Need some advice for non-traditional student

[FLgrad]

hello: I am seeking some advice. My dream has always been to be a therapist. I got my bachelor's degree over 30 years ago, so as an older student I am having some difficulty and was hoping to get some advice here. One hurdle I have is the recommendations needed by college professors for the application process. I don't have any rapport with past college professors. Should I take a college course just so I can get a recommendation?

 

Also, I was looking at some other options. One is to get a BSW and then enter the MSW program in an advanced study program. It seems that it would take just about the same time (if I went part time) since I already have a bachelor degree and should be able to apply my previous liberal art classes to the required credits.

 

Another option I was looking at was going for a mental health counseling degree. For that I would have to take the GRE. I know that everyone says the MSW is more employable and covers a wider spectrum. But what I really want to do is private practice. Would it be better then to study mental health counseling instead? Also, if I took a GRE prep course would they consider the teacher of that course to be a valid recommendation?

 

Also, I understand that you need approx 2 years of post grad supervised work to get licensed. Would I have a problem getting a job at 60 years old? with the job market as it is I am a little skeptical but I know there must be other people in this age group in the same predicament.

 

thank you for any advice.

[klo11]

I think a good starting point would be to reach out to some programs that offer those degrees and see if you can speak to someone there to ask about each degree path. I'm going through the application process myself for the MSW (i've been out of college for 2 yrs) and I'm not very familiar with the mental health counseling degree but I've found that reaching out to schools to discuss their programs has been really helpful. For recommendations- many programs state somewhere on their website that if you've been out of school for a long time that having only professional reccs is perfectly fine.

[MSWGirl2013]

My recommendation would be to get a BSW then proceed with your MSW plans.  Taking a GRE prep course would be beneficial if you went the LCPC route, but considering you've been out of academia so long, I'm concerned that you might struggle with the GRE.  I'm presently in academia and found trouble recalling things I've learned within the past 5 years, but don't use regularly (mostly for the math portion).  However, with that being said, when other candidates have really strong letters of recommendations from professors they've worked closely with in varying capacities for an extended period of time, the recommendation a prep course administrator could offer you wouldn't be very strong.  The same would apply for a professor that you simply took a class with once.  I had recommendations from one professor that I've studied with twice, my clinical psychology faculty mentor whom I've worked closely with for over a year and a former employer, whom I worked with for two years.  By engaging in a BSW program, you would be able to foster relationships with faculty that would allow you them to write strong letters of recommendation.

 

Best of luck in whatever you decide!  Also, look at programs you're interested in and contact them for advice.  While right now you may not be competitive for more prestigious programs, you may still be highly competitive for programs that offer quality education and training, but aren't in the top tier.

[MSW13]

I would suggest that you take a course or two (one in research), do really well and get a great academic recommendation.  At that point, you could apply directly to the MSW program (2yr stream). Ideally, this will save you a lot of time and also get you back in the academic midset.  I haven't been out of school for nearly as long as you but I was surprised at how much things have changed since I graduated. 

Regarding employment opportunities after graduation, I dont think you mentioned if you have experience already in the human services field.  If you dont, it may be difficult to find employment (regardless of your age) because your experience wouldn't necessarily be competitive.  Field placement experience is great but employers like to see paid experience.

I would like to say that what you are doing is pretty amazing.  It is hard to shift careers, especially so many years after graduation.  I wish you the best of luck in which ever decision you decide to go with.