The Experience of Education and Admission to the University of Virginia - Admission/Application Essay Example

The Experience of Education and Admission to the University of Virginia My mother’s gritty determination to see that I would have a better life than she ever did, has been the motivating factor in my life. “Education is the key to success and it is the springboard for you to achieve your ambitions”, was the constant refrain in our modest home, where my mother raised me as a single parent. “There is only one thing that cannot be taken away from you, and that is your education”, was what she would constantly tell me if she thought I was not working hard enough at my studies.When I came to the US as a twelve year old with my mother, I did not speak any English. The country, its customs, language and culture were new and to a degree intimidating. Despite overwhelming odds, we ploughed on in the hope of a better tomorrow. During my junior year of high school, our financial circumstances were so bad that my mother had to send me back to China. She assured me that this was a temporary measure and I would be with her soon. My return to the US after a traumatic year of separation, has further spurred my efforts to fulfill my mother’s ambitions. I finished high school with honors, and still dogged by financial difficulties, decided to enrol at a community College. Along the way I have worked in various capacities as a delivery driver, an office recruiting clerk in the US bureau of census and as an interpreter, because there are a large number of Mandarin speakers in our community, and I speak fluent Mandarin. I am graduating this year after a two year stint from the Tidewater Community College with an associate degree in Business Administration. I am proud of the fact that despite all the unfavorable circumstances, I have managed to achieve a GPA of 4.00, and also bag the prestigious President’s Roll of Honor at Tidewater Community College. It was while I was in college that I happened to visit an estate auction with a friend.This exposure to the real estate business started me thinking of how important a home is in a person’s life. Having gone through the insecurity of not knowing how long we would have a roof over our heads, and wondering when we would be able to own a place we could call home; the idea of helping someone to own their dream home appealed to me. That was the beginning of my own small business venture. This new business venture, honed my organisational and communication skills. My hard work and determination to succeed has paid off and today I sell everything from bicycles to houses. My success in my first business venture, brought with it the realization that a good grounding in business economics was a prerequisite, if I was to grow this into a sustainable business. I recognized the pitfalls of not having a fundamental knowledge of how different economic models work and their strengths and weaknesses. Now that I have started my own business, the factors that affect the competitive performance of a business concern, how technology affects an organisation's structure, long-term business strategy, supply chains, and standard systems interest me. In order to gain a better understanding of these and related issues, it is essential for me to have a strong foundation in economics. Although I have learnt the basic principles of accounting, macro and microeconomics, and have had an introduction to international business, during the course of my associate degree in Business Administration, I realize that I shall need vastly more in depth knowledge of the subject. This is what I would like to rectify and hence my decision to apply for a degree in business, majoring in economics. Today when the world has shrunk, and there is an unprecedented increase in free trade across the globe, I think the environment is just right for students like me, to grab the opportunity to learn how new methodologies work and how one can develop new models of doing business. As I could not shoulder the financial burden of tuition fees, for a four year university degree soon after I graduated from high school; I joined Tidewater Community College, to be able to get an associate degree in Business Administration. Today, I am proud of the fact that my hard work both at college and at work have paid rich dividends, so I can now apply for a university degree. My hands on experience with my business has given me a better understanding of the skills and knowledge required to successfully run it. I would now like to transfer to your college, in the firm belief that it will give me the requisite grounding, and the ability to creatively think through new ventures, and apply my mind to making a success of growing this undertaking. An insight into sales strategies, pricing and other such skills are an important part of what I shall need to have a deeper understanding of, and I am sure that these will be readily available to me through your excellent faculty. I shall also have the opportunity to mix with a whole lot of students who come from diverse backgrounds, and with experience in different fields, with different approaches to the subject. This, I think will greatly widen my perspective. My personal reason also relates to the fact that the university is located close to my home and hence I shall be close at hand, in case my mother needs me. After all she is all I have, and she’s not getting any younger. I would like to be nearby to be sure that she can depend on my being able to take care of her incase there is a problem. The idea of being a student at a university started by one of America’s most brilliant and most erudite scholars, is especially exciting. Thomas Jefferson’s idea in building this university that he called the academical village, “to develop the reasoning faculties of our youth, enlarge their minds, cultivate their morals, and instill into them the precepts of virtue and order”, (Jefferson, 1818) is what I would like to exploit to the full. I have read that your university encourages the spirit of research and even offers students grants to pursue individual projects. This is a feature that I would love to engage in. I think with the help of the experienced faculty and other like minded students, this will be a great opportunity for a fruitful give and take, where I suspect what I shall take from your esteemed institution, in the form of knowledge, experiences and exposure to new ideas and methodologies, will be far greater than my own meagre contribution in any sphere. The low student-teacher ratio that your university offers is another point that attracted me to University of Virginia. Discussions with experienced faculty members who will have so much knowledge gained from years of research and teaching, I think will broaden my horizons and change the way I look at business today. The Pavilion Seminars that the University of Virginia has started, seems to me an interesting feature, where I shall learn about other subjects of interest, and gain some new knowledge of the changing world around us. All in all, being part of the student body at the University of Virginia promises to sharpen my critical thinking skills, broaden my horizons and be a very enriching experience. I sincerely hope that you will favorably consider my case and admit me. I think the William and Mary experience, with its widely acclaimed faculty members, will be a chance of a lifetime, to learn in an environment where I shall be encouraged to follow the dictates of both my mind and my heart. I have read about the efforts of the school to provide funding for research. The idea of being given a chance to work on research projects in the august company of faculty members and seniors will be an immensely satisfying experience. In addition to the fact that I shall be getting hands on experience , the learning process will be both enriching and rewarding. Learning by experimentation, and hands on work, is, I have learnt through my own little business venture, the best way to learn. Experiencing the pitfalls, and reaping the benefits of bold new ideas, makes for a lesson learnt for life. One of the objectives of applying for a degree course in business, was to be able to learn the scope and dimensions of how international business is conducted; and gaining an insight into global trade, and how it affects global economies. It seems to me that this is an achievable goal at William and Mary, where international scholars, diplomats and other dignitaries are invited to speak to students. Students like me will have a chance to avail of a unique learning method, which will prove an unforgettable and memorable experience. The idea of mingling with students from diverse nationalities and cultures, and being able to hear various opinions on a given subject will give me global exposure right in my own hometown, enabling me to form broad based and informed opinions. Since I have known the hardships and heartbreak of being financially disadvantaged, I shall welcome the opportunity to help others who come from similar financial backgrounds through your Social service activities. I think the way learning is structured at William and Mary is the way I want to learn, and I fervently hope that I shall be accepted. Works Cited Jefferson, Thomas Lapham’s Quarterly A magazine of History and Ideas Voices in Time 1818 / Charlottesville Thomas Jefferson Opens a School web 3 May 2012 http://www.laphamsquarterly.org/voices-in-time/thomas-jefferson-opens-a-school.php?page=all Read More