Writing a Personal Statement for an MFT Program
A personal statement for an MFT program answers that program's own prompt, in the length and format the program sets. California programs publish specific instructions, and their prompts return to the same subjects: why you want to become a marriage and family therapist, what experience has prepared you and what you learned from it, how you engage with diversity and social justice, and what your goals are and why you chose that program. Length limits run from 500 words to about 2,000, and several programs require a subheading for each topic.
What Do California MFT Programs Ask For in a Personal Statement?
Each program sets its own prompt, and the published instructions of six California programs show the shared themes and the differences in length and format.
| Program | Document and length | What it asks for |
|---|---|---|
| CSUN, MS in Marriage and Family Therapy | Statement of purpose; up to 2 double-spaced pages | What attracted you to MFT; what you have learned about yourself in work or volunteer experience; how your future work will address sociocultural and social justice challenges |
| CSU Long Beach, MS in Counseling Psychology | Statement of purpose; 3 to 4 double-spaced pages under five subheadings | Background; career perceptions and goals; strengths and areas to improve; influential factors; how the program fits your career goals |
| University of San Diego, MA in Marital and Family Therapy | Statement of purpose; up to 500 words | Yourself, your career goals and why graduate study in MFT matters now; relevant volunteer or professional experience |
| Palo Alto University, MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Marriage, Family and Child Counseling emphasis) | Statement of purpose; up to 2 pages, 1.5-spaced | What being a professional counselor means to you; why you chose the career; how your experience prepared you; your personal strengths |
| Pepperdine University, MA in Clinical Psychology with MFT (daytime format) | Statement of purpose; 2 to 5 pages, with subheadings | Training and experience; current interests; engagement with cultural diversity and social justice; professional goals; reasons for applying |
| USC Rossier, MS in Marriage and Family Therapy | Personal statement; about 2,000 words in four titled sections, plus an optional essay of 250 words or less | Personal biography; motivation and preparation; suitability for the field; social justice |
Two programs ask you to name areas for growth as well as strengths: USC asks about the areas in which you need to grow, and CSU Long Beach asks you to describe your strengths and improvement areas "candidly."
Is a Statement of Purpose the Same as a Personal Statement?
For MFT applications the two names usually describe the same kind of document, and each program's prompt sets what it should contain. Five of these six programs call it a statement of purpose and USC calls its version a personal statement, yet all six ask about your motivation and your experience. The differences that matter are in the instructions. USC's "Personal Biography" section asks how your personal background and significant life experiences "have shaped your decision to become a marriage and family therapist," while CSU Long Beach asks for "a formal paper" and tells applicants not to write a "chatty," conversational statement.
Some programs ask for short written answers or recorded videos instead of a traditional essay, or in addition to one, and MFT program interviews in California describes those formats. Whatever the document is called, write to the specific prompt, and use the program's own section titles when it gives them.
What Should an MFT Personal Statement Include?
Include a direct answer to every part of the prompt, in the order and under the headings the program asks for. Programs ask for focus: CSU Long Beach wants a "focused" narrative, and USC asks you to keep each response "focused on the topic of each question." For each subject, choose one or two concrete examples and say what each one taught you.
For motivation, explain why marriage and family therapy in particular, since CSUN asks what attracted you to the field and USC asks about your motivation for entering it. For experience, describe paid or volunteer work and what you learned about yourself in it, which is CSUN's second question. For diversity and social justice, Pepperdine asks about your engagement and your plans for growth, and USC asks you to define social justice and describe how you have tried to promote it. For goals and fit, CSU Long Beach asks how its program fits your career goals, and Pepperdine asks for your reasons for applying.
Fit with the program carries weight in review. The University of San Diego reviews the statement's "connection to learning outcomes," and USC seeks applicants whose goals, values and experiences align with its mission and program goals, so read a program's stated outcomes or mission before you write and connect your goals to them.
How Much Personal History Should You Share?
Share personal history when it explains your path into the field, and pair it with reflection. Programs do invite it. USC's biography section asks how your personal background and significant life experiences shaped your decision, and the University of San Diego says you may discuss influences on your intellectual development and the educational and cultural opportunities, "or lack of them," that have been available to you.
Palo Alto University gives specific guidance on this point. It welcomes discussion of personal circumstances or hardship "if it helps frame your interest in the field," and it reminds applicants that a statement of purpose "is not a diary entry or a counseling session." It warns that "oversharing can raise concerns about boundary issues and personal judgment" and encourages "analysis and self-reflection of the situation, rather than just a description of what happened." If a situation is too recent to analyze with some distance, it suggests choosing another topic. For any program, a useful test is whether each personal detail explains your interest in the field and shows what you learned from it.
A Closer Look at One Program: The Sentio MFT Program
Programs differ in what they train, and a strong statement connects your goals to that training. Cohorts and classes in the Sentio MFT program are limited to 24 students, and students train in deliberate practice every week, rehearsing specific therapeutic skills with feedback.
Every student has a guaranteed practicum at the Sentio Counseling Center, an online counseling center that serves diverse, low-income clients and specializes in serving clients with trauma. Students begin seeing clients in their second semester and complete more than 400 supervised clinical hours before graduating, and supervisors review video of their sessions.
Making Your Decision
Before you write, collect the prompt, length limit and format rules for every program on your list, because one essay cannot fit both a 500-word limit and a 2,000-word prompt in four titled sections. Build a core set of examples, then write each statement to its own prompt and headings. For the rest of the application, see how to get into a therapy graduate program.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I write in my MFT personal statement?
Answer the program's own prompt, in its order and format. California MFT programs commonly ask why you want to become a marriage and family therapist, what experience prepared you and what you learned about yourself from it, how you engage with cultural diversity and social justice, what your professional goals are, and why you chose that program. CSU Long Beach, Pepperdine and USC also require a subheading or section title for each topic.
How long should a statement of purpose for an MFT program be?
Use each program's limit. Among six California programs, the University of San Diego allows a maximum of 500 words, CSUN and Palo Alto University allow two pages, CSU Long Beach asks for three to four double-spaced pages, Pepperdine's daytime program asks for two to five pages, and USC asks for about 2,000 words in four sections. Check the spacing and font rules too, since page limits depend on them.
Is a statement of purpose the same as a personal statement?
For MFT programs the two names usually refer to the same kind of document. CSUN, CSU Long Beach, the University of San Diego, Palo Alto University and Pepperdine call theirs a statement of purpose, and USC calls its version a personal statement, yet all six ask about your motivation and your experience. Follow each program's prompt, length and format rules, whatever the document is called.
Should I write about personal struggles in my MFT personal statement?
You can, if they help explain your interest in the field and you can reflect on them. Palo Alto University welcomes discussion of personal circumstances or hardship that frames your interest, but it reminds applicants that a statement of purpose is not a diary entry or a counseling session and warns that oversharing can raise concerns about boundary issues and personal judgment. It asks for analysis and self-reflection, and it suggests another topic if a situation is too recent.
What do MFT admissions committees look for in a personal statement?
Programs that publish criteria point to clarity, insight and fit with the program. CSU Long Beach says its statement should show focus and coherency, writing skills, personal and social insight, perspective and commitment. The University of San Diego reviews the statement's connection to its learning outcomes, and CSUN says its finalists typically show excellent writing skills, experience in the field, humanistic attitudes, sensitivity to diversity issues and clear professional goals.
References
California State University, Long Beach. (n.d.). Online application submission. https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-education/counseling-psychology/online-application-submission
California State University, Northridge. (n.d.). Marriage and Family Therapy program handbook. https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/educational-psychology-counseling/programs/mft-handbook
Palo Alto University. (n.d.). MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. https://paloaltou.edu/academic-programs/ma-counseling
Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Education and Psychology. (n.d.). MA in Clinical Psychology with MFT (daytime) admission requirements. https://gsep.pepperdine.edu/masters-clinical-psychology-mft-day/admission-requirements/
University of San Diego, School of Leadership and Education Sciences. (n.d.). Admissions requirements. https://www.sandiego.edu/soles/academics/ma-marital-family-therapy/admissions-requirements.php
University of Southern California, Rossier School of Education. (n.d.). MFT application instructions. https://rossier.usc.edu/programs/masters/mft/mft-application-instructions/
