<p>I really want to study abroad in Japan, but in order to do that I must write a statement of purpose. Will anyone help edit my essay. ANY help is appreciated. Thank you to all in advance :) </p>
<p>Here is the prompt:</p>
<p>This should be a carefully written essay of three to five paragraphs. As the statement of purpose is one of the most important parts of your application, give it serious thought before submitting your online application. Pay special attention to grammar, spelling, and form.
• Please indicate the extent to which your coursework and educational experience have prepared you to study abroad.
• Discuss how overseas study will contribute to your academic and career goals.
• If you do not meet the minimum published requirements you may wish to explain any extenuating circumstances.</p>
<p>And here is my essay</p>
<p>I do not have any memory of what it is like to live in Japan. I was born and raised in Japan until age 5, but I do not remember anything memorable in the 5 years I lived there. However, in college, I found a new opportunity to rediscover the culture of Japan by the means of studying abroad. I am confident that I can handle studying one year in Japan because I am academically competent. Studying in Waseda can also contribute to my academic goals. Japan can give me a different view of psychology from what Cal Poly gives me.
By the end of my second quarter in Cal Poly, my academic standing will be equivalent of a third year student. I accomplished this feat by taking nine AP tests in high school and passing all of them. College Board acknowledged my academic excellence, and I received the National AP Scholar Award. Along with taking 9 AP classes and participating in various extra-curricular activities, I also attended Japanese school for 11 years. I would wake up early every Saturday to make it to class that lasted from 9:00 AM to 3:00PM. San Francisco Japanese Language Class replicated a real Japanese school, and I learned various subjects in Japanese using up-to-date textbooks. If it were not for the Japanese school, I do not think I could have obtained an 800 on the Japanese Subject Test and a 5 on AP Japanese. My academic excellence enabled me to attend Cal Poly as a psychology major.
Although Cal Poly is an exceptional college, I want to take my studies one step further. United States is frequently compared to Japan in psychology. United States is labeled as an individualistic culture where they stress uniqueness and personal achievement. Japan on the other hand, is considered a collectivist culture where social harmony is emphasized. The difference of the two cultures produces different results in psychological research. For example, people in United States have more need for self esteem than the Japanese, and people in Japan are much more likely to help people from their own ethnicity than Americans. Studying in Waseda University will allow me to find out more about the influence of culture on psychology. Another area in psychology that fascinates me is mental disorders. Mental disorders such as post traumatic stress disorders are caused due to traumatic events, as the name implies. I believe that Japan is a perfect place to study PTSD due to tremendous trauma caused by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Japan just faced a natural catastrophe and is in a state that does not occur frequently. I want to take advantage of the disaster caused from the earthquake and turn it into something positive such as researching PTSD. The current situation in Japan will not last for a long time, so I want to go study there as soon as possible. With my academic abilities, I am confident that I can make the most from a year’s study in Japan.</p>