Rutgers Application - Transfering through hard work

While still in high school, I had never thought about attending college. That wasn't to say that I did not have aspirations or goals, but instead that I did not think I would be able to afford the luxury of attending a university. I graduated early from my high school in January, immediately entering the work force to help support my family. After months of contemplation, I decided to try my luck with Ocean County College. To my amazement, I actually enjoyed attending classes and wanted to take more. For many semesters, I worked a substantial amount of hours per week while attending classes full-time. This combination has drastically changed my goals since my graduation from high school. Now, on the eve of my graduation from Ocean County College, I see how important it is to become educated.

Rutgers University has the reputation of the quality education that I am longing for. The education is one of prestige and a wide variety of academic opportunities. Through my experiences in the work force and in education, I can state that if there is one that will always stay with a person, it is their education. The outstanding professors and faculty members of this institution are ones of great reverence, and it would be an honor to further myself through the road that they have paved. I plan on fulfilling my aspirations to advance and graduate from Rutgers; achieving something I didn't think possible four years ago.

Basic little rough I just wrote out. Not sure if it should be much longer than this; feel like I might just be stretching the point or fluffing it for no reason. Character count is only at 1300, with a 3800 max. Can definitely beef it up some, maybe add some new talking points.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: fixed a minor grammatical error. Any suggestions on expansion or elaboration would be great; I'm afraid it's much too short :(

can you post the prompt?

i think you can also go in more detail about why you REALLY want to go to Rutgers because the reasons you listed so far seem a little general, there are a ton of schools with great faculty, reputation, prestige, etc. what makes Rutgers stand out to you more than any other school.

i would also add more detail on the courses you took and why they led you to pursue a degree

p.s
i think your end sentence is really good "achieving something I didn't think possible four years ago."

you could also make it longer but writing about what aspirations you want to advance, education is very general is there a particular study?

While still in high school, I had never thought about attending college. That is not to say that ...
Above, that should be in the present tense: is not to say...

I like that introduction! Very impressive.. impressive because of the sincerity and simplicity. But at the end of tha paragraph, i want you to end it with a BANG.

Now, on the eve of my graduation from Ocean County College, I see ____________________ (Let's end this sentence with something that expresses your clear intention... the career field you want to enter and your specializations that interest you. Get very specific, and show that you have a clear set of goals.

I do not like the second paragraph. It does not really say anything. You should be succinctly and powerfully explaining what you intend to do. Show that you choose Rutgers because it has some resources that will be perfect for helping you actualize your vision for the future. Get detailed and specific about your plan. :-)