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Admission essay excerpt
I’ve always been fascinated with numbers even as a young boy. At 8 years old, I remember making my own “bank notes” and making a stash of play money in my self-made bank safe. I could say that I was among the lucky few who knew what they’ve always wanted to be when they grow up. So when it was time for me to go to college, I didn’t have any second thoughts taking up a double major in Accounting and Business Administration. Though I’ve always loved numbers, I worked just as hard as any college student in campus to become a Dean’s Lister. But much of what I’ve learned also came from practical experience, as I volunteered as an administrative assistant and accounting assistant and got a part-time job as gymnasium supervisor. I also worked as part-time tax consultant and was hired as a full-time corporate customer care executive. By taking different positions, I became more flexible and well-rounded. Aside from finance and accounting, I also learned much about advertising and marketing. I know that there’s so much more for me to explore, that’s why I’m applying for _______graduate program, so I can take whatever I’ve gained through practical experience and my academic achievements to new heights.
Sample outline:
I. Introduction
A. How much I love numbers
i. making my own bank notes as a child
ii. knowing what I’ve always wanted even as a young boy
iii. taking up a double major in Accounting and Business Administration
B. Practical experience
i. took volunteer work as an administrative assistant and accounting assistant
ii. worked as part-time tax consultant
iii. hired as a corporate customer care executive
iv. becoming a more flexible
v. developed skills include advertising and marketing aside from accounting and finance
C. Applying for ______ program
i. learning more about business
ii. gaining more experience and training
II. Achievements and experience
A. graduating with honors
i. a Dean’s Lister
ii. taking an ordinary level exam at 16 and the advanced level by 19
B. leadership potential
i. member of accounting society
ii. co-founder of business and economics club
iii. vice president/treasurer of honors society
iv. International Orientation Leader at ___________
C. Experience in travel study class abroad
i. representing _____ for a lecture at ________
ii. visiting different companies in Japan
iii. exposure to different culture
III. Work experience
A. volunteer work
B. part-time tax consultant at ______
C. working as an executive for customer care at _______
IV. Skills
A. marketing
B. advertising
C. finance and accounting
V. Goals
A. further my career through the graduate program
B. hone my skills and learn more about the field
C. gain more credibility
D. be more well-rounded
It is quite evident that the increasing juncture between the shifting demands of the business world, and the rapid development in technology has become a growing reality. The gravity of work involved in increasing the information needed because of the ever-growing integration of the two fields has raised to a large magnitude that the work in Information Technology has expanded. I remember a time when it was just the simple task of getting familiar with the mother board and to locate and solve certain problems for us “techies”. I have become aware that this is no longer the case and I wouldn’t want to be left behind. A big and important step I would have to take is to continue my education and no other curriculum would serve my purpose better than then one found at _______ University.
My ambitions and interests have long been influence by my family. I grew up in a wealthy household with parents that are socially active. We would constantly travel all over Europe and Asia for the purpose of helping out a number of charitable organizations. This raised my awareness on multiple cultures, religions, paradigms, and international events. The lifestyle of constantly traveling and meeting with an array of people from different cultures, along with my family’s unwritten code of education and perseverance being the pathway to success, have shaped my aspirations to what they are today.
Because the businesses of my family required us to constantly move from one country to another, I have grown quite aware of how everything works on a global scale. I was born in Istanbul, Turkey but we would eventually move to Warsaw when I was at the age of 8. We would spend two years there then move again to Berlin, Geneva, then Paris, and finally Barcelona. Because of my family’s view on education, I was sent to the most prestigious private schools in each of these places, and was encouraged to learn their languages as well. Soon enough, I would finish secondary school with flying colors and eventually enter college in the United States.
My life was never restricted to academic endeavors, but I have had a passion for the arts as well. For over 8 years I have trained and performed as an opera singer all over Europe. During my stay in the US, I have joined a number of theater groups and managed to integrate myself with a plethora of musicians and other artists. Unlike most immigrants, I refused to isolate myself with people of the same ethnicity and culture as I would consciously make the effort of assimilating myself with various types of people. A means of doing this was through my musical interests.
Even with a degree under my belt, a clear element that separates me with others is my wide experience of the world. I have the advantage of being quite the polyglot, and consider myself a renaissance man of sorts. Ultimately, this would prove to be a key factor, along with my continued education, in my success in the business world.
Photo Credit : huygens
The rapid development of technology has paved the way to to an increasingly globalized world . Nowadays, it seems that the world being “flat” is true once more and technology has allowed it so. However, in spite of the world getting closer and closer, still there are cultural walls that are yet to be taken down. Soon enough we would have to realize that we are becoming one society, and that the integration of multiple cultures should take place. With a closed mind and a fundamentalist train of thought, peaceful co-existence is unlikely so. One way to alleviate such a problem is to expose and raise awareness of the different cultures to develop a better understanding for each other. The “how” of this is one thing I have been working on.
One of the most powerful mediums in changing people’s paradigm and moral zeitgeist is media. Overtime it has shaped the universal consciousness whether in a positive of negative manner. For years, I have been working as a writer and producer in both the television and film industry with over 20 years of experience in producing documentaries under my belt. Because of this, I have gained a great understanding of how strong the influence of the media can be on the people. I have been a witness to a shifting perspective going from a domestic mind set, to a more international one. One way or the other, media has always been present in these ever-shifting trends.
Working as a a director of Political News and Senior Producer with a major news network, I have worked closely with the stories behind the 9/11 attacks, the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, and the “shock and awe” campaign in Iraq. This further increased my interest in the intricate web surrounding and connecting the globe. It was just fascinated to see how one event could lead to another, the consequences it left behind, and how a small decision could affect everything in the process. Covering all these events led me to learning about many cultures, religions, foreign politics and policies, and how these things lead certain people to act in different ways.
Due to the number of years I have spent engaging myself in issues such as biological warfare, terrorism, Islam, military intelligence, and foreign affairs, I have realized that a lot of problems could have been prevented if public awareness of such things would have been more established. Since I am quite aware of these issues and of the impact of the media, I feel that I have the responsibility and the duty to provide accurate and detailed information to the people.
For this reason, I intend to combine my extensive experience in journalism with studies in International politics. The marriage of these two fields would help me further my cause and hopefully realize my goals of a more globally aware public.
Thanks you for your time and consideration.
Photo Credit : tanjila
Modern technology evolves very fast. Because of its rapid progression, it has managed to integrate itself into a number of fields including the arts. Nowadays, art is has been inevitably intertwined with technology and evidence of this is quite obvious. I have constantly been facing the decision of abandoning the traditional 2-D animation for the more profitable 3-D animation that has been tied with computer graphics. Upon my decision to become a student of 2-D animation, I have always been questioned by my peers whether I have taken into account that 2-D is slowly becoming obsolete especially in the United States. There is some truth to this, however, I have seen my skills develop from sketching, detailed figures, and eventually full-scale animation projects. This evolution made me realize that if I were to successfully pursue computer graphics and 3-D animation, it would be best that I first go through the motion of studying the the field that comes right before it.
It is rare these days to find a student like me that would devote time and effort to the more traditional form of animation. I grew up watching simpler animation and somehow it was embedded in me. Nothing is more fascinating that even the simplest of animated characters could move me so much. This could have been the reason why I continued with my plans of studying 2-D animation in spite of strong opposition from my peers and professors.
One class would eventually change my whole view on 3-D animation. Before I had always seen it as a the antithesis to the pencil, but after taking a class on computer animation, I realized that this wasn’t the case. It became clear to me that the computer became an extension of the pencil this world where the only constant is change. The only limitation of the computer programs would be the creativity of the artist. No matter how knowledgeable the user of the program is, his or her creativity still comes first and foremost in the creation of something beautiful.
I have been taught by the most experienced people in the field of 2-D animation and because of this, I have become adept at capturing the imagination and telling a good story through animation by learning things like sequence of lines that give the illusion of movement, structure of the subject, and the character’s anatomy. Soon I would start illustrating for several non-profit magazines, and would take an internship at Dreamworks.
Now that I have a well-rounded education in art, as well as the experience of working in the entertainment industry, It would be in my best interests to continue my studies and further improve my talents. The study of Computer art at _______ is my best course of action in order to succeed in my field.
During high school, my class was asked by our teacher about what course and profession we planned to get into upon graduation. All of my other classmates would give the usual answers like “lawyer”, “brain surgeon”, “marine biologist”, and what not. When it was my turn, I proudly said “tax accountant”. This came to the surprise of not only my teacher, but my classmates as well. Most people fear and are perplexed by the mere idea of taxation. I on the other hand, am truly passionate about it. I have always been fascinated by the whole process of taxes. Most people would cringe at the thought of it, and I would want to serve as a beacon of light and make their taxation experience a bit easier. Although I am already quite adept in this field, a continued education at ______ University would solidify the foundation I have built.
Because of the growing turmoil in that part of the world, my family decided to flee from Afghanistan and migrate to the United States. It wasn’t easy at all. It was not just about leaving Kabul, but leaving my extended family, friends, and the city’s familiar scent. Since our arrival in the US, I have been working and studying at the same time in order to help with our expenses, and get into college as well. Indeed, I did get into college and would become the first member in our family to do so. Due to certain variables, I started slacking and would miss classes. This inevitably led to my low grades and I was not able to realize that I was wasting an opportunity not everyone is privileged to have. One call from Kabul would change it all. I was informed that my childhood friend had died from an accident. I felt terrible yet suddenly, everything became clearer. I suddenly realized the value of life and the one I am living. I started straightening up my act through studying harder and my records starting from my sophomore year exhibit my efforts. My dreams of being a tax accountant once again were fired up, and nothing would get into the way of my plans. Upon graduation I would get a high average and I definitely would have finished with honors I it not had been because of that minor lapse of judgment during my freshman year.
Now that college is over, I know that there is only one step to fulfill my destiny: A Master’s of Science in taxation from ______ University. It’s curriculum best fits my needs and in my opinion, one of the best in the world. My application for ______ University would prove to be one of the best decisions I have made in my life. It would further my career towards only one direction and that direction would be towards success.
Photo credits: Tracy O
