'My grandparents have the most significant impact in my life' - Study Abroad App Essay

Hi everyone! I'm new here.

I am planning to apply for Study Abroad program of my school in Taiwan. One of the required document I have to submit is the study abroad essay. My school didnt really mention what I am supposed to include in the essay but the length is limited to 2 A4 pages.

I really hope that you guys can help me to improve my essay! I would appreciate any comment and suggestion!

Dzung

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STUDY ABROAD ESSAY

I was born in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. I grow up in a single parent family and live with my mother and grandparents. My grandparents are the persons who have the most significant impact in my life. They have brought me up, both mentally and physically, made me the person who I am. Owing to them, I have been brought up to be an educated and future-oriented person. Personally, I like to travel, study foreign languages and discover exotic cultures.

Studying abroad is a thoughtful decision for me. The dream of going overseas to widen my education and the desire to explore the different parts of the world has been in my mind since I was a child. I have found interest in learning Mandarin since being a high-school student and always wanted to go to study abroad to improve my language ability. I fulfilled my dream when I came to this Chinese-speaking country.

During these eighteen months, I have not only improved my Chinese proficiency but also had opportunities to experience the local customs and different approaches of working and studying. Thanks to this precious time in Taiwan, I strongly feel that I really became a more mature person. I truly hope to have another chance to be immersed in one more different culture. My priorities of choice would be Japan, Korea, and English-speaking countries.

Now, in our changing and internationalizing world, it has become even more important than ever to communicate with people around the globe. Working in the global business environment today requires not only foreign language proficiency, but also the profound understandings and experiences of other cultures. Being an exchange student, I will have great opportunities to see the local culture and customs, sharpen my language skill, and learn different perspectives and ways of thinking.

If my application is accepted, while studying abroad, I would attempt to become a part of the local society and participate in the activities of everyday life as the local students do. Academically, I would like to take history and culture courses to know more about the country where I live in. Also, as a Business major student, I expect the chance to take courses related to economics and global leadership in the partner university. I believe that it would be very fascinating to view business-related issues from different cultural perception.

As an ambassador from National Chengchi University, I would tell my fellow students about my wonderful learning experience here and encourage them to come for exchange themselves. I would introduce to them not only the Taiwanese culture but also the culture of my country, Vietnam. I hope I could also help enhancing the strong connection between the two universities.

College is absolutely a period of new discovery and adventure. My time at National Chengchi University and these eighteen months in Taiwan has already been filled with much adventure and personal discovery, and I am certain that a semester abroad would be a valuable opportunity to enhance that. I look forward with great anticipation and excitement to the adventures that await me in this experience.

I have been interested in learning Mandarin since high -school, and always wanted to go to study abroad to improve my language ability.

...Chinese proficiency but have also had opportunities...

Thanks to this precious time in Taiwan, I strongly feel that I've become a more mature person.

...history and culture courses to know more about the country where I live in.
I believe that it would be very fascinating to view business-related issues from different cultural perspectives .

I hope I could also help enhance the strong connection between the two universities.

My time at National Chengchi University and these eighteen months in Taiwan have already been filled ...

Thank you very much!

I have a question. Is it "help doing sth" or "help do sth"?

Are you talking about this? "I hope I could also help enhance the strong connection between the two universities.."

It is: I need help doing homework.
It can also be: I need help to do homework.

In the above sentence, you could have this:
I hope I could also help to enhance the strong connection between the two universities.----but it is also okay without "to."

I hope that answers your question. It can be both.

But actually, "help do sth" is often awkward. You can write, "They visited my to help do homework." But it can also be, "They visited me to help me do homework."

Tt can also be, "They visited me to help doing homework," but that sounds bad. :-)