Personal-Statement范文.docx

Personal Statement

As a senior majoring in Economics at XXX, one of the top four universities in Shanghai, the more relevant courses I take, the more I am certain about my future career as an Economist.

However, I realize that what I have learned as an undergraduate is far from enough. Therefore, it is my dream to pursue a graduate program in Economics at your university. If accepted, my intended concentration would be microeconomics or Finance.

My interest in Economics was ignited in high school, where I was first introduced to the fundamental economic theories in our politics class. I was so fascinated by the concepts of ‘invisible hand’, ‘Giffen’s Paradox’ and others that I chose the major of Economics as my first choice before the University Entrance Examination. Unlike my classmates, whose major is usually decided by their parents, I followed the voice of my heart and I am determined to persist in the end.

With my education at XXX, I was not only solidly grounded in the fundamentals, but also found a very supportive environment. Luckily, my classmates are all very capable and self-motivated; we have our study groups and do research together. During my junior year, teaming up with four students, I did research on the topic of how to effectively stimulate China’s economy by increasing the demand of residents. My responsibility included collecting data, reviewing relevant magazines and assisting in the establishment of the economic model. The paper of our co-effort got approved by XXX Fund — a fund offered by XXX to potential research programs.

I also read a lot of classical economic works, including Professor Larry H.P. Lang’s books like ‘Who is saving China’s economy’. Through extensive reading and group research, they not only help me develop good study habits and perform well enough to get the scholarship, but also broaden my perspective and give me new insights into the depth of my field.

I did not limit myself to academic studies at the university. For example, I did home tutoring for a student from other university for microeconomics and helped her pass the exam. She said somehow learning from me, it is easier for her to understand all the complicated graphs and formulas. I volunteered to serve at the seventh Academy of Social Sciences academic annual meeting with the theme of Economic Performance. That was a great opportunity for me to learn the unique research topics from many economists and professors, varying from international finance to local real estate price control. I made plenty of notes and even got the chance to ask questions, which was absolutely enriching.

Encouraged by my parents and teachers, I successfully passed the interviews for exchange program to XXX University and XXX International College. During the six months in the United States, I quickly adapted to the new life and had no problem communicating with the locals. I have to say I prefer the interactive class atmosphere at XXX, as well as the teaching methods of American teachers, for they enlighten the students rather than merely teach them. In addition, the overseas living and working experience allowed me to have a more vivid comparison of different aspects of China and US economies. The price of luxurious goods in China is definitely much higher whereas that of labor and services is just the opposite. According to Professor Lang’s opinion, the reasons behind this phenomenon are that too many taxes are imposed on goods and China lacks innovative talent to create national wealth, thus the services sector is not able to make a lot of money from supporting the technical sector. I could not have agreed more, as I witnessed so many creative ideas and designs in Disney World, with the monotonous manufacturing process always outsourced and the final product tagged with the label ‘Made in China’. It is urgent for China to upgrade and optimize its industrial chain in order to be more competitive in the globalized world, improve per capita GDP and finally to minimize the wealth gap.

Thanks to my academic and leadership reputation, I was offered an internship in XXX, the biggest XXX company in North America. Because the company has just opened its office in China, my job duties covered a lot, which is very beneficial for me to apply what I learned into practice. In the company’s XXX contest, I designed a questionnaire and made an analysis in order to support our product. Both marketing and statistics knowledge were involved to publicize to potential customers. The final presentation left a deep impression on all the judges. At the end of my internship, a research report based on the internal data and my analysis of on-line recruitment industry was generated. My manager Nick, responsible for the Greater China market, hoped for me to become a full-time employee after my graduation.

This semester I am taking Econometrics, International Finance and other economics courses. In order to be well prepared for the graduate program, I am also taking two optional courses: Financial Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis. Moreover, I plan to take some other courses with research students at XXX during the next semester.

As Thomas Friedman has said: ‘The world is flat’. Though people are not born in equal conditions in today’s world, they are more likely to have access to educational resources and compete on the level field.

While the GDP of China surpassed Japan’s, ranking No.2 in the world in 2011, the real GDP per capita is still far behind that of developed countries, reflecting the deficiency of the economic growth. I am eager to be an economist like Professor Larry H.P. Lang, who dares to point out the problems in the process of development and unreasonable economic structure in China with his unique and critical perspective.

To be qualified for that, I need to further refine my expertise in economics. Your institution, known for rigorous scholarship research and a highly qualified faculty, is the university I would like to further my study at. I am confident that under your seasoned guidance, my potential will develop into knowledge and experience beneficial to both China and Canada.