Widener University Human Sexuality program from pre-pharmacy?

[gatorgirl1214]

A bit of background: I received my BA from University of Florida last May in Women, Gender, and Sexualities Studies. I slacked my last year quite a bit, and graduated with a 3.14 GPA. I also slacked enough to not take the GRE or MAT.

I applied to FAU and was accepted as a second BA student doing the pre-reqs for pharmacy school. I hate it. It's not my passion, and not what I want to do. I hate chemistry, I hate math, etc. I want to help people. Sexuality just fascinates me.

All the while at UF, my goal was clinical sexology. I had researched Widener's program extensively and was interested in it, but as I wrote, I slacked quite a bit and never got around to it because I was scared of entering the 'real world' as a college graduate.

My problem is this: I'm not worried about the GRE/MAT. I'm worried about my lack of EC's. Having worked almost 30 hours a week since high school, I never had time for EC's or volunteering. I have virtually zero. I read a lot. I am very active in the online community in forums and such revolving around sexuality. How do I spin this in an admissions essay to make myself seem more appealing?

Thanks!

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[Member012345678]

What do you mean by "ECs"?

 

[futureapppsy2]

What do you mean by "ECs"?

Extracurricular activities

 

[Qwerk]

I'm guessing that you're applying for the educational track, since you're entering with a bachelor's. Do you have any education-related resume credits? Teaching/T.A. experience? Workshop facilitation? Have you ever been a member of any campus LGBTQ or sexuality/gender groups? Any activism?

I don't know if I'd put anything about online forums in the essay unless it had an offline component (e.g. moderator for a school or organizational forum).

 

[MBellows]

I would be careful with the Clinical Sex Therapy thing, from a billing and client base perspective it may be more advantageous to find a Family Therapy program and then get the small number of CEU's needed to get the extra certification in sex-therapy.

 

[wigflip]

I would be careful with the Clinical Sex Therapy thing, from a billing and client base perspective it may be more advantageous to find a Family Therapy program and then get the small number of CEU's needed to get the extra certification in sex-therapy.

Unless I misread Widener's website, they offers multiple tracks (sex ed, sex therapy, etc.) The latter requires a license to practice, so you're right, OP would need an MFT/LPC/MSW first.

 

[MBellows]

Unless I misread Widener's website, they offers multiple tracks (sex ed, sex therapy, etc.) The latter requires a license to practice, so you're right, OP would need an MFT/LPC/MSW first.

They do offer a joint MSW/Human Sexuality program, or they did when I looked at MSW programs. I would be careful with Widener unless you're a trust fund kid though, their cost/hr is pretty steep and the human service field is ripe with people who not only offer Sex Therapy but are third-party billable.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

They do offer a joint MSW/Human Sexuality program, or they did when I looked at MSW programs. I would be careful with Widener unless you're a trust fund kid though, their cost/hr is pretty steep and the human service field is ripe with people who not only offer Sex Therapy but are third-party billable.

I would say this is great advice with respect to any program, and unfortunately it seems to go unheeded or unheard in far too many instances. Master's degree programs in particular can get very expensive, very fast, especially when you start considering any costs you might incur in securing supervision (which, based on what I've heard on this board, isn't uncommonly paid for by the supervisee).

 

[MBellows]

I would say this is great advice with respect to any program, and unfortunately it seems to go unheeded or unheard in far too many instances. Master's degree programs in particular can get very expensive, very fast, especially when you start considering any costs you might incur in securing supervision (which, based on what I've heard on this board, isn't uncommonly paid for by the supervisee).

You'd be right there, and I would probably say doubly so for MSW to LCSW supervision (at least in Texas). Almost all of the LPC-i's here that I've met usually get paid and have supervision provided. Then again that may just be because I work in a more organized setting and my exposure is limited. I can say that it and a few other factors have made me switch from applying to MSW programs to Counselor Ed programs.

But to address the cost factor, in my area you can go to a number of schools. University of North Texas, Texas Christian University, UT-Arlington, Baylor, and Argosy are all big names but come with big price tags. A&M-Commerce, Tarleton State, Southeastern OK State, Texas Women's University, and UT-Southwestern Medical Center are all smaller names but come at a much smaller price. Think 24k just in tuition from the first group vs about 6-12k in the second group. I know people from each of those programs, they come off as pretty equally trained, and I've never heard of a therapist/counselor who was criticized about their program (except from Argosy, but that was only by their peers).