The Importance of Personal Statements in Counselor Education and Psychology Doctoral Program Applications

Personal statements are an important component of applications for counselor education and psychology doctoral programs. However, a paucity of empirical information exists about what types of content are viewed favorably and how this content influences admissions decisions. In the current study, 97 faculty members from clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and counselor education doctoral programs completed an online survey about how favorably they viewed content included in personal statements. Respondents viewed personal statements as the most important component of an application, and there were no significant differences in favorability ratings of content or stylistic issues across program types. Recommendations for those mentoring students applying to graduate school and faculty reviewing applications were provided.