selflovewarrior
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Posts posted by selflovewarrior
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First of all, I am so sorry to hear about your situation. It is never easy taking care of a sick parent and especially so when pursuing higher education.
I was in a bit of a similar situation when I was in my final year of undergrad - my father's cancer came back from remission and was terminal. I too struggled with deciding if I should push myself through or if it might be better to take a semester/year off. Personally, I decided to take a semester off: for me, although it was difficult to delay my graduation and application, I knew I would have opportunities in the future to make up for it. I also knew from earlier years before his remission, that it would be very difficult for me to juggle - my grades had slipped in the past. All-in-all, it was the best call for my overall well-being, academic success, and gave me peace knowing that I could spend time with my dad.
As for my application: I did include it in my personal statement. I had a small blurb towards the end where I gave the facts - I said when it affected me, what responsibilities I managed at that time, and my productive output that highlighted my success (such that I was able to be productive in my final year by taking that break and remediated my earlier grades). You're allowed to take breaks, take care of yourself, and be with your family. Nine out of ten times, supervisors and committees reading your application will be understanding to that fact.
Wishing you all the best and sending my best to your family during the difficult time. ❤️
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On 9/11/2020 at 3:03 PM, NeuroLim3 said:
When do you suggest sending your references a heads up about letters? My references know I'm applying to grad school, but I want to give them a gooooood amount of time to write my letters because I know they are incredibly busy.
11 hours ago, Mickey26 said:Ask your referees. Its very idiosyncratic. General rule of thumb is a minimum 1 mth heads up, which one of my referees subscribed to. My other just wanted 2 weeks heads up. So ask them to confirm what their preferences are.
I definitely second what @Mickey26 has suggested. Generally, in my experience my referees have asked for 2 weeks notice but I personally like to ask/give them a heads-up about a month in advance out of courtesy. Additionally, you have possibly already had this conversation with your referees but sometimes they may request you write your own letter which they will submit (with edits as necessary), or ask you to provide specific examples of what you would like to be discussed in your reference letter. In those cases, it's helpful for you to have as much time as necessary then!
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On 9/10/2020 at 12:32 AM, NeuroLim3 said:
Can any current graduate students in clin psych share their thoughts/experiences on being co-supervised? I've heard mixed reviews from graduate students (outside of clin psych) and wondering how this may be different for this particular program.
I have personally had a wonderful experience on being co-supervised! Personally, I don't think it's an issue of the particular program but rather the supervisors you would be co-supervised by, their supervision styles, their relationship and willingness to work together, and of course, your own research interests. I have had friends in both clinical and other psych programs that have had great and terrible experiences - the experience was dictated by all the factors I just outlined. For that reason, I would more so query the supervisors you would be interested being co-supervised by and in particular, request a joint meeting if the co-supervision is viable and agreed upon to gauge what that co-supervision would look like.
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1 hour ago, iamstressed said:
Do grant/financial award applications have to be submitted the same time as our actual applications?
If you're referring to external awards such as CGS-M, the answer is no - they have their own separate deadlines (e.g., the deadline for CGS-M is Dec 1). However if you are applying for internal awards, then it may be possible but you should check that on an institution basis.
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Hi all! I am a current clinical psych student at Queen's - I thought I would post here in case anybody was looking to get some advice.
I recognize that this year is a bit weird with the pandemic on top of an already very competitive application process. So feel free to reach out to me privately or ask question directly on this forum.
I see somebody has already posted the Excel document regarding GRE scores this year. This document has also been floating around on Twitter and thought I would share it for those who may need some help with their personal statement: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ArfbHnIctoVUVC6xvwjkREB70tXTwdd08-OyJNOk7Aw/.
Best of luck to everyone this year!
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Queen's student here: I received an OGS offer on Monday. Weirdly enough, when I inquired about it about a month ago, I was told that all successful recipients were already contacted. Wondering if I was possibly waitlisted or if there was maybe a delay? Regardless, just wanted to share if anyone was still waiting to hear or know what was happening.
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10 hours ago, Leashy said:
I just got notice that I received a CGS-M Scholarship to UCalgary but I am still currently on the waitlist. Do you think having this scholarship is helpful to getting off the waitlist or do they even care?
Would it be advised to email the program to let them know I received this?
First of all, congrats! Second - I would email the POI with this information. Although nothing is guaranteed, it could increase your chances of being accepted.
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Hi all. Current first year student at Queens here and past applicant who had an open house interview from UBC and an offer from OISE SCCP.
I definitely remember all the stress during this waiting period and prepping for interviews. Feel free to ask me questions here or privately message me, if you’d like.
Best of luck to everyone!
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Just accepted my offer from Queen’s and releasing my offer from OISE SCCP! I hope this opens up a spot to someone on the waitlist.
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6 hours ago, Willy36 said:
Congratulations your offers, AND a CGS-M to boot. I wonder though, when were you rejected, and were you offered an interview? What form of rejection was it (SGS status, or informal POI email?) Thanks and best of luck !
Thank you! I was quite surprised myself but very grateful. I was rejected March 20th and contacted by my POI on March 22nd. Rejection was formal - email via SGS that status had changed along with official rejection letter.
6 hours ago, Willy36 said:Sorry I totally meant to include a reply to your dilemma, but it sounds like almost everything is held equal, such as your relationship with the POIs, your research interest at either school. I've gone through a MA already, and I've been screwed over by lack of care and attention from my ex-POI, which ultimately ended in what I call a 'divorce'. If you get a chance, I'd ask the grad students about their experiences, and trust me, if there were any red flags they wouldn't hesitate to tell you. If both supervisors are equally as appealing, then I'd say pick the choice that makes most sense geographically for you, since you mentioned that location is quite key. Hope this is helpful!
26 minutes ago, chopper.wife said:Congrats!! I may be wrong about who your POI is, but I know a new faculty member came in at OISE near the end of this cycle, and so he got to extend offers (even to those who were initially rejected). If I am correct and that is your POI, I have heard nothing but wonderful things about him and you would certainly benefit from working with a early career researcher like him. However, getting input from other students is really important, as @Willy36 mentioned, and you won't be able to get any feedback on what this POI is like as a mentor being that they are brand new and have never supervised students of their own.
If I am wrong about this being a brand new faculty member at OISE, feel free to dismiss what I have said haha!
As @chopper.wife has mentioned, he is a new faculty member so I don’t have a way of getting any feedback from current grad students. This is also the case at Queen’s as the POI is a new faculty member also. But I appreciate you taking the time to suggest advice!
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Hi all - long-time lurker here. I know this is super late in the game but I'm hoping that I could give some people (future applicants) peace of mind. After being initially rejected and waitlisted, I've landed two acceptances!
Acceptance 1
School: University of Toronto (OISE)
Concentration: School and Clinical Child Psychology (SCCP)
Type: MA
Date of acceptance: March 29, 2019
Notified by: Email from both SGS that my status had changed on March 27, 2019, which included an official offer letter and funding; Also was notified by my POI via email the same day
Note: Was initially rejectedAcceptance 2
School: Queen's University
Concentration: Clinical Psychology
Type: MSc
Date of acceptance: Unofficially March 29, 2019; Officially April 2, 2019
Notified by: Call from POI on March 29, 2019, and received official offer letter from SGS April 2, 2019
Note: Was originally waitlisted; Secured SSHRC fundingIn a bit of a dilemma when it comes to choosing between these two programs, as there is a great research fit at both and I get along well with both POIs. POIs are very similar in many regards. Location is something that is impacting my decision as I currently live in the GTA. I feel bad holding onto a decision longer than I need to but I'm seriously struggling. Any thoughts?
What's your age when you apply for graduate program for the first time and when you get into one?
in Psychology Forum
Posted
To note, I took an extra year in my undergrad (5 years vs. 4). I first applied to a clinical psychology MSc/PhD program at 23 and was rejected. I applied a second time at 24 years old and was accepted. I officially started my MSc when I was 25 and now I'm entering my PhD this September at 27 years old!
Canadian programs are different from the US, but I've been fully funded since I entered from both funding agencies and TA stipends from the university. But finances were a big thing I was considering when applying as well, in addition to my age.
In my experience, I've have peers who are both younger and older than me in my cohort - it doesn't really make too much of a difference between us. All-in-all, I am happy with my path and am glad I chose to pursue it.