Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, I am a dedicated accounting professional with an undergraduate degree in my field from the University of XXXX and I would now love to enroll in the MSc Program in Accounting, Organizations, and Institutions at XXU. I am convinced that I have a stellar background and preparation to warrant being admitted to your program, which I see as the finest in its field on earth. I am an accomplished international professional who, in addition to Russian and English, is also advancing in Finnish and I already speak, read, and write, French, Spanish and Greek. I also possess extensive professional and volunteer work experience. My experience as a volunteer has made my life more meaningful, helping me to become more aware of various important social causes and to become a committed member of progressive struggles in our local community. I have become a well-rounded person and find it easy to interact and communicate well with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

 I have lived in many countries and have been exposed to many different cultures. The greatest contribution that I might be able to make to society would be to achieve my professional goals working with multinational, probably non-profit, organizations while continuing to do volunteer work and remain engaged with progressive causes and projects. I have been to France several times and have lived there for 3 months at one point. I have spent 2 months in the U.K. studying International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). I have also lived for several years and obtained my degree in the U.S.

 I am applying to XXU because of its highly regarded reputation for research and academic excellence, its history, and the stories of alumni that have become leaders in their fields. I have selected the MSc in Accounting, Organizations and Institutions Program for its innovative approach to the study of accounting and its focus on extended research and integration with the study of social sciences. Attending LSE will enable me to attain my goal of starting a successful career in international accounting and taxation, as well as helping to bring positive changes and transparency into the accounting field of my country, Russia, and more broadly to the countries of Eastern Europe. LSE’s program is state-of-the art in both politics and finance. I want to become part of its innovative approach and advanced teaching techniques as this will give me the highest quality of education possible.

 “So you are studying accounting? Oh, that must be so tedious and boring.” This is the same reaction I have encountered from hundreds of people throughout my undergraduate studies. On the contrary, however, I see accounting as an exciting and fast-evolving field which permeates all areas of business, a bloodline for both profit and non-profit organizations. Accounting provides a mechanism that all institutions can adhere to regardless of geographic or geopolitical location. There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure social justice and a solid foundation of accountability on which, ultimately, all careers are built. It is the bedrock of social institutions.

 After being introduced to the accounting discipline and taking several classes, I realized that it is “a language of its own”, the language all business used to communicate financial information on a factual level with their investors, markets, and the public in general. I am excited by the fact that we are now witnessing a convergence of various international accounting standards; so that today, accounting has become the universal language of business.

 The international aspect of accounting is where my central interests lie, which became much clearer to me last year when I was attending an IFRS seminar in London. The focus of the seminar was the new challenges encountered by accounting professionals in various organizations and institutions as they undergo changes in reporting standards and the implementation of new accounting rules. I attended the University of Washington and through perseverance and hard work I have been on the Dean’s List nearly every quarter. My current cumulative GPA is 3.7 and I have recently graduated with my undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Accounting. I especially enjoyed courses in Accounting, Finance, Auditing, and Taxation, exposing me to the numerous aspects of the accounting field and preparing me to further my education. My business classes emphasized teamwork, efficiency, and working together effectively with people from alternative backgrounds and cultures all the while building leadership skills. I am hardworking, ambitious, and determined to better myself personally and professionally.

 I believe that in order to realize my full potential and make a more significant contribution to society, it is necessary for me to pursue a course of graduate study. I feel that I deserve to be admitted because of my broad range of skills and interests. For example, I have studied the history of fine art, from ancient to modern times, at the State Hermitage Museum. I have always been interested in foreign cultures and religions and have spent several years studying the religions of the world at the Russian Ethnographic Museum. I have received numerous certificates of accomplishments. Working as gallery assistant while attending university helped to further advance my interest in and understanding of art, especially as an institution. I helped organize several art exhibits and ran the gallery with minimal supervision. I am responsible, punctual, and thorough. I hope to contribute to the lovely diversity of your program as a woman from Eastern Europe who had the opportunity to study French for several years at the Alliance Française of Saint-Petersburg and completed all levels of proficiency.

 In addition to having participated in extracurricular activities at my university, I have been extensively involved in volunteer work in the local community where I reside. Most recently I have been working at Centro Latino, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free assistance and service referral, as well as education to Mexican immigrants and their families. I have volunteered at the Grand Cinema, a non-profit, fully volunteer-run independent movie theatre, where I work in various administrative functions and help with day-to-day operations. I helped with numerous duties during the Tacoma Film Festival, helping to create and promote educational tools that furthered appreciation of the arts. I have always strived to achieve the best at every stage of my educational and professional career and believe that the next stage in this journey is to attend XXU and further my personal and professional growth.  Of all the educational institutions in the world, XXU stands out on so many levels of which I admire and respect and would be honored to attend and contribute to its legendary academic excellence.