Fall 2019 Clinical Psychology Canadian Applicants!

[ventiamericano]

21 minutes ago, Neurophilic said:

I KNEW YOUD GET IT!!!

Okay but... see you there?! ?

[Inez_Only]

2 hours ago, ventiamericano said:

Ahhh!! Just got my first (and probably only) acceptance!! Can't believe everything I've worked so hard for has finally paid off. I accepted pretty much immediately, LOL.

School: Ryerson University

Concentration: Clinical Psychology

Type: MA

Date of acceptance: Feb 16 (formal acceptance with letter)

Notified by: Personal e-mail from Chair of Clinical asking for a call, then accepted over the call

CONGRATS!!!!

[ventiamericano]

28 minutes ago, Trinsanity said:

CONGRATS!!!!

Thanks so much!!!!

[Neurophilic]

2 hours ago, ventiamericano said:

Okay but... see you there?! ?

Maybe  

[lobstergirl]

10 hours ago, chopper.wife said:

Welcome! I hope you hear back soon from Ryerson and Waterloo. I did not apply to either, so I cannot speak to those programs, but I did apply to OISE. From what I know, they have (mostly) wrapped up interviewing students they are interested in and will be extending offers soon. Not to say that you won't hear back if you haven't been interviewed yet, but I know that is the case for at least one PI. Hope that helps!

Hey! Could you message me which POI you're referring to? Thanks!

[chopper.wife]

10 hours ago, lobstergirl said:

Hey! Could you message me which POI you're referring to? Thanks!

Just DM’d you!

[Swarly]

Hi everyone, 

I am an undergraduate student interested in pursuing clinical psychology. I am considering taking a reduced course load and wanted to know how graduate schools would view this. I am trying to maintain my GPA whilst working part-time and volunteering but feel that I would get more out of my courses if I were taking 4 courses instead of 5. If I have a strong GPA and both research and clinical experience how important is it to take a full course load? If anyone could provide some insights that would be greatly appreciated!

[Neurophilic]

40 minutes ago, Swarly said:

Hi everyone, 

I am an undergraduate student interested in pursuing clinical psychology. I am considering taking a reduced course load and wanted to know how graduate schools would view this. I am trying to maintain my GPA whilst working part-time and volunteering but feel that I would get more out of my courses if I were taking 4 courses instead of 5. If I have a strong GPA and both research and clinical experience how important is it to take a full course load? If anyone could provide some insights that would be greatly appreciated!

Hey!

Many universities still consider 4 courses a full course load. To give some perspective, I enrolled in 3 courses per semester for my last year (took an extra year) to complete psychology prerequisites. They were counted towards my GPA and I've been accepted to a clinical program for Fall 2019. 

I don't think it will hurt you. It is really important to have clinical/research experience, so if you think this is the way to get it, go for it. 

Edited February 18, 2019 by Neurophilic

[Clinicalh0peful]

54 minutes ago, Swarly said:

Hi everyone, 

I am an undergraduate student interested in pursuing clinical psychology. I am considering taking a reduced course load and wanted to know how graduate schools would view this. I am trying to maintain my GPA whilst working part-time and volunteering but feel that I would get more out of my courses if I were taking 4 courses instead of 5. If I have a strong GPA and both research and clinical experience how important is it to take a full course load? If anyone could provide some insights that would be greatly appreciated!

To add on to Neurophilic, in my final year I took 2 courses first semester and 3 courses second semester. I had taken courses in the summer, so I still graduated in 4 years, but received acceptance to two programs this year. I was never questioned about it in interviews. Given that LOTS of first-year Master's students are 25, 26, 27, etc... I don't see why they would care how quickly you got your undergraduate degree done! If you do 4 courses a semester and it takes you an extra year and you get better grades and retain more information, I'd say that's the way to go. My understanding is that most people apply more than once anyway, so usually even if people aren't taking 5 years to complete their degree, they're taking a year off in between anyway (as I did). Hope that is helpful!

[Mickey26]

1 hour ago, Swarly said:

Hi everyone, 

I am an undergraduate student interested in pursuing clinical psychology. I am considering taking a reduced course load and wanted to know how graduate schools would view this. I am trying to maintain my GPA whilst working part-time and volunteering but feel that I would get more out of my courses if I were taking 4 courses instead of 5. If I have a strong GPA and both research and clinical experience how important is it to take a full course load? If anyone could provide some insights that would be greatly appreciated!

Hey! Great question--so clinical psych ISN'T like medical school where you MUST take 5 courses every semester. I took 3 courses in my very first semester, and then five courses until this year (my 4th and final yr), where I took 3 and 4 courses. I'm been accepted into 2 clinical psych programs, and have never been questioned about my course load in any interviews. Hope this helps!

[Swarly]

2 hours ago, Neurophilic said:

Hey!

Many universities still consider 4 courses a full course load. To give some perspective, I enrolled in 3 courses per semester for my last year (took an extra year) to complete psychology prerequisites. They were counted towards my GPA and I've been accepted to a clinical program for Fall 2019. 

I don't think it will hurt you. It is really important to have clinical/research experience, so if you think this is the way to get it, go for it. 

Thank you for the insights and congratulations on the acceptance! 

[Swarly]

58 minutes ago, Mickey26 said:

Hey! Great question--so clinical psych ISN'T like medical school where you MUST take 5 courses every semester. I took 3 courses in my very first semester, and then five courses until this year (my 4th and final yr), where I took 3 and 4 courses. I'm been accepted into 2 clinical psych programs, and have never been questioned about my course load in any interviews. Hope this helps!

You definitely saw where I was coming from with this question in assuming that the acceptance process would be similar to that of medical school. I appreciate you sharing your courseload and experience with graduate admissions. Congratulations on the acceptance!  

[skye95]

On 2/13/2019 at 5:05 PM, matche11 said:

Offers from University of Alberta SCCP have begun! First official acceptance yay

 

Anyone know anything about how their funding works? There was no info in the offer letter

Would you mind messaging me your POI?

I would love to hear from anyone else who has been accepted to UofA too!

[Clinicalh0peful]

Hey all,

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this but I figured I'd try. I have received acceptances to two clinical psychology programs in Canada. I find that there is a much better research and program fit with one of the programs, but the funding discrepancy between program A and B accumulates to about $50,000 over the course of 6 years. Now, fortunately, the lower-funding program has openly encouraged negotiations with them. Does anybody know how to go about doing this, and politely? I sort of fell in love with the campus and the program when I went for interview day and would love to attend there, but quality-of-life and student loans are a substantial consideration. Should I be clear that I am willing to work more for the funding (whether it be more GAships or other)? Also, can I mention PhD funding as apart of the negotiation? My offer of admission mentions the funding minimum for the first 3 years of the PhD but says more details will be given if I am accepted into the PhD. However, given that they state in their application that they expect students to continue on to the PhD there, it seems reasonable to negotiate the funding contingent on my acceptance (since once I'm there, I'm stuck). But I don't know if this is appropriate.

Sorry, I just feel as though I am up a creek without a paddle here. Nobody in my close or even semi-close friends/family circle has gone to graduate school so I have no idea how this stuff works. I realize this may also be insensitive given that some people on this thread are still waiting to hear back (and I recognize that this is ultimately a good problem to have) - If this isn't the right thread or there is a better one I can delete this post and repost it elsewhere.

Thanks in advance!

[PsychologyLife1]

Does anyone know if Ryerson sends out invites on a POI by POI basis or if the director knows the list to contact already? The wait is killing me! 

[Mickey26]

18 minutes ago, Clinicalh0peful said:

Hey all,

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this but I figured I'd try. I have received acceptances to two clinical psychology programs in Canada. I find that there is a much better research and program fit with one of the programs, but the funding discrepancy between program A and B accumulates to about $50,000 over the course of 6 years. Now, fortunately, the lower-funding program has openly encouraged negotiations with them. Does anybody know how to go about doing this, and politely? I sort of fell in love with the campus and the program when I went for interview day and would love to attend there, but quality-of-life and student loans are a substantial consideration. Should I be clear that I am willing to work more for the funding (whether it be more GAships or other)? Also, can I mention PhD funding as apart of the negotiation? My offer of admission mentions the funding minimum for the first 3 years of the PhD but says more details will be given if I am accepted into the PhD. However, given that they state in their application that they expect students to continue on to the PhD there, it seems reasonable to negotiate the funding contingent on my acceptance (since once I'm there, I'm stuck). But I don't know if this is appropriate.

Sorry, I just feel as though I am up a creek without a paddle here. Nobody in my close or even semi-close friends/family circle has gone to graduate school so I have no idea how this stuff works. I realize this may also be insensitive given that some people on this thread are still waiting to hear back (and I recognize that this is ultimately a good problem to have) - If this isn't the right thread or there is a better one I can delete this post and repost it elsewhere.

Thanks in advance!

Hey, so I spoke to grad students about this, as they are def a wonderful source of information/excellent mentors in the process. You can definitely negotiate if the amount is substantial. Remember, THEY WANT YOU RIGHT NOW, not the other way around. Given that your situation is a large discrepancy in funding, I would let them know "Hey, so I am VERY interested in your program, but currently, I have an offer at another school that is offering more funding. Is there any chance you can increase my funding?". Be honest. What I wouldn't do, is in my case, I am torn between School A and B, but the funding discrepancy is literally $1,000. That amount isn't something that should make or break your decision, therefore, I wouldn't even mention it in my scenario. It may be in the end, your POI offers some of their grant money to fund you, which is fine--you just need to let them know  Good luck!

[ventiamericano]

9 minutes ago, PsychologyLife1 said:

Does anyone know if Ryerson sends out invites on a POI by POI basis or if the director knows the list to contact already? The wait is killing me! 

From what I know they sent a list of their preferred candidates, with their first choice indicated, to the grad coordinator and the director of the grad program. The director is reaching out to every first-choice applicant via phone, and thus already knows who to call. Also from what I heard, all POIs sent their lists by a certain deadline but calls could still be going on. Good luck!

[ZingyNeuron]

Hey guys,

I want to congratulate everyone who has received an acceptance, it's an amazing achievement. And to everyone who is still waiting, keep the hope up guys and keep in mind that just to be in the run for clinical psych, means you are already the creme de la creme ? 

Speaking of waiting does anyone have news from Concordia? I only applied in Quebec and it has been super quiet over here... Thank you in advance!

 

[gillis_55]

@Clinicalh0peful I am in a similar boat. Although I haven't been in this particular situation before, I've been through salary negotiations for jobs several times over the years and I think it's a similar situation as we are working as TAs/RAs for these funds. I'd recommend emailing your preferred program / POI stating that you are excited about the offer and feel a strong fit with the program and POI, but that you have received another offer with higher funding that would have a significant impact on your finances over the course of your studies. Be as specific as you were here ("$8,000 per year = $~50K over six years). Ask if there is any flexibility on their end to increase their offer. Do not offer to work more - let them propose options first. They may offer bursaries or scholarships instead of TA/RA'ing more. Feel free to ask about PhD funding if the other program has guaranteed a PhD funding package - if they haven't either, it's not a bargaining chip you can use. Overall, the tone of the email should be polite, professional, and concise.

A few things to consider once funding details are finalized (time to break out the spreadsheet!):

• Cost of living in City A versus City B - rent, transit, food, etc. 
• Tuition costs in Program A versus Program B. Also, do the programs charge tuition on the internship year? Some do, some don't  - could be a difference of $5-8K overall. 
• Difference between guaranteed funding versus likely funding - speak with grad students about this. E.g., program may only guarantee 15K but students end up with $25K in practice.  
• To a lesser extent - likelihood of receiving CGS/OGS or other funding in each program. This is often POI-specific, so ask their grad students if they've been successful in the past. I'd only pay attention to big differences - e.g., one POI's students say they never or rarely get external funding, the other POI's students receive it all the time. 

If it's still quite a difference, then it's up to you to decide what will be best for you long term. If it's more of a slight preference for the lower-paying program, then perhaps you might be better off taking the  higher-funded offer. However, if you think you'd be unhappy or really regret taking the higher-funded one, then go with your preferred school. 

Hope this is helpful! 

**Edit: one more note - if you're using OSAP, make sure to check if there are differences in your loan/bursary amounts between the schools. OSAP funding is specific to regions/schools I believe. 

Edited February 19, 2019 by gillis_55

[Clinicalh0peful]

@Mickey26 and @gillis_55 thanks so much for your advice. With regards to PhD funding, of course in clinical psychology it is expected that all students move onto the PhD and it's discussed like that at interview day (program B told us what we would receive in MA 1-2 and PhD 1-4)... but it doesn't appear to be discussed like that in the funding packages - so program B only mentions MA funding in their offer. But they tell students if they don't plan on continuing to the PhD here, don't bother apply. But then you can't talk about what PhD funding looks like between the two programs, because they haven't technically offered you admission to the PhD, only the MA... So what gives?! LOL. I think one of my biggest dilemmas is that one program only guarantees PhD funding for 3 years, whereas the other guarantees it for 4, and that makes up a good deal of the discrepancy.

As for the email, I started off with a very polite "hi so I was encouraged to contact you if I received an offer in which there is a financial discrepancy and I'm wondering how best to proceed" and offered to send them my official offer from program B or any other information they need to get the ball rolling. Do you think it's appropriate to ask if grad students typically negotiate PhD funding at this stage (acknowledging that it's contingent on my acceptance to the program), given that [insert concerns here]? Or for the PhD do I basically just have to take what is offered, since 2 years from now I wouldn't have any bargaining power in terms of other schools?

[gillis_55]

15 minutes ago, Clinicalh0peful said:

 I think one of my biggest dilemmas is that one program only guarantees PhD funding for 3 years, whereas the other guarantees it for 4, and that makes up a good deal of the discrepancy.

Personally I wouldn't put too much weight on the 1-year difference in PhD funding in this case; at least, I wouldn't use it in your calculation of difference in cost. There's more than enough time to plan for that with external funding, scholarships, TA/RA, etc. This is also something you can ask current upper year grad students about. Even though it's not guaranteed, it may be that everyone still receives funding anyhow. 

It won't hurt to ask if PhD funding could be discussed at this stage. Just don't mention that you're asking because you won't have any bargaining power in 2 years, haha. Phrase it more as you're thinking about the full picture of your finances throughout the program. 

[Psychology_101_]

Hi all! I hope everyone is well during this super busy and stressful time. I was hoping to get a little insight from this wonderful group. This is my second time applying to clinical psych programs and things are not looking particularly good in terms of receiving an acceptance for Fall 2019. Last year I received a waitlist offer and this year I had two interviews. I graduated this past June (e.g., class of 2018) and I feel this enormous pressure to start grad school as soon as possible, and oftentimes feel like I am "behind" in some way, especially in light of some recent rejections. Is there anyone here that took several years off/applied several times to get into clinical? Overall, I am feeling incredibly defeated and hopeless at the moment. 

Feel free to PM me if that is more comfortable for you. Thanks in advance everyone! 

[Desperate Clinical]

4 minutes ago, Psychology_101_ said:

Hi all! I hope everyone is well during this super busy and stressful time. I was hoping to get a little insight from this wonderful group. This is my second time applying to clinical psych programs and things are not looking particularly good in terms of receiving an acceptance for Fall 2019. Last year I received a waitlist offer and this year I had two interviews. I graduated this past June (e.g., class of 2018) and I feel this enormous pressure to start grad school as soon as possible, and oftentimes feel like I am "behind" in some way, especially in light of some recent rejections. Is there anyone here that took several years off/applied several times to get into clinical? Overall, I am feeling incredibly defeated and hopeless at the moment. 

Feel free to PM me if that is more comfortable for you. Thanks in advance everyone! 

Hi there! I graduated in June 2016 and had to complete another master's before even receiving ANY interviews or offers. My experience in Clinical Psychology is that graduate students often come with a wide variety of backgrounds and range in age. I am actually one of the youngest admitted this year! I know it's easier said than done but you are not behind in any way!

[Mickey26]

15 minutes ago, Psychology_101_ said:

Hi all! I hope everyone is well during this super busy and stressful time. I was hoping to get a little insight from this wonderful group. This is my second time applying to clinical psych programs and things are not looking particularly good in terms of receiving an acceptance for Fall 2019. Last year I received a waitlist offer and this year I had two interviews. I graduated this past June (e.g., class of 2018) and I feel this enormous pressure to start grad school as soon as possible, and oftentimes feel like I am "behind" in some way, especially in light of some recent rejections. Is there anyone here that took several years off/applied several times to get into clinical? Overall, I am feeling incredibly defeated and hopeless at the moment. 

Feel free to PM me if that is more comfortable for you. Thanks in advance everyone! 

Hi, the majority of people do not get in right out of undergrad. Some take a year of to work, get a Masters degree, what have you. You SHOULD NOT feel pressure to start grad school right off the bat...most programs/POIs based on my experience, actually prefer people who take a year off (to re-channel your energy, mature a bit more, gain more experience, etc). I would say its an advantage for you if you take a couple years off to gain research experience/work. Do not feel compelled to start grad school right away--its an arduous and long process, everyone moves at their own pace.

Congrats on your interviews! You got this

[Psych_101]

2 hours ago, ventiamericano said:

From what I know they sent a list of their preferred candidates, with their first choice indicated, to the grad coordinator and the director of the grad program. The director is reaching out to every first-choice applicant via phone, and thus already knows who to call. Also from what I heard, all POIs sent their lists by a certain deadline but calls could still be going on. Good luck!

This makes me sad. ?