School Counseling (M.S.) plus Pupil Personnel Services Credential

Write a separate personal statement responding to each of the following 3 prompts. Please type the question at the top of the document and format with double-spacing, 12-point font and at least 1-inch margins. Use a maximum of 2 pages for your answer to each prompt. (Keep in mind that we consider these statements representative of the quality of your potential work in the program.)

• Prompt #1: There are many career paths in counseling and education. Please describe why you have chosen to pursue a career in school counseling and how SDSU’s program aligns with those goals.
• Prompt #2: How do you define social justice? Discuss how your identities and lived experience contribute to your relationship with social justice and equity issues, and how as a school counselor, you will advocate for social justice and equity in education and/or culturally diverse communities.
• Prompt #3: Describe a time when you were part of a team in a collaborative experience to advocate for change. Please describe one personal strength and one area of growth that you learned through this experience. 
• Prompt #4: For re-applicants only:  How have you spent the last year continuing to grow and develop as a future school counselor?

updated prompts 9/8/2021

Complete your experience profile using the Experience Profile Template (Word Document).

Admission to this program requires a bachelor's or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution, so the majority of applicants meet the Basic Skills Requirement through their degree. For more information, visit the CTC Website. 

Obtain the results of a negative TB test. These results must be current from within the past 4 years. You can go to your medical doctor or a local clinic to get this done.

*Note for Fall 2025 applications: If you are not reapplying to this program, you can upload the document to the Additional Documents, 4th Personal Statement section (regardless of the heading). If all upload spaces are filled, you can send the results to [email protected] and it will be added to your application. 

Download unofficial transcripts (or scan a paper transcript) for every institution, one file per institution, and be prepared to upload to the Cal State Apply application. This is in addition to, not a substitution for, having official transcripts sent to SDSU Graduate Admissions office.

Apply for your Certificate of Clearance. More directions on this process can be found on the School of Teacher Education's Certificate of Clearance webpage. Follow the directions for applying to the Certificate of Clearance. (The Emergency Teaching Permit does not apply to this program.)

You will be required to have a Certificate of Clearance prior to starting practicum/fieldwork hours in schools, but it is not required for Fall 2025 admission.

Contact 3 individuals who you have interacted with both personally and professionally who would be able to write a letter of recommendation for you. If you are a re-applicant, you will also need one new letter of recommendation.  You may use two of the same letters of recommendation that you submitted with your application last year.  Please request that they write their letter and have it ready for when the system is available since they will be needed quickly. Recommenders will submit their letters directly into the Cal State Apply Application.