Reference letter written for Kevin Zhang - Essay Example

This is a reference letter written for Kevin (Yu) Zhang, as desired by him. I understand that Kevin is applying to your for a Master’s Program in Mathematical Finance. As Associate Professor and Director for the Centre for International Business Studies and based on my personal interaction with Kevin, I feel confident about recommending Kevin for the course. My association with Kevin (Yu) Zhang lasted for 6 months from May 2004 – October 2004 when he was attending my course in “Financial & Managerial Accounting.

” This was a part of the Master’s program “Advanced Design and Management” that he was undertaking at the time. In my capacity as his professor and based on my observations of Kevin, I can safely say that he is an active and enthusiastic participant in the course and is not shy of taking initiative. Kevin also seems to have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter. My personal interaction with him has led me to believe that Kevin is a person who thinks clearly and more importantly, is able to express himself in a way that makes it easy for him to be understood.

On a couple of occasions when his co-participants in the course were unable to comprehend the solution to problem, he would try his best to explain so that the group could progress collectively. This must be attributed to Kevin’s strong communication skills and fluent oral ability. The way he completes assignments and his neat presentation and documentation convinces me about his ability to research, analyze and write. He understands the problem well, works well within the constraints and then documents his conclusion supported by facts and appropriate reasoning.

Based on his performance, I feel he deserves an above average rating as a dedicated student. Kevin was required to prepare a paper as a part of his course. He chose to study “Production Capacity or Technology Capacity” for a semiconductor company, which I must say, was thoughtful of him as the area of study in the given sector was quite challenging. I found his work to be original and deep. Some of his figures of cash flow as well as his analysis and presentation of the company’s revenues show that he has an ability to represent complex data in simple easy-to-understand figures – an indication of his exceptional Mathematics skills.

In addition, the paper also forecasts market risks, which show Kevin’s ability to reason beyond the obvious. Overall, the project reflects Kevin’s ability to play with numbers and the fact that he gets under the skin of the subject he is studying. Given his strong analytical skills and the fact that his strength lies in numbers, I would strongly recommend Kevin for the course he is applying to at your institution and it is my personal belief that he will add value to the course while growing intellectually himself.

Please feel free to contact me for any further information.