Participant Background
Student Z. Undergraduate background.
Accounting, Shenzhen University.
gpa ：92.2 IELTS: 75. Admission to the school.
University of Michigan, Ann ArborMaster of Accounting
Application time: 2023-09-14
Admission time: 2023-10-30
Washington University in St. LouisMaster of Finance
Application time: 2023-10-05
Admission time: 2023-11-10
Johns Hopkins UniversityMaster of Finance
Application time: 2023-10-17
Admission time: 2023-12-14
University of RochesterMaster of Accounting
Application time: 2023-10-13
Admission time: 2023-11-21
Wake Forest UniversityMaster of Accounting
Application time: 2023-10-23
Admission time: 2023-11-02
Main Experience. 1."Internet +" College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.
2.Exchange year at a European university.
3.Internship at IBD in xx** company.
1. Opportunity to study abroad
I've had it since the second semester of my freshman yearStudying abroad has broadened my academic horizons and life experiencesideas. It was at this time that I began to work towards achieving this goal.
In my sophomore year, I took a more determined step and took the initiative to have in-depth exchanges with teachers who have experience in studying abroad, and received a lot of guidance and advice. By making an appointment for an office hour, I had the opportunity to communicate with the school teachers one-on-one. These enlightening conversations not only demystified my application process, but also gave me a deeper understanding of the key aspects of the entire application process. The teacher will also share some of her insights and experiences in this subject area, or some things she thinks can be prepared for this goal at the moment, which makes me more clear about my preparation direction and goals. Less confusion, more confidence. The one-year exchange experience in Europe was an important part of my study abroad opportunities. This experience not only gave me a deep sense of the international academic atmosphere, but also provided me with the opportunity to adapt to the study abroad life in advance. In a foreign country, I not only learned a wider range of knowledge, but also developed the ability to work with classmates from different cultural backgrounds. This experience has added a lot to my study abroad application and made meThe essay is a powerful demonstration of my international vision and cross-cultural communication skills, which became the highlight of my application and made me stand out from the crowd of applicants. Of course, this year's exchange life has also given me a more comprehensive understanding of studying abroad, and made me more firmly believe that studying abroad is not only about acquiring subject knowledge and preparing for employment, but also about all-round personal growth. 2. Preparation before application
1.Timeline
March 2023: IELTS score.
April-June 2023: Contracted Institution & School Selection & Understanding the Program.
2023: Project finalization & WES certification & Contact relevant referees.
September 2023: GRE scores are out.
September 2023 - November 2023: Preparation of other application materials & submission of application materials.
After returning from the exchange, my entire application preparation was very coherent and compact, and there was no time wasted and delayed. I think this is also due to the fact that I have learned a lot of information in the early stage, including my own exploration, information collection, and communication with the guides and teachers, I am very clear about every step and every arrangement I make. What needs to be done at each point in time is well thought out and planned. This allowed me to complete various preparations in a limited time without wasting any valuable time. 
For example, in terms of IELTS preparation, I took advantage of the language input and output I maintained during the exchange in Europe and quickly took the offline test once, and I succeeded in 75 out of the score, the small score is also better-looking. In order to avoid the long time for WES score certification and delay in subsequent project submission, I also completed this as early as July. (Later, I learned that our school's self-service system for printing and stamping transcripts will wait until September to open again, which will affect my first round of applications with an earlier deadline.) I'm so glad I started doing these things early! I always think,Only by starting early can we have more room for adjustment and improvement, and can we be more calm and calm throughout the application season
2.gpa
As I mentioned earlier, in my sophomore year, I took the initiative to have in-depth exchanges with teachers who had studied abroad. These exchanges made me realize that GPA plays a key role in the application process, and that it requires constant attention throughout the four years of college. Therefore, I began to consciously devote more energy to the study of professional courses, and strive to maintain a relatively stable GPA. In the application to study abroad, academic performance is an important indicator to evaluate applicants. So, since my sophomore year, I set out to improve my academic performance in my major classes. Through a targeted study plan and an efficient study method, I have managed to maintain a relatively stable GPA, which has added a bright spot to my study abroad application.
3.Language scores
For American researchers, IELTS preparation does not seem to be a common choice. Compared with TOEFL, I don't think the vocabulary requirements of IELTS are so high, and it is easier to score. In addition, I had experience in IELTS preparation before my junior year, so I will be able to get started with the test style and question types more quickly, and I will have a greater chance of getting a high score. So, after applying for the U.S. program firmly, I chose to continue preparing for the IELTS exam.
About IELTS:, I thinkIt is important to grasp your weaknesses and prescribe the right medicine。Especially when time is of the essence. The key is to know how to correctly find the weaknesses in listening, speaking, reading and writing, and then focus on breaking through. In my opinion, the better parts of the score are listening and reading. In the listening sectionCompetence and positioning skills are crucial, you can do more related exercises at ordinary times. Before the formal listening, there is a preparation time, you can first browse the topic, clarify the parts of speech, and delineate the keywords. Is it a name or a verb to fill in in advance? Is it a number or a date? Is it a positive or negative expression? After you have a number in mind, you can quickly find the answer you need with the help of the key positioning words in the question stem during the listening process. At the same time, you should also pay attention to whether there are some inflections when listening. These inflections are crucial, they signify a change in attitude and help us quickly rule out the wrong options. In readingThe ability to recognize synonymous substitutions and familiar words is crucial。Due to the tight reading time, the large number of questions, and the lack of extra time to scribble, we need to answer questions quickly and accurately. Discovering synonymous substitutions can greatly help us locate information quickly, reduce the amount of reading, and improve the speed of answering questions. Therefore, we can accumulate more words with similar meanings in ordinary times, and we don't have to ask for accurate spelling, as long as we can recognize them. Such a technique can help you deal effectively with reading questions in a limited amount of time. In the writing section, I referred to Mr. Simon's ** class and summarized my writing logic and framework on his basis. Usually I doRead more and accumulate materialsand get proper training before the exam to simulate what it's like to write. Colloquial wordsIf you have a partner who is preparing for the exam together, you can make an appointment to practice and maintain your sense of language. Think more about spoken language materials that can be used universallyTry to tell the same thing from different angles, so that the amount of preparation can be reduced and the efficiency can be improved. Of course, when I talk about the interesting part, I will also smile appropriately, express my emotions, and enliven the atmosphere, so that the whole process is in a very relaxed and happy environment. GRE Exam PrepI took advantage of the summer vacation of my junior year to take a 321 exam in September, which was not high but was basically enough for my application. In addition, I still need to make up for some courses that I haven't completed before, so I weighed the schedule and felt that I didn't have the idea of brushing up my marks again, so I focused on the essay and interview preparation. I didn't get very high in my GRE either, so I won't share my preparation process haha3. Essay and interview
1.Kira Live-Action Facial Preparation
During my undergraduate years, I had a wealth of club activities and competition experience, which was relatively easy for me to prepare materials for the oral part. One of the places where extracurricular activities can play a big role in the application process is in interviews. Although the club activities or competitions I participated in were not directly related to the program, they were an extra highlight to show the admissions officers what makes me unique. I use my experience flexibly in my interview question preparation process. Starting and narrating the same thing from different angles, and then revising it around the theme, greatly reduced the amount of work I was preparing. The guide's teacher may will also be very careful to help me sort out the noodles. But other than that, I also go to the Little Sweet Potato or One Acre and Three Plots forum (which is very useful!). Lots of useful information) to search for relevant content again so that you can be better prepared. It can also be achieved on the basis of sufficient preparation, to play flexibly.
2.Instruments
Secondly, there is the paperwork part. I have long heard that projects on the American side will still pay more attention to paperwork. Therefore, the quality control of the instrument in this regard must not be relaxed. I would also like to thank and recommend my essay teacher Eva here! According to my experience, it has helped me sublimate a lot of content, connected many of my experiences, opened up my essay ideas, and connected to many points that I never thought of. The manuscript is also very punctual and responsible. (Have you ever seen the clerk teacher say that you can take the initiative to urge me to urge her in the future?) I think that's too rare haha! I am very satisfied with the paperwork for each of the selected projects, and there are very few major changes. If there is anything that needs to be modified, Mr. eva also replied in a timely manner, so don't worry too much
During the exchange, the teachers also recommended me to contact the recommender teacher in advance, and gave me a lot of tips, and I had a very pleasant chat during the brief talk with the recommender teacher, and it was successfully completed!
At the beginning, when I applied for accounting, I was more worried about the prerequisite courses sent by the school's official website, and Mr. May also helped me write an email to ask about the specific situation, which made me very helpful in choosing a school!
Probably unlike most applicants, I still have a lot of major courses to complete in the first semester of my senior year because of the exchange, so I will be busy. But luckily, all the families on my application team were very helpful! It solved a lot of questions for me, so that I was very worry-free and trouble-free in the application process, and I got a very satisfactory offer at the end of the day and got off safely