University of West Florida
Department of Teaching Education and Education Leadership
M.A. in Exceptional Student Education
Specializations: Applied Behavior Analysis
Letter of Intent
This personal statement is an assessment of your ability to communicate effectively at a level of
writing that is expected of a graduate student. This statement must demonstrate your ability to
answer the following prompts using academic language. There is no word count requirement,
however the finished product must fully inform the reader of why you chose this program and
why you feel you would be a quality candidate.
Please address the five questions below according to your desired specialization in a way that
reflects the information below.
Applied behavior analysis is the practice of applying the science of behavior in real-world
contexts. Practitioners must understand and apply the scientific method and principles of
behavior science and then communicate results in a way which can be understood by a diverse
group of clients and significant others.
Questions:
1. Who are you? Introduce yourself. This includes your background experience with this
field, if any, and your history in terms of academic and professional work.
2. Why are you pursuing this degree? What do you plan to achieve within 5 years after you
complete your degree? What are your long-term goals? What are your current plans for
steps which will help you achieve your goals?
3. What do you want to achieve while enrolled?
4. Which skills and experiences do you possess which will make you successful in the
program?
5. Working in these fields often requires practitioners to work with diverse populations
which are often vulnerable. What is your stance on the role the field of Ethics has in your
specific specialization?
Please send this personal statement to Graduate Admissions ([email protected]) along
with your other admissions documents.
Area Distinguished (4) Competent (3) Needs
Development(2)
Poor (1) Score
Organization
and Flow
Well-organized
statement where
each paragraph
has a topic
sentence and
transitions to the
next one. All
questions are
thoroughly
answered.
Conclusion brings
everything
together.
Organization is
logical and easy
to read. All
questions are
answered
clearly.
Paragraphs are
grouped by
answer in a
logical format
but transitions
are absent.
There is a
conclusion that
makes sense.
There is some
organization to the
statement but it may
jump around, go off
topic, or out of
order. 1-2 questions
were unanswered.
Paragraphs may be
present but do not
contain a clear
topic.
No clear
organizational
pattern. More than
two questions were
ignored or an entire
section is missing.
Style and
Mechanics
Writing is clear
and concise with
less than two
errors in grammar
and none in
spelling or
punctuation. No
unnecessary
jargon. Uses clear
and consistent
formatting in
terms of font size
and type,
margins, and
spacing.
Minor (3+)
errors in
grammar,
spelling, or
punctuation.
Easy to read.
No unnecessary
jargon.
Formatting is
generally
consistent.
Moderate (5+)
errors in grammar,
spelling, or
punctuation.
Contains jargon.
Formatting is
inconsistent but still
professional and
clean.
Major errors (7+) in
grammar, spelling,
and punctuation
that render the
statement
unreadable.
Excessive jargon,
slang, or
unnecessary words
that obscure the
point. Font and
margins are
inconsistent and /or
unprofessional.
Self-Reflection Describes a
number of
relevant
experiences with
clear detail.
Reflects on each
experience and
thoughtfully
explains how that
experience
connects to the
program.
Describes
relevant
experiences
with some
detail. Reflects
on each
experience and
connects that to
the program.
Describes relevant
experiences. There
is some reflection of
the experience but it
is cursory and does
not connect in many
examples. The
self-reflection may
not connect to the
program or field of
study.
Does not describe
relevant experience
or the attempt is
unclear and
unorganized.
Self-reflection does
not show evidence
of academic
prerequisites or is
unprofessional.
Goal-Setting Describes both
short- and
long-term goals in
detail. Goals
connect to other
aspects of the
statement (such
as background)
and contain
actionable steps
that show
relevance to the
field and a
foundation that
can support the
goals.
Describes both
short- and
long-term goals
that contain
actionable steps
that are
appropriate to
the student’s
experience level
and apply to the
field of ABA.
Describes some
goals but does not
go beyond a simple
explanation. Does
not show careful
thought into how
those goals will be
achieved. Includes
vague answers such
as “work with kids”
with no other
explanation.
Does not describe
goals beyond
certification. Simple
answers that do not
display thought or
effort. Goals are
not relevant to the
field or they reflect
an unprofessional
or unclear goal.
Ethics Addresses the
ethics question
using references
and citations to
the relevant
Ethics code(s).
Explanation aligns
with the
profession’s
ethical guidelines.
Shows evidence
of application.
Addresses the
ethics question
using general
ethics
considerations.
Examples are
missing or not
related to the
field.
Addresses the
ethics question but
only gives a cursory
explanation. Ethics
may be
questionable but
may be due to lack
of formal education
in this area rather
than intentional
disregard.
Does not address
the ethics question
or does so in a way
that shows little
understanding of
ethics, science, or
both. Or answers in
a way that is
disturbing.
Holistic Criteria:
Was the letter professional and appropriate?
Did the letter demonstrate skills and goals that are compatible with pursuing a career as a
practitioner in the field of ABA?
Rubric Score:
/ 20
Suggestions for improvement:
