An Example of a Good Personal Statement

I am a Final year student at the highly prestigious ******** University in China and my major is accounting. My university is one of the top universities in all of China and my admission to the university was secured because of my excellent performance in the ‘National University Entrance Examinations’. It ranked me amongst the top students in my city. Entrance in to the Department of Business Administration’s Accounting degree was also extremely competitive as it is one of the most popular majors amongst Chinese students. Choosing Accountancy as my major was an automatic choice for me, I am naturally numerate, Mathematics has always been my strongest subject, and I am keen to excel in the corporate world.

My grades at university have also placed me amongst the top of my class and my strong academic performance in the examinations has resulted in my being awarded departmental scholarships in the previous two years. I have a sound grasp of financial accounting and management accounting and I am particularly strong in corporate taxation. I have written a thesis on  ‘Enterprises with foreign investment’ and my areas of special interest are international tax systems and corporate financial reporting analysis.

Whilst I feel well able to begin my professional career, in China it is important to have a Masters-level education, as promotion is often dependent upon it. Also I believe one year spent in a world-leading school will benefit me in very many ways. I look forward to the academic demands, the opportunity to appreciate western practices, and the social aspects of experiencing a new country and learning environment. The course of ************ excites me greatly as I believe it will be of tremendous benefit to my career. I am interested in the legal aspects of Accountancy especially after the recent corporate scandals. I believe that this will become a key area in China in the near future just as it is now in Europe and the USA.

Although I will not take the IELTS exam until this month (Oct), having passed the University English Test of China, levels CET-4 and CET-6, I am confident that I will score IELTS 7.0 minimum. My English is good and I will continue to improve my all-round ability before my foreign study begins next year. Outside of university I have been able to accumulate good work experience in my vacations that has included: joining a marketing team for the Industrial and Commercial Bank’s Finance@home program; practice training in the Hangzhou Tubang Ltd Company; and as an office assistant in the Dormitory Management Centre of my University.

Last month I was selected to represent my university in the ************ Championship. To prepare for this prestigious competition I researched tax laws and regulations and studied many taxation books. After comparing the taxation systems of Western countries with those of China, I found that China’s system is somewhat deficient and that China’s Foreign Investment Law has many unique features. For the competition itself, delegations were composed of 4 teams and given a real business case to study and discuss. Eventually a taxation plan was drafted and submitted. Therefore we often had mock panel discussions and report writing. Preparation and participation for the Championship greatly enhanced my team-working spirit and my case-study analysis skills. I believe my experiences will be very helpful to my future study of Law & Accounting

I am a lively member of class and enjoy classroom debates and discussions. I hope that I can add to the class at *** and I will try hard to be a valuable member of the class. I believe my work and study experiences, combined with my ambition for the future, can point to this. My study at university has often been challenging whilst my vacation work demanded me to persevere and apply myself to a problem. I am determined to do well in my graduate studies and I am greatly excited by the possibilities that await me in China upon my graduation. I am determined to become a successful alumni in my future professional career.

Comments

1. Good Length (a little over one page is fine)
2. Immediate & clear evidence of a strong academic ability
3. Mention that you are strong in the suitable field (of Maths)
4. Mention of the most relevant courses you have already taken
5. Mention of your thesis (very good!)
6. A clear view of why you want to study this major
7. Mention of your IELTS situation (and confidence you will get the score)
8. Mention of part-time work experience (but no mention of how it is related to, or helped, your major).
9. Mention of a unique learning experience (the Championship)
10. Nice finish

To view related articles click here