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Jay's Brain

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  1. Jay's Brain
    Hey! With limited knowledge about your academic experiences and research interests, it is hard to know whether you are a good match. On paper, however, having a previous PhD provides a wealth of experience, particularly if you want to continue your current research in a clinical direction. The main thing is to ensure that you apply to programs that matches your experiences and you can narrate why you want to shift your focus and continue your education down a clinical route. Are there questions in your research that can be pursued clinically? Research in a clinical program is just as important as the clinical training you will earn, so your doctorate will be a great gauge of your ability to conduct independent research. I know 1-2 people who pursued a clinical degree after a PhD, and they used their previous advanced degrees as a way to spin their interests in advancing their research and experiences clinically. That can play to your advantage for sure. Best of luck!
  2. Jay's Brain
    I very much agree @FacelessMage. Unfortunately there is a lot of luck on the part of the applicants. I have heard a faculty member say that an applicant may be in the top 10% , but if his or her research fit isn't compatible with the faculty members taking students, then it becomes very hard for that student to be taken. Best advice is to make sure you know the area of research for the faculty members at the institution well, try to find out if those POIs are taking students, and making sure your application reflects the research the POI conducts.
  3. Jay's Brain
    Tough luck @Regina77 hope all your other applications go better!
  4. Jay's Brain
    Rooting for you @prospectclin and everyone else here!
  5. Jay's Brain
    Perhaps you can ask more general questions related to that university and program. What are the opportunities to collaborate among researchers? Is this common at the graduate level too? You can also ask to reach out to their graduate students to see if they can provide other insight.
  6. Jay's Brain
    Those still waiting for York Clinical - still possible to hear back from your POIs about the Feb 16th Open House. Most Adult clinical faculty only started reviewing last week ish, and are sending details about who they are inviting this week.
  7. Jay's Brain
    That is true - but then POIs also invite multiple students, with the same understanding that not all of the students who come to the Open House will end up choosing the program. So programs invite more than they end up taking. I've heard through the grapevine that some Clinical faculty have not sent out their invites yet!
  8. Jay's Brain
    During the Open House, you may end up meeting the Director of Clinical Training in your area (C or CD), and some other faculty members. If you haven't spoke to or met your POI yet, you will on that day. You may also meet some of the grad students in the program or in your prospective labs. The atmosphere is quite warm and welcoming, as it is meant to showcase the program and the perks about being a graduate student at York. Generally, I haven't heard any students complain or leave feeling anxious after the Open House as the meetings are quite positive. It often bumps up York on their list of schools too
  9. Jay's Brain
    I've lurked these pages for a couple of years, and it seems like a lot of the results on GradCafe tend to come from prospective students in the CD area. Perhaps they are more energized! The Open House is indeed on Feb 16th. There will be informational sessions related to York's psychology programs (razzle dazzle of why the program is strong and competitive), and then students usually breakout to pre-arranged meetings with faculty members and graduate students. When you hear back from your prospective PI, they should be able to let you know what to expect and whether he or she wants to meet with you that day.
  10. Jay's Brain
    I suspect that the admission committees/departments give their faculty members a few weeks to initiate their own contact with prospective students. Usually, once the applications are due, the applications are released to the faculty members at a certain time and they can begin to sort out who they want to invite for interviews or Open Houses. The program also has to decide which faculty members are eligible to take students per year too. Application review is often on a rolling basis. Just because you aren't invited in the first wave, that doesn't mean you won't be invited to a second-wave!
  11. Jay's Brain
    Not too sure, but the POIs may be sending out offers to the Feb 16 Open House at different times, probably during this week or the next. I know at least one person who has received an invitation already. The Open House usually is for students that are shortlisted. More students are invited than the 8 that are usually taken in both the Clinical-Developmental and Clinical areas!
  12. Jay's Brain
    Hey, I'm not sure where in Canada you are, but I don't think it's that rare to find a program that doesn't require a psychology degree. Take a look at the Masters in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy at OISE for example - the requirements only ask for a 4 year program, of any discipline: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/aphd/Home/Future_Students/Master_s_Degrees/MEd_Counselling_Psychotherapy/index.html Even if you're not in Toronto, you should connect with the graduate programs to see whether your experience will allow for your application to be considered.
  13. Jay's Brain
    Prospective students who have connected with their POIs will be contacted to attend an Open House that usually happens in February. Likely the POIs will start contacting students this month.
  14. Jay's Brain
    As with the others who are returning, I also want to wish everyone the best of luck and sending positive vibes! Currently in my PhD after all the helpful resources and conversations with others here 2 years ago (yikes!). The wait is excruciating, but all of you have gotten through one of the most difficult parts (which is applying)!
  15. Jay's Brain
    York is actually the only English, CPA-accredited Clinical Neuropsychology programs in Canada. This is for both the Adult clinical and the recently accredited Clinical-Developmental program, so that is definitely something to keep in mind. The only other fully CPA accredited program is the French program at the University of Montreal. Your American citizenship may be of interest here long-term when you are applying to internship. The last group of students that were successful to American sites were in 2015, and that was when the APA decided to no longer accredit Canadian schools.
  16. Jay's Brain
    You're indeed right that attending a conference in the field is a good opportunity to meet prospective mentors, but falls under the same concerns that there may be not enough time for the POI to attend to every prospective student. There is also considerations that the conference(s), however many OP chooses to attend, are accessible or affordable. OP cannot go to every conference for all of his or her prospective mentors, and sometimes an email exchange with a possibility of more is more convenient for both the applicant and the mentor. Quite a few colleagues of mine were able to meet their eventual mentors by asking to connect with them in advance of the recruitment cycle in December- February (depending on the program). Most importantly, I think, is to not to lose the opportunity to connect with the POIs even if it is through email! Those that you know are accepting students are particularly important to speak to! The worst they can say is that they will contact students that meet the requirements at a later time, but at least you know they will be aware of your application.
  17. Jay's Brain
    Are these prospective supervisors in your city (or close by)? If so, you can ask to meet with them/visit their lab to get a first-hand familiarity of where you may end up for the next few years. If you are further away, ask if you can speak with them through Skype to learn more. Just because you received one possible generic email doesn't mean that'll be the same for all the other POIs you want to connect with.
  18. Jay's Brain
    Yes @lewin you're correct. OGS holders can only be at Ontario institutions. BUT, you can apply for OGS if you're outside of Ontario.
  19. Jay's Brain
    I'm in Canada, so this may not be completely relevant, but a colleague of mine went through a similar process of you in respecialization. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience, and currently doing her second PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology. I agree with @_kita in that you should consult with the schools on their process. In my colleague's case, she did not have to do another Masters thesis, and is in a specialized track to complete the relevant Masters courses while simultaneously doing her PhD course work and doing the required clinical components. It may take a bit longer given that there are specific clinical psych courses to complete, but it is plausible! Good luck!
  20. Jay's Brain
    As with everyone else, I would also encourage you to not be distracted by your expectations of the GRE scores and not consider your other wealth of experiences and strengths. The GRE is probably the most draining part of the application process, because it is the only area you can quantify. As a student, that's the only way we've known how to determine our success. If you can show that you are articulate (through your SOI) and have produced work that can describe your quantitative aptitude, then you may want to consider focusing on the remaining parts of your application package. I also did my GRE test multiple times, only to end up using my first set of scores to apply. Unless your preferred schools have a hard emphasis on GRE cutoffs (something you would want to reach out to their graduate department/faculty and learn about), it may be better to use the time, money, and cognitive energy elsewhere.
  21. Jay's Brain
    I used Barron and Princeton, and found Princeton going into quite a lot of detail. I would recommend reviewing the sections that you think you have the less knowledge in, and use your current source (and maybe even a first-year textbook) as a way to guide yourself through it. That seemed to help me!
  22. Jay's Brain
    I answered assuming @Kristenkatie was referring to the Masters-level competition which does limit the number of schools you can apply to, but good point about the CGS-D @TakeruK. I stayed at the same institution for Masters and Doctoral so I didn't think about that.
  23. Jay's Brain
    In that case, you need to prioritize the schools that you would want to hold a Tri-Council award at. Remember, OGS is available for all schools (as this is completed individually per institution) so you won't be losing out on external funding opportunities per se. Unfortunately, that's the only way to go since you are limited to 5 schools.
  24. Jay's Brain
    I agree with @8BitJourney, though 2 years may be a bit long (even though it is quite realistic). Given the ultra competitiveness for Social and definitely Clinical Psych, perhaps an alternative to cutting down the years you need to take time off is to do an honours thesis at your current undergraduate institution during your gap year. While doing that, also look into volunteering at labs so that you can solidify your research experience simultaneously. For Clinical, I would also advise volunteering to work with special populations (depending on some of your research interests and eventual career goals). Some examples may be suicide hot lines, mentorship networks for individuals with intellectual disabilities, geriatric care centres, etc
  25. Jay's Brain
    @Steph93 Congrats on completing your GRE for the first time! It is an exhausting process, and does take a lot out of you. So, first of all, good job! Now, to answer your trickier question...there really isn't a solid answer, unfortunately. It is always the hardest when dedicated students (and everyone here is!) end up performing lower than they thought they would, and you're stuck with not knowing whether it is good enough. Your scores for the VR does seem to be low(er), but that isn't to say you won't get in to a program of your choice. Remember, you have a SOLID application in all other aspects. In general, the GRE is not the end all and be all; unless you bomb it considerably (which you didn't really do), it won't affect you as much as limitations to other parts of your app (e.g., if you had no research experience, poor GPA, etc). The GRE is the most uncomfortable part of the application, in my opinion, because it is the only part we can only quantify and compare ourselves. And when we underachieve based on our self-criticism, that makes it all the more stressful. Will having a low GRE score affect your chances? I can't really say, especially with American schools, which I've heard considers the GREs more heavily, but I also know that I have colleagues who performed worst than your VR and QR scores that were accepted. Other areas of your application can, and will, supplement an average GRE score. After all, your experiences are more important than how you perform ONCE on a standardized test. One important question is to ask yourself whether you think you'll have time to properly study and complete the GRE again. Do you think it will tamper with giving yourself the most energy and time to make the rest of your app amazing? That might be your deciding factor. Always happy to chat!
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