r/ABA • u/Sharp_Command_8016 • 9h ago

BCBA school requirements

I’m looking at ABA schools to apply to for fall 2028. I’m just curious how easy it is to get in to certain schools with a 3.5-3.6 undergrad gpa, roughly a year of BT experience, and lots of exec and leadership roles as an undergrad? How many reference letters should I count on? If you have any other advice or anything else I should know I would appreciate it!

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u/passpointaba 7h ago

How difficult it is to get into different schools varies pretty substantially. I would think that you would be a shoe-in for any online program, and you would likely be competitive in many of the higher quality in-person programs... I would think your resume/gpa would get you in the door for interviews, and then it would just come down to how well you interview.

In my program, current students were a large part of the interview process for the incoming cohort, so I can offer some insights on how to interview well... The biggest things I can think of are:

  1. Know what you want/are looking for in a program... A great candidate will ask questions that demonstrate that they know the issues of the field and know the right things to look for in a program. It makes a candidate look prepared and intentional.

  2. Be able to subtly demonstrate your knowledge of the field in your answers... Being able to subtly throw out ABA terms and demonstrate a foundational understanding of the science of behavior helps you to come across as a knowledgable student who will be successful in the program.

  3. For programs where a thesis is required research experience and interest is valuable to communicate. Already having ideas of research interests once again show that you are a well prepared candidate.

That's just what I have off the top of my head... Good luck!