Hello all, I'm seeking admissions into the Strategic Design and Management graduate program at Parsons School of Design in NYC. With such an elite program, that has thousands of applicants and only selecting 65, I have taken advantage of every opportunity to make myself known among the faculty and also have sat in on several classes. Not sure if I could have done anything more. Now, all that is left is submitting my application materials and I am currently stuck on my SOP given all the positive feedback received from the directors in regards to what to include in my application to make it stand out, throughout all my interactions with Parsons over the last several months.
I still have yet to complete my Program essay (500 words) so I could potentially shift some info in my current SOP over to the Program Essay. However, I really feel as though the current draft of my SOP really authentically represents me and also answers all of thier required questions. That said, my current SOP is over the word limit of 750 words and is right around 1100 words. I'm not sure if I should just take a chance and submit it as is, or try to adhere by thier word count limit. Please let me know how I can improve on what I have drafted thus far as writing is not my strength. Any and all advise will be GREATLY appreciated.
My current SOP draft:
- Eleanor Roosevelt.
I am a entrepreneur, designer, and consultant who is passionate about creativity, community, and commerce. Particularly, I love creating things that cultivate a sense of confidence in others. Above all, I consider myself to be a dreamer with a vision. My dream is to become a successful serial impact entrepreneur that drives positive change on a global scale. My vision in accomplishing that dream is also my biggest motivation for applying for the Strategic Design and Management graduate program.
Since finishing my undergraduate studies I have gone from experiencing both successes and failures, having started up three companies of my own, designing apparel for several magazines, to consulting other entrepreneurs on how to effectively develop their brands. In less than ten years, I have witnessed how it's no longer "business as usual". Now, in a world that increasingly demands better-designed objects, communication, systems, and organizations to meet social needs, I believe my professional goals of becoming a future "game changer" and innovation pioneer in the new economy and having the ability to create my own trajectory while also making the world a better place can only be achieved through receiving an education from a institution whose mission and values I share.
I aim to develop a high level of mastery in the areas of strategy, innovation, and design thinking in order to effectively apply a design-driven, systems-oriented approach to recognizing and developing business opportunities that are financially sustainable, address unmet social needs, and have the potential for scalable impact. During my studies, I hope to excel in my coursework with thoughtful curiosity, maintaining an open mind, and always learning from my mistakes. With a large percentage in the program being international, I believe I can add to the richness and diversity of the program through my personal experiences growing up as a less fortunate first generation Vietnamese-American raised in the inner city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My culturally diverse upbringing helps me connect with others with ease. With parents too poor to afford schooling past 9th grade in their homeland of Vietnam, they've managed to carve out their very own slice of the "American Dream" through hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit. In this way,I have developed a unique lens in which I see the world, society, and especially American culture.
Having traveled to Vietnam as a teenager, I met relatives I never knew I had. During our time together, I learned how it was growing up for them. Having only two outfits each, one for church on Sundays, and the other for the rest of the week. The fact that my own relatives on the other side of the world made less than a dollar a day working at the very same factories that made the products I coveted so much as an American teenager really had a profound impact on me. I felt troubled realizing the vast importance placed by young people in America on brand names and having the latest Jordans, myself included. This realization would force me into a deep reflection of and fascination on the relationship between brands and culture. This would only mature over the years and motivate me to begin my entrepreneurial journey by pursuing my childhood dream of one day having my own successful brand. I started my first company Halfounceoflife, a private label lifestyle brand after graduating from WVU in the middle of the recession. I have been trying to realize this dream ever since.
I believe that this program will not only be a career-enhancing as well as a potential career-changing opportunity but a life-changing opportunity. If accepted to Parsons, I will put what I learn to use in the best way possible, leveraging the power of creativity for the stimulation of commerce by helping new generations of creative and motivated people to become successful entrepreneurs doing what they are passionate about. My long-term goals include increasing levels of independence, evolving into a successful serial impact entrepreneur, then eventually a mentor and coach, advising/teaching other entrepreneurs. The possibility of pursuing an MFA in Transdisciplinary Design is also something I am interested in exploring.
In preparing for this life change over the last three years, I did much reflecting on my time at WVU. Although I wish I made academics the top priority, I'd be lying if I told you that I would do anything differently. Despite being an active member of a fraternity, working several jobs as a nightclub promoter, graphic designer, and printing enough t-shirts to pay for the last two years of tuition while my father was sick, I became the first in either of my bloodlines to earn a college degree. Along the way, I managed to build a nation-wide network that I credit for all the opportunities and successes which have afforded me to carve out my own career path and pursue my dreams over the last ten years without having to ever seek employment, all while leaving the number one party school with an experience that a Hollywood blockbuster couldn't make up. That said, I have since found focus and direction after starting my first business and have continued to develop this focus into what I believe is my life's calling -to use design and entrepreneurship to solve problems facing our future and drive positive social change on a global scale.
After having the opportunity to interact with several faculty members, current students, and sitting in on several classes from both the TransD as well as the SDM program, I realize the type of academic environment I need in order to thrive. Over the last seventeen years, since I first taught myself the screen printing process at age of fifteen and turned an idea of mine into a physical object for the first time, I've come to learn that no one stands in the way of my dreams besides myself, no matter how big, how crazy, or how beautiful. And without doing things the way I did, I'm not sure if I would be the same person seeking admissions to the top-ranked university otherwise. Therefore, I honestly admit that I regret nothing and intend to do everything in my power to capitalize on my experience while living in NYC and pursuing an education at the only institution I believe I would be proud of representing -academically.
If in case you believe that I am not ready for acceptance this year, I look forward to reapplying for admissions next year and I sincerely thank you for your consideration.
I still have yet to complete my Program essay (500 words) so I could potentially shift some info in my current SOP over to the Program Essay. However, I really feel as though the current draft of my SOP really authentically represents me and also answers all of thier required questions. That said, my current SOP is over the word limit of 750 words and is right around 1100 words. I'm not sure if I should just take a chance and submit it as is, or try to adhere by thier word count limit. Please let me know how I can improve on what I have drafted thus far as writing is not my strength. Any and all advise will be GREATLY appreciated.
My current SOP draft:
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams"
- Eleanor Roosevelt.
I am a entrepreneur, designer, and consultant who is passionate about creativity, community, and commerce. Particularly, I love creating things that cultivate a sense of confidence in others. Above all, I consider myself to be a dreamer with a vision. My dream is to become a successful serial impact entrepreneur that drives positive change on a global scale. My vision in accomplishing that dream is also my biggest motivation for applying for the Strategic Design and Management graduate program.
Since finishing my undergraduate studies I have gone from experiencing both successes and failures, having started up three companies of my own, designing apparel for several magazines, to consulting other entrepreneurs on how to effectively develop their brands. In less than ten years, I have witnessed how it's no longer "business as usual". Now, in a world that increasingly demands better-designed objects, communication, systems, and organizations to meet social needs, I believe my professional goals of becoming a future "game changer" and innovation pioneer in the new economy and having the ability to create my own trajectory while also making the world a better place can only be achieved through receiving an education from a institution whose mission and values I share.
I aim to develop a high level of mastery in the areas of strategy, innovation, and design thinking in order to effectively apply a design-driven, systems-oriented approach to recognizing and developing business opportunities that are financially sustainable, address unmet social needs, and have the potential for scalable impact. During my studies, I hope to excel in my coursework with thoughtful curiosity, maintaining an open mind, and always learning from my mistakes. With a large percentage in the program being international, I believe I can add to the richness and diversity of the program through my personal experiences growing up as a less fortunate first generation Vietnamese-American raised in the inner city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My culturally diverse upbringing helps me connect with others with ease. With parents too poor to afford schooling past 9th grade in their homeland of Vietnam, they've managed to carve out their very own slice of the "American Dream" through hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit. In this way,I have developed a unique lens in which I see the world, society, and especially American culture.
Having traveled to Vietnam as a teenager, I met relatives I never knew I had. During our time together, I learned how it was growing up for them. Having only two outfits each, one for church on Sundays, and the other for the rest of the week. The fact that my own relatives on the other side of the world made less than a dollar a day working at the very same factories that made the products I coveted so much as an American teenager really had a profound impact on me. I felt troubled realizing the vast importance placed by young people in America on brand names and having the latest Jordans, myself included. This realization would force me into a deep reflection of and fascination on the relationship between brands and culture. This would only mature over the years and motivate me to begin my entrepreneurial journey by pursuing my childhood dream of one day having my own successful brand. I started my first company Halfounceoflife, a private label lifestyle brand after graduating from WVU in the middle of the recession. I have been trying to realize this dream ever since.
I believe that this program will not only be a career-enhancing as well as a potential career-changing opportunity but a life-changing opportunity. If accepted to Parsons, I will put what I learn to use in the best way possible, leveraging the power of creativity for the stimulation of commerce by helping new generations of creative and motivated people to become successful entrepreneurs doing what they are passionate about. My long-term goals include increasing levels of independence, evolving into a successful serial impact entrepreneur, then eventually a mentor and coach, advising/teaching other entrepreneurs. The possibility of pursuing an MFA in Transdisciplinary Design is also something I am interested in exploring.
In preparing for this life change over the last three years, I did much reflecting on my time at WVU. Although I wish I made academics the top priority, I'd be lying if I told you that I would do anything differently. Despite being an active member of a fraternity, working several jobs as a nightclub promoter, graphic designer, and printing enough t-shirts to pay for the last two years of tuition while my father was sick, I became the first in either of my bloodlines to earn a college degree. Along the way, I managed to build a nation-wide network that I credit for all the opportunities and successes which have afforded me to carve out my own career path and pursue my dreams over the last ten years without having to ever seek employment, all while leaving the number one party school with an experience that a Hollywood blockbuster couldn't make up. That said, I have since found focus and direction after starting my first business and have continued to develop this focus into what I believe is my life's calling -to use design and entrepreneurship to solve problems facing our future and drive positive social change on a global scale.
After having the opportunity to interact with several faculty members, current students, and sitting in on several classes from both the TransD as well as the SDM program, I realize the type of academic environment I need in order to thrive. Over the last seventeen years, since I first taught myself the screen printing process at age of fifteen and turned an idea of mine into a physical object for the first time, I've come to learn that no one stands in the way of my dreams besides myself, no matter how big, how crazy, or how beautiful. And without doing things the way I did, I'm not sure if I would be the same person seeking admissions to the top-ranked university otherwise. Therefore, I honestly admit that I regret nothing and intend to do everything in my power to capitalize on my experience while living in NYC and pursuing an education at the only institution I believe I would be proud of representing -academically.
If in case you believe that I am not ready for acceptance this year, I look forward to reapplying for admissions next year and I sincerely thank you for your consideration.
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