VanessaB

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you haven’t heard about an interview invite from them by now, you most likely didn’t rank high enough to secure an interview. I was in that position when I applied to the MC at ULeth in 2014/2015. Decisions were released in February. I also have a friend who got an interview for this program in a different admissions cycle, got waitlisted, and made it all the way to the top of the waiting list but ultimately never got in. One of my other friends went through the entire MEd program a few years ago, so some people do get in. The MC is usually more competitive than the MEd because it’s online. The MEd usually receives around 100 applications whereas the MC usually gets around 120+. Following the interviews, they accept roughly half of those people. For my specific situation, when I asked about why I wasn’t invited in 2015, they said they were looking for more of a psych background (my first two undergrad degrees were not in psych although I had some psych classes, and although I was a certified teacher with lots of teaching experience at the time, they wanted more direct psych experience). I’m not sure what your personal situation is, but if you’re set on this school then I’d maybe focus on ensuring you have depth and breadth in your psych classes and you have direct experience related to counselling psych. If you already have those things then I’d maybe look into asking them in a few months about how to strengthen your application.

I'm pretty sure faculty refers to the broader area your program is situated (e.g., Faculty of Social Sciences). It doesn't refer to your supervisor. I won CGS-M (2021-2022) and at least that's what I did (e.g., I put Faculty of Education for my particular program).

Do you have a Google account? You could use Google sites. It would be quite easy to set up. I'm sure any free website builder will do though.

I'm a current master's student applying to continue to the PhD at my current school. This week I found out my application was forwarded to the national competition. Now the waiting begins. ? I'd be happy to connect with others who are waiting it out too.

For the no CV thing, personally what I would do is create a website with my CV. I'd then direct the reader to the website via my statement/letter of intent. If the school is interested in accepting you, I suspect they might look at your web CV.

Honestly, if your university has given you a clean slate, thank the high heavens and move forward. I definitely would not bring it up if the university has basically released you from any ownership of it. Plus, it sounds like you learned your lesson, which is important.

There's multiple ways you could approach this. Here's what I suggest. My recommendation is not to briefly explain the W or the C- unless the program(s) you're applying to specifically state they're using your cGPA calculation for anything related to the admissions process. If you mention the W and C- and they weren't noticed beforehand by a committee, that could unnecessarily draw attention to that part of your application. Although my situation was different (i.e., I applied with multiple undergraduate degrees), I had 4 Ws in my first degree (mostly due to changing majors and realizing it wasn't worth it to finish the courses) and a D in genetics class in my first degree as well. I never mentioned any of these in any of my applications, and it wouldn't been weird to do so since they were so long ago. Ultimately, I was successful with getting admitted to multiple programs and getting CGS-M. Given that you mention the W and C- were in your first semester of undergrad, I suggest using your limited word and/or page space for other things aside from explaining your W and C-.

I’m currently completing my master’s degree in another area (school & clinical child psychology). I’ve wanted to be a psychologist for years now, but as I wrote my doctoral SSHRC funding application this fall I realized I’m very interested in language and literacy. I never thought I’d ever consider another masters, but a PhD in my current area of study is also a huge commitment, so I want to be sure. If I don’t get the SSHRC funding for my PhD, I’m considering pursuing SLP, but I need to gather more information and understand what a career in SLP is like. Can someone tell me…what are the reports like? What assessments do you learn and deliver? What do SLPs generally like and dislike about the job? Also, if I went the SLP route, I’m mainly interested in UAlberta as I’d still be close to “home” (Calgary). I’ve noticed the semesters are packed. Do you find you’re always studying? Right now my master’s program is 3 classes per term with a practicum most semesters. As well, we write a thesis. When I look at the SLP curriculum, it’s something like six classes a term, which is wild!! Are you experiencing burnout?!

Have you considered using superscripts and footers for this? What I might do in this case is use superscript numbers in the text. In your footer, list the superscript number and a note next to it (e.g., full name is ___ / refers to / whatever you chose to label it). Sometimes you’ll see this done in articles. CPA also uses this type of referencing in some of their articles. Superscript references are also acceptable in SSHRC proposals too, which can save you a lot of space.

Anyone here applying to PhD programs and completing the doctoral SSHRC applications? For the doctoral SSHRC CCV in the "Work Experience" section it says, "The information entered in the Current Position section should not be repeated here. List a maximum of 15 other positions, academic and non-academic, you have held. Once the data are saved, the system will automatically sort the data in reverse chronological order, based on start year." My page only lets me fill in 6 boxes/positions and that's it. I see there's a "New Page" button in the top left, but that just clears my 6 entries. Any idea if this is an issue with the form or perhaps they meant 6 positions and not 15?

I don't know the precise numbers, but I suspect the majority of psychologists in Alberta are master-level ones. The Collage of AB Psychs (CAP) might be able to provide you with specific data or direct you to where you could find such numbers, but anecdotally speaking, everyone I know who is registered in Alberta is at that master-level here. However, all of these individuals are either working in the counselling psychology field or the school psychology field. I suspect a master-level clinical psychologist is rare. Some jobs will specifically request a PhD-level psychologist and graduation from a CPA accredited program, so having those boxes checked could certainly help your chances at securing certain jobs.

Sweet! During my masters app cycle I applied to all those programs that you listed (though I applied to SACP at UCalgary not to their clinical psych stream). I was admitted to all but SCCP at OISE. First of all, I will say that there's no one student profile for those who get admitted. We all have interesting and diverse skills sets and experiences. For example, some people in my program have worked as psychometrists and/or volunteered in various roles at hospitals whereas I have not. When I applied, this is what my application looked liked: GPA: BA Psych Honours (3.94/4.0 overall GPA; 4.0/40 Psych GPA; 3.98/4.0 last 20 GPA), BEd (3.94/4.0 overall GPA), and BFA (3.69/4.0 overall GPA). Experiences: Full- and part-time K-12 teaching including various coaching roles and directing drama productions (7+ years), research assistant (6-month paid position and 2+ years volunteer position with the last year as a lab coordinator), crisis line volunteer (4 years), mental health education volunteer (3 years), activity coordinator for a behavioural sciences journal (2 years), peer mentoring volunteer at two different universities (2 years), student rep volunteer on a faculty council (1 year), museum educator for school programs (3 spring/summer seasons with the third season as the school program coordinator), and oral storyteller at a library (1-term applied study). I also had done a few talks and I had a few publications in progress at the time, but nothing in a major journal. Honestly I probably missed something as my experience is extensive. I believe this was the strongest part of my application. References: School principal (known for 7 years, supervised by her for over 4 of those years), manager of the clinical services dept at a crisis line (supervised by him for around 4 years), and thesis/RA supervisor (supervised by her for around 3 years across my volunteer research and finally my thesis). Note that UAlberta asks for two research references, but I decided to submit two practical ones for this application because I wanted to show my fit for a program in both clinical and school psychology. I don't necessarily recommend this approach, but given all my schooling and strong academic background, I decided to go that route. I believe the acceptance rate for UAlberta SCCP was around 9% when I applied. I think it was around 4% this year, but they haven't officially posted those stats yet, so that's my best guess based on what I've heard. You can find more information in the UAlberta SCCP program brochure. I don't believe they were tracking master-level entry until my entrance year though, so it's hard to get an idea of the full picture. From what I've been told, usually 100+ people apply and they usually admit from 4-8 per app cycle.

Applied for a masters for the first time at 28. I only applied to one program at the time and I was rejected due to not enough courses and training in the field (I was wanting to make a career change from teaching to psychology). I went back to school at 29 to get a third undergraduate degree as I was determined to do anything to make my dreams a reality. At 32, I applied to a masters program and was admitted to multiple ones. By the time classes started, I was 33. I’ll finish my master’s degree at 35, and I’ll likely finish my PhD by or before 40. Being older has some added benefits. For me, my field isn’t just one that leads to a job or career. At this age and and stage, I’m sure my area of study is truly my life passion. I know I’m fulfilling my life purpose.

I'll be applying to continue to the PhD in SCCP at UAlberta. I'm only applying to this program because my supervisor is such a great person and so easy to work with, I want to stay in Alberta and work permanently in the province, and the program is a perfect fit. Currently, I'm heading into my second year of my master's in SCCP this fall. As many of you have mentioned, once your foot is in the door, things get (somewhat) easier. I say somewhat easier because there's always going to be pressure to produce meaningful research contributions, secure funding, etc. Students who are currently completing their masters in my program and who apply for the PhD get prioritized in the application cycle, so I feel like a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders in that regard. Originally, I wasn't sure if I'd continue to the PhD since I could technically register with my masters in Alberta and I'm itching to get back into the professional workforce, but given that the SCCP program is a dual specialization, I've realized that I need the full scope of training to feel competent in my field. Plus, the 1600-hour internship can be used to fulfill part of our registration requirement in Alberta for those wanting to be a psychologist, so it's nice that it's integrated in the PhD program. For people who are just starting out and applying for CGS-M funding, my best advice is (1) feel free to take a few lines in your proposal to talk about yourself and your training/preparation. Your proposal doesn't have to be all about what you're going to research and the what, where, when, why and how of it all. You can also talk about why you're the best person to conduct the research, including your training and supports you have in place to ensure you will get the study done in a timely manner. Think of it as you're selling your study AND yourself to a reader/committee. As well, (2) it's often great to talk about dissemination and knowledge mobilization plans. It speaks to the impact your research will have. Finally, (3) get as many people as you can from within your field and outside of your field to read your proposal drafts. After many revisions, when I thought I was ready to submit my proposal, I had yet another person read it, which led to switching the order of paragraphs. Up until that point I had never considered changing the order of ideas that drastically. While I'm sure each university is different in what they look for, I can confirm that I did all of these things and I was successful in the 2020 CGS-M competition, so hopefully those little pieces of advice will help others.

I believe the form, 2022-2023 Clinical Psychology Applications - Canada, might be the closest to what you're looking for. I'm currently completing my master's in SCCP at UAlberta! I'll be heading into my second year this fall. I'll also be applying to the PhD program in SCCP to start in 2022. My supervisor is top notch and the program is a perfect fit for me and exactly what I'm looking for, so I'm only applying to the SCCP PhD program at UAlberta. I'll continue my studies there. Students currently in the program are required to apply, but it's more of a formality than anything. I believe OISE SCCP is similar in the sense that their own master-level SSCP students get preferential consideration when applying to the PhD route(if they want to continue). If you're interested specifically in SCCP, I suspect you're applying to the MA at OISE and/or the MEd at UAlberta?

Also, I believe your offer expiry date is indeed April 22nd even if the notification was input into the system at an earlier date. I’ve included a picture of what I see in my portal. Once you click to open your application, your offer expiry date should be there.

Basically you need to be a full-time student for the tenure of the award. If you start the award in September but then finish your program in it’s entirety by next April, you’d be under the year mark and won’t receive the full award or might have to pay back part of the award, so that’s why they suggest taking the award at the soonest possible time. I’m currently in the first year of my program and I set Sept 1, 2021 as my award start date. My department said this is fine to do. Basically, the award tenure will run from Sept 1, 2021 to Aug 31, 2022. With choosing this option, I won’t be able to defend until next spring/summer, I’ll need to register as a full-time student again next spring/summer, and I’ll officially convocate next fall instead of the spring. If you’re trying to convocate for next spring, then you’ll run into an issue with a September start date. That said, most if not all people in my program finish in the spring/summer of second year, so this timeline is common. For me, as long as my program requirements are done by next September and I’ve defended by then, I could still start my PhD even if I don’t technically convocate till November. I’d double check with your department, but I suspect a September start date won’t be an issue.

I was also notified about receiving SSHRC funding at UAlberta last week! I'm so thrilled! As well, I was pleasantly surprised about the top-up award email. I always thought it was something students had to apply to and compete for, but I was wrong!

Mine said that when I logged in, but then I had to click to open to application. Hopefully you'll see something if you open the full application.

It happened for me!!! I got the award offer and I've accepted!!!

I think one of the automated emails said 9:00 a.m. (ET).

So, I double checked the portal again, and the date I saw when first entered was indeed my submission date. However, when I clicked to open the application file, I saw the new date. It's entered as March 30th, 2021. I suspect you should see this there too. I attached a screenshot of what I see/what it should look like.

That should be fine. The date in my portal didn't change either, so it's still showing the date I submitted the application, and I'm certain I'm eligible as well.

Ah, yes I finally got the email this morning about the application status change. I was worried they'd forgotten to update my application!

The date showing for my "Last Updated" status is set on the day I submitted the application. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Do you think the date is supposed to change? I received the email last Thursday about how to check the portal on April 1st, and I received an email on December 17th stating that my application was under review at my current institution.