Hello guys, the application deadline is tomorrow so I need some urgent advice! Any corrections and suggestions for improvement would be much appreciated. And my personal statement is slightly longer than an A4 page. Do you guys think it would be much of an issue given that the School said it is typically one A4 page?
Thanks in advance.
My interest in finance originated in the days when I watched my father manage his portfolio of equities and other financial securities as an amateur investor. In 2000, the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong went down by 13% following the dot com bubble burst. That year not only saw my father's investments lose 27% of its value but also had a far-reaching impact on my academic aspirations: It has instilled in me a strong desire to learn and understand the complex theory behind the working of finance.
With these aspirations in mind, I chose to study Accounting & Finance at the University of Bath. My 12-month long internship at UBS Investment Bank, which I undertook as part of my degree, has opened up my eyes to many business areas and career paths offered within the industry. In particular, my involvement in some credit risk projects has sparked my interest in pursuing a career in Leveraged Finance and Debt Capital Markets. Although my bachelor's degree has equipped me with a solid grounding in both accounting and financial principles, I feel that to achieve my career goals, I will need to hone my quantitative skills and acquire specialized knowledge within certain areas of finance.
The MSc Finance programme at Imperial College Business School stands out for me because of its practical and highly quantitative contents. Unlike many of its peers, the programme offers a core course dedicated to mathematical tools commonly used in finance - "Mathematics for Finance". Together with elective courses such as "Fixed income securities" and the VBA/C++ workshops, the curriculum of the programme will equip me with quantitative techniques and practical knowledge that are essential to achieving my career goals. Furthermore, I am drawn to the school because of its partner status with the world-renowned CFA Program, as I intend to take the CFA Level One exam alongside the MSc degree to give myself a head start over other candidates for graduate jobs. Having spoken with current student _____ _____, I was also glad to learn about the friendly and supportive culture of the business school. All these factors have strongly convinced me that Imperial College Business School will be the perfect place to pursue my Master's degree.
Whilst studying at University of Bath, I have participated in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. My experience of working as Events Manager for the Finance & Investment society has allowed me to recognise the importance of networking in the business world. It has also informed me about different ways of getting work experiences in the financial services industry. Both of these have been vital in securing my internship offer from UBS the following year. Being a member of the University of Bath snooker team, I participated in two national snooker competitions representing my university. Through these experiences, I have improved my teamwork and communication skills, both of which have contributed to my good performance in my internship and in the group projects I took part in at university.
The aforementioned activities all took place in my second year at university when I was also busy with internship applications, interviews and academic studies. As Event Manager of the Finance & Investment society, I successfully organised the largest networking event since the society was founded. Furthermore, as part of the university snooker team, we managed to get into the semi-final of the BUCS Snooker Championship, a national competition in the UK, the second time we participated in this event. I am proud of my achievements in both activities because of the huge amount of training and preparation we had put in prior to these events. I have also learnt from these experiences that determination and diligence are essential to the success of any endeavours. As I am equally determined to pursue success in my Master's degree and in my career, I am ready to put in as much effort as I can to work towards my academic and career goals.
Thanks in advance.
Finance - Academic Career Goals
My interest in finance originated in the days when I watched my father manage his portfolio of equities and other financial securities as an amateur investor. In 2000, the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong went down by 13% following the dot com bubble burst. That year not only saw my father's investments lose 27% of its value but also had a far-reaching impact on my academic aspirations: It has instilled in me a strong desire to learn and understand the complex theory behind the working of finance.
With these aspirations in mind, I chose to study Accounting & Finance at the University of Bath. My 12-month long internship at UBS Investment Bank, which I undertook as part of my degree, has opened up my eyes to many business areas and career paths offered within the industry. In particular, my involvement in some credit risk projects has sparked my interest in pursuing a career in Leveraged Finance and Debt Capital Markets. Although my bachelor's degree has equipped me with a solid grounding in both accounting and financial principles, I feel that to achieve my career goals, I will need to hone my quantitative skills and acquire specialized knowledge within certain areas of finance.
The MSc Finance programme at Imperial College Business School stands out for me because of its practical and highly quantitative contents. Unlike many of its peers, the programme offers a core course dedicated to mathematical tools commonly used in finance - "Mathematics for Finance". Together with elective courses such as "Fixed income securities" and the VBA/C++ workshops, the curriculum of the programme will equip me with quantitative techniques and practical knowledge that are essential to achieving my career goals. Furthermore, I am drawn to the school because of its partner status with the world-renowned CFA Program, as I intend to take the CFA Level One exam alongside the MSc degree to give myself a head start over other candidates for graduate jobs. Having spoken with current student _____ _____, I was also glad to learn about the friendly and supportive culture of the business school. All these factors have strongly convinced me that Imperial College Business School will be the perfect place to pursue my Master's degree.
Whilst studying at University of Bath, I have participated in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. My experience of working as Events Manager for the Finance & Investment society has allowed me to recognise the importance of networking in the business world. It has also informed me about different ways of getting work experiences in the financial services industry. Both of these have been vital in securing my internship offer from UBS the following year. Being a member of the University of Bath snooker team, I participated in two national snooker competitions representing my university. Through these experiences, I have improved my teamwork and communication skills, both of which have contributed to my good performance in my internship and in the group projects I took part in at university.
The aforementioned activities all took place in my second year at university when I was also busy with internship applications, interviews and academic studies. As Event Manager of the Finance & Investment society, I successfully organised the largest networking event since the society was founded. Furthermore, as part of the university snooker team, we managed to get into the semi-final of the BUCS Snooker Championship, a national competition in the UK, the second time we participated in this event. I am proud of my achievements in both activities because of the huge amount of training and preparation we had put in prior to these events. I have also learnt from these experiences that determination and diligence are essential to the success of any endeavours. As I am equally determined to pursue success in my Master's degree and in my career, I am ready to put in as much effort as I can to work towards my academic and career goals.