Personal Statement
 Program: Finance
For a young person like me, nothing is more exciting than the discovery that the profession I love and am to take up is the one that has been receiving growing attention and will have the most dynamic development in the future. Against the backdrop of increasing globalization and openness of Chinese financial market and as a would-be financial professional, I cherish full enthusiasm and confidence for my future because such a future will allow me to meet important challenges that will only serve to enrich my life. For the past four years, I have been racing against time to use all the available resources to lay a firm groundwork so as to develop myself into an elite in China’s financial world. On the verge of completing my undergraduate program, I am happy to see the fruits that my college education has brought me in terms of professional knowledge, English proficiency and personal qualities. I am happy because those achievements make me fully confident about my ability to scale new heights.

Currently I am an undergraduate at the Department of Finance, Institute XX, majoring in International Banking. In terms of curriculum, our program offers comprehensive training in economics, finance, mathematics and statistics. Having laid a comprehensive academic groundwork, I have developed a special interest in finance. I have always been interested in observing various economic phenomena in our daily life and in a scientific way of dealing with my personal financial issues. But it was only after I have studied Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and some basic methods of economic analysis (as taught in econometrics and statistics) that I learned to examine those phenomena and issues scientifically. As far as I am concerned, the unique perspectives brought by the academic trainings in economics have actually greatly changed my way of looking at the world. Although I am most interested in investment and the operations of financial institutions, the fundamental principles of economics and the tools of quantitative analysis have indeed benefited me a great deal. 

The best part about my undergraduate education is the use of standard English textbooks that are widely used in Anglo-American universities in about 16 core courses (Macro & Micro Economics, Corporate Finance & Case Analysis, Global Finance, Option & Future Market, Finance Intermediary and Capital Market, Econometrics, Statistics, Investment, Principle of Accounting, Management Accounting, Modern Investment Theory, Foundation of Financial Management, Risk Management and Insurance, Security Analysis, Money Banking) and the emphasis on case analysis. Apart from significantly improving my English proficiency, the use of those English textbooks makes my education in finance and economics closely integrated with the western knowledge structure from the outset. The advantage of my educational background will be obviously two-fold. On one hand, I can combine my knowledge about China’s domestic financial market and my “quasi-western” education. On the other, this background will become a vitally important platform for me to proceed onto an advanced academic program in the United States—I will experience no difficulty in adapting to western education that usually happen to average Chinese students.

My English proficiency and my dedicated efforts at coursework have lead to my distinguished academic performance, for which I was awarded scholarships for two consecutive years. The stress on case study that characterizes my undergraduate education is the direct result of borrowing from the teaching methodology prevalent in the world’s first-rate business schools. I was first exposed to this teaching methodology when I learned the course Corporate Finance and I was immediately fascinated by it. My strong interest in it led to my winning the third prize in our institute’s Financial Case Analysis Contest.

Realizing the importance of developing all-round personal qualities, I have, from the outset of my undergraduate career, tried to improve my management skills, teamwork, creativity, and practical ability through launching activities at student organizations and internships at local financial institutions. I have served as monitor of my class, chairman of departmental student union, and secretary of the youth league. In addition, I received the honor of Outstanding Student Leader for my contributions as head of the English Club, which was rated “Star Student Organization of Shanghai in 2000, and Social Organization Award in 2001. I did a one-year internship at the Investment Department of XX Securities Company in the XX New District in XX during which I gained basic understanding about the business operation of commercial and investment banks. The most important responsibility I performed there was examining the financial reports of the listed companies, thereby enhancing my ability to carry out financial analysis. In addition, I served as teaching assistant to American professors in the ACCA program launched by LCCI，improving both my English level and my knowledge of finance.

My choice of XX for a degree program is wholly motivated by the desire to facilitate my future career development. As the country with the most developed market economy and the most mature financial market, the United States is definitely far ahead of China in teams of the market practices in the financial sector and the teaching and research of finance as a scientific discipline. My career object is to become a well-educated and well-trained professional in tomorrow’s financial market in China, which will be increasingly integrated with the international market in the coming decade. Toward such an objective, it is a prerequisite for me to receive advanced education in the United States, an education that will further broaden my knowledge, develop international perspectives, improve my English language competence, and evolve American way of thinking. I believe that the best way to achieve major personal development is to plunge oneself into a challenging environment. That is why in the past I have made conscious efforts to enhance my independence and adaptability to new environment.

Based on my education and internships, I have mapped out the areas that I would concentrate on in my proposed program. Those concentrations are closely related to the conditions of present financial market in China. Chinese banks have large quantities of bad loans need to be transformed, their system of supervision needs to be improved, financial markets need to be regulated and promoted, and new financial derivatives should be developed. Among various issues I am most interested in exploring the operation and management of the financial intermediaries, which is closely connected with the subject of International Banking that I major in. In this regard, I have been seriously contemplating on the issue of how China’s state-owned commercial banks can achieve competitive edge on the financial market, an issue which will gather increasing importance after China’s accession into the WTO. It has further led me to study the risk control of commercial banks, the securitization of assets (mainly that of the bank loans), and the asset utilities. I am determined to delve really deep into those fields to achieve fruitful research findings, particularly concerning the securitization of assets which is quite common in the United States but is just a concept of recent origin in China. Upon completing my program, I will return to China to seek a management position at a major commercial bank where I can apply my research findings and successful American experiences.

XX not only enjoys high reputation in the teaching and research of finance but also is located in the beautiful XX with a congenial climate. It has always been my fervent wish to be a student of this renowned and highly respected university. I believe that my academic foundation, English proficiency and personal qualities in various aspects will all prove me a worthy student for your program. Most importantly, I am genuinely interested in finance and thus am well motivated. This interest and motivation will guarantee my continued commitment and success in my chosen field.