College admissions essay expectations and strategies

¶ … letter will demonstrate that I have the talent you are looking for in a Pre-Rehabilitation student. I am dedicated to improving myself, and that is something I have proven my entire life. My service in the Army and National Guard is my strongest accomplishment, and it has provided me with the discipline and sense of purpose that will allow me to excel in the Pre-Rehabilitation program.

I first took an interest in rehab science a couple of years ago when I broke my left tibia above my ankle. I received a 5-inch plate to hold my ankle in position, and I worked extensively with a physical therapist after the surgery, sparking the interest in me about helping people to recover from traumatic injury.

I am applying on the basis of my military experience, my maturity and the strength of my character. I will be the first to admit that when I was younger I had no real sense of what it took to succeed in this world, and my grades reflected that. Towards the end of high school, I decided I was going to enter the Army and be in the Army ROTC. Now, I am graduating as a 2nd lieutenant in the Army. I have also been recently accepted into the Medical Service Corps as an Army Officer in the Pennsylvania National Guard. This marks the beginning of the next step for me, and I intend to add to this with entrance into the Pre-Rehabilitation program.

I stand on my record since leaving high school. I have matured a lot since then, aided by my time in service. When I started as a Cadet (ROTC), I learned about individual responsibility and accountability. I learned to detail-oriented, and I learned about time management and how to be a leader. In short, I learned the essential life skills to succeed. This proved highly valuable to me, and I was able to better understand myself and channel my skills to where they are most valuable.

I was able to become a full-tuition Scholarship Cadet, and a Basic Combat Training Squad Leader. I contributed in other ways, building my leadership skills. I was able to conduct English training as an English as a Second Language (ESL) professor. I also served an Army ROTC Culture and Language Program Ambassador in Vietnam. This was an incredible experience for me, and I grew a lot in my time in a leadership position overseas.

I have also undertaken some work in the private sector as well, to help build my skill set. I worked for a marketing company, conducting sales meetings, gathering demographic information, talking to customers and tracking results. In this role, I had to be confident, and highly knowledge about our service offering. I still work in this Promotion Coordinator role, and it has force me to learn new skills, especially with respect to dealing with people, that will come in handy when I graduate and enter the rehabilitation field.