chances might be to work with one of their collaborators during your undergrad degree (doing very similar work at a different school).

2. Can't hurt!

3. B.A. versus B.S. doesn't matter. The particular courses you've taken in one or the other might present a slight advantage (e.g., a professor who studies gene-environment interactions might be pleased that you've done well in an upper-level genetics course), but even this is very unlikely to be a deciding factor in admissions.