Admission Essay Example: Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU)

Before attending Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU), I had never thought of myself as much of a leader. I had always pictured myself as more of a lone wolf type of person, or a nonconformist. However, after learning more about myself through pushing myself out of my comfort zone and the experiences IWU has provided me, I have grown to understand that I do have a passion for leadership

The first leadership opportunity I remember taking advantage of was at Ames Library as a Writing Center Tutor. Writing Center Tutors work with all IWU students of all majors, and occasionally professors. While working as a tutor, I improved my communication and leadership skills. More specifically, I have come to realize that my leadership style is a combination of lots of listening, asking questions, and distinct, honest feedback. I was surprised at how natural leading students came to me and how much I appreciate the process.

After taking N217/218 my sophomore year and occasionally meeting with my peers to review material, I became passionate about continuing to tutor students in fields besides writing. I have greatly enjoyed guiding students taking “patho” because it truly is the building block of nursing. I love conveying to students to understand the big ideas over tiny details. While meeting with these students, I found they often looked for work-life balance life as well as academic feedback. I feel honored to be someone others can look up to and take the job very seriously.

In the fall of 2021, I was a Titan Orientation Leader (TOL) and this upcoming fall, I have been selected to be a Senior TOL. Senior TOLs are assigned a group of TOLs to train and mentor throughout the first year and transfer student’s orientation, in addition to leading a group of 20 students themselves. Through this experience, I have gained experience in public speaking and come to understand the importance of confidence. Over the summers, I have had Rising Titans email me questions about life at IWU. I also participate in Titan BoxFit as a form of physical exercise. Through this activity, I am able to push my limits and learn from strong leaders.

From my many experiences working as a leader, I have discovered that Leadership is not about bossing others around, but setting a good example, confidence, compassion, and always having a team approach. I value a team approach but also think independently. Furthermore, I have learned that leadership is not always fun and sometimes necessitates difficult conversations, but these conversations are not as intimidating as I once saw them.

My grades have always been a high priority of mine. I feel a deep sense of achievement after studying, truly understanding a concept, and then applying the concept to exams, projects, and clinical paperwork. I am proud to say that I have a GPA of 3.91/4.0 and have made Dean’s list all my semesters at IWU. Additionally, I have recently been inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing. Although my GPA makes me proud, I am even more proud of all the information I have learned that I can apply to patient care. Although this GPA is not perfect, I am still proud of myself and what it represents; hard work, dedication, and to be honest, a small amount of sacrifice.

One of the reasons I chose to attend IWU was because nursing students are encouraged to pursue minors. I have chosen to focus on the Health minor because I am fascinated by how people are impacted by the world around them. Pursuing the health minor has helped me realize the various leadership opportunities surrounding health, such as patient advocacy.