优秀文书范例

留学文书范例模板

我们在这里分享一些拿到好offer的优秀文书范例，希望能够帮助到各位同学。
但这些绝对不是可以用来直接使用的模板！请同学们主要学习一下其中的思路和写法。

目前这些文书都是北辰光帮助同学们创作的，拿到offer的。文书属于他们的隐私，在征求他们同意后分享在这里，还请各位同学不要滥用。后期我们会考虑将这些内容汇编成收费的内容。

请注意，北辰光的文书的特点是学术性和严谨性。而不是很多同学盲目追求的语言native呀，口语化呀，各种俚语呀。北辰光的老师们语言水平都是母语级别的，但是我们认为文书应该和申请者的实际背景有一定的映射。理由如下：

1. 招生官看的是一整套的文书，不同材料间英文的不统一会让人怀疑你文书的原创性。Ta会看到你的简历，你的成绩单，你的个人陈述，英语成绩和其他材料。试想，你的文书妙语连珠，俚语信手拈来，而雅思写作却不到6.0，简历上显示从来没有出过国或者任何国际经历，招生官能不怀疑这个文书是别人代笔的吗？（当然如果同学的背景很优秀，我们也会适当让语言更加native。）

2. 从另一个角度来讲，文书的语言是否地道并不是考察的重点。因为要求这点就相当于在要求你的英语水平达到母语水平，也就是雅思8以上（托福equivalent)。显然，没有项目是如此做的；因为招生官在乎的是你是否拥有该领域的英语词汇，而不是那些只有英/美国人或者甚至某一个地区能懂的俚语。

3. 文书的目标读者是你所在专业的资深教授，和他们的沟通需要用一些行业的“术语”来体现你的专业性和提高沟通效率。同时，文书的篇幅和撰写时间都是有限的，与其把时间、精力、篇幅放在让语言更加花哨上面，最有逻辑的应该是把文书写得更加学术和严谨。

想要学习如何创作文书？查看以下教程：
UC 伯克利关于个人陈述的写作建议：https://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/apply/personal-statement/

想知道怎么提高写作能力的吗？请阅读这个网页的参考书目：
https://beichen.co.uk/资源下载/

最后，你可以使用我们的文书定制服务：
https://beichen.co.uk/高端文书定制/

2020-2021 申请季

持续更新中……

UCL MA English: Issues in Modern Culture

Personal Statement

When I first opened the pages of Walden in middle school, I was greatly inspired by the quest for freedom and the tranquillity embodied in literature. It was also Thoreau who propelled me to pursue English literature as my major in college. Over the past five years, I have discovered and dived into a prodigious world of novel topics in language and literature. I have eagerly absorbed knowledge from literature of various forms and origins. Together, they provided me with a deeper insight, which I could not have otherwise obtained in the brevity of my life, to examine important things in life, society and universe. At present, as I find myself keen on gaining more inspiration and wisdom from literature, TS Eliot stands by the door, and I know where to go: twentieth-century literature.

The exceptional works of T.S. Eliot were one of the primary reasons as to why I became interested in the literature of this period as well as issues of modernity. However, compared to poets such as Byron, Keats, and Thoreau, whom I had been reading since middle school, I was not familiar with Eliot’s poetry and literary criticism. Nonetheless, I started to connect the dots of literature and philosophy in my study whilst reading and contextualising his works. When I read his work, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, I was intrigued by its absurdity and profoundly astonished by the poet’s implementation of fragmentary metaphors to depict an image of modern people confronting life, time, and emotion.

With an inner longing for understanding more about Eliot, I became an auditing student in a final year module—Modern and the Post-Modern Literature—when I was still a second-year student. Sitting in the classroom, I resonated deeply with Eliot’s inner world; I discovered my capability to comprehend the sophistication of T.S. Eliot in The Waste Land; I realised that it had been coming to a point where philosophy and literature were blended in the voices of these who wait for the daybreak, dispelling the cultural inferiority. The images and connotations hidden in the poem opened up before my eyes, penetrating my psyche and disclosing the confusions that puzzled me in the face of modern culture. My study of Latin, Ancient Greek, and Germanic languages, as well as my wide interests in Western Opera, World literature, Classics, and Indian Study, delightfully enabled me to infer, through the abstruse lines of the poem, much of what Eliot wanted to convey to the world.

There is, however, still a lot about Eliot and the twentieth century that I do not understand. The philosophical elements behind modernist writings and Eliot’s philosophy background particularly attract me. I am interested in exploring how Eliot’s works were influenced by his American cultural background as well as the writings of American transcendentalist tradition. I am keen on comprehending the concept of time appeared in Eliot’s work in more depth with references to French and German phenomenological tradition. I am curious about the relationship and how the interplay between Western and Eastern cultures was represented in the works of modernists, like Pound, Eliot, and Joyce. I would like to dig deeper by pursuing a master’s degree; I believe this programme at the UCL would allow me to continue my quest along these lines.

The programme’s thorough focus on modernity aligns with my study goals. The course Modernity and the City would offer me a comprehensive examination of the period along with a deeper observation of modernity embodied in the environment under rapid urbanization. Through courses such as Modern Literature and Culture, I would develop my knowledge and comprehension about Eliot’s work and the relevant modernists’ thoughts, whilst improving my critical thinking skills via broader criticism and modern scholarships. The research by Professor Mark Ford would also be of importance to me, as his research interest and expertise in the theme of intercultural exchanges in the literary field are integral to a holistic understanding of modernity and the twentieth-century literature. Lastly, this programme could serve as a basis for a PhD study at the UCL.

Furthermore, my undergraduate study, profound passion for literature and solid background in literature and philosophy make me a competitive applicant for this challenging programme. The knowledge I gained would be an advantage while approaching and addressing the cultural dilemma faced by modern people. Moreover, my interests in Indian theology and knowledge in Chinese culture would render my study of modernism more broad-based. Besides, my particular study experience as a non-English native speaker would contribute to the way that I examine this particular phenomenon in modern culture. With an interdisciplinary background from my undergraduate and postgraduate degree, along with my strong work ethics, I am confident that I will add value to the programme and embark on a career in academia thereafter.

“Do I dare? Disturb the universe.” I often doubt myself in a Prufrock’s way. The world-class literature faculty of UCL was utterly unreachable when I started my academic journey two years ago. But I am not Prufrock and do not have infinite time for infinite hesitation. Now, I dare to break out of Prufrock’s self-limiting in my limited life by assuming the audacity of Stephen Daedalus of Joyce, and start my new journey at UCL.

Offer：

Candidate Statement

In the early stage of my career, I see myself working as a statistician or data scientist in a company or governmental organization, creating insights from data. In the long run, I would like to become a policymaker who could himself understand policy recommendations and evaluations backed by strong statistical evidence and make seasoned judgments. Ultimately, my objective is to leverage my passion for and strength in math to do good for communities. A rigorous and in-depth training is thus imperative for me, given the complexity of the discipline of statistics.

I decide to specialize in statistical science because it bears enormous value to individuals, businesses, and our society as a whole. It is perhaps more so given the current state of affairs, a rampaging pandemic that has saddened millions of families; and for that matter, statistics applied to epidemiology and vaccine clinic trial studies has a key role to play in the effort to bring life back to normal. Moreover, my undergraduate study could serve as a solid foundation for my career plan. Majoring in computing mathematics, I bolstered my capability to understand complex relationships and data, as a result of taking courses in multivariate calculus, probability theory, and applied statistics, of which my scores were mostly A. Thanks to my minor in computer science, I have already a good command of programming languages, such as Python, R, C, Java, and so forth.

On the other hand, as the data ecosystem evolves and new methods and algorithms explode, my undergraduate education, though comprehensive, seems to lack depth. When working as a research assistant for one of Prof. XXX’s projects, I came to realize how much I still had to learn, though I certainly also honed my research, programming, and analytical skills in the process. When I started, I knew almost nothing about XXX models, and I had to teach myself. But gradually, the new world of XXX, a branch of computer XXX, unfolded and I quickly found a pathway into this new field. I learned how to employ XXX models (i.e., XXX model in the case of XXX noise and XXX noise) and wavelets techniques. I dived into relevant publications and finished many literature reviews. Eventually, I was able to implement faster XXX algorithms to some applications. In this experience, I smelled the importance of undertaking a postgraduate study to dive deeper into statistics, gain more practical experience, so as to achieve my career aspiration.

This Master’s program in Computational and Applied Mathematics at the University of Chicago, though now a training specifically in statistics, would still prove to be a good fit for my purpose and background, if not a better one. First of all, it stresses addressing natural and social issues with a data-centric approach, employing computational, mathematical, and statistical modeling. In other words, it goes beyond statistical training. By opting for the Applied Analysis and Modeling Track and taking such courses as Machine Learning, Applied Stochastic Processes, and Modern Inference, I will make this program a powerful preparation for my future career. I would also like to write a master’s thesis, if possible, under the supervision of XXX, or other members of the CCAM. In my thesis, I would like to sharpen my research and writing skills and synthesize what I will have learned.

Besides, this program is also multidisciplinary, drawing the expertise and strength of several faculties across the Division of the Physical Sciences at UChicago. As such, I believe the CCAM would deliver a world-class education. Indeed, the CCAM and the master’s program is quite young, created in 2016 and 2018 respectively; it is, however, an initiative with a great vision and mission that appealed to many renowned scholars. I feel confident that the academic rigor and vibrant environment of this program will challenge me and form a solid basis for my future career.

【Offer】全球第九芝加哥大学硬核专业 – 北辰光 (beichen.co.uk)

https://cam.uchicago.edu/news/article/masters-in-computational-and-applied-mathematics-mcam/

Personal Statement

China has the largest integrated circuit market in the world. However, the substantial demand is mainly fulfilled by products imports and patent purchases, instead of self-sufficient production. There is still a giant technology gap between China and the countries with advanced integrated circuit design capabilities. Such a huge trade unbalance in the integrated circuit industry drove me to dive deeper into the discipline, hoping to contribute to its development in China.

Therefore, I participated in the XXX Competition as a college freshman three years ago in order to further explore the industry. After nights of designing, testing and debugging, my team and I built a gesture recognition system using XXX control system and capacitive sensors. We also embedded the recognition of “paper, rock, scissor” in our contest delivery. As a result of our hard work and our innovative design, we won the first runner-up in the competition. This experience made me realize two things: integrated circuit technology can be applied to a wide range of areas and I still have a long way to go on the path to stimulate industry innovation in China.

To strengthen my skills in electronic engineering, I established the XXX Lab under the supervision of Prof. XXX. During my years in the lab, I assisted in developing the pad pin header soldering direction recognition system and its corresponding Python-based algorithm. Although the algorithm and the recognition system were successful in the laboratory environment, we failed to adapt to the environment of assembly-line production, which required more delicate modeling and design. After all, research results should serve for real-life production. The practicality of integrated circuit design is by no means less important than the algorithm itself.

To become a competent electronic engineer, as I conclude, one cannot divorce design and practice. Instead, he should put the engineering design into a more complex framework to counter potential obstacles. Therefore, I joined the XXX AI Challenge in 201X to examine my design in an international context. By using XXX system and XXX neural network of darknet framework, my team and I developed a XXX identification system that was able to identify targets automatically within two minutes. Being able to complete such a complex task was exhilarating. This experience also helped me understand the importance of teamwork in electronic engineering. The effective collaboration enabled us to learn the necessary tools to develop such a complicated system.

These valuable experiences had greatly improved my programming skills, research skills and communication skills, which all contributed to my academic progress. I can now lead an EE class project to achieve satisfying results despite all obstacles. This spring, I enrolled in the class XXX. Group projects became extremely challenging during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, my abundant experience in teamwork and project management provided me with mindsets to empower the team to conquer. Because of our collaborative and diligent efforts, our team accomplished an XXX interactive task with computers. This class also opened a new area for me: Digital System Design is another branch that I would like to explore.

I understand that fulfilling my dream of contributing to the research and development of the integrated circuit sector requires more comprehensive programming skills and research methodologies, after bachelor’s study. The MSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at HKU becomes an ideal choice for me. First, the well-structured curriculum taught by the top-notched faculty will provide me with opportunities to communicate with practitioners and industry leaders. Classes like Integrated Circuit Design and Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning can refresh my understanding and programming skills of recognition systems. I can also contribute to the class discussion based on my research and practice experience in college. Digital System Design Techniques and Digital Image Processing then offer me more advanced tools to achieve complicated digital system designs.

TWO embedded postgraduate research programs distinguish the MSc in EEE program from the others. The capstone project of XXX is aligned with my interest and previous experience in digital system design. In addition, the research project will polish my academic literacy and research skills. These research opportunities will significantly assist my professional development as of their practicality and advances. Moreover, I believe that the extensive network at the Department of EEE will help me gain enlightening ideas and career advancement. All in all, I believe that HKU will be an indispensable part of my journey to bring more innovations to the integrated circuit and digital system design industry.

该文书拿到香港大学和香港科技大学的 EE 硕士录取，详情请见：港大和港科技的 EE 硕士 offer – 北辰光 (beichen.co.uk)

2019-2020 申请季

申请文书

MSc Global Prosperity

Personal Statement

Despite being an accounting student, my interest in economic development and sustainable growth has never been secondary in my life. I often read the Economist and a bunch of other presses to keep in pace with social, economic and political development in the domain of prosperity. In fact, my decision to double-major in law was also motivated by my intellectual curiosity to understand better the relationship between law and economic growth. Back then, I was confused by the complicated accounting system being practised in various countries. Does the difference in accounting standard, as underpinned by their law system, affects countries’ economic performance?

Global prosperity is such an important topic that can seldom be approached from the division of each academic disciplines. Economists, politicians, engineers and social activists, constrained by the fixed paradigm of their realm, tend to use their jargons and make unrealistic assumptions. I believe the best way to promote global prosperity effectively is to draw the expertise of different fields. By bring their relevant findings and the theories together, we could meet the challenges facing humanity today.

Never has our world been so uncertain yet so materially affluent. Politics has been reshaped around the globe: democracy in decline in many places and people in the west even started to wonder whether their system is the best in the light of radical growth of East Asia countries like Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Economist, as they proudly call themselves, often can’t agree with each other on their method, definition and measure of prosperity. It is time for a systematic and holistic approach to global prosperity.

I deem an endeavour like that would be enormously impactful and fulfilling to me. I have always wanted to be a leader of some changes. In college, I initiated a number of changes to improve students’ life and learning experience. Those initiatives were highly successful and made students enjoy their study more. For example, I chaired the first plenary meeting of the league committee of 150 members. The new thing I did was to empower each member, encouraging them not to take things as granted, to challenge and to change. As a result, that cohort of members was one of the most effective and fruitful ones in the history of the school’s league committee. I also took part in multiple community services to make people’s lives better. I tutored “left-behind” kids, and also consoled elderly people living lonely. I know deeply that regardless of one’s profession, he or she always has social responsibility. And everybody can make a difference. For me, I want to be a leader of some global change.

Nevertheless, making a difference on a global scale requires robust methodology and solid training. I think UCL’s MSc Global Prosperity provides precisely what it takes to carry out the changes. Its curriculum features a good introduction to global prosperity in the past, present, and future. It also incorporated some empirical approach towards to measurement of prosperity. Furthermore, the Institute for Global Prosperity (IGP) at UCL is truly a pioneering institution with an audacious vision. Studying with the researchers and students thereof would be tremendously challenging and stimulating. Therefore, I believe it is to my best advantage to study this master’s programme and then begin my pursuit of more changes.

My short run goal after the masters is to get a position in an international organization like the world bank or the united nations. I want to execute policies aimed at reducing inequality, poverty and environmental degradation. In the long run, I want to seek a role in the Chinese government to conceive and implement sound policies that can generate sustained and sustainable social development.

I believe I have a strong background to excel in this programme. Having a GPA of XXX/100 and ranked as the top X in my cohort are by no means easy. With a background in both accounting and law, I have been exposed to two crucial policy field and understand their complexity when it comes to policymaking. Meanwhile, I also have taken a number of quantitative methods course and researches; I can use STATA and R to perform statistical analysis. Not mean to brag, the number of awards and scholarships I received testifies my academic excellence. In particular, my receiving the prestigious XXX Government Scholarship marks a significant achievement in my life. As the only recipient out of XXX students, it truly speaks for my academic success. Beyond academics, I am active in the student community, assuming leadership roles in many organizations. My employment in four firms as tax assistant, auditing intern and alike also give me an edge for making better use of the learning opportunity to produce insightful real-world discourse with classmates and lecturers. Furthermore, my international study experience at Harvard, Yale and Columbia would add value to the programme as well.

I hope to join you in this exciting programme.

Personal Statement

Before my grandmother died, she was under home-based care. She went to the hospital only when she needed treatment, as my family thought hospital care was not meticulous and patient enough. As careful as we could looking after her, none of the family had professional knowledge; our care was based on common sense. She eventually passed away and I started my study of nursing to support family members’ health.

In the curriculum, I enjoyed courses in the public health domain. I realized that the problem of health is, at the same time, a social, political and economic one. I met Lily (not a real name) when I went to the psychiatric department of an affiliated hospital of my university for the psychiatric nursing course. Lily was a victim of sexual violence contrived by her best friend and mother in her seventh grade. That destroyed her. The social stigma she perceived silenced her and she self-mutilated times after times. I can imagine how dark, cold and fearful was the little girl’s memory of that experience. When my classmates’ kindness was refused and turned into impatience, I returned to her after the class and shared with her how much I didn’t trust everybody in the hospital. She was opened and started her life again.

The magnitude of pain caused by psychological suffering is as excruciating as any physical pain. Yet mental illness requires no painkiller or sophisticated surgeries. Psychiatric treatments, when appropriately designed, can produce a significant result at a low cost. On the other hand, it remains an under-developed filed in China. It is so much worse to have a mental problem in the eyes of most Chinese people. Intimated, not many medical students major in psychiatric nursing. Lily told me how much she had suffered from prejudice and how powerful she found my reassurance. Therefore, I decided to write something to encourage more students to study psychiatric nursing. With help from two roommates, I drew a series of cartoons and published them on the university’s news channel. Funded by the national student innovation initiative, my work continued and received a considerable amount of readership.

In China, wrong perceptions and old concepts are as harmful as virus. Homosexual relationship is seldom openly discussed, and people of different sexual orientation live in darkness and suffer from AIDS infection in solitude. Painkiller and palliative care are perceived as addictive and weakening one’s will. For doctors and nurses in China, they need not only fight against diseases but also, to put bluntly, against ignorance. Worse, the Chinese government’s contribution to public health as a percentage of total GDP is among the lowest in the world.

My experiences of studying public health and implementing several public health projects motivated me to pursue a career in public health and development. I want to disseminate correct, or at least, hitherto scientific understanding of health and healthcare among Chinese people. I want to use evidence-based and data-driven analyses to initiate political and public debate on healthcare policies. In the short run, I would like to have more exposure to the healthcare industry by joining a hospital. In my free time, I will write on health topics to educate people; much like writing and editing online medical encyclopedia (which I have started doing over this summer). In the long run, I hope to become a public policymaker in the healthcare sector and to advocate some significant reforms.

As much as I am confident to excel in this career path, I have to acknowledge that I lack a solid grounding in several fields of public health such as global health, politics, economics and research methods. Given the global nature of public health, a master’s study in global health and development is the logical next step for me. Provided public health is multidisciplinary, it also makes sense to study further. The MSc in Global Health and Development programme at the UCL offers a good curriculum to train well-grounded leaders of the public health sector. As one of the most internationally renowned institution, the Institute for Global Health at UCL boasts the best minds in the practice and research of global health. As a student, I will also benefit from the talks and seminars taking place at UCL. Among others, I look forward to the Health Systems in a Global Context module to learn more about health systems.

My background can be seen as a good fit for this programme. With a major in nursing, I have a good understanding of the healthcare industry and its practices. My GPA might seem to discredit; it reflects nothing but the fact that the grading at my university, one of the most prestigious medical school in China, has always been strict. In fact, a GPA of 82 out of 100 places me very high in the academic ranking of my cohort. My rich project and hospital training experiences are a huge advantage. Among others, I obtained valuable lessons and perspectives from those research projects related to public health, such as the investigation of type I diabetes in rural areas and the status quo of community hospitals.

In the book Being Mortal, Atul argued that most of us, patients, family members and medical professionals, should rethink of death. His idea led to my determination to give up grandfather’s treatment this summer. My grandfather’s fallout caused a cerebral haemorrhage. An operation will preserve life, but he will probably become vegetative. The rational choice is to accept the coming of death instead of sustaining basic life painfully by machines, so I reasoned to my family. They listened. I believe ideas can be powerful in global health and development.

Personal Statement

In the Entrepreneurial Marketing course last year, I was amazed by a video about Lego Friends, products designed by LEGO to reach to more girls. More than simply advancing its commercial interest, LEGO effectively tried to dispel the concept that girls are not good at assembling complicated blocks. Indeed, good products and brands can make our world a lot better. LEGO inspired me to be a change-maker by bringing and promoting meaningful products and brands to consumers.

With this inspiration in mind, I applied for an internship with significant marketing role in XXX Inc. What attracted me was the company’s bold vision, connecting secluded individuals in modern society. I conceived a marketing campaign to promote a module of an APP based on user data. This campaign not only boosted the usage rate and interaction rate of the module but also brought more awareness to the whole product. I enjoyed the enormous fulfilment and happiness in applying my original thinking, delivering value to customers and strengthening relationships. This experience confirmed my career goal to be a professional marketer and hopefully, in the long term to become a product manager or a brand manager, who also advocates for social causes.

However, I also realize that to be a professional marketer, I still have a lot to improve on and learn. First, marketers should understand consumer behaviours. It is true that sometimes marketing has gone too far to induce unnecessary demands. I believe that, instead of ‘going beyond giving consumers what they like,’ marketer should ‘help people understand what they really should want or need’. my knowledge in consumer behaviours is wanting. Then the vast potential of data demands marketer to leverage data, which, when utilized smartly, would empower marketers and their organizations to design good products, to better segment markets, and to execute precise targeting. Despite some knowledge and experience in conducting quantitative analysis, I still need to hone my skills to fully make use of data.

To achieve my career goal, perhaps the best way is to take up a postgraduate study. MSc Marketing and Strategy in XXX fits my purpose well. From it I will be able to integrate theories of both marketing and strategy with emerging trends like digital innovation and advanced marketing insights. I really look forward to modules such as Marketing & Strategy Analytics to enhance my skills in using data and quantitative approaches to effectively understand customer needs and to support marketing strategies. The school’s extensive network with business community in the US and beyond will add tremendous value to my career as well.

I believe my uniqueness will add to the programme’s diversity. Academic-wise, I have a solid background in marketing thanks to those marketing courses and projects I have done. The scholarships I received speak a lot for my academic record. Meanwhile, I am curious and think differently. My extensive reading of marketing literature has always made me think about the latest trends in marketing, such as neuromarketing and digital transformation. Furthermore, I take initiatives in lectures and groups. Being the leader in a consulting project for Chinese XXX business to enter Warsaw during exchange study last year, I cooperated well with my teammates from different countries and offered lots of unique ideas. In this way, I would enhance other students’ learning experience. Last but not least, I have a passionate drive to make a positive difference, applying what I learned from marketing to help promote public service activities in extra-curricular life, and to raise people’s awareness of special groups, health problems and so forth.

I am convinced that marketing aligns with my long-term pursuit and a career therein would be immensely meaningful. MSc Marketing and Strategy in XXX would empower me to fare much farther as a professional marketer.

Personal Statement

I entered college with a major in English in 2013 because English had always been my strength. I also enjoyed a great deal of helping others understand complex English grammars and boost their confidence in speaking English. The college life offered much more than just the continuation of such fulfilment. I got abundant opportunities to learn frontier knowledge in English and interact with people of diverse background and thoughts. For example, I was invited to take part in the model united nations event at XXX University, an eminent Chinese foreign study university. The opinions and way of thinking of those participants were enormously refreshing and inspiring to me. It was these “enlightenment” that I deem the most valuable element of my college life.

Most students of English will go for cramming schools like IELTS/TOFEL camps for a higher salary and better living conditions in larger cities. Unlike them, I decided to go back to my hometown and taught English in a local middle school. Looking back to my journey of getting proficient at English, I knew how poorly-trained my middle school teachers were and how much I was left with not-so-good pronunciation and shaky foundation in grammar. More importantly, parents in my region, and hence naturally their kids, do not take English seriously at all. Were English not part of the national curriculum, they would perhaps never think of learning English. Ironically, my classmates could command a way higher salary teaching kids of more educated parents. The gap, therefore, gets aggregated. I wanted to change the situation. I don’t want these kids to live in their small world and someone has to open their eyes to a broader and more colourful world. In hindsight, I can’t imagine what kind of person I would be now were I not accidentally good at English and had I not seized opportunities to expand my horizon.

Therefore, I taught in the middle school for two years despite its low pay. This experience revealed not only the deeper problems of the English-teaching in rural schools but my lack of knowledge in teaching English effectively. For one thing, classrooms were still mostly a dictation by teachers with almost no interaction with students. Teachers often resort to an easier yet strangely revered philosophy of simply being strict to students. In this philosophy, the best way to improve English is to recite texts and memorize words by rot. Sitting down and chanting loudly English is what parents feel like their kids are putting effort to learn. It doesn’t matter whether students enjoy it or not, nor does matter whether that is the best way. No wonder students shun from English, not to mention jovially using it. For another, my goal is to introduce a more flexible teaching style into my class. There should be no distinct line between teachers and students, just like the flipped classroom concept. And only in this way can students develop critical and creative thinking. Notwithstanding my background in the English language, I find my knowledge in English teaching falls short of my aspirations.

I should pursue a TESOL education to acquire the teaching skills and future-ready education philosophies. TESOL offers courses at a more practice-oriented aspect; it’s more of a combination of theory and practice. I know deeply that educators have social responsibilities: they shall not be confined by the curriculum; they shall endeavour to make each student a better individual and citizen. Yet barely any qualified English teachers work in rural schools and the skilled are drawn by the better enumerations in urban schools. I want to do what I think is correct and meaningful.

The TESOL programme at XXX University is an ideal one for me. It has classes with less than 30 people each, which enables group discussion and research to take place in class. I want to introduce these methods to my students in my future career. The Sociolinguistics and English Language Education course will introduce formal and functional aspects of language study and more distinctively, it focuses on socio-linguistic functions of language. Besides, I’m also interested in an elective course called Teaching Writing in a Second Language. It shows valuable insights into the process of writing. As I mentioned before, students in the mainland often get confused when working on compositions. I expect to learn more about the skills of writing. I also learned that XXX would offer some opportunities for TESOL majors to get the first-hand experience in local schools. Given the openness and diversity of the US education system, it will be beneficial to apply the theories to dealing with practical problems of lesson design in Asian schools.

While completing my master study, I will focus on settling my doubts that appeared in my English teaching. In the short run, after finishing the master’s programme, I plan to start again from a middle school English teacher in my hometown. Hopefully, in five years I wish to become an academic director in the school’s English teaching department.

“And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche”, so pointed out by Chaucer. This year I decided to quit my job and to study abroad. It was hard to live without any income after quitting my job, but I knew it would be worth it.

Statement of Interest

My career plan and background together make the MSc Computer Science an indispensable move for my long-term professional development. By studying the program, I want to achieve three goals.

The first is career advancement. My short-term career is to become a data engineer in a company with cutting-edge technologies such as Google and Amazon. In the long run, I would like to be a data scientist and specialize in areas like brain-computer-interfere and bioinformatics. My overarching life goal is to establish a company that bring brain-computer-interfere products out of the irony tower to people’s daily use. After all, we mankind can collaborate with AI in more profound ways than superficial and shallow “guess you like” or facial recognition. By virtue of my undergraduate degree’s focus on computer science, I have now solid programming skills and rich experience at my disposal. In my three-year professional experience, I have made huge progress and accomplished a multitude of complex projects centered around data analysis. Yet for so many times I was bewildered by the sophisticated inner workings of models and algorithms. Without knowing the underlying mathematical mechanisms, I found my programs vulnerable when deploying certain functions and models. Statistical and mathematical groundings are by no means less important. To become a competent data scientist, as I conclude, one cannot live on with the “black box” approach. Instead, he should consolidate his knowledge in statistics, matrix, and perhaps, econometrics. Therefore, the negotiated learning approach of this program fits my background and academic need. I can opt for modules freely and focus on building up my math background. Thus, modules like XXX, XXX, XXX are of interest to me. As such, I will become a data scientist well-grounded in programming and data analytics.

My second goal is to get to the frontier of brain-computer-interfere. Notwithstanding our great progress in science and society, we are still somewhat hopeless when it comes to making sense of the universe, and on the other spectrum, our brain where our consciousness resides. I believe this area has the potential of producing products that reshape the way we interact with machines and algorithms, transform the way we live, and reorient our priorities and purpose. For instance, in the papers on deep brain stimulation by H Mayberg, researchers managed to make a depressed patient happy by stimulating a certain area of the patient’s brain. This recaptured my memory of the movie by the name matrix and made me wonder what happiness is and what implication it has for our pursuit of happiness in life. Hence, I look forward to attending courses in the Artificial Intelligence theme, namely, XXX, XXX, and XXX, to explore the exciting researches ongoing in the field.

Last and perhaps least important from an academic point of view, by pursuing the master program in XXX, I wish to gain interesting ideas for a more fulfilling life. I like Oscar Wilde’s writings as he inspired me to care about the happenings of other races, cultures and geographical regions. To me, as meaningful as a challenging career is knowing what life can be like beyond the border that prescribed my nationality. Thanks to the flexibility of the program, I would probably choose some modules, such as XXX and XXX, to gain some inspiring and enlightening ideas.

Nationalism Studies MSc

Personal Statement

Part one, motivation (3500 characters):

I used to be a very nationalistic comrade and I took pride in it. By the age of 18, I enrolled in the Politics and Administration undergraduate programme at XXX University where the study of politics has a deep root. I can’t remember when I started to belittle those grandeur nationalistic galas. But what I do know is that our nations, as it is and as it was, is far more complex and intertwined. There is no single nation that is pure and singular. If it was, perhaps that is a bad fortune. Communication and exchange of goods and ideas are gateways to progress. Be however ideal it is, our imaged community simply doesn’t exist.

Despite my efforts, I found it hard to convey these ideas to my fellow compatriots. As much as I tend to think that sophisticated ideas are hard to get across and that those common men are not receptive of profound knowledge, I have to admit the inadequacy of my own contemplation over the concept of nationalism. It has been luck of mine to study treatises of Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, whose ideas, including idealism, utilitarianism, state of nature, liberalism, and social contract, sharped my understanding of the prevailing political structure and principles of most sovereign states. It was my luck to be the National Representative of Cambodia in a Model United Nations, where for the first time I stood for another nation and consider its interest paramount.

Yet I want to preach to people that nationalism is a mere political construction and ideal; that those hate towards other nations should therefore be unjustified; that a society united by nationalism should instead be bind together by a common belief of government system that treats citizens as an end in itself and not a mean, as Kant would echo with me. I think there is more to be understood in terms of nationalism and I am well-prepared for a study of nationalism at the University of Edinburgh. Studying nationalism is important to me as I want to understand its history, the political, social, and economic environment that necessitates it, and hence to have a good hunch of its prospect. After all, we have seen its devastating effect in the two world wars, and it is still point of conflict in many areas of the globe.

I am interested in the programme at Edinburgh because it offers immense opportunities and an interdisciplinary approach to explore the topic. I am excited to gain more insights from the national-level democratic institutions that are just established and the independence debates. The internationally renowned research institutions at Edinburgh allows the exchange of ideas stemming from different disciplinary paradigms, rendering a more complete picture of nationalism. In addition, as the birthplace of many modern political ideas, Britain has much to offer for anyone interested in politics. My short-run goal is to continue my study of nationalism into the doctoral level, hopefully in the UK. Over the long-run, I would like to become a professor in a university where I shall write on and promote a more rational and enlightened appreciation of nationalism in my country.

Part 2, background and relevant experiences (3500 characters maximum)

I believe my background and experience make a strong case for my application. Majored in Politics and administration and having a second degree in law, I have the prerequisite to study advanced modules in international relations, political science, political philosophy and public policy. Besides, I am capable of performing data analyses using SPSS and STATA; as a result, I should be able to attend courses related to policy analysis and write an empirical paper if situation commands. I have also done a number of researches to improve my research skills. As evident in my record of receiving multiple scholarships and awards, I excelled in academic study.

Moreover, my experiences in some Chinese government entities would add value to the class and underpin my learning process in the program. When working as a public spokesman for the XXX government, I got the chance to understand deeper the gap between policy conception and implementation. I came to agree with the Political System Theory as postulated by David Easton, an American political scientist, that policies affect a system, solve social and political issues as input. Meanwhile, I got the chance to coordinate a conference of political science in China, drawing prominent thinkers and political scientist from all over China. The discussions therein had an emotional touch on me, as you would rightly guess, that China has a host of minds that uphold a strong conviction of western ideas. Through it, I also got to the frontier of Chinese political science research.

Lastly, I have also rich experiences in political settings. Those situations put my knowledge into real-world and in return, reveal a deeper connotation of them. For example, in the Model United Nations, I was the delegate of Cambodia in an ASEAN meeting. Had no idea about Cambodia as a country, as if I had become a blank slate, or been put behind the veil of ignorance, I realized that political interests are seldom a priori; they are imposed and internalized. Additionally, in the process of figuring out what I should do to safeguard the national interests of Cambodia, I learned that what is important for a nation is largely a result of its idiosyncratic history, culture and economy. Other political settings have also offered me some insights into politics. For example, as the class representative, I was responsible for granting scholarships to classmates. It might sound foreign, yet it is a common practice in China. I tried hard to make a fair and just distribution but find it almost impossible. I could imagine the same conundrum exists in other political settings of real-world. All in all, I believe I am a competitive candidate for the MSc Nationalism Studies programme. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities there to fully develop as a scholar.

Personal Statement

As data become increasingly available, we are empowered to model complex data generating process for data-driven problem solving that renders more confidence in our solutions. Indeed, in the past four years, I was engaged in endeavours of all kind trying to understand more about modelling, algorithm and computation. I took part in mathematical contests in modelling to figure out how businesses make strategic decisions. In spite of winning the first prize at the provincial level, I felt the sense of uncertainty and weakness inherent in models, assumptions and data. The behaviour those data captured and the faint reality models were trying to depict are like butterflies in my stomach. But I always resorted to a mantra by one of my professors: in face of uncertainty, we can rarely reach the truth; but we should be confident that we are close enough to there to guide our earthly life.

Unlike my classmates who seldom doubt the conceptual validity of models and abstractions of realities, I kept on asking myself what I was really doing, be it a simple course assignment or during my internships. I have been taught to perform hypotheses tests, to use Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools, to proudly show friends and families my coolness for knowing a bit about machine learning. The hype around those topics made me nervous, especially so when I know deep in my heart how shaky are the philosophical foundations of most application, at least those of mine, of big data, machine learning and so forth. By no means do I wish to convey a negative connotation of “nervousness”; in fact, it motivated me to learn more about mathematics and other subjects. I picked up books like The Elegance of Mathematics and Computational Sociology. My serious attitude towards study won me Academic Excellence Scholarships for three years.

Despite our unprecedented computing power, mankind today is confronted with tremendous challenges. Some problems can be solved with the multiplication of computing power, yet more requires the input of data and human intelligence. Complex social networks, healthcare accuracy and judicial justice are still unconquered lands of computers. Much as computing power exploded in the last century, data availability is following the same pattern. The prospect of applying data to crucial issues is just thrilling. Two internships provided me with some important insights into the application of data science in real-life practices. By refining data collection and perform in-depth data analyses, my team’s productivity increased remarkably. Motivated by this experience, I want to be part of the force that shapes the world, given that I have already studied information and computational science in great detail. That is why I would like to study in the MSc Data Science at the University of Manchester.

After graduation, I would like to pursue doctoral research in the area that I will find interesting during the master’s study. In the long-term, I wish to perform human-welfare-critical research in top-notch data science institutes or think tanks such as the Alibaba Damo Academy. Manchester’s programme would pave my way for such a challenging undertaking. The Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research boasts internationally renowned researchers and ambitious students, rendering the learning environment much stimulating and vibrant. Besides, the course structure is balanced between theory and practical applications to truly prepare data-leaders. Among others, I am interested in the course Machine Learning and Statistics as it will give a comprehensive introduction to the trending research in the field. Last, I will opt for the Computer Science Data Informatics pathway as it best matches my expertise in information science and computer science.

Meanwhile, I am also confident to perform well in the programme. As evident in my outstanding academic performance, a GPA of XXX/4.0, I have a solid foundation in computer science and mathematics. My internship demanding significant data expertise and extra-curriculum activities have provided me with insights into the subject in action. Yet more importantly, I will stand out, as a result of my intellectual rigour towards knowledge; after all, it was by no means easy to score 95/100 in the course Analytical Geometry and 97 in Mathematical Model and 98 in C Language Programming.

It is not the “sexiness” of data science I am going after; instead, it was out of a genuine and strong passion that I am relentlessly developing my competences in data analysis. I hope to be part of the challenging programme and initiate data-informed changes to our communities.

Personal Statement

The world looks at Hong Kong and London, uncertain about their future. For many, risks in these two markets have been hard to comprehend. Finance, at its core, is risk. How can one reap higher return without assuming higher risk? For orthodox economists, it is as impossible as getting 1000 heads in 1000 coin-toss. I have always been convinced, since I was 18, that with the advent of massive computing power and quantitative analytics, financial risks could be managed. Furthermore, I considered financial risk management a noble and intrinsically meaningful type of work to do in one’s career. That was the reason I majored in business intelligence and risk management in college.

Here I learned the working of the financial market and the risks inherent in almost every financial undertaking. My curriculum also covered a significant amount of quantitative methods. Along the way, I picked up programming in C++ and Python. I was also constantly challenged and humbled by the complexity of work in my internships. I started my first internship in the first winter holiday of college at XXX Group. Back then, I tried my hand with communicating the risk brought by Brexit on Hong Kong financial market to investors.

After ten internships, I realized the inadequacy of my undergraduate curriculum for my ambition in the financial industry. As comprehensive as the courses are, they remain largely introductory and dated. For example, in a course I learned how to use EViews for time series analysis. Yet it was barely used, if at all, in financial firms. R and Python, as my own experience suggests, are much more powerful and versatile. Furthermore, I also lack knowledge in finance, for example, corporate finance and advanced financial analysis, to become well-rounded finance professional. It is almost imperative for me to acquire more specialized knowledge and skills in a structured master’s programme.

I found the HKU Master of Finance (MFin) compelling. This program offers not only finance courses in “all areas of modern finance”, but also fundamental knowledge in mathematics and data analytics. Integrating the CFA curriculum, the program also allows students to tailor the program to their own like. I would like to concentrate on risk management given my long commitment in this domain. For the elective courses, I will choose Corporate financial and risk management and Machine learning and artificial intelligence in finance. The extensive industrial collaborations and partnerships of HKU would also add value to my networking and job-hunting process. I choose to continue my study in Hong Kong, a world financial centre, because I have faith in this land and want to bring the change that I wish to see, as a Hongkonger.

My background also meets the demand of this highly quantitative and multidisciplinary programme. My second upper-class score at XXX speaks for my academic achievement; besides, I was also enlisted in the dean’s list. Despite being a final year undergraduate student, I have substantial industry experience as a result of my relentless will to find a venue to try my knowledge and skills. I served as an analyst, auditor, researcher assistant in various financial firms. The demanding workplace drove me to teach myself programming in Python, C++ and using LaTeX to compile standard documents. My professional experience culminated in my recent consulting project with XXX, in which my team first mined data and then used a machine-learning algorithm to optimize their financial products and operations. I also recognized the simple fact that communication and leadership skills are as important as technical ones. Thus I took part in various extra-curriculum activities and assumed leadership roles in student organizations. In work, I also paid attention to details and strove to create more value to the team by solving miscommunication and boosting colleagues’ motivation. Nevertheless, one can always become a better leader and more competent in his expertise.

I see myself rapidly improving in this programme to get ready for future challenges. In the short term, after finishing this programme, I would like to work as a risk analyst in an investment bank or a hedge fund in Hong Kong. I will tap into my newly acquired skills to create value for my organization. In the long run, I wish to become a portfolio manager to lead sophisticated risk management, portfolio valuation, structuring, analytics, and rebalancing. My primary goal in life, however, is to contribute to the discourse of mitigating risk without compromising return, to which this programme will prove indispensable.

Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to joining this exciting programme.

Personal Statement

I am a history-lover. When choosing an undergraduate major, the first idea came up to my mind was archaeology. But on some uncanny day in a quiet moment, a voice in the back of my head was saying, “the past is past, you have to look into the future”. It was only two years later that I realize the source of the voice: it was by a famous Chinese statesman in his autobiography.

When historians want to understand the past, they look at records. In the same vein, I thought the best way to look at the present where the future is working-in-process and future is to look at records of economic activities. Tax, money and debt are eternally and universally vital aspects of economy, politics and civilization. Hence, I decided to pursue an undergraduate study in accounting and finance, an area sits at the core of economy.

A keen interest in history has always enabled me to have a broader picture of accounting standards and financial institutions than other students. At University of XXX, I enjoyed learning accounting standards and in particular, its second-order details, i.e., the change of standards for they reflect profound changes in the economic system that render those changes imperative. Luckily, this perspective gave a great advantage when it comes to the learning outcome. I understand concepts and knowledge profoundly with less of learning by rote. As a result, I achieved an academic record of second-upper class.

As cliché as it goes, the only thing in the world doesn’t change is change. As technology advances, finance and the business world it services are being transformed into a new paradigm where the importance of data can’t be more stressed. History has a lesson for us: to ride the tide. Therefore, I would like to continue to study at the master’s level with a focus on data-driven analysis of business, after the bachelor’s study. As much as I enjoyed the way historians distil important understanding of the past from voluminous text and excavations, I think digging into overwhelming volumes of data to inform business decision-making is more practical for me. Not only will a master’s study prepare me for a challenging and fulfilling career but also satisfy my intellectual desire to understand better our present and future.

In the short run, I would like to join a consulting firm or the consulting unit in one of the “big four” in China. My main career interest lies in the discovering of insights using nuanced and logical reasoning in the context of business. As data become increasingly available, it is important to keep pace with development in data analytics. A master’s study is hence crucial. In the long run, my ambition is to move up the leadership pipeline and become a senior manager in a global firm that proud itself for taking care of social issues like climate change and social welfare.

The MSc Business Analytics: Operational Research and Risk Analysis (MSBA) at the University of Manchester is a good fit for my background and career plan. It features many demanding financial courses that will take me to the frontier of business analytics. I will enjoy modules such as Data Analytics for Business Decision Making, and Knowledge Management and Digital Strategy as both will horn my analytical skills. The international faculty and student body at Manchester offer a stimulating and vibrant environment. Last, the excellent career office of the University will also ease a great deal my job-hunting process after graduation.

I am confident that I make a good candidate for the programme. Having achieved 65/100 in the accounting and finance programme at the University of XXX, I expect to get a first-class award upon graduation. I performed well in mathematical modules. I got a distinction (71) for the module Probability and Optimisation and 67 Statistical Methods. Furthermore, while working as an intern this summer, my job demanded a fluent and even creative usage of programming tools to clean data and analyse data, and I did well on the job. Besides, I boast good leadership and communication skills. Be it group assignment, be it the workplace, I often take responsibilities and deliver the result.

I never regret my majoring in accounting and finance instead of history. History as a way of thinking has always helped me see the world shaper. Now again, I will make full use of the resources of the programme to develop my skills to see through data.

Version 2, Dec 07, 2019

Personal Statement

My fashion journey started at the age of ten when I copied the fashion designs of a fashion show on the TV to my barbie’s cloth. Ever since then, art has become an intrinsic part of my life. Quite naturally, I went to major in decorative art at college, a broad and new subject with many challenges. After college, I was five years in the fashion industry as a buyer, designer and retailer before starting my two-year post as the COO assistant of an education company.

Graced with numerous failures and successes in the journey, I came to understand the importance of branding and marketing for fashion design and products; that brand brings products and customers together by building trust. When promoting garments of a store I worked for, I faced many marketing difficulties. Consumers have limited appreciation of niche designers. As a result, personalised design by independent designers can hardly achieve its potential and being recognised. Yet they deserve adequate and good marketing to add to the diversity of our fashion choices.

How to make them seen by more customers in the age of internet, when publicity is no longer the monopoly of those big firms? To find answer for it, I joined Shanghai Net-Show Advertising, an advertisement company focusing on social media & online brand marketing, as a marketer to improve my marketing skills. Starting from scratch, I learned about online marketing channels and strategies, as well as many other unconventional promotional channels like WeChat, KOL, live-sharing platforms. One successful marketing campaigns after another, I was promoted quickly to become the Account Manager of the firm. By no means was I motivated by the corporate ladder but by the impact I had on each brand, product and the joy of connecting good design with consumers.

As my career progress, I realised that marketing and branding should play a more strategic role in an organisation; that marketing is the starting point of value creation; that marketing should permeate into all layers of firms and all parts of their supply chain. To be a competent marketer, I needed to situate marketing in the umbrella of business organisations and to acquire a broader picture. Hence, I joined China Online Education Group, as its COO assistant, a role exposed me to various functions of a company related to marketing, such as sales channels, O2O, digital marketing and telecom marketing. It also elevated me to a high level of professional matureness as I exchanged ideas with seasoned practitioners.

Two years gone by, there has been something missing from my career. What is it? I find myself still spending weekends strolling in art exhibitions; I find myself as enthusiastic with fashion shows as when I was ten. Deep in my bone, I am an artist. It is in art and fashion that my passion lies. Passion is it, the missing part of life. My desire of working in the industry that I love, fashion, can’t be stronger now. It is time to make a change, to go back to the fashion industry as a marketer. For this return, I have got to be prepared with a more holistic view of and more knowledge in the marketing profession and fashion industry. In this way, life and career become one.

As such, a master’s education is a logical next step for me. It provides an opportunity to study the marketing literature that has been through the selection of time; a venue to learn from industry gurus and academic thinkers. What’s more, the global trend makes it imperative to have international exposure to fashions in the international arena and to master the most cutting-edge marketing philosophies and techniques. For example, environmental awareness has made people in the Western world criticising the lavishness of the fashion industry, which has been producing a large portion of waste. Yet in China, ideas of this kind are considered far-reaching. The best way to understand the international current is international education.

In the short term after finishing my master’s study, I would like to join a fashion company to manage its retailing and marketing. I wish to become a professional manager to strategise marketing’s role. I uphold a broader vision for marketers; that marketers as educators should shape people’s taste and style positively. Therefore, I also want to popularise a set of ideas in China, for example, the fashion industry’s environmental awareness, or a more critical approach towards fashion. In the long term, I would work hard to establish my fashion brand.

I consider the MSc International Fashion Marketing at the University of Manchester an ideal fit for my interest. There is perhaps no better occasion to grasp the impulse of fashion than the London Fashion Week. Thus Manchester provides a gateway to Britain’s pride fashion industry, full of brilliant designers like Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood, and Alexander Mc Queen. No less important is the state-of-the-art facilities, that enables Jacquard weaving, computerised flat-bed knitting, digital printing and nano-fibre manufacturing, at student’s disposal at the University of Manchester. Its extensive contact with big fashion names, like Arcadia, ASOS, Next and Marks and Spencer and Burberry, also adds to its appeal, not to mention the CIM accreditation. I also like the balanced curriculum. Among others, I am interested in Retail Marketing and Strategic Marketing as they are highly related to my experience in the past and answer the puzzles and confusions I had.

My background also makes a strong case for my candidacy in the programme. I was five years in the fashion industry and have a series of proven success in marketing and retailing. They would render my study more focused and facilitate learning, given that I can relate cases and theories to the real business world. This experience can also add value to classes discussions and student diversity. As a COO assistant for two years, I approach marketing in a more strategical and holistical manner. Besides, my two-year experience in the eudation industry will bring in novel ideas into my study of fashion marketing. In addition, my academic background in art design is advantageous as it empowers me to understand fashion more profoundly. Such a mixture of artistic taste and marketing expertise could potentially produce significant synergy. After all, no marketer could truly excel without a deep understanding of the products. Taken as a whole, my GPA is low. But I indeed scored 4.0/4.0 in most art subject courses and have an artwork archived by my university.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. Never have my quest for truly exceptional work built on my passion been so relentless. I am convinced that this programme will bring a paradigm shift to my career and give a full play of my interest and talent.