Starting to become discouraged...(Counselling Psyc in BC)

[psycBCapp]

Hi all!

This is my first time posting so I'm hoping this is the right place to be. I just completed my undergrad with a BA in Psychology with Honours (I'm 26 -- started a little later). My GPA for my last 60 credits is 4.09/4.33, I have been a research assistant with the same professor off an on for the past year (different projects -- just a couple months into our second one that we are presenting at a conference later in May). I'm presenting my own research poster for my honours project at the same conference, but that is essentially the extent of my research experience other than a directed study I did in which I wrote a literature review on identity development and narrative approaches to therapy that I'm hoping to publish. I have been working as a BI since October 2017 and am also as of April gaining experience as a counselling extern at a youth drop-in centre, providing supervised counselling to youth aged 12-26. I have also been volunteering in the field as well as working as a peer tutor since 2016.

My main concern is that I'm kind of restricted to schools on the west coast of BC, as my husband runs a company out of the Fraser Valley which is essentially our entire source of income and allows me to focus on school and volunteering. I'm planning on applying to counselling psychology masters programs this fall, hoping to be accepted for Fall 2019. SFU is my first choice but this is partially based on geographical location. I will have to take an additional course in order to be eligible for UBC's counselling psychology program, and I'm waiting to hear back from UVic if certain courses I have taken during my undergrad fulfill some course requirements for acceptance. I'm starting to feel a little hopeless because I'm unsure if I should hope for the best in only applying to SFU, UBC and UVic or if I should be okay with applying to schools like Trinity or Adler, which I've heard mixed things about.

Is there anyone here knowledgable on the actual outcomes for those who go through programs like Trinity and Adler versus SFU/UBC? Should I be okay with waiting another year instead and re-applying, despite the fact that I'll be 27 this July and am really just wanting to get going with my masters?

Thanks in advance!

[Oshawott]

I know people who went to grad school for similar programs (counseling/social work/clinical) past their mid-to-late 30's. Since your husband has a good job that allows you to focus on school and volunteering, I don't see why you shouldn't just wait it out another year (or two) while becoming more competitive by volunteering in labs for SFU/UBC.

I know of some people who 'settled' for a program they didn't want to be in and they didn't thrive.

Edited May 7, 2018 by Oshawott