Graduate Application Reflection the Two Term Paper

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. Writing personal essays in an attempt to come to the same type of balance is far more difficult for me, and not nearly as enjoyable.While there were some parts of the application process that seemed less necessary or that were more tedious to complete, completing the personal essay in a way that I was satisfied with was without question the most difficult part of the application process.

Deciding who to approach for references was rather difficult, as some of the people I thought might be able to provide the most influential references were individuals I had not really been in touch with for some time. Still, they did not seem perturbed by my request and instead were actually quite amenable to helping me, by and large, in order to assisted them, I recounted the details of certain projects or courses they oversaw or were involved in that I was a part of, not telling them precisely about my achievements but providing enough detail to rekindle memories......