Q: Statement of Interest

All of Naropa University’s counseling psychology programs offer skills training and counseling career preparation, diversity work, contemplative practice, community engagement, and deep personal reflection. Given this, in a three-to-five page double-spaced essay, please respond to the prompts below. Refer to the Multiculturalism, Diversity reading from Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice, 6th edition. Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2013). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley in your response. How are you prepared to participate in this distinctive community, and how would your life and educational goals be reached by attending the Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy program? Using specific examples from your life experience, please describe your inspiration, intention, and commitment to studying psychotherapy in the Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy program. Describe your vision of how your education will allow you to be of service in the world. Please be sure to include: Your experience with working in service to others, as a professional or volunteer, in mental health or comparable setting, and what you have learned about yourself in the process. What you have learned about power and privilege and how you imagine this will inform your future career as a wilderness therapist. How you have engaged in working with your own personal process and how these experiences have prepared you for completing the program. Your experience with sitting meditation and/or body/mind awareness disciplines. Your experience with the outdoors, nature, and/or wilderness.

Question 1

Submit an Application

Accepted Answer

Apply online by creating a new account or signing in to an existing account. At the end of your application, you will be prompted to pay a $60 nonrefundable application fee. If your current financial situation warrants waiving of your application fee, you may submit a fee waiver request.

After you submit the application form:

RSVP for an interview day
Complete your application by uploading documents (e.g. essays, unofficial transcripts)
Send out requests for letters of recommendation

Question 2

Application Status

Accepted Answer

We encourage you to be actively engaged in the admission process. Once you have submitted your application online, you can log back in anytime to check the status of your application and documents.

Question 3

Transcripts

Accepted Answer

Naropa University requires transcripts from any and all institutions where undergraduate or graduate coursework was completed, and it is very important that you successfully complete the coursework entered on your application. An official transcript of a conferred bachelor’s degree must be received by the Office of Admissions prior to beginning graduate coursework.

Transcripts that are uploaded as part of your application are not considered official; however, we encourage electronic submission at time of application to expedite an admissions decision.

If mailing, official transcripts should be sent to:

Naropa University
Office of Admissions
2130 Arapahoe Ave
Boulder CO 80302

Electronic transcripts from your university may be emailed to admissions@naropa.edu.

Electronic official transcripts are acceptable if submitted through a secure document sending service used by your university. If you submit your transcripts by email, as an attachment, they will not be accepted as official.

If you completed any coursework at a foreign college or university (other than a study abroad program), an international education evaluation is required.

Question 4

Statement of Interest

Accepted Answer

All of Naropa University&#8217;s counseling psychology programs offer skills training and counseling career preparation, diversity work, contemplative practice, community engagement, and deep personal reflection.

Given this, in a three-to-five page double-spaced essay, please respond to the prompts below. Refer to the Multiculturalism, Diversity reading from Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice, 6th edition. Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2013). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley in your response.

How are you prepared to participate in this distinctive community, and how would your life and educational goals be reached by attending the Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy program?

Using specific examples from your life experience, please describe your inspiration, intention, and commitment to studying psychotherapy in the Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy program. Describe your vision of how your education will allow you to be of service in the world.

Please be sure to include:

Your experience with working in service to others, as a professional or volunteer, in mental health or comparable setting, and what you have learned about yourself in the process.
 	What you have learned about power and privilege and how you imagine this will inform your future career as a wilderness therapist.
 	How you have engaged in working with your own personal process and how these experiences have prepared you for completing the program.
 	Your experience with sitting meditation and/or body/mind awareness disciplines.
 	Your experience with the outdoors, nature, and/or wilderness.

Question 5

Resume/CV

Accepted Answer

Your resume/CV should detail all pertinent academic, employment, and volunteer history with exact dates of participation.

Question 6

Letters of Recommendation

Accepted Answer

Two letters of recommendation are required. Recommendations must be from pertinent academic or professional sources, and may not be from family members, spouses, friends, or current or former therapists or spiritual advisors.

Question 7

Wilderness Experience & Outdoor Skills Requirement

Accepted Answer

Wilderness experience
A wilderness experience of seven consecutive days in the backcountry is a prerequisite for this program. This prerequisite may be completed with an organized outfitting company or as a personal trip. Please submit the following information regarding your trip:  1) the location; 2) the dates; 3) the outfitting company (if applicable); and 4) a statement that it meets all the trip criteria listed below.

The trip criteria are: seven days under the stars / in a tent (no huts, cabins, or hostels); travel by personal means (no motorized modes of transport); and all necessary gear (i.e. food and equipment) carried on your person (e.g., no car camping, catered trips, or use of porters). As you are developing a plan, consider consulting with the Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy admissions counselor to ensure your trip meets the criteria.

Some possible organizations to use for guided wilderness trips are:

www.nols.edu
 	www.outwardbound.com
 	www.olts-bt.com

Wilderness/outdoor skills
It is a requirement of the program that you have experience in wilderness travel, camp craft, and leave-no-trace camping. We recommend that students have developed one or more outdoor skills in addition to backpacking. It is also required that you are in adequate physical condition to participate in the field activities of the program. These include the following: the ability to carry a 40lb pack off trail for up to ten miles a day; intermediate-level swimmer; ability and willingness to participate in rock climbing, horseback riding, and gardening.

Question 8

Interview

Accepted Answer

After submitting your application form, you may RSVP for one of the interview dates. Applications need not be completed (e.g. essays, letters of recomendation, resume, transcripts etc.) in order to interview.Admissions interviews are a required part of the admissions process and will be offered at our campus in Boulder, Colorado and remotely via Zoom. Interview dates for consideration for admittance in 2023 are as follows:Friday, February 10, 2023 (on campus in Boulder, CO)Friday, February 17, 2023 (remotely via Zoom)Friday, April 21, 2023 (on campus in Boulder, CO)*Friday, April 28, 2023 (remotely via Zoom)**Note: these interview dates will only be offered if there is space available in the program. Additional interview days may be added if space allows.

Question 9

Additional Program Considerations

Accepted Answer

If accepted into the program, you will be required to fill out a medical form prior to the first day of classes. This form will be used to verify that you do not have any medical (physical/psychological) issues that might put you at risk in the backcountry. If there is any medical condition that may put you at risk in the backcountry setting, you may be prohibited from starting the program.

View a sample medical form.

Question 10

Financial Aid

Accepted Answer

Domestic applicants: learn more about how to apply for financial aid. International applicants: learn more about how to apply for financial aid.

Question 11

International Applicants

Accepted Answer

In addition to the graduate admissions requirements, international applicants must also complete the following international applicant admissions requirements:
English Proficiency Testing
International applicants must document their English language proficiency by submitting scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests. Applicants must earn the following required scores:

TOEFL

Internet test (iBT): 80 or higher
 	Computer test (cBT): 213 or higher
 	Paper test (pBT): 550 or higher

IELTS

6.5 or higher

Exceptions are granted for applicants from countries where English is one of the official national languages.
Non-U.S. Education Records
Applicants (including U.S. citizens and permanent residents educated outside of the U.S.) must have all non-U.S. records of secondary and/or post-secondary education evaluated by a professional international education evaluation service. In this case, all non-U.S transcripts should be sent to one of the below evaluation service providers, not to Naropa University. Once the evaluation is completed, the applicant should request that the report be sent directly to: Naropa University, Office of Admissions (2130 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80302).

Naropa works with the three following credential evaluation services.  Evaluations will not be accepted by other services.

Global Academic Evaluators (www.aevaluators.com, 720-298-9564)
 	Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. (www.jsilny.com, 305-273-1616)
 	World Education Services (www.wes.org, 212-966-6311)
 	SpanTran (www.spantran.com, 713-266-8805)

All undergraduate and graduate applicants must submit A COMPLETE COURSE-BY-COURSE EVALUATION.

Please note: international applicants who have completed their undergraduate degree at an accredited U.S. institution do not need to provide an evaluated transcript.

If accepted to Naropa University, international students are required to submit the following:

Copy of passport
 	Financial documentation

Naropa University COVID-19 Information

Naropa University COVID-19 Information

How to Apply

MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling:
Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy

The program is accepting applications for August Start 2023.

Group Interview Dates (Full-Day Schedule)

Submit an Application

Application Status

Transcripts

Statement of Interest

Resume/CV

Letters of Recommendation

Wilderness Experience & Outdoor Skills Requirement

Wilderness experience

Wilderness/outdoor skills

Interview

Additional Program Considerations

Financial Aid

International Applicants

English Proficiency Testing

Non-U.S. Education Records

Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy

Naropa
Now & Next

ABOUT
NAROPA

EVENTS &
COMMUNITY

USER
INFORMATION

SUPPORT
NAROPA

Worried about a Student?

© 2023 Naropa University. All rights reserved.

Prospective Inquiry Form

YOU ARE READY.

Prospective Inquiry Form

How to Apply

MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy

The program is accepting applications for August Start 2023.

Group Interview Dates (Full-Day Schedule)

Submit an Application

Application Status

Transcripts

Statement of Interest

Resume/CV

Letters of Recommendation

Wilderness Experience & Outdoor Skills Requirement

Interview

Additional Program Considerations

Financial Aid

International Applicants

Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy

Naropa Now & Next

ABOUT NAROPA

EVENTS & COMMUNITY

USER INFORMATION

SUPPORT NAROPA

Worried about a Student?

© 2023 Naropa University. All rights reserved.

Search Naropa University

Prospective Inquiry Form

YOU ARE READY.

Prospective Inquiry Form

MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling:
Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy

Naropa
Now & Next

ABOUT
NAROPA

EVENTS &
COMMUNITY

USER
INFORMATION

SUPPORT
NAROPA