UCSD IR/PS application question!! Hurry! Please help!

[serenam]

Hey Guys! I'm applying UCSD IR/PS program right now. I have questions about the second essay (Many events of globe significance have occurred in the last three years. please discuss how one of these events has impacted your views on initiative and leadership.)I'm not really clearly about what the essay should talk about. Could you guys give me some suggestions about how to write the second essay? What kind of essay it should be and how long it should be? what kinds of my abilities that the committee want to see through the essay? Thank you so much!!

[nouveau.ukiyo]

I think the instructions are pretty easy to understand. Are you applying for a January intake? When's the deadline? If you are applying for next fall, I think you have plenty of time.

Perhaps it will be helpful to you if I explain what I wrote. Since I live in Japan, I wrote about last year's earthquake/tsunami, my personal experience and reaction. Since I was at work at the time, I wrote about how it impacted me and my workplace. I also wrote about my observations of the Japanese people's reaction to the disaster vs. people in other countries (Japan = calm, helpful and orderly; foreigners and foreign media = Japan has become a nuclear wasteland and sunk into the ocean).

[OregonGal]

So... first off, I think that perhaps you should read the instructions a little closer. As in, the part that says "500 words or less"?

The reason that the essay questions are vague is so that the admissions committee can see what you think is important, and see how you respond. In general, they are looking for a strong argument in favor of your thesis statement and good writing ability. I would suggest writing about a topic that favors your concentration, or framing it in a way that makes it clear that it is part of your professional interests/goals.

For my essay, I wrote about Congressional partisan gridlock and how that is affecting the U.S.' world standing through lack of leadership. My declared concentration is International Politics and my professional interest is in US foreign and security policy, so being able to tie in a current event (do-nothing Congress/partisan infighting preventing confirmation of ambassadors) with the broader diplomatic implications (potential harm to standing w/in countries where our embassies lack leaders, and decrease in US soft power and standing in the long term) was important to me. I also took a strong argumentative stance because I wanted a contrast to my first essay, which was the traditional explicative "this is what I want to do and this is why I am a good fit for school X" candidate statement.

[serenam]

Thank you so much for your information!!!!!

[AkashC]

500 strong words and a strong topic will get you through I wrote about terrorist attack in Mumbai, India. Proof read a billion times yourself and crease out any boring patches in your essay before sending it to them.

Most importantly write about the topic that you feel strongly about