Jay's Brain

There's a lot of parallels between Public Health and Psychology depending on your domain. Take a look at programs that specifies Health Psychology as their focus in the clinical stream. My program (in Canada), for example, has a healthy psychology aspect for students interested. They apply to one of the faculty members in that area, and are doing a lot of research that looks at public health. One student I know completed a Masters in Kinesiology and entered his PhD this year in Clinical Psychology with a focus on health psychology and mindfulness and pain. I think in that sense it should be fine for you, especially with your research experience! Also, age shouldn't be a problem! I am one of the younger students in my cohort, but for programs like clinical psychology where the area tends to be a bit competitive, it's perfectly common to see students that are more mature! Good luck!

Great folks like I've told you about at UTSC Are you applying to the PhD directly, though? From what I remember, they currently do not have an immediate PhD stream set in place yet and everyone who gets accepted has to go through the two year MA first.

And...I'm back! Wow that first month of graduate school flew by in a hurried succession! The 4 years of funding is the guarantee from Western, correct? There's still a possibility for you to apply for external funding? I guess the only thing that you may have to consider is how course work will align with you. I have a few people in my cohort who are technically in their PhD1 but have to complete a few Masters courses to compensate, because they were lacking in the area. I assume after the first year that hump goes away, but always good to check what the expectations are year by year. There does seem to be some flexibility from what you're saying, and if the PI is encouraging it, then that might be worthwhile to do the MSc like you said

Henry, I can't really give input on your situation as it is unique to yourself. Ultimately, it's your passion and ambition to do something that will guide you through it. Your experience and your humble approach is enough to show that you at least have the mindset to pursue this career goal, and maybe become a fantastic psychologist. Do what's best for you, and remember to never lose confidence in yourself. I myself have learned from experience that hard work and perseverance always pays off. In terms of your schools of interest, I may be able to help you with question that come up for the University of Toronto and York University. Your research interest on autobiographical memory, in particular, is something that I also have a lot of interest in. If you do have questions, feel free to send me a message! I wish you the best of luck with everything!

Hey, I fell into the same boat as you during my application process last year. My story is a bit more complicated perhaps. I did my GRE three times. First time my scores came out decent, but I wanted to try again. The second time fell apart completely for me. The final time, my Verbal score went up and my Quant score went down. Ultimately, after all of that, and through advice from my then undergraduate supervisor, I decided to stick with my first set of scores. So beyond wasted time, energy, and money I now go around these forums giving people hope and reassurance about their scores haha. When you do your GRE, you have the option of choosing which scores to provide to your schools of interest. It's called ScoreSelect. So rest assured that you can choose how to show your scores. Ultimately, how you do on your GRE and how that affects your overall application does depend on your program. Most schools don't tell you how they check your GRE, but consider all other aspects of your application. If the GRE is the only thing holding you back form an otherwise stellar portfolio then you have nothing to worry about! A lot of applicants (myself included once upon a time) consider the GRE the end all of the application. If it was, then a lot of great students won't make the cut. It's only there to supplement whatever else you have. Be confident, and make sure you stand out in all other aspects. Good luck!

As with always, hopefulclinicalpsych, it's all about what those of us fortunate to have passed through the seams would say. The fit with your potential advisor, the rapport you build with him or her through your application process, and a bit of sheer luck will go a long way to your success. You have A LOT of experience, more than I can say I had this time last year, and you should feel encouraged by that! Good luck

As with the profession of clinical psychology itself, rapport is ride or die when it comes to how well you make out with your potential advisors. Like LebaneseKafta said, you have a small window of opportunity to make an impression with these POIs. Your research and overall aptitude will definitely be put into consideration, but everyone who is interested in applying for graduate school shows that (to different degrees, perhaps, but still show nonetheless). When the field is balanced with so many smart and hardworking students, don't underestimate your own personality and willingness to show your passion for a subject matter. If anything, I know that helped a lot for me last year. It may sound mushy, but being genuine and have a comfortable conversation can swing Lady Luck in your favour when you least expect it. Speaking of luck, hope your CIHR Doctoral apps go well!

I'm not in Cog Neuro, per se, but my field of study, and my advisor's research is very much cognitive neuroscience, so a warm greetings from Canada Good luck to the Cog Neuro applicants this year!

I was fortunate enough to have had a advisor work with me when applying to CGS-M last year, which is probably the reason why it was accepted (ironically at a different institution that I ultimately pursued with his blessing). And yes, I will have a graduate advisor during my Master's so it'll definitely be a bit more convenient! I'll need to write a prospectus for my Master's thesis anyway, so I assume that it makes sense to write something concrete for OGS which I can later modify. Since it's going to be on my project that I'm dedicating to for the next two years, it'll hopefully come a bit more naturally than when I was applying for CGS-M. Thanks as always TakeruK! Always appreciative reading your answers whether it be for my questions or for others!

Haha sorry for sounding like a keener there! My however many years of experience in research doesn't accumulate to all strong experience that is good to write home about! I spent a good 2 years doing simple experimentation and such (I was just fortunate enough to start early in my undergraduate career). It wasn't until mid-3rd year that my research experience came into shape more, and escalated during my fourth year when I completed my honours thesis and did outside projects at a nearby hospital. So just like you I spent a good deal of time doing menial tasks too! Again I agree about the randomness of graduate programs, especially in Psychology. For me, one of the places and supervisors that I was accepted to had originally told me that she couldn't take on any students this year due to lack of funding on her part. After I did an interview with another prof in the same stream, she decided to change her mind and asked me for an interview. So what I think is more important than anything is your ability to prove that you belong at the program. Don't think beyond your own set of skills or socially compare yourself. Just take it as it is, and run with it!

Hey folks! I've began my graduate career last week, and already I face the wrath of having to start applying for funding for the second year of my Master's. I received CGS-M funding this year, so I am only eligible for OGS next year (correct me quickly if I am wrong), but thought I can open this up to other Canadian students too. Out of curiosity to the mentors who have gone through this process repeatedly, did anyone find preparation for CGS/OGS to be more difficult when applying as a graduate student compared to an undergraduate student? Or was it more or less the same? Is there an expectation that the proposal for graduate students be more refined and less broad? Any tips is appreciated. Thank you

Don't fret! Sometimes schools take raw scores first knowing that some students cannot send their official scores in time. Ask your programs of interest if they have that policy!

Smart! Maybe that's why I got shortlisted, but didn't receive a final offer to those schools

Hey, first I think you may want to check your sources a bit. There's at least 11 schools that has a I/O program in either the Master or Doctoral level. Check the link here: http://csiop-scpio.ca/education-training/ioprograms.html From a general perspective, I think you would find that Canadian universities stand very well when it comes to marketability. Depending on your research or field interest, you can find a lot of faculty members at their respective universities that can offer a great deal of tutelage to any student. There's definitely less universities/programs compared to the US, which can make some of the programs overlooked, but we have some good ones too! For I/O, Waterloo and Guelph are the ones that spring to mind first, but that may be due to proximity more than anything. Waterloo, especially, has a strong Psychology foundation, and their closeness to the business and tech industries is renowned. That connection may be very useful for someone interested in pursuing I/O. Feel free to check out the fledgling forum thread here for the 2016 Application Cycle for Canadian applicants/programs and ask other questions: http://forum.thegradcafe.com/topic/68773-canadian-psychology-applicants-fall-2016/ Good luck!

I agree with FacelessMage on his or her statement. Even if you have ample experience, that doesn't guarantee you a spot; neither does having less experience compared to other candidates mean you're automatically rejected. I'm starting my clinical program this year, and my cohort ranges from someone straight out of undergrad to having a previous Masters in a relevant area to someone who took a long-term hiatus and is restarting the program. It's a matter of the applicant pool for your cycle as well as how much you fit with the programs you want to apply to. I would say that for me, fit and strong references/statements worked in my favour over simply research experience (I had a lot at the time of my application, but limited in pubs/presentations).

To my understanding, I don't believe there are any major differences. The one that I've noticed is that Canadian programs tend to introduce the Masters into their programs as a first step towards the PhD. From what I've read on these forums (so do take this with a grain of salt), that may mean an additional year (Masters may be 2 years depending on the school) compared to the 5 year program offered at many US universities for direct entry PhD. On the flip side, this Masters is not expected to be terminal and will be fully funded if accepted. You will probably not be eligible for the national-based funding scholarships common to Canadians (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, OGS, etc), so you may want to look into funding opportunities States-side. Other than that, I don't believe there are too many differences to what you are taught. We go to the same international conferences and work with the same people, especially on the North American side of things. We do have more frigid temperatures which will probably be something you need to get used to if you're coming from Albuquerque! I'm not very experienced at this (yet), so if any other students has any advice for EdNeuroGrl feel free to chime in!

Thank you and good luck to the both of you on your applications! I'll be sure to give everyone assurance that graduate school isn't too terrible, while answering any questions that arises!

Try contacting the schools you are interested in applying to, and see what their historical numbers are for their successful applicants. Even better, try contacting some of the current graduate students. That is a much more convenient way of establishing what range of scores fits your programs, because, after all, not everyone will be applying to the same schools as you! And remember, the other parts of your application (LORs, personal statements, grades, experiences, etc) can offset a lower GRE if everything else is substantial and fits the requirements for the schools! Good luck!

I do want to make a comment about the Score Select service that I have experienced personally. As described by previous posters above, you have the opportunity to either submit your scores to 4 institutions at the end of your GRE (when you've received feedback for your VR and QR). Alternatively, you can decline this option and pay more ($27) to submit to each school individually. In the past, I have done both. I wasn't sure which schools to choose, so I include the institution number for schools I knew I was applying to and submitted the other ones later. My one caveat about whether schools see your full set of scores or your individually selected set of scores is this. I had a two institutions that insisted I submit a scanned printout of the score summary found on my ETS account after I have received the scores. This would be fine normally, but I had actually done the exam more than once. So, even though I had submitted my latest set of scores as an official document to the school already, the school still saw my older set of scores when I submitted my unofficial copy. There really was no way around it, which, depending on your school's system, really cancels out the added value of the Score Select system. Just wanted to provide insight that some people might not have realized! Be wary of how schools ask for your raw scores!

I guess I'll be the person you can say you know who was accepted into a program without a publication under his/her belt. I'm beginning my Masters in a couple of days, and currently have 3 publications in prep or close to be in press. More than anything, the fit is very important. This fit isn't really quantifiable (although sometimes pubs do sway you closer to the fit), and it can be how mutual the feeling is between you and a PI. I was fortunate enough to have been able to receive strong LORs and expressed myself clearly throughout my application process, and was able to get accepted into one of my top programs of choice. So don't fret!

Hi, as a side note, a computer programmer is perfectly suitable for psychology, especially in the fields of cognitive neuroscience. Computational neuroscience is a big trend in the field these days! Now, back to your situation, don't be discouraged! Breathe, and relax! Read what you just wrote in your little blurb. You have done EVERYTHING that anyone in this forum will tell you to do - find experience, do research, get strong LORs, score well on the GRE, and have a strong academic background to boost your chances. Doing a terminal Masters more or less negates your undergraduate GPA (regardless of the program), because 1) it is STRONG and 2) it is relevant to what you want to do. You may not have had "a direction" during your undergrad, but don't let your past strangle your future, especially one that is bright! If you were able to get into a respectable Masters in counselling already, what is holding you back from getting into a PhD program in counselling soon? It'll only be a matter of time Right now what you can do is continue going the strong course you are showing in your Masters, graduate, and apply to those programs you have. As a future counsellor-in-training, you will be hearing and giving the same advice to a lot of other people. Most of the times we are our biggest critics, and we just need to tell ourselves that we are doing everything we can possibly do to get to where we hope to be. Hard work always prospers! You can do it! Good luck!

Hey y'all, I was part of the Fall 2015 applicant pool last year, and found this to be a very useful tool to bounce ideas and questions off of other Canadian applicants and graduate students. It's a stressful process, so that's why I decided to start this thread with the same intentions of catering to the Canadian community on Grad Cafe. Little background...I was accepted last year, received offers from 3/5 programs, and will be starting my MA in Clinical Psychology next week! Feel free to message for your Psychology graduate program questions and comments!

Hi! Sorry I didn't respond! The Masters programs in Canada are normally funded, which is the nice part about it

I'd say you should focus on your other components of your application. Your GRE bolsters your application up to a certain point. After that, it's just a numbers game. In a field like cognitive neuroscience, your researching prowess will be considered very closely. Given your relevant experiences, and, presumably, your strong reference letters, you should be more than fine with your GRE scores. Building on my own personal experiences, I took the GRE three times in a very redundant fashion. Eventually, I used my first scores. Given that experience, I always encourage people in these forums to think carefully on how many times they really need to write the GRE. Time, money, and energy are hard to come by with the application process being so gruelling. Make sure it's worth it. In your case, I really do think the other components to your application will do you merit. Good luck

Why not? For those of us in our beginning stages of creating our CVs, I think it's worthwhile to indicate what work and research we're working on. Saying your roles and experiences may not be enough to show that it extends to work that will eventually be up for publishing. If you have enough information (working title, description, and authorship list, etc), then include it. As you gain more experiences, you can replace them with actual published work. Congrats on your success