A In making applications for university places, you will already have realized that one of the most difficult parts of the application is completing the personal information section which usually comes at the end of the form, after you have given all the information you have about your existing qualifications. This should say something extra about you which will attract the attention of the selection panel and shows them that you are a special candidate with particular personal qualities or experience. Students do not always understand the kind of things which impress the selectors, and they either neglect this section, putting in very little information, or they say things which they themselves do not really believe in and which the selectors recognize straight away as empty talk. Yet this section is one of the most important sections on the application form, because it is here that the average applicants can be separated from the really good ones. Below we give you a picture of how to answer this part of the form, by offering you three examples of typical answers by would-be candidates for an MBA course. The MBA course in question, at Hartington University in the USA, offers a full range of subject options, from Accounts and Financial Management to Marketing, Product Development and General Management and Administration, with electives in Global Business and Corporate Finance, as well as the opportunity to take part in study tours to other parts of the USA, to the Pacific Rim and to Spain.

B Look at these three responses to the question: “Outline below what, in your opinion, apart from the academic qualifications you have already described above, makes you an appropriate candidate for this course.”

Response 1

C I am a good candidate for this course because I have taken a business studies option at school and I am ready to go into business any time. I am very good at talking to people as I was very involved in both school and university life. I won a runner-up prize for essay-writing in form two at my school and I continue to get good marks in this area. Also I was secretary of the Chess Club and I continued to play chess at university, therefore I am good at communicating with other people. In my university, I was a member of the Accounts Society and the External Secretary of the Fishing Club. I often had to help other members of the clubs with their problems, and I really believe I am good at this. Please give me a chance to take this course, because I am a very hard-working and serious student.

Response 2

D Although my first degree is in Information Technology, I have a good grasp of the essentials of business management, both from my practical experience in running my own business, and from my careful selection of business-oriented electives while at university. My practical experience is from my private work as a systems analyst on contract to a number of firms in the Shanghai area, through which I was able to finance my university career. Originally intended to be purely a part-time money-making activity while at university, it soon became clear that this contract work in systems analysis had the makings of a full-time job, as having understood the potential for contract work in this area I quickly established myself on an agency basis, mainly employing my student colleagues. By the end of my second year of successful operation, I was chosen as “Young Businessman of the Year” by the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce.

E My formal study of business has included options in Accounting, Management and Decision-Making in a business context. I am also qualified in Statistics, having taken a diploma in Statistics during my first year at university. My reason for applying for the Hartington MBA is in order to acquire a greater awareness of the world of international business, with a view to either working in an international company based outside China or establishing a new China-based business exporting to other countries. In addition to the business skills I hope to acquire through the MBA greater competence in the English language and a knowledge of Western culture that will make it easier for me to operate in an international context.

F As for non-academic interests, I play a good game of squash and I am currently learning to play golf. I take a general interest in world affairs, and I believe in reading widely in various national literatures not only in order to understand the deeper cultural values of different nations but also for my own personal satisfaction.

Response 3

G I am applying for the MBA in Hartington in order to enable me to work in international business. I believe I am an appropriate candidate for the course not only because of my business qualifications, but because I am interested in understanding other cultures. Since my days at secondary school, I have had friends in Europe and Russia, whom I am still in touch with. I have been a member of the International Exchange Club since my first year at university, and through the club I have met many overseas students, from the USA, Europe, Japan and many other countries; I now have good friends in several overseas countries. Also, because of these contacts with overseas students living in China, I understand some of the difficulties of living abroad, and I think this will make it easier for me to adjust to life in the USA.

H My interests make it easy for me to establish new relationships with people who are not necessarily business students, or not even students at all. In particular, I am very interested in scuba diving and also in orienteering. As a student at a university some distance from the sea, I have found it less easy to go diving than to go orienteering, but I look forward to the possibility of going diving in the USA, should I be accepted as a graduate student at Hartington. As for less strenuous activities, I also play snooker and, with one of my British friends I learnt to play darts. Through these activities I should be able to come in contact with local people in a way that allows us to get to know each other naturally. I do make friends easily, and I hope to make some lasting friendships with people that I meet at Hartington. I think that although it is important in the business world to be tough and independent, communication and personal relationships are extremely important in most aspects of business, and these are two of my special skills.

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在提交大学入学申请过程中，你也许已经认识到，申请中最为困难的环节之一就是填个人信息这一部分。该部分一般都在表格的最后，也就是在你提供完有关你现有资格证明的所有信息之后。这部分应该说些你额外的情况，以引起评选小组对你的注意，向他们展示你是个不一般的候选人，具有特别的个人素质及经验。学生不总是了解能给评选者留下印象的那类事情。他们要么忽略这一部分，提供的信息极少；要么他们就说些连自己都不信的东西，而评选者也立即就能看出那些都是空谈。然而，这一部分是整个申请表上最重要的部分之一。因为正是在这儿，一般的申请者才能和优秀的申请者区别开来。下面我们为你描述一下如何回答表格的这部分，提供给你MBA课程未来申请者的三份典型回答的样本。所谈MBA课程是美国哈亭顿大学的，提供的课程选择全面多样，从会计及财务管理到营销、产品开发及一般经营和管理。有全球贸易和公司财务方面的选修课，还有机会参加去美国其他地方、太平洋沿岸地区及西班牙的学习之旅。

请看对以下问题的三种回答：“请在下面简要写出：除了上面你已经描述的学术方面的资历外，依你看是什么使你成为学习这一课程的合适人选？”

我很适合上这一课程，这是因为我曾在学校上过一门贸易研究的课程。我随时都准备进入商界。我擅长跟人谈话，因为在中学以及在大学生活中我都很活跃。中学时，我曾在二级作文比赛中获得亚军，之后在此方面不断取得佳绩。我曾是象棋俱乐部的会长，上大学后继续下棋。因此，我很擅长跟人沟通。大学生活期间，我曾是会计协会成员，也是钓鱼协会的外联秘书。我经常得帮助俱乐部的其他成员解决问题。我确实相信我擅长于此。恳请给我一次学习该课程的机会，因为我是一位严肃认真、勤奋努力的学生。

尽管我的第一个学位是信息技术方面的，但是我对商业管理的基础知识有很好的掌握。这是因为我既有经营自己企业的实际经验，又在上大学时很有意识地选择了贸易方面的选修课。我的实际经验还来自于我所做的兼职工作：我曾跟上海地区的数家公司签约，为他们做系统分析师。我通过这个途径能为我的大学生涯提供资金保证。起先纯粹是想在大学期间业余挣些钱的活动，但很快就非常清楚，这种系统分析方面的承包工作具有全职工作的特点，因为了解了这一领域的包工潜能后，我以代理的方式很快确立了自己的地位，聘用的主要是我的同学。到成功运作的第二年年底，我被上海商会选为“年度青年实业家”。

我正式学习的贸易课程包括会计学及贸易情景下的管理和决策。我在统计学方面也是合格的，因为我在大一时就已拿到了统计学证书。我申请读哈亭顿大学MBA的理由，是为了更多地认识国际贸易界，意在今后在中国以外的跨国公司工作，或者在中国创办新的实业，向其他国家出口。除了贸易技巧，我还希望通过MBA的学习，获得更强的英语能力，并了解西方文化的知识，这样将会使我更加容易在国际环境下运作。

至于非学术方面的兴趣，我壁球玩得不错，目前正在学打高尔夫球。我对国际时事都感兴趣。我相信广泛涉猎各国文学，这不仅仅是为了理解不同国家更为深刻的文化价值，也是为了我个人的满足。

我申请攻读哈亭顿大学MBA是为了能使我在国际贸易界工作。我认为我是攻读该课程的合适人选，不仅是因为我在贸易方面的资历，而且还因为我对了解其他文化也颇有兴趣。自中学时代起，我就有欧洲及俄罗斯的朋友，我现在仍然和他们保持联系。自大一起，我就已经是国际交流俱乐部的成员。通过这个俱乐部，我认识了许多海外学生：有美国的、欧洲的、日本的以及许多其他国家的。目前，我在若干个国家有好朋友。同样因为与生活在中国的外国学生的接触，我理解生活在国外所产生的一些困难。我想这一点会使得我更加容易适应在美国的生活。

我的兴趣爱好使我很容易跟那些不一定是商科学生（或根本不是学生）的人建立新的关系。我对水肺潜水及定向赛跑都颇有兴趣。作为一名离大海有段距离的大学学生，我发现，比起定向赛跑来，去潜水并不那么容易。要是我被接收为哈亭顿大学的研究生，我盼望着有机会在美国进行潜水运动。至于不太费力的活动，我会打台球；跟着一位英国朋友，我还学会了投飞镖。从某种意义上说，通过这些活动，我应该能够接触到当地人，这能使我们自然地逐渐相互了解。我很容易交上朋友，我希望能够同在哈亭顿遇到的人中交一些永久的朋友。我认为，尽管在商界要强硬、要独立这点很重要，但是在贸易的绝大多数方面，沟通及个人关系也极其重要。而这些恰恰是我的两项特殊技能。