HappyLab

Kind of an unexciting answer, but just working and finishing up a potential 2nd publication to improve applications next year if not admitted on this first go-around (aiming to get it submitted by the end of March so that if I am not accepted, I'm not too de-motivated to finish it). Sort of comforting to know I'm still improving my chances next year.
All of that, and copious amounts of heroin of course.

Rumour is that UOttawa is super behind on all of their applications because of some sort of technical glitches or errors ! :S

That makes a lot of sense if she has a good relationship with them and trusts their judgment! Tricky though if you're not able to contact them.. maybe give them a phone call and note that it's urgent! Hopefully they get back to you

Yes, that's a fine response. I forgot to include that question in the list, sorry!! I had written a similar list elsewhere this week and I guess I must have confused myself and thought I already mentioned that. 
Giving a non-answer like you did is okay, because they don't usually expect you to know everything right now. I would categorize these questions as a "fishing expedition" type question. That is, the interviewer asks them in case you did have a choice made, but they won't be disappointed/unsatisfied if they come back with nothing. For example, if you were able to say "your school is my top choice and I would definitely attend here" or "to be honest, your school is a lower ranked one on my list" then they can get something useful out of it. But they should/would recognize that it's early on and few people would be able to have an answer like that. 
It's normal to answer with the names of other schools you applied for though. This doesn't usually affect your admission decision, but it helps them figure out who they need to compete with to get you. And, sometimes you will get good advice/feedback about these other places from your interviewer. At least in my field, things are mostly pretty friendly and it's a good chance that you will meet with people who went to these programs in the past, so they will give you well intentioned tips about the other places too. In the end, most people will want the best for you!

I know this is a stressful time for many people here and I was in the same boat many times over and over (still haven't gotten in lol). But I just want to remind everyone that at the end of the day- this is just a graduate school program. I know it means a lot and may get you started on your career path, but all of you have the capability already there. Find what gets you fired up and makes you happy and follow it. Do it whether you get in or not and you will be happy anyway. This is just one option but what's needed to have fulfiling careers is already in you so try not to make this into more than it is- just one more option of making your career dreams come true. You will make it happen either way if you really want to and it will be just as amazing when you do  

My first interview is in 2 days, getting pretty nervous...
I thought I'd share a list of questions that my current PI gave me to prepare with. I hope this is helpful!
-Why do you want to work with me? (research fit, ideas on mentorship)

-What are the questions you want to pursue in grad school? (you don’t have to KNOW your thesis plans but you should have a good sense of what you are excited about). SPEND THE MOST TIME HERE ON THIS

QUESTION -Tell me about your clinical experience (anything with humans, but prioritize the high-risk stuff)
-Tell me about your stats background (mention data comfort, programs, analysis experience, aspirations)


-What do you do for fun? (making sure you have a life) -What do you think your biggest challenge will be in our program?

-What do you think about our city? (can you handle snow, small towns, cost of living, etc)

No problem!! I went through the same thing last year so I know how much any info helps. It's so stressful to be in the dark!

My guess is you won't hear from Guelph until later this evening...faculty have the day to get their choices in, so don't freak out if you don't hear anything until tonight!

You guys rock. Still refreshing my email every 45 seconds hoping for emails from York and Guelph... they really do like to create last minute suspense with interviews being next week. Good luck all!

It sounds like each school does it a bit differently. From speaking with some POIs, it seems like the "Clinical Decision Committee" holds most of the weight in the decision, while the POI gets to still provide their input into whether they would like to take on the student. (In contrast with an experimental program, where the decision is almost entirely in the hands of the POI for accepting students - also based on funding). 
 
 

That is awesome! Don't be ashamed... I did my own research of which professor I could slyly talk to while at that conference... felt a bit creepy but also slightly like a spy, so essentially just pretty cool.
I'm curious who your POI is! Message me? (Maybe we are waiting on the same person!)

I just saw you're a psychology major. I am fairly certain that obtaining gainful employment is pretty difficult in psychology unless you attend a respected program. With that said, you should retake the GRE or just not bother applying. If you decide to retake it, study and study smart. The two things I would recommend is memorizing vocab words using Manhattan flash cards and going through the quantitative reasoning study guide on the ETS website. You may want to consider taking a class as well, as I imagine that would be the most effective way to study for the reading comprehension potions of the exam. 

To just be brutally honest, those scores are pretty bad. If you are trying to get into programs like Indiana, you should retake the GRE. You may be able to get into some less revered programs, but it may not be worth it depending on your major. 

I have a vague understanding about how it works, but I think there is a round table where the clinical faculty figures out which PIs will be taking on students this year, and then the PIs will contact the students individually and a shortlist of students will be invited to the Open House in February. That's usually when they meet other grad students and some of the other faculty members. The PIs then submit the request for the student(s) they want to take, and there's an adcom that makes sure the student(s) is okay and approved. I know there's an internal waitlist too of students that may be contacted if the students ranked above them decline. These ones may or may not be invited to the Open House. York is pretty slow on all fronts, so you may hear from them late and know about acceptance/rejections later too.

Hello everyone - I'm trying to deal with the incredible stress of dealing with the waiting game. Since I sent out the applications, I've been trying to be positive, but occasionally I get hit by "imposter syndrome." I think there is no way a program would accept me, that everyone else in the pool is almost certainly better than me, that even if I get in maybe I don't deserve it. But then I try to step back and remember that just embarking on this journey is an accomplishment. We are all doing something most people wouldn't imagine. We're all willing to rearrange our lives to pursue a dream. We all deserve admiration for that. So if you're hit with the same feeling, just remember you should be proud of yourself for even trying!

I'm trying to give myself a week from when other people have been sent interviews before panicking. Some schools send out interviews in waves and some send them all at once. Good luck!