Admissions

Overview

The online Master of Arts in Counseling Program from The Family Institute at Northwestern University seeks students who are dedicated to helping others and capable of succeeding in a rigorous graduate program. As a student, you should be open to receiving feedback and analyzing your experiences, opinions, and personal traits so you can become a self-reflective counselor.

“Admitted candidates will have demonstrated good to excellent writing skills, an openness to self-reflection and awareness, and the ability to listen to and work with others. We are also looking for a level of maturity required to meet the demands of our rigorous clinical and academic expectations.”

—Stephannee Standefer, Program Director

Counseling@Northwestern offers rolling admissions, with four program start dates per year in January, April, June, and September. Each cohort has a priority deadline and a final deadline.

Priority deadline:
This deadline enables you to receive an admissions decision sooner and waives the $95 application fee.

Final deadline:
This deadline is the last day to submit your application to be considered for your desired cohort.

We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible so you can start planning your academic and career journey. View the upcoming application deadlines below or visit our academic expectations page to learn more.

Application Deadlines

January 2018 Cohort

January 2018 Cohort
Deadline	Date
Priority Deadline	September 22, 2017
Final Deadline	October 30, 2017
Classes Begin	January 8, 2018

April 2018 Cohort

April 2018 Cohort
Deadline	Date
Priority Deadline	December 11, 2017
Final Deadline	January 29, 2018
Classes Begin	April 3, 2018

June 2018 Cohort

June 2018 Cohort
Deadline	Date
Priority Deadline	March 30, 2018
Final Deadline	April 23, 2018
Classes Begin	June 25, 2018

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Application Requirements

To apply, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. A degree in psychology or human services is preferred but not required.

Your completed application must include the following items:

Transcripts: Provide both unofficial and official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions or programs attended. You may upload your unofficial transcripts directly to the online application. Official transcripts should be sent electronically to applicationservices@counseling.northwestern.edu or by mail to the following address:

Application Processing Services
Counseling@Northwestern
7900 Harkins Road
Suite 501
Lanham, MD 20706

Letters of recommendation: Provide at least two letters from professional or academic references who can attest to your dedication to helping others and your ability to succeed in a challenging master’s program.
Resume or CV: Upload your current resume or curriculum vitae detailing any clinical experiences you may have.
Statement of purpose: Write a statement describing your interest in earning a graduate counseling degree online. Explain how your academic and/or professional background has prepared you to succeed in the program and how you will be an asset to the Northwestern community.
Supplemental essay: Write a supplemental essay that explains how you are suited to the field of counseling and why you are choosing to pursue your counseling master’s degree through Counseling@Northwestern. Be sure to address why you are choosing mental health counseling as opposed to other mental health fields such as social work, psychology, school counseling, etc.
Recent photo: Upload a recent headshot, such as a passport photo, that includes no other individuals. Use standard image files such as .png, .jpg, .gif, or .pdf.
Test scores: Submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) taken within the last two years if you completed your postsecondary academic work outside the United States. These scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to Northwestern University using institution code 1565 and object code 01. GRE scores are not required for admission to the program. Note: all students must be US citizens or permanent residents living in the United States throughout the program. Non-US citizens and students living outside the United States are not eligible for the program at this time.
Application fee: Pay the $95 application fee by debit or credit card within the online application.

Group Interview

Counseling@Northwestern’s accrediting body, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, requires applicants to demonstrate group interactions before receiving an admissions decision. After your application is complete, you will participate in a group interview that takes place in our online classroom.

During the interview, you should demonstrate strong communication and listening skills, self-awareness, empathy, self-reflection, and maturity. Let your personality show during all four stages of the interview:

Questions about yourself:
Answer five or six fill-in-the-blank or hypothetical questions, such as “What is your biggest weakness?”

Case studies:
Discuss how you would handles a brief case study illustrating complex client problems.

Final reflections:
Share something that had an impact on you during the interview. This can be something you learned from a fellow interviewee or something you learned about yourself.

Questions for faculty:
Ask the interviewers any questions you have about the program.

To make the interview as successful as possible, ensure that you have a stable Internet connection, and choose a quiet location free of distractions.

Financial Aid

We encourage you to apply for financial aid when you complete your online application. For more information, visit our financial aid page.

If you have questions about the admissions process, contact the admissions team at 1-844-684-6221 or admissions@counseling.northwestern.edu.