2021 Clinical Psychology Applicants CANADA

[freudianslipintogradschool]

Ryerson just announced that they are no longer requiring GRE scores...

[PrettyFlyForACogSci]

31 minutes ago, freudianslipintogradschool said:

Ryerson just announced that they are no longer requiring GRE scores...

Wow they won't even look at it...https://www.ryerson.ca/psychology/programs/graduate/how-to-apply/gre-scores/

I'm not sure if this will help me or not as I did really well on the verbal and so-so on quant. What is everyone else thinking?

[freudianslipintogradschool]

4 hours ago, PrettyFlyForACogSci said:

Wow they won't even look at it...https://www.ryerson.ca/psychology/programs/graduate/how-to-apply/gre-scores/

I'm not sure if this will help me or not as I did really well on the verbal and so-so on quant. What is everyone else thinking?

Yup me too kind of annoyed.. I stressed for months got decent quant (above 50) & above 80 for verbal and AW

[Chebben]

18 hours ago, iamstressed said:

can you comment on how the general gre scores measure up to an overall application profile? My quant score is slightly below the 50th percentile but my other scores are 80+ so I'm a little worried about the quant portion!

Hello! I am starting my program in the fall and it sounds like I had the same spread of scores as you. Quant slightly below 50 (literally 49), and other scores 80+. I think its definitely better of course if you can get all your scores up there (to have more choice in schools) but I think it also depends on the spread of your application. I also definitely had among the worst if not the worst GRE scores from anyone I talked to during interview day. That being said, I got in the high 90s for my psych gre so I'm sure that was also taken into account.

I also went in with a well above average cv compared to other applicants (this is according to faculty i interviewed with), and I'm very confident in interviews, so I'm sure that helped as well.

But again, my cGPA was low ( I always assume they look at this) but my upper year GPA depending if you count extra courses was around a 3.85.

So, essentially there are a LOT of factors they consider, and a huge part of it is also fit. So do take a look at all areas of your applications and how you think they compare to the "average" applicant, keeping in mind of course that the average clinical applicant is usually exceptional in many areas. 

I also recommend applying to a prof that has say in the admissions process (is part of the admissions committee). I was interviewed two years in a row, the first year my POI loved me, was trying to convince me to choose her program and then I found out I was rejected from the committee because she had no say.

The second year, same situation with another prof, we hit it off really well and I could tell that if it was up to him I'd very likely get in. And luckily in this case, he was part of the admissions committee so I got in. These are all important variables to consider, especially if you're someone whose application is not strong in all areas and if you feel like you're someone whose strength lies in connecting to faculty/interviews. 

Feel free to message if you have questions about anything else! Happy to help and best of luck to anyone applying in these uncertain times! 

 

[freudianslipintogradschool]

York Brain and Behaviour just announced no GRE scores for this cycle.. not sure if the clinical program will follow

[psychgirl3]

Hey! Looking to get some advice here. 

I wrote the GRE's and scored 93rd percentile verbal, 45th quant, and 92nd essay. I am wondering if you guys think I should rewrite it to boost my quant score, to at least above 50th.

I am also wondering if you guys think that schools have cut-offs for the GRE even if they don't explicitly state that on their websites, and that there's potential my applications didn't get looked at last year because I scored in the 45th percentile for quant. 

Thanks!!

[freudianslipintogradschool]

6 minutes ago, psychgirl3 said:

Hey! Looking to get some advice here. 

I wrote the GRE's and scored 93rd percentile verbal, 45th quant, and 92nd essay. I am wondering if you guys think I should rewrite it to boost my quant score, to at least above 50th.

I am also wondering if you guys think that schools have cut-offs for the GRE even if they don't explicitly state that on their websites, and that there's potential my applications didn't get looked at last year because I scored in the 45th percentile for quant. 

Thanks!!

I've heard if you have one lower score it's okay -- and the rest of your scores are awesome! I think it honestly depends on the rest of your application. I think you'll still be looked at despite the low quant score imo.

[alittlestitious]

Hi All, 

I'm glad there's already some other keeners here to chat with! 

I'm hoping to apply to 5-6 schools this year depending on who is taking students. I have some questions maybe someone who has been accepted/who has more experience in applying can help me with?

Basically I'm worried about my cGPA dragging down my application, despite an otherwise competitive application... I have an MSc in another area of psychology, and a lot of research experience working as a research assistant and trial manager for 4 years. I have quite a few co-authorships and one first-author publication so far and some conference presentations. I will probably try to re-do the GRE before applying (I'm similar to some of the other people who posted, 48 quant and above 80 for the others). But I did my undergrad in neuroscience (finished in 2015) and did not do particularly well, and didn't do an honours project (although I'm hoping my MSc thesis will make up for that?). I'm currently taking some more psych courses from Athabasca (since I did neuro I didn't take developmental psych and social psych for example that most clinical programs require), so I'm making up for some missing psych credits, and I'm getting As in all of them so far, but I don't know how much that will help if people look at my actual degree and see me doing poorly? Obviously my CV shows I'm a competent researcher, but if my application gets thrown out based on my undergrad grades (5+ years ago...) then I don't know what to do about that? If people see I’m currently getting As in the required classes do you think that will make a big difference?

What you do you guys think? Thanks!

[HopefulPsych2020]

Hi everyone, I'm going to start a list of schools waiving the GRE for the 2020-2021 Canadian Clinical Psychology application cycle:

Ryerson - Not accepting GRE + Not considering scores as part of application (https://www.ryerson.ca/psychology/programs/graduate/how-to-apply/gre-scores/)

UofT - Another user posted this, but I couldn't find whether this is for Clinical & Counselling at UTSG or Clinical at UTSC. (Unconfirmed)

Will update as others send updates!

 

[higaisha]

1 hour ago, HopefulPsych2020 said:

Hi everyone, I'm going to start a list of schools waiving the GRE for the 2020-2021 Canadian Clinical Psychology application cycle:

Ryerson - Not accepting GRE + Not considering scores as part of application (https://www.ryerson.ca/psychology/programs/graduate/how-to-apply/gre-scores/)

UofT - Another user posted this, but I couldn't find whether this is for Clinical & Counselling at UTSG or Clinical at UTSC. (Unconfirmed)

Will update as others send updates!

 

for UofT its confirmed for experimental, unclear about UTSC. Highly doubt it'll affect OISE unless they make an independent announcement, as they're in different departments.

[Mickey26]

UGuelph just announced they no longer require either GRE (General, Psych) for upcoming admissions cycle.

[HopefulPsych2020]

15 minutes ago, Mickey26 said:

UGuelph just announced they no longer require either GRE (General, Psych) for upcoming admissions cycle.

Awesome! Do you have a link with this announcement?

[higaisha]

Pretty excited to hear more programs dropping the GRE, if not temporarily then permanently. 

[PrettyFlyForACogSci]

23 hours ago, alittlestitious said:

Hi All, 

I'm glad there's already some other keeners here to chat with! 

I'm hoping to apply to 5-6 schools this year depending on who is taking students. I have some questions maybe someone who has been accepted/who has more experience in applying can help me with?

Basically I'm worried about my cGPA dragging down my application, despite an otherwise competitive application... I have an MSc in another area of psychology, and a lot of research experience working as a research assistant and trial manager for 4 years. I have quite a few co-authorships and one first-author publication so far and some conference presentations. I will probably try to re-do the GRE before applying (I'm similar to some of the other people who posted, 48 quant and above 80 for the others). But I did my undergrad in neuroscience (finished in 2015) and did not do particularly well, and didn't do an honours project (although I'm hoping my MSc thesis will make up for that?). I'm currently taking some more psych courses from Athabasca (since I did neuro I didn't take developmental psych and social psych for example that most clinical programs require), so I'm making up for some missing psych credits, and I'm getting As in all of them so far, but I don't know how much that will help if people look at my actual degree and see me doing poorly? Obviously my CV shows I'm a competent researcher, but if my application gets thrown out based on my undergrad grades (5+ years ago...) then I don't know what to do about that? If people see I’m currently getting As in the required classes do you think that will make a big difference?

What you do you guys think? Thanks!

Hey there! It's tough to say, but having an MSci will definitely help you on the academic front, especially if your grades were stellar and the program was thesis-based. Personally my grades were pretty meh my first half of university. I applied once to ClinPsych in 2018, to three schools, and interviewed at Guelph where I was waitlisted. They were willing to overlook my lower CGPA because they focused on the last two years of grades. My advice would be to focus your applications on schools that may give you advanced standing based on your MSci (like Dal). If I were you I would probably avoid some of the more competitive schools like UofT, UBC etc. and focus my efforts on PIs from smaller/less competitive schools that you have some sort of connection to through your MSci. Hope this helps!

[alittlestitious]

22 hours ago, PrettyFlyForACogSci said:

Hey there! It's tough to say, but having an MSci will definitely help you on the academic front, especially if your grades were stellar and the program was thesis-based. Personally my grades were pretty meh my first half of university. I applied once to ClinPsych in 2018, to three schools, and interviewed at Guelph where I was waitlisted. They were willing to overlook my lower CGPA because they focused on the last two years of grades. My advice would be to focus your applications on schools that may give you advanced standing based on your MSci (like Dal). If I were you I would probably avoid some of the more competitive schools like UofT, UBC etc. and focus my efforts on PIs from smaller/less competitive schools that you have some sort of connection to through your MSci. Hope this helps!

Hi, this is really good advice, thank you! 

I'm thinking if I reach out to PIs and they are interested/willing to have a discussion, they might be able to provide a little insight about the process as well? (This is assuming they like my introduction/CV enough to actually talk about the possibility - I know some people will just say "yes I'm accepting students, I'll consider you after you apply"). 

I guess if I can find out how the program determines the first round of cut offs as well it might help me narrow things down too. If they give more weight to the most recent grades or psychology prerequisites I might be okay, but if they'll only consider undergraduate grades cumulatively and not postgraduate or non-degree credits, then I may have more of an issue. 

 

 

[psych12344]

I am so confused with the weight the GRE holds! I have good verbal and AW scores but like many my quant is poor (41st percentile). I don't want to retake it but I've heard people say some schools don't give a minimum score and they take a holistic approach to the application? Any advice? The stress of this GRE is killing me ?

[sparrow123]

York isn't requiring GRE scores for this admission year either. (I'm an incoming student for Fall 2020 and just received an email about it)

[freudianslipintogradschool]

1 hour ago, sparrow123 said:

York isn't requiring GRE scores for this admission year either. (I'm an incoming student for Fall 2020 and just received an email about it)

Yup, just heard this as well!!!!

[Caakemonster]

Hey guys, just wondering how big of a part research experience or just experience in general plays? I do have a bit but most of it is in bio (I've been an RA for 1.5 years, have done an ROP credit with a professor, volunteered at a clinic) and humanities (I did an Independent research paper, where I looked at the distorted image of a historical figure). Apart from this I worked as a Swim Instructor where we had an I-CAN (Integrated Care for Assisted Needs) program which allowed us to interact with children and adults (30-45 minutes each week) with assisted needs  as we taught them how to swim (for 3 years). 

My experience is really very minor in comparison to everyone else's ?

Also my undergrad GPA at UofT is 3.4  (not as high as I would like, I absolutely bombed first year with a 2.1 because of family circumstances). Just wondering how you guys thought my chances would be if I applied for Clinical Psych?

[freudianslipintogradschool]

9 hours ago, Caakemonster said:

Hey guys, just wondering how big of a part research experience or just experience in general plays? I do have a bit but most of it is in bio (I've been an RA for 1.5 years, have done an ROP credit with a professor, volunteered at a clinic) and humanities (I did an Independent research paper, where I looked at the distorted image of a historical figure). Apart from this I worked as a Swim Instructor where we had an I-CAN (Integrated Care for Assisted Needs) program which allowed us to interact with children and adults (30-45 minutes each week) with assisted needs  as we taught them how to swim (for 3 years). 

My experience is really very minor in comparison to everyone else's ?

Also my undergrad GPA at UofT is 3.4  (not as high as I would like, I absolutely bombed first year with a 2.1 because of family circumstances). Just wondering how you guys thought my chances would be if I applied for Clinical Psych?

I definitely think each professor weights things differently. The first round of cutoffs is usually if you meet the degree criteria (have an undergrad degree in Psychology) and then GPA (each school differs but for clinical it's typically A- to A). The schools who are still looking at GRE scores might also consider this at the first stage (although I don't think it truly holds as much weight as other parts of your app).. Personally I've been told research experience weighs a lot, particularly because it is getting so competitive now that people end up having research experience in the exact topic they hope to pursue their graduate degree. I even know some people who started their clinical MA/Phd program with a previous master's in a psychology field (i.e., forensic psych, counselling psych). I still believe you obtain the necessary skills through other research experiences and work experiences in general, just the competition is continuously getting worse. What I'm saying might apply to the more competitive schools (i.e., those in the GTA, UBC, UVic) but if you're willing to leave the GTA then you may have more options.

Nonetheless, this is just what I've learned from my experience and could be very wrong! 

[psychgirl3]

Hey guys! What are your thoughts on submitting GRE scores to schools where it's optional? (i.e., Mcmaster, and a school psychology program at McGill). Do you think you're at a disadvantage if you don't submit scores?

[freudianslipintogradschool]

21 minutes ago, psychgirl3 said:

Hey guys! What are your thoughts on submitting GRE scores to schools where it's optional? (i.e., Mcmaster, and a school psychology program at McGill). Do you think you're at a disadvantage if you don't submit scores?

I'm having the same Q and don't know what to do!

[PrettyFlyForACogSci]

2 hours ago, psychgirl3 said:

Hey guys! What are your thoughts on submitting GRE scores to schools where it's optional? (i.e., Mcmaster, and a school psychology program at McGill). Do you think you're at a disadvantage if you don't submit scores?

It's hard to say, but my feeling is that I would only submit them if I felt like they would improve my standing. Generally it seems like GRE subscores are expected to be at least above the 70th percentile with an emphasis on verbal and writing. The quant section seems to have more leeway but shoot for above 50th percentile at least. I would say that if your GRE scores don't improve on the rest of your CV then don't include them. What does everyone else think?

I've been studying to boost my GRE score for the past two months so I'm kinda bummed about the GRE being dropped! I won't be taking it until mid-August, but I guess if I don't do as well as expected it might be a blessing to not have to submit them...

[psychstudent2020]

Hi guys! Just wondering if anyone knows how strict McGill clinical psych is about GRE scores? I can't seem to find a minimum score listed on their admissions page! 

As a side note, I am wondering if one should re-take take the GRE if their verbal is under the 80th percentile? I haven't taken the test yet but during practice I have done better on quant than verbal. Just don't know if I can study for another month...

[freudianslipintogradschool]

2 hours ago, PrettyFlyForACogSci said:

It's hard to say, but my feeling is that I would only submit them if I felt like they would improve my standing. Generally it seems like GRE subscores are expected to be at least above the 70th percentile with an emphasis on verbal and writing. The quant section seems to have more leeway but shoot for above 50th percentile at least. I would say that if your GRE scores don't improve on the rest of your CV then don't include them. What does everyone else think?

I've been studying to boost my GRE score for the past two months so I'm kinda bummed about the GRE being dropped! I won't be taking it until mid-August, but I guess if I don't do as well as expected it might be a blessing to not have to submit them...

Yeah I agree with this.. I'm just not sure what to do because my quant is mid 50s and the other two are in the 80s.. I have an A+ in stats but don't want my quant score to be a red flag