sample admission essay

I have always lived by the quote: “Mistakes are not failures. Quitting is the true failure.” This quote speaks quite simply about not giving up and about realizing one’s dreams to the very end. When a person has a goal, it is important never to lose sight of that goal, even though wrong decisions have been made and even if there are missed opportunities along the way. My path toward my goal may have gone through a detour, but I believe that my decision to take up an Art degree at this institute will place me on the right path, allowing me to improve on my skills and to realize my dreams.

Beginning the age of 15, I’ve always dreamed of pursuing my passion for the arts and getting my formal education at the _________. However, financial problems have kept me from attending the school, and for a time, I chose another path, taking up a web design degree from another school. I was never able to finish my degree from this school, and now I have decided to apply for a slot at the one institution that I know will be highly instrumental to my future success in my chosen field.

My commitment to my craft and my future career goals make me a good candidate for the __________. I plan to work in a web design company after finishing my degree and, hopefully, manage my own business one day. The obstacles that I have gone through have given me the resilience to rise above anything, and not to let poverty discourage me from my aspirations. Through my time management skills, I know I will be able to attend classes, activities, and meetings on time. Also, I will make sure that I have something to contribute to the discussions by being prepared and by studying and researching on what is required. With the standard of excellence that the institute is renowned for, I hope to be able to make my own contribution, through conscious effort and utmost dedication.

In the future, I envision myself working for a web design or web development company to gain worthwhile working experience and to expand my network. Eventually, I hope to be able to manage my own business, providing my clients with top notch e-business solutions and marketing materials for both small-time and big companies. I believe that the ________ will equip me with the needed knowledge, background, and updated set of skills so I can further my dreams and realize my lifelong goals at the right time.

A decade from now, I shall have my own business and work with organizations, charities, and other non-profit projects within my community.  I hope to impart to others what I have learned and gained through quality services and business solutions. By applying at __________, I am constantly reminded of the phoenix, a mythical creature known to rise from the ashes and live again. I know this will be my second chance, another shot at achieving my fullest potential and realizing my dreams.

Sample Outline

I.  “Mistakes are not failures. Quitting is the true failure.”

a.  never losing sight of a goal

b.  choosing the right path

c.  not to let missed opportunities and wrong decisions affect one’s goals

II.  Early dreams and obstacles

a.  plans to take up Art at age 15

b.  problems encountered
i.  financial problems
ii.  not able to finish web design degree

c. decision to apply at _____________

III.  Qualities that make a good candidate

a.  clear career goals
i.  commitment for studying
ii.  working for web design companies after graduation and managing my own business

b.  personal qualities
i.  commitment
ii.  time management skills
iii.  resilience
iv.  preparedness
v.  conscious effort and dedication

IV.  Future goals

a.  work for a web design company
i.  gain experience
ii. expand network

b. manage my own business
i. provide business solutions
ii. marketing services

V.  Long-term visions

a. work with community organizations

b. participate in non-profit causes, charities

c. share knowledge to others

This essay was prepared in accordance with our FREE SAMPLE ESSAY PROGRAM.

I have always believed in giving back to the community and in sharing my competencies and skills to others. My desire to help people in the field of preventive healthcare has fueled my decision to take up a graduate degree in Nursing. Overcoming the many challenges in my life have helped me to believe that I can reach any goal I have set for myself, and one of these lifelong goals is to become a nursing practitioner and to obtain my graduate diploma from a respectable institution. I have had my fair share of obstacles and trials, and if not for the benevolence of others and of the Almighty, I may not have gone this far in my journey.

My life has been one great challenge, but the trials that I have faced did not deter me from my goals. Taking care of my family, working full time, and looking after my two family members with autism may not be the picture of a perfect life, but I have managed to make the best use of my time and my resources, to give equal attention to the people I love as well as the career that I have chosen for myself. My son has had autism for 17 years now and is currently in high school. My sister, who is now 30 years old, also suffers from the same condition. I am currently taking care of my two sons and my sister while working full time, and although this has never been easy, I am thankful that I am able to rise above these trials and emerge a stronger and more grateful individual. Having been the first person in my family to have obtained a college degree, and hopefully a graduate degree in Nursing, I know I will be making my family proud, knowing that I have done my best to realize the goals I have set for myself.

It is my fervent belief that by taking up a graduate degree in Family Nursing, I will be able to contribute more to my community and be of service to people who are in need of my skills. I have learned how to be hardworking and committed, and these are two of the greatest values that I intend to contribute to the institution. My 18 years in the medical professional, 5 years CNA, 10 years LVN, and 2 years RN experience, are proof of my dedication to the field, and with the life experience that I have had, I believe I am prepared to face anything that comes my way.

Ten years from now, I want to be able to practice on my own and to work with my community, helping families adopt a healthier lifestyle. Getting a graduate degree from this institution, I believe, will help me enhance my skills and improve on my knowledge about health and nutrition, preventive medicine, and a host of other disciplines. It is my hope that one day, I will be able to open a wellness clinic where families in my community can obtain relevant and timely information on health, nutrition, and a balanced lifestyle. By obtaining a master’s degree in Nursing, I know I am in the right path and I know that road will lead me to where I am supposed to be.

Sample Outline

I.  Giving back to the community and sharing knowledge to others

a.  explaining why it is important to give back to others

b.  setting goals, making a decision, planning

c.  the importance of helping others, recognizing the help obtained from others and the Almighty as well

II.  Goals and personal life

a.  challenges in personal life
i.  17-year old son has autism
ii.  30-year old sister with autism

b.  focus and determination to reach goals

c.  time management skills and resourcefulness
i.  taking care of my family, with family members who have special needs
ii.  working full time

III.  Contribution to the institution

a.  giving back to the community

b.  extensive medical experience
i.  18 years in the medical profession
ii.   5 yrs CNA, 10 yrs LVN, 2 yrs RN

c.  values of hard work and commitment

IV.  Vision and purpose

a.  graduate degree leads to skill enhancement
b.  private practice, helping the community
c.  open a wellness clinic for families

Here is a free custom essay outline based on one of our network of blogs’ reader input.

Outline of the essay based on the reader’s biographic input

I.  Introduction
A.  Confucius quote: “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”
B.  Explaining how I got into music
C.  Explaining why music has become an inseparable part of me that I truly cannot do without

II.  My music education
A.  When my parents allowed me to take up piano
B.  My first, major individual achievement in music: grade 8 piano
C.  Joining the Chinese Orchestra Society

III.  How my appreciation and love of music grew
A.  As I learned to appreciate music, I felt greater freedom of expression.
B.  I felt that I was able to make the instrument sound the I wanted it to, express my thoughts and feelings in those very same melodies that captured me as a little boy.
C.  I continue to expand my knowledge, practice, and expression of music to this day.

IV.  Why I want to join this graduate music program
A.  I believe that this graduate music program will equip me with the tools, education, and experience needed to become the best musician I can be.
B.  Through my experience in this graduate program, I feel that I will be able to meet people who will become life-long friends and colleagues in the music world.
C.  Ultimately, my goal is to be the best musician I can be so that I may create music that, as Confucius put it, “produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”

Full First Paragraph of the custom essay

Confucius, one of China’s most celebrated philosophers, once said, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”  The first moment in my life that I felt this notion of my human nature being incapable of doing without music was when I was a young boy and my parents bought my sister a piano for her to take lessons.  I remember that every time she would play, I would be whisked away by the sweet melodies of the piano.  It was something that I felt an instant and direct connection with, as though I could not live without it.  At that point, I begged my parents to allow me to take piano lessons as well and it marked the beginning of a musical journey that I continue to this day.  Today, music is just as much a part of me as my body, my mind, my emotions, or my soul – truly a kind of pleasure which my being cannot do without.

“Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad company.” -  Booker T. Washington

This quote has long been one of the most important sources of  inspiration in my life.  Aside from bidding sound advice, Washington also alludes to how powerful an influence each person can be in another person’s life.  It is not only important to surround yourself with good people and avoid bad company, but it is also paramount to make your own self-exemplary of a person of good quality.  This is the reason I want to pursue my graduate studies at the Prairie View A&M University College of Business.  I feel that Prairie View is the best environment for surrounding myself with good people and for my own formation into an even better person who can be a positive influence on those around me.

Washington’s quote resounds loudly in me because I share the same beliefs.  My primary aspiration in life is to obtain a PhD in management and, ultimately, become a professor at a top-tier historically black college and university, like Prairie View A&M.  I believe that education is one of the principal means of sharing who I am and what I have to give to others, as I strive to be that person of good quality and help others become better people themselves.  Achieving an MBA degree from Prairie View A&M will be a major step toward my aspirations and goals in life.  Aside from having an excellent business school with an outstanding MBA program, the institution is also a prominent historical symbol as Texas’ second oldest public institution of higher learning established to educate a diverse student population.  This falls right in line with my goal to teach in a historically black college or university.

Business plays a central role in our lives, in society, and in the way that the world continues to develop.  Business and the effects that ripple out from it have a strong effect on the human psyche and how we live our day to day lives.  Even in the context of the economic crisis we are suffering, we can see that business is cardinal, affecting practically every aspect of our lives from pricing and income, to employment and consumerism.  To be a positive and meaningful influence on the business minds of today and tomorrow is my perennial goal.

Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have both of my parents in the household to raise me.  This was quite different from the family background of many of my other friends, but it is something I am deeply grateful for.  My parents played an active role in my formation, and there was one thing that they always emphasized and encouraged in my life: education.  They helped  foster in me an attitude of passion, dedication, and discipline toward education that drives my ambitions.  Even more importantly, though, it is precisely that passion, dedication, and discipline that I wish to impart on others through my MBA education at Prairie View A&M, and my role as a future PhD-holder and professor in the field of business.

Outlined used for this Essay:

I.  Most inspirational quote for me

I started the essay with my favorite quote from Booker T. Washington, “Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad company” because of the following reasons:

1.  It reflects what I want to achieve in life.
2.  The quote discusses the importance of good company, good quality people, and the effect that one person can have on another.
3.  The quote helps explain that I want to be a good person who can positively affect those around me, and that Prairie View A&M is an ideal educational environment for fostering the right qualities and characteristics in me.

II.  Further explanation of the quote on a more personal level, going over how it ties in with my aspirations

In this part, I discussed my aspirations to obtain a PhD in management and to become a professor in a HBCU.  I also discussed about Prairie View A&M as a top-tier HBCU and, hence, makes for the perfect place to get training, education, and experience.

I explained my view of education and its major role of shaping people.  Becoming a teacher is the best way for me to share everything that I am to help others reach their full potential. This part also talks about how achieving an MBA from Prairie View A&M is a major step toward becoming a teacher and affecting other people’s lives in the best possible way.

III. Explanation of my personal perspective on business and why I have been inspired to succeed in business

This part tackles the following topics in relation to my desire to go to a business school:

1.  How business affects practically every aspect of our lives
2.  How the economic crisis is a perfect example of the effect that business has on our lives – This is also an adversity that I have had to overcome, because it’s difficult going to college in these tough economic times.
3.  How my perspective on business has contributed to my passion to become a teacher who can be a positive and meaningful influence on the business minds of today and tomorrow

IV.  Conclusion about how my parents inspired me

This is a short passage about how my parents have helped to foster my appreciation for education. This part also points out the following topics:

1.  Having two parents really helped to have a stable home, which many of my friends weren’t fortunate enough to have.
2.  How my parents always emphasized and encouraged education, passion, dedication, and discipline, which had a great impact on me.
3.  My goal is to instill in others the same passion, dedication, and discipline that my parents instilled in me.