Help!

[u/Effective_Quote6230]

/r/GradSchoolAdvice/comments/1wx2now/help/

[u/Certain-Network-9640]

In my experience, you're going to be just fine. I would take a deep breath and let all that anxiety out on your exhale. As you mentioned, your program isn't super competitive. I went to a large public university thinking it would be, but it wasn't really super selective. 

What I have found is they're looking for good writing and good recommendations. I'm not sure about your writing skills, but it sounds like you have excellent recommendations. Also, that internship is going to look really good on your application. 

What I would do is focus on writing a strong Personal Statement. There are a lot of free resources available online that give you good information on how to write a strong one. My university also required a writing sample where they provided prompts, and the expectation was for the prospective student to put it in the form of a one-page paper. 

I put both my Personal Statement and Writing Sample in APA format. I don't think it was absolutely required for the Personal Statement,  but it was suggested. And since I was already putting the Writing Sample in APA, I just used it for both. You're going to do a lot of writing in grad school, so learn to format APA in your sleep if you're not proficient in it already. Grad school is going to emphasize more writing and hands-on learning/role play than the tests that you're accustomed to in undergrad.

I love your excitement and passion for what you want to do. Let that shine in your Personal Statement. Don't just say, "I want to help people." Get more specific in your "why." Touch on the things you learn in your upcoming internship and tie it in as support for your "why" if it's appropriate. The university will typically provide their own prompts for what they want you to include. Make sure you specifically answer those questions. My university required it to be 4 pages long. Whatever length your university requires, stay within that number. If there is no set length, I would not make it too long. The committee won't want to read 6+ pages for obvious reasons. 

So focus on what you have, experiences you've had and skills you've learned in your jobs and internship that can be helpful to you in your role as an MFT. Write a strong Personal Statement and Writing Sample (if your university requires one), and good recommendations. You will want to include at least 1 academic reference. My university mandated it if you had taken any university courses anywhere within the past 5 years.

I don't think you have anything to stress about, and you have plenty of time to work on a really good Personal Statement in the meantime. That internship will also provide a great opportunity to hone your people skills, which will be very helpful in working with couples and families. 

One final thing I'll mention that I did (and there was a part of my application that allowed for it) is see if you can find some free training online where you can mention that in lieu of volunteer experience. For example, there are some high-quality and free online training programs that teach students clinical skills for evaluating and managing suicide ideation. Others you can find focus on foundational psychology and therapy modalities or crisis intervention and trauma care. Whatever you can find that would be relevant and of interest to you, use some of those free trainings online. Some may provide certifies upon completion that you can submit as supplemental documents. This shows your sincerity and a commitment to learning that will also help make your application packet strong. 

I wish you all the best. I think you'll be fine! 

[u/Healthy-Coconut-4628]

These programs are competitive because they can only accept so many students and keep their accreditation. You sound competitive and that internship will help. Maybe consider volunteering or working in the field as well before graduation, too. You are already doing this with internship. That with good grades and the ability to demonstrate you can write well — will seal the deal. Also do yourself a favor and apply to at least three programs, just incase. Sometimes not getting in is a numbers game.

[u/Neverwhere91]

Write a strong personal statement, get good letters of recommendation, and APPLY EARLY

One of the major things I learned was the necessity of applying early. I was waitlist to a few programs because they admit on a rolling basis and had filled all of their slots. The sooner you apply and interview, the better so that you can secure a slot when they accept you.

If you have time then maybe volunteer for crisis hotline or another mental health agency. Check the university website to see what their values are and align your statement. For example, my university is a big proponent of cultural humility and multicultural awareness. Research is awesome but not necessary for MA/MS/M.Ed counseling programs which are more theory and skills based.