Applying for a Major in Economics - Personal Statement Example

Economics combines complex mathematical theory with a pragmatism that I find incredibly appealing, and I feel that I will be able to succeed in this field because of my strong background in mathematics. I have taken the highest level of math courses available to me, and have always felt that mathematics comes very naturally to me, but I also have always been able to understand complex systems such as those in biology or chemistry. I think that my understanding of systems and my affinity for mathematics will make me highly successful as a major in economics.

My interest in economics largely stems from the recession which seems to have dominated American life for most of the time in my life when I could understand such issues and shows no sign of improving drastically for another great portion of my life.  It seems incredible that so much false wealth could be generated simply by banking practices and poor loans, and that the drop in one area of financing could lead to a cascade reaction that has such immense global consequences. I want to study economics to be able to understand how all of this could have happened – and how it can be prevented in the future. I feel that in the coming decades, people with strong knowledge of economics will grow increasingly in importance, and I want to get into a position where I can have a real influence on the way the world unfolds around me so that I will not have to feel passive but can rather take an active part in fighting dubious banking practices that end up hurting the people who need protection the most.

This essay question seems designed to elicit some kind of boast – perhaps me saying that I am very proud of my achievements academically or find some part of myself very admirable.  But it also asks for an experience that is important to you, and I would like to focus on that. Throughout high school, I volunteered in a wide variety of places in a very organized fashion, but there was one experience that I remember that stood out, especially for me. A few years ago there was a storm in my town that caused extensive property damage to my family’s house and all of the houses in the vicinity – and the work of clearing up took a long time. Once many of the families were well progressed in clearing broken trees and other damages from their property, it became apparent that a neighbor of mine who I had never met was not clearing their property at all – when I noticed this I asked my parent why this was the case, and they reminded me that the couple that lived there was fairly old and might not be able to clear the property themselves.

I decided that it would probably be a good thing to go check on them and see if they could use some help clearing their property. At first, they said they had it under control, but upon talking to them more I learned that they were trying to save up money to hire a cleaning crew because they could not do the work on their own, but crews were so expensive they were having a hard time at it. I offered to help, and over the next few days spent an hour or two a day clearing their property, which was a slow process and eventually got very frustrating. On the third day, however, another neighbor stopped by and asked why I was doing this when it was not my property, so I told them the story, and they offered to help for a few hours too. The next day another person stopped by, and before too long we had nearly a dozen people working to clear the property, and it was finished in less than a week.

I’m proud of this event precisely because it did not require any special skill, but just a will to do something good. It reminded me that you do not have to be especially talented to make a difference and that even the least talented person in the world can help brighten someone’s day. It also reminded me that a group working towards a common goal can accomplish anything and that with just a small amount of leadership, even by example, people will follow, especially if the cause was good. I have done a lot of things that I am proud of in my life, but this stands apart in my memory simply because of how simple, how fulfilling, and how honest our hard work was, and how grateful our neighbors were for our small kindness. Read More