USC Application - Admission/Application Essay Example

of Southern California Application “Only passions, great passions can elevate the soul to great things.” – Denis Diderot (18th century French Philosopher) I strongly believe that bold endeavors can only achieve successful conclusions, if they are supported by an immense and sincere passion. For me passion is not some abrupt flaring of emotions, but a deep rooted drive to excel, that often has its genesis in the strong held values and beliefs. Such a drive if properly harnessed can more then often compel a person to grow beyond the existing limitations and seemingly odd circumstances. As for my personal life, growing up in an immigrant, single-parent household with little money, but much pride, I have a flaming desire for success. My mother imbued in her child the belief that hard work and dedication brings rewards and that American society is one in which anything is possible. As a new American, I am a hard worker and ardently desire to pursue the American Dream. Any worthwhile dream is always a strange mix of privileges and obligations. My personal perception of the American Dream is not the one that is grossly expectant in its origins and is devoid of any philanthropic spirit. Infact it is the way of life that will not only make me self sufficient and independent, but will also make me a respectable and productive member of the bubbling, sparkling, refreshing and perpetually effervescent American society. I know by personal experience that every dream commands a price in terms of rock solid perseverance, dedication and commitment. Infact it was only by the dint of my allegiance to my aspirations that I managed to get over the setbacks that came my way. I was raised by my mother who, despite the immensity of hardships that she faced as a parent, refused to compromise on the value of honesty in her personal and professional life. Hence I believe that integrity is the single most important attribute that a person should possess and my mother took care to instill this value in me. Last year during the spring, my family faced some financial setbacks. I managed to secure an admission in UCLA, but because of the financial constraints I had to go for work rather then whole heartedly pursuing my academic goals. This lead to a loss of focus during my last semester, which resulted in poor grades and consequently my admission, was withdrawn. This setback temporarily persuaded me to believe that my course was set once and for all, still I succeeded in overcoming this dissuading perception by rearranging my time, focusing on my schooling and working more to have an education. At last I have managed to save enough money for my education, besides gaining ample professional experience by working in a corporation. Since my days as a student I have always loved mathematics and envisioned a career in which I could use my sound mathematical aptitude to a practical analysis of business situations. After high school, I decided to continue my education at community college, thus refusing to compromise on my passion for education because of the constrained financial circumstances. Once I got there, I immediately joined the Accounting and Finance Club. Within a short period of time, I became one of its officers and have since been a productive and enthusiastic member of the Club. In addition, I believe that Business Administration as a field of study is a perfect match for my personality. I have an innate passion for working with people and exchanging ideas with them. I want to know how people think in a business environment, what motivates them to excel and why they think the way they do. For me, Business Studies brings in the essential human element into my talent for mathematical analysis. This very passion for making the best of my natural talents made me join the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), where I learned to appreciate the sense of order and security given by accounting rules and standards. Although, I like Finance, I found it too much like accounting and less exciting then Business Administration. Infact, Business Administration is quiet different from accounting in the sense that it explores basic questions as to why and how people respond to organizational challenges and vision. I took advantage of the several IMA meetings I attended to gain first hand knowledge about customers and markets, supply and demand, inflation and investments. It is my passion to excel, which has sustained me both as a student and as an employee. It is only because of this passion that I succeeded in the network marketing job I joined right after junior college. In fact, after six months, I reached the position of Director. In this role, I supervised a group of 30 people who were selling products for the company. I recruited and trained them, helped them set goals to achieve, analyzed problems and discovered solutions. I took advantage of my present position as Assistant Operations Manager with a world renowned logistics company to gain insight into the practical handling of business situations and problems, which has further stoked my curiosity as to how business organizations work. As an employee, I have devoted countless hours to better myself and am immensely proud of the work I do. Total Words: 721 1. Tell us about an activity that is important to you, and why. One activity that commands a paramount place in my list of priorities is spending time with my mother. My father left us when I was born, and since then she really worked hard to bring me up. Thus my mother embodies the quintessential values and beliefs which propel me to excel in life. I believe that now is my time to take care of her. I spend most of the weekdays working; still I always make it a point to spare at least one day of my weekends to spend time with her. It is my firm conviction that the sincerity and dedication that we bring in to our personal relationships do percolates into our professional life and household responsibilities aught to command as central a place in our scheme of priorities as academic and professionals obligations. Real management begins at home and to some extent, sensitive and caring households do give way to productive and vibrant societies. Hence, spending time with my mother is my way of showing respect for her. No matter how busy I get, she will always command a special place in my life. I love her and care for her. 2. Describe your academic interests and how you plan to pursue them at USC? Right now I am a working professional who has a sound mathematical aptitude, polished accounting skills and ample practical exposure to organizational environment, business administration and problem solving. I enjoy making presentations, leading meetings and letting ideas bounce around the room and watch them grow and take shape. Although I love working full time and the challenges that come with that life, still my number one priority right now is to get a degree in business administration. I believe that the School of Business (Marshall) at USC has got just the right kind of courses in business administration that can not only bolster my long term career plans, but will help me consolidate and correlate my practical work experience with the classical and current business administration theories. Admission at Marshall will offer me an association with some of the leading minds in the academic side of business like Paul Adler, Kathleen Allen, Dough Andrews, Thomas Arnold and the like. Especially the MBA program at Marshall will not only enhance my business awareness, but will improve my technological knowledge also. 3. Why are you planning to transfer to USC? The USC is just the right kind of institution that can provide me with a course in Business Administration, which endeavors to harmonize theoretical knowledge with actual organizational applications. Besides the courses pertaining to Business Administration available at USC not only incorporate the recent technological advances within their ambit, but also take care of the developing novel areas of specialization in the business world. My interpersonal skills and leadership abilities will definitely get ample opportunities for expression at USC. Above all, USC not only offers a low student/faculty ratio, but has faculty members that have practical affiliations with the American and international business community. Hence their approach towards business administration will certainly be more contemporary and relevant. Besides the proximity of USC to important business hubs at Los Angeles and the strong alumni network it offers will no doubt facilitate me with the right kind of academic and practical exposure. Read More