So this is what I submitted:
>>I have been out of school for eight years and feel it is important to return to study history on a graduate level. I take school very seriously, and it has required a lot of time and effort to reach the point where I can enroll and devote the time necessary for classes. This fall 2005 semester, I am enrolled at Marquette as with non-degree status so that I may take a core base of history classes in preparation for graduate studies.
I was valedictorian of my graduating class and was awarded the National Merit Scholarship in high school. I attended Emerson College in Boston and received my Baccalaureate Magna Cum Laude from the Honor’s Program in two and a half years. Due to circumstances, I went to work full time and did not have the opportunity to continue my higher education. I am proud of my academic achievements, and I found it difficult to leave school behind.
I have dedicated a considerable amount of time to deciding what my future academic goals should be. Simply wanting to return to school was not enough. I do not deny being part of a generation of young adults which lacks skills in the areas of making important decisions and establishing lifelong goals. High-speed gratification arrives at 5000 kbps and is gone just as quickly. I had to be certain that I could be happy with my chosen field of study.
It has been several years since I have worked directly in television and radio, the field for which I received my degree, and I have been biding time with work in desktop publishing and web production. I considered these areas of study, but they were not fulfilling as jobs; I do not foresee them becoming fulfilling as careers. I have established a small online shop, which inspired me to reflect on studying business. I shortly realized that I was content with my hobby business and do not possess much of a capitalistic edge and drive of consumerism. Further introspection brought about the question, “What are my long-time interests and will they last?”
Music has always been an important aspect of my life. I am currently drum sergeant for the River Valley Colonials, a fife and drum corps, which represents massed music of the 4th Massachusetts Regiment of the U.S. Continental Line from the Revolutionary War. Music history and ethnomusicology appeal to me; I have been involved in Revolutionary War music and reenacting for half my life. But performance is not my calling; I am drawn to the academic aspects – the history and the theory. This perspective also applies to my other pursuits of period fashion and décor. On more than one occasion, people have suggested that I study interior decorating or costume design, but again, I am as attracted to the development of the subject itself as I am in the application.
Through my period of self-exploration, I found that I am drawn to how the aspects of human history influence each other. Science advances healthcare. Technology changes warfare. Religion shapes art and music. In retrospect, I see that I’ve been heading in this direction for years, and it has taken the voyage for me to recognize the destination. I am a focused and committed student and would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate this at Marquette.
It was eight years ago that I had capped
at Emerson my undergraduate phase.
Despite that I was academically apt,
prosaic daily grind consumed my days.
Priorities at home prevailed at first.
The longer that I ground my rut away,
the higher was the climb to reach the crest.
Apparent was the need change my way.
For, though the time at hand was never right,
I knew to my own self I must be true.
Matriculation still remained in sight.
And through the years I’ve learned a thing or two.
Since I’ve applied for classes at Marquette,
I may exceed my baccalaureate.<<
I had to end with a sonnet. I didn't have time to write a madrigal.