rugox

Hi folks, I just wanted to thank everyone for the messages of encouragement for those of us who didn't make it this year. I emailed sshrc to see if I could get more information, and I am shocked that they won't even provide unsuccessful applicants with a breakdown down their scores based on SSHRC's own 5 evaluation criteria (I think it's the minimum they could do in the absence of qualitative feedback). It doesn't seem like there are proper checks and balances in place to see if reviewers are taking these criteria into account, which is discouraging. But I hope we all keep trying, and I'm sure I will be seeing many of you around here next year.
 
After many sleepless nights and a lot of advice from other applicants, I still can't figure out what I could have done wrong, but I think I'm going to try simplifying my proposal, cutting out much of the interdisciplinary component (and being enrolled in a program next year will also likely help). 
 
Perhaps the one useful piece of information I received from sshrc is that the cut-off score for successful applicants this year was 12.1. It looks like many of you who posted from the wait list are very close. Best of luck! 

You got it all wrong. Rankings don't mean jack when it comes to academic job market especially in psychology. Most important factor is your versatility and diligence as a researcher than it might be about the reputation of your mentor. And US News rankings? Are you kidding me?

You got it all wrong. Rankings don't mean jack when it comes to academic job market especially in psychology. Most important factor is your versatility and diligence as a researcher than it might be about the reputation of your mentor. And US News rankings? Are you kidding me?

You got it all wrong. Rankings don't mean jack when it comes to academic job market especially in psychology. Most important factor is your versatility and diligence as a researcher than it might be about the reputation of your mentor. And US News rankings? Are you kidding me?

Sounds like you answered your question. You have experience in both settings and interests in both research fields so it really depends how you tailor your application. In any case, if you apply to a school with a professor who aligns well with your research interest, that would be your best bet.
 
Be careful about relating social work with clinical psych as although there are overlaps, differences separate them as a profession. Also, what do you mean by direct services? Did you do counseling?

Success stories, sure, but why go chasing a blind dream if you don't know whether that's what you really want? You should not be asking about whether there are people out there who have overcome academic difficulties in being accepted to doctoral programs, you should be asking yourself if you are dedicated enough to enter this field for a long run. Everything starts with your interest in the field and how deep that interest is. There are many ways you can show this and like Lisa said, unfortunately, extracurriculars are not as relevant for your doctoral potential. I'm sorry to say but 6 months are not going to cut it let alone a year if you are looking to go into Ph.D. programs. Psy.D. programs have a more lax admissions requirements but they generally don't fund you, which is not ideal since you are looking for financial assistance. My advice would be for your to keep on amassing your research experience and build a portfolio that can distinguish yourself away from your GPA.