Hi all, I am new to this board, and I am sure that this topic has been hashed out time and time again, so forgive me for asking some common questions here. I've already read plenty of similar threads, but I wanted to go ahead and ask away myself.
I am a recent college graduate with a B.A. in History. I am interested in becoming a counselor, either in a private practice, in a clinic (on a college campus for example), with the intent to further my education even past the point of a masters if necessary to achieve my long term goals, which could be overseeing up a clinic like the one I mentioned or perhaps eventually sharing a practice with a psychiatrist. I'd even love to have the opportunity to teach some day.
I've read many threads that suggest a MSW with a clinical emphasis, and I've also seen recommendations for master's in counseling, whether it be M.A., M.Ed, MFT etc.
The hurdles that I have to jump right now are my non psych background, and my poor GPA. I dropped the ball pretty hard in undergrad, my GPA sits around a 2.2. However, my last two semesters are right at a 3.0, and I obviously do not think that my GPA reflects where I am today, although I understand that schools may not see it that way. I have not taken the GRE yet, and I plan on doing so this spring.
Because I plan on applying for the fall of 2013, I know have about 17 months to help make myself as strong a candidate as possible. I've already applied for a position volunteering for an organization in Peru that works with children and families, which could last six months or more, and I am looking for any position that would be both beneficial to myself and my graduate school applications.
For my background, my GPA, and my goals, what advice can some of you offer? Where should I begin, as I start to narrow down my choices? Which sorts of degrees and programs should I look for? And, how can I best strengthen my applications outside of a good GRE score?
Best,
WB
I am a recent college graduate with a B.A. in History. I am interested in becoming a counselor, either in a private practice, in a clinic (on a college campus for example), with the intent to further my education even past the point of a masters if necessary to achieve my long term goals, which could be overseeing up a clinic like the one I mentioned or perhaps eventually sharing a practice with a psychiatrist. I'd even love to have the opportunity to teach some day.
I've read many threads that suggest a MSW with a clinical emphasis, and I've also seen recommendations for master's in counseling, whether it be M.A., M.Ed, MFT etc.
The hurdles that I have to jump right now are my non psych background, and my poor GPA. I dropped the ball pretty hard in undergrad, my GPA sits around a 2.2. However, my last two semesters are right at a 3.0, and I obviously do not think that my GPA reflects where I am today, although I understand that schools may not see it that way. I have not taken the GRE yet, and I plan on doing so this spring.
Because I plan on applying for the fall of 2013, I know have about 17 months to help make myself as strong a candidate as possible. I've already applied for a position volunteering for an organization in Peru that works with children and families, which could last six months or more, and I am looking for any position that would be both beneficial to myself and my graduate school applications.
For my background, my GPA, and my goals, what advice can some of you offer? Where should I begin, as I start to narrow down my choices? Which sorts of degrees and programs should I look for? And, how can I best strengthen my applications outside of a good GRE score?
Best,
WB
