Psypig

Hi, I applied to Western last year. I remember that they require one or more years of working experience in a related field, so am not sure if 4th yr students could meet their requirement. Another advice would be contact your referees before entering their information in the application system, bc their system automatically sends out requests to your referees once you enter their information (before you click "submit"). I was rejected by Western last year, am planning to apply for it again, so best of luck to us!

Congratulations!!! I just received a rejection email from UBC, do you mind sharing a bit on what academic achievements/ working experiences do you have? This is my first time applying for grad school and would like to know more about how to equip myself to be a competitive applicant

I asked similar questions to their admission advisor earlier. However, they did not answer my questions directly (e.g. repeatedly telling me that the program is recognized by different associations) nor give me much detail of how the courses would be taught. Moreover, I received multiple phone calls and emails asking me to apply and pay as soon as possible after that, so my impression isn't very positive too. I think I'd take more courses to boost my gpa and apply for more reputable schools again next year.

Congratulations to those who got accepted!! As many schools have already sent out their interview invitations/ offers, am wondering if anyone here would apply for alternative programs e.g. Yorkville/ Athabasca if you can't get into your top choices this year? I talked to the admission advisor of Yorkville before, but I am afraid that the chance to practice counselling skills is not sufficient since there is not real-time lectures and in-person discussions. And how students are required to find their own practicum sites and supervisors in their province sounds risk-taking as well. Would like to hear how you guys choose between applying to these alternative programs vs try applying to the more well-known universities again

I worked as a healthcare assistant at the psychiatric department at a hospital for a year and am working as a school counsellor now. I would say the psychiatric department in the hospital has been an ideal place to start my career, as I could understand the duties of different healthcare professionals and how they cooperate, and it was very easy to seek advice from doctors, psychologists, and nurses. I am very interested in helping youth with mental healthcare needs, so having direct communication with youth with different mental disorders was a very interesting experience to me. Besides, if you are interested in the healthcare field but not knowing which occupation you'd like to pursue in particular, a year in the hospital could probably help clarifying your interest. The cost of working in the hospital is having to do many repetitive duties, e.g. cleaning, checking body temperature etc. But since I observed and learnt a lot about how healthcare professionals communicate with patients and their caregivers, I would still say it is worth it. I then started to work as a school counsellor, as it is allowed to work as a school counsellor before gaining a MA counselling in my country. I don't think it is possible in Canada, but fyi, I enjoy the job very much as well. However, working as a counsellor in an environment where the primary goal is not promoting psychological health can be challenging, since you have to work more independently to help your clients while meeting the demands of the organisation. I could not imagine how helpless it could be if I have not been worked with and supervised by a team of professionals in the hospital before. It is not easy, but there's definitely more job satisfaction than working as an healthcare assistant. On top of those working experiences, I also volunteer as a hotline counsellor at a NGO. answering calls from women and youth who experienced domestic violences. I am not sure if my choices of jobs are right, as I do not much research experiences after I graduated. So... will see how it goes, and best of luck to you!

Wow thank you for taking the time to share your experience with me (us)! Has been coming to this forum like almost everyday, sometimes I feel more anxious after seeing how people achieved amazing GPA, gained professional experiences, received interview invitations etc. But it's very heartwarming to read your sharing today! Wishing you lots of success in your practicum : )