SoundofSilence

To add to what the posters above said - if you have to find your own practicums/ internship, than that program probably doesn't offer the quality of training that you would need to be a good clinical psychologist. A decent program would at least help you in finding practicums, although most decent ones have a good network and they will place you. Even if you have the money (so no loans), a partly-funded PsyD is a much better option for your future - it will be easier to get licensed, it will be easier to access quality training opportunities and experiences, etc. If you have to borrow the money, that's worse, since most programs are long-term and that really adds up, which can significantly impact future decisions. And the last question is - can you do what you want in your future career with a different degree? As in, would a master's (like the MSW) be sufficient to have the future career/role you want?

Have you tried the reverse lit-search thing? As in, you find a recent article that covers one of the things that you are interested in, and then look at where the researchers are located - what country and university. If that doesn't work, you look into their reference section and see what other authors cover similar topics and do extensive work in the area. Of course, it would be great if you could have a more personal connection, but not necessarily - what I mean by personal is that one of your mentors/ professors recommends a certain other professor or program, or you met them during a conference and thought they were interesting, etc. Maybe others have tried it a different way.

What PsyDuck90 said is true, however, don't think that just because other programs are APA accredited that means they are less-research focused or don't include neuroscience or computational methods in their research. Because of various ideological perspectives, some programs prefer more of a clinical-science identification and that's why PCSAS was founded. Harvard for example, initially only had PCSAS accreditation, but they did get APA accreditation, because the APA one is very important for future practicing clinical psychologists (and so it was probably important for their students as well, to not limit their future opportunities). Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that many older APA accredited programs may be more research-heavy, so don't discount them if that's what you are looking for. As things stand right now, and if you know you definitely want to practice as a clinical psychologist in the future, make sure your program is APA accredited at a minimum.

This is what they say on their website. Please go here https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/aphd/Home/Apply/Tips_for_your_Application.html And read under "Choosing a program". I don't think it's completely forbidden, but they (OISE APHD) seem to discourage it. Can't say if this only applies to them or to other programs in Canada as well. Hope this helps! Edit - just wanted to clarify that they discourage applicants to apply to multiple programs within APHD, not to other programs in Canada.

Hello there Your positive attitude really made me smile. It's great that you're ready to hit the ground running this year. To answer your question - where there weren't specific formatting/ length instructions, I did use single spacing. It does help with adding more info to your SOIs, I know how difficult it is sometimes to include all the things you'd like to talk about in there. Incidentally, my worst nightmare last year was a program that only allotted 500 words - I realize it's not too bad, but it was difficult to trim down everything and still have it make sense. That said, I would advise against adding too much detail on things they can get from other parts of your application, such as your CV. More words doesn't always equal a stronger SOI. Best of luck!

? Hello there, This is my third time applying. From my experience, there are at least a few number of people in similar positions - with a master from someplace else and then getting a second master's. I am one of them ? I got an applied master's quite some time ago and currently doing a research master's - recent research experience and references was what was missing from my application, since I worked a lot of years in clinical roles. My current master's has the option to continue on to a research PhD, however, I will be instead applying to clinical psych PhDs. What I do know is that many programs will be willing to work with you to see if you can transfer in some classes/ your previous thesis so they might advance you to the PhD sooner, but it really depends on the program. They usually talk to you about these things once you've been admitted. For clinical psych, they prefer their own master's students indeed, but that is how the program is designed. But you don't necessarily need to gain another master's along the way. And a shocking tangent - one of my lab mates who applied last year was interviewing at the same time for a clinical psych lab with a person who already had their PhD ? I do hope I can get an offer this application season, because things just seem to get more and more competitive. Best of luck!

Thank you! It's been such a crazy crazy year and I still expect some busy summer months. I hope you are well And yes, I do hope we get good news this round. A general question - are people already contacting POIs or is it too early?

I tried them both. But this one worked, thank you!

Hello everyone! I'm also applying this year(again). Hoping the third time is the charm? I am not able to join that discord, it says invite is invalid. Is there another link?

Hello there, Congrats on the new program! I was in your shoes some time ago (wanting to thank a letter writer with a small gift instead of just an email). First of all, it is not too late at all! Given that you already thanked them after they sent in their letters, I would just send a short message mentioning just this - that you want to send along a small personal gift and you'd like to know where to mail it - they will give you an address that they prefer (whether office or home). That's what I did - asked the person where to send it, they gave me an address and they contacted me to say they really enjoyed the gift. It seems like you are overthinking this, but there's no reason to - they will most probably appreciate your gesture/gift and it might be a good way to resume contact and stay in touch long term if that's what you want. Best of luck!

Hello there, I'm going to echo PsyDuck90, as someone who went through the process twice and will go again this year: it's very program/PI specific. I'll give you an example (based on real experience, but details changed) : a program might have 3PIs that do somewhat similar research (let's say addictions). While the program is very competitive since it's clinical, one professor might get more applications because they are doing something hip/trendy (like video game addictions), while the other 2 get less. Maybe one PI is more popular with the undergrad there due to teaching and gets even more applications. To be honest, unless you have some way of finding out how many apps a particular lab/PI gets, it's very difficult to estimate. Overall, in Canada, clinical psych is the most competitive. I've noticed that in some places labs that research child mental health or neuropsych seem to be quite popular and get more applications than other areas (but just my experience). Maybe others can chime in with other experiences. In any case, I think just making sure you have a good research match with your PI can go a long way, even in areas where there is a lot of competition. Best of luck!

If you are interested in being a doctoral level practitioner, nothing beats a full-funded PhD offer - as long as you like the lab, the PI there etc. I don't know about that program specifically, but given the competitive nature of the process, I wanted to congratulate you on the offer! Since master's level practitioners need more supervision and can't do things like assessments, a PhD can provide a significant advantage after graduation. Best of luck whatever you decide!

You received some very good advice so far. Just chiming in with my experience: I was in your position last year around this time. The POI really liked me but couldn't fund me in clinical, so they offered me a different track. Although I liked the research and the lab, and I've been applying so many times that I lost count, I turned it down. I previously practiced at the master's level clinically and I am very very sure that I want a clinical license. It was difficult, and it added years to my (already long) journey, but I don't regret it. I am also older so had to postpone some other life plans, but it is what it is. I will be applying to programs again this fall. If your POI can help you transition at some point in clinical, maybe that's an option, but they might not be inclined to do so since they already offered you a spot in a different track. My advice - make sure that you take into consideration all the things that you want to do in the future. Even if you close some doors, if the opportunities available to you make you happy, then why not. I know it's not an easy decision. Give yourself enough time to think through things and consult with the people you trust. Best of luck!

Just to echo previous answers - yep, they should not take offense with the question. Also, in practice, it is difficult for programs to lose accreditation. I think it's harder to get accredited and easier to get renewed. Also, in order to lose it, I think they would be placed on some sort of "probation" - check their site for programs on probation. If nothing really bad has happened in the past 10 years and the program maintains similar standards and stats, I wouldn't really worry much about it (I speak as someone who was present when a program was renewing their accreditation, APA in that case).

Being an international student, I did video interviews before it was cool The advice given above is spot on. One-on-one interviews are pretty close to the in-person ones and you can still get a good rapport with people that way. I also did panel interviews but with only two profs (they were in the same room, pre-COVID) and that was ok I guess. More than two people and it gets quite hectic (especially over zoom). I recently had an online meet-and-greet experience with students from my current master's - the group format was really bad for some of us. Not everyone was comfortable speaking up and I felt people were way more formal and less willing to ask anything other than polite questions. I realize that it can get a bit nightmarish to organize 1:1 instead of groups, but your applicants will definitely appreciate it and it will be an overall better experience for everyone involved. One thing that I've seen previously is that labs organize their own day (so the PI has a 1:1 with the applicant, then one or two grad students, maybe another prof). Also, adding in a grad student from a different lab would really help to get a more objective perspective on things. Thank you for putting in the time and effort to optimize this experience for your applicants, hope it all goes smoothly!

Your points really hit home with me in many ways. Is there any way we can start a separate, more permanent thread about this, to discuss grad life in general and more hot-button topics in particular? I'm almost mid30s and I feel so many of these things. Came back to academia after a long absence and things indeed look so different. I still have to apply next year to doctoral programs, so there is that, but I have so many conflicting thoughts regarding my current master's. What I really dislike is that sooo many clinical psych labs state "only if you are interested in research you are a fit here", since so many academics haven't really practiced in forever. But, what about people who want decent training in research but still want to practice afterwards? Where should they go? Gaah And your point about instructors is something that I've been dealing with recently - it's still amazing to me that mature, experienced people still get slighted when you question their "instruction" or when you don't go along with exactly that, being treated like a passive child. I realize that most of their students are early 20s new graduates, but still.. In many ways academics appear disconnected from the world out there and it's disconcerting. I have similar views on other psych fields, such as I/O. So many organizational psychologists could use applied, actually useful research in their fields, but I/O academics produce research that is not easily applied or way too narrow to be in any way useful. It's disheartening to say the least. Sorry for the off-topic.

Haha, yes! This! I'm an international student so I have a slightly different spelling of a popular English name. I get the English version from my supervisors often, or even weird alternates from admins/ people who don't know me too well. I'm actually fine with it, I realize that they have other things on their mind. As long as my name is ok on official documents, I'm ok. @EileanDonan I realize that having your name misspelled is not the best, but try not to take it as an offense. If they become your supervisor, they will probably know your name by then

I realize that this is probably a year when more people apply due to current circumstances, but please try to not get too anxious about it. It helps to put things into perspective: sometimes people see a down employment market and tend to flock to grad schools, but it does not mean that all new candidates are ready, have enough experience or have narrowed down their interests sufficiently to be a real competition to folks who are on their second or third cycle, after a lot of experience in the field. I'm not trying to downplay how competitive it is, but I know many people who are not a good match for grad school and just apply as a "hail Mary" because they don't know what else to do right now or parents are pushing them in that direction. The competition has slightly increased, but don't let that get to you too much - the application process can weight heavily on our mental health and the current situation just maximizes a lot of worries. I would think of it this way - your own achievements, interests and fit are the ones that will get you into the program. Sometimes POIs turn down all applicants in a year because they couldn't find someone compatible, so no sense in comparing yourself to someone else. Also, having an increased pool of candidates also means that your future colleagues will be capable, competitive peers and that you can challenge each other and grow together. Take care!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news It says so on their website here: https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/aphd/Home/Apply/Tips_for_your_Application.html Under "Choosing a program": "Applications to more than one program within APHD are discouraged. Because all of APHD's programs offer very different experiences and career paths, applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully select the program to which they wish to apply. Applying to more than one program may suggest to the Admissions Committee that you are unsure of your interests."

You are applying to all three at the same time? Doesn't OISE say that they discourage applications to more than one program and that it looks bad to the admin committee?

You mentioned she did a senior thesis. Did she publish some of her work / present a poster somewhere? Her limited research experience might not be enough for competitive grad programs in clinical psychology, however, they may be enough for some less competitive developmental programs, especially if her previous experience is a good match to those POIs/labs. Her GPA and GRE scores are definitely competitive, especially since you said she worked so many hours during her undergrad. Is her work related to what she wants to do? (as in, did she work with children? or with families?) What I would advise your friend is to first figure out what she wants to do after the degree, to get a better sense on what steps to do next. Also, she might benefit more from personalized advice from someone who knows her - such as the thesis supervisor, academic advisor, previous professor - they might be able to guide her and even propose some programs that are a good match.

This is a difficult one. It depends. What exactly do you intend to do in the field? If you want to practice as a psychologist (clinical), you need a doctorate. If you want to do therapy, or more social justice work, a MSW would be cost-effective and might admit you based on your accomplishments up to now. However, for the doctorate, my best guess is that you need to have multiple balls in the air at the same time and see how you can juggle them all to make this happen: 1) you need psychology courses - while some programs don't ask for a major in psychology, they need to see that you've taken the basics; some may accept the Psych GRE, but many may not; 2) you need research experience and some products - some may accept research experience in a different field than psych if it's relevant for your interests and products don't always have to be first author papers; however, you still need a reasonable amount since a) you're coming from a different field and you need to figure out if you want to do this for 5+ years at least and b) to prove to the POI that you can function successfully in a research environment; 3) you need some defined research interests and an idea of what you want to do after you finish, so you can search for clinical experiences for that goal. The above can be accomplished with a strategic master's, if you hit the ground running from the start so that you can get the most out of it. Your age can be a disadvantage (since you probably want to get set on a path already), but also an advantage (you already know the hard work it takes to reach your goals, you may have a more mature approach vs. a 20 year old). Most applicants work as a full-time research employee in a lab for a year/ two before applying. This may be an option, along with psych online classes, but it can be competitive to get such a position and you'd may be limited to research labs that are more related to your current experience. As a side note - I know Drexel has a JD/PhD in Clinical Psychology. This is probably competitive and may depend on your flexibility to relocate, but it may meet both of your interests if it's a good fit. I don't want to discourage you, and to be honest, many of us don't have a straightforward path on the road to becoming a clinical psychologist. I just think it's wise to consider all the implications, including the considerable amount of time and energy involved to get to your goal if you decide on this path. Best of luck!

Hello, I know that U of Manitoba and UVic (Canada) have several labs with neuropsychology of aging themes in their clinical programs, as well as York (they have a neuropsych track as well). I'm sure there are others - maybe start looking at programs that offer a neuropsych track? Hope this helps!

I have some experience with a couple of the programs you mentioned. They are competitive, but previous successful applicants have mostly similar experience. So I say you might have a shot. Honestly, it might be more about how your interests and previous experience match with the POIs there. Some clinical POIs do have a lot of crossover to social psych, so your experience might be more valued there. Having non-clinical referees is not an issue, as long as they can speak about your academic and research experience. Most programs don't really expect clinical experience (since it's hard to get meaningful experience as an undergrad, it's a catch-22 situation). However - clinical experience can help you clarify if you enjoy doing clinical work and if it's a good fit for you. I've seen cases where people went to a lot of trouble getting into clinical, just to realize they don't really want to practice. I mean it's fine, since the field still needs a lot of good researchers that stay in academia, just that if you hate clinical work your practicums and internships will feel like a drag. Let me know if you have other questions. Best of luck!

Try not to exceed the limit specified, at least not by much. 5-10% or so should be a good/generous margin of error. Keep in mind - some applications require you to paste your SOP into their system, and their system might track number of characters/words and cut off the rest. Others have general guidelines (500 words or a page or something like that). It's good form to keep it to the number mentioned there. It shows that you can follow directions and keeps everyone on an even playing ground. If everybody else could express themselves within that limit, and you went over it by half, it doesn't look too good. I know, it's difficult to fit in that. I had some applications where I was so limited and had to chop big parts of my SOP and it's not a good feeling. But my gut and experience say follow what the website says or at least make sure the program is ok with you not strictly following the guidelines (an email to the grad admin could help here). Best of luck!