Okay, I haven’t talked much about it but I am applying for an art therapy master’s program, and have to write a letter of intent explaining why I’m interested in art therapy, my qualifications, and my goals.
Here’s what I have so far… what do you think?
During my undergraduate career, I gravitated towards two paths that could possibly explain the nature of reality: physics and philosophy. I ended up in philosophy because I found existentialism and fell in love with the idea–not only is there no inherent meaning, but I get to create my own. This, as it turns out, can also be a bad thing when you have schizoaffective disorder.
I became interested in art therapy when I entered treatment for my schizoaffective disorder. Going into the program enthusiastically, I quickly discovered the benefits art therapy offers. I’ve always been an artist and interested in psychology, so fusing the two dawned on me as a natural career path.
If it was me I’d not mention my mental illness. I like existentialism too, free will and taking responsibility for your actions instead of the endless blame gaming.
I debated on that for a long time, but I find it’s extremely relevant to the application, because it shows I have a very personal connection to art therapy, plus it can offer an explanation for why some of my undergrad grades weren’t up to par.
Oh gods I’m so excited, I just calculated what I have to get to get my GPA up another point, and i need 2 B’s and 1 A, and I’ve been a straight A student since going back to school
I dont want to be discouraging, but applying to grad school is generally not the place to be open about a serious mental illness, especially a masters program targeted towards treating people with disabilities. People in the position of selecting candidates have usually been in the business long enough to have developed inherent prejudices towards certain diagnoses, and schizoaffective is top tear in negative stigma.
My recommendation would be to write about your loved one with schizoaffective disorder and how you helped them, if you want to keep a personal connection. You don’t have to say your loved one is yourself. You can love yourself.