Application/extenuating circumstances - Admission/Application Essay Example

Extenuating circumstances This is a golden chance for you to know a few things about the reason why you should consider my application into this world class institution. Success is more about determination than the legal, rigid norms. Success is more than the uninterrupted flow from junior school to high school culminating to university level. Success is the extent of self awareness that sparks a rage from within. It’s a strong desire to make it. This is the point am. Given a minute chance, my life can change forever.

This is the chance am expecting in this world class university. There is a conviction within me that history shall be made if a chance if given to me.I was born and raised on the South side of Chicago, near Midway airport. My father owned a highly successful restaurant and my mother didn’t work. This proved to work against me. This is because my mother never emphasized on the need for education. I got the notion that I can succeed without education. My father started the business in 1970, and it thrived for almost 30 years until all the franchisees’ popped up.

My father was 54 when I was born, and my mother was 37. My mother already had three daughters from a previous marriage so they all became my half sisters. Upon attaining age 13, my parents got divorced, and I moved to Champaign (two hours south of Chicago) with my mom. I went to high school here in Champaign and started my new life. My sisters were all over ten years older than me so they already had their own lives established in various places. This made me into a loner. I graduated from high school in 2000.

I immediately enrolled at Parkland College (a community college) and started classes that following fall. I failed miserably. My parents divorce had such a profound effect to my psychological strength. I lost the desire to shine academically. For most of the time, I felt I had nothing for which to live. I took all my immaturities and frustrations from high school with me, and I failed horribly. My self-image and self esteem had been destroyed. I didn’t take this happening seriously. I failed all my classes for several semesters before finally deciding to quit.

Neither of my parents went to college so I didn’t feel the pressure to do so either. I had no one to look up to for guidance. I eventually took a “break” from school and told myself I would eventually go back. Soon thereafter I got hired at Kraft foods in Champaign. I was making upwards of fifty thousand dollars with overtime, by the time I was 18. School was not my main focus, as I was already making more than some of my friends parents. I would take one class here, one class there, but nothing substantial.

I had never felt the real need for formal education. By age 23, I was married and had a daughter of my own. My marriage started to suffer almost immediately. We were married too young but decided to tough it out for the sake of our daughter. I now had more pressing issues: a family to support, rent, car payments, insurance, and grocery’s, etc. School seemed so far out of reach at this point I gave up on it. Added to my heartbreaks. I never had any real value for my education. As time passed, my job in the factory seemed to have lost its luster.

I was no longer happy working 3rd shift doing factory work. Frustrations were setting in i.e. had to do something. In May 2008, my mother got sick and was diagnosed with cancer. It was as if my world was crumbling. A busy schedule had taken my mind completely from academic pursuits yet I was no longer comfortable. In December 2009, she passed on two weeks before Christmas, at 64. More setbacks were waiting. In July 2010 my father, 82, passed after battling kidney failure and diabetes for years.

This was exactly seven months after my mother’s demise. In August, the same year one of my sisters passed unexpectedly due to brain aneurism. She was 41. In a nut shell, at 28, I lost my mother, father and sister within nine months duration. This left my heart shattered. I had to look for something to do if I was to remain relevant. All these disasters added to my mental instability which is very important for academic excellence. All these losses affected by ability to perform. The reality is that no one can do extremely well without an extent of mental stability and peace.

In addition, I had been battling a horrible marriage since day one. This too took away my peace. There was no way I could have performed well while I had pending domestic issues. Working at Kraft over fifty hours a week, on third shift was something I was going to have to do for the rest of my life in order maintain my lifestyle. That was extremely hard to live with. I would never advance or be promoted without a formal education. In November 2010, I filed for divorce, and after five months I was divorced.

This left me at a vulnerable state. In July 2011, I needed a fresh start. I had to act swiftly to regain my academic dream. Consequently, I quit my job at Kraft after 9 years of service in order to go back to school full-time and pursue a formal education. This is something I needed to do not only for myself, but for my daughter. I had to overcome all the challenges that had caused my academic failure i.e. a non functional family, ignorance, divorce and a depreciating career. I needed to lead by example.

Since my return to school in July 2011, I have received four different academic scholarships and carry a 3.69 cumulative GPA. I want to transfer into the business program at the University of Illinois which is extremely competitive. A bachelor’s degree in business with concentration in finance is my first step. Eventually I want to pursue my MBA. As I write this I have regained myself. I can perform again. Currently, I am 30 years old and I am at the point of transferring to a four year university.

I have experienced a lot of life in an extraordinarily short amount of time and would provide a tremendous amount of diversity to any campus. I am not your typical 20 year old student. I have struggled, I have worked hard, and I have battled through many of life’s hardships. It takes most students their entire life to endure what I have already triumphed over. If you give me this chance, then I shall prove to you that I can perform. That is my commitment to you.