I'm currently an undergrad applying for grad school. One of my essays is asking about my professional development to this point, and as of now I have only had summer jobs/internships. I know this certainly puts me at a disadvantage, but they do accept students straight out of college. Should I focus more on my internships or how my undergraduate experience aided my professional development?
I'm a Finance major and I'm applying to non-finance business school programs, though some of the classes I took are geared towards the programs I'm applying for.
My internship was for the past summer and it was in a different city.
Thanks for the advice, the programs have an average work experience for a year or two, though I'm not sure how that number is skewed either by a few students with no work experience or professionals who have worked for 5+ years. Most of the people who attend these programs are international students (I'm not sure if they worked for multiple years in their respective countries and came here to receive an education and a job in the states). I just assumed that business schools seek professionals. Although I am applying for MS and not MBA, not sure if that makes a difference one way or another.
The big thing grad schools worry about with students who come straight from undergrad is that they just want to stay in school and live the life of a student rather than enter the real world. Your internships go a long way to demonstrating that is not true in your case. They also show you have had a taste of the corporate world and know what you are getting into. I would make both those points in your essay.
IMPORTANT: Proofread that essay ten times before you send it. errors really hurt you because they suggest you are sloppy and don't take the time to get things right.
The big thing grad schools worry about with students who come straight from undergrad is that they just want to stay in school and live the life of a student rather than enter the real world. Your internships go a long way to demonstrating that is not true in your case. They also show you have had a taste of the corporate world and know what you are getting into. I would make both those points in your essay.
IMPORTANT: Proofread that essay ten times before you send it. errors really hurt you because they suggest you are sloppy and don't take the time to get things right.
Part of the reason I want to go to grad school is because I did not particularly enjoy the field I was in during those internships while I simultaneously developed an interest in the fields related to the program I am applying to. Do I mention this at all? Or does that make me look like I want to go to grad school because I didn't enjoy working and just want to continue to be a student?
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I had working experience when I went to grad school, many of the students were straight out of undergrad. Just write about your internships, how your classes translate to the workplace - as best as you can imagine without having worked. Ask experienced colleagues, friends to review your essay. If your grades are good, and you have an aptitude for the subject matter, along with a good entrance exam test score (GRE/LSAT/GMAT) you should have no problem getting in. I really think essays can really only hurt you, they don't necessarily help you get in. It's the only test of how committed you are. You have to be honest with what you want out of the program, what your goals are, and why you think that is the best place for you. But it has to be written impeccably, don't be sloppy. But your message can be fairly simple and straightforward.
Thanks for the advice, the programs have an average work experience for a year or two, though I'm not sure how that number is skewed either by a few students with no work experience or professionals who have worked for 5+ years. Most of the people who attend these programs are international students (I'm not sure if they worked for multiple years in their respective countries and came here to receive an education and a job in the states). I just assumed that business schools seek professionals. Although I am applying for MS and not MBA, not sure if that makes a difference one way or another.
It sounds like you're not going for an MBA. For a top MBA I would recommend waiting. Most grad school programs don't require real life experience. I'd talk about your internships or any projects you worked on in undergrad.
Then add something like: "Even though my internships were a positive experience, from which I learned much, I also came to realize that field X was not exactly what I wanted nor did it match my skill set. The knowledge I gained, however, did help lead me to field Y, to which I believe I am much better suited." Then give the reasons why you are better suited to the field you are choosing.
Don't worry about getting every detail right. Just make the overall narrative convincing. Also, remember that whoever is looking at your file is going to spend two minutes or less reading your essay. So hit a few big points.
True story, my college admissions essay asked to write about a major revolution in the world and what it meant to you (the town has a major connection to the American Rev so I'm sure they expected some stuff about that.) I wrote a paper about the sexual revolution and what it meant to modern society. A professor who was also involved in the admissions process came up to me years later to tell me that he remembered my essay. At that point, I didn't even remember it. I wish I could read it now.