Personal growth through international education and career development

¶ … college in Australia, I was terrified. I did not know anyone, the campus was a maze, and on top of it all, English was my third language. My grades were not what I hoped for them to be, which for a high achiever during high school, left a mark on my self-esteem. In retrospect, I can see that I needed these growing pains to become a more mature person who can handle the natural vicissitudes of life. As an aspiring accountant, I can see how struggle and hardship have already come in handy by making me a stronger and more determined person. I have not surrendered my innocence and idealism, but I am more balanced and realistic now. Since graduating from college, I have worked in the "real world," doing "real jobs" and meeting "real people." It has not always been easy, but the down times have motivated me more and more to consider how to develop my skills and apply myself to a future career. In short, I needed a vision, and now that I have one, I am requesting admission to this university program so that I can become a successful accountant.

Math has always come easy for me, which might be why I am drawn to the field of accounting. However, it is more than just math that interests me about the field. I like working with people. I was an international student almost all my life, as I moved to Australia from my native country, and people were often curious about my background so it was easy to meet people. In addition to practicing the sports I like, such as badminton and volleyball, I also joined the club of young businesspeople and entrepreneurs. We did a lot of brainstorming that helped me see how I might interact in a more professional or formal team environment when I am older. My biggest achievement then, however, was my leadership in math courses, and my earning and award for Outstanding Student Achievement for ESL. This was a great honor for me, which is why my undergraduate struggles came as such a great surprise. After college in Australia, I moved to the United States at my father's invitation. He encouraged me to take time off school and work while taking courses at the community college to keep up my academic skills.

For about two years now, I have worked at Macy's as a retail beauty advisor. It is something I really enjoy, and can see myself helping companies that are in this industry when I am an accountant. As a retail advisor, I did more marketing than anything else, such as introducing new types of skincare, makeup, and fragrance products and promoting packages to customers. Because the Macy's environment is positive, the customers are responsive. This job has built my self-confidence, because I have been speaking with people on a daily basis, have met my sales objectives, and have generally contributed to a positive atmosphere at work. I can see myself becoming a key player in a cosmetics enterprise, helping their teams meet their objectives.

While working at Macy's, I was attending a community college. I became the president of the math club, because I truly do love math and especially with solving problems in a team environment. I am also good at helping others who struggle with math, and have helped many of my friends at school. In my spare time, I volunteer with seniors at an elder care center, which is often the most rewarding part of my day because this is when I am completely stripped of all ambition and thoughts of myself, able to truly focus on other people. Getting out of myself in this way has been helpful for my peace of mind, which has made me more psychologically ready than ever before to embark on the most challenging part of my education. I understand what I am getting myself into with the pursuit of a business degree and focusing on accounting, but I believe I can meet these challenges after all that I have been through thus far. Thank you for your consideration.

Essay 2: university is global, urban, inspired, smart, connected, and bold. What can **University offer you, and what can you offer ** university?

I feel most at home in cities, because cities are diverse, filled with life, and offer the best of arts, culture, music, and food. Therefore, I know that I will always gravitate to a big city and cannot imagine living in a small town. One of the reasons I am applying to ** University as a top choice is because of the environment. I am an international student, and know that I will not be the only one in the student body. This will help me feel comfortable, while also being able to learn more about people from various cultures and backgrounds. I have lived in several different countries, and have attended college in two already, and I believe I have a lot of stories to share.

As an accounting major, I might not be the most exciting person on campus, but I do believe that we math geeks have a lot to contribute. I am the president of a math club in my current college, and forming these friendships has left me with the impression that I do have the potential to become a strong and influential leader in an organization. Working in the cosmetics and beauty industry for a few years has been too much fun to ignore, and lately I have been driven to perform well beyond my sales objectives. This is not because I see myself going into marketing, but because I have a strong motivation to fuse my talent in math with my passion for helping businesses grow. Accounting is the way I can help others, and this is a realization that has dawned on me over the past several years. It is on the math end of things that I will thrive and help others to thrive. At the same time, I am not a reclusive person and can be highly sociable. I will become a part of every math and accounting related society available to me on campus, which will prepare me for eventual membership in professional organizations like the AICPA. I know that the friendships I make on campus will morph into business contacts, because we all share common ambitions and goals.

Letter of Recommendation

Dear

I have known *** for the past few years as a student in my classes, and have been nothing but impressed with her sheer talent and skills. More than that, ***'s motivation and enthusiasm stand out in the classroom. She voluntarily helps other students in the class who are struggling, and I have seen her stay on after class to work with classmates. *** helps students in a more formal way as a math tutor as part of the math club. Unsurprisingly, *** has become the president of the math club. She is a perfect person for that role. I have met many other students who served in that capacity and none were as outgoing and sociable as ***. Her personality is definitely suited to a team-based environment.