sample admission essay

Although you can already get a job once you graduate from high school, pursuing higher education is something you should consider because doing so would provide you more opportunities. If you plan to go to college or vocational school, you may be wondering which one is right for you. This article discusses the differences between going to college and going to vocational school.

What goes on inside classrooms

Four-year college programs are typically based on the foundation of the humanities and the sciences, which includes courses such as philosophy, literature, math and logic, arts, and history. Liberal arts education aims to develop the students’ potentials and give them a well-rounded education. This is done through educating students regarding the humanity of man. Programs focusing on the sciences, meanwhile, provides students knowledge about the various trends, approaches, and investigations in the field of pure sciences (such as physics, biology, and chemistry) and the applied sciences (such as engineering).

Unlike college programs, vocational schools aim to educate and train students on their chosen specialization. Those who go to vocational school are well-equipped with training needed to succeed in a certain trade or technical job. Various specializations offered by vocational schools include funeral services, tourism, travel, cosmetics, retail, and cottage industries.

Choosing between college and vocational school

Before you enroll in a particular program or school, you should first determine your career goals. Assess your interests, dreams, skills, and strengths. Doing this is important for you to make the right choice. If you plan on establishing a career in the corporate world, enrolling in a college program will be better for you. But if you would like to become a chef or a makeup artist, it would be advisable for you to enroll in a vocational school; vocational school programs will provide you with the right kind of training. The key to making the right decision is to know what you want to do and which career path you want to take.

Photo Credit : Tim Alamenciak

HOW TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE DISCUSSION LEADER IN YOUR COLLEGE CLASSES

The break finally comes to an end, and the semester opens to a fresh period of learning. Whether you are the teacher or the student, you understand the value of  first impressions and expectation setting. In the academe, open communication lines and dynamic information exchange are the main ingredients in a successful learning experience. So, the greatest challenge you face on the first day is how to start the ball rolling–and keeping it that way! This article provides you some simple yet creative tips that will assure you of many productive discussion sessions ahead.

Get creative!

Experts on adult learning cite the importance of remembering names on the first day. Perhaps, the mere thought of doing so makes you groan right now, as we know that most adult learners dislike having to memorize. But then again, the childlike and competitive among us always like games, don’t we? Why don’t you use ice-breaking activities, such as having students or classmates introduce themselves by using adjectives that begin with the letter of their first names (i.e., Resilient Rachelle)? Or why not try having them answer questions like “If you were a movie, what movie would you be?” That’s just to get people to warm up a bit. It is the first day of school, after all.

Be motivating

Just as writers need to be inspired in order to write at their best, students also need a stimulating classroom environment to help them perform well in discussions. If a member of the class feels as if he or she is being put on the Hot Seat everytime you ask him or her a question, then that will make other members of the class very reluctant to speak out. Be an encourager; foster an environment that allows the class to think and speak freely without fear of retaliation.

Establish a relationship with the class. Like in any organization, the success of the class comes from knowing that the element of trust is present. Trust may be manifested at 3 different levels: trust in their character, trust in their competencies, and trust in communication.

Exchange roles and practice empathy

Perhaps, the only aspect of the organizational structure from which the classroom is unique is the flexibility of roles and the freedom to exchange these roles. In an office,  you cannot go to work one day and say, “I think I’m going to be the boss today.” (Although I’m quite sure that some of us would want to have our bosses take instructions from us from time to time). In contrast, the classroom allows the teacher and the student to switch places whenever it is appropriate. In fact, this role play is not only allowed but encouraged for many good reasons: to facilitate the exchange of ideas, to limit the monopoly of talk-time, and sometimes, to allow the teacher  some rest and relaxation.

Put these tips to use, and you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to keep the ball rolling after all. You and your class will not be disappointed.

Effective note taking is almost always a bane among college students. In fact, students who get low test scores or, worse, fail the entire course has one naughty monkey on the back – finding the best way to digest all the information that spirals around a particular college classroom.

This difficulty can be attributed to the early years, when youngsters in K-level to even junior college are inadequately trained to put the teacher’s words into paper. We can notice poor thought organization skills or, more appropriate to this generation, breakneck attention spans that leave professors and teachers thinking, am I in a school or a mall?

As these students enter the august halls of college, he or she is dumbfounded and shocked to see how past misgivings are taking their toll.

What can the beleaguered student do amidst all the chaos? Start with effective note-taking. Before the term papers, reports and exams, students should know how to take notes. Without it, the battle is lost before it even began.

Effective note taking starts with listening. Active listening, that is. You don’t attend class just to listen to teachers or lecturers in a way akin to going to a theater or a family reunion, or passive listening. In active listening, you listen to understand and understand really well.

When the teacher starts the lecture, turn off the iPod, ditch the PSP, or forget how your seatmate looks like. Listen intently.

As you carefully listen to what the lecturer is saying, first check for cues about the lecture’s purpose. What is the teacher talking about? If you get the main point, then your further travails will be a lot smoother because as you listen further, you would only relate the subsequent utterances to this grand purpose.

Then check for the way the teacher organizes the lecture. Watch for the big introduction, like “Today’s lecture is about the masters of Renaissance art.” This will provide the best guide on how your notes should be organized. Look for statements of emphasis, especially those that start with “remember” or “don’t forget,” enumerations, starting with “number one, number two” or “first, second,” and transitions, with “next” and “finally”. Almost always, these should reflect on your notes.

When you write, you must also be organized. Follow the cues and the keywords uttered. Start with the date and topic on top. Follow on with subtopics at the bottom with terms that you should define, names that should be introduced under that particular heading. As you hear all the words or sentences the lecturer emphasizes, mark it down right away and make sure you understand what you wrote. If you did not understand what the lecturer said, call his or her attention and have it repeated. Of course, try to learn how to write faster.

The most crucial part of effective note taking is reviewing what you wrote. Do it after class. It allows you to clearly understand the lecture. If not, the lecturer is always at hand.

photo credit: Paul Worthington

Year after year, thousands of students dream of entering Brown University, one of the most prestigious educational institutions in America and in the world and a member of the elite Ivy League. Being a part of the crème de la crème of the academic world, studying at Brown University is definitely the ultimate goal of many individuals who wants to live and breathe their chosen courses and disciplines with greatness and liberty.

Brown University is located in the city of Providence in Rhode Island, embracing almost 8,000 students in its Undergraduate College, Graduate School, and Medical School. Brown offers more than 90 programs which allow students from all over the world to design and mold their curriculum with the help of the university’s faculty which has more than 620 members.

History of Brown University

Founded as the College of Rhode Island in 1764 in Warren, Rhode Island, it accepted students a year later and moved to College Hill in the city of Providence five years later.

In 1804, the name College of Rhode Island was changed to Brown University in honor of a gift from Nicholas Brown, a businessman, philanthropist, and graduate of the institution.

The university was the first in America to accept students of different religions. In 1891, women were admitted in the university for the first time when the Women’s College, which was renamed Pembroke College, was founded and then united with Brown in 1971.

In 1811, a medical program was put up but was put on hold in 1827. Medical degrees were again awarded to a graduating class in 1975. In 1850, Graduate studies were welcomed in Brown, stopped in 1857, and was strengthened during the years of 1887 to 1889.

The opportunity for the students to craft their studies and have access to the formation of their curricula were started in 1970, inspired by the belief of the University President Francs Wayland that students should only focus and concentrate on the field of study that they chose.

Brown’s Prestige

What makes young people to work hard and fight just to have a slot in Brown? Those who have the guts and wits to enter Brown are given the opportunity to explore the best for them. Brown guides students to the new ways of learning through their open curriculum system which gives the students the chance to have a say when it comes to their academics. The teachers and administrators guide the students in shaping their education.

Of course, there are the famous graduates and alumni who prove the greatness of Brown University. These people contributed their wisdom and talents to different fields like government, public service and law (like Theodore Francis Green, former US Senator; William Marcy, former Justice and Governor of New York, John Hay, former Secretary of State), literature, journalism, business, technology, sports, music and film and television.

Some members of royal families from around the world also studied in Brown, like Leila Pahlavi, Princess of Iran and youngest daughter of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Prince Faisal Ben Al Hussein, son of the late King Hussein of Jordan, Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark, Lady Gabriella Windsor, member of the British Royal Family; daughter of the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

Admissions to Brown University

The first important and official step to apply at Brown is the completion of an application form which will have all important information about you. After the application for admission forms, you will have to submit necessary documents such as your secondary school report and mid-year school report.

You also have to submit a personal admission essay , this is the primary way to introduce yourself to and make an impression on the Admission Committee. You may also need to write an essay with regard to your chosen course or program.

Also, you need to submit the results of your SAT tests (reasoning test and any two subject tests). For foreigners, it is required to submit the result of your TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

There are also interviews, and for some areas of study, you may need to have a portfolio and show the Admission Committee samples of your work.

You may visit the official website of Brown University at http://www.brown.edu or call (401) 863-1000 for information and inquiries.

Here’s a great article from the Los Angeles Times on student’s options and alternatives in case they get rejected by their first choice colleges:

With nearly perfect grades at a prestigious Los Angeles prep school and high SAT scores, Emily Podany should have nailed a spot at Stanford. But when she applied early to study astrophysics at her dream school, the Palo Alto university flat-out rejected her. Podany was crushed.

“When you see the small envelope, you just know it’s not good news,” said Podany, 18. “I just felt very sad for a couple days. Then that turned into anger at myself for not doing better.

Click Here for the Full Story

Applying to a prestigious Ivy League school vs. applying to a state school

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The words “Ivy League school” connote a certain prestige among people, not just in the US but in the global community as well. After all, who wouldn’t want to receive a diploma from any of the eight places of higher learning comprising the so-called Ivy League—Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard , Penn, Princeton, and Yale. It has also been the tradition of parents who have an Ivy League degree to encourage their children to also enroll in an Ivy League university. Further, the prestige associated with these schools come from the fact that Ivy League schools have much higher college fees (and endowments) than other schools such as, say, state schools or universities.

Think of the prep school boys in the movie “Dead Poets’ Society.” In the movie, most of these boys have affluent parents—specifically fathers—who came from Ivy League schools and who were pressuring their sons into joining the same university as theirs. You may ask yourself why the predominance of male Ivy League degree holders in the previous century. Well, Ivy League schools did not open their doors to women until the mid-20th century; Harvard, for example, officially allowed women into its classrooms only in 1943.

There’s also a certain romanticism and nostalgia associated with Ivy League schools. After all, the classic romantic movie, “A Love Story,” was set in Harvard. It was also written by an Ivy Leaguer, Eric Segal, who graduated from Harvard. The founders of “Time” magazine all came from Yale. A good number of Nobel Prize winners in the past century came from Ivy League schools.

So, is having an Ivy League degree the only option for high school graduates? Will success be not far behind after you receive your diploma from Yale or Princeton? Do Ivy League schools have superior programs than state schools or universities? Well, perhaps state schools are worth looking into.

Top State Schools

In any survey of the top universities of the world, the University of California – Berkeley, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and the New York University are usually found at the top of the list (side by side with some of the Ivy League schools). Yes, these schools are state schools or state universities. Yes, these schools have outstanding programs which are considered the best in the field. NYU has been known to to have excellent creative writing and film programs. The University of Chicago has one of the best medical programs in the US. Also, a good number of University of Chicago alumni have won the Nobel Prize in the latter part of the previous century. In the last decade, 13 Nobel Prize winners came from the University of Chicago.

State Schools: Good, Perhaps Better, Alternatives

While state schools may not have the same level of historical relevance as Ivy League schools, they are worth looking into. Of course, state schools charge less fees to their students, as compared to Ivy League schools. Perhaps it may not be a question of choosing a school first and then choosing your major next. Maybe the more logical thing to do is to choose a program first and then look at the schools that offer excellent courses on your chosen program—whether they are state schools or Ivy League. Ask yourself: is prestige really important? Would the place where I got my diploma matter in the real world? Or, would the experience I will be getting from the top state schools in the country far outweigh the advantages concerning the prestige of an Ivy League diploma?

A guide for non-US residents on how to apply to college in the USA

When faced with the important process of how to apply for college, one can be easily daunted by the many forms, tests, and trivial requirements of colleges around the world. Even with soaring test scores and impeccable transcripts, it is still quite hard to have a smooth and easy application to college in the United States – even for Americans. One can only imagine the difficulty that a foreigner would encounter in the same situation.

Foreign applicants to American colleges have to complete the requirements of any other student, as well as some additional requirements. Perhaps the best way to ease the process of application for foreign students is through organization and guidance. Although this guide will certainly not cover absolutely all of the considerations for foreign application to an American college, it will definitely be of great assistance.

Preparation and Anticipation

Like any other significant endeavor in life, it is always important to prepare ahead in order to anticipate the humps and bumps that may arise along the way. Before applying, narrow down the list of colleges that you wish to apply to. Once done, you can use the internet to visit the homepage of each college and gather the application procedure and requirements – keep in mind that the requirements will differ from school to school. Now you can make a schedule to help you along each of your tasks and deadlines to ensure that you are well prepared for things to come.

Falling in Line with the Rest

As a foreign student, you will have to complete everything that all the other students have to complete with the added bonus of extra requirements. Almost all college applications require the following:

Application form
Application fee
High school transcripts
Admission test scores (SAT, ACT, etc.)
Recommendation letter/s
Essay/s
Interview
Portfolio or audition (if applying for an arts related course)
You should also prioritize your list and adjust your schedule to make sure that you have enough time for each requirement. Remember that foreign students have quite a handful more to consider, therefore it is imperative to allot ample time to complete the regular requirements and those needed for foreigner applicants.

A Little Something Extra

The best place to begin after completing your normal requirements is by asking your high school guidance counselor for a list of common tests or requirements that will be needed for foreign applicants. This list will most likely consist of the following:

TOEFL or test of English as a foreign language (or other proficiency tests)
VISA (whether working or student)
Financial support

The TOEFL is an English proficiency test for foreigners who would like to work or study in places where English is the primary language. Acquiring a VISA and proper financial support determines whether or not you will be admitted into the United States and if you will be properly financed throughout your stay. Make sure to inquire with family (both abroad and in your native country) as they can help with these regards. Aside from these, double-check the specific requirements of each college you apply to.

Patience is a Virtue

Finally, all that is left to do is wait. Definitely, this wait will give you time to do more research into your colleges of choice and your programs of preference. Get out there and do some research into campus life, student programs, course information, and the likes. All of your work will pay off in the end!

photo credit: Rich Anderson

There are lots of mind-boggling questions swirling around students’ minds, as they hold their pen and wonder what to write for a piece of paper called College Admission Essay. Some of the questions that bother them are the following: what is the style of writing they should adopt for this specific kind of essay, what is the tone to use, and what topic to talk about. The students are really interested in knowing what the admission officers would like to read in a College Application Essay. For them, hitting the bull’s eye with their College Application Essay will definitely increase their chances of admission to their desired university. Entrance to a top university is a tough competition that one has to outwit, outplay, and outlast everybody with their creatively written essay.

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Free admissions essays for college

Writing one’s College Admission Essay is not the same as writing a research paper. This means that one’s essay should not be formulaic as though one is just stating facts about oneself. There’s a tendency for most admission essays to be boring and lifeless if one writes it in the form of research paper. The moment that the admission officers discover that one’s writing and essay is a complete drag, they are likely to miss the important details contained in the essay even though the credentials are excellent. The first thing an applicant has to remember is that Admission officers want the essay to be personal and imaginative. The next thing they have to take note of is how to write something personal without making it appear as a lifeless paper. The trick for this is to make the tone of the essay a conversational one. Since one is talking about his life, narrate it in a light humorous tone as though one is talking to another person like a friend. In this way, one will definitely get the focus and the hearts of the admission officers. People should freely express themselves. It is observed that the grammar is not given so much concern because the Admission officers are not reading an essay to find out if the applicant knows about subject-verb agreement. The application essays were created so that the Admission officers will know the applicant’s attitude and outlook in life.

The student’s goals in writing their College Admission Essay should always be to make it memorable. The applicant should ensure that the readers will peruse the essay from beginning up to the end. One can use witty catch phrases as well as funny stories and jokes as a springboard to start introducing one’s topic. Speaking of topics, it is best to stick with personal experiences rather than re-stating one’s resume or academic transcripts. Admission Officers are on the prowl to find unique personalities that will blend with the school’s standards and environment. They are after the authentic person behind the numbers and statistics i.e. grades. Another thing that the students have to remember in writing College Application Essay is to be original and individual. This means that their writing should reflect the unique individual creature that they truly are. Being creative and imaginative does not really have to be fictional. One’s admission essay should be true, honest, and most importantly sincere. The Admission officers can go beyond the beautiful words and detect if it’s true or not. Aside from that, Admission officers read thousands of essays, and they can’t recall everything they read. Thus, it is the applicant’s job to make a real impression on the reader. Make your essay fun and exciting. Don’t simply provide a lifeless detailed paper about yourself; instead show them colors and wonders of your personality.

If you are seriously considering applying to college or any graduate school, part of the preparation that you cannot ignore, aside from taking the required standardized tests, is the preparation of a well-crafted college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, as part of your application to college or grad school. This part of the application process is a measurement of your personality, and constitutes an integral part of the admissions process. With the number of applicants wanting to pursue higher education dramatically rising since the early 90 s, many colleges and post-graduate schools have imposed certain safeguards to regulate the entry of admitted applicants to their programs. The goal is to admit only candidates who hold promise and are likely to succeed in their chosen field of endeavor. The college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay, is one such safeguard.

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It is important, therefore, to come up with a well-polished college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay. And doing so need not be a problem if you are capable of articulating your experiences in written form quite well.

What do you actually need to present in a college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay? It varies actually. Some schools have several specific topics from which you are required to choose and write about. However, on the average, admissions essays usually seek to present you as an individual. This may include a listing of your past and present experiences, your nature, preferences, ideals, principles, family and social backgrounds, your school years, grades received, extracurricular activities, etc. But these are not simply listed down. The essay should seek to present these profiles in clear and specific details and preferably, accompanied with one or two related anecdotes.

The area of extracurricular activities will be of particular significance. Many admissions officers are no longer impressed with high test scores as well as high grades. They realize that these do not represent the total you. They are not satisfied with the numerical side of yourself. What they would like is to get to know more about you and the activities you got involved in, which may be presented in the college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay. Specifically, they want you to present evidence that your field of expertise, for which you are seeking further studies on, is one that is very close to your heart. That being the case, you naturally do not limit your knowledge of the field to theoretical concepts in school. You go out and engage in projects wherein you are able to apply school theories in actual situations.

Such evidences, again, as written down in the college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay – as the case may be, along with an excellent school record as well as a good performance in the admissions test, will persuade school administrators that you are capable of adding something significant to your selected field of study and their school in particular.

However, such evidences should not be listed down in general terms. What is usually required in many college admission essays or graduate school admission essays, including MBA essays are specifics. Detailed accounts of the off-campus undertakings that you immersed yourself in while attending school. Undertakings that are directly connected to your area of concentration. A good example would be something like the following: wanting to enter medical school, you decided to sign up, in the final year of your pre-med course, as a volunteer in the relief operations organized by the group Band-Aid to help the famine-stricken country of Ethiopia. There, your eyes were opened to the harsh reality that not everything is ok in the world. You began to acknowledge that while a number of countries may be well-off, countless others are living way below certain human standards of living. And they are in dire need, not only of food and shelter, but such other basic necessities like medicine and health care.

The college admission essay or graduate school admission essay, including MBA essay affords you the opportunity to present yourself as someone capable of sharing something significant in a particular field, and not just a mere statistic in the same.

photo credit: Rebecca (Becky/Bex)

High school is nearly over and preparation for college is just around the corner. Admittedly, not all students can afford to continue their education due to financial restraints so the next best thing available for those who do not have the financial capability is to apply for a college scholarship.

Those students who are qualified academically and excel in a particular sport can apply in universities and that offer sports scholarships. Being a varsity player for a particular college team can help students pay for their undergraduate education. Basketball, football, and swimming are some of the sports where athletic scholarships are awarded. However, students who are granted athletic scholarships are required to take undergraduate degrees. Scholarships granted by universities may vary and are provided on a year-to-year basis which can be re-applied for up to four years.

How to apply for athletic scholarships

Coaches scout for new talents in matches and events. A coach may ask a player to play for his collegiate team, but even if he does this, one must still apply to the university ollowing the regular academic application procedures. Make sure that you meet the required academic standards of the school you want to go to and maintain these as your scholarship will depend on the evaluations and recommendations of the coach and other academic teachers.

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A student may also personally approach coaches of different universities and colleges. But for a student to do this, he or she should have a distinctive accomplishment in his/her field of sport. Do not fail to do a background check on these school as one may need to compare his performance to their standards. An applicant may also need to provide these coaches a resume of his sports accomplishments and a video documenting his qualifications.

How to Win a Scholarship

1. Gear up. Letters of recommendations from your teachers, school counselors are important.
2. Prepare. Make sure you have a copy of your high school diploma.
3. Be active. Involving yourself in community activities and projects will work to your advantage.
4. State your goals. Write an essay detailing your objectives and your achievements to date. Make sure you stand out.
5. Get organized. Do a research on scholarships that suit your criteria. Also, keep track of the deadlines of applications by creating a chart which includes the name and contact information of the university, scholarship name, date of application, verification, and follow ups.
6. Get noticed. One thing that will make you stand out is your essay application. This is your chance to get your yourself noticed. Make sure that before submitting this, ask your English professor to review and edit it.

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