The accounting and finance diploma at LSE stands out to me - reasons and motives

application essay to the financial sector

Hi, i'm applying for the diploma in accounting and finance at LSE. I would extremely grateful if you could give some criticisms on my personal statement and some pointers on how to improve! Thank you! I feel like it's on the short side, but i'm unsure about what else to add without it seeming like i'm only writing more the sake of increasing the word count.

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My parent's originate from Shen Zhen in China; one of the most successful 'Special Economic Zones' created by Deng Xiao Ping's economic reforms. China's inconceivable economic growth largely owes its success to Deng's belief in realism and not theory, 'It doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice' whereby he implemented a Capitalist market within a socialist society. Although slightly controversial, I myself am I strong believer of that theory and apply it to everyday life; it doesn't matter per se how you go about a problem as long as it gets done. Like many children of Chinese immigrants, my parents own a takeaway and make their money by blood, sweat and tears whereas many of my parent's peers live a life of comfort as their wealth stemmed from selling urban land past down from ancestors. Every time I visit Shenzhen, I am met by the ever evolving cityscape filled with people covered from head to toe in luxury brands. But a short drive away from the city I encounter people who survive on less than $1 a day. I cannot even begin to comprehend the contrast in wealth between the rich and poor. I recently read a study from Peking University which reported that the richest 1 per cent of Chinese households own a third of the country's wealth whereas the poorest own just 1 per cent. Through my own experiences and observations on how important it is to be financially stable, I've always had a hunger in relation to how to make money and how to improve my quality of life; starting from writing small business plans to now, where I help my parent's manage their properties.

As someone wanting to enter the financial sector, the accounting and finance diploma at LSE stands out to me due to its flexibility and the wide range of courses it offers; in particular, the topic on financial markets is of interest. With no foundation in this subject, the programme would allow me to gain an understanding of accounting and finance coupled with the mathematical training, to enable me to apply for a Masters in this area. When choosing my bachelor's degree, I was faced with a conundrum, I had to think long term and make a cogent decision on what I believed would be most advantageous for my career progression. I chose to study law for my bachelor's degree despite knowing that I wish to pursue a career in the financial sector because I believe it is important to be diverse in such a competitive job market. Having an understanding of the legal system is beneficial in the financial sector as the two are entwined. However, one setback from this was the fact that it was almost impossible to gain any internships relating to finance as many banks automatically rejected my application at the first stage as I did not study economics or finance. Instead, last summer I obtained internship at a law firm to gain experience in a working environment which would allow me to encounter a vast range of clients. I hope to gain internship in the future within the financial sector to gain valuable experience and most importantly give me an indication in regards to which area specifically I wish to embark a career on.

Xue, your discussion is misdirected. The more impressive presentation for your personal statement along with your reasons and motivation should stem from your background in law. Explain that you hope to become a specialized tax lawyer in the future which is why you decided to begin your transition from ordinary lawyer to a tax lawyer by enrolling in this 9 month course at LSE. That is the strongest connecting motivation and reason that I can think of which can help you make this otherwise little interesting essay more impressive to read. Now that you have your motivation indicated (career change from lawyer to tax lawyer) you can discuss the related reasons based on your prior interest in accounting and finance. By presenting a related career plan, you are telling the reviewer that you have a definitive course of action for your academic and career goals. Thus making you a stronger contender for admission consideration.

Hi thank you for your comment! However, i don't hope to specialise as a tax lawyer. I'm hoping to go into the financial sector, i.e. investment banking and not doing law anymore. After this course, i'm hoping to do a masters in Finance which will then enable me to get into banking.

Your background is related with Law and you have to show enthusiasm for it along your statement, even if your desire is the financial sector. A statement that show many regrets can become a negative statement. Find a way to show passion by law and link it with your desire to go into the financial sector.

Thank you! I shall make some amendments and make my statement more positive.