Example of Graduate School Admission Essay – Personal Description Paper
Prompt: Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristic you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples if necessary. (400 words app.)
The second of three children, I was born in Brazil and lived most of my teenage years in Rio de Janeiro, a very lively and international city. Son of a French entrepreneur, I had the opportunity to be involved in many different aspects of my father’s business from a young age. Of an athletic nature, sports have always been an important part in my life.
At age 17, I moved to the United States in order to pursue a tennis career and to finish high school. Upon my high school graduation, I accepted a scholarship to play tennis at the University of South Florida, an institution with both a reputable academic and athletic programs. During my college years, I was able to improve my leadership and interpersonal skills since I was part of not only the tennis team, but also of many other multi-cultural teams for class assignments. My dynamic nature in business as well as discipline and self-motivation stems from my years on the tennis tournament circuit in Brazil and the United States.
I received a degree with honors in business administration and accepted a position with an international company with which I did an internship during the last year of my studies. With a background in international business, I had the chance to work with various multinational companies, working together with such large corporations as Sony on many projects. Recently, I have started my own consulting company in the United States with an American and European client base. Over the years, I have had to adapt to changes in a fast-paced environment, learn quickly, and proactively take initiative.
My ability to speak English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, as well as to understand, appreciate, and adapt to different cultures has been refined from extensive travel throughout Europe, North America and South America.
I believe some of my strengths when used in the wrong situations become weaknesses. For example, I am a direct and honest person with a passion for perfection. However, there are situations where having more subtlety and knowing when something is good enough would be of beneficial to me. Therefore, I am constantly working on recognizing each situation in order to use my qualities to my advantage.
Fortunately, throughout my entire life I have been surrounded by people who guided me, supported me, and taught me valuable lessons. I am continuously learning and growing from every experience I have and from every person who I come across, so each one plays a role on my personal development.