Graduate School Application Reflection: MBA and Communications
This reflection paper examines a student's experience preparing to apply to two graduate programs: an MBA with a Certificate in Integrated Marketing Communication and a Master of Communication Management. The paper explores the applicant's mixed feelings of unpreparedness alongside genuine confidence in their qualifications, the challenges of writing personal essays versus interviewing, and the process of securing references. The author draws on prior undergraduate success as reassurance, and candidly discusses the difficulty of self-presentation in written form compared to in-person communication. Together, these reflections offer an honest portrait of the graduate admissions process from the applicant's perspective.
- Identifying Graduate Programs: Two target graduate programs and their appeal
- Feelings of Preparedness and Uncertainty: Mixed feelings about readiness for graduate study
- Confidence in Admission Prospects: Strong qualifications and confidence in admission
- Challenges of the Personal Essay: Difficulty writing a compelling personal statement
- Securing References for Applications: Challenges reconnecting with potential recommenders
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper demonstrates genuine self-awareness by honestly acknowledging feelings of unpreparedness while simultaneously articulating clear confidence in qualifications — a nuanced, non-contradictory stance that is intellectually honest.
- The author draws a compelling contrast between oral self-presentation and written self-presentation, grounding the discussion in concrete observations about body language, inflection, and tone rather than vague assertions.
- The reflection maintains a consistent personal voice throughout while still meeting the conventions of academic writing, making it both readable and credible.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates the reflective writing technique of dialectical self-assessment — the ability to hold two seemingly contradictory positions (feeling unprepared yet confident) and resolve them through reasoned explanation. Rather than presenting a one-sided narrative, the author systematically unpacks why each feeling exists independently, which is a hallmark of sophisticated reflective academic work.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by identifying the two target programs and their appeal, then moves to an honest examination of preparedness and uncertainty. A pivot paragraph introduces the author's confidence in admission prospects before focusing on the most challenging application component — the personal essay. The paper closes with a brief account of the reference-gathering process. Each section flows logically from the previous, creating a natural chronological and thematic arc through the application experience.
Identifying Graduate Programs
The two graduate programs I identified as possible places to continue my education were an MBA program with a concurrent Certificate in Integrated Marketing Communication and a Master of Communication Management program. Both programs are strongly business-oriented and offer extensive opportunities for obtaining practical experience and networking with professionals already working in the field. Either program would enable a direct and immediately practical application of the communications knowledge obtained during my undergraduate studies, as well as the new knowledge gained during the graduate program itself. In both academic and practical terms, these programs would serve quite well in furthering my opportunities for personal development and professional growth.
Feelings of Preparedness and Uncertainty
At present, I do not feel entirely prepared for graduate school. This is due to a variety of reasons, both personal and academic or professional in nature, and it is not a feeling I can claim to understand fully. One reason I feel unprepared is that I do not know exactly what to prepare for — that is, I am not entirely certain what to expect in graduate school. I also recognize that the experience could change quite drastically depending on which school and program I ultimately attend. This makes it difficult to prepare thoroughly for graduate study in general when programs can differ so significantly, not only in their academic content but in their overall environment as well.
Part of this feeling is simply the natural anxiety that comes with facing something new. I felt somewhat similar about beginning my undergraduate program, and that ultimately worked out incredibly well. I expect that after a week or two in a graduate program I will feel far more prepared for what lies ahead than I currently do. I am not genuinely worried about my level of academic knowledge in the field I am entering, nor about my experience relative to other students in the program. Once I understand the environment and the expectations of the particular program I enter, my sense of preparedness will likely increase quite significantly. There is no real way to prepare for something entirely brand new, however, and graduate school certainly falls under that heading.
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