Graduate /
Essay for WUSTL (In an essay of no more than 500 words, introduce yourself) [8]
Dear Louisa, thanks for your prompt and useful advice.
I have modified my draft according to your suggestions. This time, I tend to stress on my personality side rather than my academic background.
Do you it's a good idea to use my original academic background part as additional information for reviewer to assess my candidacy? I attached the optional essay requirement and my second draft in below. Please tell me what you think and where I can improve or re-touch. Your opinion is extremely valuable to me. Thanks a ton!
Essay II Topic:
Please provide any additional information not previously addressed in other areas of the application that you feel would be helpful to the Admissions Committee in its assessment of your candidacy. (300 words)Essay I:
Ever since the first time I visited Wall Street, all I want to be is a financial analyst: Fast-paced living, fully engaged work and agile coup are so fascinating that I fall in love with finance inevitably.
My name is Meng Wang, come from Huhhot Inner Mongolia, China, a peaceful small town that is only known for its grassland and always happy to help others. I always think I am so fortunate to be born in this place, just as the ancient Chinese idiom says: "Different environment always gives different characteristics to its residents." Maybe that is the exact reason why I am compassionate with helping others. The first school I attended was Saint Louis, but out of desires and eagerness for bigger challenges, I transferred to the George Washington University to test my limit. However, things did not turn out as I expected: The completely new environment and intense courses load totally overwhelmed me, and I was once lost myself and wonder why I abandon everything that I am familiar to come here. The chaos last 4 weeks until my transfer student mentor came to me, guided me how to fit in the new environment step by step and told me I was not alone again and again. At that moment, my desire to help others was lighted up: I joined the transfer student mentor program to help other transfer students who might feel lonely or lost. Because I have been in their shoes before, I know better than those who are not transfer students how to help new transfer students get used GWU environment. The program is not helpful to new transfer students, but also fruitful to me as well. By helping over 20 students, I have gained much life-long friendship, as well as my proud characteristics: always happy to help.
What I have learned from GWU would stay with me lifetime, especially the willingness to help. Given my 4 years international student experience, I am more than happy to serve as a bridge to help new international students to get involved in American college life. Meanwhile, by providing a native Chinese perspective, I could help American classmate to gain more insights about China and increase diversity culture in Olin campus.
It is a long cherished dream of mine to pursue my graduate study at Washington University in St. Louis. An Olin Business School education represents the essential next step toward my future. The practical and well-structured curriculum would place solid foundation for my future needs, and abundant resources would well equip me to solve different puzzles I might face. Olin's practical and professional orientation will facilitate my entry into the financial field after graduation, especially the cooperation with other top-tier universities such as SMU or YSB would create unparalleled opportunities for me to further enrich international visions. I am firmly convinced that my academic work and rich experiences have proved my potential to become an accomplished professional in this field. Therefore, I sincerely hope that you would favorably consider my application and give me this precious opportunity.
Essay II:
I began my business school life with major in management at St. Louis University, however, with time goes by, I gradually realized it is too broad and abstract for an undergraduate student with little management experience to appreciate the art of management. Then, I was on a long journey to find where my passion is until the day I went to NYSE: The huge screen glittering with dynamic numbers at the crowded stock exchange center reflected the unpredictability of financial market. The Wall Street elites fully applied their wisdoms trying to beat the market and win themselves a margin. The scene and curiosity of who is in control of all these have constructed the most magnificent enlightenment in my little mind. And my curiosity and passion for finance is fully triggered by that trip.
After I transferred to the George Washington University, I had much more time and opportunities to cultivate my interests by systemically studying the fundamental courses such as "Money and Capital Market" and "Portfolio Management". I strengthened my quantitative skills through learning "Regression Analysis" and "Econometrics." By learning programing languages such as R and Python, I adopted consistent and detail-orientated habits. Just upon my graduation this May, I took the CFA level I exam, which I will pass by the end of MSF at Olin Initially a pure curiosity, as my interests in corporate finance and investment was, I finally decided that this was the area that I wanted to delve into and take as my career development direction.
