Graduate Application Reflection the Two

Graduate Application Reflection The two graduate programs I identified as possible places and courses to continue my education were the Masters in Business Administration program with a concurrent Certificate in Integrated Marketing Communication offered at Southern New Hampshire University, and the Masters of Communication Management program at the University of Southern California. Both of these programs are very business oriented and offer extensive opportunities for obtaining practical experience and networking with those already in business.

The programs at both schools would thus enable a directly and immediately practical application of the communications knowledge already obtained in previous my studies and that will be obtained while in attendance at the graduate program ultimately selected. In both academic and in directly practical areas, then, these programs would serve quite well in furthering my opportunities in personal development and professional growth. At the current time, I do not really feel entirely prepared for graduate school.

this is due to a variety of reasons both personal and academic/professional in nature, and it is not a feeling I can claim to understand fully. One of the reasons I feel unprepared is because I don't know exactly what needs to be prepared for -- that is, I'm not entirely certain what to expect in graduate school.

I also imagine that the experience could change quite drastically depending on which school and program are ultimately attended, meaning it is difficult to prepare entirely for attending graduate school programs generally when they can differ so significantly not only in their academics but in their overall environment as well. Part of this feeling is just part of the experience of something new for me, though; I felt somewhat similar about attending my undergraduate program and ultimately this worked out incredibly well.

I expect that after a week or two in attendance at a graduate program I will feel far more prepared for what lies ahead than I currently do, as I am not really worried about the level of academic knowledge I have in the field I am entering nor the amount of experience I will have compared to other students in the program. Once I understand the environment and the expectations of the particular graduate school program I enter, that is, my feelings of preparedness will probably increase quite significantly.

There's no real preparing from something brand new, however, and graduate school certainly falls under that heading. The fact that I feel vaguely unprepared makes even less concrete and logical sense when I consider the fact that I feel very confident of my chances of getting into one or both of the two graduate school programs I have identified.

My academic progress has been quite successful to date, and I know that the breadth of knowledge I received as an undergraduate is extensive enough to meet the needs of the graduate school programs I have identified. In addition, my practical experience and the references I will be able to produce should work quite strongly in my favor with graduate school admissions personnel.

I also believe that I interview quite well, and am able to present myself in a very affable and confident manner that enables me to express my qualifications, skills, and other "selling points" without seeming arrogant or boastful, and this will also help my chances of admission. Although I believe I am able to present my qualifications, skills, and knowledge quite well in interviews, the most challenging aspect of the application process by far was the writing of the personal essay that both schools required.

For some reason, I find it much more difficult to write about myself than I do to talk about myself, at least when I am trying to be both impressive yet honest and humble at the same time. There is so much more that can be accomplished with body language, inflection, and side comments than can be communicated in the black and white of text on the page, and this helps create the appropriate balance for such a presentation of self.