Why the School of General Studies of Columbia University Is the Place for You - Admission/Application Essay Example

Autobiographical essay Tell us about your educational history, work experience, present situation, and plans for the future. Please make sure to address why you consider yourself a nontraditional student and have chosen to pursue your education at the School of General Studies of Columbia University. Successful essays should not only identify and describe specific elements of the program, academic or otherwise, that meet your needs as a nontraditional student, but should also explain why GS is the place for you. I was born in Ashland, Ohio June 3rd 1989. I lived in Ashland until seven and moved to Pusan, South Korea due to my father’s job. My parents always had high expectation in my education. I went to a private Korean elementary school where my mother graduated. I was a great athlete in soccer, volleyball, track and field which I was called out for the varsity teams. I also had a successful school life there as I served as a student council from third to fifth grade and school president in sixth grade. Me education was not limited by studying and sports: I played clarinet in the school orchestra and worked as an English/Korean translator in the administration. I was trusted and respected by teachers, students, and even staff. After I graduated I moved to Pusan American School in the Hialeah military Base. It was exciting to receive more freedom as American school gives choice to students in such aspects as haircut rules for boys and wearing school uniforms not like Korean junior high and high schools do. I played the first string clarinet in the band. I continued to serve as student council and called out to play in the varsity soccer team with high school students since I was 7th grade. I was an accomplished and happy student at school. In the first semester of 9th grade I decided to apply for boarding schools. I didn’t want to go to a boarding school to get into selective universities like my parents always told me to but to move away from my father. I thought this step was essential for my further development as a personality. The reason was complicated relationships with my father as he was physically and mentally abusive to me. He was an authoritarian father who was difficult person to live with. The only way I could be apart from him was going to a boarding school. Webb was more academically challenging compared to my previous schools. Students were brighter and they were extremely passionate going to 4-year colleges. Most faculties live in campus with students so they were always available for students but the adversity I faced wasn’t just academics but loneliness. New people, language, food, trees, and air were all against me, and I wanted to go back to where I’d grown up. It seemed to me that staying with my parents and friends in Korea was better life than here. I mostly stayed in the cold, old dormitory named Jameson Hall and I had almost no friends in the sophomore year. I soon realize that almost all students face this difficulty during their first year at university. It was difficult for me to fit into the crowds who were already been attending the school a year ago. My home sickness was ended when I was selected as varsity soccer and track and field team. Playing in the varsity teams made me find new friends whom I could trust and rely on. Sweating together bonded us with deeper friendship. I was selected as captain in the senior year and we won the southern California division 1 championship 2008. Participating in the talent show and singing “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men was successful and enough to make positive impression on everyone in the school. I started to love Webb and Webb started to love me back. Though my education was not all smooth and easy, sometimes I had to struggle to create myself. In the beginning of the senior year I had a mild conflict with Mr. Bartlett, a dean of academics. We talked about whether taking AP Biology during the first semester of senior year would risks of getting admissions from the schools I was applying to. My cumulative GPA was below 3.0 and he recommended me taking easier classes to raise the GPA. He wasn’t assured that I could succeed in the class since the class was notorious for one of the toughest courses offered in school. I was mad that I couldn’t take a class that consistently hooked my interest. I enjoyed studying Biology. I persuaded him persistently that my passion is Biology and that can’t be changed. I showed him how I’m capable of handling the rigorous work by completing genetic problems which I got from the enrolled students. I completed with B+ in the semester and he was no longer concerned about my performance in the class. This experience served me as a good lesson. After I graduated I’ attended Boston University in College of General Studies. The school had a two-year fixed curriculum and I couldn’t take class outside of the college until junior year. The schedule contained humanities, social science, rhetoric, and natural science. It wasn`t offered any biology courses but earth sciences only. I was sad as I was well prepared for college-level biology but I never got a chance to take it. Losing interest in my classes, I skipped all the classes I was supposed to go and went to a biology class offered at the College of Arts and Science. I had to withdraw from the University for being absent to often. I couldn’t be honest to my father who would be furious about wasting tuition and quitting school at the same time. I lost contact with everyone including my parents. I must admit now that was a coward who wanted to avoid the consequences. I was kicked out of the dorm and temporarily lived with a friend. While I avoided all the contacts, my father went through the lists of friends on my Facebook to reach me. My refugee life was finally ended in two weeks when I finally wrote an email to him. He wasn’t mad but so grateful to talk to me. His reaction was unexpected to me, but I was relieved that I wasn’t yelled. I went back to Korea where my parents were. Having guilt of wasting the entire year of tuitions and disappointment I gave them, I decided to be independent economically. I started working as a telecommuter for a year. I had many part-time job experiences such as an Italian restaurant, biology, English and Spanish tutor, and street vendor. I worked every day and made living by myself but I wasn’t satisfied. I didn’t know what I exactly wanted for my future career but I knew I had to go back to the United States. Raising from a Korean family, I had an identity dilemma but I considered myself as an American and that’s who I wanted to become. I went back to the United States on January 2011 and continued my education at Santa Monica College. The most challenging part in three years at SMC was balancing school and work. My parents used to support me financially so it wasn’t easy work for me to make a balanced living. I was kicked out of the apartment once for not following up the rental fee and had to stay at a friend`s house for a month. I had to keep practicing balance my school and two part-time jobs. Another hurdle I faced was the competition of class registration. Santa Monica College had more than 30,000 students and getting seats in classes was a war. I was able to take one introductory chemistry and biology courses during three years of SMC. Being frustrated of missing pre-med courses in my schedule, I realized what a valuable opportunity is attending a class. Classes that I skipped at Boston University could be another’s passion just like my biology. I wanted to transfer to a 4-year university immediately. I applied to UC schools for the fall 2014 and got admissions from few of them. Decision of whether going to a UC school was a tough decision to make. I applied for Art History major simply because it was one of the least impacted courses at SMC. I didn’t truly passionate about the subject and I thought the transfer would be worthless if I do it just in sake of getting into the school. I learned from my past how I could be much more successful when I study what I’m truly passionate about. I withdraw all the classes I was registered for the winter and spring semester. I needed to find another passion outside of classroom that could connect myself to academics. I had to find out how I could apply my passion to Biology to real life. January, 2015 I had a chance to talk to my father about his diagnosis from a psychiatrist. He has been suffering from chronic depression, anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and mood disorder. He was born as a fifth son in physician’s parents. Since his parents were at their hospital most of the time he was sent to his grandmother’s house and raised there. He grew up without spending enough time with neither parents nor friends. His parents didn’t want him to hang out with the “bad friends” near neighborhood because they thought spending time with friends over studying is a waste of time. They wanted him to only study so he could be a physician just like his parents. All his older brothers were more than 10 years older than him so he spent a lonely childhood most of the time. It was a first time listening to his childhood and it was a real revelation to me. I could imagine vividly how lonely his life was. After the deep conversation I understood and forgave him. I’d always doubted that if he really loved me but I finally found out the answer. This experience directed me to the most important decision in my life. I want to become a family psychiatrist who studies psychological growth of family members, helps communication between them, and performs psychotherapy for those who need it. Psychiatrists may not be decisive super heroes like surgeons but this job is more reflective and patient which seems to take a broad view of people than just see them as collection of cells or organs. Learning practical side of medicine is crucial as well but I’m more deeply curious of how people are, how they think, what they do and what are the things that make them take decisions. The fundamental discipline is people and it’s fascinating how I can experience so many different aspects of lives and how I can learn and develop as a better person while treating them as well. Listening to people carefully about their problems and working together to alleviate them is both exciting and fulfilling that it is something I could do for the rest of my life. I need the highest undergraduate education I can possibly get in order to prepare for the rigorous medical school curriculum. Columbia had been sending numerous students to the top medical schools and infamously known for Professor Mowshowitz’s notorious biology class. Not only she goes further deep into the concept and terminology with clarity but also trains her students to apply the concepts to the real world situation. I’ve always wanted an environment where the faculties are dedicated to teach their students who are greatly motivated and passionate in their fields. Moreover GS has pre-med advisors who provide guidance to the pre-med curriculum and go through the hectic application process. I believe the core curriculum at Columbia can make me a well-rounded physician. Learning from past mistake, I’ve realized that studying biology alone can’t make a great physician. I’ve learned from my mistakes that other courses are as important as biology to be more altruistic, patient, and empathic psychiatrist. GS has a non-traditional student body from all over the world which shares a common interest: education. It will give me opportunity to meet diverse people and their different aspects of life. Community College experience matured me mentally. I’ve always wanted a pre-med schedule and neglected courses other than science. Community college enabled me to explore many different fields that I wasn’t interested in the first time and taught me how they’re not different but connected together. They are different subjects but they’re doing the same thing: help us learning who we are and where we came from. The time spent here was not a transfer years for me, but finding myself. I’ve learned in community college that I’m not only interested in biology but art history, philosophy and political science which I can relate to the modern biology. I want to absorb knowledge from the world-known professors, learn from classmates who are passionate in their academics and experience diverse aspects of life from GS. I’m ready to go out of my comfort zone to take a challenge to achieve my dream as a psychiatrist. Read More