The School Counseling program accepts applications primarily for summer admission. Review of applications will begin on January 25th for Summer admission. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their application materials prior to this date to receive full consideration for admission to the program. Applications will be acted upon when the applicant pool is sufficient to support a group interview process. If the applicant pool is sufficient, admission will be allowed for fall and spring sessions; however entrance in the spring session will be limited to courses not requiring prerequisites.

The number of applicants admitted is limited based upon the standards set forth by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling Related Education Programs (CACREP). 

Students may be required to complete a national background check prior to clinical placement to ensure eligibility for working with children and adolescents in schools (For more information from Iowa Code 282--25.3 click here).

Admission Requirements:

• Complete graduate application form.
• Copies of official transcripts of all previous college work, including both graduate and undergraduate. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better on a four-point scale is expected.
• Official report of Graduate Record Examination scores.
• Documentation of successful experiences with school age children and/or adolescents including a minimum of 1 year post bachelor's degree teaching or school related experience. This 1 year post bachelor's experience may be waived for those applicants providing documentation of extensive work with school aged children and/or adolescents. If you are in doubt, please submit all documentation related to your experiences with children and adolescents.
• Statement of reasons for seeking an advanced degree in school counselor education, including a statement of personal career objectives.
• A personal interview is required and will typically take place in a group format on campus.
• Three current letters of recommendation (recommendation letter form) from persons in a position to assess the applicant's prospects for completing his or her master's degree and commitment to the profession.

The admissions selection process is conducted in three phases.

Phase I- Applicant files are reviewed independently by the school counseling faculty. Faculty are considering GPA, GRE, and overall file during this first phase. Applicants who meet these requirements are progressed to Phase II of the admissions process.

Phase II - Applicant files in this phase are rated based upon their personal statements, documented success with school age children and letters of recommendations. The school counseling faculty seriously consider these interpersonal indicators in the admissions process to be important for individuals entering a career in professional school counseling. Successful applicants at this stage proceed to Phase III.

Phase III - Applicants who progress to this phase are invited to campus for interviews. This process is typically a 1/2 day meeting with school counseling faculty. Interviews will be both individual and small group. Current school counseling and counselor education students may be involved in these interviews.

If an applicant is denied admission, the applicant may wish to schedule an appointment with the coordinator of the school counseling program to discuss their applicant file and future career objectives. Any applicant who is denied admission may reapply at the next admissions cycle.

International students are required to provide a TOEFL score with their applications. Typically a score of 580 is needed to demonstrate necessary language proficiency. Depending on the TOEFL score, the student may be required to take and pass course work in English usage, designed to test the proficiency of international students.

Individuals with disabilities who are considering application are advised to contact the Office of Student Disability Services at 3100 Burge Hall, 335-1462.

Through The University of Iowa's nationally recognized programs, students master a body of knowledge and ultimately contribute to it through their own scholarship and research. Iowa's graduate students work closely with a faculty of scholars who are committed to lives of learning. Together, faculty and students work in an atmosphere of academic freedom and intellectual verve that stimulates creative and innovative thinking. Iowa's graduate programs have both depth and breadth. Iowa's graduate students actively participate in the life of a large and multifaceted University community. They receive specialized attention within their own disciplines while they exchange ideas with people from throughout the University's 10 colleges and more than 90 degree programs.

The Graduate College application is now available to submit via the World Wide Web. You can request and/or download Graduate College application materials through the Office of Admissions.