OhPsych

Hey everyone, hope everyone is doing well! I got an interview from one of the schools I applied to. I’m excited but nervous, any tips for what I should do to prep? What type of questions I might be asked? It’s a one on one not a panel. 

School: University of Calgary
Program: Clinical Psychology, M.Sc.
Interview type: Formal Interview day/Open House via email from Grad Program Admin
Date of Invite: January 25nd, 2021
DM for POI: Yes! 

School: McMaster University
Program: Clinical and Research Training Program, Psychology MA
Interview type: Feb 12th
Date of Invite: Jan 24th
DM for POI(s): You can DM for my POI initials but this email wasn't from my POI but from the director of the program
Yay! I also just got an interview from McMaster RCT program!!
I'm a little terrified because interviews will just be 20-25 minutes in front of the admissions committee. Has anyone here ever done a formal interview that was that short? 
Also, the email said that these were the "first interviews" for the program. I wonder what this means. Maybe they will they have another round??

Likewise DM for POI. 

School: McMaster University
Program: Clinical and Research Training Program, Psychology MA
Interview type: Feb 12th
Date of Invite: Jan 24th
DM for POI(s): Interview is with a panel of faculty
Just got an interview at McMaster!!! 

Anyone from Ryerson heard from CM lol?
Edit: never mind someone posted she sent out invites on the results page, PAIN

School: University of Western Ontario
Program: Clinical Psychology, M.Sc.
Interview type: Formal Interview day via email from POI
Date of Invite: January 22nd, 2021
DM for POI: Yes! Happy to share

After resigning to my fate that I may get flat-out rejections from everywhere, it's nice to have something to look forward to!  
 
School: Hofstra University
Type: Clinical Psychology Ph.D.
Date of invite: January 22nd
Type of invite: Email
Interview date(s): February 19th
DM for POI:  Yes

Last year, I only interviewed for one Ph.D. program, so getting 2 interviews this year makes me happy!
School: Suffolk University
Type: Clinical Psychology Ph.D.
Date of invite: January 21st 
Type of invite: Email
Interview date(s): February 26th and 27th
DM for POI:  Yes

My very first invite, freaking out
School: LIU Brooklyn
Type: Clinical Psychology PhD
Date of invite: Jan 13th
Type of invite: Call from admissions
Interview date(s): Feb 13th virtual
DM for POI:  They mentioned to not apply to a specific POI 

hi everyone! i'm new to this forum but i saw someone asking about Dal so i thought i'd reply here. i received an acceptance email last wednesday (jan 13th) and my official offer today. my POI did let me know that offers are sent out on a rolling basis, with a super small percentage sent out in january. people have been admitted as late as april, so please don't stress if you're still waiting to hear back!
other interviews i have had and am waiting to hear back from are queen's, waterloo, and UBC. good luck to everyone!! ☺️

First interview invite!
School: Wichita State University
Type: Clinical Psychology Ph.D.
Date of invite: 1/19/2021
Type of invite: Call from program director
Interview date(s): 1/25/2021
DM for POI: Yes

Exactly my thoughts. At least getting frustrated is understandable. Not everyone can just “not let” something stress them out. I’m not saying I agree with everything, but I really don’t think this person posting to stop clogging the results came from a bad place. They’re stressed too. We’re stressed. Everyone’s stressed and I’m not ok with seeing this person get attacked and invalidated over it.
I don’t see how this person‘s response is “worse” in terms of stress management compared to people who are constantly, constantly posting on the board asking questions because they’re stressed too.

The responses telling them that they can’t handle grad school over a.. results survey post? Yikes. Maybe don’t feed into potential imposter syndrome or try to break someone down about their dream before it even starts. I’m way more disturbed by the invalidating responses from prospective psychologists that this person is receiving than I am by them saying to stop using the results as a conversation board. I just feel like I would respond totally differently to someone stressed.
Idk but if the person who posted on the results sees this please remember that person is wrong. Posting in caps on a results page absolutely has no bearing on whether you will succeed in graduate school. Keep your head up and hope this helps. I understand the stress and where the desire came from to tell people to stop clogging it up.

I received two rejections this cycle and this is the first interview invitation! Don't give up on your dreams!!!
School: New Mexico State University 
Type: Counseling Psychology Ph.D.
Date of invite: 1/18/2021
Type of invite: Email from POI for formal interview
Interview date(s): 2/05/2021 or 02/08/2021
DM for POI: Yes

School: Ryerson
Program: Clinical Psychology MA
Interview type: POI requested time to talk.
Date of Invite: Jan 18th
DM for POI(s): Yes
 
This is my first interview! If anyone has advice on how to prepare that would be greatly appreciated!!

Didn’t think I was going to get anything!! Super excited.
School: SUNY Binghamton 
Type: Clinical Psychology PhD
Date of invite: 1/15
Type of invite: Email from POI about first round interview
Interview date(s): 1/19 or 1/20
DM for POI: Yes!!
 

School: Columbia University Teachers College
Type: Counseling Psychology PhD
Date of invite: Jan 15th
Type of invite: Direct Email from Department
Interview date(s): Feb 4th 
DM for POI: Yes!

School: Howard University
Type: Counseling Psych PhD
Date of invite: 1/15
Type of invite: Email from POI 
Interview date(s): 1/21
DM for POI: No, sorry!
 
School: Georgia State University
Type: Clinical Psych PhD
Date of invite: 1/5
Type of invite: Email from POI 
Interview date(s): 1/9 (PI), 2/19 
DM for POI: No, sorry!
 
Best of luck, everyone! 

School: SUNY Albany
Type: Clinical Psychology PhD
Date of invite: 1/15
Type of invite: Email from POI 
Interview date(s): 2/26-2/27
DM for POI: Yes!
Super excited!!

School: Palo Alto University, University of Houston, Rosalind Franklin University
Type: Clinical PhD, Counseling PhD, Clinical PhD
Date of invite: 11/11, 11/30, 1/6
Type of invite: Email from admissions, Email from admissions after Zoom call with faculty, Email from POI
Interview date(s): 1/9 2/12, 2/19 (TBD)
DM for POI: No, Yes, Yes
Preliminary interview with University of California-Santa Barbara on 12/11, but waitlisted on 12/18.

I guess I did great during my preliminary interview because my POI just invited me to an official one next week and told me she was preparing an email to introduce me to her lab if I was still interested AND OF COURSE I AM. I am so shocked. On Monday when we had the preliminary interview, she told me to expect to hear from her in a few weeks..............its been THREE DAYS. I am so happy. 

So this is going to be different for different people. When I applied, the only offer I got was from a partially funded program at an inexpensive state school with a good research match (and coincidentally driving distance from my apartment). I opted to take it. My funding is tied to adjuncting because I have an MA-I get 6 credits free plus the adjunct rate for teaching, which is equal to about the cost of the other 6 credits (we take 12 credits every semester the first few years and then 9 towards the end). I am fortunate enough to have a spouse who works and makes enough to cover our living expenses, so I pay the tuition with my adjunct salary. I'm halfway through my 3rd year and haven't taken a penny of loans or used any money aside from what I get adjuncting 1 section. This works for us. But again, I paid $0 for relocation costs and my spouse has a decent income. Without those 2 things, I may have taken my chances applying a 2nd time. I wavered as well, but I ultimately felt like the sure bet was better than the gamble. 

This, all of this. The exact same thing happened to me last cycle. Rejection was so much harder because I was so "sure" that I would get in at this specific program. I think it's important to remain hopeful and have a generally positive attitude, but this year I am remaining much more realistic about the possibility of outcomes and more mentally and emotionally balanced. It is so important to protect your mental health during this process.
This isn't meant to bring people down, but I wish I had known last year that literally things can change up until the very last minute (like they did for me). The outcome does not reflect our potential or competency, it's just that the process can be idiosyncratic and so much is way beyond our control or based on information we're not privy to. I really hope this process becomes more transparent and less difficult on the applicants because right now I feel that a lot of this is pretty unnecessary and could be ironed out beforehand.

School: John Jay CUNY
Type: Clinical Psychology PhD
Date of invite: Jan 13th
Type of invite: Mass email from the director of clinical program
Interview date(s): Jan 29th via Zoom
DM for POI: No
 
My first invite Yay!!

OK, so it is starting to get to me this week. 

Good luck everyone, happy Monday/inbox refreshing!