Application deadline 5/14/2004 at 4:00PM
 
 

Please answer the following questions as specific, concise, and accurate as possible. Use font size 11 and double space.  Write your full name, Student ID, phone number, and e-mail address on the top of the first page.

1. What is your definition of multicultural counseling and motivation for wanting to enroll in the program?

2. State your expectations and what you are going to do if the program does not meet your expectations.

3. Are you interested in counseling?  If yes, why?

4. Some students think that they want to go into counseling because they are good listeners.  However, counseling involves a lot more than being a good listener.  It requires in-depth academic knowledge.  How would you cope with intellectual and emotional intensity of the program?

5. (1) What identities (race, gender, class, sexual orientation, disability, age, language, religion, etc.) are important to you?  (2) The program deals with several sensitive issues in order to break down stereotypes, prejudices, and different types of “isms” (racism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism, ablism, etc.).  How will you be able to maintain objectivity when you feel attacked because of what you identify with (i.e. I am woman.  I am Black, etc.)?

6. List the key requirements needed to ensure a productive seminar for all students in the group.

7. What is your definition of being community oriented?

8. If your faculty indicates that your actions are affecting community learning (i.e. dominating seminar, inappropriate anger, tardiness, frequent absence, etc.) how will you receive this feedback  and what will you do (especially you disagree with feedback)?

9. In the past some students who had taken classes such as Abnormal Psychology or Theories of Personality felt they had competent knowledge because they were familiar with the terminology.  This belief created “boredom” and/or “frustration” for them.  If you have preexisting knowledge on certain aspects of the program how will this affect your ability to stay engaged in the topic?

10. State Evergreen programs you have taken by their program title, faculty, year, and length of the  program.

11. Which programs did you stay for the full lengths and which ones did you transfer to another
program?

12. If you transferred out before finishing the program, state reasons for your transfer.

13. On the basis of your most recent Evergreen program,
(1)  How many times were you absent and state the reasons for your absence?
(2)  How many times were you tardy and state the reasons for your tardiness ?
(3)  How many times did you not submit your work on the due dates and state reasons for your
delay?

14.   Describe your seminar behavior.

15. I do not accept new students during winter and spring quarters due to the nature of the program.  Therefore, it is very important you stay for all three quarters.  State how I can be assured that you will be committed through the year.

16.  How many official credits did you have at the end of Winter Quarter, 2008?
 
 

This letter is intended to help you out in making decisions about enrolling in the program.  First of all, if you are expecting to see several students of color, you might be disappointed.   I had one or two students of color, an uneven number of sexual ratio (women outnumbered men), and diverse age range.  I do not think it will change that much, especially, in terms of racial backgrounds.

I would like to let you know my expectations.  Since it is a senior class, I expect you to be a responsible and sincere student.  The multicultural psychological counseling program is very intense academically as well as emotionally.  You are expected to read 300-500 pages per week prior to class.  You may be also required to submit chapter summaries for seminars or in-class essay for weekly seminar book each quarter.  It is a highly structured program.  You are expected to be punctual. This means you are expected to show up in class on time.  The class will start at 9:00 am (TU. W & TH).  You are expected to be back on time from the breaks and stay until the class is finished.  You are expected to submit your written assignments on due dates.  Some students thought that was not the Evergreen way and the Evergreen way was doing your own thing which implied not being punctual.  In my opinion, as a senior, you need to prepare yourself to function well in an another setting like work or graduate school.  I do not feel it is helping you if I enable your tardiness.  There is another side to being punctual.  Class community works well only when all members partake their part.  For example, your counseling skill partners lose their opportunity to practice counseling skill when you do not show up or you are late.  Being punctual makes you feel better.  For example, your anxiety is reduced when you submit your written assignments on time and when you are on time, you are exposed to every facet of the program from the beginning.  You do not have to feel disjointed or disconnected due to the missing information.

You are required to write your personality from at least seven different personality theory perspectives and submit on a weekly basis.  Your final project is writing your own ethnopsychobiography which consists of examining yourself from a multiple dimension.  Students find this project rewarding but emotionally very intense (The main part of Fall quarter written assignments).

Winter quarter will be the most difficult quarter for most students.  It is partly because of internship (15-16 hours per week) and partly because of research component (5-15 hours/week primary article search) of the program.  Of course, it is also partly because of the weather.  You are expected to read at least 10 primary research articles and submit at least 5 abstracts and write a research synthesis paper at the end of the quarter.  I feel very strongly that one of the ways to become an excellent counselor is understanding both quantitative and qualitative research methodology.

Ethics will be the primary focus of Spring quarter in addition to your 15-16 hour/week internship component.  You will be asked to integrate and synthesize all the information and asked to write a theory of multicultural counseling.

As you can see, it is a very structured and demanding program.  Often students think that counseling is just being a good listener and give your own opinion.  Listening is a very important component.  However, a counselor needs to have a thorough knowledge in personality theories, multicultural theories, abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, research methods, and ethics in order to develop the most effective treatment program for that particular client.  If you are a negative person who wants to dwell on anger and victimization, the program will not meet your needs.

Heesoon Jun, Ph.D.