Essay
Yizhou Tang
MAcc Michigan Ross
Fall 2013 Master of Accounting (MAcc) Essay Questions
MAcc applicants are required to submit two essays. Essay #1 is mandatory. The
second essay should address one of the two questions under Essay #2. Please
upload both essays in one file.
Put your full name and the question being answered at the top of each page, and
use at least 11 point font and 1.5 line spacing.
1. Please provide responses to the questions below: (500 word maximum total)
a. Briefly describe your short-term and long-term career goals?
b. Why is a Master of Accounting (MAcc) the best choice at this point in your
career?
c. What and/or who influenced your decision to apply to the Michigan Ross
MAcc Program?
My interest in accounting was aroused by my role as the president of a student
association and my internship in a securities firm. In the former role, I realized the
importance of financial management by doing budgeting and fund raising. In the latter
role, by assessing the financial performance of target companies through ratio analysis,
I found accounting to be the essential language of business, which conveys valuable
information to decision makers. However, many Chinese corporations have backward
ideas and methods of financial management, which lead to their small scale, poor
efficiency, and short life cycle. Thus, in the long-term, I want to provide professional
financial consulting service to Chinese companies, to help them make optimal
strategic financial and operational decisions, and prosper in today’s globalizing and
fast-changing world.
In order to achieve my aspirations, my short-term career goal is to work as a corporate
financial analyst for a Fortune 500 company, which has a complete and advanced
financial management system. I want to learn the most from it about budget and
forecast, and about cash flow analysis.
During college, I have established a solid foundation in accounting and finance
through rigorous courses with high grades. This semester, in order to gain more
theoretical knowledge in accounting, I took two extra courses in accounting and read
accounting books on my own. I also gained much practical experience through doing
internships. During my internship in Shenyin & Wanguo Securities Co., Ltd., the
financial analysis report I wrote was spoken highly of by my supervisor and other
colleagues. I enjoyed understanding, analyzing, and interpreting complicated financial
statements to dig out valuable information for decision-making. This experience
reinforced my decision to pursue a career in accounting.
However, to achieve my career goals, I need a further study to require an in-depth
knowledge in accounting and financial management. I also have to develop my
Essay
Yizhou Tang
MAcc Michigan Ross
analytical skills and problem solving abilities, which are important to become a
corporate financial analyst.
After talking with Eric Wang, who was my senior at college and is now a MAcc
student at Ross, I found that the MAcc degree at Ross is just what I need, because it
offers more than fundamental accounting theories, but also practices and exposure to
it and other related fields like finance. Courses such as “Advanced Financial
Management” will enhance my understanding in accounting and financial
management, and how they affect the operation of a company. By taking MBA
electives in finance and corporate strategy, I will learn more about capital market and
its function on the corporate, and how companies set up strategic decisions to meet
their financial goals. These will all contribute to my career goal of becoming a
corporate financial analyst. In addition, I will also benefit from the business alumni at
Ross.
In conclusion, the MAcc program offers the perfect combination of curriculum,
resources, and opportunities to help me achieve both my short-term and long-term
dreams and aspirations. And I cannot wait to join Ross and contribute to this amazing
program with my passion and perseverance.
2. Respond to one of the following questions: (500 word maximum)
a. Describe a personal challenge or obstacle and why you view it as such. How
have you dealt with it? What do you expect the challenges to be entering the
Michigan Ross MAcc Program and how will you use what you learned in the
past to overcome these challenges?
b. Assume you were pursuing neither a degree in accounting nor the goals you
have outlined in your required essay. What other career path would you have
chosen? Why would you choose that path and what characteristics are necessary
for success? Which of these traits can also be translated into your pursuit of your
degree and chosen career?
2a:
I had arrived at Lund, an ancient college town in Sweden, for two weeks, and the
Swedish boy Karl lived across my door had hardly spoken anything to me. And
several times when he invited his Swedish friends over to our living room, they spoke
Swedish, showing little intention to invite me to join them. I felt a disappointed,
because I wanted to merge into the new environment. So, I set up a plan to break into
the local life and make more foreign friends.
One day, I deliberately cook dinner when Karl was also outside watching TV. As
expected, he was attracted by the smell, and couldn’t stop glancing at my pot. Then I
asked him to join my dinner, and taught him how to use chopsticks. He was delighted,
and we became more acquainted ever since. Moreover, I pushed myself to attend
parties with foreigners. Although party is not an ordinary social platform for Chinese,
Essay
Yizhou Tang
MAcc Michigan Ross
I hold the belief that “When in Rome do as Romans do”, and that we had to adapt to
the local culture to really understand the people. I spent much time talking to people
from various countries, and it was so much fun. I learnt a lot about their cultures, lives,
and ways of thinking. One thing I noticed was that the gender equality in Sweden is
such that men could also take maternity leave, and women are equally powerful as
men in job markets. This made me jealous, because gender discrimination is still a
huge problem in China, which makes Chinese women more difficult to get
promotions at work. Unfortunately, as a Chinese girl, I have to make more effort to
succeed.
这些词应该用一般现在时呢，还是过去时呢？
The most important lesson I learnt from the “breaking-in” experience is that I have to
be active and positive. Whatever difficulty I face, I should try to adapt myself to the
environment instead of complaining about it.
Entering the Michigan Ross MAcc program, I will encounter many challenges. First
of all, I have to adapt to the US life in a short time. Since the language is the
fundamental tool, I am practicing and will continue to practice my oral English skills
by actively talking with foreign friends at English corner or at school. Moreover, I
have to cooperate and communicate with students of diverse backgrounds at MAcc
class. I will engage myself in class discussions and group works with foreign students,
instead of sticking with Chinese. I would also share with them the topics on Chinese
economic and social development that they may be interested in. Finally, when taking
MBA courses, most MBA students have rich work experience, then how I contribute
to the class will be a big challenge. From my experience before, I will be active, and
try to speak out my opinions, even if they are immature. I believe it is through
exchanging ideas that we grow faster.
In conclusion, I’m pretty sure that I can counter the challenges during pursuing the
MAcc degree at Ross with my passion and activeness. I cannot wait to begin my
adventurous journey at Ross.