I have written this essay for admission in PhD program in Finance. Kindly provide your valuable suggestions. All comments are valuable to me... Thanks in Advance..
Scientists were my role models from early childhood. I grew up listening to stories of Einstein, Newton and Galileo. I believed that all the great scientists had one thing in common, the thirst for knowledge. I always felt that a scientist could contribute to the society greatly with his/ her research. Therefore it was my dream to pursue the opportunities for research and make a career in research and academics.
I have excelled in academics right from my school days. I have always been attracted towards subjects that draw upon one's analytical abilities. Thus, Mathematics and Physics were my favorite subjects. I score highest in Science throughout the state during the tenth standard examination and was awarded by the state government. In my twelfth standard examinations, I was placed third in the merit position at my district. I furthered my studies in Engineering, during which I opted for Electronics as specialization. My hard work and detailed knowledge was rewarded with Bronze medal in my graduation studies.
After graduation, I worked for two years with ABC as Software Developer. I kept working towards my aim for achieving higher understanding and knowledge. With my determination and hard work I was able to secure admission in one of the prestigious business schools in India, XYZ. I chose Finance as my specialization there as I have always been fascinated by intricacies Finance. As a part of my post-graduate curriculum, I was exposed to a range of Finance practices. I was especially drawn towards Valuation and Financial Modeling as they have both a strong mathematical flavor as well as the potential for research.
After graduating, I worked with a government bank as Credit Analyst. There I got first hand knowledge of application of financial analysis and financial models. To pursue my interest in research I moved to ABC as Consultant, a role in which I assumed the responsibilities to perform Business Analysis for various organizations. This job was not able to cater to my desire and passion for research in Finance. Therefore, I left the job and decided to pursue PhD in Finance to quench my thirst of knowledge. I decided to pursue my interest further by studying Finance in depth with an orientation to research.
I believe that it is a necessity to understand and obtain knowledge about the fine criticalities of a field before pursuing an active career in research in that field. I am with firm belief that my previous education (MBA Finance) not only provided me with advanced knowledge about the field but also prepared me to be a good researcher. In addition, I not only possess the intellectual ability, sound preparation and the strong motivation for research but also consider myself mature, easy to work with and open to criticism: qualities essential for a researcher.
I would like to invite the attention of the admission committee and explain the fact of some bad grades during my post graduation. The reason for the same was the shift from Technical background to Management studies. Besides, I decided to opt low scoring Finance topics against the high scoring generic topics of management. Nevertheless, the admission committee may reveal from my transcripts that despite such challenges, I have overcome, and have performed reasonably well, but since XYZ admits only the best students throughout the country, I believe, in view of the competitive atmosphere, that the grades secured should not be considered in an absolute sense.
I won't dare to state that my research experience is nil. I would rather say it is substantial. Post-graduate and graduate studies together represent hundreds of hours of reading/ analysis/ writing/ presentation, which are equivalent to real research. The time spent on such activities spurred my interest in pursuing PhD.
I have studied in one of the best institutes of our country and feel the need to expose myself to research in United States, which is currently a world leader in Finance. After consulting my Professors, Friends, seniors studying in PhD; your university has been recommended very highly for its excellent faculty & learning experience.
I am aware of the facts that hard work and personal commitment are essential for research work and that research is not always as exciting as the published results seem to indicate. One need to sacrifice time, leisure and immediate rewards, nevertheless, I am sure that my strong desire and inclination for research will help me to overcome the challenges. Such program will provide me with the learning and intellectual satisfaction as I will be able to contribute back to the society of knowledge bearers.
I sincerely request you to consider my application for admission into your reputed university. I would be grateful if I am accorded the opportunity to pursue my doctorate studies and given the opportunity, I am sure that I will be able to able to achieve my goals keeping in touch with the expectations of the university.
Thanks a lot again...
