Personal Statement
Program: Organic Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry

A “developing” life is what I appreciate and long to live. This is because such a life promises ample possibilities for personal and career development as long as I make sustained efforts of self-improvement. It is precisely based on this consideration that, as a 32-year-old female, I am determined to apply for a Master’s degree program in Organic Chemistry and Analysis Chemistry from your highly-respected university. An advanced education is very crucial at this stage of my life because I wish that such an education would serve as a turning point in my future professional development.

“Sustained Development” is what can be used to characterize my academic and professional pursuit for more a decade in the past. I am aware that, in comparison with many outstanding applicants from prestigious universities, I do not have a very competitive educational background. But academically, I have been making persistent efforts in my own right and I am most proud of my perseverance with which I have informed my academic efforts. The satisfactory results I have achieved can serve as best illustrations of my incessant pursuit of personal actualization.

Unlike average undergraduate students who complete their programs in four years, it took me six years to do so. I first attended a junior college at XX United University where I majored in Applied Chemistry and then, not content with the limited knowledge I had received, proceeded onto an on-the-job undergraduate program in Chemistry Education at XX Educational Institute. What is good about this two-phase education is that it helped me lay an unusually solid foundation in chemistry. That was why I ultimately completed my undergraduate program with much facility and academic excellence to obtain my Bachelor’s degree.

I have cherished an unchanging interest in chemistry, fascinated by constant changes of chemical substances and the microscopic structures and the distinctive individual properties that they display. It thrilled me to observe inside the crystal-clear glassware the exciting experiment results created by the chemical substances after a series of reactions.  On our visits to major chemical engineering plants and laboratories, I saw how the formulas and equations in our textbooks turned into actual production procedures and ultimately into finished products. This inherent fascination with the magic of chemistry sustained my entire intellectual endeavors as a spiritual pillar. This could explain why I was so devoted not only in coursework but also in laboratory experiments and internships at chemical engineering plants. In terms of my academic performance and internship evaluation, I was ranked top three students of my class, winning scholarships for three consecutive years, with first prize in the departmental Chemical Knowledge Contest on several occasions.

My six-year specialized education made me well-trained in many fields of chemistry. Such professional trainings became the basis for the development of my research ability. My thesis for the junior college program was entitled The Synthesis of the Feed Additive Dimetridazole. The development of feed additives was of very recent origin in China and the research I performed was a breakthrough in XX Province in 1994. As a highly effective and low-toxic antimicrobial and antiprotozoal agent, the dimetridazole was an ideal additive that could be used to treat microbial and protozoal diseases in livestock and poultry, thus reducing their mortality rate. Rated as “Excellent”, the thesis was presented at the 1995 National Fair on the High Technology and New Products of Feed Additives and the 4th National Symposium on Feed Additives. It was later collected in the Symposium Proceedings. My thesis for the Bachelor’s program in 1998 was The Synthesis of Ethopabate. An anti-coccidian drug, ethopabate can be synthesized from animosalicylic acid and facilitate the effective utilization of nutrients contained in the forages by producing synergistic effects.

While my education focused on organic chemistry, my work experience has been in the field of analytical chemistry. My 9-year work experience consists of the chemical products inspection from 1994 to 1998 at the fine chemical engineering plant affiliated to the Department of Chemistry of XX United University—during which I published a research paper The Synthesis of Tribromide Arsenazo in 1995 in which I studied the approach of testing the amount of rare earth in soil, water, plants, human hair and animal muscles—and of the quality control since 1998 at XX C. P. FREDA PHARMACEUTICAL CO.LTD) will be my unique strength in this application, considering the fact that, under the existing educational system, Chinese students are more given to the study of theoretical knowledge in textbooks than to the development of practical skills.

The recent five years of work experience at XX C. P. FREDA PHARMACEUTICAL CO.LTD, a joint venture by XX XX Pharmaceuticals, American Freda International and XX Biochemical Pharmaceuticals and the largest manufacturer of ophthalmological drugs in China, has effected my greatest professional development. I have not only mastered sophisticated skills of inspecting the chemical properties of products but also developed a rigorous attitude of work and much professional creativity. My responsibility included both physical and chemical examination of the raw materials of drugs and their packing materials, including the testing of water content, heavy metal concentration, melting point, differentiating experimentation, the inspection of intermediate and finished products, etc. In performing those challenging tasks that require high precision, I have committed not a single error. I received special commendation in 1999 for my distinguished performance in the GMP certification.

In carrying out inspections, I have discovered that many conventional methods are not applicable to our products. Therefore I have tried to explore for news approaches through experiments and introduce bold modifications into the conventional methods. Those newly developed approaches have significantly increased our accuracy and efficiency. I believe this creative spirit will be of great help to my future study as chemistry is an old subject that requires constant new breakthroughs. I am very proud to see that over the past five years, the varieties of products have doubled and the increase of each type of product means my mastery of a brand-new inspection approach.

My professional experience indicates that successful personal development depends importantly on the updating of professional knowledge. This strong sense of self-upgrading has led me to the decision of embarking on a Master’s program at XX University. Your esteemed university boasts of important achievements in the teaching and research of organic and analytical chemistry, with advanced educational facilities, and a rigorous yet liberal academic environment. Prof. XX research in Environmental Analytical Chemistry and Trace Element Analysis, and Prof. XX ’s research in Organic Chemistry, Synthesis, and Catalysis, both correspond perfectly to my research interest. Through your program, I wish to consolidate my professional foundation, improve my ability to perform independent research and achieve fruitful academic results.

My idol chemist Madam Curie said, science is not for personal fame or personal gain but for the general welfare of mankind. I will keep her words in my mind as my lifelong guideline. With my strong background in organic analytical chemistry, I am confident about completing your program successfully and developing myself into a well-trained chemist in the future. 
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