Undergraduate / "Post high school options" - UT Personal Essay [2]

**The prompt is to choose an issue of importance to you (personal, school related, local, political, or international in scope) and write an essay in which you explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your family, your community, or your generation.**

We have all heard the expression "a mind is a terrible thing to waste", but what if in your efforts, something equally as valuable is wasted: time. While some say that college isn't right for everybody, I say that it might not be right for everybody at the same time. Regardless of direction, students are being pressured in certain directions after high school that may not be the best path for them. My experience following high school has introduced me to a wide variety of people who have chosen many different paths. Some have taken the road through college, others joined the Military, and a few went straight to work. While each of their paths are unique, they can all agree that they were presented with few options upon leaving high school.

I agree that a high school's main focus should be to prepare students for college, but it should also be to prepare them for life. I feel the best way to prepare a student would be to accurately inform them of options, while taking into consideration their unique circumstances. A common concern would be that if someone doesn't go to college directly after high school, then they are less likely to attend college at all. I think that the students who attempt college when they lack the motivation, are discouraged by their failure, and are even less likely to return to college.

Evidence can be seen in the increasing college dropout rates. Currently, thirty percent of students leave within their first year and fifty percent never graduate at all. Texas Commissioner of Higher Education, Raymund Paredes, states that one major reason students drop out of college is because they weren't ready in the first place. However, Paredes is not the only one questioning college readiness of high school graduates. "It's a nationwide problem . . . We probably have right now in this state a lot of people in college who are not prepared for college," University of Georgia President Michael Adams told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (June 3, 2010).

If better presented with an option that would help guide them to a place, whether it be the workforce, military, or some other life experience where they would potentially find the direction needed to help them succeed throughout college, I think there would be an inundation of students who would return and accomplish more than they thought possible. Furthermore, the students who decide not to attend college directly after high school could be offered a plan that would help guide them to eventually return. Offering a system that would help organize goals and assist them in finding their motivation would be a pivotal part of their return to college, because with the right motivation, accomplishment can be immeasurable.

Even many of those who finished college immediately after high school confess that if they had taken the time to find their true direction, they would have not only achieved much more during their college career, but would be able to utilize their degree in a way they haven't managed to so far; and even be a better candidate to apply for their Masters Degree. Some students have been known to go back for a second and even a third Bachelors Degree after finding their true direction after college.

My first experience with college was no different than many others lacking motivation. Faced with many challenges of life, coupled with unimpressive grades in class, I was left with little option other than to join the fifty percent of college dropouts. Over time, my job offered me a first hand look into the economics involved in modern day business. It helped familiarize me with the inner-workings of a professional setting and exposed me to the importance and benefits of furthering my education. My time teaching English abroad brought me back into a school setting and showed me how much I could accomplish. Ultimately, it guided me to find the direction and motivation that I needed to successfully return to college. It's these experiences, I feel, that many people require before immersing themselves in college.

Undergraduate / "introduced to Economics" - trouble with flow of my statement of purpose for UTexas [2]

[b]Prompt: Statement of Purpose

I definitely feel that the introduction could use some work and I also think that the whole thing feels too rigid. If you have any ideas on how to help the overall flow, or anything at all, it would be greatly appreciated!

Although I have only recently been introduced to Economics, it was immediately clear that it contained the perfect balance of science and art that I desire in a major. With a degree in Economics from the University of Texas, I would undoubtedly be a valuable member of any business team. The variety that an Economics degree brings with it would be vital in the pursuit of a career following graduation, and having a degree from the University of Texas would brandish the level of stature that I aspire to. I feel that the experiences I have acquired would add to the overall diversity of UT and make me an ideal candidate for admission.

Working as a Guest Service Supervisor has not only offered me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of the business environment, but it has provided me with experiences which facilitated important interaction and communication with others. Teamwork is a pivotal part of the Guest Service department of a hotel, and the only way to keep it running smoothly. It is my job to lead the team in such a way that maintains the satisfaction of our guests as well as each individual team member. It is these experiences that I feel have greatly influenced my leadership capabilities as well as my dedication to teamwork and tasks at hand.

Teaching English in Spain provided me with a unique cultural perspective and a much needed segue into furthering my education. During a time when the U.S. was undergoing its most recent economic turmoil, I acquired first hand experience of the effects on a global scale. The economic downturn led to less spending on seemingly erroneous costs, such as the luxury of learning English, which in turn limited the amount of my income and ultimately my time spent abroad. However, the change of environments was exactly what I needed to reevaluate my goals, and the TEFL program provided the scholastic atmosphere that led to rejuvenating my interests in furthering my education.

Austin Community College has catered to my changing discipline and proved itself as the perfect stepping-stone for my educational ambitions. Changing majors is common among college students and I am no exception to that fact. I began with the desire to pursue Graphic Design, but I quickly found a budding interest in math and business. Not wanting to ignore my strength in creativity, my goal became to find an area of study that encompassed math and business as well as the arts. In my research I found economics to be just that.

Growing up around the influence of the University of Texas has always made it my college of choice. Furthermore, its prestige and core values make it the perfect school to achieve my aspirations of attaining a Bachelors degree, and I am anxious to prove myself with the challenge that UT offers. A Bachelors degree in Economics from UT would offer a solid foundation for a broad range of opportunities and the first step afterwards would be to pursue a Masters. Ultimately, utilizing UT's vast network of resources, I would strive to secure an internship where I would pursue a career as an analyst that would further challenge as well as motivate me.