STAGE 3: CREATING & STRENGTHENING APPLICATION

You've taken the required courses, gotten decent grades and gained research experience - great work! At this point you've achieved the minimum requirements to get your name on potential application lists.

But how do you make your application stand out from the crowd? Taking time to craft your CV and personal statement can go a long way.

Preparing Your CV

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a record of your academic achievements, and should clearly and concisely demonstrate your skills as a researcher.

Your CV should include:

any completed or in-progress degrees
labs where you gained experience as a research assistant or lab manager, with brief details of your responsibilities or completed projects
awards and/or scholarships you've received
any publications and/or conference presentations
research-related coursework (e.g. where you conducted a research project or analyzed data)

TIP! Western Career Education has resources to help you create a CV. Check them out here.

TIP! A CV is different from a resume! Some students choose to include a very brief section on employment experience in their CV, and some supervisors may appreciate an applicant with some 'real-world' experience. However, this section should be peripheral if it is included at all.

Writing a Statement of Interest

Most programs will expect you to submit a Statement of Interest/Personal Letter/Personal Statement with your application. Your statement is an opportunity to demonstrate your experience and writing ability, and highlight your interest in a potential supervisor and program.

TIP! When we asked Clinical Psychology faculty what students should leave out of their statement, they unanimously said students should not discuss personal experience with mental illness as their reason for pursuing this field.
Although faculty are aware that students may have lived experience with mental illness, they want to be sure students are not solely motivated by personal reasons, as a Clinical Psychology PhD involves mostly research.

Start with a short introduction stating that your experience makes you a strong candidate for the program, and briefly explain why you're interested in Clinical Psychology specifically.

Your CV provides a list of what you've done; your statement shows how you think!

Elaborate on how previous experiences shaped your research interests or goals and made you a stronger researcher/student
Describe the skills you've developed: like your creativity, attention to detail, ability to think critically and your knowledge of statistical/research methods

TIP! The bulk of your statement might stay the same for each program you're applying to, but make sure to tailor your statement to the particular supervisor and program.

The bulk of your statement should discuss your research experience. Rather than listing every project you've worked on, focus on those that best demonstrate what you've learned and the skills you've developed. Give particular attention to independent research projects that highlight your individual capability and competence.

TIP! Double check length and formatting requirements for each program you want to apply to, since they might not be the same!

Your statement could also include:

transcript highlights, like your stellar mark in a stats course
extracurricular activities relevant to psychology

In the last section, describe your research interests and explain how they align with the interests of the potential supervisor and the training philosophy of the program. You can also discuss your career goals and the skills or methods you're hoping to learn, and how the supervisor/program will help you achieve these!

Check out some example statements here.