This blog post outlines the key points for demonstrating major suitability, learning strategies, and career logic in an academic plan for mathematics students aiming to become financial engineers.
Reason for Pursuing the Major (Why I Chose This Major)
Since elementary school, I’ve been deeply interested in math and science, investing more time in math studies than any other subject. Even Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft (MS), enrolled in Harvard Law School but later transferred to the math department after realizing the importance of mathematics. I, too, considered math the most crucial subject, dedicating 80% of my daily study time to it. On my desk, math workbooks I completed each week piled up.
Knowing my fondness for math, my homeroom teacher advised me to consider majoring in it. He explained that math majors possess the ability to read manuals without preconceptions. Rather than learning techniques, they repeatedly study axioms and definitions, proving them over and over, which builds strong adaptability to new fields. I also felt it was meaningful to continue the studies I had wanted to pursue since high school, which led me to choose the Mathematics Department. Upon enrolling at your university, I aim to thoroughly explore all the mathematics-related problems that spark my curiosity and interest.
Academic Plan and Goals
Upon enrolling at your university, I first wish to channel my passion for mathematics into deeply studying financial mathematics. Furthermore, to develop statistical insight during my undergraduate years, I plan to cultivate an interest in financial engineering, financial mathematics, and global economic trends, studying these subjects step by step.
Accurate statistics require knowledge of broader political, economic, social, and cultural currents, so I will diligently gather information on these areas. I will also study foreign languages diligently to express myself confidently both domestically and internationally. After completing my undergraduate studies, I plan to pursue graduate school and study abroad to deeply study quantitative finance.
Post-Graduation Plans
After graduation, I aspire to join a quantitative team at a financial institution, designing financial products, determining their prices, and managing risks. My role model is Emanuel Derman, a professor at Columbia University and the director of its Financial Engineering program. He recently published a book titled “Quant: A Memoir of Physics and Finance,” which has now been released in Korea. Reading this book, I found his life incredibly inspiring and resolved to live similarly in my own field.
Like him, I want to continue studying diligently while working at a company, gain recognition for my expertise, and eventually teach the Financial Engineering program to future students. A passage from a finance book comes to mind: a financial engineer must become a comprehensive artist. This is because financial engineering requires traversing diverse disciplines—mathematics, economics, statistics, computer science, and even psychology to understand customer minds. Moving forward, I will diligently strive to become a financial artist who can penetrate market trends based on cold, mathematical knowledge.
Self-Introduction (Life Philosophy, Values)
There is an equation: 1+1=3. Of course, this is less a mathematical formula and more a reference to the “Synergy Effect,” frequently applied to societal and organizational phenomena. It signifies the positive, upward effect that can be created when you and I work together.
During my relatively short academic journey, I have deeply contemplated how a professional, mathematical mindset can ultimately enrich the society we live in and maximize human humanity.
In other words, I possess a profound passion for the meaning and role of mathematics not merely as a foundational science, but as an applied science.
I will build my entire mathematical career path focusing on the fact that mathematics is not the dull and outdated discipline it may seem like during school days, but rather a remarkably practical field deeply intertwined with our daily lives, one that significantly enhances the value of life.
