Oct 162009
Here’s a list update!
- Blogher invited me (and Madison) to review the new Sonicare toothbrush for kids. You can comment to be part of the giveaway AND check out Madison’s adorable review here. (Note: I didn’t coach her at all with that interview. The kid is a born shill!)
- You can keep on (and on and on) voting for this blog over at The Bump. I promised Pennie I’d give her the Pottery Barn giftcard if I win because Roscoe deserves adorable baby furnishings! (Also don’t you think Pennie ought to get something if I win because, you know, I obviously couldn’t have done it without her?)
- Jenna and I have a really great idea we’re going to try to pull off after being inspired by this contest. So good will come of it even if we don’t get the gift card and Roscoe is forced to make do with baby accessories from Target, (which, who are we kidding, are all kinds of cute). (No dis to Target, really.)
- I take the GRE on Wednesday. I am bombing the math in my practice tests. Let us not speak of it too much. Brett said he’ll coach me this weekend. Although if they’re going to look at my COMBINED score and not separately, I may have a shot.
- Speaking of grad school, I have to write a letter of intent. What are the application people looking for in that? Soul searching? Story of my life? Story of my professional life? Since it’s a counseling program, do they want more touchie-feelie? Anyone know?
I know some Etsy sellers who might be interested in whatever it is you and Jenna have up your sleeves. Do you want me to send you their contact info or forward a message for you or…?
One resource is http://www.psichi.org – the psychology honor society. Here is one article from their website about writing personal statements, which is a little different than what you might be doing for counseling programs, but is still helpful for how to get started.
http://www.psichi.org/pubs/articles/article_756.aspx
If you click on the link for category “Graduate School” at the top of the article, it sends you to a list of articles relating to grad school apps.
Good luck on your GRE!
Thank you so much, Shara! That’s a huge help!
Are we allowed to vote more than once per day? I went and read the other blogs. Yours really is by far the best.
I wrote this today:
http://hoping.adoptionblogs.com/weblogs/if-youre-not-already-reading-these-blogs
Robyn, thanks so much for that. It means a lot to me.
I got official word from the Bump people that yes, you can vote more than once a day. I’m trying to find out if voting ends at midnight Sunday or what because I’m not clear about that.
OK, she just wrote back — voting ends at ll:59pm EST on Monday. Please tolerate my incessant flogging until then.
As a faculty developer, I have a perspective on your grad school app(also I wrote a successful one years ago for my PhD) program.
My two cents:
in your statement, be sure to write about your vision of how you want to be different when the program is over–what kind of therapist/person/learner/professional do you want to be when you graduate? You probably have this in your head/heart, but try to make yourself articulate it. How will this program help you get to be that person? What will you yourself contribute to your learning process–what are you bringing to the table? Good luck.
Patty, thanks so much! This is a huge help!
Sleeves! Lots of things up sleeves!
And incessant voting. That’s what Friday nights are for.
Intent means also business plan? Touchy feely ok but be business like too. Touchy feely doesn’t pay the rent.
Intent also means why and how.
I just wrote a business plan and was given the work space where there was a waiting list of 50 people!! GO ME!!
Dawn, thank you so much for all that you are doing in this contest. I think it speaks volumes about you; thank you.
Re: grad school applications – I’ve applied to a bunch (doctoral and masters), and been decently successful, including to a counseling program. I’d speak from the heart. What life (and professional) experiences have lead you to decide on this course of study? Counselors are only as good as their life experiences – and willingness to explore other points of view – allow them to be. Admissions people want to know that you have insight and experience.
At least, that’s been my approach…and it’s worked. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!
Also, good luck on the GRE!
I’m a faculty member at a small state college. From what I’ve seen, committees are usually looking to see if you are going to make good use of what they hope you will learn from their program. What do you intend to do with the time, effort and (hopefully!) money they are going to invest in you? And it never helps to make them feel special — what does *this* program offer that especially appeals to you and may help you make a new future? Good luck!!
Came here from Heather’s blog. Re grad statement of intent, another thing I found useful is mentioning why the particular school and the particular program is relevant to where you see yourself after the masters.
I’m a new reader brought over by the contest (… thanks for eating my weekend, archives!) but I’m also a graduate student in psychology, so I can give you what little advice I have about applications. For my personal statements, I stayed away from the “compelling narrative that explains why this career is my oh-so-perfect calling,” it felt too college-essay for me (although, considering what you do, it could work for you!). My personal statements ended up very business-like: This is what I want to do, These are the awesome things I have already done that indicate I will be successful in pursuit of said goals, and This is why your program is the right place for me to work toward those goals. End.
My last-minute prep for the math part of the GRE consisted of an Algebra II textbook. I just did lots and lots and lots of math problems while watching Law & Order SVU. I *knew* the math, but speed was an issue. It was boring, but the practice got me to a point where I could recognize what needed to be done the second I saw a problem and do the math itself much faster. I ended up doing better on the math than the verbal, which is ridiculous but just goes to show you it can be learned