CateFace

It is hard to give a generalized yes/no because there are so many school psych programs out there available - but I will give you the heads up for Canadian-based school psych programs, you typically apply at the masters level, then apply and start the process over again at the PhD level.

Having just gone through this caregiving for my mom for the last six months, I truly didn't realize how intensive it was until I was doing it. She unfortunately passed a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure I would have had the capacity to do any of my previous undergrad work while caring for her as intensely as she required at the end. I did 6 courses in spring when she was newly diagnosed and didn't require the level of care she needed in her final month. If I were in your shoes and knowing how intense it can be, I would defer my application another year. Or be prepared to hire homecare to relieve you of some responsibilities (frankly, I would do both). I know you are feeling like time is running out, but I assure you the age that people begin is scattered across the board. I will be 33 starting my program and I'm pretty sure I will be on the older side but far from the absolute oldest too. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it would be far worse for you to burn out and ruin your chances at success were you admitted to a program because you were trying to balance your life responsibilities and in the grander scheme of things, one year is such a short amount of time to wait. I also understand not deferring though, as that's the choice I made when my mom was diagnosed a week after I received acceptance. Now she passed before my program actually started, but I truly had zero idea how I was going to manage her care and starting my program in Sept I was considering withdrawing and reapplying. So I get it, I really do - there really is no right answer here.

I did this last year and was accepted into one and not the other. In my interview for the program I was accepted, I was asked where else I had applied and what programs. When I stated the other program within the same school I was asked why. My answer was simply that I realize there are multiple pathways to achieving the same end goal and that I felt both programs shared a lot of overlap and both offered what I needed to pursue my interests. I was admitted to the one that I answered this into, so just be truthful - there really is a lot of overlap in different programs with the same opportunities to pursue your research.

I'm not sure how this works, but I know some people retake a class to get a higher grade - is that a thing where it would replace the D with the new grade? In which case, I'd retake it over the summer/fall and re-apply!

I think it cannot hurt, they may not have anything for you but also may know of some projects looking for RA work - and volunteer RA is even better if its something you can do to get your foot in the door and start to form relationships within other labs while also gaining more experience! I think for a lot of the summer studentships, the applications have been long since processed and approved, so finding funding may be difficult - but volunteers are a whole other category, I think its a great idea!

I'm registered at UCalgary and the schedule was released and each of my courses have a designated room so I'm assuming will end up in person? Who knows, I know things are subject to change fast and it is easier to make the arrangement plans for in person and make sure the rooms required are available and switch to zoom if need be.

I haven't applied to this, but I am currently an undergrad at AU and am on the student's union council so have had a lot of discussions with students aiming for this program so this is my understanding. In previous years, applicants received notice of acceptance in April/May I believe - the cohorts are around 50 per year and applicants are several hundred. But there is a laddering option that many students take in which if they aren't accepted into a cohort immediately they can still begin the coursework and ladder into the cohort later on and end up with the same end-goal/objective too.

It is an option with this degree, but this is limited to Alberta (and maybe some other provinces, but definitely not all of them. There are many successful graduates from the AU MC program that have registered as a psychologist in Alberta.

I'm not sure you necessarily will need both, but given the option I would pick a laptop over a tablet. My program still has classes along with lab and thesis component and I'm not sure I would do well in a class without use of a laptop - but if you did your undergrad like this maybe this is just your preference too. I mostly use my desktop as my undergrad has been online/distance - but I liked the flexibility of a laptop for when I was away from home (camping/travelling...who knows). I need to upgrade it as it is very very old and very slow now - but I plan to not necessarily purchase an amazing laptop so much as I will likely just remote into my desktop to run the bigger software programs and prioritize small and light for the portable laptop option.

I thought that was just a US thing! Makes sense because then you have enough time to wait for all offers and funding offers to come through to make a decision and don't have the pressure to accept the first one. Good luck with your decisions!!

They usually have a deadline that they'd like to hear a response from you so that if you choose to decline they can offer the spot to those on the wait list - but I think they know that you will be waiting to hear all offers before choosing any specific one (unless it is your top choice clearly!) My offer gave me a month to accept, although it was the one I was hoping for, so I just accepted right away.

This is what it looked like on my portal for my SACP admittance - click the accept/decline and it has a several step confirmation process. COOOONGGGRRAAATTTSSS!!!! Edited to add also of course you can wait to accept it and don't have to confirm immediately if you are waiting out other spots first lol - It'll stay there until you do

Interesting! Maybe there was an easy auto-reject pile and my application landed in there (my proposal was so specific down to the CIHR grant I was working on, that if that person didn't get me, I wouldn't have fit with a single other person - so it was an easy reject for me!). You may be in a waitlisted pile with no interview but also not an easy rejection? I see several others posted a rejection yesterday too so I think maybe just that initial cut was notified? Also for both my rejection as well as my offer of admission - my portal hasn't been updated - still a green circle. Both notifications came through email with attachments.

I received an official rejection from UCalgary for clinical psyc today, which I knew was coming as I did not advance to open house as well as my application was never forwarded to the PI I was hoping to work with (not core faculty). On the other hand - I received an offer of admission to the UCalgary SACP program last night, which I will be accepting and am very happy about!

Yes - I applied to the school psych program, but it is housed in the same faculty and some of the supervisors overlap. I was given a time frame that begins last week for when letters are coming out (around ish) and so I'm naturally on overdrive refreshing and ruminating haha (as I'm sure a lot of us are!)