1000 Word Limit
Describe any personal or economic hardships or barriers you have had to overcome and explain how they affected your education. Be specific about when you encountered these hardships and how long they lasted.
Sweat dripped heavily down my eyebrow; my heart raced as if I had just run a mile. Actually, no, I was just stepping into Kindergarten and I didn't even know any English. I am the oldest of three siblings and my parents emigrated from Taiwan a year before I was born, so I was late in learning the American culture and language. Early in my education, I faced a myriad of cultural-linguistic issues. In first grade, when asked, "how do you make your bed?" I literally thought my teacher meant taking boards and gluing them together. Even as late as the fifth grade, I was confused about why everyone had pristine essays while mine were riddled with formatting, grammatical, and spelling errors. Since that time, I have progressively improved and was able to obtain a 3.94 GPA in high school because I gave my full effort to succeed in academics. Setting high goals and having that inner fire that refuses to fail are the reasons why I was able to overcome my educational hardships to study in college today.
In high school, I was set on majoring in Business, but my family encouraged me that I should try something else. I talked to my parents, but they would question: "Business? Why?" I was then determined to become an Engineer in order to fulfill everyone's expectations. However, I had no idea how ambitious those expectations were and was not prepared for the rigor of my courses. I was miserable that, even with my best efforts, I did not receive high marks for Calc II and Chem I during Autumn 2010 quarter. In the end, my family only wanted the best for me, but I realized that Engineering just wasn't for me. During Winter 2011 quarter to present date, I have since returned to my intended major, Business-my true passion.
My dad supported our family as a mail carrier, but has been out of that job since October 2011. To save for education, I commute to school from [my home town] and we have cut all unnecessary expenses as my dad continues to support our family as a part-time dishwasher at a local Chinese restaurant. (363 words)
In the context of your life experience, describe your understanding of cultural differences, how this awareness was acquired, and how it affected you.
Summer 2010: My family visited Taiwan for the first time in eleven years. All of my relatives are there, so this was a very special time for us. I did not realize, however, that this would also be a life changing experience. It was sad to see my parents-nostalgic looks in their eyes, seeing their old friends for the first time in over two decades.
In apartment-sized rooms, some of my relatives lived on the fourth floor-sharing a building with other families. It was tough to find that my oldest uncle had been laid off and is now making a living by selling noodles on the bottom floor of their building. Even though my relatives seemed fine with it, dense smog from automobiles, heavy crowds of people, and cockroaches crawling around my own uncles' noodle shop made things a little uncomfortable compared to the atmosphere of my own home in America. Still, I was taken in by my relatives' never-ending determination to make us feel comfortable. In Taiwan, the separation between the wealthy and the poor is much greater than it is in America. Therefore, it was difficult to see my relatives, who are already struggling financially, bring us to higher class restaurants just to welcome us. I felt terrible to see them cringe as they saw the bill. Even though my dad always offered to pay, they painfully put on smiles: "It's fine."
Today, I remember my experiences in Taiwan and how much my family and relatives had to endure. Whatever I face pales in comparison to what they had to go through. With the same mentality and determination as my parents and relatives, I find a renewed spirit to put grit and hard work into my coursework, keeping in mind my end goal of succeeding in the field of Business. (305 words)
Write about any experience you have had that demonstrates your leadership skills. Examples could be taken from: employment, community service, student organizations, or similar situations. Be specific about when you had these experience(s) and how long they lasted.
I've been a member of [name of church] Youth Group for nine years as I help lead events for summer activities, father's/mother's day celebrations-among other occasions. However, our biggest contributions come during the holidays. We participate in an annual Christmas Shoebox Project where we wrap hundreds of new or gently used toys, books or clothes in shoe-boxes and send them to needy children in Africa, India, and the Philippines.
For three years now, I also lead our group of six altar servers at our church. I'm in charge of managing, teaching and assigning them their duties. (98 words)
How has the educational background of your parents/legal guardians influenced your own education, especially your decision to go to college? What kind of support did you receive in making and pursuing the decision to go to college? Please tell us if you are among the first generation in your family to go to college.
In Taiwan, both of my parents graduated from high school before coming to the United States in 1991 to seek better opportunities. I am a first generation college student-the sole person in my extended family to ever pursue a college degree. Since my parents speak limited English and know no math past arithmetic, I find myself being the sole teacher to my younger siblings at home. Therefore, I regularly rush back to help them with their schoolwork. I went through those same academic struggles just a few years ago, so I am able to use my past experiences and best efforts to guide them along. I realized that I am a role model for them and that their lives would be a bit easier now that someone will have gone before them. Thus, to fulfill our dream, I am advancing my education into college not only for myself, but also for my parents, my relatives in Taiwan, my siblings, and future generations of my family. I can assure my entire family that with perseverance and high goals, I can set a new standard for which they can strive. I thank my mom and dad for always stressing the importance of education and supporting my decision to go to college. Likewise, I thank you, [name of university], for this opportunity to expand my knowledge and pursue my dream major in Business. (232 words)
