Where do you think you’re going? This is a question you’ll see, in one form or another, on almost every college application you complete – especially if you’re seeking a masters degree.
A plague of many students in undergraduate and graduate programs these days is they don’t know where they’re going. They’re still trying to “find” themselves. While the process of self-discovery is important, it also wastes valuable time and resources, so the more defined a path the student has for themselves from the get-go, the more that student will stand out in the application process to the governing board. In other words, don’t start your trip until you know your destination…and can make that destination resoundingly clear in the essay portion of your application.
In answering this question, admissions committees are looking for a defined education end-goal. In as much detail as possible, share your biggest education goals with the committee – let them in on your career hopes and dreams and invite them to be a partner with you in accomplishing them. You do this by mapping out exactly which area of study you’d like to specialize in, why you want to specialize in that specific field, what you have that would allow you to succeed in that field and, most importantly, where you want to go with it. How do you plan on using your path of study to propel your career forward? Map this out in your admissions essay and you’ll have many a committee member eager to put you on the road to your journey’s end.
