IELTS by Aamir Mughal in Islamabad, Pakistan

In my sophomore year at UBC, I first began to seriously consider dentistry as a career. At that time, I began to appreciate the important role that dentistry played in my life. Four years earlier, I began an orthodontic treatment program with Dr. Junni Wang to correct a severe crowding problem with my teeth. Both before and during the treatment, I was a most reluctant participant; not many teenagers look forward to braces filling their mouth during their last two years of high school, and I was no different.

However, at every monthly check-up for three-and-a-half years the office staff had nothing but kind words of encouragement and optimism. Now after the completion of the treatment I had reason to smile. Dr. Wang helped turn me from a shy adolescent who feared smiling into a confident, outgoing young man. His skills not only brought back my smile, but also my sense of confidence in all aspects of my life. Whereas once I feared drawing attention to myself and thus shied away from leadership posts and debates, now I am a completely different person. Hoping to feel as satisfied and gratified as Dr. Wang must have felt in improving not only my smile but my entire way of life, I look forward to improving the oral health of patients on a daily basis and participating in dentistry’ s friendly, team-oriented work environment.

After this preliminary ‘ patient-doctor’ exposure to dentistry, I substantially increased my involvement in the field to determine if dentistry really was for me. My participation with the UBC Pre-Dental Society allowed me to communicate with various professionals in the field. I also investigated opportunities to volunteer in the University Dental Clinic or participate in research work. After speaking to a couple of professors in the UBC Faculty of Dentistry asking them about research opportunities, I found a topic that interested me. Dr. Putnins, of the Division of Periodontics, offered me a position in his lab to conduct a semi-quantitative analysis to determine the levels of endotoxin in dental unit water lines.

After taking many water samples from the University Dental Clinic and quantifying the amounts of endotoxin (lipopolysaccahride) in those samples with an Limulus Abeocyte Lysate test, I prepared to publish dentistry’ s first account of this type of experiment. I conducted the study over a 16-week span (Jan.-Apr.‘ 98), and the research work counted as 3.0 credits towards my undergraduate degree. Because the vast majority of my work was self-directed, I submitted my findings for evaluation by the faculty in a 32-page report with 46 references, and I also defended my methods before a panel of professors. Impressed by the findings and results, Dr. Putnins will use my study as a key component of a journal article he is currently preparing for the Journal of Dental Research (JDR). The school also submitted an abstract of my findings for presentation at the upcoming 77th General Session of the International Association of Dental Research (IDAR) to be held at Vancouver, Canada. I am keenly looking forward to this unique opportunity to have my work appear before distinguished members of the dental research community. My positive research experience definitely helped reinforce my goal of becoming a dentist.

In addition, my employment as a Canada Customs Inspector has helped me improve my level of social awareness and helped me develop qualities I can usefully apply to dentistry. As a Customs Inspector, I had the opportunity to communicate effectively with many different types of people in various situations. I have also developed the ability to resolve conflicts, defuse difficult situations, and show empathy even during cases of enforcement. In addition, my experience with team sports has provided me with leadership skills that can not be taught in any textbook. As the captain of my hockey team and the coach of a children’ s team, I have developed excellent communication skills and the ability to identify and work effectively with kids. All of these qualities will prove very important to my future career in dentistry.

Attracted by the dental profession’ s ability to positively impact people’ s lives, just like my orthodontist, and by the profession’ s financially rewarding and stable lifestyle, I look forward to one day opening my own practice and becoming a well-respected member of both the community of dentists and the community of patients. While my GPA may not be as high as some applicants’ , my academic record shows a consistent positive. I know I have the intelligence, ability, and determination to achieve success in dentistry; I only need the opportunity. My dental research experience combined with my academic background, personal qualities, and leadership abilities makes me well suited to accept the challenges in the field of dentistry. I look forward to an interview and the chance to discuss my qualifications in person.

Although I entered college without a clear research direction, the Biotechnology Program at Rochester Institute of Technology helped develop my interest in the field of Genetics. I found much of my laboratory training at RIT to be extremely rewarding. For example, one experience that early on convinced me to seriously consider genetics was a project involving the construction and characterization of a recombinant plasmid. Since I worked independently for the most part, the project played a key role in increasing my confidence and helping me to understand various concepts pertaining to genetic analysis. It was this experience that motivated me to seek a position as a teacher’ s assistant for a course in Microbial and Viral Genetics. As a TA, I learned how demanding the teaching situation is and how much teaching a course can contribute to my own learning.

By this time, after discovering my passion for research and the joy of teaching, I began to seriously contemplate graduate schools. To excel in graduate school, I decided I would not limit my experience to my formal education at RIT. Instead, I wanted the opportunity to explore my career options to make a well-informed decision as to the area of my future research. With these goals in mind, I chose to take advantage of RIT’ s Cooperative Education Program, which meant earning my Bachelor’ s degree in five years instead of four. In December of 1997,Astra Arcus USA Pharmaceuticals hired me as a research assistant in the Electrophysiology department.

At Astra, I learned research techniques not taught by RIT. For the past year, I have been working with a subset of neuronal glutamate receptors via voltage clamping on Xenopus oocytes. The research of our lab is geared toward the study of central nervous system diseases. Working with Astra and earning an education in biotechnology from RIT sparked my interest in learning more about the genetic basis of disease.

On a personal level, I’ ve gained quite a bit from my cooperative experience. Confident in my ability to adapt to new environments and learn techniques that I have never encountered, I have also learned a great deal about the nature of private-sector research and the lifestyle of the researchers. Familiar with the amount of dedication and hard work essential to project advancement, I am more focused on my goal of becoming an excellent researcher than I ever have been. No stranger to the frustration and disappointment inherent in research work, I am spurred on by the thrill of discovery. I find a great deal of enjoyment working in research and plan to stay at Astra through the summer of 2005.

I feel that my course work as a Biotechnology major at RIT and my research experience at Astra have adequately prepared me for graduate study. Eager to continue my education and improve upon my weaknesses, I am particularly interested in becoming more familiar with emerging technologies relating to genetics and in gaining more exposure in working with eukaryotic genomes. Most importantly, I want to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to design and perform research according to my interests in genetics and disease.

With these broad interests and specific goals, I am very attracted to the Graduate Program in Genetics at Duke University. With great flexibility in choosing a degree, the program would suit me well. At Duke, I would welcome the opportunity to explore my interests in Cell Biology, Neurobiology, Pharmacology, and Cancer Biology. I am also interested in learning more about possible involvement with the Duke Center for Human Genetics. My motivation to succeed is reflected in both my academic standing and my dedication to research. I feel that these attributes, combined with a profound interest in the Biological Sciences, will ensure me success as a graduate student at Duke University.

While my undergraduate and MS curriculum exposed me to a wide variety of computer science topics, I have gained extensive knowledge in the area of network infrastructure development. As an MS student at DePaul University, I worked as a network support technician and project manager for Information Services. My most significant accomplishment in this capacity involved the re-wiring of over a thousand dormitory rooms to enable the students to have Internet access with a link to the other four campuses. In doing so, I had to investigate the existing needs of a high-speed Internet network, as well as the transport of bandwidth to support future demands, which are almost impossible to determine.

As a result of my experiences in the dormitory project, I was well prepared for the challenges that awaited me as the manager of Information Services at the Transportation Center at Northwestern University. My primary task was to build a state-of-the-art network infrastructure that would support a leading graduate research center in the transportation field. In a succinct and convincing manner, I had to demonstrate my vision in building the foundation and developing the budget, as well as managing the project, purchasing, installation and finally, deployment of my plan. My success in leading this project and utilizing the newly installed technical tools to empower the Center’s goals led to the realization of similar goals and projects in a corporate environment.

Currently, I am the manager of Information Systems at Active Screw and Fastener, where I am responsible for the entire IT unit. Although my strengths are concentrated in the area of Information Technology, I do not want to limit myself to building and maintaining data networks. Through a focused program of study, my goal is to develop expertise in information security, an area that is becoming more and more critical to all information systems managers. As my company grows, I must also be capable of providing the necessary growth in its IT functions to enable people to share information with confidence. It is imperative that sensitive data assets, be it personal or corporate, will not be vulnerable to Cybercrime or compromised by unauthorized users.

The key to becoming a successful Tech manager and future CIO is the ability to demonstrate that a company’s secret information resources are in alignment with corporate priorities. The Chicago Professional Programs in Computer Science will give me extensive exposure to information security, and will allow me to take a step toward securing the infrastructures that I have already built. With its strong cadre of experienced faculty, Chicago will prepare me to become a solid senior technical manager and partner with an enlightened vision towards the new directions manifesting in the information security field.

My sister was addicted to heroin -- a situation my mother, father, and I had to face each day, constantly carrying it at the forefront of our minds. If my sister was going to recognize that she was a bright, beautiful girl with lots of promise, my parents and I would have to understand the issues that contributed to her addiction. I managed to remain upbeat and confident that, through our help, my sister would get better. My parents, however, when confronted with clear evidence of her addiction, continually chose to deny that a problem even existed. This vulnerability that I never before witnessed as a potential character trait of my usually sedate, rational parents showed me that the human mind is more complex than I had thought, and that complex emotions can lie behind even the most rational and logical minds.

As I watched my sister grapple with her problem for three years, I wondered why familial love and external counseling were not enough to jolt her back into reality. Realizing that I was approaching a watershed period in my life, I began research on the characteristics and prevalence of heroin, trying to find out why it was so addictive and why my sister preferred it to a normal, daily existence. Focusing on my role as the major strut of support for my nuclear family, I was able to remain emotionally stable and sensible. My relentlessness pursuits convinced my parents that there was an issue to face and prompted their involvement in my sister’s treatment. Through our combined efforts, we were able to face the addiction head-on and help my sister realize how better her life would be were she not addicted to such a powerful drug.

Considering how well I had survived this situation, I surmised that I had the skills and drive to succeed in a professional career that involved helping others recognize and deal with their own personal conflicts. To keep my sister’s condition from preoccupying my entire existence, I immersed myself in my studies, especially psychology, and found college a fulfilling and fascinating experience. Maintaining a 3.9 GPA while working over 30 hours each week at a restaurant and a gym was quite difficult, but keeping busy helped me focus my thoughts. In retrospect, college was one of the most stimulating periods in my life, and I found tremendous determination to achieve my goal of helping others through the study of psychology.

Yearning to gain practical experience in clinical psychology, I attained a field placement position through my school at the Lennox Hospital Psychiatric Unit. Under the supervision of Thomas Carter, I co-led therapeutic activities with the recreational staff, organized patient participation in these activities, and provided additional emotional support for the patients. I worked with individuals who suffered from a variety of mental conditions, including mood, schizophrenic, personality disorders, and I took advantage of the opportunity to observe their treatments. With this firsthand look into the effectiveness of clinical psychopharmacology and psychotherapy, I realized that, beyond the textbook, psychology becomes more fascinating when viewed in the context of actual human disease. Even though I did not play a major role in my patients’ recovery process, I experienced the rewarding feeling of making an appreciable, positive difference in people’s lives.

During my senior year of college, a fellow undergraduate and I collaborated with Dr. Jason Young on an independent honors research project studying the supposed agenda-setting functions of the American news media. During this study, we examined the effect of negative and frightening images depicted in the news on people’s perceptions of which news stories were most important. To help us explore our research questions, I conducted an extensive literature review, developed research materials, created an experimental videotape, and utilized extensive psychological questionnaires. By collaborating with a professional researcher, I refined my research skills in data analysis using SPSS, as well as my ability to present my findings in the manner of an accepted professional research paper. I enjoyed conducting the literature review most, approaching it as a scavenger hunt and considering the quantity and quality of information found as my reward. This project, along with my other undergraduate studies, has prepared me for the rigors of graduate study and the parameters of successful, professional research.

With my primary focus on the practice of clinical psychology, I plan to attend a doctoral program committed to the Vail model. Yeshiva University offers a superb course of study, because the program stresses the importance of understanding and employing different modalities of treatment. I became interested in cognitive-behavioral therapy while taking a health psychology class and hope to apply this type of therapy one day, especially in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Although I plan to specialize in cognitive-behavioral therapy, I recognize the value of exploring a variety of theoretical psychological orientations.

Yeshiva also allows students to begin clinical practice in their first year of study, offering a variety of clinical opportunities from which to choose. Attending Yeshiva would enable me to stay close to my family; after completing my doctorate, I plan to work in a public psychiatric hospital or community mental health center nearby. The ability to work well with diverse populations in a variety of clinical settings is critical to becoming an excellent student and successful psychologist, something I hope to achieve through Yeshiva’s doctoral program in clinical psychology

There I embraced numerous opportunities, encountering real aircraft and delving into introductory flight theory. From basic mechanics of aircraft to simple airplane design, the more I learned about my major, the more I wanted to learn. A natural extension of this burning curiosity remains to enter your renowned graduate program in the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

My preparation for your program has been expansive and thorough. First, I have a solid background in aeronautical and mechanical engineering. Additionally, during my undergraduate years, I joined a club called Information Process Research (IPR) focused on computer programming. Our projects dealt with visual C++, AutoCAD, and other software tools. My work outside the classroom, in job placements through Hankuk Aviation University, granted me excellent opportunities for real-world experience. This led to my associate membership of the Korea Aeronautical Engineers’ Association.

While exploring the possibility of graduate-level work, I discovered that my interests are perfectly matched with your program. My interest in flight mechanics and control, especially, was piqued during my flight control and automatic control systems class. The aspects of the control system fascinated me and made me long to supervise a large project in this field one day. Although I realize my current limitations, my whole-hearted enthusiasm, combined with guidance from your exceptional faculty, will carry me through the rigors of studying and forge me into an expert control systems engineer after the two year M.S. coursework and the subsequent Ph.D. courses.

Upon graduation from your school, I plan to work as a practical engineer in a large manufacturing company or as a researcher at an institute. Participating in the development of advanced airplanes, space shuttles, and satellites would fulfill my aspirations. In the long term, I would like to become a professor in order to share my knowledge and experience and instruct the next generation of aeronautical engineers.

At age twenty-four, I was building a career as a restaurateur and earning a lucrative living when I rediscovered my passion for learning and for teaching through evening courses in French and seminars in teaching English as a second language. In particular, I realized my profound interest in teaching English to speakers of other languages, and so I made the difficult but ultimately invaluable decision to study in the Second Language Teaching program at the University of Ottawa. In this program, my interest evolved from a focus on teaching young adults to teaching adults at the post-secondary level. Opportunities to apply my knowledge in the classroom, in combination with my experiences learning two languages in foreign contexts, have served as integral guides to the development of my own approach to teaching second languages.

In the classroom, it is particularly important for me to understand the second language learner’s point of view and use humor and real-life situations to get a point across. Yet a teacher's work goes beyond these techniques. In order to further understand the political, economical, social, and cultural issues underlying educational policies and procedures, I wish to join the Master of Education program at Columbia University. This foundation will serve as the critical bridge needed to further my career as an educator.

Through my undergraduate studies in second language teaching, I developed my interest in pursuing research on the question of how sociocultural factors impact awareness in second language design, implementation, and assessment in a multicultural community versus those in a culturally homogeneous community. In my experience, moreover, sociocultural factors affect schooling in a variety of areas, including culture, gender identities, power roles, class markers and social markers. Research in this area as part of my studies at Columbia will therefore help fill a pressing, practical educational need.

Finally, while conducting this research, I hope to expand my analytical, statistical and examination skills, and later to bring to my teaching an increased awareness of issues currently affecting educational pedagogy. The Master of Education program will therefore provide me with the educational foundation to fully realize my professional and personal goals.

In my current work, I explore themes of metamorphosis. Though I derive my figures and compositions from classical sources, my thematics emphasize subjects outside of our contemporary mainstream society -- namely outcasts and rebellious women. In my representation of such subjects, I aim to expose the struggle of mind and body as set against the decaying backdrop of western civilization. The subject of transformation in my works was a natural development, born from my interest in mythology, particularly Ovid’s "Metamorphoses." Metamorphosis also projects my desire to break out of standard artistic forms, both figuratively and literally. The struggle between the technological age and the magical nature of the organic is a subject that particularly fascinates me.

Two factors have contributed to my decision to pursue my education at the graduate level. First, by attending graduate school, I would have the opportunity to explore the personal language of paint in an atmosphere of intense dialogue with other artists and scholars. In addition, I seek further education in order to refine and improve my level of written discourse on subjects related to art. I feel that graduate school will enable me to discuss and research contemporary issues that are of chief importance to an artist practicing in today’s society. Two of the 20th-century artists I most admire, Francis Bacon and Marlene Dumas, strongly interacted with their environments. Continuously collecting information and ideas for their paintings, they sought to create a personal language through a dialogue of modern ideas. Bacon’s viewpoints, for instance, were often as interesting as his paintings.

My other goal in attending graduate school, along with expanding my knowledge of history and art, is to prepare for a future career in education. In particular, this aim has become a reality to me over the past year of writing my undergraduate thesis. It is extremely important to me that I, as an artist and as a teacher, maintain a state of openness and awareness. I strongly believe that the best teachers are themselves engaged daily in the act of learning. In order to be creative, it is imperative to be open and vulnerable; however, I believe that good art has to possess an element of courage in order to provoke positive change.

While living in England several years ago, I taught arts and crafts to a group of children, using my home as a studio and classroom. Over the course of a few months, my students gained not only artistic skills, but also confidence in their abilities and aesthetic visions. As the children shared their enthusiasm for their art lessons with their parents, my little group grew significantly larger. This experience was quite exhilarating; I enjoyed teaching within a group dynamic as well as dealing with students one on one. As a teacher, I discovered that within the wide spectrum of individuals, each one may take a slightly different approach toward art -- making listening skills extremely important in a teacher. I also learned much about the way cultures and varying social classes affect people. Living in the north of England and traveling throughout Europe gave me a chance to understand how culture influences people, and in turn how they process this through their art.

One of the reasons Pratt is so appealing to me, besides the obvious attraction of its location within a cultural mecca, is the unique opportunity to earn a combined degree in fine arts with a minor in art history (M.S./M.F.A.). My main area of interest outside of painting is art history; I would love to teach art history in conjunction with studio arts. I feel compelled to understand how art has affected culture -- and vice versa -- throughout history, even as I continue to search for my own language through painting.