I am a senior banking officer working for a state government owned financial institution based in Boston, Massachusetts. I am currently holding a bachelor’s degree in banking and finance from Boston University, and I aim to get my master in science degree, majoring in banking and finance services management from the same University.
What sparked my interest in pursuing graduate studies in banking and finance services management? Basically, having served as banking officer for three years in a private banking firm and ten years at my current company, my superiors advised me to start aiming for the status of “a bigger frog in a bigger pond”–that is, gaining sound academic credentials and further research experience for executive bank managerial positions. Thus said, I re-present myself to my Alma Mater as a scholar of my company, hoping to gain and contribute to the finance industry in the same way that the University has inspired me to do so when I was still a college student years back.
So, how did my preoccupation in financial matters start? It actually began when I was still in grade school. As early as second grade, my parents, who happen to be business people and owners of a local supermarket, already instilled in me, their only child, the importance of “saving for the rainy days.” They taught me how to drop in my piggy bank at least a percentage of my allowance every week so that I can have spare money to buy my favorite stuff with. But they also told me to not empty the contents of my piggy bank all at once, so that I will still have savings. True enough, come third grade, I already have enough collections to open my first ever bank account with U. S. Bank. I remember how proud I was way back when my parents accompanied me during my kiddie bank application with U. S. Bank. Thinking that I was already able to save up that much money at a very tender age somehow filled me with pride, because I knew then that I can be responsible enough in handling my life in the future. But little did I know then that it was my first encounter with the bank that will influence what I am going to become in the future.
It also helped that, ever since I started schooling, my favorite course has always been arithmetic and everything else that is related to numbers, formulae, and figures. When we first had accounting during seventh grade, I was hooked. By then, my savings in the bank soared to five digits, and my younger brothers and sister are following suit. It was then that I decided that I want to work in a bank when I grow up.
Having gone to Boston University for my bachelor’s degree and to my current place of work are blessings that I will eternally be grateful for. As I move on to another chapter of my life, that is, pursuing a master’s in management degree, I am confident that I will be just as competent and able as a graduate school student as I have been when I was still a little boy setting aside cents and dollar coins in my piggy bank.
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Our home in Florida was just really tiny, but when you go inside, you’ll definitely want to stay. That’s because of my mother’s magic touch–she has this knack for making everything so wonderfully organized and designed, that even in our little bungalow, we were able to squeeze in a 50 by 50 inch flat screen TV set, three bedrooms partitioned by aesthetic wooden dividers, and an indoor garden, to name some, and still have some extra space left! She was my inspiration when I took up my bachelor in fine arts course at the Ringling College of Art and Design, majoring in interior design.
As a college interior design student, I took joy in finding not just beauty but art in every nook and cranny in the house–in the rooms, in the corners, the doors, the floors, the walls, the ceilings, everything. I would always draw plate after plate of interior home and office designs, construct dioramas, do showcases, and do actual interior designing projects in school buildings, private homes, and business establishments. I would also be tasked to conduct research on the trends in interior designing, both during the past and at present, and from this data draft my own forecasts on the possible future trends in the field of interior designing. My favorite interior designing project in college was an international interior design showcasing event which was held in Milan, Italy. I headed a group of five students and prior to the event, we had to do research on a particular indoor structure in society that we think needed sound interior designing. Inspired by my mother’s ideas, I settled for toilets, because based on data we garnered from our survey, it actually came out as the most important yet most neglected indoor structure in society. Then, we had to canvas for items to use in our toilet interior designing showcase, and do more research to enable us to come up with our own future trend in toilet interior designing. Our showcase won the gold medal in that event and landed me a junior designer job in a prestigious interior design firm based in Milan after graduation. My job enabled me to travel to various countries to learn about their interior designing preferences. The most interesting so far were mostly from Asia, particularly the feng shui influences in China and the ikebana flower arrangements of Japan. In fact, during the course of my job I was able to design a young executive’s office using a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Latin American concepts.
Right now, I am aspiring for a Master’s degree in interior designing from Florida State University. A Master’s degree will enable me to advance in my job, do more research in my field, and come up with more new concepts.
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Knowledge is power and can help in healing. And I’ve always believed that there is no limit to what we can learn. The only limits are what we set for ourselves. Yet, in my field of study, knowledge must be paired with compassion. In delving in the psychology of people, one must be open to the myriad of emotions and be able to penetrate the defensive walls that people place around feelings, while keeping aware of academic knowledge. I believe that I have this capacity, and I am looking forward to developing my skills and knowledge through graduate education.
I am a native of the Philippines and my family moved to the United States just ten years ago. This change was overwhelming at first, but the similarities in our cultures helped me quickly adjust. I adapted to the way of life and was able to graduate with honors at the University of _____, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.
I returned to the Philippines and became a Human Resources manager for a big telecommunications company. The position carried with it huge responsibilities; however, I found my work immensely enjoyable and appreciated the interactions I had with a diverse group of professionals. After a few months though I realized that corporate work wasn’t for me and how I longed to do clinical Psychology work.
I went back to America to pursue my Master’s in Education. I thought this would be good grounding towards family counseling work that I intended to do. My graduate studies in Education gave me a better understanding of the many factors that affect a child’s development. Again, I worked in Human Resources to support myself through my studies.
In time, I was able to focus on Psychological Counseling. I again took up graduate studies in the field and was able to graduate with a Highest Distinction award from the Psychology Department. I then worked as an intern at the ____ College. I was student counselor and then research assistant, which gave me invaluable knowledge on the subjective and the objective. My hands-on counseling allowed me to know and help individuals with their struggles; while statistical research work gave me insight on commonalities and trends in the field.
As I delved deeper into Psychological counseling work, I began to focus on my key interests. I am particularly concerned about helping the immigrant community address its psychological issues. I currently volunteer with the local outreach program that extends counseling help to Asians
Ultimately, I want to work as both researcher and practitioner. The field of psychology is continually evolving and yet there is so much left to do in terms of changing societal attitudes towards mental illness. I intend to do research on preventive treatments for mental illnesses. Doctoral studies will me attain my goals, as well as improve my service to others.
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In a changed culture where fast and easy are key words, there has been a shift in attention and appreciation from the written word. Yet, for me, literature remains timeless treasures. Each book offers a reservoir of knowledge, emotions and passions. Each book is a treasure that should be guarded with care and reverence. My pursuit of a degree in Library Science will allow me to fuse my passion for books in both my personal and professional lives.
I believe that we become truly successful in things we are passionate about. There should not be a gap between what we do to put food on the table and what we do out of love. I am a mother of two and an active community volunteer. As such, I’ve always believed that what I do should make a difference in the lives of the people I care about the most. I hope that in going into Library Science, I can practice in an academic setting where I can influence young people in taking interests in books.
I’ve worked several jobs, most of which had something to do with writing. While in a sales and marketing company, I drafted presentations and advertising materials. I wrote out words that I knew would add value to the product and influence how people thought of it. Later on, I worked for a print magazine, for which I wrote articles and blurbs, and helped plan content. I loved my work, and it became natural to me to write out ideas and share my thoughts.
Like many writers, I believe that I can only be good at my craft if I kept on reading. So I have read my fair share of books and truly enjoyed them. This type of exposure helps me hone my talent.
Apart from improving my craft, I also learned a lot from my work experience. As a web writer for a start-up company, I realized the value of technology and how we need to promote it. As magazine contributor, I researched on different civic and legal procedures that affect my community. As volunteer for the Montessori School, I found out about alternative-education systems that aid in facilitating further learning. It was here in the school setting where I was inspired to take my graduate studies and improve my skills.
I want to do work that effect change. This is something that’s always been true about myself, which I realize through active involvements with various civic organizations like the American Red Cross and the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. In becoming a librarian, I feel that I will be able to make a positive contribution to the lives of young intellectuals. It is an opportunity for me to share my love and passion for the written word. Hopefully, I will be able to immeasurably enrich children’s lives and make them learned readers.
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Are you considering taking on graduate studies in the United States? If so, you need to know that the rules and regulations here require that as a foreigner, you must have a visa to avail of entry to the country. And, that visa has to be the appropriate type of visa that is coherent to the purpose of your trip.
Visas to the United States
But before we actually touch on how you can immigrate to the United States by declaring yourself a student seeking graduate studies in the United States, it is best for you to get to know first the types of visas that the Immigration has in store. Check them out:
* Tourist Visas- this is type E-3 in the Immigration list. If you are a tourist already staying in the U. S. and your visa period has already lapsed, you can apply for an extension.
* Exchange Visitor Visas- or type J-1. In this scenario, a native of the United States goes out to another country and a native from that country, in turn, goes to America.
* Business Visas- or B-1, this is for those who go to official yet temporary business trips to the U. S.
* Working Visas- visa for working in the United States come in H-1B and H2-B. H-1B is for college educated professionals H-2B, on the other hand, is for skilled and unskilled workers
* Special Country Visas- Mexican and Canadian workers have the TN NAFTA, while their dependents get TD visas. Australians, on the other hand, get the E-3 visa, which is a temporary working visa.
* Transit Visa- or C-1, this is for those who fly exchange flights to the U. S. and then to another destination.
* Student Visa- or F-1, this is for those who want to go to higher learning institutions and language schools in the country. There is also a counterpart, M-1, for those who
* Fiance/Fiancee Visa- or K-1, this type of visa is for foreigners who are about to marry an American in the United States.
Tips On How To Get To The United States As A Graduate Student
So, what is the best way to get to the United States as a graduate student? Consider which type of visa you will be applying for! Here are some tips to guide you through:
* Get either an F-1, J-1, or M-1 visa. These are the only types of visa that the Immigration allows you to use as a graduate student in the United States.
* Make sure you plan ahead Keep in mind that as a foreigner in U. S. soil, you don’t just worry about how you’re going to ace through the GRE, the graduate admission essay, and all the other admission requirements in your prospective graduate school. Bear in mind that you also have to take care of your visa and all other necessary papers as required by the government.
* Know where to go once you get there. When you finally get to the States, expect some dialogues with the Immigration as well as with the school department that caters to international students.
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The one real mistake we can make in life is to not learn from missteps and challenges that come our way. In fact, it is in the missteps and challenges where we learn the fullest and become better persons. I believe that with all my experience and training, I am best in helping people know themselves, and understand and learn from their vulnerabilities. And, for me, there’s no better field to be at than community counseling.
I had a middle-class upbringing, with both parents in civil service careers. My mother was a schoolteacher while my father was a county supervisor. This imbibed in me the ideals of hard work and civic duty. I believed that we should all give back to our communities, whenever we get the chance.
Early in my life, I was already working to support myself and others. From high school to college, I took on part-time jobs like grocery store clerk and office assistant in the university’s athletic department. I volunteered for home building and renovation projects, and participated in charity events like fundraisings.
I worked as psychotherapist in a few community clinics after college. On my free time, I volunteered at the local high school and worked as guidance counselor. I found several successes through this period, working with troubled individuals, and these strengthened my conviction that I am in the right field.
I have begun work as drug and alcohol counselor at a local counseling center. I teach people to begin rebuilding their lives by owning up to mistakes and starting over. The hardest part in this work is instilling in people that there is nothing to be ashamed about, and that they should not let frustrations overpower their commitment to change.
With my involvements, I have come to realize how our legal and social care system needs to change as well. Drug offenders are imprisoned and then released without rehabilitation alternatives. Recidivism is high among these individuals and thus, creates bigger social and criminal problems. The conservative attitude of punishing offenders turns a blind eye to real emotional and psychological problems that can be addressed and can help curb drug abuse. As counselor, one of my goals is to seek legislative reform for drug-related criminal offenses.
I want to pursue graduate studies as the next step to becoming an active clinician and candidate for doctoral work. My focus will remain in community counseling as there is still so much work to do, particularly in economically depressed areas. I feel that the lack of support and proper education in these areas. My long-term goal is to become an educator, and train people to become counselors. I expect that things won’t come easy – there may be no financial rewards ahead and this type of work can tax even the toughest hearts. Yet, I envision the health and success of my community. I look forward to further educating myself and improving my capacity to help. There is no greater duty for me than to be an advocate for my patients.
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The US News and World Report comes up with graduate school rankings every year. Ranking is often based on the quality of the program, as well as quality indicators of faculty, students and research. The schools on top often have very selective application processes and it is a privilege to qualify.
Their application processes will require the submission of several documents, transcript of academic records and the like. One of the more important document requirements is the graduate admission essay. Almost all graduate fields, be it under health, science, business and the social science, require graduate admission essays.
Graduate Program in History: Yale University
Yale University ranks number one in graduate programs in History. The school has a stringent selection process and graduate students are admitted on the recommendation of the Department.
Graduate admission essays are required. The first requirement is the usual graduate admission essay, which is the personal statement. The second graduate admission essay is a book review of the book that shaped the kind of project you want to get involved in as a historian.
Graduate Program in Sociology: University of Wisconsin-Madison
In the field of Sociology, the University of Wisconsin in Madison ranks number one for its graduate program. Like in other graduate programs, your application needs to be supplied with sample writings or graduate admission essays. The admissions committee asks for your best work – that is, your best sociology paper. You should also submit a graduate admission essays with your statement of reasons why you want to do graduate studies and why you choose the university.
Graduate Program in Public Affairs or Public Administration: Syracuse University
The top graduate school in public affairs, Syracuse University, also requires a graduate admission essay. Your graduate admission essays should include a personal statement that should illustrate your critical understanding of the field. For your graduate admission essay, it is suggested that you include what motivates you to take on further studies and your future career goals.
Graduate Program in Nursing: University of Washington
The University of Washington’s Graduate Program in Nursing requires a graduate admission essay wherein you write about something relevant to the program’s objectives. For your graduate admission essay, you should include your own career goals, especially if these aligns with the school’s.
Graduate Program in Psychology: Stanford University
Application to the Stanford University’s Graduate Program in Psychology is online and requires a graduate admission essays with your statement of purpose. When drafting your graduate admission essay, make sure to read about the program’s objectives and then discuss how these align with your own.
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The strong among us would run the distance to capture that elusive dream. I learned early on that this is the only way dreams are realized – that is, we envision, work, and love what we’re doing while at it. Although it takes time and a lot of hard work to get to our goals, this is the only way towards our greatest victory. We overcome life’s natural obstacles, learn, heal, and, in my case, teach people how to heal. I am look forward to graduate studies as the next step in my journey.
I got my Associate Degree before earning my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from ______ University. Through this, I supported myself working as a Certified Lifeguard, day care center assistant and eventually as a volunteer at the local child welfare services office. I worked since I was in high school, juggling thirty to forty hour workweeks.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved working with children. I found it greatly rewarding to teach and take care of children when I was in the day care center. It gave me satisfaction knowing that in small ways, I was contributing to their future. As volunteer for child welfare services, I tutored autistic bi-polar children. It was heartbreaking and challenging to teach mentally disabled children, yet I ploughed through. I was a natural with what I did and I am proud of the impact I have in their lives.
Later on, I became a case manager for the child welfare services office. This was the time when my life took a different turn. I learned to provide crisis intervention for children and their families. I investigated cases of child abuse, neglect and abandonment. Likewise, I became a children’s advocate, oftentimes representing them in court hearings and making sure that our public welfare system took care of them.
In time, I took on a supervisory role in the child welfare services office. I have been in this position for two years now, and I still find great fulfillment whenever I’ve somehow improved the lives of children and families. In recent victories, I was able to bring a child and her mother back together, after an abduction by the father.
My interest in Marriage and Family therapy has been brought about by my experiences. And while my learnings from my work in the child welfare services office are invaluable, I recognize the need to educate myself further. There have been much advancement in clinical diagnosis and treatment, which can help me improve in my functions and future endeavors.
My long-term goal is to have my own Marriage and Family therapy practice. A degree in MFT will help me realize this goal; as well as improve my dealings with children and families. I believe that my life experiences provide me with a solid foundation to take on graduate study, and I am ready for the next steps.
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You just got your college diploma; now what do you do? For some college graduates and prospective college graduates, the answer might be hunt a job and settle down. On the other hand, a growing number of those who have just earned their bachelors degrees are now considering taking on further education regarding the courses that they have just finished. This may have been fueled by the desire to get better job advancement opportunities or by mere self-fulfillment sentiments.
The Graduate Admission Essay
Are you one of those who would like to pursue a masters or a doctors degree? Then, apply for admission in a graduate school now! It may be that easy, but there are still some people who are hesitant to apply for entrance in a graduate school. This is because of the so-called threat that comes with application, referred to as the graduate admission essay.
What is a graduate admission essay? A graduate admission essay is, for those who have successfully aced graduate school admissions, is the most important determining factor as to whether you’re really going to make it to graduate school or not. Basically, it is a statement of purpose and is likeable to or is actually part of the GRE in the sense that it is also a tool that helps graduate school examiners assess if you as a graduate school candidate can really make it to graduate school.
The Graduate Admission Essay As A Statement of Purpose
The graduate admission essay is a prospective graduate school student’s statement of purpose. Why a statement of purpose? It is a statement of purpose because it outlines your intentions in seeking admission to a graduate school. The graduate admission essay is somewhat like a history of your purpose, a biography of your intention, a comprehensive yet very laid back summary of how you came to the realization that you wanted to pursue further studies in your field of choice–thus, a statement of purpose.
The Graduate Admission Essay As GRE
GRE stands for Graduate Record Exams. The GRE basically is all about gauging the ability of your academic and mental faculties through a series of tests. Now, how can the graduate admission essay be likened to the GRE? For one, both the GRE and the graduate admission essay are determinants as to whether a candidate for graduate school admission will be able to make it to graduate school or not. Second, both the GRE and the graduate admission essay test a candidate’s skills and intellect, albeit in different ways. That’s because the GRE is mostly associated with objective type test questions whereas the graduate admission essay is a narrative type of exam. On the other hand, the graduate admission essay sometimes comes alongside or as one of the tests in GRE.
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PhD in Psychology Graduate admission essay sample
Descartes once said that the only thing which we have power over is our own thoughts. According to him, because of this power, we can be architects of our destinies. This may be true to the majority but for people with mental illness this is the exact opposite of reality. With mental illness, instead of controlling our own thoughts, we imprison thoughts and emotions.
Mental illness has often been misunderstood, arising to bias against those with the disease. Following this, society has also somehow neglected sufferers and has rather chosen apathy and fear. I know this first hand since I was a child. My parents taunted me as a daydreamer. My teachers thought I was dumb, an airhead. When in fact, a few months later, I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). From the years of scorn, my condition finally had a name, and I felt thankful and confident for once. Only then did I get the medication I needed to recover. In later years, I would be diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), for which I was also given medication. Unlike ADHD, my OCD was visible to others. I began to watch how people reacted to me and the manifestations of my disease. Here, I realized the bias that lacked understanding, and how this stigma adds to the sufferer’s burden.
Surprisingly, through my personal struggle, I was still able to excel in my academics. I was consistently on the Dean’s List, and held memberships in honor societies. It was ironic that it was because of the social stigma that I suffered which allowed me so much time to study.
On top of this, I qualified into the teams of two research projects. I am now a Research Assistant on a project that seeks to explore identity development in young adults. The study will focus on how gender, race and class identity affects mental health and academic performance. Likewise, I am also doing research work for a professor, wherein we study the influences of internal maturational factors and socio-cultural experiences to cognitive learning.
At this time, my mental illness has ceased to be a matter of shame and is now steering my ambitions to learn more. The more I read and understand the studies that have been made about mental illness, the more I intuit about my personal struggles with the disease. I can often draw from my personal experiences to get the bigger picture, whenever I encounter similar cases. In a way, my struggles have given me the extra pieces that can help solve the puzzles of psychology.
My ultimate goal is to be able to focus on early diagnoses and preventive therapy. I believe that as we expand studies in behavioral sciences, we can decrease psychological problems dramatically.
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