Hello Everyone,
Please comment on my admission essay. It would be great if people can comment on the overall structure of the essay as well. I am concerned if I answer what is asked and does my long-term goal needs more explanation? I greatly appreciate your help!
Here are the requirements:
Describe your short term and long term goals.
How will your previous academic and professional experience contribute to help you achieve those goals.
How will your previous academic and professional experience will help you to succeed in the program?
Esssy size : 2 double-spaced pages
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My short-term goal is to get associated as a quantitative trader with a reputed desk. Trading has always been an exciting career choice for me. Since my childhood, I have always been excited about understanding the market fundamentals. As a kid, it was an enigma for me that how does prices of different securities change. Various unsolved queries instilled a keen interest in me for the financial market and the interest grew with age.
At teenage, I was naturally passionate about mathematics and its applications. Thus, after passing out of high school, I joined the prestigious XXX to pursue undergraduate and graduate degree in Statistics. The admission in the undergraduate course is a tough one and is offered only to 25-30 every year, after a highly competitive nation wide mathematics test, followed by an in-depth interview.
During my five year coursework at XXX, I took various advanced courses in mathematics, probability, statistics and computer programming. My classes had a right mix of theoretical content and their applications to solve real life problems. While my classes taught me how to solve theoretical problems, various assignments and projects led me to utilize my technical knowledge for the applied ones.
I had rigorous training in the topics such as regression analysis, time series analysis, statistical computing, machine learning and statistical inference. Various programming courses, assignments and projects helped me to improve my programming skills. In the Finance course, I learned celebrated theories such as binomial asset pricing model, and Black-Scholes pricing.
After completing my graduation, I joined YYY as a quantitative analyst. I developed post-crisis financial models to price various agency mortgage securities for the AAA trading desk. I also developed an algorithmic hedging strategy and analyzes daily p&l for the BBB trading desk. While my strategies and models generated revenues for the firm, I acquired significant knowledge regarding trading mechanism and market dynamics. I also passed FRM certificate course, which enhanced my finance knowledge.
My work and academic experience helped me to enhance my technical skills and finance knowledge needed for trading. My role as a quantitative analyst helped me to understand the intricacies involved with the process of modeling and pricing. My direct interaction with the BBB trading desk taught me the process to develop trading strategies, the importance of back-testing and to make inferences from daily p&l report. The skills I learned are crucial to become a successful trader.
The work and academic projects also tested my innovation, and hard-working nature. In the past couple of years, I have improved my leadership skills, interpersonal skills and communication skills. The mentioned attributes will also help me to succeed as a trader. My stint at YYY also helped me to develop few long lasting relationships with senior people of the firm.
As your program puts strong emphasis on finance, mathematics, statistics and programming, my extensive knowledge and experience in the mentioned fields, along with my good team skills and work ethics, ensures that I will succeed in the program.
I would like to become an expert quantitative trader and gain exposure to the latest strategies and best practices in the field, while contributing significantly to a trading desk. JJJ market is booming and hence it will need financial experts in the future who can contribute to its momentum. In the long run, I would like to use my gained expertise to contribute to the developing financial market in JJJ. Quantitative trading is almost non-existent in JJJ. My long-term aim is to lead a group to develop advanced quantitative trading strategies specific to JJJ market. I would also like to contribute to the establishment of a reputed Financial Engineering program in JJJ. One such program currently doesn't exist.
I am convinced that your program is the best program to complement my experience and goals. The four pillars of your curriculum aligns perfectly with my interests. While the courses such as MMM and NNN will help me to learn the concepts of various statistical-based trading strategies, the course KKK will provide me with the tools to use economic theory in making short run forecasts of security prices and interest rates. The learning will assist me to achieve my goals.
Your program boasts the presence of impressive names such as DDD, and EEE. Taking lessons from such great names would be an enriching experience.
Also, New York has a great locational advantage as it provides a unique opportunity to network with companies. The speaker series will also help me to present myself to the senior people from the industry.
My interactions with RRR (class 2011-12) and my colleague TTT (class 2005-08) also convinced me that I will be a good fit at your program.
My short-term goal is to get associated as a quantitative trader with a reputed desk .---This sentence needs to be revised for clarity.
As a kid, it was an enigma for me that how does prices of different securities change.
At teenageAs a teenager , I was naturally passionate about mathematics and its applications.
I also developed an algorithmic hedging strategy and analyzed daily p&l for the BBB trading desk.
In the past couple of years, I have improved my leadership skills , interpersonal skills and communication skills.
I am convinced that yours program is the best program to complement my experience and goals.
The four pillars of your curriculum aligns perfectly with my interests.
Excellent. They'll be lucky to have you as a student!
:)
Hi Susan,
Thanks for your inputs and appreciation. I would be ecstatic if I am selected!
My short-term goal is to get associated as a quantitative trader with a reputed desk.---This sentence needs to be revised for clarity.
Can you please explain it to me by giving an example that how can I introduce clarity? A hypothetical example would also do.
Regards
Sumit
My short-term goal is to get associated as a quantitative trader with a reputed desk.---I just didn't understand the 'reputed desk' part, as I'm unfamiliar with quantitative trading. Also, should 'associated' be 'experience'? Good luck, let us know how it went!
:)
My short-term goal is to get associated as a quantitative trader with a reputed desk.
Using this sentence I want to tell that I want to become a trader in the short term. As traders work in groups for a particular product, the groups are termed as desks. Hence, I used desk.
I think, in this context experience is a better word than associated, as shows it gives a feeling that I will do something. Associated is more of a neutral word, which doesn't signify much.
Thanks for your advice.
