chopper.wife

may be biased since I am likely attending my undergrad institution... so take this with a grain of salt, but I don’t think this is the case if you are applying for an academic position outside your alma mater. I know of multiple faculty members who attended the same institution for their graduate degree as their undergrad degree. I’d argue post-docs are an opportunity to diversify, and you’re going to have to do multiple post-docs anyways if you want an academic position. 
With that being said, it certainly is better in some ways for students to attend new institutions to get exposure to new researchers and labs as well as opportunities for a wider network. It’s just about what’s best for you as a student, and sometimes the best program for you is the same place you did your undergrad. I would just go with your gut and attend the place that you fit well with. You’ll do better quality research if you’re happy with where you are & interested in the research you’re doing, which will, in the long run, be what matters most IMO!

Oh totally! Post-doc is an excellent time to diversify  @hlr20 I would discuss with your current mentors/supervisors what they think would be the best for you career-wise! Get their input on this if you haven't already.

may be biased since I am likely attending my undergrad institution... so take this with a grain of salt, but I don’t think this is the case if you are applying for an academic position outside your alma mater. I know of multiple faculty members who attended the same institution for their graduate degree as their undergrad degree. I’d argue post-docs are an opportunity to diversify, and you’re going to have to do multiple post-docs anyways if you want an academic position. 
With that being said, it certainly is better in some ways for students to attend new institutions to get exposure to new researchers and labs as well as opportunities for a wider network. It’s just about what’s best for you as a student, and sometimes the best program for you is the same place you did your undergrad. I would just go with your gut and attend the place that you fit well with. You’ll do better quality research if you’re happy with where you are & interested in the research you’re doing, which will, in the long run, be what matters most IMO!

Just received my official acceptance to Windsor for Child Clinical! I am beyond excited and looking forward to meeting everyone at the open house on the 8th!
Thank you all for being such a supportive group. I really appreciate how lovely everyone on this thread has been throughout this whole godforsaken process ❤️ To all of you that have gotten in somewhere, congratulations! You've earned it! And to everyone still waiting, do not lose faith in yourself, you're all awesome candidates! 

Hi everyone,
I just declined my offer from SFU, so hopefully a spot is opening up for someone on the waitlist soon! Just thought I would give a heads up 

Hi everyone,
I just declined my offer from SFU, so hopefully a spot is opening up for someone on the waitlist soon! Just thought I would give a heads up 

Hi everyone,
I just declined my offer from SFU, so hopefully a spot is opening up for someone on the waitlist soon! Just thought I would give a heads up 

Hi everyone,
I just declined my offer from SFU, so hopefully a spot is opening up for someone on the waitlist soon! Just thought I would give a heads up 

Hi everyone,
I just declined my offer from SFU, so hopefully a spot is opening up for someone on the waitlist soon! Just thought I would give a heads up 

Hi everyone,
I just declined my offer from SFU, so hopefully a spot is opening up for someone on the waitlist soon! Just thought I would give a heads up 

Hey everyone!
I hope everyone is keeping their chin up. 
I myself have officially accepted my offer to Ryerson (feeling relieved and grateful)!
If anyone else has accepted, or is planning to accept and wants to dm me please do! I'm sure we met on interview day and it would be cool to chat!

@Desperate Clinical The best advice I think I’ve received from people with PhDs is to choose the supervisor who will be kind and flexible - don’t choose someone who’s a superstar but not easy to work with. PhDs are hard enough and you’ll graduate as a psychologist all the same, so don’t made it harder on yourself than it has to be. Ideally you can find both qualities in the same person, but if you can’t, choose someone who will support you 100% (you can tell this by talking to their grad students). I’d suggest reconsidering your #1 program if your POI there is known to be tough - particularly if that comment was made during the interview process by a grad student. I’d hesitate to select a POI who had even neutral comments because it’s hard for students to be honest about these things - I’ve been looking for over-the-top “I LOVE my supervisor!!!” comments. 6-7 years is a LONG TIME to be stuck with one boss - make sure you feel really good about them. 
As for imposter syndrome... everybody has it! This will come up over and over again throughout your program for everybody, so get used to the feeling of not knowing what you’re doing. This is a sign that you’re growing and challenging yourself - it should feel uncomfortable! 
Re: choosing another program... don’t do it because you’re scared you’re not good enough for clinical. You clearly are - you got in to two programs! They see hundreds of applications and tens of interviews a year and they know what to do look for - you’ve got it. Plus, MSW is a very different path re: research training and pay. It also has a very different emphasis than psych - SW focuses much more on systemic/structural issues, oppression, and social justice - psych focuses more on the individual. The approach to clinical practice differs as well, from what I’ve seen. Make sure you know which interests you more before choosing several years of schooling in it. 
I’m also older (28) and will be having kids at some point during my degree. Personally, I think having kids is always difficult and there’s never a perfect time - you’ll either be doing it in a regular job or doing it during a PhD, both of which have challenges. PhD has the benefit of more flexible scheduling, at least - but obviously much lower pay. During my years in the 9-5 though, lots of parents struggled with the very inflexible schedule imposed by their company. I think people just figure it out - you’ll find the time, manage your schedule. Hell, I’ve met early career profs with multiple kids and they’re managing it - that career stage seems more challenging for caring for very young children than the PhD stage to me. 
Slow down, take a breath - you’re nearing the end of an extremely stressful process and I’m sure you need some space to process your options. Be kind to yourself - you did it! Don’t let your “bully” brain take this away from you - you deserve to be here. 
Feel free to DM me if you need more support or want to talk further  

I've got a little bit of a dilemma and I thought maybe someone here would have some insight into this:
I've been accepted into a couple clinical psychology programs which I have been wanting to do all my life. I am extremely grateful so I hope I don't come across as unappreciative but I'm feeling intense feelings of imposter syndrome. I am currently finishing a master's in another field and I'm feeling inadequate when I compare myself to other applicants. I'm afraid my writing is sub-par and that I'll embarrass myself in the program. The supervisor at my #1 choice school has a reputation of being tough and I'm afraid I will disappoint them and get yelled at or feel stupid.
I've applied to some counselling master's degrees and MSW programs and now I'm feeling slightly like I should just do these instead because I'm not good enough/won't make it through the PhD. I'm just worried about looking stupid. To top it all off, I'm a bit older... and i'm worried about having children while being in a PhD. Is this feasible in a clinical psychology PhD program? 
 
I'm aware that this is probably not the place to post these things but I'd love some insight if anyone has any.
 
Edit: my master's did not prepare me at ALL for the rigour that is clinical psychology. Not to be rude but the program I'm in now was likely a waste of time.
 

SMU! 

For me, funding is huge. I’m a single mom so I need to think about cost of living in the location and the amount of time I would spend teaching in addition to my own classes and research. I also think it’s important that you feel like you’re going to be able to study what you want to study both in terms of mentorship and resources. 

PM me if you'd like to chat more about this!
I did a masters in experimental medicine not knowing what I wanted to do straight out of undergrad (and learned that an academic career in "experimental medicine" wasn't the right fit for me). The high rate of mental health issues among PhD students is certainly no myth, however, it depends a lot on the kind of relationship you have with your mentors (little support = worse outcomes). I have a good hunch that smaller programs like clin psyc will lend themselves to a more supportive learning environment than programs that toss you into the ocean and expect you to emerge 4 years later with a dissertation. That being said, talking to grad students currently in the labs you're looking at is an absolutely invaluable way to get a better understanding of lab culture, research expectations, authorship, mentorship styles etc. 
I too only applied to a handful of schools in my area because I don't want to leave a support system that I've spent a good chunk of time cultivating -- it's definitely not a bad approach AT ALL to prioritize what you'll need to be successful in a grad program! Applying elsewhere might increase your chances (depending on the kind of research fit you have with other PIs), but it also may come at a cost to other parts of your life. 

If I were you I would accept SMU. Fully funded is (for me) a huge priority. I would not go to a program that wasn't fully funded.

@Clinicalh0peful I am in a similar boat. Although I haven't been in this particular situation before, I've been through salary negotiations for jobs several times over the years and I think it's a similar situation as we are working as TAs/RAs for these funds. I'd recommend emailing your preferred program / POI stating that you are excited about the offer and feel a strong fit with the program and POI, but that you have received another offer with higher funding that would have a significant impact on your finances over the course of your studies. Be as specific as you were here ("$8,000 per year = $~50K over six years). Ask if there is any flexibility on their end to increase their offer. Do not offer to work more - let them propose options first. They may offer bursaries or scholarships instead of TA/RA'ing more. Feel free to ask about PhD funding if the other program has guaranteed a PhD funding package - if they haven't either, it's not a bargaining chip you can use. Overall, the tone of the email should be polite, professional, and concise.
A few things to consider once funding details are finalized (time to break out the spreadsheet!):
Cost of living in City A versus City B - rent, transit, food, etc.  Tuition costs in Program A versus Program B. Also, do the programs charge tuition on the internship year? Some do, some don't  - could be a difference of $5-8K overall.  Difference between guaranteed funding versus likely funding - speak with grad students about this. E.g., program may only guarantee 15K but students end up with $25K in practice.   To a lesser extent - likelihood of receiving CGS/OGS or other funding in each program. This is often POI-specific, so ask their grad students if they've been successful in the past. I'd only pay attention to big differences - e.g., one POI's students say they never or rarely get external funding, the other POI's students receive it all the time.  If it's still quite a difference, then it's up to you to decide what will be best for you long term. If it's more of a slight preference for the lower-paying program, then perhaps you might be better off taking the  higher-funded offer. However, if you think you'd be unhappy or really regret taking the higher-funded one, then go with your preferred school. 
Hope this is helpful! 
**Edit: one more note - if you're using OSAP, make sure to check if there are differences in your loan/bursary amounts between the schools. OSAP funding is specific to regions/schools I believe. 

Wooo!
School: University of Calgary
Type: MA/PhD
Date of Acceptance: Feb 15,  2019
Notified by: Official offer from Graduate Program Admin and POI

Ahhh!! Just got my first (and probably only) acceptance!! Can't believe everything I've worked so hard for has finally paid off. I accepted pretty much immediately, LOL.
School: Ryerson University
Concentration: Clinical Psychology
Type: MA
Date of acceptance: Feb 16 (formal acceptance with letter)
Notified by: Personal e-mail from Chair of Clinical asking for a call, then accepted over the call

Wooo!
School: University of Calgary
Type: MA/PhD
Date of Acceptance: Feb 15,  2019
Notified by: Official offer from Graduate Program Admin and POI

Hmm maybe that is what the faculty member that I spoke with was referring to when she told me I was not eligible. I don't think it's all that random though. From those I know of who secured the Vanier, they set themselves up for it pretty strategically during their Master's in terms of leadership and research productivity. I mean, it may not be something that would weigh in to your decision, but is something I personally was/am keen to at least try for. It's $150k...

I have never heard of that. I am also accepted to my undergraduate institution but no one mentioned that and I also did not see it on the webpage for the scholarship. I will ask around to some faculty and let you know if I hear anything about it!

Agreed! This thread has been so supportive and that’s what I’ve witnessed on interview days as well. It was such a pleasant surprise that all of the applicants were so warm and welcoming despite the pressures we’re all under! Initially I was worried it would feel tense or super competitive, but that hasn’t been my experience at all.