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Clinpsyc01

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Everything posted by Clinpsyc01

  1. Clinpsyc01
    Prior contact had almost no bearing on my application outcomes. I contacted less than half before applying, and it seemed to have no relation to my interviews/offers. The only people I know who had meaningful contact beforehand were already students or RAs in the lab, and that isn’t common. You don’t need a connection at this point. Any contact will be mostly superficial because they don’t want to be biased before seeing all the applications. It’s during the interview process that connection and fit really matter.
  2. Clinpsyc01
    Don’t worry yet. You’ll most likely get more information a day or two before the interview. If not, then you might want to contact someone.
  3. Clinpsyc01
    I agree with the others that this is normal and it’s very likely that the schedule hasn’t been confirmed yet. For instance, my program is interviewing candidates very soon, but I know that even my advisor hasn’t received the interview day schedule yet because it’s impossible to plan for these things far in advance. As long as you know when and where to go on the day of your interview, don’t worry about it!
  4. Clinpsyc01
    I’m a first year clinical student. I believe about 1/4 of my cohort had publications. A few of us were in the process of preparing/submitting manuscripts, but the majority didn’t have any publications. This might vary if, for example, a lot of people already had an MA. But I think for most applicants, pubs are a bonus rather than an expectation.
  5. Clinpsyc01
    Honestly, research experience is critical for getting accepted to a clinical psychology program. Most applicants will have several years of experience with conference presentations and even publications. Potential supervisors want to see that you know how to conduct research and what it entails. You will also need clearly defined research interests and ideas when you apply, which will be very difficult without experience. I totally understand the financial concerns. Is there any way you could look for paid research assistant positions in other cities? Hospitals often have clinical research positions as well, if there are any major hospitals in your area. Also, if you have good relationships with any of your undergrad professors, you might be able to ask if they have any projects you could help with from a distance. Finally, don't restrict yourself to Ontario schools unless you absolutely have to stay in-province. Ontario programs are some of the most competitive in the country, especially in Toronto. There are many solid programs in other provinces that receive fewer applications and are worth looking at.
  6. Clinpsyc01
    This information is from my/my friends' experiences. I could be wrong on some things, but hopefully it's helpful! Ryerson varies by POI, but I would expect all invites to be sent by sometime in the second/third week of January. If I recall correctly, faculty have to submit their top 3 choices for the interview day by then. I believe Calgary typically sends invites in early-mid January for their open house in February. Concordia varies based on POI- certain faculty in the clinical/health area have an official interview day and send invites in early-mid January, but others hold interviews throughout February. Also, from what I've heard, Concordia, McGill and Ottawa tend to be slower in notifying applicants than most schools.
  7. Clinpsyc01
    This might sound dumb, but I'm speaking from experience... Watch your caffeine intake if you drink coffee/tea. A lot of places have coffee available all day, and it's easy to mindlessly drink it while you're waiting for interviews, etc. I always find that I get way more anxious if I drink a lot of caffeine while nervous. Make sure you get a good night's sleep, drink water, eat enough. Finally, don't listen to other applicants if they start competing with each other about their qualifications or interviews. If you've made it to the interview stage, you are qualified and deserve to be there. They chose you for a reason. Good luck!
  8. Clinpsyc01
    I'm not a current applicant, but I received interviews at 3 clinical programs last year. I don't think I was an amazing applicant- my GPA was pretty average for applicants, and I didn't have any pubs or many conference presentations. I believe what led to my interviews and eventual acceptances was fit. I had solid experience in my area of interest and interests that matched well with my POIs. I was told that my statement of purpose was well-written, and that they were impressed that I had experience in that area (because it is a pretty uncommon research topic compared to e.g. depression or anxiety).
  9. Clinpsyc01
    You might be able to find this information on the websites of the schools you're interested. Most programs post their graduate manuals/handbooks online. I know that at my institution it's possible to defer by one semester in certain cases, mainly serious medical issues or parental leave. Students who need to defer for longer are required to reapply. I would guess that it's similarly difficult at other schools since funding varies year to year, and faculty typically have multiple applicants willing to start that fall.
  10. Clinpsyc01
    Thanks! I think you're right- my random summer and early undergrad jobs won't add anything to my application, and the gaps aren't anything that would be a big deal.
  11. Clinpsyc01
    Hey fellow Canadians! When you completed the CCV, did you include all of your non-academic work experience? I'm debating including some things because they aren't very relevant, but it also might look strange if there are gaps in my CV.
  12. Clinpsyc01
    You actually get to choose five! But anyway, I would prioritize your top choices or any schools that require you to apply for funding (e.g., Dalhousie requires you to apply for scholarships in order to be eligible for departmental funding). You should also consider which schools have additional scholarships you can apply for. For instance, you can apply for OGS at all the Ontario schools, but some other provinces don't have scholarships available. Choosing to apply to CGS at non-Ontario schools could easily be explained as wanting to maximize your chances for funding everywhere. I wouldn't worry about your proposal topic. Almost no one ends up conducting their proposed research, and supervisors know that the proposal is just to demonstrate you can write one.
  13. Clinpsyc01
    I'm not too familiar with York, but I wouldn't worry about the lack of APA accreditation. APA no longer provides accreditation for any Canadian schools, and it's my understanding that CPA and APA accreditation are seen as more or less equivalent.
  14. Clinpsyc01
    Just wanted to pop in and say good luck to you all I'm a first year clinical student and I found this thread super helpful and supportive last year. I know you've all worked hard to get to this point and I hope it pays off!!
  15. Clinpsyc01
    I've noticed that as well. In my experience, contacting POIs wasn't super important. I emailed profs at about half of my programs and it seemed mostly unrelated to whether I got interviews and offers. That's purely anecdotal, though, and I generally think it's safer to email POIs on the off chance that they do favour people who have made contact. I think that quote is ridiculous. I'm sure faculty members exist who only accept students who've contacted them previously (although I expect they're rare). But expecting prospective students to visit in person is crazy- applicants come from all over the country and visiting is not realistic for most of us. I've also noticed several professors who explicitly discourage applicants from trying to visit outside of the interview as they get far too many applications to meet everyone, and it disadvantages students who aren't local.
  16. Clinpsyc01
    Currently masters, but will be doing a PhD afterwards so all suggestions are welcome!
  17. Clinpsyc01
    I don't think there's any harm in emailing. I felt the same way as you about contacting them without having any real questions, but everyone does it and the worst that can happen is they won't respond. You could tell them a little about your past research/interests, maybe attach a CV, or ask them about future directions in their research. I think this is a good idea. I sent a very similar email to my now-supervisor (also asking if they were accepting students since it wasn't online) and got a very positive reply. I think it helped me get in because my experience was a strong fit for the lab and they kept an eye out for my application.
  18. Clinpsyc01
    Hi guys, I'm wondering if anyone knows of any fellowship/scholarships in Canada (other than the obvious Tri-Council/OGS/FRQ). I want to maximize my chances for funding, but I don't know if any other opportunities exist. I'm in clinical psychology if anyone knows of anything relevant, but I'd be interested in hearing from people in other fields as well because it might help someone else!
  19. Clinpsyc01
    I applied last year and I believe I emailed the documents to the psychology graduate coordinator. There should be an email address listed on the website.
  20. Clinpsyc01
    I agree with the previous poster on the ETS practice test. I also used the Princeton review book when I wrote the psych GRE last year. I thought it was pretty good. It isn't super comprehensive, but I think it's a good refresher for someone with a psychology background. I think the most helpful thing I did was to go through the prep book and learn the names/general research areas of all the important psychologists mentioned. The test (or at least the version I took) asked many questions about specific people/experiments that I might not have known otherwise.
  21. Clinpsyc01
    I think that the 80th percentile standard is more common in the US since they seem to value standardized testing more. In my experience, Canadian schools place much more emphasis on your research experience, GPA, and statement of purpose than the GRE, unless your score is super high or low. To echo what the previous poster said, I've heard that you should aim to score higher than the 65-70th percentile on all sections, but it isn't a huge deal if you score a little lower in one of the sections.
  22. Clinpsyc01
    If I recall correctly, I improved by 5 points on verbal and 3 on quant. I used the Manhattan 5 lb book and thought it was great. I also bought a package of 6 practice tests from Manhattan Prep which were super helpful. I found that taking practice tests helped me more than studying because I got used to answering the questions in the allotted time, instead of just learning the material. If it's any consolation, the psych GRE shouldn't be a big deal. Not to say that you shouldn't study, but if you have a 3.9 in a psych degree, you should be able to do very well with a little studying!
  23. Clinpsyc01
    Do you think you could do better if you took it again? I was really anxious the first time that I took it, but improved quite a bit the second time just because I knew what to expect, etc. If you think you could improve your score, I would recommend rewriting. You're an otherwise strong applicant, but those are some of the most competitive schools in Canada, and it's hard to say how it would affect your chances. I've always heard that a general rule of thumb is to score above the ~60th percentile, but that's purely anecdotal and I'm sure it varies from program to program. Clinical admissions are impossible to predict and it's possible that a great research fit and strong application could offset your GRE. You should also check to see if the GRE is optional at McGill since it's in Quebec. I don't think this was very helpful, but I wish you the best of luck on your applications! It might help to discuss it with any clinical faculty members you know
  24. Clinpsyc01
    Some smaller universities have terminal masters programs in experimental psychology. I'm not sure which schools exactly because I haven't looked into it in a while. These might be a good way to get research experience.
  25. Clinpsyc01
    Just wanted to mention that there are actually a few funded research masters programs in Canada if that's something you're interested in. I know of several clinical students who did an MA at Carleton beforehand, and I believe there are also master's programs at a few smaller universities.
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