Anyone who got into a clinical psych program in Canada and didn't have a connection the POI before being admitted?

[JoyJoy]

I've been told that your connection with the POI is the most important thing in your application. But my question is how do you make the connection? and to what extent? like meeting in a conference or collaborating together on a project? Did anyone receive an offer not because of previous connections?

[Clinpsyc01]

Prior contact had almost no bearing on my application outcomes. I contacted less than half before applying, and it seemed to have no relation to my interviews/offers. The only people I know who had meaningful contact beforehand were already students or RAs in the lab, and that isn’t common. 

You don’t need a connection at this point. Any contact will be mostly superficial because they don’t want to be biased before seeing all the applications. It’s during the interview process that connection and fit really matter. 

[BeezKnees]

I had never met or spoken to my POI prior to my interview with him. I had sent him an email saying I was applying and got a generic "thanks, I'll be contacting those short listed, etc etc".

The real connection happened during the interview. That being said, 2 people in my cohort are now being supervised by profs they had worked for prior to starting grad school. So connections can help, but not having them isnt a bad thing either.

[Executive-D]

Connections never hurt you, but obviously it'd be ridiculous if it was only well-connected people whogot admitted to Clinical Psych programs. 

As others have said, first impressions are key. So if you are likeable and seem down to earth (or if you are similar to your supervisor's personality, which might be very far from down to earth, lol!) you will do great!

[gillis_55]

Contacting POIs ahead of time hasn't done much for me either - I've gotten very generic responses back, mostly saying they'll take a look if I make the shortlist. I would say the only time it's been helpful is to 1) Ask if they're accepting students if they're not listed on the website (and keep this email short and to the point), 2) Contact them IF they say you should do so - e.g. UOttawa and Dalhousie strongly recommend contacting POIs ahead of time with CV, transcripts, etc. but still say they might not be able to respond.