[Prompt: Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Kellogg.]

My aspirations to become a businesswoman began when, as a little girl, I begged my mother to buy me a doll. She refused and reiterated her routine refusal: "It is too expensive, and we have many bills to pay." Undaunted, I generated a scheme to make money on my own. When we got home, I located my mother's handbag and ripped her paper bills in half. I was convinced that by doing so, I was creating twice as much money as we initially had. Fortunately, my mother discovered my scheme before the damage was significant. She laughed at my economic theory and decided to reward my attempt at a business venture: I got the doll.

Since then, my goals have evolved from funding the purchase of a doll to managing shareholder value as a CFO, or eventually the CEO, of a major corporation. After earning my undergraduate degree in business, I worked as a corporate tax consultant in legacy C&L, now PwC, became a CPA, and built a solid foundation in accounting. These opportunities exposed me to tax issues surrounding technology companies and to tax strategies for enhancing a corporation's bottom line. After my second busy season in tax consulting, I took a senior role in my clients' projects. Although I was expecting a raise and a promotion within three months, I wanted to meet the requirements to obtain my CPA license, so I moved to the audit department.

In my new role, I audited government contracts and financial statements for SEC filings and had a wide range of clients, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Because I spent most of my time working in client sites, I gained significant exposure to business operations. I learned how various business functions interact as I worked with people from different parts of the organization: A/P clerks, sales people, engineers, lawyers, and CFOs. Most importantly, I recognized the importance of controls and interdepartmental communication. I also participated in an audit for a $100M IPO for Deltagen. While I was an independent inspector of the company, the startup team treated me as one of them, and I felt part of a "company team" for the first time. I was impressed both by the pride the management had in their accomplishments and by the crucial, indefatigable skill of the investment bankers who set the IPO price.

Recognizing that I did not have sufficient exposure to the complexities of financial markets, I sought experience as an investment banker after earning my CPA license. Acting as a general analyst at Merrill Lynch, I sharpened my analytical skills. I calculated financial multiples, created models, drafted client presentations, and researched companies, all the while learning how deals are made. I was gratified when I was chosen to be the only dedicated analyst for the venture banking group reporting directly to the managing director and director. This role taught me how capital is raised and how risks and rewards are balanced for early-stage companies. The increased responsibility and direct accountability to senior management have advanced my professional maturity.

Now, I am seeking a learning environment that will provide me with the broad conceptual and networking tools to meet my professional goals as a CFO and CEO. After earning my MBA, I plan to work for a VC firm and eventually gain a management role in a portfolio company or progress through the ranks in a major company. I am also considering founding my own firm. When I come up with a "great idea, " I often call my friends and dissect its business viability. While my professional experiences have allowed me to develop strong skills in finance, I seek further training in general management skills, business strategies, knowledge of other business functions, and international business practices. Along with exposure to various ideas and practices, I need to develop a more diverse network of people to give me perspective on the challenges and opportunities of different industries.

I am confident that the Kellogg School of Management is the right fit for my ambitions and character because of its overall academic excellence, management and international emphasis, team-oriented environment, and location on the East Coast. I plan to capitalize on Kellogg's strengths as they relate to my interests by taking courses in marketing and strategic management, as well as participating in the Global Initiatives in Management. Global Initiatives in Management, in particular, would offer me the rare opportunity to learn about a different culture and acquire firsthand training in international business issues and practices.

I am also looking forward to the opportunity to learn as part of the talented and diverse Kellogg community. Kellogg's emphasis on cooperation and team building creates a supportive environment of peers, in which I am confident that I will excel. Finally, after living exclusively in California since emigrating from the Philippines seven years ago, attending Kellogg will be a unique opportunity for me to experience life on the East Coast. The business knowledge, practical experience, and exposure to different viewpoints I will gain from the Kellogg community will prepare me to realize my long-term goal of becoming a successful business leader.

點評：

作者的這篇文書通過幾個方面反映出自己的與眾不同：

●自己小時候的故事：

當我們還是小孩子的時候，基本沒有幾個會像作者那樣已經萌發了創造財富的想法。作者很聰明的通過一個發生在自己身上的小故事表現出從小就有經商的頭腦。媽媽用‘還有許多賬單要付的借口’ 拒絕了自己要洋娃娃的乞求，‘促使’作者產生了只要把紙幣撕成兩半就可以創造出是原有價值兩倍錢的想法。盡管作者的行為看起來非常可笑并且幼稚，但是并沒有遭到媽媽的責備，還得到自己夢寐以求的洋娃娃。原因就在于作者的媽媽更看重的是她對商業敏感的天賦。作者通過這樣的一個小故事，向人們展現了自己對商業的興趣是從小就開始的。

●學士畢業后的職業發展：

商科學士畢業的作者，進入了知名的會計師事務所。作為一名稅務顧問，作者在工作過程中不斷的學習新的東西，為自己打下了堅實的會計基礎。并且很快的擔當的項目中的重要角色。在面臨晉升的機會前，作者毅然的選擇了調去審計部門工作，目的就在于使自己能滿足獲取注冊會計師執照的要求。通過在不同類型、規模的公司合作工作中，作者看到并學會了許多關于企業管理運行的知識。之后作者又發現自己對金融方面的不足及自己對風險投資的興趣，毅然地成為一個證券分析師。作者在工作工程中的不斷轉變，并不是作者不知道自己想要什么，而是作者非常清楚自己的目標：要成為首席財務總監，乃至首席執行長官。而要達到這個目標，作者需要不斷的完善自己，充分的了解自己的不足之處，并通過從事不同的工作去改善這方面的不足。作者展現在人們面前的是一個非常有想法，非常有主見及非常有目標的一個人。

●Kellogg與作者間的關系

最后，作者用兩三段把自己與Kellogg之間的關系闡述出來。為實現自己的理想和目標，作者選擇了Kellogg，原因主要就在于kellogg提供的課程設置與她的興趣所自在相對應。并且闡述了自己希望通過在Kellogg的學習，使自己更有實力地去實現目標。作者堅信自己的成長背景和經歷造就了她成為一個優秀的人才。作者的自信，和對進入Kellogg的渴望一一展現在人們面前。

總而言之，這篇文書寫得很有條理，層次分明，并且易懂。作者用平實的語言闡述了自己從小到大對理想的追求，及為實現自己的目標做出的一切努力，不得不讓人對她印象深刻。
譯文：

[提示:簡要評估你的職業進展。闡述一下你的未來職業規劃， 及你申請凱洛格碩士學位的動機]

我萌生將來要成為女商人的愿望是在我還是個小女孩的時候，我祈求媽媽給我買一個洋娃娃。 媽媽一如既往的拒絕了我：“太貴了，我們還有許多賬單要付呢。”不知道天高地厚的我便產生了一套自己的賺錢方案。一到家，我就打開媽媽的手提包，掏出紙幣撕成兩半。 我非常的堅信只有這樣做，我才能在原有的基礎上創造出兩倍的錢來。幸運的是，我媽媽在我還沒有造成太大破壞之前發現了我的‘陰謀’。她對我的經濟理論感到非常的可笑，并且決定獎勵我的創造商業的嘗試：我得到我的洋娃娃。

從此之后，我的目標已經從集資購買洋娃娃轉變成管理股東價值的財務總監，最終成為一家大公司的首席執行官。拿到商務學士學位后，我在普華永道會計師事務所做稅務顧問，后來成為注冊會計師，并且積累了扎實的會計基礎。這些機會都使我可以看到一些圍繞著科技公司的稅務問題和提高公司稅收策略的底線。就在我的第二個稅務咨詢高峰期過后，我已經在我客戶的項目中擔當高級的角色了。即使我很有可能在未來的三個月內被提升，但為了確保我能滿足考取注冊會計師執照的要求，我決定調去審計部門工作。

我新工作職責主要是負責政府合同和財務報表的審計，用于證交會備案，并且客戶群非常的廣，從剛創業的小公司到財富500強的大企業。因為我大部分時間都在客戶公司進行工作, 所以我在有關企業的經營活動上得到了很好的鍛煉。我通過與大公司不同部門的人工作，了解到各個部門是如何互動的：應付賬會計，銷售，工程師，律師，和首席財務官。最重要的是，我意識到控制和跨部門的溝通的重要性。我還參與了一個價值1億美金deltagen招股的年度審計。當我作為公司的獨立都察員時，啟動團隊就把我當作他們其中的一員，我第一次感受到成為公司中的一分子。讓我印象深刻的是管理層對他們的成就的驕傲，及制定招股價格的投資銀行家們最重要的，不知疲倦的技巧。

意識到我對復雜的金融市場并沒有足夠的認識，在我拿到注冊會計師執照后我有了成為投資銀行家的想法。作為一個普通的美林證券分析師，我磨練了我的分析技能。我計算金融倍數，制造模式，起草客戶介紹，和研究公司，以及學習如何交易的。讓我感到欣慰的是，我被一家創業銀行集團選為唯一一個可以直接向總經理和董事長匯報的分析師。這個工作教會我怎樣為一些處于起步階段的公司提高資本和風險與報酬的均衡。不斷增加的責任感和直接對高級管理層負責性增強了我專業成熟性。

現在，我正在尋找一個能提供我廣闊的概念和人脈工具的學習環境，以滿足我成為首席財務官和首席執行官的專業目標。在我獲得MBA學位后，我計劃進入風險投資公司并最終成為證券公司的管理級人物或在一些大公司里逐步得到提升。同時我也考慮成立自己的公司。每當我想到什么‘偉大構想’，我通常會給我的朋友打電話，剖析其業務的可行性。雖然我的專業經驗允許我在金融發展的能力，但是我尋求在一般管理技巧，經營策略，其他業務功能知識，及國際商業慣例的進一步訓練。隨著接觸越來越多的不同觀念和做法，我需要制定一個更多元化的人脈網絡給我提供挑戰和接觸不同行業的機會。

我深信Kellogg管理學院是最適合我的理想和性格，還有他的卓越整體學術，管理和國際重視，團隊意識為主的環境，及其地處東海岸的位置。我計劃利用Kellogg的強項尤其是與我的興趣所在的市場營銷戰略和策略管理的課程上, 以及參與全球化的管理措施。尤其是全球管理措施, 將為我提供了一個難得的機會了解不同文化，和掌握第一手國際商務培訓問題 和做法。

我還期待著有機會學習并成為有才華及多樣化的Kellogg社區的一部分。Kellogg強調團隊合作和建設創造一個有利的環境，而我深信我將脫穎而出。最后, 七年前從菲律賓移民至今一直居住在加利福尼亞，能進入Kellogg將給與我一個獨特的機會去體驗東海岸的生活。商業知識，實踐經驗，使我接觸到不同的觀點，Kellogg社區讓我做好了為實現成為一個成功的企業領導者長期目標的準備。