2021 Clinical Psychology Applicants CANADA

[psychsci]

to those of you waiting to hear back from Lakehead, they sent out an email today to all of the Waitlist Candidates. Check you Lakehead email  

 

[PsychOtter]

On 2/25/2021 at 9:32 AM, clinpsychhopeful2021 said:

 

I still have not heard anything either - my app status has been "in process" since November 30. I read on the website that they expect to send stuff at the end of February, so maybe something is coming? who knows tho...

Regarding University of Windsor's Child Clinical Track, official offer letters went out on Friday and the open house is this coming Friday. I hope that clears some things up! Good luck everyone!  

[psych51038]

Hi all, hope everyone is hanging in there during this last bit of this year's application cycle ? For those of you who didn't get many interviews or offers last year but had more success this year (or anyone that can weigh in on this!), what would you say changed in a year that influenced your success? Or for those who were accepted right off the bat, anything in particular that you thought really made your application stand out? This could range from your experiences, reaching out to PIs, schools you applied to, references, personal statement, or anything else that you can think of and are willing to share - I'd love to hear any input people have (on here or PM)! 

[PsychGirl2]

Has anyone heard from OISE SCCP since interviews?

[glo8377]

Did anyone hear back after interviewing with UBCO last week? My heart drops every time I get an email... ?

[xtrahotlatte]

Can you pls DM me if you've heard from Ryerson after being waitlisted or have heard back from OISE after being interviewed? TIA  

Edited March 1, 2021 by xtrahotlatte

[Iloveplants888]

Has anyone heard back from university of albertas sccp program yet?

[broski]

39 minutes ago, psych51038 said:

Hi all, hope everyone is hanging in there during this last bit of this year's application cycle ? For those of you who didn't get many interviews or offers last year but had more success this year (or anyone that can weigh in on this!), what would you say changed in a year that influenced your success? Or for those who were accepted right off the bat, anything in particular that you thought really made your application stand out? This could range from your experiences, reaching out to PIs, schools you applied to, references, personal statement, or anything else that you can think of and are willing to share - I'd love to hear any input people have (on here or PM)! 

Good Q. This is my first year applying. Differences between last year would be more research experiences, but these experiences were also of high quality. To me, this means: ability to be involved with multiple aspects of the research process, opportunity for research team collaboration, leading research project(s), research relates to grad school research interests, writing a manuscript to submit for publication, presenting a poster. I also developed more concrete/specific research interests (developed through these additional research experiences).

I think a big factor in my interview offers and acceptance offer was research fit with POIs, and I think it was important that I had relevant past research experience in their areas of interest. It's important to email POIs and, if possible, meet online to discuss research fit. I also contacted POIs with whom I wasn't 100% sure we had research fit, but turns out we did! I only applied to schools where there was a high degree of POI research fit, so I actually took 2 schools off my list where research fit was there but wasn't as high. I have good fit with the program where I was accepted, meaning ideological fit (i.e., social justice orientation). I also gained considerable clinical experience in undergrad, 1 pub but not first author, several pubs in progress at time of app, lots of undergrad awards. 

Potential weaknesses were: My references didn't ask for me to send a doc summarizing my skills/accomplishments/interpersonal skills/weaknesses, or to have a discussion about reference letter content, but I would have liked to push for these kinds of meetings. I guess it worked out, but one school did say my references could have discussed my interpersonal skills more. Looking back, my personal statements also sound pretty dry lmao 

[washi]

Hi everyone! I'm a prospective applicant for ClinPsych for Fall 2022, and I've gotten myself in a little bit of a pickle. I've finished all my degree requirements but I decided to take Anatomy (which is arguably the most difficult undergraduate class offered at my university) as an extra class for a potential alternative path into Occupational Therapy in case Clinical Psychology does not work out. I thought it would be manageable as I'm only taking 2 classes this semester - my independent research course and my anatomy course - but I am really struggling with the amount and speed of material present in Anatomy and subsequently got a 51% on the first midterm worth 30% of my grade. To even get an A- in the class, I need to get 100% on all of the next assessments, which is the next Midterm (30% of my grade) and the final (40%). 

I'm trying not to sink my GPA and I am afraid it will go down if I continue on with anatomy. For this reason I've been considering withdrawing from the course but I am afraid it will be a red flag for grad school admissions committees next year. The schools I am planning on applying for are all schools that look at the last twenty classes (last *60) you take as an undergraduate, and anatomy is the last class on my transcript though it doesn't officially count for my degree. I've received some conflicting advice from graduate students on what to do but I would like to collect more opinions before I make my final decision. So in your opinion:

a) Would seeing a "W" on a transcript be a red flag to you, even if it's a content-heavy course like Anatomy? I am only taking two classes this semester and I am afraid of what it would look like to admissions committees if I drop this because of that fact. However, I am not sure what grade I can achieve in this class (anywhere from a B to C-). 

b) What would you do if you were in my situation: truck on for a potential grade in the B to C range or take the W to preserve my GPA as is? 

Thank you. 

Edit: For more input on my situation I have a ~3.5 GPA in my last sixty credits/twenty classes that I will be presenting for admissions next year. I am aware that it is a bit on the low end so I have been working to pad it with clinical, practical, and research experience relevant to my research areas of interest over the past couple of years. 

Edited March 1, 2021 by washi

[matchaaa]

Hi all, congrats on finishing this cycle, it seemed tough this year! I am applying for the Fall 2022 cycle, and was wondering if anyone could advise me on whether to re-take my two stats courses in which I received a B- for both. Other than that I have an overall GPA of 3.46 and a GPA of 3.88 in my last two years (did very poorly in my first year). Would re-taking those two stats courses help, or is it a bit of a lost cause? 

Thank you all! 

[thal10]

15 hours ago, chamomile tea said:

Hello! It's so great that you're already looking ahead and thinking of applying!

In terms of how many schools to apply to, it really depends on personal preference. Of course, if you apply to more schools it seems that you have a better chance of being admitted, but with that in mind I think it's important to apply to places you want to go to (this sounds obvious, but with such a competitive program, it's so easy to want to accept anything you can get). I applied to six schools this year, all of which I could genuinely see myself at for five or six years. Some successful applicants I know applied to one school and got into that one, while others applied to ten or fifteen and were accepted into one--it really depends! In my opinion, the most important thing is to really know what you want to do, and take your time looking into faculty supervisors that would be a good fit. Some things that helped me with that include asking my thesis supervisor for suggestions or to help establish initial connections, attending research conferences, and honestly, just taking my time.

My best advice on how to succeed is just to be authentic with yourself throughout the process, something that will show through your statement of purpose. To me and several faculty members I've talked with, that's the most important part of an application. I would write several drafts of this, start weeks (or even months) in advance, and ask trusted faculty for their opinion. Think of it as a way for you to convince your potential supervisors that you want to work with them, and why they would want to work with you. It's one of the few parts of a grad application you can really make your own.

I think most supervisors consider applications holistically rather than zeroing in on one or two parts of it, which means that all areas are important and it's worth strengthening each of them as much as you can. These include research experience (research assistantships, grants and awards, publications, conference presentations, so on), GPA, grades in specific courses, GRE scores, reference letters, extracurriculars, and clinical experience if applicable. By the time people are thinking of applying to grad school they often can't do too much to shift their GPA, so I'd advise really focusing on research and clinical experiences. With these, to me, depth is more important than breadth. Being in a number of different labs at once can make you look experienced, but can also come across as unfocused and disorganized (saying this from personal experience, haha). Compare that to spending a few years working with the same faculty member, potentially getting to develop your own projects, contribute to journal articles, and really forming a solid connection with your supervisor (who will then be able to write a strong, detailed, specific letter).

On that note, I recently heard from a supervisor that some faculty are increasingly taking reference letters with a grain of salt. The majority of letters are exceedingly positive, but often unspecific or vague. I'd never thought about it this way before, but it does make sense, and it makes it all the more crucial to have referees who can highlight your unique strengths and capabilities.

Another thing people often wonder is whether and how to reach out to potential supervisors as application season approaches. There's a lot out there on this, so I'll keep this short, but it can be a great way to establish a connection and let them know of your interest early on. It can also be useful in addressing any early questions you have and helping you figure out whether or not a particular lab or supervisor is a good fit for you.

Just for reference, here is a little more about my qualifications and my experience with applying this year. I've been accepted to one school so far this year, with four interviews (three more that I'm waiting to hear back from). I didn't apply with any publications. My GPA and GRE scores are strong (> 3.90 cGPA; 165 Quant, 167 Verbal, 5.5 Writing). I've been in three research labs (none were clinical), each for at least one year, completed an honours thesis, won a handful of departmental and research awards, and am preparing a manuscript for publication. I also had been accepted to present a poster at a research conference. I also TA'd, though not for anything psychology-related. I currently work at a medical clinic and have worked intensively with children with developmental disabilities (not quite clinical or related to my field of research, but I definitely could draw from this experience to answer interview questions and write my statement). I don't know how important this is, but I was also pretty involved in my university community and engaged in a lot of leadership and mentorship opportunities. 

With that said, please don't feel as if you have to compare your experiences to mine, or to anyone else's! Everyone is so different and it took me so much time to identify what I was passionate about. I know this isn't a linear list of steps you can take to be more successful, and this may sound obvious, but there isn't a single specific route to get you there. I'm hoping this is still somewhat helpful, and I wish you all the best! ❤️ 

Thank you so much - honestly that does help alot  Im going to dm you!

[Psychologystudent2021]

1 hour ago, matchaaa said:

Hi all, congrats on finishing this cycle, it seemed tough this year! I am applying for the Fall 2022 cycle, and was wondering if anyone could advise me on whether to re-take my two stats courses in which I received a B- for both. Other than that I have an overall GPA of 3.46 and a GPA of 3.88 in my last two years (did very poorly in my first year). Would re-taking those two stats courses help, or is it a bit of a lost cause? 

Thank you all! 

Hi there! If you retake classes, be careful. I have heard that some schools won’t look at the repeated class grade, just the original grade. I can’t remember which exact school said this, but maybe someone else on here could speak to that? Either way, make sure you look at specific programs you are interested in to see how they go about courses that have been repeated

[prospectivegradstudent21]

hey guys! just had a couple questions. for those of us who might not get accepted this year and will then be applying to the next cycle (so working for a year i assume, applying to 2022/2023), how can we gain experience? i guess for clinical the most important thing would be gaining actual clinical experience but for me personally, ill be graduating this year so do i just continue to email profs and ask if i can work with them? just a little bit confused on how i can get posters/presentations/pubs as well as research/student assistant experience when im out of school. any advice would be appreciated!

another question, completely unrelated to the one above, for those of us who are waitlisted, how exactly does it work? especially with open houses coming up?

Edited March 1, 2021 by prospectivegradstudent21

[criticalthinker]

Hey all! This might be a silly question but I'm wondering is it common to be accepted with funding from the department? Or is it more common to be accepted without guaranteed funding? TIA!

[T.O.hopeful]

1 hour ago, criticalthinker said:

Hey all! This might be a silly question but I'm wondering is it common to be accepted with funding from the department? Or is it more common to be accepted without guaranteed funding? TIA!

All the program websites I looked at were pretty explicit about whether the program was funded or not, so I would say successful applicants should already know whether they will be accepted with (or without) funding pretty early on the process. So far, for me it seems like most clinical psychology programs offer some form of guaranteed funding, while the counselling programs typically aren't funded unless they are thesis or paper-based. 

[hopefulsomehow]

Hi guys, 

My friend just received an official rejection letter from Ryerson for Clinical Psychology. She didn't get an interview and it was expected. I assume everyone else in the same boat (me included) will be receiving this email shortly. 

[Roz23]

On 2/28/2021 at 8:43 PM, Schoolchildpsyc said:

Wondering if anyone applied to Western, Alberta, UBC, or OISE for school/child psychology? I understand the focus here is clinical (Alberta/OISE have a clinical focus).

Any updates with interviews/acceptances?

 

Had an interview with Western for SACP today. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions!

[psychedforpsych123]

Anyone know what's up with OISE?

[Psych13]

7 hours ago, psychedforpsych123 said:

Anyone know what's up with OISE?

Hey all, it seems like it may be a while before we hear back from OISE. They posted this Covid-related admissions update on Feb 22, 2021.

[Roz23]

On 3/1/2021 at 6:05 PM, prospectivegradstudent21 said:

hey guys! just had a couple questions. for those of us who might not get accepted this year and will then be applying to the next cycle (so working for a year i assume, applying to 2022/2023), how can we gain experience? i guess for clinical the most important thing would be gaining actual clinical experience but for me personally, ill be graduating this year so do i just continue to email profs and ask if i can work with them? just a little bit confused on how i can get posters/presentations/pubs as well as research/student assistant experience when im out of school. any advice would be appreciated!

I'm applying to school psych, not clinical, so this may not be that helpful, but I didn't get in last year, so I'm in a college program this year in a related area to gain some additional skills. I was able to continue working in the two labs I was part of during undergrad. From my experience, professors don't really care if you're a current student or not, they just need good RAs. I don't have any pubs/presentations yet either, but I'm hoping that one of the projects I'm working on will result in publication. So I'd say to stay in touch with any professors you are currently working with or reach out to other profs. I'd recommend finding labs that are willing to let you do your own research or lead a bigger projects, and who will be able to provide strong reference letters, even if it's not directly related to what you want to end up researching. 

[iamstressed]

For those accepted to out of town/province schools what are y'all doing about the fall in terms of moving? Are courses going to be online? 

[clinpsychstuff]

17 minutes ago, iamstressed said:

For those accepted to out of town/province schools what are y'all doing about the fall in terms of moving? Are courses going to be online? 

I'm planning on moving out in early summer. My program seems to think there will be courses in person (and some already are in the clinical program), so I figure it's best to get moved out there earlier than later! 

[psych101010]

Does anyone know what to expect after acceptance? Do schools typically have accepted student open houses? Specifically, if anyone had information about OISE SCCP that would be great, but wondering what is the norm. 

[wannabeclinical]

Has anyone heard back from York CD? I know it's only been a few days since the open house but I am dying a little bit from all of the anxiety. If you've heard anything I would love to chat!

[hopfefulllistener]

On 2/14/2021 at 10:22 AM, Cempsych said:

Wondering if anyone has heard from Acadia's Clinical MSc program? The last one I am waiting on (have given up hope from Windsor after not getting any update weeks after folks got interviews). 

Sadly, I just got an rejection letter from them today