Personal Statement

The personal statement is your opportunity to tell us your story. In reflecting on your journey to genetic counseling, please address all of the following questions: 

1. Why do you want to pursue a career in genetic counseling? 
2. What steps have you taken to ensure that this profession is a good fit for you?
3. What strengths do you possess that will help you be a successful genetic counselor?
4.  In what way(s) is the UW GCGP a good fit for you personally and/or professionally?

Word limit: 1000 words

Short Answers

Question 1

The UW GCGP values building a diverse, anti-racist, and equitable community of students, educators, scientists, and healthcare providers. Diversity has many dimensions, including but not limited to nationality, immigration and citizenship status, being (one of) the first in the family to go to graduate school, military status, socioeconomic status, race, religion, age, ability or disability, culture, ethnicity, language(s) spoken, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Diversity has been shown to improve group innovation and problem-solving, and patient satisfaction increases when care is provided in a culturally-sensitive environment with patient-centered communication strategies.

As you answer this question, consider what diversity, anti-racism, and equity mean to you or how these have influenced you, as well as experiences that have shaped your journeys through school and employment. We recognize this can be a challenging topic. Consider your vulnerability when answering this question. We want applicants to feel safe in being vulnerable, though we recognize some may not feel comfortable sharing personal information. Please note that what you share may come up if you have an interview with the selection committee.

Writing prompt:

How will you contribute to or support the diversity of the genetic counseling profession? What unique perspective(s) would you contribute to the genetic counseling profession? How have you shown a commitment to diversity, anti-racism, and equity?

Word limit: 500 words

Question 2

The UW GCGP is a fast-paced program and, in order to thrive and succeed, students will need to be resolute, adaptable, and self-aware. There are often times in life when we face multiple challenges simultaneously (i.e. stressors at work, school, in your personal life, and events in the world around you).

Writing prompt:

Please reflect on a time when you had to adjust to this type of situation. What skills and/or coping strategies helped you persevere during this time? What did you learn from this experience? How did you grow as a person?

Word limit: 250 words

Question 3

Genetic counselors work with people of all ages and backgrounds throughout all stages of life. As such, empathy is essential to genetic counseling. To effectively help others, one must be able to listen without judgment, see the world as the other person sees it, and understand and communicate the other person’s feelings. In each of the scenarios described below, a person is experiencing a different life situation. 

Scenarios 

1. A university graduate has just been offered a job far from home. They haven’t yet accepted the job or told their parents about the offer. Their parents have always expected them to remain at home and help manage the family business. Their parents are also getting older and rely daily on their child for help and support.
2. A 62-year-old attorney is retiring at the end of the month. Her first plan is to take an extended trip to visit friends and family she hasn’t seen in years.  Last week, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her town has one of the country’s best cancer treatment centers, but her health insurance will change if she retires. 
3. A young man is laid off from his job. A few months later, his live-in partner moves out and ends their relationship. He can’t afford to pay the rent on his own, and he is rapidly running out of savings. 
4. A high school sophomore has recently come out as queer. Some of their friends have been understanding, but many avoid talking to them. Their siblings say they don’t have a problem with it and act like nothing has changed. Their parents are urging them to see a counselor to help “fix what’s wrong.”
5. A 58-year-old person has just learned their 25-year-old daughter is pregnant. Their daughter and the baby’s father have been dating for a few months. He lives in a different city and already has two children, one of whom is less than a year old. The person knows their daughter always wanted to have children, and they themselves assumed they’d be a grandparent someday.

Writing prompt:

Choose one of these scenarios.

Describe your understanding of what the person might be feeling. If they were talking to you about this, how would you communicate your understanding to them?

Word limit: 250 words

Relevant Experiences or Coursework
Using the table below, list the experiences that have most influenced your decision to be a genetic counselor and/or helped you prepare to enter the profession. Please see the Application Instructions document available on the Admissions page of our website for detailed instructions on what to include in each column. It's not necessary to fill in all lines of this table.

Prerequisite Courses
Please use the table below to tell us about your required prerequisite courses. These don't all have to be completed by the time you submit your application, but you would have to complete them all before starting the program.

For prerequisites you have completed, please provide all requested information. For planned courses, please provide details on the course you intend to take.

GPA Context
We understand that there are factors that impact your GPA. If there is additional context that you'd like us to consider when reviewing your GPA, please provide that information in the box below. It’s okay to leave this field blank.

Submitting this form will generate a PDF. You'll be able to download that PDF from the thank-you page and you'll also receive a copy by email. You need to upload this PDF as part of your UW Application! Applications that don't include this Supplemental Application will be considered incomplete and won't be reviewed. Clicking the Submit button here does NOT mean you have submitted to our Admissions team!

Even after clicking Submit below, you can edit this as many times as you like. The link for editing will be included in the email you receive with the .pdf version attached. We’ll only review the version of your Supplemental Application form that's uploaded to your UW application when you submit the latter.