Online Application Submission

Completed applications must be submitted by the following deadlines:

Fall 2025

Application period began: October 1, 2024

• Cal State Apply Application due date: December 1, 2024
• MyCED Application due date: December 12, 2024

Applications are not accepted after the deadline.

NOTE: Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

Use Cal State Apply to apply and be sure to complete all components of the application by the published deadline.

The Cal State Apply dashboard is divided into four sections:

• Personal Information: contact information, biographic information and financial information, etc.
• Academic History: colleges attended, GPAs, etc.; do not hand-enter transcript information
• Supporting Information: enter “I am not adding any experiences”
• Program Materials: enter "I am not adding any documents" (these will be submitted on MyCED)

Please refer the tutorial on the GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website for tips on filling out these sections of Cal State Apply. Please also refer below for detailed information for what documents to submit for the program materials.

Lastly, there is a non-refundable $70 application fee. Your application will not be processed until this fee has been paid. Please note that the CSU system does not offer a fee waiver for graduate level applications.

Important: you may only apply to one graduate program per CSU.  If you are unsure about which program is best for you, contact the Graduate Studies Office.

For technical assistance with Cal State Apply, please contact the Cal State Apply Help Desk: (857) 304-2087, via email, or visit the Cal State Apply Applicant Help Center. Cal State Apply Application Support is available Monday – Friday, 6:00AM – 5:00PM PT.

Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

After you complete and submit the CSULB Cal State Apply application, please upload supplementary program application materials via MyCED by the MyCED program application deadline:

• Statement of purpose (prompt provided below)
• Résumé

Please refer the MyCED tutorial on the GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website for general tips on filling out the MyCED application.

Please email ced-gradstudies@csulb.edu if you need technical support navigating MyCED. 

Statement of Purpose Prompt

Submit a 3 to 4 page double-spaced, 12-point font statement of purpose. This statement should reflect a clear, focused, and comprehensive profile of you as a person and a prospective school counselor. Number the pages and include your first and last name as a header or footer on each page. Organize your statement into 5 to 6 sections using the following headings:   
1. Work and Educational Experience  
Describe your educational, work, and volunteer experiences that have contributed to your development as a future school counselor.
2. Personal and Life Influences 
Describe the experiences, people, and other influences that have shaped your decision to select the school counseling profession as your career goal. 
3. School Counselor Role 
Describe your perception of a school counselor’s role and responsibilities including activities you expect to be doing as a school counselor.  
4. Strengths and Areas for Development
The school counseling program focuses on student growth in knowledge and skills. Describe yourself candidly in terms of your strengths and areas for growth in the following areas: 1) social- emotional skills 2) academic skills and 3) multi-cultural awareness Include plans for addressing areas identified for development.  
5. Career Aspirations 
Describe where you see yourself five years from now, after you have graduated from the CSULB School Counseling Program. Where will you be working? What will your role(s) be? What impact will you have made in your profession?
6. Optional: Background of GPA
We understand that GPA may not always fully reflect your abilities or potential. Therefore, please take this opportunity to share any contextual information regarding individual elements of your GPA and/or your overall GPA. You can explain any challenges or circumstances that impacted your academic performance, as well as how you have grown from these experiences and are prepared to succeed in the school counseling program. 

Need help with writing your Statement of Purpose? Visit our website for tips and resources: GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website

Résumé

When preparing your resumé for admission, please ensure that you highlight your relevant experience in the following areas: academic supports, college and career readiness, social-emotional learning, and/or mental health. Additionally, include your experiences working with school-age children and families, any research experience, and your multilingual abilities. For each experience, make sure the following details are clearly presented:

• Position Title: Clearly indicate the title of your role (e.g., teacher, classroom aide, intern, volunteer, research assistant, etc.).
• Employer: Specify the name of the organization, school, school district, community agency, or research institution where you gained this experience.
• Duration: Include the years (or months) of experience you had in that position.
• Job Responsibilities: Provide 1 to 2 sentences describing your key responsibilities in each role, focusing on your contributions to academic development, college and career readiness, social-emotional learning, mental health support, and work with school-age children and families. If applicable, describe any research you have conducted, especially if it relates to education, counseling, or child development.
• Multilingual Abilities: Clearly indicate any languages you speak, read, or write.

Need help with updating your résumé? Visit our website for tips and resources: GSO Tips and Tutorials for Applying website

Note about the Basic Skills Requirement: As of July 2024, applicants to the School Counseling program have met the Basic Skills Requirement if they have earned or will earn a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. For more information on the Basic Skills Requirement and options for meeting the requirement, please visit the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) website. 

Access to MyCED is permitted after submitting the University application in Cal State Apply. 

Be prepared to enter the names and e-mail addresses for two recommenders. Recommendations due by December 12, 2024. You may complete and submit your MyCED application before your recommenders submit their letters.

Who to ask
Recommendations are preferred from a supervisor in a professional setting, a university faculty member, or someone in a professional capacity that can speak to your qualities and character that will make you a good candidate for the program and the school counseling profession. Recommendations should not be submitted by family members or personal friends. We encourage you to seek the strongest possible letters regardless of the source. Therefore, we suggest speaking with your recommenders before completing this section.

Once you have entered and saved information for a recommender, an email request from MyCED will automatically be sent to the recommender on your behalf. Please advise your recommender to look for this email in their inbox, as well as their spam or junk-mail folder, as emails do occasionally get filtered out.

Your recommenders will be instructed to respond to the following statement:

Please provide an accurate assessment of the applicant’s skills, strengths, and areas in need of improvement relevant to being successful in graduate school and in a career in school counseling. Your candid comments will enhance our ability to more effectively evaluate the applicant’s file and are greatly appreciated.