Hello :) I'm currently applying for the Gilman Scholarship Essay, and I would love any input that you may have. I've already asked around for editing from people I know, but the more the merrier, and the better my essay will be. I will be studying abroad at Sweden for Fall 2013, and I'm supposed to be addressing the following questions:
1.What impact will this study abroad program and receiving the Gilman Scholarship have on my academic goals? Will I be able to take coursework abroad towards my major or minor requirements? Will I be able to take electives or pursue further language training not available to me on my home campus? How will this study abroad program impact any future academic goals that I may have, such as obtaining a graduate degree?
2.What impact will my choice of country have on my experience abroad? What initially inspired me to want to study abroad in this particular country or learn this language? What factors led to my choice of country of study?
3.What impact will my choice of program have on my experience abroad? Are there unique components, such as home-stays, that will impact my experience abroad?
What impact will this study abroad program and receiving the Gilman Scholarship have on my professional goals? How does my study abroad program relate to my future professional goals? Will I be able to pursue internship or volunteer opportunities that support my overall career goals? Will I be able to learn skills or conduct research that will be necessary to me in my future career?
4.What impact will this study abroad program and receiving the Gilman Scholarship have on me personally? On a personal level, what initially inspired me to want to study abroad in this particular country or learn this language?
5.What challenges, if any, have I faced in my decision to study abroad? What impact would receiving the Gilman Scholarship have on these challenges? For example do I face familial obligations or concerns that hinder my ability to study abroad? Other examples include, but are not limited to, being a non-traditional student, having a learning or physical disability, being in a field of study for which it is difficult to incorporate study abroad, etc.
So, without further ado, here is my essay:
Our childhoods shape our hopes and dreams, our view of the world, and ultimately, who we are as individuals. Although a booklet with cassette recordings of fairy tales was always found on the wooden night table by my bed, it remained largely unopened and dusty for years before it was finally passed down to my sister. I had no interest in dashing knights or beautiful princesses waiting patiently for true love. No, I was far more captivated by tales of mysterious lands like Saudi Arabia, Macau, and Cuba, lands with a history rich in both beauty and mystery. My heroes weren't celebrities like Hilary Duff or even fictional adventurers like Indiana Jones but rather, my family members who traveled to distant countries that seemed a world's apart from my own, both figuratively and literally. I was fascinated with the distinct differences between the society that I had grown up in and a society that few had a true understanding of. It was through this early interaction that my love affair with traveling first developed.
However, as I grew older, I found myself drifting away from my adolescent fantasies, towards a more grounded land of complex algebraic equations and scientific proofs. Although I still found time to watch travel shows and to take as many classes on foreign history and culture as I could, a bulk of my time was dedicated solely to classes in STEM. My dreams of exploring the world were pushed aside by the dream of becoming a neurologist. As a physiology and neuroscience major at UC San Diego, I was very reluctant to apply for studying abroad because I was uncertain of how it would affect my academic career. Microbiology and biochemistry are already difficult courses but what if they are even more difficult abroad? What if the classes I needed to take weren't available? I didn't want to fall a quarter behind and I certainly didn't want to miss out on the research opportunities on campus. Through an individual investigation and long discussions with previous Gilman scholars, I found out about the UC Education Abroad Program at Lund University in Sweden. It then became increasingly clear that studying abroad at Lund University this upcoming fall will complement my education rather than restrain it.
While abroad, I plan on fulfilling some of my major requirements and taking classes on Swedish and Scandinavian culture and society. Although the biology courses that I will be taking while at Lund University are difficult, I believe that they will set me apart from other students pursuing a career in medicine. As one of the top universities in the Nordic region, as well as the world, Lund University has one of the best programs in biology that I can find. It will be an enriching experience learning from professors with their own set of research and background. I will be able to see how science classes abroad are taught and note any significant differences in emphasis throughout the course and in the professor-student interactions. Furthermore, unlike at UC San Diego, all of the courses that I will be taking come with a lab. The hands-on exposure that I get from the labs will allow me to process the information that I learn from lecture at a more in depth level. Likewise, I hope to participate in research at the Wallenberg Neuroscience Center. The different research methods and studies will provide me with an unparalleled view of an international effort in science. This holds especially important in our globalized society, where without such understanding and communication between a myriad of countries, technological and scientific developments would be at standstill. I have no doubt that my participation at the Wallenberg Neuroscience Center can combine with the knowledge that I have gained through internships and volunteer efforts here at UC San Diego to provide me with a solid understanding of what is at the forefront of the technology in neuroscience.
In the future, I hope to enter the field of medicine. To become a good physician, I must first and foremost, form a solid relationship with my patients. That is only possible if I gain the trust of my patients, through an understanding of their needs, both physically and socially. By studying abroad, I will gain a first-hand experience on how to transcend cultural and language barriers. I will be able to widen my view of the world, staying open to the different lifestyles of a diverse population. In Sweden, I will be placed into a situation where I must be willing to connect to those who are unfamiliar to me, a skill that is crucial for both a physician and a true global citizen. This is helped in part by the housing arrangements that I will be placed in, where I have the luxury of being placed in housing that will integrate me into the Swedish of life through interaction with native Swedes and other international students. Beyond forming the basis of a solid doctor-patient relationship, I hope to understand, and to an extent, change our health care system. I wish to humanize it, to alter the jaded view that many have against it. With a health care-social issues minor, I have realized the significance of looking at both the good and bad aspects of the current US health care system. Through my coursework and extracurricular activities, I have already discovered some aspects that need to be addressed. However, I hope to apply my studies abroad to broaden what I already know. With a health care system that is consistently ranked as one of the best in the world, there is no better place to comparatively study two completely different approaches to health than at Sweden. I hope to identify some distinctly successful features in the Swedish model that can be implemented on the American model to promote a more equal access to the most basic of human needs, health. While at Lund University, I will be given several opportunities to volunteer at hospitals and see for myself how different or similar it is to American hospitals.
Unfortunately, the total cost for studying abroad is projected to be around $15,750. With a low income family with expenses tight as can be, it has been impossible for me to take any extended trips abroad. Through the Gilman Scholarship, I will be able to lower the cost for my trip phenomenally; lessening the already heavy financial burden my education has on my family. Receiving the scholarship will connect me to my childhood dreams and impact my life for the better. I will finally be able to reunite with my love for traveling and broaden my prospect now and in the future.
Thank you so much!
