sample college admission essays

My family members kept on saying that “respect is not given freely, it is earned”.  I have a daughter (now 14) and while she is still somewhat young, she no longer has to be attended to twenty-four, seven. My wife is very supportive of my plans to go back to school.

I grew up as a solitary child of an Army doctor in Italy was quite memorable. I have transferred to so many schools that there came to a point that I stopped counting. Every year, we had to relocate, and it was in academics that I found my anchor. Wherever in the country we moved to, it was a zone where I could always excel. The power of resiliency is one asset I imbibed from the constant relocation my family went through. There is one saying that is quite trite but something I’ve always believed in- “That which cannot defeat you, will strengthen you”.

As far as the sciences are concerned, I have a great aptitude for them, and plus the fact that my parent was a physician, following his footsteps became a logical quest. My medical training in Italy started when I was 20, and after 2 years, I worked as a nurse to finance my education costs.

It was in pharmacy that I specialized, and I acquired all mandated accreditations. When I graduated, I stayed on in Italy for one year, in the role of a pharmacist. Sadly, while there were of course good moments, I found that the self-fulfillment in that capacity was less than that of a nurse. I missed the caring for patients and I missed learning about diseases. Clearly, I came to the realization that being a pharmacist was something I could not do for the most part of my life, so I decided that leaving it would just be an intelligent decision. I did not have the passion for that line of work, and it would have been unfair to my employers if I stayed on- doing the work half-heartedly.

At this point, I relocated to the US, with the painful realization that the medical training I amassed would be rendered moot. I must admit, this is a decision that I agonized over for quite some time.

Here I am, I’ve been in the US for five years now, met my spouse here, and raised my family. Calling it a home is no longer hard for me, unlike others I know. The personal development from working as a nurse is something I’ve always missed, and thus, I want to reclaim “old grounds” by applying at your prestigious school, the __________ College of Nursing, __________ University.

In the way of preparation, I’ve maintained a solid set of grades in prerequisite courses at a local community school. It is my deepest intent to bring this commitment to excellence to your school, if your good office/committee would be kind enough to accept my application.

For your consideration, thank you. God bless to all of you.

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At the time I first considered studying for college to better my life and my son’s, I thought it would be a herculean endeavor. As a single father, I was holding a job at a convenience store. I wanted more out of life, more than running a thousand credit cards at our machine. To leave familiar territory in life can sometimes be the most difficult choice, fact is- my employers were fair and well-meaning, but I had to leave. I thought of taking it one sem at a time, and in my first sem at a local college, I landed on the Dean’s list.

Without meaning to brag, it was one feat I would always be proud of, and it set me off to formulate far-reaching goals in my life. I finished my Associate’s of Science degree, and I have stayed on the Dean’s roster all throughout, but not without a great deal of sweat and blood.

I have many friends in the medical field- nurses and doctors- and I’ve had lots of conversations with them in social and casual encounters. I also read a lot of books (fiction and medical-related books). From all this, I have discovered that my interest in the workings of the human body is no ordinary passion. It is the kind of interest that consumes one’s soul, my soul in this case.

At present, I am going to my next step, by pursuing a nursing degree at the ____________ Univeristy, College of Nursing. My objective when I finish this course is to help the lower-income entities. By nature, I am a compassionate individual, and from my experiences, I could easily establish rapport with the more needy families and persons.

The commitment to excellence is a mindset I’ve imbibed and I am confident that if accepted, I could acquire a very good GPA, with all the skills necessary to become a more-than-competent nurse. It is a great relief that I now have a calling, having searched for it for some time. I anticipate the initial years to be hard, forcing me to exhibit good time-managing skills. However, if you have done something before, you can do it again- that is one of my life’s principles.

I realize fully well that my time in school would take away time from my child, but at the end of the day, the sacrifices will be all worth it. My son is still young, and while he may not be able to appreciate the hardships, time will come (I am sure) when he would realize that my sacrifices are all for him and his well-being.

Thank you for the consideration, Godspeed.

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