A top student of international finance at the Beijing University, probably China''s best institution of higher learning, I would like to scale higher intellectual heights by undertaking advanced studies in your Master''s program. Such studies will help me fulfill a dream that I have inherited from my parents: the eradication of poverty in China.
Although I grew up almost a pampered kid, I have learned of the scourge of poverty from my parents by listening to their stories about their childhood. My father, now a well-known professor of chemistry at the Sichuan University, was almost starved to death in the 1960s when his home village was mired in famine like many other parts of China. My mother, a manager of personnel with a major Chinese corporation, saw her youthful years slipping away in the chaotic “cultural revolution” period. Braving their trial and tribulation, they have always worked hard and are now well-established in their own careers. But they want more than a good life for themselves. They want to help make sure that no one in China will have to suffer in the future the way they did in the 1960s.
Prodded by my parents’ high expectations, I have studied diligently over the years, drawing constant inspiration from the learning spirit prevalent on the campus of the Sichuan University, where my family had our home. While in primary and high school, I was always recognized as the best student, for which I as sent to numerous national and provincial contests and earned many awards. These include a First Prize in the National Physics Contest of High School Students and a Second Prize of the Sichuan Mathematics Contest of High School Students.
The hard work paid off in my impressive performance in the 1995 National University Entrance Examinations, with which I won acceptance into the School of Economics at the Beijing University, described as the Harvard of China by President Bill Clinton on his recent trip to China.
At the Beijing University, I have been exposed systematically to concepts and theories of international finance and economics. At the time I entered into the university, I did not know much about economics. My parents, in their zeal to make me an economist, had chosen the major for me. I am now so glad that they did so. The clear logic and advanced mathematics inherent in the economic analyses and hypotheses have particularly fascinated me. From Adam smith’s Wealth of the Nation to the Game Theory by Nash to J.M. Keyes to Samuelson, I have been inculcated in virtually all the great works of economics.
One of the good things about Beijing University is that it teaches the students not only knowledge but also how they can do research themselves. I have thus been trained in a variety of research methodologies. I now understand how great economists grasp the economic reality and appreciate their readiness to ask questions on things that other people may take for granted. I recognize there are no perfect answer to some of the questions in economics, such as “how to deal with the ethical components in economy?” Basking in the academic freedom that Beijing University cultivates, I have devoted more of my time to doing research myself than doing the assignments.
Although an economics major, I have learned most of the courses in the mathematics department. In my economics studies, I feel that mathematics is critically important in modern economics, as some modern theories of economics are demonstrated by pure mathematical induction. Seeing that mathematics courses in my department were too easy for me and too simple for more abstruse economics, I got the textbooks for the math majors and taught myself what they were learning, auditing in some of the classes of the Department of Mathematics.
Never content with just performing well in my exams, I have been keen in obtaining hands-on experience. To understand the real problems in real life and thus put what I have learned from books into practice, I joined an investigation group organized by the University to investigate some big state-owned enterprises in Shanxi Province in the summer of 1997. We found, much to our horror, that many of the enterprises were plagued by chaotic management, big losses and a lot of redundant workers. On the basis of careful research, I now think that a way to save them is to institute a shareholding system for the enterprises so that the management can be held accountable to the investors.
From September to November in 1997, I got a good chance to help sort out documentary materials for the central government’s Ministry of Foreign Trade & Economic Cooperation at its Department of American & Oceanian Affairs. On that job, I learned a lot about international trade. In the summer of 1998, I worked for the Special Appliances for Labor Protection Company in my hometown Chengdu, advising the manager on how to improve the company’s managing and marketing system. Some of my advice was readily accepted. To have a taste of the stock market in China, I invested 2, 000 RMB, which I promptly donated to a charity project for the education of poor children in the rural areas.
But hard times hit me in December 1996, when the government threw cold water on the excessive speculation by vowing not to prop up the stock market in any circumstances. The prices of stocks plummeted immediately, and I lost about 300 RMB. From the sudden fluctuations, I learned that the Chinese were still inexperienced investors and that the regulatory regime over the stock exchanges needed a lot of improvements. I have also as a private tutor for a 15-year-old boy for a year. I taught him mathematics and English and improved his grades in the two subjects from C to B. This way, I not only earned some money but also get some experience of teaching.
Through the above and other activities, I have enriched my experiences gained a profound understanding of my motherland and its urgent need for quality economists. I have made up my mind to devote my life to the research and teaching of Economics. To achieve this career, I must pursue more advanced studies. I have already learned economics in probably the best economics program in China. To meet higher intellectual challenges, I think it is best that I do graduate studies in a Western university. With the knowledge I have learned at Beijing University and the practical experiences I have gained in recent years, I am confident that I can meet the requirements for acceptance. My goal is to become a professor teaching economics in a Chinese university after I complete my graduate studies.
To pursue studies abroad, I have achieved an excellent command of English. I have read many economics essays written in English and helped translate English essays for professor Hu, my teacher, when she is too busy. To improve my oral English, I have frequented the English Corner on the Beijing University campus, where students often gather to conduct conversations in English. I have also watched many American movies in English. Now, I can talk with the foreign students in my department fluently. I do believe that I will have no trouble studying in English in America.
With anticipation and excitement, I am now applying for acceptance into your graduate program in economics. As a student, I have achieved excellence in China, and I should achieve no less in the US. The combination of my quality education in both China and the US should send me soaring into an enlightened intellectual realm, from which I shall finally see the light at the end of the tunnel for China’s problem of poverty. I can, and I should, help realize my parents’ dream. So I sincerely ask you to consider my application favorably.
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