I just got into grad school, and will be starting in the fall (for reasons of anonymity, I will not say which program, b/c I’m in a very specific one).
For your questions:
A. Since most people in this country do not go for advanced degrees, youare, to begin with, up against tougher, more ambitious competition. Additionally, at least for now, it will be even harder than usual. The past academic year has seen a very steep increase in the amount of applications. Due to the economy, many people who just graduated college are looking to delay their entry into a bad job market, and many people who are already in the workforce are looking to go for advanced degrees in order to hold onto their jobs, or make themselves look more attractive to potential employers in case they lose their jobs. At least as long as the crisis lasts, it is going to be more difficult to get into grad school.
B. and C. In addition to the obvious, such as college grades and test scores (GRE for most programs, GMAT for business; not all programs require standardized testing), you will also have to write essays, show samples of previous work (this usually applies to creative programs- art, music, creative writing, etc, but you should still check with wherever you’re applying for specifics), possibly an interview, and you should have some internships related to your field under your belt. These are the things that will make you stand out beyond the numbers.
D. Most programs let you start whenever you want, and most have summers available. You would have to check with each program though; rules vary, and I know that some are fall start only.
E. As far as Jewish life goes, you can’t go wrong with CUNY. In addition to being cheaper than most places, there are tons of frum Jews in all of the schools, but most especially in Queens, Brooklyn, Baruch, and Hunter. CUNY gives off for Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, also they almost always set spring break to coincide with Pesach (except for when Pesach comes out the end of April). Shavuos is almost never a problem, because the semester is usually over by then (unless it comes out mid-May, and even then, it’s usually during finals, and they’ll let you reschedule an exam if it conflicts). Sukkos is an issue, you’ll have to miss class on Yontif, but the professors understand. Many of them are frum themselves, in which case you won’t miss class at all.
I hope you can find this information helpful.
Also, does anyone know anything about psychology programs (in the NY area) specifically for marital/family therapy? I have a relative who is looking into that, and this seems like a good forum for putting out the question.