Meet Acadia
Our latest guest in the Inside Clinical blog series is Acadia Bunin. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Queen’s University under the supervision of Dr. Tara MacDonald.
A “Maritime girl through and through,” Acadia grew up in Nova Scotia before moving to New Brunswick to complete her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Mount Allison University. She later made the move to Kingston, Ontario, where she completed her MSc in Clinical Psychology at Queen’s and continued into the PhD program.
Acadia’s path into clinical psychology was not exactly linear. From initially considering a major in English, to facing rejection during her first graduate application cycle, to eventually receiving an unexpected opportunity at Queen’s, her story highlights the role that persistence, research fit, and sometimes a little bit of timing can play in finding your place in clinical psychology.
Finding Her Passion for Psychology
Acadia entered university thinking she might major in English, but an introductory psychology course quickly changed her direction. Looking back, however, her interest in working with people had always been there. Growing up, her parents often commented on her emotional intelligence and ability to “read a room,” qualities that eventually felt like a natural fit with psychology.
Her time at Mount Allison helped turn that initial interest into a clearer academic direction. As a small, primarily undergraduate-focused university, Mount Allison gave Acadia the opportunity to become closely involved with her psychology program and build meaningful relationships with professors.
One particularly valuable part of her undergraduate experience was completing an honours thesis. As part of her honours experience was a course designed for students completing their thesis. The course introduced students to the graduate school application process and the different pathways available within psychology, including the distinctions between clinical psychology, counselling psychology, and other graduate programs. For Acadia, this helped make an overwhelming process feel more approachable.
Her honours thesis allowed her to explore research more deeply. Working in Dr. Louise Wasylkiw’s personality lab introduced Acadia to research on self-compassion and perfectionism, which helped shape her later interests in self-reflection and well-being. Beyond research, Dr. Wasylkiw became an influential mentor as Acadia began thinking more about graduate school.
For students who attend smaller universities, Acadia emphasizes the importance of gaining research experience while also recognizing the value of opportunities outside of the lab. Experiences that demonstrate leadership, mentorship, teamwork, and initiative can also be valuable, even if they are not traditional research positions. For Acadia, this included becoming involved in campus life, psychology mentoring, and peer tutoring, all of which contributed to her growth throughout her undergraduate experience.
“Finding those little opportunities that you may have a harder time at bigger schools because of how many students there are.”
Learning From Rejection
Acadia applied to clinical psychology in two cycles. During her first cycle, she applied to around five or six schools. She entered the process feeling confident in her academic abilities as she had worked hard to maintain a competitive GPA as that is what she prioritized throughout her undergrad. However, she quickly discovered that strong grades alone did not guarantee admission into clinical psychology.
“I felt really confident because I was a very strong student. But I got humbled very quickly by that process”
Her first cycle resulted primarily in rejections, but it also gave her something valuable: a much clearer understanding of how clinical psychology applications actually work. Looking back, Acadia realized that she had not fully understood what programs were looking for in components like the personal statement. By her second cycle, she was better able to explain why she was a strong fit for a particular program, why she wanted to work with a specific supervisor, and how her research interests aligned with their work.
Rather than simply submitting the same application again, Acadia used what she had learned from her first attempt to take a closer look at where she could improve. As she described it:
“A lot of it was up to me to kind of look at my own application and almost poke holes in it lovingly. What areas do I really need to strengthen here? And how can I use my time the most effectively?”
By her second cycle, she felt significantly more confident. She decided to cast a wider net, applying to approximately eight programs. Having already navigated the process once before, she no longer had to spend as much time figuring out the logistics of applications. Instead, she could focus more of her energy on strengthening the quality of each application.
“Rejection is part of the process. You have to keep putting yourself out there.”
When the Stars Aligned
During her second application cycle, after receiving another rejection, Acadia asked herself how long she was actually willing to continue pursuing clinical psychology. She decided that she would give herself a five year plan, reflecting just how committed she was to the process. Rather than walking away from her goal, she made a commitment to herself to keep trying.
“I think maybe it was the second round and I'd gotten another rejection, and I really asked myself, how many times will I do this? Like how many times will I put off kind of starting another degree or starting a career. And I told myself five years. I was like, I will do this for five years until I get in. That was just how drawn I felt to the program”
Queen’s had not been part of Acadia’s first application cycle, but she added the university during her second cycle. There was already a familiar connection to the school, as her honours thesis supervisor, Dr. Wasylkiw, had also attended Queen’s. While exploring her options, Acadia was considering both Clinical Psychology and Social-Personality Psychology and came across the work of Dr. Tara MacDonald. Acadia decided to reach out.
Dr. MacDonald responded and agreed to meet with her. What began as an informal conversation gave Acadia the opportunity to learn more about her research and discuss their shared interests. The fit felt strong.
At the time, the conversation helped Acadia realize that although the Social-Personality program interested her, her ultimate goal was still clinical psychology. She followed up with Dr. MacDonald and was transparent about this. Dr. MacDonald encouraged her to apply to Clinical Psychology, listing a core clinical faculty member first and herself second as a potential supervisor. So Acadia did exactly that!
Initially, Acadia heard nothing back. Later in the admissions process, however, an unexpected spot opened in the Clinical Psychology program. Dr. MacDonald reached out to Acadia because she had a student she was interested in filling the spot, and that student was Acadia. Just a month or two after Acadia had made the commitment to give herself five years to pursue clinical psychology, an opportunity she had not anticipated was finally opening up.
“Yeah, that was the best email I've ever gotten. Where she was like, ‘Are you still interested in this program? Are you still interested in this opportunity?’ And I said, Absolutely.”
The email was not an automatic acceptance. Acadia still had to complete the late-admission interview and navigate the remaining steps of the process, but it was the opportunity she had been working toward. Eventually, that opportunity became an offer to join Queen’s Clinical Psychology program.
Her experience is a reminder that graduate admissions do not always unfold predictably. Looking back, Acadia described the experience as a moment when everything finally came together:
“It just it felt like the stars truly aligned. I know a lot of people say that, in terms of how they get in, and I think it's a hundred percent true.”
Understanding What Clinical Psychology Really Is
One of the most important lessons Acadia learned throughout the application process was understanding the balance between the clinical and research sides of clinical psychology.
Like many students, her early understanding of becoming a psychologist was largely centered around therapy. Through the application and interview process, she began to better understand the scientist-practitioner model and how significant research would be throughout her training.
After one interview in the application process, she took the initiative to reach out and ask for feedback. She wanted to know if there were areas she could strengthen for future interviews or anything she could approach differently moving forward. As Acadia put it:
“Literally at any time, the feedback is gold. Getting feedback is so valuable during this process. They said when we ask about research, like the research and clinical balance, we're looking for people to aim for about 50-50, and I had no idea about that. That’s kind of a component of some things I think are less clear until you're in it.”
Acadia learned that when programs asked applicants about the balance between research and clinical work, they were not simply asking about personal preference. They also wanted to know whether applicants understood what clinical psychology training actually involves. This helped change how she approached later interviews and applications. It also reinforced the importance of demonstrating genuine excitement about research.
In fact, Acadia believes one of the things that stood out to Dr. MacDonald when they first met was simply how enthusiastic she was about the research.
“I think in the initial kind of informal meeting that we had, what she mentioned was that I just seemed really excited about the research. I think that's kind of a part that maybe in the first round I put less emphasis on. Because you know, I was thinking clinical psychology, working with people, doing all of this kind of therapy stuff, but the research is like half of it.”
For prospective students, that means going beyond saying you want to “help people.” Understanding what questions you want to explore, why a supervisor’s work interests you, and how research fits into your future as a psychologist can make a much stronger case for why you belong in the program.
Making the Application Process Work for You
For students preparing to apply, Acadia recommends starting earlier than you might think. The summer before applications are due can be valuable time to explore programs, reflect on what you are looking for in graduate school, and identify any areas of your experience you may want to strengthen. It is also a good opportunity to begin working on written materials, particularly the personal statement, which can take more time than expected.
She also recommends reaching out to potential supervisors when appropriate, despite how uncomfortable it can initially feel.
Her biggest tip? Check their lab website first.
Some supervisors explicitly state whether they are accepting students, whether they respond to applicants, or whether they prefer not to receive emails at all. This can save a lot of time and help tailor your approach effectively.
Acadia also highlights that applicants should not take a lack of response personally. Supervisors can receive large amounts of emails during application season, so expect that you will not hear back from everyone.
Key Takeaways and Final Advice
Research fit matters
Being able to explain why you are genuinely interested in a supervisor’s research and how your interests connect to their work can be just as important as explaining why you want to pursue clinical psychology.
Your GPA is only one part of your application
Strong grades matter, but research experience can help demonstrate that you understand and enjoy the research side of the profession.
Use rejection as information to guide you
Acadia’s first application cycle helped her understand what programs were looking for and made her significantly more confident the second time around.
Develop your writing skills
Acadia also emphasizes the importance of developing strong writing skills as you will have numerous papers, proposals, emails and strong writing will become increasingly beneficial.
Start early and do your research
Use the summer before applications to explore programs and supervisors, reflect on your experiences, and begin written materials before the semester becomes busy.
Keep putting yourself out there
Cold emails, applications, interviews, and rejections can all feel uncomfortable, but each can create an opportunity or teach you something for the next attempt.
Perhaps the most important lesson from Acadia’s experience came from her honours supervisor during a time when she was stressed about her future:
“Everybody thinks this journey has to be so linear. But that’s not the case.”
Rather than seeing those unexpected turns as signs that she was on the wrong path, Acadia continued to learn from each experience and give herself another opportunity to move forward. As she reflected on the application process:
“You have to keep putting yourself out there”
Her story is a reminder that there is no single formula for getting into clinical psychology. Sometimes, persistence means being willing to learn from rejection, reconsider your approach, and keep going even when you cannot predict exactly where the next opportunity will come from.
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