College Entrance Essay Essay

Over the past few years I have increasingly become confident that a career in psychology is the right path for me. I am by nature a very caring, helping person, a good listener and someone who enjoys being able to connect with others. My friends and family see me as the kind of person they can go to when they need to talk about their problems, and they know that I am someone that they can trust. To me, there is nothing more fulfilling than the feeling of reaching out and connecting with an individual, and being able to offer them support. Both my parents were clinical psychologists, and undoubtedly this influenced my desire to become a psychologist. They exposed me at an early age to psychological ideas and the practice of psychotherapy. I could see the passion they brought to their profession, and the satisfaction they experienced by helping others. I believe also that my mother’s death when I was ten helped influence my interest in psychology. My mother’s death was a traumatic event for me and my family, and when she passed away I had to help emotionally support my younger brothers. Our subsequent participation in family therapy showed me how important it is to talk about feelings and problems, and how families can heal and move on from even the most traumatic experiences. In order to make a career of my interest, I will need both undergraduate and graduate training in psychology. If I should choose to open up a practice, I will need business training as well. My choice of college is based on finding a strong psychology program and an environment where I can feel like I can make a personal connection with my professors and my peers. In addition to having a strong psychology department, I am looking for a college or university in New England with a small faculty/student ratio. I want to feel like I can personally connect with my professors and peers, and not be just a number in large classes. Castleton State College meets all of these requirements. To me, Castleton State seems to be more then just an  institute of learning, it’s a place where the students are able to experience new ideas and encounter new challenges that will later help them learn critical skills needed to be successful in a diverse and interdependent world. In addition to a good education, I feel that Castleton State is a place that will allow me to grow intellectually, socially, and spiritually. The health field, and mental health in particular, is becoming increasingly challenging and competitive. After my bachelor’s degree, I plan to pursue either my master’s degree or my doctorate in psychology, and I know that I will need strong undergraduate training to be effective at the graduate level. I believe that Castleton State College will provide me with the training and perspective on myself and my career that I will need to be successful and to pursue my dream.