Sample
MBA Admissions Essays - Accepted by Anderson and UCLA (Courtesy
of EssayEdge)
What do
you consider to be your most important personal and professional
accomplishments to date? (Please limit to three.)
With
no money, no direction, and no goals, I graduated from high
school in 1987 not knowing if I would ever be a man, if
I would ever know what life means. Unable to afford college
tuition, I worked odd jobs for a few months before deciding
to join the United States Marine Corps. A scrappy kid who
needed structure and support, I entered the Marines unprepared
for the next thirteen weeks of extraordinary physical and
mental challenges.
Arriving
at the recruit-training depot in Parris Island South Carolina
on February 3,1988 not knowing what to expect, I watched
my hair fall off my head, had vaccinations for every disease
ever discovered, and learned to live with sixty other young
men in close quarters. The days were long. I would wake
up at 4 a.m. and work nonstop for 18 hours until I could
collapse on my bed. Exposed to individuals from many different
cultural and economic backgrounds, I learned the value of
teamwork and the work ethic essential to leadership. When
we first arrived on the island, my platoon was a jumbled
mess of disobedient, out of shape, undisciplined boys. After
three months of exhausting training we were molded into
a group of highly motivated, physically fit men. On the
proudest day of my life, I marched in the graduation parade
to become a United States Marine.
After
being discharged from the United States Marine Corps, I
became determined to attain an electrical engineering degree
from Florida State University. I wisely invested in the
GI Bill early on in my Marine Corps career in order to go
to college. Although a substantial amount of money, the
GI Bill only covered my tuition; to pay for food and rent,
I took a full time job with the VA work-study program. In
the beginning I had difficulty adjusting to working full
time while maintaining a full coarse load, and I began to
feel hindered by my years outside the classroom. However,
determined to succeed, I learned to manage my time well,
and I established good study habits, which have continued
to the present. In the spring of 1997 I obtained a Bachelors
degree in Electrical engineering, a full year ahead of schedule.
I take pride in the fact that I am the first person in my
family to obtain a college degree.
I moved
to Los Angeles after graduating from college and accepted
a position at an aerospace company as a design engineer.
Although I had multiple offers, I chose to work at my particular
company to further my education. Putting in long hours at
work while devoting most of my personal time to obtaining
a Masters degree in electrical engineering, I felt like
I was in college again with my full time job and academic
responsibilities. To keep some sense of sanity and maintain
good spirits, I decided to learn how to snowboard. Although
at first snowboarding seemed a most impossible mission given
the long drive to the resort and my inexperience with cold
weather, I persevered and by the end of my first day could
navigate my way down the mountain. I have since become an
accomplished snowboarder, but nothing matches the exhilaration
I felt at the end of that first day when I completed my
first run without falling.
Why
have you decided to enter the Fully Employed MBA program?
Why is it the appropriate time for you to begin?
With
the drive, determination, and discipline to both work at
my career and attend an MBA program, I am excited to pursue
a high quality MBA at UCLA. Interested in acquiring the
skill set and technical knowledge necessary to become a
hi-tech consultant, the UCLA program will prove central
to my future success.
As an
engineering major in college, I developed excellent analytical
skills and improved my problem-solving ability, but I never
had the opportunity to take courses exploring business strategy,
finance, or market forces. To realize my career goal, I
clearly must enhance my abilities in these as well as other
areas of business. I believe that the management core at
Anderson will provide me with the necessary knowledge to
enhance and develop my capabilities. Also, in order to become
a successful consultant, it is imperative that I gain a
more thorough education in foreign markets, business technology,
and competition. As a hi-tech consultant in the twenty-first
century, the ability to understand business on a global
scale will be highly prized. The International Field Study
at Anderson would suit my needs well by allowing students
to learn about business by working with foreign companies.
Moreover,
I look forward to interacting with the highly qualified,
diverse students of the Anderson FEMBA program. With only
132 students forming numerous study groups, the program
ensures the intimacy necessary to learn from each other's
varying perspectives and backgrounds. I know I could both
contribute and grow in this unique environment where all
students are fully employed. From my time as an officer
in US Marine Corps and as an employee at a high-tech aerospace
company, I have both developed strong team abilities and
have seen the value and synergies of combining people with
different backgrounds, knowledge, and experience levels.
The dynamics created by these teams help produce the most
innovative and creative ideas, whether in the Marines or
an Anderson classroom.
While
I will never regret joining the Marine Corps, the five years
I spent serving my country led me off the beaten path for
achieving my career goals. Although I developed a strong
work ethic and a goal-oriented nature, I have not followed
the standard path. The FEMBA program will be the great equalizer,
ensuring future employers that I have both the personal
qualities and rigorous academic training necessary for success.
By working full time and working on my masters degree in
engineering from the University of Southern California,
I have shown that I have what it takes to manage my work
schedule while attending a prestigious institution. Now,
I seek only the opportunity to prove this again by being
admitted to the Fully Employed MBA program. AT UCLA, I will
start my way down the path that will lead me to career success
and fulfillment as a hi-tech consultant.
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