Growing up in Canada with a life-long fascination for Canadian geography, I have always been interested in returning to the country. Although my family moved to the US before I entered high school, I have always kept my eyes turned north, especially in recent years as I began to read journal articles about research conducted on John Evans Glacier, located about 80 N latitude. Graduating next semester with a B.S. in computer science and engineering and a minor in geographic information systems; the University of XXXX is my first choice for graduate study for a variety of reasons, particularly my admiration for the research undertaken by your distinguished faculty. Geographic information systems (GIS) is a field especially suited to investigating spatial patterns, modeling diverse scenarios, and overlaying spatial data. This semester, in my advanced GIS course, Spatial Data Structures and Algorithms, I am part of a team developing a temporal database and program for tracing historical trading data. My computer science skills have also been put to use in two summer internship projects, where I acquired proficiency with using LIDAR (light detection and ranging) technology, now favored by NASA in its current 10-year study of Greenland and changes in the ice cap extent. Through my coursework and project experience, I have also accrued skills in using Arc/Info, ArcView, Microstation, and RDBMS software packages, and I am equally comfortable programming in Visual Basic, C++, and Java. For my graduate research project, I would like to investigate methods for improving current GIS data models to better incorporate time as a variable in studying climate change. Changes in glaciers and polar environments occur rapidly, and these changes become important indicators of broader, potentially catastrophic, global changes. By developing and applying temporal GIS methods to glaciology, I can contribute to improved spatio-temporal analysis techniques for studying the polar environment and glaciers. Also, I can discern which temporal methods serve as the best predictors and provide benefits to the GIS research community that apply to areas other than glaciology. My long-term goals are to enter the GIS field as a consultant or to extend my research and earn my Ph.D. at a program of international reputation. Having advanced experience with temporal GIS technology would make me a valuable consultant to a company, especially in the twin burgeoning fields of computer science and GIS. In applying to the University of XXXX, I recognize your strengths in both computer science and glaciology, and the recent application of these areas to field research at Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, Canada, is especially appealing to me. With my deep-rooted interest in Canadian geology and recognition of the quality of your university program. I thank you for considering my application.

So often, we forget what came before, but never what comes after our defining moments. For years, I studied Islam and the Quran, and an entire year with the New Testament. It was during my Hebrew Bible class: my eyes were opened to the distinct and causal connections, not just with similarities, but also the differences. I felt a profound connection with the Scriptures, a fire lit within me, and my feet were firmly placed on the path to a greater understanding of Near Eastern and Judaic studies, as well as interfaith dialogue and peace studies. Earning an MA in NEJS will enable me to bring a number of my goals, ambitions – my dreams – to fruition, namely returning to Turkey, bringing my solid grounding in NEJS with me, and serving a university and burgeoning students as a professor. Moreover, this would be fulfilling not just my own ideals, but my scholarship agreement with the Turkish Government, who, to my great pride, have sponsored me this far in my academic journey, one that has taken me across the world to Brandeis and to my mind the finest education possible in NEJS, and Biblical Studies. I bring with me to XXXX a solid foundation in religious studies, one that began when I was a girl. Indeed, since 1995, I have been immersed in religious education. Over the years, while Turkish is my native language, I have proven that I am proficient enough in Classical Arabic to read the Quran and enough Koine Greek to read Acts and the Gospels; I am continuing to increase my ability in Greek. This summer, I have set a rigorous schedule for myself to refine my grasp of Hebrew. Additionally, I have a working knowledge of the Ottoman language and Persian. Proof of my ability to excel in a graduate program can be found in my having completed most of my Psychology of Religion graduate degree, of which I am completing my written thesis. This program built sensibly on my undergraduate foundation in Islamic Studies and Christian Theology, and have given me extensive insights, of which I would love to share with my fellow, and accomplished Brandeis classmates. Additionally, my academic work has been decorated by numerous scholarships, and earning a very high rank among all of Turkey’s graduate students. While I am proud of my accomplishments, I have gained a great deal of personal and spiritual satisfaction from my social work outside the classroom, my volunteering with children and adults, bringing an appreciation of Islam within many interfaith and intercultural dialogue organizations. This work inspired me, with the help of the Turkish community, to establish programs and gatherings, a compilation of seven years of practical experiences giving back to my community. Aside from my aptitude in languages, I feel that I would complement Brandeis’ student body and NEJS program well since I have both a Middle Eastern and Western approach to my studies. My homeland of Turkey occupies an important place among Muslim countries, and my connection with the Ministry of Religious Affairs has given me invaluable experience in the area of religious education and the division of politics and religion. Researching schools proved repeatedly that XXXX stands out among the numerous schools offering NEJS. The more I know of XXXX, the more I see that turning to XXXX is more than simply a logical choice, but a natural one for my further education. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Having spent a long and productive professional life to date managing a large variety of projects in the areas of Communications, Management and Marketing, I hope to bring vast experience to your program to share with my colleagues and the academic community. At 69, a non-traditional student, I am a black woman who is especially interested in questions of environmental as well as social justice. My extensive experience in management, providing information and services to various levels of government, industry, child advocacy groups, educational institutions, religious and community organizations, etc, has been enormously fulfilling. This is why I was always too busy to go to college, until more recently, completing my B.A.in Liberal and Interdisciplinary Studies in Culture and Society at XXXX. Here, I found a measure of excitement and joy—in my studies of culture and history in particular—that I had not previously known. And since I have worked hard for many years and been responsible, I now see it as time for me to indulge my innermost longings and pursue a graduate degree in History. I am most comfortable studying at XXXX and would thus like to do my graduate work in the same location as my undergraduate studies. I hope to contribute to the diversity of your program as a mature student, someone who remembers the many long and difficult years of our struggle as African Americans in America, and has had a long time to reflect on the complexity of the issues involved. My key professional strengths lie in supervision, training, and materials development. I am very highly self-motivated and a strong communicator. After completing my Master’s Degree, it is my intention to continue my studies at the doctoral level. I hope to become a recognized scholar to some extent, writing about some of the burning social issues of our time, and the entrenched complexity of problems that often seem to defy solution. I have several special intellectual interests, surrounding questions of race and historical issues of justice, especially the evolution of institutional racism. Yet, while I struggle to think globally, I tend to apply what I learn to my local focus as a long term resident of Los Angeles with my keen awareness of the desperate social conditions that have plagued parts of the city for a very long time. I hope to have the opportunity to write a Master’s Thesis and/or someday a doctoral dissertation on the racial history of Los Angeles. Perhaps my most notable achievement to date was the privilege of serving as the XXXX Administrator of The Children’s Television Workshop based in New York. Developing strategies for the utilization and promotion of CTW’s Television products and programs for a seven-state region, my duties included support services to 36 Public Broadcasting Stations (PBS), airing CTW programs. Conducting presentations for seminars, conferences and conventions with audiences ranging from five to five thousand—educators to welfare mothers, firefighters to prison authorities—I developed training materials and media strategies, utilizing radio, television and print media. I also generated and conducted research surveys and market tests, proposals, and grant applications. As a result of these experiences and my profound passion for social analysis, especially with respect to Los Angeles, I hope to be accepted to your program and I thank you for consideration of my application.

I very much hope to attend the very best school in the United Kingdom. I am convinced that I can reach my fullest potential at XXXX and fulfill my dream of making a significant contribution to the ongoing technological development of my country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I was born and raised in the UAE, a wonderful country that has given me everything that I need to be happy and comfortable in life. Living in peace, safety, and freedom with broad access to free education and health services; this has instilled in me a dream to serve others out of an enormous sense of gratitude. I am convinced that acquiring the highest quality of education possible at XXXX will best prepare me to become as creative and productive as possible, best able to make important contributions to my country and the world. The UAE is an economic powerhouse and I look forward with relish to a long and highly diligent professional future on the cutting edge of business developments in the Middle East; and, most importantly, developing more extensive business ties between the Middle East and Western economies. I am exemplary of the great value that is placed on education in the UAE. In fact, all Emarati citizens are instilled with a philosophy of high achievement and uncompromising commitment to excellence. In high school, I was one of a handful of young people recognized as excellent students and we received this award from the hands of XXXX, head of the General Women's Union and wife of our nation´s founding father. After graduating with honors from XXXX High School in Abu Dhabi, I enrolled as an Information Technology major at XXXX University. I chose to focus on network technologies because my brain now functions like the Internet. In fact, I see the UAE mostly in cyberspace. Everything depends on the Net; no one can live without it since it connects us to the world. This is what makes my career so extremely exciting. Throughout my time at XXXX University, I have been active in volunteer projects and extracurricular activities. And as a result of my perseverance and profound dedication to my studies, I will soon be graduating with excellent grades, receiving my B.S. this coming June, 2008. I have become a deeply passionate learner and increasingly determined to see my education through to the Ph.D. Degree. A Masters Degree at XXXX is the best cornerstone upon which to build a solid future and prepare me for a doctoral program. While studying at XXXX University, I have worked as an IT tutor, orienting and instructing incoming students on the usage of university technology and the applications that could be most useful to them. As a certified system administrator and developer, I have acquired a broad base of experience in IT systems. Currently, I am completing a professional IT internship at XXXX, a division of the XXXX Company. This has been an exciting experience, providing me with hands-on experience in dealing with numerous, complex issues surrounding the development of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). Due to the efforts of this transnational company, the UAE is poised to soon have an entirely new telephone system. After completing my Master's Degree at XXXX, I envision myself returning to work for this same company, or a similar high profile company operating in the UAE. I look forward with keen anticipation to applying the knowledge that I will acquire at XXXX to systems design, analysis, and management. I am generally characterized by my associates—friends, teachers, and colleagues as very dependable, punctual, and efficient. I get along well with people from many walks of life. I am a creative and resourceful person who aspires towards acquiring an ever higher level of knowledge in order to continue to better myself both personally and professionally. My principal inspiration has been our prophet Mohammed who said that we should seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. One of the reasons I am especially looking forward to studying at XXXX is because it is the school that is best known for promoting cultural diversity among students and faculty. Having had the privilege of visiting XXXX, I know that it is located in a very interesting city that will provide me with many opportunities both personally and professionally. I have always enjoyed traveling, discovering new cultures, and making friends who have taught me to more fully appreciate cultural diversity. I have traveled to Canada, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United States, Britain, and Bulgaria. I will bring excellent communication skills in Arabic/English translation in the areas most relevant to Information Systems to your program and look forward to extensive and profitable interchanges with colleagues and instructors. Other reason that I have chosen XXXX is its balanced approach between management and development, especially as applied to the field of information systems. Your program represents the opportunity to probe such a broad variety of critically important aspects of IT development within international and governmental organizations. At XXXX, I will gain comprehensive practical knowledge that will enable me to return to my country on the cutting edge of IT developments. I am convinced that XXXX’s focus on research-led teaching will help me to remain at the forefront of theory and practice in my field. Being accepted to your program is the central, most critical factor for my professional An success and for my ability to make profound contributions to the advancement of IT development in my beloved country.

For many years now, I have ate, slept, and breathed Internet and Computer Technology. I have always excelled academically, adopting my parents standards of how to conduct yourself in life, to be disciplined, persistent in your pursuits and above all to work hard at everything you do. I have an inquisitive nature, and enjoy challenges and mysteries. I resolved to take on the intellectual challenges Information Technology offered and dedicate my life to the pursuit of Information Technology. Now, more than at any other time, there is an industry-wide need for qualified leadership and research. While many speak of the ideals of developing culturally-competent students, I have achieved a level few could ever imagine attaining outside of the classroom, developing a world view that has been created by a singularly extraordinary and fortunate life. By my living, working, effectively interacting with people of many lands, utilizing a cross-cultural acumen coupled with the ability to speak two languages at a professionally proficient level, I have a thorough understanding of what it means to appreciate and respect cultural differences. I feel that this will aid me tremendously as I work with diverse students as well as other information technology professionals. For the past eight years my academic and professional careers have maintained a conceptual continuity, focusing on the Information Technology. The knowledge I will obtain from my PhD research at George Mason University with a concentration in Information Systems will enable me to plan, coordinate, and direct research and facilitate the computer-related activities of organizations. I will be better equipped to approach and facilitate the technical and business goals in consultation with senior management and clearly illustrate my goals through intensive planning. I have worked within multidisciplinary teams and anticipate utilizing these experiences to further develop overall concepts and requirements of researching and developing new product lines and expanding services. Combined with these abilities, I will be also able to quickly identify how an organization's computing capabilities can effectively aid project management. Research work has played a large role in my academic career. I have conducted three research projects during my master's degree covering different aspects of IT security. Working with my advisors I sought to establish improvements in the Fair Exchange protocol which is a secure protocol that used to exchange electronic items between two parties over the internet. My second area of research focused on the various models that guarantee the confidentiality of the information in the workflow systems and I illustrated the Access Control Models which applied in these systems. My latest research was an overview of the work done in the Delegation Role-Based Access Control Model which facilitates authority delegation among users in order to show the improvement in the model and the shortcoming as well. I feel strongly that my studies, coupled with my research acumen, have provided me with a diverse set of knowledge and skills that makes me an excellent candidate for doctoral study in this field. How and when companies and organizations use technology are critical factors in remaining competitive. A PhD in Information Technology from XXXX University will allow me to play a vital role in the technological direction of these organizations. My role would vary from academic teaching in the universities. Through a quality education from XXU, I anticipate directing system design teams, developing and implementing advanced managerial techniques in the direction of computer-based information systems for both software applications and hardware computers. Additionally, I will be better able to recognize the computer and information needs of organizations from an operational and strategic perspective and determine immediate and long-range personnel and equipment requirements. Through this work, I will be in a position to assign and review the work of my team members while keeping abreast of the latest technologies to ensure the organization remains competitive. Coupled with this is the ability I will have to impart in an academic setting, relevant and up-to-date industrial experiences. Through my academic and professional experiences, I have found that, in order to further myself and increase myself as an asset to the industry, I need to pursue course work that examines the fundamental principles of information systems and security, which I have discovered fits well with the research interests of outstanding faculty members in these areas at XXXX University. XXXX University has a worldwide reputation, and commands great respect in my homeland of Saudi Arabia. XXU places an extraordinary emphasis on the importance of and support for teaching excellence which makes it stand out from the background noise of other universities. As someone who very much wants to become a professor, I think that being an effective educator is just as important as being an exceptional researcher. I admire XXXX University's supportive environment for opportunities in research. Through my academic career as well as my professional work, you can clearly see my passion and dedication to everything that I undertake. I am confident that I will develop invaluable research and teaching skills while having the privilege of interacting with accessible professors and intellectually-gifted colleagues. I have a strong belief that one of the most important elements in pursuing a successful academic career is to have a good mentor who can closely guide you academically, and as a person, as well. After procuring a position as a researcher and professor, I fully anticipate publishing my works for the betterment and development of the industry. I'm truly competitive and will do my utmost to become an exemplary teacher, striving constantly for classroom excellence. In the longer run, I hope to be a shining example of XXU graduates.  I thank you for your time, consideration and look forward to a personal interview.

Before I was twenty-one, I had be been born, raised, educated and lived on five continents. Despite the dizzying array of languages, cultures, and creeds, I have seen past their looking glasses, never forgetting what my Nez Perce heritage, a gift of my father’s family that has claimed my very soul. A large portion of my formative years though was spent in Arizona and California, places that made their irrevocable imprint on my future path. More specifically, it ignited my passion for Native American culture, religion, tradition, values and beliefs. While I show few signs of my genetic lineage in terms of visage, spiritually I am drawn to my culture. Moreover, I am convinced that humankind has lost our connection to the spiritual, our connection to the land, and the belief that all things are alive. For me, to believe otherwise lessens me as an individual. In recent months, I have been in contact with several respected individuals within the field of Native American Studies. At first, I investigated the option of pursuing counseling as an academic path, but this, like so many innumerable reasons in the past why I did not pursue my truest interest, led me to the conclusion that NAS was exactly where I needed to be. NAS is a subject that has been my passion and an intrinsic part of me for decades; something deeper has brought me than simply a need to remember. Indeed, I have been formulating for years the very basis for my research interests, particularly the Shamanistic influence and the effect or lack thereof upon Native American life. Moreover, I have seen distinct causal relationships between the influences of Native American culture and religion and current Western as well as Far-Eastern beliefs, though this is possibly a phenomenon similar to dual architectural synthesis. Recently there has been a resurgence of the pipe, the sweat and the vision quest as well as the influence of the “two-spirited” people in Native culture as a means to reawaken individual awareness. In the past, the Shaman acted as a spiritual guide, versed in all of these matters, a person of great esteem, privilege and position. The seasons of time though took all that they had come for, eroding the Shamans’ position. Only a deeper understanding of ourselves can come of investigating in detail the recent reawakening of interest and, frankly, relevance, of the Shaman and all that they represent in terms of culture, the most profound ideas of why we are here, right now, on earth. It is with great hope that I hypothesize that this generation is seeking a reconnection with their own respective heritages; greater things burn within the current generation than simply monetary ambitions. Equipped with a graduate degree in NAS, my path to a doctorate will be assured, enabling me to bring my goals of teaching at a college or university to fruition. The ideal position would enable me to continue researching, publishing my findings, theories and thoughts and educating burgeoning students. Much more than this, though, I would be a mentor and teacher, influencing students as a guide, giving them the gift of insight into the common threads of values and beliefs of their own cultures. To accomplish this, I will be empowering others to embrace their own heritage, shaking off social convention and emboldening them to stare down prejudice in the name of pride for who they are. While universities are inundated with countless applications from highly qualified candidates, I bring with me a higher level of maturity, seriousness, diversity, and cultural involvement. How can you explain in the classroom the experience of birth, death, being mentored in life’s values by an Apache Indian, or spending freezing nights alongside the Yukon River in the company of Athabasca elders, with winter dancing in and out of our tents, places so quiet you can hear your thoughts touching every second that you spend waiting for the morning. What scholars and academicians can only examine through theory, I have lived. Three decades have past since I established my academic foundation in Philosophy and Biology. I bring with me to the classroom life experiences that span the globe, a rich heritage, and literally thousands of hours of personal study in Native American studies. Volunteerism has been a large feature in my life, finding me involved with Boy Scouts of America, acting as an advisor and committee member for advancement. In the spirit of my ancestry, the proud Nez Perce horse breeding that was all but destroyed in the 1800s, I have acted as a pro bono advisor to the 4H Club and several FFA groups teaching horsemanship and equine-related studies. In professional terms, I have been involved with many Native communities in central Alaska and Arizona, volunteering my services as a pilot, driver and guide throughout most of my adult life. From all of my experiences, I have been blessed with many friendships, but have been instrumental in increasing an understanding of a people oft ignored. It is not a case of being proud of what we were, the Native American remains, is alive and well, and is eager to give back. XXXX University’s Department of NAS is my sole choice for scholastic development. Having contacted the department, explaining my intentions, I have only been left all the more encouraged of a superlative education enhanced by a curriculum that is broad and autonomous. While most schools primarily consider academic achievements, I respectfully ask that my lifetime of experiences, a life that few men can even dream of, the scars of my life, and the heart and mind that carries practical exposure to the cultures and traditions of countless people into consideration. I look forward to my future with XXXXU, and find it only fitting that Montana, the very place where the Nimíipuu called home, and Chief Joseph brought America’s last conflict with Native Americans to an end should be the place that I begin my pursuit of professorship in an exciting era of great change. Thank you for your time and consideration.

As a young girl, growing up I was always my mother’s helper. Being the eldest sibling in a single-parent household, the message I received was unspoken: you are the eldest, I need you, and your brothers and sisters are your responsibility, too. While I accepted this role, there were many times when I did not completely want this expectation. Upon reflection, though, I realize our lifestyle provided me with limited opportunities for childhood mistakes. Even when I reached high school and college, I still felt responsible for my siblings. It was during my undergraduate years, though that my beloved grandmother, the woman who primarily raised me, became quite ill. This beautiful black woman, who had risen from being an orphan, had always impressed upon me that I could do anything I put my mind to. While I returned home as often as I could to be by her side, my GPA and disqualification from XXXX University did not dampen my spirit nor dissolve my dreams. After completing my undergraduate education with San Francisco State University, I had a great deal of pride in my accomplishments, and yet was left wanting to go further. I quickly learned to keep my ambitions to myself as many commented, “you just got out [of school], aren’t you done with this school thing?” My performance at XXXX University was directly in line with my ability and was instrumental in proving to myself that I really was capable of anything I set my mind to. Upon graduating, I was anxious to begin my work, and actively sought out and procured work in the San Francisco community serving the mental health needs of inner-city children and adolescents. It was in this capacity that I found that schools were designed as a holding tank, to get kids out of the mainstream so it could keep going. Sadly, children were frequently left to their own devices to deal with the sets of problems that inner city life brings. There were simply too few counselors, psychologists and social workers assigned to assist the children. While teachers and administration were focused on the task of passing standardized tests, nobody was addressing children’s deeper psychological and emotional needs. To reach more children, I felt the need for a new approach, a new method. Turning to yoga, I became certified in yoga instruction, learning firsthand the benefits of Mindfulness Based Stress yoga/meditation. I felt that I had come to a viable solution for reaching children and adolescents’ unique needs. To prove this, I offered a cost free Mindfulness Based meditation/yoga series to a homeless shelter for adolescents and later got involved in setting up a yoga program within the XXXX Department of Juvenile Justice using the 30-minute psycho-education school course period. Reaching the children proved to be an exercise in inter-agency participation and cooperation, particularly through educating teachers, social workers and support staff in order to support the yoga programming; for my part, I was warned frequently to never call is “meditation”. With eyes closed and deep breaths, students learned a new method to reduce anxiety, conflict, and attention disorders. We got violent kids into yoga and kids who used drugs into meditation and I began to dream of how Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) skills could benefit at-risk youth, and the dream grew wings. MBSR skills actually supported a more positive learning environment, where inner city students were more primed for paying attention and being in the moment in a classroom setting. I remember clearly, my defining moment when I recognized that mindfulness meditation and complementary stress reduction skills might have healing benefits and support a youth’s ability to handle stress and alleviate depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, the foundation for my Ph.D. research.

Still only 22, I am a young woman originally from Ghana who has worked very hard to arrive at this point where I am ready to begin graduate school here in the USA. Enormously dedicated to the study of both International Relations and language, I put a lot of extra effort in fulfilling the requirements for an undergraduate degree in French as well as IR. Of course, looking forward to a long and productive future doing research in international relations and development in the context of Africa, French is nearly indispensable to the researcher who wants to pursue and develop multi-lingual, cosmopolitan approaches to the many complex challenges faced by African countries together, French and Portuguese as well as English-speaking Africa. I have been preparing myself for years now, both in terms of my education and also my professional experience to attend graduate school in the area of international relations and international business. I especially look forward to studying international investment and finance, the international economy and its interconnected aspects, especially the common economic difficulties largely shared by most or all African countries, especially with the recent global economic crises, and issues of diplomacy and conflict resolution. I wish to become a International Relations professional by studying in your exceptional program so that I can fulfill my dream of someday working for the United Nations, or as a member of a diplomatic corps, where I can make the most valuable contribution possible to the maintenance of peaceful and productive relations between Africa and other developing areas of the world, on the one hand, and the developed world on the other. Diplomacy is my first love, and I avidly stay abreast of world news, always with a special eye to economic developments and how they bode for the future. I am tragically disappointed about by the economic record of 2008 and hope to be part of a new generation of African leadership that will measure up to the great need at hand for creativity thinking about seemingly intractable problems that never seem to go away, especially in Africa, pestilence, disease, wars, civil wars, mercenary insurgencies, epidemics, critically underfunded and unsuccessful movements in education, to name a few areas. Those of us native Africans who have mastered both English and French rather than just one or the other, are a small group with a great deal to offer in the area of diplomacy, and at 22 I have the youthful vigor to further enhance my technical fluency in IR literature in both languages. It is important to have young African voices in IR departments, and I have clearly worked very hard and have demonstrated that I am a zealous student with an my international background and a critically developed global perspective, especially in terms of educational achievement, which I see as central to long term and sustainable progression towards just diversity and racial equality—to some extent--in a world of dwindling resources. My optimism sets me apart, the incessant, incorrigible smile, and radiant industriousness; I distinguish myself as a hard worker. I am hoping that you will see my promise as a result of my expertise through academic preparation in the area of foreign relations and the great passion that I have for constructively addressing the many complex relationships and challenges facing international relations professionals in this age of profound economic crises, suffering, and anxiety. Africa is in need of a new generation of young leadership in order to be able to chart and efficient course in the murky waters of finding and enhancing African autonomy, at the same time that African economic collaboration is also greatly expanded. The world economic crises of 2008—continuing unabated into 2009—its impact on Africa—is for me the burning issue of the time and the central area of focus of my own intellectual endeavors. I look forward to doing extensive and rigorous research in your program so as to master the full gambit of a variety of intellectual disciplines and schools of thinking, paradigms such as liberalism, realism, constructivism, etc), testing for what appears to be the most suitable theory for this age of terrorism and growing economic unrest. I very much appreciate your consideration of my application and it is my sincere hope to be able to meet with you and contribute to the beautiful celebration of diversity taking place in IR at XXXX University.

An Egyptian dentist, I dream of becoming not only an endodontics specialist and professor in Egypt but also serving as a visiting professor and research associate in many universities worldwide. Ultimately, my long term vision is towards collaboration in the development of a world-class institute in Egypt specializing in endodontics, dedicated towards the advancement of teaching and research. The institute that I envision would be fundamentally international attracting participants and students from all over the world but especially the Middle East to learn and participate in highly innovative research projects. I have a profound belief in the power of science, and I believe that no matter what conflicts and instabilities my home country Egypt might be suffering right now: science is the ultimate solution. That’s why I'm eager to participate in a scientific revolution that might be the path for a new era of prosperity and peace for my people. I look forward to becoming an artist in the field of endodontology, inspiring young dentists to give their all to both the art and the science of Endodontics for generations to come. Being accepted into your distinguished residency program will provide me with the final, critical platform that I will need for the sky to be the limit in terms of my long term goals in endodontics in the Middle East. I am a young Egyptian man, still 31 years old, who was born and raised in Qatar, where I am currently practicing dentistry. My childhood dreams were centered on becoming an artist and a scientist, gaining some notoriety for my inventions; I had my first art exhibition at 16. I was a natural, therefore, for combining art and science in dentistry. For a variety of reasons, I went to our native Egypt for dental school. Following my graduation, I accepted a one year clinical residency in the Oral Surgery Department of Cairo University. Wanting to move directly into international dentistry as soon as possible, I chose to purse the MFDS Diploma, of which the first compartment was in Egypt, and then traveled to the UK in 2008 to finish the second practical compartment of the general dentistry diploma, where I had the distinct privilege of becoming a member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of England. Since then, traveling has become my passion. I especially love to travel professionally and was able to attend an endodontic conference in Italy in 2011. I have also visited Spain, Portugal, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Last year, I visited the United States to sit successfully for my NBDE. I will be attending the European Society of Endodontics conference in Portugal this summer. I have been most in love with Endodontics since my first class in this area with Professor Hossam Tewfik. He encouraged all of his students to read more and more to increasingly continue to discover all that we could about this fabulous science. I took on extra-curricular hours in our endo clinic and managed to complete double the number of required cases for my graduation. I stayed current with my passion for endodontics by registering for every CE course available as well as attending all available conferences. I became a member of the Arab Micro-Dentistry Association, AMDA. This association, in particular, has been of invaluable support in my ongoing dedication to enhancing my ability to provide cutting edge, state-of-the art endodontic treatment. Sharing with the members of this group, faculty members and endodontic professors has further reinforced my passion for lifelong learning and research in endodontics. Another great inspiration for me in this area has been Dr Ahmed Abdel Rahman who became my supervisor in several research projects dealing with pulp capping and l regenerative Endodontics. After serving in Egypt for over 4 years, I accepted a position in Qatar, where I was born and raised, which I felt would enable me to make more rapid advancement towards ongoing training and learning. Here in Qatar, I have become one of the youngest dentists to be placed in-charge of the dental team. I became the second in command for the whole dental section in my health center just two years after joining the team. The heavy load of responsibility that I carry has enabled me to think creatively as to how to overcome obstacles that present themselves in management. I have been successful at streamlining our appointment system. I even managed to collaborate with our continuing education department in providing my colleagues with evidence-based seminars dealing with a variety of critical aspects of dental care. I believe that the essence of dentistry and medicine in general is to ease people’s pain and suffering. This is why I have enjoyed an extensive engagement with one of our leading charity institutions, The Life Makers Organization, where I have been able to help hundreds of orphans and other patients from disadvantaged, mostly rural areas. For many of them, it was their first visit to a dentist. This is what most makes me smile, especially inside; helping the underserved is the area in which I most hope to distinguish myself. I thank you for considering me for a residency position with your distinguished institution.

American history has been my special passion for many years. Thus, I am applying to your program so that I can become professionally engaged in what I find most meaningful in life. I am especially interested in doing graduate work in the area of the recent meltdown of the US economy and its historical antecedents. I am especially keen about the task of coming to better see our economic trouble through the refractory lenses of other problematic points in our history, especially the great depression. On a broader level, America in decline has caused me to increasingly become fascinated by the more general reasons why great, powerful civilizations tend to fail, especially the case of the Roman Empire.Link I feel strongly that historians, at least some of them, should be specifically devoted to those studies of history which can help to serve as guides to better understand our present problems, helping us to learn from our historical mistakes and stop repeating historical errors. I am deeply troubled by the failure of the American economy and I look forward to struggling to unlock the historical keys of the American economic failure of today. XXXX is my first choice for graduate study for many reasons, my intrigue with the work of the faculty, its location, and what I sense is a ‘best fit’ with my own personal history and intellectual areas of special interest; this is especially true with respect to the history of California and the U.S. West. Your program also has a distinguished emphasis on all of my other areas of interest in addition to U.S. History: European, Latin American, and East Asian—the areas in which I have travelled. I look forward to a rigorous exposure to historical interpretation and research theory, combined with in-depth analysis of field concentrations, historiography, and research methods. I appreciate the way that M.A. candidates in your program have the opportunity to work on projects directly related to their career goals—in my case becoming a teacher of history at the High School or Community College level—and the scheduling of many classes on Saturdays and at night, as this will help to make my schedule more flexible. I have a disabled son who was born with Fragile X Syndrome. He is nine years old and non-verbal and I always try to devote as much time to his needs as I can at the same time that I do not jeopardize my ongoing education and professional development. I have been involved in fund raising, education and have volunteered for many events related to his illness and medical research being done on his disease. And I have volunteered my time with the Children's Hospital of Phoenix, as well as time with Habitat for Humanity. Over the last twenty-five years, I have been dedicated to educating myself and my peers in the financial services industry. As a largely self-taught specialist in the fixed income arena, I have labored to provide honest and secure financial services to normal people with modest resources. Now, however, I feel that through a lot of hard work, I have finally earned to right to return to the academic world to pursue my primary intellectual passion. I like to think that my candidacy to your program is bolstered by a wealth of knowledge, maturity, exuberance, and experience. My real world experience has long served as a gateway to my intellectual interests and is closely related to my deep and abiding appreciation for the study of history. My greatest strength is my character, critical, independent, and fiercely dedicated to principles of fair play, teamwork, and professional standards. For example, as an investment advisor for a major Wall Street firm, when we were asked to sell mortgage backed securities, I was very skeptical from the beginning and focused my own research on the risks entailed, subsequently advising my own clients not to take a chance on these risky investments—despite the fact that this decreased my own income. I was always very conservative with my clients' money, safeguarding it as if it were my own. Now, I wish to continue to enrich my understanding of America’s economic history, especially since the great depression and I look forward to bringing my superlative work ethic and uncompromising values, ethics, and professional integrity to your program as a graduate student in the History Department. Finally, my wife anticipates being transferred to China for several years, about 4 years from now. Thus, it is my hope to continue to broaden my horizons after my Master’s Program by moving with her to China, teaching, and immersing myself in the areas of cross-cultural history and education. I trust that these experiences will make me a stronger teacher back home in California, more adept at making cross-cultural experiences come alive in the minds of my students. The greatest contribution that I might be able to make to society would be have a positive effect on students, as a result of my passion for history, human development, and my great love for diversity. I have travelled extensively throughout almost all of Western Europe, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico and Canada. I want to thank you for your consideration of my application.

As a child of an immigrant family from the Ukraine, I came to the West at the close of a long and brutal era in my country of origin; I was only 13 years old when I escaped with my family to the West. For me, diversity in America is not so much formed on the basis of our genetic codes, but by our experiences as immigrants, learning English from scratch as an adolescent, for example, as in my case, as well as being Jewish. I have learned to understand and appreciate how often imagined differences turn out to be only skin deep, and people of vastly different ethnic and cultural backgrounds can indeed form lasting and highly valued friendships, and learn a great deal from each other. I see America as a place where we are all of diverse backgrounds and have similar opportunities to become successful, irrespective of our unique cultural and ethnic backgrounds. When I came to the U.S., I adjusted my way of thinking and behaving within this new environment; I hit the ground running in a struggle for adaptability and creativity mixed with freedom and service towards others. I persevered from day one and learned to deal with my fears, thereby becoming comfortable and finding fulfillment in life for myself and my family. Most of all, I am deeply inspired by what my parents had to go through in order to provide for a better future for their children: insisting on sacrificing in their own lives so as to provide a springboard for us. My parents taught me that one can succeed as a result of enormously hard work and dedication coupled to a positive outlook on life, and to believe that we can indeed fulfill our dreams. My background has also taught me to see the best in people and not be afraid to share my opinions. When I interact with people, I keep in mind that they might not understand where I am coming from and, thus, I always strive for effective communication, so that we can learn from each other. I am especially fascinated by history, art, business, and politics and I enjoy holding discussions with others on these subjects. I have come to accept and account for the fact that I tend to hold views on certain subjects that are often at odds with mainstream opinion. But I am enormously curious, and in most cases I do far more listening than expounding. I have learned to enjoy respecting what others have to say as well as the broad variety of cogent positions that one can take with regard to controversial issues, learning how to think in a broader sense about the world in general and the people that I interact with in particular. My experiences have taught me a lot about how to become an increasingly understanding person and quite capable of appreciating broadly disparate points of view without rushing to judgment. I see this as singularly American and a testimony to my successful assimilation. It is easy for me to find common ground with my fellowman. My application is also strengthened by the fact that I have a diverse professional background. Having held positions in both manufacturing and service-oriented companies, I have come to appreciate the critical role that diversity plays in the business world. I am also interested in the complex relationships that exist between diversity and sustainable, environmentally conscious public policy; the contributions that diversity makes to workplace quality and worker satisfaction. I try to always maintain a high sense of integrity to my own roots and ethnic heritage and to honor the nation that I have adopted as well as my culture of origin.

As a child of an immigrant family from the Ukraine, I came to the West at the close of a long and brutal era in my country of origin; I was only 13 years old when I escaped with my family to the West. For me, diversity in America is not so much formed on the basis of our genetic codes, but by our experiences as immigrants, learning English from scratch as an adolescent, for example, as in my case, as well as being Jewish. I have learned to understand and appreciate how often imagined differences turn out to be only skin deep, and people of vastly different ethnic and cultural backgrounds can indeed form lasting and highly valued friendships, and learn a great deal from each other. I see America as a place where we are all of diverse backgrounds and have similar opportunities to become successful, irrespective of our unique cultural and ethnic backgrounds. When I came to the U.S., I adjusted my way of thinking and behaving within this new environment; I hit the ground running in a struggle for adaptability and creativity mixed with freedom and service towards others. I persevered from day one and learned to deal with my fears, thereby becoming comfortable and finding fulfillment in life for myself and my family. Most of all, I am deeply inspired by what my parents had to go through in order to provide for a better future for their children: insisting on sacrificing in their own lives so as to provide a springboard for us. My parents taught me that one can succeed as a result of enormously hard work and dedication coupled to a positive outlook on life, and to believe that we can indeed fulfill our dreams. My background has also taught me to see the best in people and not be afraid to share my opinions. When I interact with people, I keep in mind that they might not understand where I am coming from and, thus, I always strive for effective communication, so that we can learn from each other. I am especially fascinated by history, art, business, and politics and I enjoy holding discussions with others on these subjects. I have come to accept and account for the fact that I tend to hold views on certain subjects that are often at odds with mainstream opinion. But I am enormously curious, and in most cases I do far more listening than expounding. I have learned to enjoy respecting what others have to say as well as the broad variety of cogent positions that one can take with regard to controversial issues, learning how to think in a broader sense about the world in general and the people that I interact with in particular. My experiences have taught me a lot about how to become an increasingly understanding person and quite capable of appreciating broadly disparate points of view without rushing to judgment. I see this as singularly American and a testimony to my successful assimilation. It is easy for me to find common ground with my fellowman. My application is also strengthened by the fact that I have a diverse professional background. Having held positions in both manufacturing and service-oriented companies, I have come to appreciate the critical role that diversity plays in the business world. I am also interested in the complex relationships that exist between diversity and sustainable, environmentally conscious public policy; the contributions that diversity makes to workplace quality and worker satisfaction. I try to always maintain a high sense of integrity to my own roots and ethnic heritage and to honor the nation that I have adopted as well as my culture of origin.