sample admission essay

Tips for Returning Students — Advice for Older Individuals that Go Back
to School for their College Degree

Employers are beginning to shift their qualification standards that only those holding a college degree or a formal academic training could possibly pass. Although experience remains a clear advantage of older jobseekers, human resource management officers tend to strictly follow employer’s set of standards that is biased to college degree holders. This reality pushed older people to go back to college.

While many wasted no time to enroll in a college course, a lot of adults find joining a class full of teenagers too awkward to bear. The fear of going back to college is the major cause why some employees remained stagnant in a lowly position and would probably stay that way until they retire. Those who dared to return to the classroom but failed to overcome the age gap ended up failing to get their much needed degree.

Here are practical tips for older students planning to go back to school. These are derived from my own personal experience and from several readings available in the Internet.

1. Use Your Age As An Advantage

Being ten years older or more is a huge advantage. Think of the wealth of your experiences and understanding of how things work compared to an 18-year-old freshman. While younger people can memorize faster than most older people do, keep in mind that you have known many things before they had a chance to encounter such knowledge. Mathematically, older students have lesser information to memorize. Your wealthy experience provides a wider understanding of how things are done because and there is always the benefit of hindsight.

2. You are more Motivated

Eyeing for a promotion or a higher-paying job drives adults to earn a college degree. This motivation works stronger than what young students aim which is commonly to land on a job. Adult students are sure that earning a degree has far more real benefits than young students who are yet to experience getting paid for a job.

3. You Have A Role To Play In Class

Adult students provide a balance in the diversity of knowledge inside a classroom. Encouraging and leading study groups lets you learn new things in tandem with your young counterparts. In most cases, older students are antidotes to the domination of the teacher in a classroom. Teachers or instructors normally accord a higher respect to older students and would normally avoid using “terror” tactics when adults are around.

4. You Have More Resources To Afford College

Having been gainfully employed, adult students could better afford paying college fees, books and learning materials. Compared to young students who are depending on their parents to subsidize their education, adult students have savings or income to spend for their own needs. Availability of more resources enables us to device better study methods.

5. Manage Your Time Well

Most adult students failed to get their college degree because they failed to manage their time. Overconfidence is the main culprit behind the failure of adults returning to college. Relying on mere stock knowledge to pass a test is their most common mistake.

Prioritizing the demands of your job is normal, but allocating too little time to study would, in the end, defeat your goal to finish college. One should not allow the thinking “Anyway, I am already earning!” to water down the passion to achieve a dream.

6. Returning To College Is A Right

Age should never be an issue in the pursuit of academic achievements. No one should be discriminated in the campus because of his or her age. In fact, continuing education is already mandated in areas such as law, medical sciences, business management and engineering. This should erase the perceived awkwardness of being an adult student.

A member of the Ivy League and the ninth oldest university in the United States, Dartmouth University continues to attract freshman students by living up to its reputation as one of the country’s (if not the world’s) premier universities and its dedication to deliver the highest quality education.

The university has produced hundreds of alumni who have laid useful contributions to nation building and their respective fields, including astronomers, governors, federal legislators, Nobel Prize winners, and many more.

Brief History of Dartmouth College

Establishing the Dartmouth University was not a walk-in-the-park for its founder, Reverend Eleazar Wheelock (a Congregational Minister from Connecticut), who intended to build a school for the education of the Native Americans. After trying to found the college in 1750 in Connecticut, English settlers (who started coming into the area) drove the natives farther northward. This made things more difficult and costly for him and his students. Having only a few students, it would’ve been futile to build a school.

Thus, Mr. Wheelock resorted to raising money by sending his first student, Samson Occom, to England and raise money. Fortunately, several nobles in England generously gave their support by giving funds for the college. The biggest funding came from William Legge, the Secretary of State for Colonies (at that time under King George III), and the Second Earl of Dartmouth. The King finally granted him a charter in 1769.

The town of Hanover became Mr. Wheelock’s chosen venue, where the university stands until today.

Why study in Dartmouth University?

Dartmouth University takes pride in its globally competitive and high quality education. Every year, the college attracts thousands of students who compete for a slot in its baccalaureate liberal arts programs. You will also have a choice of moving to a graduate program after graduation. Dartmouth University offers Arts and Sciences graduate programs, the Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and Tuck School of Business.

Student life at Dartmouth

While the institution expects the best from the students, student life at Dartmouth is not entirely tied to academic. Student activities abound in the entire year to help develop well-rounded individuals and make student life easier. From the Arts, the university has two facilities (the Hood Museum of Art as well as the Hopkins Center for the Creative and Performing Arts) which aim is to allow students express their artistic sides and considers it vital in community-life.

Additionally, the university has set up other extra-curricular activities in the field of athletics, religious-life, outdoor activities, service, and general-interest student organizations.

How to apply to Dartmouth University

Dartmouth University compares a students achievement vis-à-vis the opportunities available for him/her in his/her environment, which becomes the basis for accepting or denying a student’s application. Prospective students can send their applications directly to:

Dartmouth College
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
6016 McNutt Hall
Hanover, NH 03755

Once your application is accepted, you will then be notified on how and when to take the standardized testing. The Dartmouth University official website contains several information on how to apply and includes printable application forms. Visit www.dartmouth.edu today and learn more about university.

What does a Nobel Peace Prize awardee, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, the med school professor who first diagnosed AIDS, and Maroon 5 have in common? The University of California, Los Angeles, or UCLA.

Starting out as a normal school in the 1880′s, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) became the second campus of one of the prominent state universities in the US. The first campus is located in Berkeley, California. Regent Edward Dickson and Director Ernest Caroll Moore led the transition of UCLA from being a school for teachers into a full-fledged university. UCLA was formerly known as the Los Angeles State Normal School, then became the Southern Branch of the University of California before becoming the University of California at Los Angeles in 1927. The “at” in UCLA’s name was dropped and replaced by a comma in 1958. The change was made to be consistent with the name of other UC campuses.

UCLA is among the most prestigious universities in the world. Newsweek ranked UCLA 12th in its list of the Top 500 Global Universities, while the U.S News and World Report listed UCLA as the 25th best national university in America. As for China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University, UCLA ranked 13th in the world when it comes to scientific research that leads to a Nobel Prize.

To prove UCLA’s excellence, take the UCLA Medical Center. The UCLA Medical Center is ranked as one of the top hospitals in the US, up there with the likes of John Hopkins Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1981, assistant professor Michael Gottlieb diagnosed a then unknown disease now known as AIDS.

But UCLA’s prestige does not begin nor end with medicine or the sciences. It will not be prudent to think of a stereotypical UCLA student as a geeky bookworm. In a country where college basketball is covered by the media almost as vigorously as the NBA, the UCLA Bruins boasts of 11 championships, the most for any US university. And yes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—him of the sky-hook and the NBA’s most number of career points and MVP awards—hails from UCLA, as do with sweet-shooting Reggie Miller.

As for the arts, UCLA also distinguishes itself. If you enjoyed watching the films Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter, then you have UCLA alumnus and Oscar Award winner John Williams to thank for the brilliant musical scoring. Also, Maroon 5, The Doors, and Linkin Park—all internationally successful bands—trace their roots to UCLA.

Application to UCLA can be done online, starting with the filling out of the online application form that can be found at the University of California’s website. The application form is the same for all of the UC system’s nine campuses.

If you do get into UCLA, watch out during finals week. Students simultaneously scream at midnight and ride bikes in their underwear, to take off some of the pressure of the exams. These may seem a little crazy to others, but for the Bruins of UCLA, it’s tradition. And so is academic, athletic, and artistic excellence.

Photo Credit: Slack12

Before the American Civil War, a medical education was plainly not accessible to African-American students. Students of color who wished to get a medical degree had to study in schools mostly located in the North, Europe, or Canada.

From the late 19th century to the early years of the 20th century, African-American medical students faced numerous difficulties. Only a few educational institutions would allow African-American students to pursue their medical education regardless of their academic standing. Schools such as Howard University and Meharry Medical College were just some of the few institutions that were specifically established and managed by white Americans for medical students of color.

After the Civil War, several medical institutions and schools opened their doors to African-American students but racism, prejudice, and marginalization still existed through the “separate but equal” Jim Crow policies. In response to this, African-Americans established their own medical schools that catered only to minority students.

Through the Civil Rights Movement in the sixties, African-American students were slowly integrated into previously white-only schools and universities. Today, African-Americans are enjoying the fruits of their determined and hard-working predecessors. Despite the fact that they still face many issues, more African-American medical students are now practitioners in their respective fields.

Affirmative Action

Several laws/executive orders/regulations were passed or implemented in order to address the discrimination issues not only at schools but in government and private offices. These policies can be referred to as “Affirmative Action ,” a term first coined during the start of the Civil Rights Movement in the sixties.

As such, medical colleges and universities were required to implement programs and plans that can help address diversity issues . These plans and programs include active recruitment, outreach, support centers, advocate groups, residential houses with ethnic themes, and financial aid systems that cater to minority groups.

As a result, more students are given the chance to pursue their medical degrees regardless of race and economic status. These laws helped create a more diverse student body in many medical schools and a more diverse health care system .

Trends in African-American Medical Education

According to a survey done by the University of California, educational aspirations for many African-Americans remain high. Twenty-four percent of the school’s African-American population plan on getting doctoral degrees. The high interest of African-Americans in professional degrees such as medical and law professions can also be considered an improvement despite current difficulties.

At the VCU School of Medicine , about 8-10% of its student population are actually African-Americans, serving as proof that meaningful student body diversity can be achieved.

Practical Tips for African-American Students

One useful tip for African-American students who wish to pursue a medical degree is to get a clear understanding of and take advantage of race-neutral strategies used by many universities and colleges. These programs can include research fellowships, graduate school excellence programs that were developed for disadvantaged undergraduates, and other similar strategies. These strategies also focus on economic background. Conversely, African-American students would also do well to learn about private and public schools’ diversity/cultural outreach programs. These programs offer valuable guidance on grades and preparation strategies.

Another tip is to use the Internet when searching for financial aid information and resources that cater to minority groups. Getting a copy of the MSAR or Medical School Admission Requirements is also a good idea since this publication contains comprehensive information on financial aid programs, descriptions of federal aid strategies, requirements of specific schools, and a list of other helpful materials.

photo credit: JBlaze B