SoundofSilence

I'm currently doing a master's and managed to get two scholarships for it (but both were after I was admitted and both are province-related). My supervisor was prepared to fund me though. I will be applying next year for a doctoral program, so I am trying to stay on here to keep up to date with what's happening Competitive programs don't really accept self-fund. I think one POI told me that they only take students that they can fund. But who knows, you can inquire about this, maybe things have changed. Good luck!

I am going to echo this response. My personal experience was that I got a mix of responses when I inquired before making an application. I never got an informal interview, but it seems that was because most POIs wanted to remain objective and give everyone the same shot. However, I had some enthusiastic back and forth with a couple of them and that never materialized into an interview. I got no responses from some, and then got an interview and had a great conversation with them. This also happened from some who gave "lukewarm" looking forward to your application responses. It's my own experience, but seems to be similar to what I've been reading on the forum. Unless you have a personal connection to introduce you or something, I would focus my energy into applying. Best of luck!

I don't really know others for Ontario, but maybe someone else can chip in. Your admissions won't be hindered by not having an award, but an award makes things easier - sometimes departmental budgets are tight, so especially now it's really important. They usually divide their resources carefully and of course they prioritize admitting citizens and permanent residents. (Also, citizens and residents are eligible to apply to many awards even after they are admitted, so they still have plenty of chances to get funding outside of the department, which internationals won't be able to access). From my experience, there were quite a few very interested POIs, who wanted to admit me, but were told no by their department due to funding. It's a shame, and I was really disappointed after some really great interviews, but what can you do... My advice is to try your best to identify at least some other sources of funding - look into scholarships from your own country as well. Showing that at least you are actively trying might count for something. Wish I could help more. Good luck!

Hello! So the short answer is yes, applying to more scholarships is always a big plus for your application, even if the amounts are a bit lower. The longer answer - it's difficult to find funding for international students. Some POIs may be able to fund you through their grants and some departments have more possibilities to fund internationals, but some may not. Make sure you check the department website, sometimes they don't accept international applicants at all! Even when a POI has funding they appreciate it when students try to find their own funding anyway, so it's always a good thing to have them. Previous success with funding is also a good plus for your application and can help your CV in the future. Can you reach out to some POIs or even departments to get their opinion on this? I had some luck in that the grad admin for my master's had a list of places where I could apply that I didn't know about, but most required you to already be accepted to the program. OGS is a good opportunity that not a lot of provinces have, so do make sure you apply. Hope this helps. Best of luck!

I think the first question is what would you like to do with this degree? Since you're already a practicing professional, what would it bring you? If you are passionate about research and want to do more of it, I think you can probably write to some professors and see whether your clinical experience can bring something new to their lab and they can provide you with more training in research. Well recognized and appreciated in the industry - this is very specific, what do you mean? A PhD can be appreciated in the industry, but it depends for what kind of jobs and in which industries. If you are looking for better paying jobs, you might be able to get one through a simpler route (for example a certificate through online learning and then going for positions where you can consult). Basically, it goes back to my first question. What would you like to do with this degree?

I agree with this. I am sorry you had such a bad experience, but it may not be your last, since these things are more common than we would like. It happened to me with a supervisor and I've seen it happen with my friends. Sometimes it's a mismatch between you and the other person/s. Sometimes you encounter a really bad apple. People in the admissions committee probably have similar experiences or at least understand that not everything has to be perfect in order to be successful in the field. @t_ruth has a good point. Usually, they might call her for a reference if they know her well and want that opinion. But in most cases, only the most recent experience is taken into consideration, and this applies for most other jobs as well. I realize that everyone stresses on here how competitive a process this is, but it's not a background check Try not to let the pressure get to you. I think not even people vetted for high level positions get that much scrutiny (where the top candidates get references checked for every other past job). We must keep in mind that it's more about what you've learned and your potential for the future. Being reflective, showing how you've grown (through the good and the bad) shows a lot of potential for a clinical psychologist. Best of luck!

Yep. Looking at a program's website might give you some idea what POIs are researching, however, you might not get the full picture. If you already have specific research interests, best bet is to look at the authors of papers you like/ have referenced in your work. Look at the institution of the authors, see if they are currently accepting students, or if they are young - from which lab. Contacting potential supervisors also might work - while their website mentions the general areas of research, they may be currently undertaking new projects, thinking about new areas or actively looking to switch into some new sub-field (it happened to me more times that I can count). Remember there is a time lag of 2-3 years or so between the time they research something and when they publish, so you may be surprised. Only way you can know this is if you contact them or have a contact in their lab. Best of luck!

It sounds like a tough situation to be in, sorry to hear you aren't happy at your new program. From what you said, it sounds like it's not a funded program, which is not typical of research heavy ones. Programs that train successful researchers often have star research faculty that provide mentorship and who draw in a lot of big grants and thus can fund their grad students decently (not a lot, but usually no or minimal debt). 200k in debt is a looot, especially since even academic clinical psych doesn't pay as much as say a MD degree would after graduation. I would advise you to consider avoiding as much debt as you can. You're still young! Many people on here (including me) made it or are trying to make it into a program in their 30s, 40s, etc. Getting into a better program, that matches your interests and with less debt would be preferable, even if it takes a year or two longer. Do you have any previous academic mentors/ supervisors that can give you some advice? Program admins might not be able to answer such a complex question on the phone regarding admissions. A professor might be able to give you more insight into how to handle this change and how a committee views these things. If you don't intend to practice, you may still consider other areas in psychology. Those might be easier to switch into and less competitive, so would not take that many more years to start the program, while letting you put all the focus on the things you are passionate about. However, if you do intend to practice, clinical psych is very competitive. Do you have enough previous research activity to get the attention of POIs? That might compensate a lower GRE for example. If all seems too fuzzy right not, you can consider working as a lab coordinator for a year or so - this could give you an edge in clinical psych admissions and might help you clarify what you want to do next and how to get there successfully. From my perspective, that amount of debt is definitely not necessary if you are intending on a research career and it will only keep you from achieving your dreams (after grad school you might want other adult things that come with a high price tag - such as a house, family, boat, etc A lot of debt might keep you stuck in an area you don't like or employed in a place you hate just because you have such a high financial burden). The path to clinical psych is not a straight one for many of us, but it doesn't mean it's bad just because it's not how we dreamed of it initially. Often these experiences are what make us very good and unique clinicians/ researchers.

Any chance they are considering removing the GRE Subject as well? Dal seems one of the few programs that still asks for it, and it's such a headache to schedule it, since it's only in particular months and paper based (all cancelled for 2020 and probably for some part of 2021 as well).

Hello there! Let's take it one at a time It's great that you are looking into APA accredited programs only - make sure you check their internship match rates, funding, etc. You've probably looked into that, but it's worth mentioning. The MA degree is a big selling point and should compensate for not taking psych undergrad classes. However, make sure you check each program, because some require an undergrad thesis or similar. Caveat here - personal statements for PhD programs are a little different than undergrad ones for admissions; while the path of how you decided between psychiatry and psychology can be a great addition, the backpacking/travelling may not. Reputable PhD programs, even balanced ones, are way more focused on your research experience, your research ideas and what skills you bring to the program. The letters of recommendation sound great - ensure that they talk about you as a research assistant and what you've learned and how you've grown; just because someone is famous/known expert, it does not translate into a great letter for you. Of course, the equation changes if these famous PIs are known to the programs where you apply or have good connections there. A paper is great. Do you have posters as well? Or any avenue where you can present some of the work to bolster it further? You seem to be interested in spiritual concepts (looking at this + the Spirit Mind Body specialization in the MA). While there is nothing wrong with that, what I'd like to stress is that it's important you go into the application process with clearly defined interests. If you'd like to continue research on schizophrenia, you probably have a good case for that already, if you want to research something else, just make sure your "story" is detailed enough so that POIs aren't confused regarding what you want. Volunteer hours are great for more balanced programs and counselling, but they may be less relevant for more clinical science orientations. The baseline GREs don't look too bad - with some study and your background you will have a great V and AW score and your Q can increase nicely with some practice. So this should be good. Do a lot of practice problems though, besides the original PowerPrep. Those are too easy compared to how the GRE is right now. Overall, you seem to have a strong application (with the caveat that it's just my own opinion). However, interviews and admission are not guaranteed for anyone. To ensure best results, I would approach this in two ways - first, ask your supervisors/ letter writers about contacts they may have at different schools or which programs they would recommend that match your interests. Networking is a way that many people use to get noticed in this competitive process. Second, make sure your application package tells one cohesive story regarding your interests - what you'd like to research during the doctoral program, what you'd like to do in the future with the degree, what is the impact, etc. Third/optional step - you can contact POIs ahead of time and see if you can understand how you'd fit into their lab, what you can bring to the table and how they can help you reach where you want to go. Hope this helps. Best of luck!

I'm going to second this. In the past, I've sent pretty detailed emails and received positive responses. I wouldn't include everything in the email, of course, but if you have something interesting to add to their lab, or interesting question to ask, why not? Always check on their lab website though - some POIs specifically ask for transcripts for first contact, or CVs. I think showing genuine interest should be fine either way, and then see where it goes. Caveat - I've made great relationships with people who didn't respond to my first contact email (but interviewed me after I've applied) and then had good email contact with some POIs who either didn't interview me after I applied or decided to take someone else; so please take into account that your contact with them isn't a guarantee of anything.

Of course, I understand, especially since we don't know yet if the academic year will start on time or not. Having an income until then is essential. Hopefully this helps them understand people should start isolating sooner rather than later. Hope you feel well soon!

Thank you for your response! I guess it makes sense. I've heard people on internship get leniency with their hours, so hopefully you will receive some accommodations as well. I just don't understand this. Can't phones be forwarded to home offices? I realize that there are some things that require physical presence in the office, but most of us have been disrupted in some way or another, why risk the wellbeing of the staff in this way?

I just got a rejection from Memorial. Apparently the decision was made on Feb. 27th. No idea why they waited so long to let me know. Honestly, if it's a no, I don't need to wait to get a fancy "we are sorry" letter. It would have made other plans and decisions much easier and faster for me. Sorry for the rant, this process is getting to me, on top of everything else that is going on with the coronavirus Anyway. I still have to hear from Regina. Did anyone (without interviews) get any news from them? Given the current situation I guess everything will be delayed, which is perfectly understandable. How's everyone holding up? I would love to hear from current Canadian students though. How are you faring with clinical work? Are telehealth measures being implemented? Should we make a separate thread for this?

I had this dilemma this application cycle. I chose to not re-apply to most programs where I applied the year before, because I wanted to add some new ones in the mix. I did re-apply to one, which was a favorite, and I didn't get an interview. My situation did change (regarding research experience, a bit higher GRE scores) but it did not seem to matter. The thing is, I re-applied after one year. So maybe programs see this as too little time. If you were to reapply after more time, I believe programs would look at your application differently (assuming you have added new/interesting things to your experience). This is only my experience though. Also, if you are on good terms with the POIs were you interviewed, can you ask them their opinion?

Sorry to hear that ? I just woke up to a rejection from UBC V. Had rejections all across the board last year as well. Would a master's degree from Europe help with your career goals? It also depends which country you are interested in, since there is quite a diversity in training.

there was a post on the results page with an acceptance. I just got the email to check the portal with "We’ve updated your admission file" about 2 hours ago. Hope this helps!

I didn't get an email, but just checked the portal after you posted and mine says "Refused". Maybe you're on a waitlist?

Wish we had an answer for this, to ease your mind, but we don't. Someone who knows the program might be more helpful. However, being a high alternate means just that - that you are high ranked on the waitlist, so there is a chance. Some schools do long lists for waitlists, so a high alternate means you have a higher chance. However, you can be next in line and the person before you can accept or you can be next next and the two ranked above decline the offer. No way to tell what your chances are. So - congrats on making it this far, just a little while to wait! If you find something to keep your mind off of this that would be great. Fingers crossed!

Thank you so much! It's not good news for me, but it's so difficult to find any news on Memorial on the board, and I really appreciate it.

*raises hand* I know it's only polite, but yeah, I won't do that if I will be in their shoes. A nice "best of luck, you're a great applicant" is enough.

I know this is over-used, but any news on Ottawa, Memorial or Regina? They are the final ones on my list and I kind of want to move on Didn't interview at them and I don't hold much hope.

Yes SCCP. Sorry I should have mentioned that. Thank you all for the kind messages, I was kind of expecting it since I didn't interview.

Yep. Received an email 40 minutes ago with "decision reached"

.... and a big fat no from OISE. life goes on ?