Hello,
I would appreciate any help with my essay for grad school apps. I am apply to a few programs, so I attempted to write 1 essay answering all of the following (note, some overlap):
1. Attach a statement expressing your motivation and aims for graduate study in the proposed major field.
2. Discuss the talents, experiences and goals that qualify you for acceptance to the graduate program.
3. Evidence of your qualifications and aptitude, as well as your ability to communicate clearly and professionally. You should incorporate the following in your statement:
Your reason for pursuing graduate study at XX
Your personal background
Your academic background
Your work experience
Your future plans
Other information that may be of special interest and importance to the Graduate Admission Committee
4. Briefly summarize your scientific and/or research experience (NONE). If you have had no scientific or research experience, indicate what experiences have motivated your application to graduate school.
5. What areas of faculty research have contributed to your interest in XX? Please identify specific faculty, if appropriate.
6. What has led you to your decision to pursue graduate study in the biomedical sciences? For example, you might describe past employment, volunteer activities, role models, research projects, or other personal life experiences that have influenced you.
7. In addition, provide us with a second statement answering the following questions: What are your long-term career goals and how do you think that your study at XX will help you achieve those goals?
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As a child growing up in Bronx, New York, I knew my tenacity would help me realize my goals in life. I vividly remember learning of the life story of Dr. Mae C. Jemison, shortly after she became the first African-American woman to travel in space in 1992. As I read of her extraordinary rise from humble beginnings, I was filled with the determination that would carry me through the obstacles and challenges of my life. My proclivity to the sciences also began early in my life. I would pour over my Mother's medical dictionary in attempts to comprehend the disease that had incapacitated her during my early childhood, Multiple Sclerosis. Since that time, I have maintained an admiration of the extraordinary possibilities available through research.
I earned a Master of Science in Biomedical Writing from XX in 2010. Through my studies of medical writing, I have become an effective communicator of scientific concepts. During this time, I explored my inclination for medical writing through exercises in regulatory and non-regulatory documents, including working as a writer and editor for a peer-reviewed journal, XX. While my studies at XX afforded me a tremendous learning experience, I have yet to satiate my yearning for scientific research.
I first experienced the laboratory after accepting an offer of a full academic scholarship from XX College. As I performed coursework of dissections, cultures, and assays, I felt confident that I had begun to explore what would be my life's work. I was energized, and my hard work was rewarded with recognition on the Dean's List.
After I graduated from XX College in 2005, I accepted a position as a Biology and Chemistry Teacher for XX, a non-profit organization based in Harlem, New York City for high school students. I constructed the biology and chemistry curriculum for the science program, which included lectures and laboratory lessons. In this position, I offered my students exposure to enriching experiences that were structured to give them an academic advantage. As I built relationships with my students and witnessed their growth as budding scientists, I discovered a love for teaching science.
In 2007, I was employed at XX, a company that contracts the manufacturing of GLP/GMP products and medical devices, conducts research and development, and performs testing and services for custom biopharmaceuticals and cellular therapeutics. I worked as a Document Specialist, writing the preclinical and research study reports for the various laboratories at the facility including embryology, virology, and stem cell therapeutics.
Subsequently, in 2008, I began my current position as a Scientist for XX consumer healthcare products. In this position, I assess the safety of marketed pharmaceutical products by analyzing information from various sources, such as literature, regulatory, clinical, and marketing contacts. In addition, I write aggregate regulatory reports on my findings on products used in a variety therapeutic areas, including psychiatric, immunology, and oncology.
At this point in my life, I am ready to take my talents and capabilities to the next level, and fulfill my potential by initiating a career in cancer research. Cancer is a great mystery of the biomedical community, which dates back to 1500 bc. As a scientist, I feel fortunate to live in a time where cures and vaccinations are on the horizon for a vast number of cancers. I want to be apart of the ongoing journey to develop improved treatments and preventative measures against this disease. Like many, I have lost loved ones to cancer, which further fuels my determination to succeed in this field.
After reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) in 2010, I became even more inspired by, and grateful to all those who had sacrificed for the evolution of cancer research. I believe Ms. Lacks' story is symbolic of the extent of sacrifice necessary to attain extraordinary goals. I look forward to devoting my life to researching and teaching toward the inevitable solutions of cancer. As I have witnessed the life-changing results of pharmaceutical products in patients like my mother, I appreciate the role of drug development in human life.
A PhD will allow me to achieve the necessary understanding of the academic details involved with research, and solidify my future as a cancer research scientist. With its diverse research endeavors and commitment to improve various facets of human life, the Biology Department at XX is an ideal place for me to develop my analytical and research capabilities. I am particularly interested in the ongoing research in Dr. XX laboratory. This area of study is fascinating as well as under appreciated in oncology therapeutics. My desire is to be at the forefront of cancer research, and I believe PhD research under Dr. XX will help me achieve my goals. The excellent research facilities and distinguished faculty members of your university provide an intellectually stimulating and culturally diverse atmosphere, which I believe will help me in expanding my scientific outlook.
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In advance, thank you very much.
