College Student Personnel

Welcome to the Prospective CSP Students Page!  We are delighted that you are interested in Bowling Green's program.  This page contains all the information you will need to submit an application for our program. Please review the process and required materials below. If you would like a PDF copy of the instructions, the information is also available here: CSP Application Information for 2013-2014.

Summer/Fall 2013 CSP Program Application Dates
Interview Days for the CSP Program for the 2013-2014 academic year will be held February 10-12 and February 24-26, 2013. In order to receive full consideration for an invitation to Interview Days, candidates should submit a completed application no later than December 1, 2012. Applications completed or received after December 1 will be considered on a space-available basis. 

Application Process
We are now accepting applications for the 2013-2014 academic year. Completed applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the CSP Admissions Committee beginning December 1, 2012 and priority is given to candidates whose files are complete by that date. A completed application includes all 6 items detailed below. Applications that are completed after December 1 will be considered on a space-available basis.

Admission to the BGSU College Student Personnel program is a four-step process: 

1. The candidate submits a completed application file that includes the 6 items detailed below.

2. Applications are reviewed by the admissions committee. Based on that review, the committee members decide who will be extended an invitation to Interview Days.

3. Candidates must interview for, be offered, and accept an approved internship.

4. Once a candidate accepts an offer for an approved internship, formal admission to the CSP program is then granted.

Applicants for graduate study in CSP must have an earned bachelor's degree and show potential for successful completion of a graduate degree. Admission to the program is determined based on the following materials:

1. Graduate Admissions Application

2. Two (2) official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work taken at any college or university at any time (Note: application files are not complete without all transcripts.)

3. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (Plan early to take this exam; see www.ets.org for details)

4. Résumé that details your experience, including undergraduate student involvement

5. Career statement - 2-3 typed, double spaced pages that address the following points:

a) Why do you want to pursue career in student affairs?
b) Describe one issue or challenge facing higher education and student affairs that you hope to address as a professional.
c) What qualities, characteristics, and skills do you possess that make you a strong candidate for the BGSU CSP program?

6. Three letters of recommendation with CSP program reference form attached. One letter of recommendation must be from a faculty member and one should be from a student affairs professional.

Submitting the Application

What Happens When Your File is Complete? 
After your Graduate Admissions Application Form and official transcripts have been received by the Graduate Admissions Office, they are forwarded to the College Student Personnel Program for evaluation. We will notify you that your file is complete when we have received your Graduate Admissions Application, Career Statement, resume, transcripts, and the three REQUIRED reference forms and letters. 

Invitations to Interview
From the pool of completed applications, the admissions committee will select candidates to be invited to Interview Days. Priority consideration for admission is given to candidates who attend Interview Days. If any internships are available after April 15, candidates who did not attend Interview Days but who still wish to be considered for admission may be contacted to interview for openings. It is also possible that candidates who are not initially invited to Interview Days but who still wish to remain in the candidate pool may be contacted after April 15 to interview for an internship.

During Interview Days, candidates learn about the academic and internship requirements of the CSP Program and interview for internships. Internship supervisors for both BGSU and partnership institutions come to the BGSU campus, giving candidates the opportunity to interview for several internships in a variety of functional areas and settings. On Tuesday of Interview Days, candidates will have the opportunity to visit internship sites at BGSU and partnership institutions.

Additional Scholarships

Prospective students who are alumni of the NASPA NUFP program will be considered for the  BGSU-NUFP Graduate School Fellowship Award automatically upon admission to the CSP program. Additional scholarships available from the CSP program include the Palmer Adult Learner Scholarship, Frank and Jane Arnold Scholarship (awarded every other year), University Community Fellowship Award,  Community Spirit Award, and the Palmer Diversity Enhancement Scholarship.

For more information on additional scholarships available from the CSP program, visit the Additional Scholarships page.

Financial Aid

For information about financial aid beyond the internship, please visit the Graduate College Financial Aid web site. 

Questions?
Once your application is complete, Kathy Bechstein, the HESA secretary, will send an e-mail to you confirming that we have received your application. She will also notify you of any items missing from your file. Other questions not addressed in these materials may be directed to Corey Friend, CSP intern,  or Dr. Maureen Wilson, HESA Chair.