[Anyone who got into a clinical psych program in Canada and didn't have a connection the POI before being admitted?]

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. 

[Invite to Interview - No schedule?]

3 hours ago, MixedMethods said:

That's the only issue though -  I don't know where to go. I have only been advised to arrive by 3:00 pm on a specific day.

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. 

[Invite to Interview - No schedule?]

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! 

[Fall 2018 CANADIAN clinical psychology]

1 hour ago, prospectclin said:

does anyone have any insight into how many applicants being interviewed/accepted have publications?

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. 

[Psychology Undergrad looking to get into Clinical Psychology. What do I need to make this dream a reality?]

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. 

[Fall 2018 CANADIAN clinical psychology]

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.

[Tips for staying (relatively) calm during interviews?]

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! 

[Those who have received interviews, what made you stand out?]

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). 

[Deferring from Programs]

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. 

[CCV for tri-council funding]

12 minutes ago, TakeruK said:

I did not include non-academic work experience in my CCV. However, the first time I did a CCV was for post-doctoral applications (my previous grad school tri-council applications were before the time of CCVs). I don't think non-academic employment is particularly relevant for tri-council funding at the grad level or beyond. My understanding is that the CCV is like other academic CVs we might create and it's not meant to be a complete accounting of every month/year of our life, only the academic ones.

But I guess it really does depend on where the gaps are and what the rest of your history looks like. If I remember correctly, there are separate categories/headers for academic and non-academic employment, so even if you put in the non-academic stuff, the academic history will still have gaps. I think it's fine though.

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. 

[CCV for tri-council funding]

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. 

[Navigating Canada Graduate Scholarships - Masters]

19 hours ago, ContentFaces said:

Questions for Canadian applicants!

How did you navigate the CGS-M submissions? I know you can only submit to four schools, but every school ideally wants you to pick them as one of the four. Did you just pick your four top picks and call it a day? How did you explain why you 'didn't' apply to the other schools if they ask?'

I'm also having difficulty figuring out which topic I should put in my proposal. I currently have two research areas, and two different proposals written. Two of the schools are in the one area, and two are in the other area. I've heard that you can change the topic if it's awarded, but I'm not sure if it will be a significant disadvantage if I apply with a proposal that's in a different area than what I'd want to pursue at that particular school. Does that make sense?

Any assistance would be appreciated!

 

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. 

[Fall 2018 Canadian Application Prep]

2 hours ago, Timemachines said:

Hi all - Im from the US and am potentially interested in applying to York (strong emphasis in clinical neuropsych). Does anyone have any feedback on how this university is regarded nationally? Im not anticipating that its the Harvard of Canada, just trying to get a better idea of the curriculum in comparison to other schools. I am aware that it is also no longer APA accredited which is worrisome for internship placement so this option is still "marinating" so to speak.

 

any feedback appreciated, thanks!

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. 

[Fall 2018 CANADIAN clinical psychology]

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!! 

[Contacting POI: important or not?]

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. 

[Scholarships/fellowships in Canada]

Currently masters, but will be doing a PhD afterwards so all suggestions are welcome! 

[Advice needed: contacting POIs already known to be accepting students?]

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. 

1 hour ago, Piagetsky said:

I'm thinking about putting together an email that basically says "(Greeting)  I saw that you are accepting students on your website.  I am interested in your lab and am considering submitting an application, but I would like to know if my research interests are a good fit with your lab.  Here's what I study......here's what I've done so far.....do you think there might be a good fit for your lab?  Thanks, me."

Obviously much more formal, but that's the gist.

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. 

[Scholarships/fellowships in Canada]

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! 

[Clinical Psych at Dalhousie]

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.  

[Psychology GRE Subject Test]

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. 

[Canadian Clinical Psychology GRE Scores]

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. 

[GRE and Clinical Psych (Canada) - should I retake?]

14 hours ago, CanadianNeuron said:

Thanks for the reply! Do you mind if I ask how much you improved and what you used as a resource? I was basically utilizing Magoosh, however I heard the 5lb Manhattan book helped many improve by a few points. I’m just worried about time. I have to begin studying for the Psych GRE plus being in full times studies. I guess that’s grad school for ya - constantly busy. 

Sigh. 

McGill requires GRE if you’re not French. I will also be applying to Ottawa U as they don’t require it, however I’m really aiming for York. 

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! 

[GRE and Clinical Psych (Canada) - should I retake?]

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  

[Applying to Psychology Graduate School without an Honors Degree and research experience (Canadian)]

3 hours ago, RebootedJordan said:

Could you elaborate on this please? Do you mean research programs for me to get research experience in prior to applying to the Masters or do you mean I should look into smaller universities with research masters programs? Thanks

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. 

[Applying to Psychology Graduate School without an Honors Degree and research experience (Canadian)]

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.