College Admissions : Personal Statement Essay

I would consider being from a small town a cultural influence on my life. In my small town, we have a population of 2,318 and my high school has a little over 200 students. This allows our teachers to individually cater to every student’s needs. However, being from a small town can shelter you and make you naive. You know everyone, trust everyone, and aren’t exposed to crime like the bigger cities are.

During the summer of my junior year in high school I found I had a genetic kidney disorder called Alport syndrome. The doctor informed my family that while it wasn’t curable, we could slow the onset through precautionary measures. Thus, began my weekly doctor visits. These visits became a drain on my teenage self-esteem and a constant reminder of my defect. However, thanks to the support of my friends and family, I somehow maintained good standing in school and continued onwards.

Growing up in a very little town in Illinois was a lot different than growing up in Houston, Texas. When I was in the fourth grade I found many things to have changed about my surroundings, I currently lived in a place where, the people thought and acted differently. I know now reading about it and understanding more that some of those changes were for the good and some were not. Small town living has its advantages such as, very close friendships, close approximately to may things, and friendly people. Looking back, I also realized that there were a lot of disadvantages such as lack of transportation, affects of a poor education, no opportunities for growth, crime, no diversity, and low paying jobs and housing. Now that I am older, and aware of the affects of living in a small town, I can see how these many things affected my life and will continue affect it in the future.

Growing up in a small town, there may not be many activities that seem interesting, but the things that seem to interest you can define what kind of personality you have. I was born and raised in Pensacola; it has given me the opportunity to explore a town filled with history. Growing up in a small town has also given me the chance to meet new people and spend time with my family. Family has always played a large part of my life, because I am constantly talking to them. My mother is the oldest out of seven children and my father is the youngest out of six children, as a result, it has given me a large family and is has given me people in my life I know I am able to rely on. Also, being part of a Vietnamese culture, it has given me the

Since the time when I was little, my parents always encourage me to do the best, work hard, become educated and have a positive life style at a very young age. My earliest memories are that of reading interesting books because I love to read and do my science whiz experiments. However, I also had great interests in playing with Lego pieces and conducting fun chemistry games in my own tiny lab. It was a fun time for me; at least that’s how I recall it now. The only things I had to worry about were: what will I have for lunch today, which chemistry game or Lego pieces do I want to play with and my team winning the sports games I use to compete in.

I’ve always been interested in the field of medicine. When I was being born, I almost died, being saved only by the ingenuity of a Nurse Day for whom my middle name is dedicated to. Above all else, I want to have an impact on the quality of life for others, and I think the University of Pennsylvania is one of, if not the, best ways to do that. Its bioengineering department is consistently ranked to be the most rigorous in the field, and I can handle rigor.

Ever since I can remember I have had an intense curiosity about the world and the people in it. This is probably due mostly to my parents who read to me nonstop but it has fuelled most of my learning experiences and given me a love of the world and of people, and the understanding of both of those. This love was further developed when I began four years of learning Attic Greek and Latin through a classical education. Then, after yearning to go overseas since I was eight years old and saving for it most of the time since then, I made it to England for six weeks this summer. Here my appetite for understanding is being indulged not just with words and pictures but with real world experiences which I can touch, see, and hear. Now, as I near the end of my stay, I am looking ahead to the rest of high school and I have decided I want to make the most of my junior and

Everyone has something that drives them to succeed every day. Some people feel a need to compete with others around them while others feel they need to make their families proud. For me there are two major factors that encourages me to try my best. One is to show my parents that everything they have done for me has not been a waste and the other is my curiosity.

A critical moment during my undergraduate career is when I came to the realization that it is alright for me not to know what to do with my future. I realized that I was doing the right thing by furthering my education so that once I finally did know what career I wanted to pursue I would then have a degree to help me stand out. Once more, Dr. Reed convincing me to pursue a degree in Communication is one of the best pieces of advice I acquired during my undergraduate career, if not ever. I most likely would not have the confidence I currently have in obtaining a degree that I have no idea what I am going to with once I graduate.

In the words of civil rights great Mahatma Gandhi, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Receiving an education, in my opinion, is the foremost responsibility of every individual who walks this Earth. Education, however, has different meanings for different people. In some cultures, an education may include learning agrarian or farming techniques. In many other cultures, an education consists of attending primary school, secondary school and later attending college. No matter how the concept of education is prescribed in a given society, this fact remains true: everyone desires to have learned more when they leave this world than they did when they came in. Personally, I desire to receive a college education because I believe that by receiving such an

Maya Angelou once said “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”. I believe that some people are complacent with mediocrity and therefore do not try to excel to their highest potential. As for me, furthering my future by attending college will help rise above the horizon of being average. I want to put my willing, intellectual, open mindedness, and so much more to good use.

From the very first day of freshmen year in high school, determining what college you will attend is an idea constantly engraved into students’ heads. Teachers apply a constant gentle pressure to motivate students to get good grades, become involved in extracurricular activities, and find an area of interest to assist in selecting a college major down the road. Students endure the four years of high school, some working part-time jobs, to afford weekend entertainment, miscellaneous expenses—such as Whataburger after a Friday night football game, or gasoline for their car. However, the requirement to decide between a career and education is only beginning to become a reality for many. Some students decided to take time off after their high school

Ever since my brother came back home from Illinois State University with many positive comments about the college I have wanted to go there. He told me about all the different things one can do there, and how easy it was to make friends. He also talked about how great all his professors were. I was instantly intrigued by all the university has to offer in activities and academics.

If someone asked me where I am going to be in ten years, this would be my answer. I will have a great, high-paying job, and beautiful wife and family, and a nice sports car parked in front of my lovely house. When I look into the future, I see myself being successful and happy. Even though I always pictured myself this way, I never worried too much about how I would get there. I feel the Suffolk University can lay the groundwork for making these dreams into reality.

I live in the small town of Barney, North Dakota, however I go to school in the town of Wyndmere, North Dakota. I absolutely love small town life and I do believe that it has had a huge impact on who I have become throughout all 17 years of my life. Going to a school with only 20 kids in my class has immediate positives. First of all, it is easy to concentrate on academics when you can have one on one time with a teacher almost whenever there is freetime. Also, in a small town there is a huge push for involvement in extracurricular activities. This is because we still have many groups and organizations but we don’t have as many members that a larger school would. This has sculpted me into a well rounded individual by being apart of almost every