Graduate / A good accountant; 'high sense of honor and responsibility' - William & Mary MAcc Admissions Essay [3]

This is my first draft of the first question on the admission essay. I wanted to include more, but I have already gone slightly over the word count. I appreciate all thoughts and comments, thank you!

What qualities do you have that will make you a good accountant?

My grandfather would often tell me to focus on character and everything else would work itself out. "Strive to be a man who lives his life with a high sense of honor and a deep sense of personal responsibility." When I was young, I was never exactly sure what he meant, but I always tried to live up to his expectations and be the best person possible. Because of my grandfather, honesty and accountability are traits that I value and have focused on throughout my life. Besides the technical accounting knowledge, I believe that honesty and accountability are the most important traits that accountants must possess. Accounting firms survive on their reputation and credibility, and I look forward to representing my future employer while holding the firms reputation at the highest and most respected level.

While I am certainly proud of my ability to solve problems and think critically, I have become more impressed with my ability to formulate questions by being curious. With so much uncertainty and ambiguity in the accounting profession, I believe it is crucial to be curious and ask questions. By having a sense of curiosity, questions will arise which will produce more facts and data. Once you have access to more facts, I believe your critical thinking and problem solving skills will be put to work in order to come to a conclusion.

In accounting, as with any profession, the ability to produce a solution or an idea can be of little value if you are unable to effectively communicate your work. I feel as though my communication skills have grown tremendously during the time I have spent at (current employer). I have had an extremely high level of exposure working with the most senior executives of the bank. On a daily basis I am working with the Chief Financial Officer and must effectively explain my analysis of new bond issues and certain projects I have completed. Also, I must often brief the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Credit Officer, and Chief Financial Officer on the status of the quarterly budget. I believe that my communication skills will be of great value when interacting with clients. In order leave a client satisfied, I plan to communicate complicated accounting topics in a clear and concise manner, which can be easily understood.

Graduate / I realized that a career as an accountant would be a wonderful fit for me. W&M MAcc Admission Essay [6]

Please review the second essay question for my application into the W&M MAcc program. Any and all thoughts, comments, and advice will be greatly appreciated. If you have any ideas on possible ways to shorten the essay and take out some "noise", please tell, I have gone over the word limit and need to shorten the response. Thank you so much!

What are you hoping to achieve during your studies in the MAcc Program?

After speaking with a number of auditors during my senior year of undergraduate studies, I realized that a career as an accountant would be a wonderful fit for my personality and I immediately began the process of deciding where I would pursue my Master of Accounting. It took very little research before my heart became set on William and Mary's program. The Summer Boot Camp, small student to faculty ratio, and the proximity to Washington, D.C. on top of the respected program, renowned faculty, and program flexibility provided assurance that this would be the program I would strive to attend.

While enrolled in the MAcc program, I am dedicated to maintaining an excellent GPA of 3.75 or above. I have taken great pride in achieving a high grade point average my entire life and I plan to continue this pattern throughout my graduate studies. My goal is to pass the all parts of the CPA exam within a year of graduating, so retaining knowledge is my first priority.

When I am not in class or studying, I hope to obtain a graduate assistantship and work closely with a member of faculty on research, projects, and assist the faculty member in any way possible. This opportunity would be invaluable. The professors from William and Mary are amongst the top educators and most intelligent individuals in the field of accounting. I plan to learn as much as possible when surrounded by these brilliant instructors.

Besides focusing on my education and keeping in mind the ultimate goal of passing the CPA exam to become a Certified Public Accountant, my main goal for the program is to develop relationships with my fellow classmates. I am particularly excited about meeting my classmates who will all have such a unique background. As I have learned during my short time in a professional working environment, business is developed by building relationships with individuals who you know and trust. In my mind, it is of the utmost importance for our class to develop working relationships and friendships with each other, which will assist us in becoming the future leaders in the field of accounting.

Our entire class has come together with many of the same goals in mind: to obtain a world-class education at one of the top universities in the world, become part of the extensive William and Mary network, and become Certified Public Accountants. I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for my classmates and myself. As we grow professionally, we will proudly represent and always strive to advance the reputation of the College of William and Mary.