Question: Share any information you think would be important in the evaluation of your application, including any concerns you think the Admission Committee may have regarding your application.

In the fall of 1999 I returned to Romania from my internship in the marketing Department of [deleted], determined to start building the career in Marketing I had wanted to pursue.

I was entering my final year in college, a very important year as I had to prepare my graduation thesis and start applying for jobs. My major was international business and my college does not allow the change of major. Having a different major in school was not an advantage. I decided to take a year off school in which I would build knowledge and experience in marketing.

Although my parents fully backed my decision I wanted to support myself through this process and I got a job. This gave me financial means both for my year off and for the final year in school.

Going to Turkey I had one exam left from my third year and I was scheduled to take it during the winter session of my senior year. Unfortunately, constrains of my new job impeded me from attending that session. In Romania one has to pass all the classes in order to promote in the next academic year. Although I had passed 10 of 11 classes of my sophomore year, because of the missed exam I filed to promote in the fourth year in 1999. This is the reason for the 1998/1999 gap in my school records.

Taking the year off was worth beyond my expectations: I was living on my own, using my time wisely, assisting to marketing lectures, studying on my own and working to support myself. It was a good investment in my future that soon started to pay off. The following year I was awarded a prestigious and substantial scholarship for my graduation paper in marketing, by [deleted], I was awarded First Prize in the Student Scientific Research Session and I was a finalist in the "Student of the year in economics" contest organized by the Academy of Economic Studies and one of the largest banks in Romania.

По материалам сайта www.businessweek.com.