Please provide the counseling faculty with a 4 page maximum, typed and double-spaced essay, covering the following topics. This essay will be read by the faculty prior to your interview, and if granted an interview, your responses may be discussed further at that time. This essay is taken into consideration for admission into both counseling program tracks – school and mental health.
A. Personal Beliefs

1. What cultural identities, values, and experiences led you to consider a career in counseling?

2. Why do you view counseling as an important field today?

3. What are your thoughts about how people change?

4. What counseling settings and or populations think you are interested in serving? Why?

5. What qualities and skills do you believe you already possess that will help you in this field? What skills do you hope to gain from this program?

6. How do you maintain personal (emotional, physical, and spiritual) wellness including preventing burnout;

B. Professional Interests: Discuss your interests in the counseling profession. Include:

a. Your definition of mental health & mental illness.
b. You may also choose to include your experiences with school counselors as a child/student.

c. Positive or negative experiences with private counseling for personal issues for yourself or a family member(s)

d. Personal experience (positive or negative) with counseling, psychology, or psychiatry.

e. Your fears, concerns, curiosities & questions about counselors and the profession.

f. Your perceptions of counselors counseling in general.

g. Ideas or fantasies you have about what being a counselor means, What are your goals/dreams upon graduation from our program and being licensed by the state to be a counselor?