I've started my application to the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and wrote my 3 page personal statement, per their requirements (http://cehs.unl.edu/edpsych/docs/Personal%20Statement.pdf). I included a lot of personal information about how depression/anxiety have been a part of my life from an early age, and how it led me to my current job (I've been working for a prominent mental health nonprofit for the past 5.5 years) and what a difference going to counseling made in my life during my early college years. I also share a story of a solider I met and discuss the stigmas of mental health, the need to change them, and how one of their programs is a good fit for me because it focuses on adolescents and I created a program at my job for high schools that addresses mental health.
The problem is, I read that "kiss of death" research statement about how too much personal information, especially about mental health for the mental health field isn't good, and altruism can also be a turn off. The dilemma is, do I tone it down on the personal side and remove part of the story, or leave it as is, because when I read their training values (http://cehs.unl.edu/edpsych/docs/CounselingPsychologyTrainingValues.pdf) it says,"Given the impact of one's personhood on professional skills and identity as a psychologist, most classes include self-reflection and introspection as part of the learning process...In summary, we require that our students be willing to engage in self-disclosure and personal introspection, and to learn to interact in an ethical and facilitative manner with individuals who are both culturally similar as well as different from themselves, in terms of both demographics and values."
I'm a first time grad applicant, and my undergrad feels like a lifetime ago, so I'm a bit nervous about this whole thing. Any help would be appreciated.
