Admission criteria to APA-accredited programs in counseling psychology over 10 years: Reflections of the specialty's values

This study was designed to investigate the extent to which the values of counseling psychology are present in the selection of applicants to counseling psychology doctoral programs and to determine the stability of these values over a 10-year period. A forced-choice paired comparison model revealed that preference for admissions criteria was relatively stable over time. Specifically, preference for an ethnic minority applicant was ranked first over a 10-year period followed by the research publication of an applicant and experience in counseling diverse populations. The present findings have implications for addressing the profession's evolving professional identity and for the advising of doctoral applicants.