In this blog post, we’ll summarize academic efforts, campus activity experiences, examples of consideration and cooperation, and academic and career plans after admission, based on a sample personal statement written for an application to the Department of Economics and Finance at Kwandong University.

Describing Academic Experiences and Reflections

While in high school, I developed an interest in economics and set a goal to pursue a career in the field of economics and finance. To achieve this goal, I resolved to do everything I could as a high school student to prepare, and I decided to study a second foreign language in addition to my regular curriculum to prepare for the future. I chose Chinese as my second foreign language. Observing China’s rapidly developing economy, I concluded that there would be significant exchanges between China and South Korea, and I believed that learning Chinese would be beneficial in the future. While studying Chinese, I also made an effort to understand China’s economic policies and current conditions. To do this, I needed to be able to interpret newspaper articles written in Chinese, and this motivation drove me to study even harder. The most challenging aspect of Chinese was vocabulary. There was a vast amount of vocabulary to memorize, ranging from everyday language to technical terms, so I carried a notebook with me to jot down words learned in class and those I encountered while interpreting articles, and I memorized them whenever I had a spare moment. Although Chinese sentence structure differed from Korean, it wasn’t impossible to understand because it doesn’t rely heavily on particles or verb endings. Knowing a lot of words and idioms allowed me to grasp the general meaning. In particular, the Chinese characters I had studied beforehand were very helpful. The characters I learned while preparing for the Level 2 Chinese Character Proficiency Test frequently appeared in Chinese vocabulary, and since they often had similar meanings despite different pronunciations, studying was easier. So, I studied Hanja and Chinese simultaneously, believing that my second foreign language would be of great help someday, and I studied consistently.

Write about major on-campus activities and reflections

I voluntarily started an economics and investment math club with seniors one grade above me. All the club members were interested in economics and were planning careers in related fields. Our main activities included simulated stock trading using specialized software, summarizing and presenting economic theories, and book discussions on economics-related texts. Among these, we decided to prioritize academic study and classroom learning while using simulated stock trading as a practical application. During our book discussions, we engaged in substantive economic study by reading works such as ‘The 23 Things They Don’t Tell You’ by Ha-Joon Chang and ‘The 23 Things Ha-Joon Chang Didn’t Tell You’ by Won-Geun Song. Generally, economics clubs tend to focus on difficult introductory textbooks, but we selected more interesting and accessible books. We found them at the library, read them, discussed them, and freely expressed our individual opinions on economic phenomena and policies. This was a valuable experience that allowed me to hear how other members felt about neoliberalism and economic policies. At first, I felt that economics was complicated, but the more I learned, the more I realized how clear and straightforward it actually is; I also came to understand how closely stock investing is tied to everyday life. However, running the club in the early stages was not easy. Balancing my schoolwork with preparing for club sessions and creating presentation materials took a lot of time, and I was sometimes disappointed when members didn’t keep up with their discussion logs or didn’t actively participate in investment activities. In particular, the book discussion sessions—where members were expected to read the assigned books and express their own thoughts—did not go as well as hoped in the beginning. However, as time passed and the benefits of the mock investment activities and our studies became apparent, the members began to view the club as “their own project.” As they realized that these activities were directly linked to their own interests, their participation levels increased. Club members showed enthusiasm to make proper investments through more study and preparation, and in discussions, they sought to engage in learning that would aid their investments based on more practical data. Through this experience, I realized that learning and classes are most effective when they are directly connected to daily life.

Examples of Consideration, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections

The Economics, Investment, and Math Club, which I founded with upperclassmen during my freshman year, took more than six months to get off the ground. Throughout that process, the members worked hard to fulfill their respective roles. First, we created promotional materials to recruit new members and prepared lessons to help freshmen adapt to studying economics. We also continuously refined details such as the selection of class materials and books for reading discussions. As a result, within six months, we were able to establish a relatively well-developed club operation plan. We decided that when new members joined in the first semester, existing members would provide one-on-one mentoring to the newcomers. Mentors taught their mentees the basics of stock trading and ensured they kept their economics study journals. I also served as a mentor; although I had many shortcomings, I tried my best to teach my mentee as much as possible. By the second semester, my mentee had reached a level where they could attempt simulated stock investing on their own, and I felt a great sense of pride seeing that, building on the groundwork laid in the first semester, they were able to interpret corporate financial statements and income statements. As the next step, I guided them to develop their own investment strategies and create presentation materials, and I provided them with a list of resources needed for their research. We worked together on a project involving investments in energy-related stocks, researching the major recent activities of companies in the energy sector. I was able to further strengthen my bonds with club members who had adapted well to club activities while preparing for the club exhibition at the school festival during the second semester.

Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans

I have been interested in financial investment since high school, so I founded a related club myself. While studying economics, I acquired a wide range of knowledge about economic phenomena and economic policies. Learning new, unfamiliar concepts actually felt quite natural to me. Since economic and investment activities will be closely intertwined with daily life in the future, I believe that gaining a solid understanding of this field will be of great benefit. Therefore, I have set a goal to work at a financial investment firm or securities-related institution and become a professional who contributes to the nation’s investment activities. In particular, I aspire to work at a government agency responsible for investment, where I can gain insight into the economic policies proposed by the government and contribute to the nation’s investment efforts. To this end, I plan to systematically study economics and economic law during my college years. During my freshman and sophomore years, I intend to build a solid foundation in introductory courses. I will actively participate in foundational courses such as Mathematical Economics, Microeconomics, and Macroeconomics, and diligently complete the core curriculum. After mastering the fundamentals, I will take specialized courses in Public Finance, Labor Economics, Regional Economics, Strategic Economics, and Accounting to acquire the professional knowledge that will guide my career choices. In particular, through Strategic Economics, I intend to conduct in-depth studies of national and regional policies as well as corporate and individual strategies. In the field of Economic Law, I plan to study tax systems, tax policy, tax law, and tax accounting to establish practical knowledge related to taxation. Furthermore, through case analysis courses, I will consistently perform economic statistical analysis, economic data analysis, and economic policy case studies to develop skills that can be immediately applied in professional practice.