Download 15-Work-Experience - College Admissions Strategies

College Essay Sample - Work Experience
Tip: This student wrote the essay below when colleges asked her to describe a significant work
experience. She also used it in modified form to address such essay topics as intellectual interests,
collaboration, and summer experience, among others. The key is to interpret the questions creatively and
apply them to your own personal characteristics.
This past summer I seized an opportunity to further my interests in molecular biology through a program
concentrating on the genetic mutations that cause Pompe’s Disease, an autosomal recessive disorder
resulting in rapid muscle degeneration. At Bellevue Hospital’s Muscle Rehabilitation Unit, I assisted a
research scientist in his study of the genetic disease, actively participating in the actual manipulation of
patients' genes. First, I would isolate a particular group of exons and then amplify and replicate these
nucleic sequences. Next, I would strip the DNA of contaminations added in the previous procedures, thus
purifying it. A complicated step followed. It involved adding radioactive substances that would bind to
certain nucleotides, enabling the depiction of the separate nucleotides. (Handling such things as
radioactive chemicals, fragile materials, and microscopic elements entailed meticulous efforts.) From this
step, a film could be made with the imprints of a patient's DNA sequence, whereupon I could identify the
location of a mutation.
150 words
Tip: The above essay was modified below to answer another application’s question that stated,
“Describe a time you collaborated with others in a way that seemed natural at first but became
exceptional.” Only the parts highlighted in yellow have been modified.
I have always had a passion for science, especially for seeing it applied in the laboratory. This past
summer I seized an opportunity to further my interests in molecular biology through a program
concentrating on the genetic mutations that cause Pompe’s Disease, an autosomal recessive disorder
resulting in rapid muscle degeneration. At Bellevue Hospital’s Muscle Rehabilitation Unit, I assisted a
research scientist in his study of the genetic disease, and learned how to actively participate in the actual
manipulation of patients' genes. First, I would isolate a particular group of exons and then amplify and
replicate these nucleic sequences. Next, I would strip the DNA of contaminations added in the previous
procedures, thus purifying it. But a complicated step followed. It involved adding radioactive substances
that would bind to certain nucleotides, enabling the depiction of the separate nucleotides. Handling such
things as radioactive chemicals, fragile materials, and microscopic elements entailed meticulous efforts,
and together with the research scientist, we were able to create a film with the imprints of a patient's DNA
sequence, whereupon I could identify the location of a mutation. It was an effort that required an attention
not only to detail, but also to safety and technique. It was a unique experience and showed me the levels
to which science can rise when separate talents are united.
220 words