Fall 2016 CANADIAN clinical psych applicants

[FacelessMage]

Official rejection from Saskatchewan  Better start prepping my apps for next year I guess, although I doubt if they didn't find me competitive this year, they're going to be any more favourable net year....

[jackiexls]

2 hours ago, FacelessMage said:

Official rejection from Saskatchewan  Better start prepping my apps for next year I guess, although I doubt if they didn't find me competitive this year, they're going to be any more favourable net year....

I think that it's just a generic email, because I got the same thing with the "your application wasn't competitive enough" stuff. Don't let it get you down- there are for sure some changes you'll be able to make to make your application better, and your chances of getting in are different every year just based on professor availability, who else is applying, etc. Don't give up!

[FacelessMage]

43 minutes ago, jackiexls said:

I think that it's just a generic email, because I got the same thing with the "your application wasn't competitive enough" stuff. Don't let it get you down- there are for sure some changes you'll be able to make to make your application better, and your chances of getting in are different every year just based on professor availability, who else is applying, etc. Don't give up!

They just seemed to like me better 3 years ago, when I had no pubs and no conference presentations, compared to all of the ones I have now...it's such a discouraging process to be honest, and it feels like they're constantly moving the bar higher and higher.

[Piagetsky]

3 hours ago, FacelessMage said:

Official rejection from Saskatchewan  Better start prepping my apps for next year I guess, although I doubt if they didn't find me competitive this year, they're going to be any more favourable net year....

Sorry to hear

[Jiggs1987]

19 hours ago, FacelessMage said:

They just seemed to like me better 3 years ago, when I had no pubs and no conference presentations, compared to all of the ones I have now...it's such a discouraging process to be honest, and it feels like they're constantly moving the bar higher and higher.

I'm sorry to hear that and I imagine many of us can empathize with your experience. From this process, the one thing I've learned is that there is no "perfect formula". One thing that HAS stood out to me as being really, really important is the relationship with the professors you're applying to. I applied to clinical programs last year (I'm Canadian) and didn't get any interviews. This year, I focused a lot on building relationships with my three top choices (e.g., volunteering, meeting at conferences) and was interviewed at all three of those schools - I was rejected from everywhere else without an interview. 

[FacelessMage]

1 hour ago, Jiggs1987 said:

I'm sorry to hear that and I imagine many of us can empathize with your experience. From this process, the one thing I've learned is that there is no "perfect formula". One thing that HAS stood out to me as being really, really important is the relationship with the professors you're applying to. I applied to clinical programs last year (I'm Canadian) and didn't get any interviews. This year, I focused a lot on building relationships with my three top choices (e.g., volunteering, meeting at conferences) and was interviewed at all three of those schools - I was rejected from everywhere else without an interview. 

I actually did that with my top choices this year (building relationships), but it didn't seem to work for me. It's just disheartening when this is my third year applying and nothing seems to work. 

[clinpsy]

@Jiggs1987 I noticed in your signature that you were rejected from Concordia - did you receive a formal rejection from them?? 

[Jiggs1987]

18 minutes ago, LabyrinthianMind said:

@Jiggs1987 I noticed in your signature that you were rejected from Concordia - did you receive a formal rejection from them?? 

Yep, just last night (through e-mail).

[clinpsy]

3 minutes ago, Jiggs1987 said:

Yep, just last night (through e-mail).

Hmm.. I haven't heard anything from them yet! Thanks for clarifying.

[jackiexls]

My U of S rejection letter was just rescinded by my POI! Wooooo!

[FacelessMage]

1 hour ago, jackiexls said:

My U of S rejection letter was just rescinded by my POI! Wooooo!

OMG that's awesome (and I'm so jealous lol)! Who's your POI (you can PM me this)?

[geekrock]

1 hour ago, jackiexls said:

My U of S rejection letter was just rescinded by my POI! Wooooo!

Mine was too!  However, I already have an acceptance elsewhere and will most likely decline if given an offer @ U of Sask.  But yah - there's still hope for ppl waiting!

 

[jackiexls]

1 hour ago, FacelessMage said:

OMG that's awesome (and I'm so jealous lol)! Who's your POI (you can PM me this)?

Messaged you!

[Generic_Applicant]

I keep hearing about people getting invites or communication after receiving rejections.. If only I could experience this too.. haha 

[2016PsycApplicant]

A question for people who have applied more than once...can you resubmit the same research proposal for funding to CIHR next year for example? And with the exception of minor changes to the personal statement is it okay to resubmit for the following year to the same schools?

Edited March 24, 2016 by 2016PsycApplicant

[FacelessMage]

7 hours ago, 2016PsycApplicant said:

A question for people who have applied more than once...can you resubmit the same research proposal for funding to CIHR next year for example? And with the exception of minor changes to the personal statement is it okay to resubmit for the following year to the same schools?

Everyone I know just resubmits the same thing every year, they really don't care. I've also resubmitted the same personal statement, and no one has called me out on it yet (to be honest, they receive so many per year that it's doubtful that they'll remember). 

[2016PsycApplicant]

47 minutes ago, FacelessMage said:

Everyone I know just resubmits the same thing every year, they really don't care. I've also resubmitted the same personal statement, and no one has called me out on it yet (to be honest, they receive so many per year that it's doubtful that they'll remember). 

Appreciate your reply!

[clinpsy]

11 hours ago, 2016PsycApplicant said:

A question for people who have applied more than once...can you resubmit the same research proposal for funding to CIHR next year for example? And with the exception of minor changes to the personal statement is it okay to resubmit for the following year to the same schools?

I haven't applied more than once, but I would think that you'd hope these documents would change! If you're strengthening your candidacy over the next year, you should have a lot more to add to your personal statement. You also should have more research experience, which would contribute to a stronger CIHR proposal. I think it would be fine to resubmit the same documents, but if they didn't help you the first time around, I'm not sure you would want to use them again.

[LebaneseKafta]

14 hours ago, LabyrinthianMind said:

I haven't applied more than once, but I would think that you'd hope these documents would change! If you're strengthening your candidacy over the next year, you should have a lot more to add to your personal statement. You also should have more research experience, which would contribute to a stronger CIHR proposal. I think it would be fine to resubmit the same documents, but if they didn't help you the first time around, I'm not sure you would want to use them again.

I've known many people who resubmit the same proposal etc. after first or second time not getting it and getting it on their second or third try without changing much. It depends on who's reading your application and it's too much of a subjective process as almost all of us are more then qualified to get it so if the person reading it thinks it's deserving of money then you'll get it however the same proposal read by someone else might not get the same outcome.

[mentallychill]

I've been accepted to American schools, but just got an interview offer and an acceptance from a Canadian one. How would y'all make the decision between them?

Edited March 26, 2016 by mentallychill

[Piagetsky]

4 hours ago, mentallychill said:

I've been accepted to American schools, but just got an interview offer and an acceptance from a Canadian one. How would y'all make the decision between them?

Consider what the next four years have the potential to look like in the US and stay where you are.   That aside, finances, funding, location, program fit?

[mentallychill]

8 hours ago, Piagetsky said:

Consider what the next four years have the potential to look like in the US and stay where you are.   That aside, finances, funding, location, program fit?

I was originally thinking about that too, but I've decided that finances aren't going to factor into it because I can pay off any loans I take out later on. I'm trying to focus mostly on program fit and school prestige (for lack of a better word) and the opportunities that can come out of each school I choose...problem is that the USA school that I'm mostly looking at is in the top 5 schools for clinical psychology in the USA, while the Canadian one has a POI that I really like but the school is down a little bit lower on the hierarchy of clinical psychology schools in Canada. I'm leaning more towards the USA school because I can't really justify opting out of a top 5 USA school. The POI there is great, and the admission process was pretty hard, especially in comparison to the Canadian schools. Regardless of where I go to school, I can't imagine it will be too hard paying off any loans I take out, and I'm sure there will be funding opportunities for both schools later on. 

I guess my question is how much should a school's reputation factor into a decision? The schools I have offers to are fairly equal in terms of POI and research interests and program fit, and location...but in terms of reputation they're on totally different spectrums.

[LebaneseKafta]

On 3/27/2016 at 0:57 AM, mentallychill said:

I was originally thinking about that too, but I've decided that finances aren't going to factor into it because I can pay off any loans I take out later on. I'm trying to focus mostly on program fit and school prestige (for lack of a better word) and the opportunities that can come out of each school I choose...problem is that the USA school that I'm mostly looking at is in the top 5 schools for clinical psychology in the USA, while the Canadian one has a POI that I really like but the school is down a little bit lower on the hierarchy of clinical psychology schools in Canada. I'm leaning more towards the USA school because I can't really justify opting out of a top 5 USA school. The POI there is great, and the admission process was pretty hard, especially in comparison to the Canadian schools. Regardless of where I go to school, I can't imagine it will be too hard paying off any loans I take out, and I'm sure there will be funding opportunities for both schools later on. 

I guess my question is how much should a school's reputation factor into a decision? The schools I have offers to are fairly equal in terms of POI and research interests and program fit, and location...but in terms of reputation they're on totally different spectrums.

Canada and USA have very different cultures surrounding university when it comes to reputation more generally but even specifically in clinical psych. It really comes down to, at least in my opinion, what you want to do with your degree. I can't speak for USA, but from my understanding reputation of the school matters in clinical practice as well as research/academia. From my experience, in Canada, reputation of the school means very little in terms of clinical practice, almost all schools are pretty good and equal at getting their students licensed in the province they are in. In terms of jobs in clinical practice the school you went to doesn't make a difference (I've worked at 4 private practices and referencing the schools reputation or even school in general a psychologist went to even during the hiring process never came up once), rather your experiences and skill set derived from externals matter much more. 

However, if your goal is to work in research and remain in academia, yes the school you went to and it's reputation matters, but to be honest what I have seen is that it's rather the opportunities/funding available for research at higher rep schools in comparison to lower ones actually make the difference not the actual reputation itself. What I mean by that is that higher rep school have more funding available and other opportunities (collaboration, more well known researchers etc.) to do more research in the sense that you come out on top with pubs/conferences etc. However, lower rep schools give that too just have to be more rigorous and go out of your way a little more in going down that path. 

Also if you do go to USA and intend to come back to Canada (I know you didn't say you would just making sure you realize this) theres no automatic licensing available and you have to go through a the process just like anyone else from an international country to get relisenced in Canada/province you want to work in since they stopped APA accreditation.. So sometimes it doesn't match up with the requirements and you need to do extra supervision, courses, testing. Just something to think about.

Edited March 28, 2016 by LebaneseKafta

[geekrock]

Hey everyone!  I'm wondering whether anyone else has had a late interview with Dalhousie?  I interviewed yesterday and I just received notice that my POI put forward a recommendation for my admission.  However, it seems there is another applicant in a similar situation and whether or not the recommendation will be approved may be contingent upon the other applicant that is still being considered.  If you are this applicant (or know them), will you accept, or decline?  I'm holding another offer, but would prefer Dal.  Any info would be much appreciated.  Thanks!

[FacelessMage]

Congrats to whoever got the Saskatchewan acceptance! I'm so jealous!