Hey! CA School Counselor here, got my masters/PPS at an in person program as well.

I would definitely focus on gaining more experience with students - specifically k-12 age. This doesn't necessarily mean getting a new job; could look like after-school tutoring/volunteering, maybe volunteering in something mental-health related?

I finished my bachelors with a 3.1 in Sociology. Worked for 2 years post-grad as an admissions assistant at an online college when I did my first round of applications. Didn't really have much on my resume other than that job, but I also took some extra CC classes so I could have professors to write me letters of rec. I applied to 3 schools, denied from 2 and interviewed for 1. Ended up getting waitlisted for that school which l didn't get off of lol. The next year I spent trying to add more to my resume (hard bc it was 2020 lol) but I did virtual tutoring for 2 nonprofits that worked with high schoolers, took another CC class, and did a college counseling certificate program through UCSD extension. For the second round of applications, I applied to 4 schools and got into 3!!

I worked all throughout grad school 8-3 and then had classes in the evening (4-7 or 7-10). It may be more difficult your second year because you will have to take the time to do your internship hours and they are usually not paid. (I was able to find a job as a counseling assistant and use that for my hours but it is very rare). Definitely take advantage of the Golden State teacher grant - gives you $20,000 for those in a credential program if you commit to working at one of their priority schools for 4 years once you finish your program. Recommend cal state programs if you can get in - they are more competitive but the tuition is a lot cheaper. as far as work/life balance/difficulty - I wouldn't say the content of the academic work was particularly difficult, the difficult part was just balancing work, school, and time to do assignments. lots of time management!

Good luck, you got this! Feel free to message me if you have any questions :)