Review the application essays in preparation for starting your application for admission.
The Erikson Admissions Committee members are looking for interesting, insightful, revealing, and non-generic essays that suggest you have successfully gone through a process of careful reflection and self-examination. By taking the time to explore your own interests, values, skills, and goals, you can best portray your reason for applying to graduate school in general, as well as specific programs, and how this next step in your academic journey will affect your professional life.
Don’t focus on writing what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. Incorporate personal components that make you the unique author of the statement. You may choose to include personal narratives, challenges, or other characteristics but also think more critically about how these situations/characteristics relay to the graduate program (or certificate) and your professional outcomes. A personal and analytical approach is key to success in this endeavor!
Essay Types
Students applying to either a master’s or certificate program will complete two essays: one program specific and one leadership-driven, each 250-500 words. While the program specific essay will help identify your desire to pursue your program of choice, the leadership-driven question will be used to evaluate your qualifications for Leadership scholarship awards.
PhD applicants will respond to three essay prompts. While Student-at-Large are only required to submit a statement of purpose.
Essays
Find your degree program to review its essay prompt.
Leadership Scholarship Prompt
The following essay prompt will be used (in part) to evaluate you for the Leadership scholarship, valued at up to 20% of your program cost. Additional Leadership scholarship criteria include GPA and years of experience working with children and/or families. NOTE: Not all applicants will be awarded Leadership scholarship.
With the recent Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action, what are your thoughts about the ruling’s impact on you, your profession, and your community? If you need more information on the subject, please review the article on the history of Affirmative Action as well as a link to the actual ruling.
Please discuss an interaction or experience you have had with a child/youth or family that changed the way you think about learning or education that influenced your decision to apply to Erikson and pursue a licensure in teacher education. Include some information on the community context in which this interaction occurred, and explain what aspects of the experience left an impression on you and why? (250-500 words)
Please explain why you are choosing to pursue an MSW at this time. What do you hope to do with your degree in the future and why? Please share any influences (people or experiences) that led you here. (250-500 words)
Please explain why you are pursuing graduate studies at this time. What has influenced you (people or experience) in choosing your program of interest and/or area of focus or mix of electives? Include information on potential new directions you hope to pursue, problems or challenges in the field that you are interested in addressing, as well as the kind of professional settings you want to work in, and why. (250-500 words)
Please explain why you are pursuing a graduate certificate at this time. What has influenced you (people or experience) in choosing this certificate? Include information on potential new directions you hope to pursue, problems or challenges in the field that you are interested in addressing, as well as the kind of professional settings you want to work in, and why. (250-500 words)
Please explain why you are pursuing a certificate in infant and early childhood mental health at this time. Share your career goals and how you think the certificate will support you in your work. With the knowledge that early relationships are crucial factors in later development, please additionally share an experience that you believe was formative in your early development and reflect on how that experience impacts your approach to working with infants and families. (250-500 words)
Support for Students
Reach out anytime to our Admissions team. We’re here to help.
We award over $2 million in institutional grants and scholarships each year, so find out how we can help you pay for your graduate work.
We help those invested in helping children and families access the latest research and practical experience to prepare for a rewarding and mission-driven career.
We make sure that once you join our community, the support doesn’t stop. Get help preparing for a successful career path and help at every stage of your journey with us.
Embark on your early childhood graduate program path at Erikson Institute and start changing lives.
